On the night my husband Simons went on a business trip, he sent me a million-dollar transfer. He told me the truth about his years of infidelity. [This million dollars is my compensation to you.] [I’m going abroad to live with her. From now on, we’ll go our separate ways and wish each other well.] My heart filled with doubt and confusion. Simons had always been sincere and honest. If he fell in love with someone else, he would definitely ask me for a divorce first. How could he possibly have an affair behind my back? But immediately after, I received an anonymous package. When I opened it, photos scattered all over the floor. They were all intimate photos from various angles of a woman named Yael with Simons. The background of the last photo was on an airplane. The moment I saw the photos, my heart filled with terror, and I immediately called the police. “I want to report a body hidden on Flight CZ3218!” The police immediately asked who the deceased was. I choked up for a moment, “It’s my husband, Simons.”

Simons and I had been married for ten years, the model couple in our friends’ eyes. He once shared his vision of our future with me—if we remained childless our whole lives, we’d move into a nursing home in our old age and grow old together. But tonight’s events completely shattered my dream of spending a lifetime with my beloved. Simons left on a last-minute business trip. After boarding the plane, he sent me a million-dollar transfer and a farewell message. He confessed his seven-year betrayal and expressed his determination. [Seven years ago, I fell in love with a woman. At that moment, I decided to spend my life with her.] [Igor, I’m sorry. But I cannot go against my heart’s decision.] He gave me the million dollars he’d earned these past years as compensation, while also showing his resolve. After leaving the country, he would register his marriage with his lover abroad. He left me not a single shred of hope to keep him. Ten years of companionship—seven of them apparently mixed with deception. I sat quietly in the cold, silent living room, my heart pounding like a drum, yet unable to shed a single tear. He had chosen his timing well. The plane was taking off right now. With this departure, he left me full of resentment. With anger building in my chest, I simply got up and rushed into the bedroom, taking down the huge wedding photo from above the bed. It crashed to the ground! I decisively pressed the lighter. Just as the flame was about to lick the photograph, urgent knocking came from the door. The visitor was in such a hurry they didn’t even leave a word. When I opened the door, an anonymous package lay quietly on the ground. Last year, Simons had used the same trick. When I opened the package, he jumped out from the shadows holding a bouquet of flowers and embraced me. “Igor, happy ninth anniversary!” Seeing the package, my heart filled with a bit of hope. Could Simons have calculated that today was our tenth anniversary and deliberately prepared a surprise for me?! Suppressing my excited heart, I opened the package, but what scattered out was evidence of crime covering the floor. A young woman with a charming face, leaning against Simons in different poses. The two shopping at the mall, going to candlelit dinners together, even intimately entwined in our shared car… The photos fell one by one, revealing a picture of the two embracing in an airplane cabin, forming a heart shape. Words were attached: [Simons & Yael Forever in Love] The woman’s gaze deliberately turned toward me, revealing a victorious smile. Though it was clearly an extremely provocative act, my heart transformed from anger to fear. Suppressing my terror, I took a deep breath and dialed the emergency number. “I want to report a body hidden on Flight CZ3218!” “And the deceased is my husband Simons…”

The police asked for details, which I answered one by one. But when they asked for evidence, I fell silent for a moment. Time passed second by second, and the plane continued approaching the national border. The police informed me again that stopping an international flight without cause would result in serious criminal liability. The compensation alone would reach millions, and in severe cases, I could face imprisonment for maliciously affecting others and causing negative impact. I pressed my hand against my pounding chest, hesitating for a moment. If this was only my speculation, I would bear enormous debt and even face imprisonment. But when my gaze shifted back to the photos, that momentary doubt vanished instantly. My voice trembled but carried determination, “I’m willing to bear all consequences, I only ask for the truth in return!” As the police mobilized, I also brought Simons’s work materials to the airport. Time was pressing. I flipped through the materials in the car. Instinct told me his business trip must be related to a major case he’d been investigating. Simons was the editor-in-chief of TRUE newspaper. He’d recently been investigating a serial murder case from ten years ago. This business trip was also to meet the only witness from back then, to do an updated report. Everything seemed completely normal. I quickly flipped through the materials but found no problems at all. And his rigidly scheduled timetable also corresponded perfectly with his work hours. How could such a meticulous person have time for a seven-year affair? Though I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t hurt. I placed the materials beside me, closed my eyes to rest, and let out a long sigh. But the next moment, the driver slammed on the brakes. Caught off guard, I crashed into the back of the seat, and the materials scattered on the floor. I hurriedly bent down to pick them up, but in a hidden layer, I saw a sentence written in Simons’s own handwriting. [The ticket must be changed to one day later. He must be on the plane!] The moment I saw the note, every hair on my body stood on end! Even the driver’s repeated apologies seemed distant to me. Traffic was backed up at the airport entrance. I immediately opened the door, got out, and sprinted toward the arrival exit. The police notified the airport’s air traffic control, ordering Flight CZ3218 to return for inspection. I sat in the waiting area clutching the materials, on edge every second. My eyes locked onto the arrival exit as I wiped the cold sweat from my palms again and again. Finally, before sunset, I heard the flight announcement. “CZ3218 has returned!” I immediately stood up, leaning against the edge of the arrival exit to watch. The police led the passengers out. I hurriedly begged Captain Eric. “Eric, please be sure to investigate the cause of Simons’s death!” I presented the materials with both hands, “These are the major cases Simons was investigating. His death may very well be related to this!” But Eric raised his hand to brush aside the materials I handed over, then turned to point toward the end of the line. “Ms. Igor, your husband is at the end of the line.” “As for your false police report affecting the travel of 113 passengers, do you have any defense?” I turned my head and met the gaze of the man in a trench coat walking at the very end of the crowd. He wore the same smoke-gray trench coat Simons had chosen before leaving, his hand interlocked with that charming woman’s fingers. I heard my voice, light as snow. “Impossible, he’s not Simons…” Clearly, the number of passengers on this flight was supposed to be 114!

Where did the missing person go? This thought swirled in my mind, gradually transforming into a fear as dark as an abyss. Seeing Eric about to leave, I frantically grabbed his sleeve, begging repeatedly. “Please verify the exact number of passengers on the flight again! There’s one passenger missing!” But Eric had already lost his patience and directly pushed my hand away. His eyes held disappointment and disgust. “Ms. Igor, we’ve already verified. One passenger canceled their ticket at the last minute. The actual number of passengers is 113!” “I have no authority to interfere with your private life, but please don’t make false police reports and disrupt social order!” “For your claim of a body on the plane and your stopping of the flight, please compensate for the damages according to law!” Eric’s words were like a bucket of cold water dumped over my head. Now I was caught in a difficult position. If I couldn’t find evidence that this man wasn’t Simons, I would probably face millions in compensation and imprisonment. I quickly calmed down and looked up at the man at the end of the line. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a refined, honest demeanor. Even his unconscious habit of pushing up his glasses when questioned by police was identical to the Simons I knew. The only difference was that he had been tightly holding the woman beside him. I stepped forward, staring intently at Simons, trying to find any flaw. But immediately, my view was blocked by a woman. She smiled with ill intent, “Miss, you should be begging the police for leniency right now, not standing here staring at my fiancé!” She crossed her arms, full of arrogance. And the man behind her, with eyes as gentle as Simons’s, looked at me with bone-deep coldness. I was slow to react before shifting my gaze to her. With the same arrogance as in the photos, she must be Yael, Simons’s mistress, and the one who sent the photos. I looked her over and suddenly smiled. “You can’t possibly be Yael.” “And the person behind you isn’t Simons either.” My words seemed to infuriate Yael. She unconsciously stepped forward and raised her hand. I didn’t dodge or avoid, glancing at the police nearby. She uncertainly lowered her hand, instead pointing at my nose. “Igor, right? You just keep talking tough, but when you see the million-dollar compensation bill, I hope you can still be this confident!” I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. Just then, the flight crew descended the gangway one after another, reporting to Eric. Four people in succession, along with a search dog. All declared there were no abnormalities in the cabin. The so-called body on the plane was just my gimmick to force the plane to return so I could catch Simons in adultery! Eric discussed while glancing at me. Vague stares came from all around, making me uncomfortable. The passengers, having heard the truth about the return, all began to complain quietly. “It’s all because this person went crazy. Why drag us into catching a mistress!” “I’m going abroad for business. Who’s going to compensate me for my thirty-million-dollar deal!” Invisible pressure weighed on me like a mountain, making it hard to breathe. Suddenly, inspiration flashed in my mind! This fake Simons hadn’t spoken a single word until now! If I could get him to speak, I’d definitely be able to see through his true identity! Pressing my pounding heart, I quickly stepped forward. Standing before Simons, the thousand words in my heart turned into a choke. “Simon…” He directly interrupted me, using an arrogant tone I’d never heard before, directly condemning our relationship. “Igor, all these years I never wanted children with you because Yael and I already have a son. He’s six years old this year.” “Now you have the answer for why I chose to leave. Are you satisfied?” The belated truth exploded like thunder in my ears. I laughed foolishly. I raised my hand to touch my face, only to realize two lines of tears were already streaming down. “So the million dollars you transferred to me is divorce settlement?” I thought the man before me would remain arrogant. But his brow furrowed imperceptibly. “Yes.” In that moment, my mood suddenly relaxed. Tears hung on my face, but I wasn’t disappointed. He had personally transferred the money to me, yet belatedly hesitated. So my Simons was still on the plane!

Seeing the plane about to head to the cleaning area, I immediately stepped forward, begging Eric to conduct another investigation. He frowned tightly and said sternly: “Ms. Igor, the police prioritize case work, we’re not your personal security!” Seeing me, people around shook their heads and whispered about me. “Her husband is right in front of her, and she refuses to believe it! If I had a crazy woman like this, I’d want a divorce too!” “Is this person ever going to stop? She’s disrupting public order—I’m going to report her to the police too!” In desperation, I suddenly thought of the key point. “Eric! I request you weigh the plane!” This method was something Simons had mentioned when explaining similar body-hiding cases to me. As soon as I said this, Eric looked at me with surprise and scrutiny. He whispered a few words to the forensic expert beside him, who immediately looked at me with surprise. “I didn’t expect you to think of this method. It’s worth a try.” With his approval, the plane was sent to the maintenance area to be weighed. The fabric on my back dried and dampened again, and my accelerated heart rate made my fingers tremble. Finally, news came from the maintenance area. “The entire plane weighs exactly 145 pounds more than before takeoff!” In other words, inside this seemingly normal plane, an adult was hidden! This answer greatly surprised the police! Eric’s previously impatient frown deepened, but for the first time, he took my words seriously. Leading the police dog, he personally led people to search the plane again. The forensic expert came with me to fake Simons. He politely introduced himself, then began examining the man. The police brought equipment, from facial recognition to fingerprints. But nothing showed abnormalities—all green lights. My originally tense heart suddenly sank to the bottom. Seeing this result, the originally excited crowd also became disappointed. “I thought what this woman said was true, but now it seems it’s all fake!” “He just doesn’t want to be with her anymore. Maybe this whole airplane body thing is her death threat to her husband!” Once this conspiracy theory emerged, everyone’s eyes changed when they looked at me. They all stepped back, looking at me with wariness and apprehension. I had no time to explain and followed the forensic expert to the final procedure—the lie detector. The man put on the detection equipment and answered every question from the expert. From his name to his business assignment, he answered everything seamlessly. The lie detector kept showing green lights. When the expert asked why he transferred a million dollars to me, I saw him hesitate for a moment. “This is something I voluntarily gave her as my responsibility as a husband.” I stared intently at the lie detector light. After the system identified it… It still lit up with a faint green light! At that moment, the mocking gazes of the crowd felt tangible, like rolling black clouds sweeping over me! Fake Simons patted his sleeves and stood up gracefully. Yael took his arm and looked at me mockingly. “I think the person who should be using the lie detector is you. If it weren’t for your lies, Simons and I would have already landed in the Maldives!” Her words triggered all the passengers’ complaints. They began pressuring the airport and police with complaints. I gritted my teeth and steeled my heart. I simply put on the lie detector device! Facing everyone’s eyes watching the spectacle, I calmed my heart and responded to the expert’s questions one by one. As I answered, green lights began to appear. And the forensic expert’s attitude became increasingly serious. Since neither fake Simons nor I had lied, what could the truth be? He pulled out the couple’s photo taken in the cabin and asked word by word: “Ms. Igor, why did you conclude, after seeing this photo, that your husband was killed and became the body on the plane?” I closed my eyes and opened an old notebook from seven years ago. At the same time, I said something quietly to the forensic expert. The moment the lie detector showed a green light, the forensic expert raised his hand and pointed to the two people not far away with interlocked fingers. “Arrest them immediately! They’re suspected of involvement in an airplane body-hiding case!”

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My engagement to Penelope Kim, the socialite heiress of a prominent family, was set when we were children. Because of this, I, Liam Kane, had controlled Penelope in every aspect of her life since we were kids. Every time I reined her in too tightly, Penelope would fiercely retort: “Liam Kane, you just wait. This lady will break off this wretched engagement sooner or later.” Later, I unexpectedly discovered I was a fostered son, not a biological one. I decided to keep a low profile. I stopped asking about Penelope’s affairs, stopped forcing her to go through the motions with me. When Penelope’s friends realized I hadn’t interfered in her life for over half a month, they threw a party to celebrate. To my surprise, Penelope completely lost it, yelling: “Mind your own business! Are you all happy now? He’s found some other girl out there!” 1. “Liam, Penelope is out carousing with Blair and her crowd again.” The music in the club was deafening. My friend, Ethan Kim, was giving me the lowdown on Penelope, but my mind was miles away. I took his phone. The video showed Penelope in a striking burgundy slip dress, lounging languidly against a sports car, a slender cigarette between her fingers. She was surrounded by a group of socialite friends, each with a tall, handsome guy by their side. I watched it calmly, then just as calmly handed the phone back to Ethan. “It’s fine. Let her be.” “What’s gotten into you?” Ethan pressed a hand to my forehead. “You’re not running a fever.” He squinted. “Are you even the real Liam Kane?” “Ethan,” I shot him a look, “do I need to bring up that time you wet your pants at six years old to prove it?” With that, I grabbed my jacket and headed out. It wasn’t surprising Ethan was reacting so strongly to my change. After all, ever since my engagement to Penelope was set when I was eight, I’d been controlling her every move. Before, I had every right to. Now, I wasn’t so sure. Because I might not be Penelope’s fiancé for much longer. 2. Just three days ago, I’d stumbled upon the truth: I wasn’t the biological son of my current parents. I’d been swapped at birth. It wouldn’t be long before the real son of the Kane family was found. My fate, as a fostered son, was painfully clear. Over the years, relying on my status as the Kane family heir and Penelope’s fiancé, I’d offended quite a few people. Many in our circle were just waiting to see me fall from grace. Especially Penelope. Ever since our engagement, I’d used the influence of Grandfather Kim to control her, setting strict rules. After she turned eighteen, I even laid down three ironclad commandments: First: No smoking, no heavy drinking, no brawling, and no hanging out with questionable friends. Second: No staying out overnight; she had to be home by midnight. Third: We were to fulfill our engagement duties, at least three times a week. Each time I tightened the leash, Penelope would lash out, “Liam Kane, you just wait. This lady will break off this wretched engagement sooner or later.” I never took her seriously. But now, it was different. High-society engagements were always about matching status. No matter how much Grandfather Kim liked me, he would never let his granddaughter marry a man who couldn’t advance her family’s interests. This engagement was doomed. To avoid Penelope kicking me while I was down once my true identity was revealed, I had to cut my losses. I would stop interfering in her life. 3. Instead of seeking out Penelope, I headed home early. No sooner had I walked in than Penelope returned. Hearing the commotion in the entryway, I instinctively looked up. Our eyes met, and Penelope, guilty, tried to avert her gaze, but then defiantly held it. She jutted out her chin, her voice deliberately loud: “Liam Kane, that’s right. Tonight I not only partied with Blair and the others, I also smoked and drank.” I didn’t argue with her as I usually would. I merely uttered a soft “Hmm,” and rose to go to my room. “Liam Kane—” Penelope closed the distance in a few quick steps, grabbing my wrist. Her dark eyes bored into mine, her tone tinged with a faint anxiety: “Did you hear me? I smoked and drank tonight.” “I know,” I said, looking at her calmly. “You don’t need to tell me. As long as you’re happy.” “Alright, Liam Kane.” Her lips quirked into a small smile, a certainty in her voice. “I know you’re still mad. My bad for not going to the dinner party with you last time.” She looked me up and down. “You haven’t spoken to me in three days.” “No, I haven’t…” Before I could finish, Penelope cut me off: “It’s fine if I’m on top tonight.” With that, Penelope began to unzip her dress. Her figure was exquisite, curves graceful, skin luminous, utterly tempting. I had spent countless nights lost in her. She took my hand and pressed it to her waist. Then, with a haughty turn of her head, a faint blush crept up her ears. “Consider yourself lucky. You can touch me anywhere you want tonight.” I glanced at the date, remembering it was our designated night. Usually, I had to remind her. Tonight, Penelope was shockingly proactive. “Penelope, I’m not in the mood tonight.” I dropped the words and practically ran back to my room. 4. I woke up late the next morning. Penelope, uncharacteristically, hadn’t gone out. She sat on the sofa, legs crossed, casually engrossed in her phone. Seeing me emerge from my room, she put away her phone, cleared her throat softly, and said nonchalantly, “Liam Kane, aren’t you tired of your old clothes? I’m free today, I can go with you to buy some new ones.” “No, thanks. I have plans with Ethan today.” I refused without a second thought. “Seriously, Liam Kane, how long are you going to stay mad?” Penelope rushed over, grabbing my wrist, her brows furrowed. She pursed her lips, a hint of impatience in her voice: “I’m already giving you an out. Are you planning to complain to Grandfather again next time?” So that was the reason for Penelope’s unusual behavior today. It was my fault for having done that so often in the past. “Relax, relax,” I quickly waved my hand, denying it. “No more. You’re right, I used to control you too much. All three rules I set are null and void. From now on, you can do whatever you want. I won’t interfere in your life.” “Really.” Fearing Penelope wouldn’t believe me, I quickly held up three fingers in an oath. “I swear.” “Liam Kane, you…” Penelope stared at me in disbelief, her eyes beginning to glisten with unshed tears. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her chest heaving uncontrollably. Finally, she turned her head away coldly, her voice stiff: “Fine, whatever.” Then, the door slammed shut with a bang. What?! Why was she angry now? I met Ethan at a coffee shop and told him about my identity. Ethan was stunned for a long moment before he reacted. “So you think you and Penelope will break off the engagement, which is why you’re not controlling her like before?” He pondered. “But have you ever considered that Penelope might have feelings for you and won’t break it off easily?” “Penelope doesn’t like me.” I tugged at the corner of my mouth, a self-deprecating smile. “Just last week, she told me herself she doesn’t like me. I just found out how much she despises our engagement.” 5. After all these years with Penelope, it would be a lie to say I had no feelings for her. The night I discovered I was a fostered son, I was desperate to find Penelope to vent my emotions. But I accidentally overheard her conversation with some friends: “Penelope, are you really content to be controlled by Liam Kane your whole life?” “Everyone says you’re completely under his thumb, totally manipulated by one man.” “Don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for Liam Kane?” “Impossible!” Penelope declared emphatically. “This lady would never fall for him, of all people. Liam Kane is only tall and handsome; he’s absolutely not my type. If it weren’t for Grandfather insisting on our engagement, I would never have given in to him.” I stood outside the private room, a myriad of indescribable emotions surging within me. Any lingering fantasies I had about Penelope shattered then and there. I left the club calmly and walked a long way home by myself. “Penelope said this herself.” I looked at Ethan, my lips pressed together. “She’s itching to break off our engagement.” Ethan opened his mouth, his gaze at me full of unsaid words, but in the end, he said nothing. I told him my concerns. I’ve always been proud. Once the news broke that I was a fostered son, and if the Kim family called off the engagement, I would surely be mocked by everyone in our circle. So, I decided to break off the engagement with Penelope before the real heir was found. 6. Without my interference, Penelope hadn’t returned home for days. Usually, if she wasn’t back by midnight, I’d either bombard her with texts or go find her myself. Tonight, as I was getting ready for bed, Penelope’s friend suddenly sent me a video. [“Brother-in-law, Penelope is insisting on hiring male models tonight. Maybe you should come check on her?”] I opened the video. Penelope was lounging on a sofa, a handsome young man standing before her. My heart clenched. So, she took my words to heart that quickly. [“Okay, I understand.”] I put my phone down, and another video came in. Penelope, draped around the young man, slipped a credit card into his hand: “My fiancé doesn’t care anymore. So, bring out all your tricks.” My eyes stung, and I immediately blocked Penelope’s friend. Before breaking off the engagement, I planned to move out of Penelope’s place. This was originally the marital home the Kim family had prepared for Penelope and me. Since the engagement was ending, there was no need for me to stay. After looking at apartments for a few days, I finally found a satisfactory layout and was going to sign the contract today. As I stepped out of the elevator, I ran into Clara Hayes, a former university classmate. We chatted and laughed as we walked out. But as we exited the apartment building, I bumped into a familiar figure. Penelope was staring intently at Clara and me, her eyes filled with incredulous anger and unease. Her gaze fixed on my face, her eyes inexplicably red. She gritted her teeth and demanded, “Liam Kane, who is she? Don’t forget, you have a fiancée.” “Not for long,” I murmured barely audibly. Penelope’s pupils constricted. She rushed over, pressing her hands on my shoulders, her fingertips turning white from the force. Her breathing was ragged, and a thin layer of angry tears began to well in her eyes: “Liam Kane, are you really going to abandon me for this woman?” My lips parted, about to speak, but Penelope yanked me into her car. Her lips crashed onto mine, then she bit my earlobe hard: “Liam Kane, we’re childhood sweethearts! Who the hell is she?” “Get out!” I pushed Penelope away directly, but her kisses moved to my collarbone. “Liam Kane, you want me to get out?” Penelope ran her hand down my thigh and kissed me there, threatening: “If you dare to get out of this car, I’ll kiss you right in front of her.” … Later that night, Penelope wore something sexy, exposing her delicate collarbone. “Liam Kane, check me out.” She took my hand and pressed it to her waist, explaining: “I didn’t touch anyone else that night. You blocked Blair, so I rushed back immediately.” She paused, then added, “Liam Kane, you clearly care about me.” Hearing that, I softened a little. Maybe Penelope did still care. I raised my hand to push her, ordering, “You still smell of alcohol. Go shower again.” Penelope wanted to argue but dutifully headed to the bathroom.

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After I, Mindy Brown, confessed my feelings to my family friend and honorary uncle, Adrian Thorne, he introduced me to a young woman in a wheelchair. Her name was Linda Williams, and she was to be his future partner. Adrian explained that Linda had lost the use of her legs and her dreams saving him, and he had to take responsibility for her. I didn’t understand. Did saving someone’s life necessitate marrying them? He didn’t answer my question. In my previous life, I refused to believe Adrian didn’t love me. I constantly tested his limits, pushing him further and further. It wasn’t until he watched his rival family break each of my ten fingers, listening to my agonizing screams, without even a flicker of emotion, that my heart truly died. Severely injured, I could no longer perform surgery. Eventually, I succumbed to melancholy and took my own life. When I woke up again, I didn’t hesitate. I submitted my application to Doctors Without Borders. I stepped back into the role of the devoted niece. 1. A sigh of relief escaped me when the approval came through. My fingertips trembled uncontrollably, and my eyes welled up, though I barely noticed. No one knew I had been reborn. Twenty-one. The precise moment before I was to confess to Adrian Thorne. That day, I wore the custom gown he’d lavishly gifted me, and I’d booked the most luxurious hotel in Northwood. I’d invited numerous friends to witness the beginning of our love story. From my earliest memories, Adrian had always been there. My parents, Doctors Without Borders, were constantly on the move, and I saw them only a handful of times a year. Adrian had practically been my constant companion for the first half of my life—through joys and sorrows. Everyone in our circle tacitly assumed I was Adrian’s intended. In my previous life, a few close friends, knowing my intentions, had offered countless suggestions, making my cheeks burn with blush. I secretly harbored so much hope. But no one, not even I, had expected Adrian to reject me. Just like in the past. Adrian seemed to have anticipated my move. His brow furrowed slightly, his fingers absently tracing the words he was about to use to decline me. His eyes held an unreadable emotion. At the time, I thought he was simply worried about our age difference, that I might confuse affection with true love. So I’d smiled and said, “Adrian, I love you. When I see you, my heart instinctively races. When you’re gone, I miss you terribly, an emotion I can’t suppress. I’m certain, my feelings for you are love.” Others chimed in, but the attempt ended abruptly. And that day, I was still smiling, though the mirth never reached my eyes. Just as he was about to speak, I beat him to it: “Adrian, the research project I’ve been working on for a year wrapped up last week. I’m incredibly happy, so I wanted to celebrate.” Adrian froze, startled. My friends exchanged glances. As they prepared to speak, I swept my gaze over them. They offered awkward smiles and discreetly tucked away the banner they had been holding, which read, “Say yes to her, say yes to her.” A confession that never truly began, faded into nothing. Afterward, Adrian and his friends were out in the hallway, smoking. He leaned against the wall, his strong, articulate fingers playing with a gold-embossed lighter. The flame flickered, bright and dim. His friend teased, “Today’s spectacle, I thought Mindy was going to propose to you.” “Never thought it would be a feint.” Adrian’s eyes were lightly closed, a faint smile playing on his lips. “A young lady’s sentiments, don’t go overthinking them. I have no ulterior motives toward Mindy; caring for her is purely out of our families’ long-standing friendship.” His friend didn’t believe it. “You’re just too close to see. Look at how you stare at your little girl, do you think we’re blind?” He laughed. “If you were truly innocent, why did you warn that boy who confessed to her years ago? You even claimed to be her boyfriend.” Adrian fell silent. I stopped listening too, retreating into the shadows. That was exactly how Adrian had been in my previous life—his kindness toward me had long crossed the line, yet he stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. Back home, I submitted my application to Doctors Without Borders. After my parents died in a war zone, I wanted to inherit their legacy. But in my previous life, I hadn’t even had the chance to begin before it all ended. Thankfully, fate took pity on me, granting me a second chance. 2. I looked at the date for my deployment and then at the calendar beside it. I took out a pen and quietly marked the deployment date; coincidentally, it was Adrian’s birthday. Suddenly, there was a knock on my door. It was Adrian. He had a habit of knocking twice before entering, but this time, a girl followed him in. She sat in a wheelchair, dressed in a white gown. Her face was devoid of color, and her eyes held a faint melancholy. She looked fragile and delicate. “Mindy, come here,” he said to me. I didn’t move, merely glancing at the girl. This was Linda Williams. I had thought that without my confession, Adrian wouldn’t bring her to me. But it seemed some things were destined to happen regardless. “Mindy,” Adrian frowned, calling me again. Linda, seeing my detached expression, lowered her eyes and said softly, “Adrian, it’s alright. It’s normal for Miss Brown not to like me on our first meeting.” “If she minds my presence, I can just return to the countryside villa. I’ve lost my legs; I can’t go anywhere, so anywhere is fine.” She paused, her eyes brimming with tears, though none fell. She looked like a delicate flower, feigning strength. Adrian’s frown deepened, and his gaze toward me held a hint of disappointment. “Mindy—” “Adrian, you can arrange for anyone you want to stay at the villa; you don’t actually need to tell me.” I met his gaze. “You are the master of this house.” My voice was level, betraying nothing. But to Adrian’s ears, it was laden with thorns. He thought I was throwing a tantrum. “Mindy, don’t use that tone with me.” He stepped closer. “I brought Linda to meet you today because I want you to meet your new aunt-in-law.” He paused, his voice firm. “Three years ago, during the earthquake, she lost her legs saving me. I need to take responsibility for her. If you want to remain in this house.” “Then you’ll put away your spoiled princess attitude and don’t make trouble for Linda.” His warning gaze swept over me. I wanted to speak, but ultimately, I remained silent. It wasn’t his fault, really. I had an extreme possessiveness over Adrian. From childhood, I wanted his eyes only on me, his female companion only me. That’s why, all these years, he’d had no rumors of other women; even if a woman dared to try to latch onto him, I would deal with her. All his favoritism and exceptions were for me. So, in my previous life, when he was about to marry Linda, I shattered. Did saving a life truly necessitate marrying the savior? I pondered it for a very, very long time. It cost me a life. Still, I couldn’t understand. Now I do. Some things are simply beyond understanding. 3. Linda Williams was moving in. Into the room next to Adrian’s—which used to be mine. Before Adrian had me move in, he had secretly sought advice from his friends, then personally drawn blueprints and renovated the entire room. He transformed it into a beautiful pink princess room. He even bought many limited-edition dolls and placed them by my bedside. He raised me like a princess. From childhood. He always said: “As long as it makes Mindy happy, I’ll do it.” “I hope our Mindy grows up healthy and happy, a joyful little princess.” At that time, his eyes were full of tender, lingering love. It made me fall for him completely. But he, from beginning to end, remained aloof. In the room, Adrian leaned against the doorframe, his gaze sweeping over me with a coldness before he spoke: “I’ve had Maria prepare the guest room downstairs. You can stay on the first floor for now.” I said nothing, merely folded my clothes and placed them in my suitcase. Then, as I habitually reached for the doll by the bed, my hand stopped. Adrian’s gaze followed to the doll. Seeing me remain still for a long time, he said, “I’ll bring the doll down for you later.” I took a deep breath, pulled my gaze away, and managed a strained smile: “No need. Give it to my aunt-in-law.” I didn’t even want Adrian anymore. What were a few dolls? Before, they held genuine sentiment; now, they were nothing. “Mindy, are you still mad at me?” Adrian asked, his voice cold. “Why would I be mad at you, Adrian?” I countered. “You have your own life now, someone you love, someone you want to protect. I should be happy for you, shouldn’t I?” Adrian’s eyes darkened, his thin lips parting, but no sound emerged. As I pulled my suitcase to leave, Linda was standing not far outside the door, her gaze at me carrying a hint of mockery. Just like in my previous life, she would act like an innocent lamb on the surface but covertly target me, bursting into tears at the slightest disagreement. A weak person’s tears always easily garner sympathy. “Miss Brown, I’m so sorry to put you out.” Her voice was soft. “If I wasn’t so incapacitated, Adrian wouldn’t do this.” My grip on the luggage handle tightened. As I tried to walk past her, she suddenly grabbed my wrist. I instinctively shook her off. “Ah—!!” Linda’s wheelchair careened out of control toward the stairs, and a scream ripped through the air. The villa’s staff rushed over. “Adrian, save me, save me—!” Hearing her, Adrian bolted out of the room in a panic, pushing me aside as he lunged and grabbed the handrail, preventing the wheelchair from tumbling further down. I stood there, stunned, my throat tight: “It wasn’t me.” The wheelchair was wedged on the stairs, and a few staff members blocked the way. Adrian quickly scooped Linda into his arms and walked over to me. The staff also moved the wheelchair aside. “Adrian, you scared me to death.” She clung to him. “I thought I was going to die…” Her eyes were red-rimmed, and the fear in them seemed genuine. After comforting Linda, Adrian glared at me, furious. “Mindy Brown, have you lost your mind?” “If anything had actually happened to Linda, you’d be implicated in murder, do you know that?!” 4. I bit my lower lip, brimming with injustice, my nose stinging. “I didn’t.” I insisted. “It wasn’t me. She suddenly grabbed my hand; I just shook her off.” Linda, hearing this, said with a sob, “It’s my fault, Adrian. Don’t blame Miss Brown.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “It’s my fault for not locking the wheelchair earlier. That’s why this happened.” “Linda, you don’t need to defend Mindy anymore,” Adrian said coldly. “I know her temperament. All these years, every woman who came close to me was driven away by her petty tricks.” I couldn’t help but laugh, tears welling in my eyes: “So, Adrian, you don’t believe me, do you?” “Do you deserve my trust?” he countered. “Yes, I don’t.” “Only Linda does. Whatever she says, you believe.” With that, I grabbed my suitcase to leave. But Adrian had a staff member block me. He said, “Apologize.” I turned back to Adrian, incredulous. He repeated, “Linda was unfairly upset for no reason. You should apologize.” “What if I don’t?” I asked, tears in my eyes. I thought that facing such a scene again, I would be able to handle it with detached calmness. But I had overestimated myself. When all the favoritism I once knew turned into sharp swords piercing me, it truly hurt. “You know what I’m capable of,” Adrian said coldly. He looked at the staff behind me. They exchanged glances, then moved forward to grab my shoulders. I let out a self-deprecating scoff. I let go of my suitcase, bowed to Linda, and apologized: “I was wrong today. I shouldn’t have shaken your hand when you grabbed mine. I’m sorry I almost caused you to fall.” Linda was stunned for two seconds, and Adrian’s expression also grew grave. After standing upright, I looked at Adrian: “Adrian, is that enough?” “If not, I can kneel too,” I said. Adrian’s eyes were filled with complex emotions. In the end, he said nothing. I pulled my suitcase and walked downstairs. As soon as I reached the first floor, Maria said, “Sir might just be in a bad mood today, Miss.” She took my suitcase. “Don’t mind him. For all these years, how much he cherished you, we all saw it with our own eyes.” She defended Adrian while trying to help me with my suitcase. I just smiled. In the past, when Adrian and I argued, Maria would always play peacemaker. After all these years, Maria was still the same. But Adrian and I could never go back to how we were. “Miss, aren’t you going to the guest room?” she asked, surprised. I shook my head: “No.” “But Sir…” “Tell Adrian that I appreciate his care all these years. From now on, I won’t bother him anymore.” In this life, this was enough. I didn’t want to endure the pain of the previous life again.

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For six years, Taylor White and I, Caleb Clark, had been together, talking marriage. Then, suddenly, she asked me to wait. She said she had to have a grand wedding with her first love, Leo Hayes, before she could marry me. It was the dying wish of Leo’s mother, who was battling a terminal illness. Taylor couldn’t bear to see the old woman pass with regret, and tearfully promised at her bedside that she would give Leo a home. But she forgot my own mother had also long awaited my wedding. Stunned, I asked her what about me. She impatiently snapped: “Can’t you have some empathy? It’s just two more months. Are you that desperate to get married, like some weak woman?” I told her my mother had a heart condition and couldn’t handle stress. But right in front of me, she booked a marriage registration appointment: “Regardless, the groom for this wedding can only be Leo. Even if your mother can’t wait and actually dies, she’ll have to wait in line for me to marry you!” Watching her resolute back, I dialed home: “Sis, for the wedding in ten days, help me find a different bride!” 1. My sister, Chloe Clark, was shocked to hear I wanted a new bride. “What’s going on with you and Taylor, Caleb? Marriage isn’t a game, and Mom can’t handle that kind of stress!” It was precisely because I knew Mom couldn’t handle the stress that I turned to my sister for help. Fortunately, Taylor and I had dated for six years, and she had consistently refused to meet my parents. Mom only knew I had a girlfriend but never knew who she was. “Sis, I’m serious. Taylor and I can’t get married anymore!” I certainly didn’t want to commit bigamy. I expected my sister to scold me for being thoughtless, but she only paused for a moment before comforting me: “Back when she started seeing you behind my back, I warned you to be careful. If I hadn’t seen how much you liked her, I wouldn’t have even called her my honorary sister! This works out perfectly!” “Actually, before Mom and Dad knew you were dating, they’d already picked out someone for an arranged marriage for you—that girl you mentioned, the one who looks completely enchanted every time she sees you. She’s been waiting for you to break up, and just a few days ago, she even joked that if your wife wasn’t as good as her, she’d crash the wedding…” As soon as my sister mentioned it, I remembered who she meant. My parents had indeed brought it up, but at that time, Taylor and I had already been secretly dating for two years. My heart and mind were completely consumed by Taylor; how could I be willing to marry someone I barely knew? After I hung up the phone, Taylor, consumed by jealousy, kissed me fiercely to assert her claim: “Caleb Clark, you’ll never marry another woman besides me in this lifetime!” With tear-filled eyes, she begged me to grow old with her, finally admitting to my sister that we had secretly pledged ourselves to each other. She let my sister scold her for being a bad woman who had betrayed her trust without a single word of protest. At the time, my sister asked if she had truly moved on from him. Taylor immediately knelt and swore to heaven that she would only love me in this life. Her “lifetime” turned out to be terribly short. The wedding was in ten days; time was pressing. I cut my sister off directly: “Then let her be my bride. No need for a dramatic wedding crash.” The moment I finished speaking, Taylor, who had returned to retrieve her ID, pushed the door open and froze: “Wedding crash? You’re going to crash a wedding?” She glared at me as if I were the enemy: “Caleb Clark, I told you I would marry you, and I will. If you still want to marry me, don’t cause trouble! If you dare to crash and ruin Leo’s and my wedding, don’t blame me if I disown you!” I hadn’t even uttered a word, and she had already imagined me as the villain. 2. Hadn’t she already disowned me when she told me to wait for her wedding with Leo Hayes? For six years, every birthday, she would say we’d marry next year. But every “next year,” she had various reasons to avoid meeting my parents and postpone the wedding. For example, she said I was too young and shouldn’t be constrained by marriage. Or that she wanted her career to be more stable so she could assist my family’s business after marriage. Every reason, she claimed, was for my good. I loved her, so I truly believed she had my best interests at heart, and I constantly tried to placate my sister, who had long wanted to punch Taylor. After six years of waiting, even friends joked that we’d hit the “seven-year itch” before getting married. Only then did she accept my tenth proposal. The date was set, the wedding was being prepared, yet she still refused to meet my parents, saying she wanted to give them a big surprise at the wedding. But then, Leo Hayes returned to the country with his gravely ill mother. That’s when I realized I was a joke. I gave a self-deprecating smile, retrieved Taylor’s ID from the drawer for her: “Don’t worry, I have no interest in other men’s wives.” This statement seemed to sting Taylor. She frowned: “How many times do I have to explain for you to understand? This is just a fleeting, symbolic wedding. Afterward, I’m entirely yours. What more could you want?” “I understand. Go ahead and get your marriage certificate. It’s best to commit fully to the act.” The sincerity on my face made Taylor’s hand, reaching for her ID, tremble. She seemed a little guilty and explained: “I won’t actually register with Leo; it’s just a formality at the civil registry…” A formality also requires an ID? I casually hummed in response. Taylor seemed momentarily lost, taken aback by my unusual behavior. She stepped forward, intending to console me with a kiss. Then, Leo Hayes, who had apparently been listening outside the door for an unknown period, suddenly entered, squeezing between us. His movements were too forceful, and he subtly exerted pressure, pushing me backward. I stumbled, losing my balance, and fell to the ground. He, meanwhile, pulled Taylor, who had almost been knocked over, into his arms. Taylor clung to him tightly, frightened, and the two, pressed close together, uncontrollably tumbled to the floor. I watched coldly as Taylor sat atop Leo, while Leo, his face flushed with embarrassment, said in a voice just loud enough for me to hear: “Taylor, you… you’re hurting me…” Taylor cleared her throat, her cheeks crimson, but her hand remained on Leo’s abs, refusing to move. Leo looked at Taylor, his eyes full of yearning, then feigned helplessness and apologized to me: “Caleb Clark, I’m so sorry. You can hit me or yell at me, just don’t hurt Taylor! If she gets injured…” Not wanting to see the sickening pair still clinging together, I stood up on my own and walked out: “Whether she’s hurt or not, you can check for yourself. Do you need me to close the door for you?” This made Taylor’s passion-flushed face instantly turn a dark shade, whether from holding her breath or anger, I couldn’t tell: “Caleb Clark! How could you be so crude?” Me, crude? She was sitting on Leo, flushed with shyness, refusing to get up. Who was truly crude? I thoughtfully closed the door for them. While waiting for the elevator, Leo, with suspicious moisture on his face, came out and stopped me: “Caleb Clark, I’m sorry, don’t misunderstand Taylor and me. It was truly a misunderstanding! If it weren’t for my mother needing to see the marriage certificate to feel at ease, I wouldn’t trouble Taylor! Please, for my filial piety, don’t cause trouble at the wedding!” 3. “Once the time is up, Taylor and I will divorce, and I’ll give her back to you!” Saying this, he actually tried to kneel before me. Taylor, her face now back to its normal color, immediately rushed over, pulled him up, and glared at me: “Caleb Clark, I’m warning you, don’t overplay your hand and make it irreversible!” “From today until the end of the wedding, you are to stay put at home. I’ll assign a bodyguard to watch you!” With that, she called her assistant, requesting someone be sent to monitor me, to prevent me from causing trouble. Then, she checked the time and, without delay, took Leo to the civil registry. As the elevator doors closed, I didn’t miss the triumph and provocation in Leo’s eyes. Nor did I miss Taylor’s question: “Leo, did you bring your ID?” This wasn’t merely an act for Leo’s mother; it was clearly an act for me. Before her assigned bodyguards arrived, I quickly drove to the bridal shop to pick up the wedding dress. It was a handmade gown I had specially ordered from Italy to marry Taylor. But because she had recently lost a little weight, some parts needed to be altered to be smaller. There was no reason for her to marry someone else while keeping the wedding dress I ordered; it was illogical. To my surprise, when I arrived at the bridal shop, the owner looked puzzled: “Mr. Clark, your fiancée picked up the wedding dress a few days ago! She even brought a man with her to try it on. I wasn’t in the shop at the time…” The owner, seeing my troubled expression, immediately checked the security footage. On the monitor, Taylor, wearing the wedding dress I had ordered, slowly walked towards Leo, who was stunned and captivated: “Leo, do I look beautiful?” Taylor’s face radiated a smile I had never seen before. Leo’s eyes, meanwhile, gleamed with an almost green light: “Beautiful, even more beautiful than you were in my dreams! Taylor, pinch me, let me see if this is a dream. All these years, I could only marry you in my dreams…” With that, he actually choked up. Taylor, her heart aching for him, stood on tiptoes and kissed away every tear from Leo’s face: “Silly, it’s a good thing you came back in time, otherwise I would have married someone else…” The owner, watching the two passionately embracing in the video, apologized to me with extreme embarrassment: “Mr. Clark, I’m so sorry, this was my employee’s oversight… I’ll find an excuse to get the dress back for you right away!” Anyone could tell I had been cheated on, and my wedding dress stolen. The owner, furious, quickly called Taylor. The moment the owner spoke, Taylor erupted in anger: “Did Caleb Clark tell you to demand the wedding dress back? Tell him I’ll wear this dress to marry him; don’t go looking for trouble! If he causes any problems at my wedding to Leo, he’ll regret it!” I never expected Taylor to be so shameless. Why would she think I would still marry her? The owner looked at the beeping phone, embarrassed, and offered me compensation. I believed in dealing with people justly, so I immediately sent a screenshot of the original wedding dress order to Taylor. Taylor’s phone rang immediately: “Caleb Clark, what is the meaning of this? You’re asking for money because I wore the custom dress early? Shouldn’t you feel it’s worth more, having been worn an extra time?” But then, Leo said he wanted to keep the wedding dress as a treasured memory, and Taylor promptly hung up and transferred the money to me. “You quickly find the owner to custom-make another handmade wedding dress for me. It has to be even more beautiful than this one, otherwise, I won’t marry you!” 4. Six years of love, and for the first time, I realized I never truly knew Taylor White. Watching her location marker stop at the civil registry, I expected to feel heartache, but in reality, I felt nothing. I had just turned off the shared location on our couples app when Mr. Jenkins, her assistant, arrived with two bodyguards. “Mr. Clark, as long as you don’t cause trouble, we won’t interfere with your movements!” Mr. Jenkins, who had once been incredibly warm towards me, spoke polite words, but his gaze was full of disdain. I couldn’t be bothered to speak with such a fickle person. After handling my resignation at the company, I drove home. However, the automatic gate to the underground parking couldn’t recognize my car. The security guard checked the system and told me the parking space was now registered to another vehicle. After scanning my way back into the garage, I saw a new car parked in my spot. It was a birthday gift Taylor had said she would give me two months ago. But now, the person getting out of the car was Leo Hayes. He saw me at once but pretended not to, deliberately waving a bright red marriage certificate as he asked Taylor: “Taylor, as soon as the civil registry opens tomorrow, I’ll go with you to file for divorce, so it won’t delay your marriage to Caleb.” Even redder than the marriage certificate were Leo’s eyes. Taylor squeezed his cheek, coaxing him: “Silly, why are you in such a hurry? Caleb won’t marry anyone but me anyway. Even if he has to wait another ten or eight years, he’d be happy to.” I stared at their backs as they walked into the house together, and booked a hotel for myself. Feeling annoyed, I went for my usual run at a nearby park. After completing one lap, I encountered Taylor and Leo, who never liked night runs, strolling hand-in-hand, exchanging sweet nothings. Taylor leaned against Leo, appearing utterly devoted. I had no interest in their romantic words, so I put on my headphones and headed in the opposite direction, unaware that I was being followed. As I was injected with a sedative, my mouth and nose covered, and dragged into a car, I struggled with all my might. But the person choked my neck, refusing to let go. In the reflection of the car window, I saw a face that bore a strong resemblance to Leo. “You dare to steal my son’s woman? You deserve to die!” I waved desperately at Mr. Jenkins in the distance, but he seemed not to see me. He answered a phone call, then drove off with the two bodyguards. The woman behind me possessed incredible strength, not at all like someone terminally ill with only days to live. When I woke again, utterly weak, Leo’s mother lay pale in a pool of blood. Before I could understand what was happening, Taylor and her people kicked open the door. Leo, seeing his mother like this, shrieked: “Mom, what happened? Don’t scare me…” He clutched his mother tightly, roaring at me: “Caleb Clark, what did I ever do to you that you would so cruelly harm my mother? She has only a few days left to live…” Taylor, who suffered from hemophobia, barely dared to look at the pool of blood. But that didn’t stop her from calling an ambulance while simultaneously kicking me hard in the chest: “Caleb Clark, you’ve truly disappointed me!” As she reached for her phone to call the police, Leo stopped her: “Taylor, forget it. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have asked you for help. Now I just want Mom to be safe…” Taylor, enraged, turned her fury on Mr. Jenkins:

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The day they dismembered me, Evelyn Lewis’s voice was filled with mockery: “I’ve assigned him the country’s top bodyguard team; how could anything happen to him?” Her female assistant reported anxiously: “Ms. Lewis, Mr. Harris used your written authorization, claiming you had new instructions, and dismissed all the bodyguards. And you forgot, Mr. Miller was a retired narcotics officer; I’m worried his old enemies might have come for him?” Evelyn let out a cold laugh, her eyes full of disdain. “Enemies? How many of his so-called enemies would dare to make a move on my territory?” “I merely entered a business marriage with the Harris family, and he’s using such a pathetic tactic to get attention? Does he even look like the master of the Lewis household?” “Tell him, if he’s going to throw a tantrum, it can wait until after Adrian and my engagement party is over!” Ten days later, she finally appeared at our wedding villa. Seeing me asleep on the bed, she sneered, a disdainful curl of her lips: “I knew it; you’d only use this method to force me back.” But the next second, her female assistant, face filled with horror, reached out to support me: To her shock, my head tumbled from beneath the covers. 1 “Ms. Lewis, we found a severed arm at an abandoned cartel hideout. That lone wolf tattoo… we’ve confirmed it’s Mr. Miller’s.” The female assistant’s voice trembled uncontrollably. Evelyn Lewis merely let out a cold laugh, throwing the crystal pen holder onto her expensive office desk: “Isn’t he supposed to be in the heavily secured villa? How could he have gone out? How much hush money did he give you to put on this pathetic act with him?” The assistant broke into a cold sweat, terrified: “Absolutely true! Ms. Lewis, even if I had boundless courage, I wouldn’t dare to deceive you about something like this!” “Enough!” Evelyn flung a pen, her voice thick with irritation and disdain: “A lunatic who only uses extreme tactics to grab attention, playing disappearing acts just because I’m getting engaged to Adrian, and now escalating to being dismembered? Do you really think I’d believe such a lie?” “He’s just relying on having been an undercover agent for a few years and earning some merit, thinking he’s some great hero who needs me to indulge his every whim? I’d be thanking my lucky stars if he wasn’t secretly tripping Adrian up or using his dirty tricks to harm people!” The assistant’s face turned ashen, not daring to utter another word. “What’s more…” Evelyn rose, her gaze imperious: “Although I kept him confined to the villa, the guards I left were all elite special forces. Even if he wanted to court death, it would be difficult.” With that, she strode toward Adrian Harris, who was waiting by the floor-to-ceiling window, never looking back. My soul floated in mid-air, involuntarily twisting into a desolate smile. She seemed to have forgotten, she had given Adrian full authority to mobilize all resources under her name. She had once declared in front of everyone: “Everyone listen closely, Adrian’s commands are my commands! They must be followed and executed one hundred percent.” The excuse, ostensibly, was her fear that I, this “madman,” might harm her pure and flawless Prince Charming. It was precisely because of such overwhelming favoritism that day at the villa, Adrian dared, in front of me, to mock my father, who died in the line of duty, calling him an idiot. And she truly adored Adrian. Just because I, in my anger, punched Adrian, she had me completely confined. She was always so self-righteous. While cursing me to “drop dead outside,” she simultaneously set up an inescapable net, claiming it was to prevent me from causing trouble. But Adrian’s authority superseded everything. He used Evelyn’s authorization to easily dismiss all security. And he deliberately leaked my location to the cartel’s remnants. Those desperate individuals, hell-bent on avenging their cartel boss. That day, they burst in. With my last breath, I broke three ribs and incapacitated one man’s arm. But in the end, I was overwhelmed and held down. When I was found, all that remained were dismembered pieces, packed into several boxes. It was my mother, a retired female detective, who, using all her personal connections, painstakingly gathered “me” piece by piece. She looked at the fragments that even the medical examiners shook their heads at, her wrinkled hands trembling violently. She could only force out three hoarse words: “Put my son… back together.” Her former comrades asked her when the funeral would be. My mother caressed my badge: “My little hero hasn’t even had his thirtieth birthday yet.” Late at night, my mother brought in her old medical examiner, a friend of many years. By dawn, my wounds were all stitched, I was dressed in my favorite suit, clean and composed, lying on my bed with my eyes closed, as if asleep. “My dear sister, we’ve done our best. At least… he can leave with dignity.” My mother carefully straightened my collar, smiling softly, but her tears fell onto my face: “My little Owen, could you… wait until after your thirtieth birthday to leave, please?” She whispered. “You said when the mission was over, you’d wear a suit one more time for Mom. Mom bought it for you, do you like it?” I lay there, eyes closed, motionless. My mother gently picked me up, just like when I was a child, letting my head rest on her shoulder. She hummed a tuneless lullaby, over and over again. 2 Evelyn Lewis hadn’t heard from me in three days. In the past, whenever Adrian and I had any friction, I would never swallow my anger; I would always stir things up, leaving her no peace. More importantly, our anniversary was tomorrow. Every year, I would prepare a unique surprise for her. But now, she hadn’t even received a single demanding call from me, which inexplicably irritated her. The villa’s guards were all former special forces, battle-hardened veterans. The assistant saying Adrian faked her orders to disband security was simply preposterous! Adrian was innocent and kind; he couldn’t even watch bloody scenes in movies, let alone joke about human lives. Why, then, did Owen have to be so mad? To frame Adrian, he would actually stake his own life! She looked at the anniversary cake that had just arrived on the table, and with a bang, swept it to the floor: “Owen Miller, when will you stop being so crazy!” My soul floated in mid-air, hearing those words. That heart, which had long stopped beating, felt as if another hole had been carved into it. I was no madman. I simply couldn’t forgive betrayal. We met during a life-or-death kidnapping; I was undercover, she was the target I protected. I took a knife for her, and she promised me a future free of darkness. She said she’d give me a home once I took off my uniform. Our relationship, forged in the crucible of blood and fire, was already inseparable. It wasn’t until that mission ended, and I retired due to injury, that she brought news. She was entering a business marriage with Adrian Harris, the scion of the influential Harris Group. Evelyn said it was her fastest move to clear obstacles in the business world. And Adrian was the most sensible, most harmless man she had ever met. She said it was merely a transaction; the person she loved was still me. That’s when our paths began to diverge. She never understood my vigilance: “It’s not that I don’t love you. It’s just Adrian is genuinely innocent; he hasn’t seen as much darkness as you have. As the stronger one, why can’t you protect him a little more?” She continued, “Besides, you’re not a police officer anymore. Why do you always treat everyone like a criminal? Your hostility is too heavy. Are you truly more suited to be the master of the Lewis household than Adrian?” I would always coldly retort: “It has nothing to do with strength. It’s just that in my world, Owen Miller’s world, there’s no room for betrayal and lies!” With that, I would kick out the psychologist she’d hired to “guide” me. In our last argument, she even accidentally shattered the portrait of my father, who died in the line of duty. She saw my reddened eyes, froze for a moment, then grabbed my hand: “Owen, look at yourself now. Is it worth it, for someone who has already passed away?” She sighed. “Adrian is just a naive young man, who innocently said a few offensive things about your father.” She looked at me, her gaze filled with disappointment. “Your gun isn’t aimed at the real enemy. Instead, because of a few idle words, you want to harm a vulnerable person who needs protection. You’re too prejudiced.” I laughed through my tears then: “Me, prejudiced?” I demanded. “Then is Adrian Harris, who said my father deserved his death, not prejudiced?” She fell silent. She pulled the trembling Adrian close, protecting him: “Knowing there’s danger and still rushing forward, in a sense, yes… it’s not very rational.” But she forgot. My father had bravely charged forward precisely to protect the peace of the land she stood on! That day, I refused Evelyn’s demand that I apologize to Adrian. Even when she threatened to freeze all my accounts, I didn’t back down. She sneered: “The biggest regret of my life is meeting a man like you, a persistent shadow who only brings trouble.” 3 The anniversary quickly arrived. She never received my call, not even a single demanding text message. Unexpectedly, she actually came to the villa herself. The entire villa was eerily silent, deathly quiet. Evelyn, familiar with the layout, arrived at the door of my bedroom. Moonlight filtered through the blinds. She could see a figure lying quietly on the bed, seemingly sound asleep. “Owen, may I come in?” No response. She gently knocked on the door: “Owen?” Still no answer. A sigh. She softened her voice: “I’ll handle things with Adrian; he’s just a business tool.” Her voice was low, almost a whisper. “After all these years, our relationship doesn’t need to be this fractured over an outsider. It’s our anniversary today; can we talk properly?” In private, she rarely spoke to me with such a negotiating tone. I still offered no response. Her hand rested on the doorknob. She hesitated for a moment, then let it fall disheartened. Turning, she leaned against the doorframe and sat down on the corridor floor, without a word. I was stunned. During that mission, I was gravely wounded, running a high fever. She had stood guard at my door just like this, never leaving, saying she was afraid I would die inside. Evelyn Lewis, what are you doing now? “Owen.” She spoke softly, a trace of weariness in her voice: “If you’re truly so against it… then I’ll listen to you.” I froze. “My feelings for him are purely utilitarian; love… there’s simply none. I didn’t expect you to protest in such an extreme way.” She paused, her voice tinged with a strange mix of resignation and hope. “If this marriage alliance causes a complete break between us, that’s not what I want.” She continued, “How about this? The engagement party is just a formality, a show for the Harris family. Next month, on your birthday, we’ll go register our marriage. I’ll make you the only recognized master of the Lewis household, alright?” Still no response. “If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes.” A long silence. Evelyn smiled, a hint of confident control in her demeanor. I had always been like this. When we had a disagreement, I would use silence to confront everything. She would then try every possible way to “solve the problem,” proposing various solutions. If I didn’t accept, I would directly interrupt her. But if I tacitly agreed, yet was too proud to reconcile immediately, I would remain silent. She would then know I had compromised. But this time, it wasn’t. “Then, it’s settled. Next month, we’ll get married.” 4 The very next day, Evelyn Lewis regretted it. She stormed into the villa with her bodyguards, holding a trembling Adrian Harris, whose lips were bruised and white shirt stained with dirt. “Owen Miller! I already agreed to your terms! Why did you still send someone to attack him?” Adrian leaned weakly against her shoulder, his voice trembling: “Evelyn… don’t blame Owen. I just lost my footing… maybe Owen’s people just wanted to scare me, it wasn’t intentional…” Evelyn held him tighter, her bloodshot eyes fixed on my bedroom door: “Owen, come out and apologize.” No response. Through the crack in the door, she could see me lying on the bed in my pajamas, turned to my side. “Owen! Don’t force me to kick down this door!” Still, dead silence. “Owen!” Evelyn completely lost control, raising her foot to kick. “Ms. Lewis, what are you doing?” My mother’s voice suddenly rang out, hoarse yet steady. She had appeared at the end of the hallway, her figure slender, but her eyes sharp as an eagle’s. “Ms. Lewis, just because your family is powerful, you think you can storm a private residence with your people and threaten my son?” Evelyn gritted her teeth, lowering her foot. “Let him come out himself; there’s still room for discussion.” Her voice was bone-chillingly cold: “After all, last night, I already agreed to marry him.” My mother looked at her as if at a monumental joke, then said, word by word: “He is dead.” “What?” 5 Evelyn Lewis frowned, looking at the bedroom. Through the crack in the door, my figure lay motionless. “Mrs. Miller, are you calling a sulking person ‘dead’?” “Believe it or not, I have no obligation to explain to you.” My mother looked at her coldly: “Worst case, you, Ms. Lewis, with your vast influence, can have this old woman of mine locked up. It would be… a good way for me to join my son.” Evelyn’s brow furrowed even deeper: “Mrs. Miller, you’re overreacting.” She looked at me in the room again: “Owen, this is your last chance.” A dead silence. “Owen, it’s just an apology. I won’t do anything to you. When did things between us need to escalate to this point?” She truly had never laid a hand on me. During my undercover career, I had suffered countless knife and gunshot wounds, but none of them hurt more than her casual word, “trouble.” “Never mind, Evelyn, it’s Adrian’s fault…” Adrian struggled to stand upright in her arms, his eyes red-rimmed but stubbornly holding back tears: “Adrian knows he shouldn’t have appeared, causing trouble for you and Owen. I’ll leave now, and I won’t bother you anymore…” With that, he offered Evelyn a desolate smile and turned to leave. Evelyn grabbed his swaying form, pulling him back into her embrace, holding him tightly. Turning, she faced my room, her voice as cold as ice: “Owen Miller.” His only response was silence. “Guards!” she roared, giving orders to the bodyguards behind her: “Go in, and smash his father’s urn… smash it!” 6 “No!!” When my father’s ashes scattered across the floor, my mother instantly went mad. “Evelyn Lewis! You beast! How dare you!” “Dying for a bunch of irrelevant people, does he even deserve to be revered?” Evelyn Lewis’s voice was icy as she kicked open the door and entered. My mother was held firmly by two bodyguards, her eyes bloodshot, her voice hoarse: “My husband was a hero! He did it to protect people like you! You can disrespect him, but you cannot insult him like this!” “If your son thinks so too, he should come out and contradict me now.” Evelyn walked to the bedside, looking down at the gray and white ash on the floor. She raised her expensive high heel and savagely stepped on it, grinding it in. “No!” My mother’s and my voice rang out simultaneously. Evelyn glanced at me on the bed, still motionless. Her eyes hardened, and she used her sharp heel to grind my father’s ashes even finer, mixing them into the carpet fibers! “Father!!” I rushed forward. But I could only pass through her cold body, watching her ruthlessly trample my father. I was just a soul. I couldn’t protect anything. Seeing me on the bed, still motionless, Evelyn, her eyes red, straightened up and scraped her heel across the carpet: “Even like this, you still won’t come out and see me?” She stared fiercely at me on the bed, then turned. Her gaze seemed to say: Owen Miller, how unyielding is your pride? 7 After leaving with Adrian Harris, Evelyn Lewis’s mind was fixated on my motionless figure. “Does he hate me that much? Preferring his own father’s ashes to be trampled under my heel rather than coming out to look at me!” She swept the crystal decanter crashing to the floor. The staff in the villa were terrified, holding their breath. Her fist slammed onto the bar, knuckles white: “Owen Miller, just because of a business marriage, you insist on tormenting me this way, is that it?” “Send word.” She spoke, her voice hoarse: “Adrian’s and my engagement party will proceed as scheduled.” She paused. “At the banquet, Owen will be my escort, and will personally adjust Adrian’s tie.” “Yes, Ms. Lewis!” Her chest heaved violently. From childhood, she had never pushed him this far. This time, she would use the harshest method to make him surrender! The news quickly reached the villa. My mother, dressed in black, listened to the assistant’s message with an expressionless face. Upon learning this, the inexplicable anger in Evelyn’s heart slightly subsided: “Still willing to listen to messages, that means he hasn’t completely lost his mind.” She asked the assistant: “What was Owen’s reaction to me smashing his father’s urn?” “Ms. Lewis… I didn’t see Mr. Miller himself.” Evelyn rubbed her brow: “Still the same stubborn silence.” 8 My thirtieth birthday. It was also Evelyn Lewis and Adrian Harris’s engagement party. Evelyn Lewis’s motorcade pulled up to the villa, and she came personally to demand that I fulfill my duty as her “escort.” My mother smoothed the last stray strand of my hair, embracing my cold body one last time: “My little hero, happy birthday.” When Evelyn walked in, I was sitting quietly in a wheelchair, wearing the custom suit she had sent. It was as if I was truly waiting for her to push me out the door. “I knew it; you were just playing games with me.” She let out a sigh of relief, her tone laced with an unconscious blend of ease and exasperation. “From childhood, you’ve only ever used this method to test my limits.” She reached out, intending to cup my chin as she used to. But her fingertips met only coldness and stiffness. This touch… it was wrong. “Owen?” She grabbed my hand, which rested on the armrest. It was cold… hard… “The hour has come! Send the hero’s soul home!” My mother’s voice suddenly rang out. The curtains in the living room, previously drawn, were yanked open with a swish. It was an entire wall draped with white chrysanthemums, a memorial. In the center of the living room, my mother shed her jacket, revealing a traditional funeral garment underneath. The old butler and my comrades, who had been waiting outside, also solemnly donned black armbands. “Lead the way! Farewell to the martyr, Owen Miller!”

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The year I turned eighteen, my brothers adopted a new sister. And that’s when I, with my clouded mind, became a nuisance. If her painting got dirty, it was my fault. If she caught a cold, it was my fault. Later, when she was kidnapped because of me, my brothers finally broke. “Skylar, please, for our sakes, will you die for Lily?” I looked up, seeing the redness in my brothers’ eyes, and simply said, “Okay.” So, under the cloak of night, I secretly slipped away, exchanging myself for Lily from the kidnappers. And I was thrown into the churning ocean. I thought I would die, but I didn’t. Instead, I met Lucas Vance. He never once scorned my simple mind, treating me like precious porcelain. I truly believed he was different from my brothers. But then, one rainy night, six years later, Lucas carried a girl, soaking wet, through the door. I overheard whispers that she was his first love, the one who had framed him, landed him in prison, and then vanished abroad without a trace. … My simple mind didn’t grasp the full meaning of this, nor could I decipher the pity and sympathy in others’ eyes. I only saw Lucas and the girl, drenched to the bone, and rushed over with a towel, my worry etched on my face. “Dry off… cold… medicine… bitter…” The next second, my hand was harshly slapped away, the towel fluttering to the floor. Lucas, who had never once raised his voice at me in six years, now looked at me with a chilling, savage gaze. He spoke, his voice a low warning, “Get away from her. Don’t touch her!” I froze, stunned, my hand unconsciously touching my bleeding knuckles. I looked up, meeting Lucas’s eyes, which were filled with nothing but the girl in his arms. A wave of confusion washed over me. It felt like… I was about to lose my home again. Immediately, the household doctors, already on standby, swarmed in. They habitually, anxiously, surrounded me. One was about to bend down to bandage my hand when Lucas’s furious reprimand cut through the air. “Are you all blind? I called you here to save Eve, not to fuss over some idiot!” The doctors froze, and even the servants, secretly watching the drama unfold, were stunned. For the past six years, the word “idiot” had been strictly forbidden in the mansion. Lucas would go ballistic if anyone ever dared to call me that. There was a time when a maid, feigning kindness in front of him, would privately sneer and curse at me behind his back. She called me an idiot, a shameless parasite. She accused me of clinging to Lucas, usurping Mrs. Vance’s position, and making him a laughingstock among his business associates. During that period, my arms and thighs, hidden beneath my clothes, were often intentionally bruised by her, old injuries overlapping with new ones. But I never dared to tell Lucas. I feared he would lash out with a knife, just like he had when we were vagrants, ready to fight anyone who wronged me. Injuries hurt. I didn’t want Lucas to hurt, nor did I want him to be misunderstood as mentally unstable because of me. So, even when the pain made it impossible to eat or sleep, I endured it. But then, Lucas eventually discovered the wounds. He raged, a furious storm, and swiftly dealt with the maid. Yet, that very night, he held me, weeping heartbrokenly, his voice choked beyond recognition. “Skylar, next time, don’t keep secrets from me, okay?” “Don’t be so cruel to me. Don’t shut me out of your world.” “Can you try to trust me a little more, please?” Lucas’s crying face looked strangely familiar. In a daze, I reached out to wipe his tears, comforting him anxiously. “Don’t cry, don’t cry, brother. It’s Skylar’s fault; Skylar will change, she will change…” Lucas froze. The next second, his arms tightened around me, his voice seeming to constrict with the movement. He said, “Skylar, I’m Lucas Vance, not your brother. You’ve mistaken me again.” Lost, I snapped back to reality, then guiltily lowered my head, accustomed to apologizing to him. “I’m sorry.” That night, Lucas, distraught by my mistake and my undisclosed injury, held me, stewing in quiet anger all night. But the next morning, he was back to his routine, cooking for me, waking me up, and gently wiping my face. He even hired a professional medical team to stay at the villa, solely for my check-ups and treatments. The servants in the villa had all been replaced, each personally interviewed and hired by him. So, Lucas’s deep regard and care for me were well-known to these doctors and servants. Which made it all the more shocking that after six years, the first person to call me an idiot was Lucas himself – the husband who had cherished me as if I were a fragile treasure. But everyone’s stunned silence lasted only a moment. After all, this villa was Lucas Vance’s domain. He now cared for the girl in his arms, so the doctors abandoned me and turned their attention to her. I blew on my throbbing hand, watching the scene unfold before me, a familiar, hazy feeling washing over me. My nose stung, and a warmth pricked my eyes. It truly was… so similar! So similar to when my brothers had all rallied around their adopted sister. They hadn’t seen the scalding on my leg, nor the tears in my eyes. They’d only been angry, exhausted, scolding me, questioning if I could be more sensible, and stop causing them so much trouble. A sudden dread seized me. If my brothers could treat me like that, what about Lucas? Would he too start to grow impatient with me? Disgusted by my foolishness, perhaps even screaming at me, like my brothers had, asking why I wouldn’t just die? My vision blurred. I blinked, and a tear splashed onto the carpet with a soft pat. I looked down, staring blankly at it for a long time. When I looked up again, the living room was empty. Lucas had carried the girl back to our bedroom. Fearing I would anger Lucas again, fearing I would hear him tell me to get lost, I didn’t dare go upstairs. Instead, I curled up on the sofa. It was strange. I felt cold, yet my body seemed to be burning up. My consciousness drifted, and I thought I heard footsteps. I looked up, hopeful, thinking Lucas had finally remembered me. But what greeted my eyes was a girl with disheveled hair, wearing my pajamas. My gaze fell upon her exposed neck, and I froze. It was covered in mottled red marks, thick and numerous, some even bearing teeth marks that had broken the skin. The girl shyly adjusted her clothes, her voice laced with embarrassed annoyance. “Oh, I’m sorry. Lucas was… a bit too eager. Please excuse me for this display.” After a brief pause, she met my gaze and uttered the familiar title: “Mrs. Vance.” I froze, thinking Lucas had, as before, lost his temper and hurt someone. Fearing the girl’s anger, I dragged my weak body, rummaging through boxes and drawers in a corner of the living room. Then, under the girl’s curious gaze, I carefully retrieved several adhesive bandages. “Bleeding, put these on, won’t hurt anymore!” “Don’t… don’t scold Lucas, don’t be angry, okay?” The girl’s face initially registered surprise, then, after a moment, she let out a sudden giggle, her eyes taking on a strange glint. “Outside, they make you out to be some kind of legend, saying you have Lucas Vance wrapped around your finger! I thought you were truly formidable!” “Turns out, you’re just an idiot!” I froze, pressing my lips together, a deep ache in my chest. Actually, I never used to care about these things. When others called me an idiot or a fool, I’d simply pretend not to hear, smiling foolishly up at them. But Lucas cared profoundly. So, through his repeated defense of me, I gradually learned to feel anger. I looked up at the woman, my voice serious. “Apologize. Don’t call me an idiot.” A sneer flickered across the girl’s face as she slowly approached me. The next second, she raised the steaming cup of water in her hand, her expression menacing, and splashed it towards me. The scalding water that had once burned my calf still ached terribly whenever the weather turned bad. So, instinctively, I reached out and pushed the woman. A sharp cry of pain suddenly echoed in the air. “Ah! My hand… it hurts so much… Lucas, boohoo… it hurts…” Before I could even comprehend what had happened, a sharp, stinging pain erupted on my face. The resounding slap reverberated through the empty living room. My head snapped to the side, and I stood frozen. I looked up, meeting Lucas’s cold eyes, his right hand still raised. My ears rang, and a wave of nausea swept over me. I felt so awful, so awful, but Lucas, who had always been so kind to me, didn’t notice a thing. He bent down, carefully lifting Eve onto the sofa. Then, he turned, his gaze cold as he asked, “Skylar, have I been too lenient with you?” “Come here, apologize to Eve.” Six years ago, I constantly made mistakes in front of my adopted sister. When paint got into my eyes and blurred my vision, causing me to accidentally knock over her painting, I had to apologize. When my simple mind embarrassed her in front of her classmates by picking her up from school, I had to apologize. When I somehow mistakenly wore her dress at a birthday party, making her cry, I had to apologize. So, when I rescued a dying Lucas from the roadside, I instinctively apologized. If he coughed, I apologized. If he was injured, I apologized. Even when he was angry and sad because I called out for my brother in a dream, I apologized. It was Lucas, again and again, holding me, correcting me, saying, “My Skylar is the best Skylar in the world; you don’t need to apologize to anyone.” For six years, Lucas corrected me nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine times, curing my habit of apologizing to everyone. And now, it was Lucas who said, “Skylar, don’t be temperamental. Apologize to Eve.” I looked up, staring at Lucas for a long time. So long that he started to look uncomfortable, wanting to avert his gaze. Then, slowly, I walked to Eve. I bowed, my head low, and said, “I’m sorry, I made a mistake!” I’m sorry! Skylar made another mistake. Perhaps I bowed too quickly. When I straightened up, my vision swam. I seemed to hear Lucas’s startled cry. The next instant, my body went limp, and I lost consciousness. … “My Skylar! The cutest, most beautiful child in the world, the apple of her brothers’ eyes, their precious treasure.” “Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, it’s not our Skylar’s fault. Big brothers will take our Skylar to buy cake to calm down.” “Skylar, come here, let your brothers hug you…” Joyful, exuberant scenes flashed through my consciousness, frame by frame. Not far away, my older brothers, Caleb and Adrian, stood with open arms, their faces wearing my familiar smiles, seemingly waiting for a hug. So, I took heavy steps and ran towards them. Caleb, Adrian, Skylar had such a terrible, terrible nightmare… But before I could reach them, the illusion shattered instantly. The next second, a girl appeared between Caleb and Adrian. They smiled, introducing her to me. “Skylar, this is Lily, your sister. Will you let her play with you from now on, okay?” “Skylar, don’t bully Lily…” “Skylar, apologize to Lily…” “Why, why wasn’t it you who was kidnapped?” “Why wasn’t it you who was threatened to die, but innocent Lily?” “Skylar, we beg you, just die? Will you just die? Please don’t cause us any more trouble!” One moment, it was Caleb and Adrian’s hateful, red eyes. But the next, I was being held between my two brothers, sitting on the eaves. They were smiling, pointing at the stars in the sky for me, their voices light with joy: “Caleb and Adrian, we’ll always be Skylar’s guardian stars.” Brothers, do guardian stars also fall? I called out for my brothers, crying as I woke up, meeting Lucas’s shadowed eyes. “Skylar, you… called out for your brother in your sleep again…” He raised a hand, reaching towards me. The next instant, I closed my eyes, recoiling sharply, instinctively adopting a defensive posture. Lucas froze, and I dared not move. After a long silence, I heard his hoarse, strained voice, asking in disbelief, “Skylar, are you… afraid of me?” Seeing his expression, I instinctively apologized. “I’m sorry…” But the words only seemed to deepen the sorrow on Lucas’s face. He spoke, his voice thick, “Skylar, don’t apologize to me.” I remained silent. Lucas glanced at me, closed his eyes for a moment, then, with great effort, continued, “Skylar, I’m sorry. Last night, finding out the truth so abruptly, I lost control and hurt you.” “I’ve already… punished myself.” “So, Skylar, please don’t be afraid of me, okay?” As he spoke, Lucas stripped off his shirt, revealing a back covered in whip marks. My eyes widened. I sat up abruptly, tears streaming down my face in distress. “Hurts… hurts… no, no punishment…” Lucas smiled nonchalantly, reaching out to grasp my hand, his eyes sparkling. “I knew it. Skylar cares about me most; she wouldn’t want me to hurt.” “So, Skylar, will you forgive me, okay?” My mind was entirely filled with the sight of Lucas’s injured back. Hearing his words, I nodded frantically, wanting him to apply medicine. But before I could speak, Lucas’s grip on my hand tightened involuntarily. When he spoke again, his words were different. “Eve and I are childhood sweethearts.” “We went to the same elementary school, the same middle school, and then the same university, from childhood to adulthood.” “We dated for seven years, got engaged at eighteen, and planned to get married right after graduation.” “But then, my family ran into trouble, and Eve slandered me, landed me in prison, and left without a word.” “I used to wish she would die, but this time, when the Thorne family fell on hard times, she came back. That’s when I found out.” “Everything she did back then was forced by her family. She’s had a truly hard life all these years.” Lucas spoke with such intensity that it was impossible to interrupt him. So, I remained silent, blinking, listening to him recount this past I knew nothing about. When he spoke of Eve’s youthful antics, his lips curved into a soft smile. When he mentioned Eve’s suffering abroad, his brow furrowed with tenderness. By the end of his story, his long-held hatred had transformed back into his initial, pure love. Finally, Lucas concluded, saying, “Skylar, I can’t let Eve down. She’s suffered so much all these years.” I nodded, cooperatively asking, “What do you need me to do?”

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While vacationing in Saint Augustine with my dad, my wife’s male assistant suddenly sent me a photo of a man stripped naked and covered in blood. It was accompanied by an arrogant voice message: “Tom Sterling, do you country folk just love to take advantage of things?” “Ms. Harper just bought this villa, and you let your old man, your deadbeat dad, crash there? As Ms. Harper’s assistant, I have every right to protect her property from intrusion.” “This is what happens when your dad trespasses into the villa!” I froze, then looked across at my dad, who was sitting there perfectly fine. I then zoomed in on the photo Tom had sent. My heart plummeted. Isn’t that my father-in-law? I immediately called Tom Barclay. “Tom, have you lost your mind? That’s Seraphina Harper’s father!” Tom scoffed dismissively, “Ms. Harper said, your dad is your dad, and her dad is her dad. She never considered your dad family.” 1 Tom hung up immediately after that. I didn’t dare delay, quickly booking a flight for that day and rushing to the airport. At the same time, I dialed Seraphina’s number. “Seraphina, Dad was beaten by Tom at your new villa, you need to go there…” “Alright, I know what you’re going to say.” Seraphina cut me off, her voice chilling. “I think Tom’s lesson was appropriate.” I was stunned. “What did you say?” Seraphina sighed, sounding a bit exasperated. “Tom, even though we’re married, your dad should have some basic boundaries. He can’t just take advantage of my being your wife, always trying to get something for free or seek small benefits from me.” I was getting agitated. “You’ve got it all wrong, he’s your…” “Enough!” Seraphina snapped impatiently. “So what if he’s my father-in-law? I’m not obligated to indulge his greed.” “Today he dares to freeload at my villa, tomorrow he’ll just come to my company demanding money.” “Tom disciplining him, making him learn his lesson, is also for his own good.” Seraphina’s words instantly chilled my frantic heart. My dad might be a countryman, but he had lived a life of kindness and simplicity, never taking advantage of anyone, and for Seraphina, he had only given, never asked. When Seraphina’s company was starting up and she was short on funds, my dad had unhesitatingly pulled out all the retirement savings he had accumulated his entire life. Knowing she had a weak stomach, no matter how busy he was, my dad would always find time to make various stomach-nourishing foods, traveling miles to deliver them to the city. Yet, such a simple, kind old man who treated her like his own child, was, in Seraphina’s words, a greedy leech with no boundaries who deserved to be taught a lesson. My heart ached with desolation, and my voice grew colder. “Seraphina, Dad seems seriously hurt. I advise you to quickly send someone to take him to the hospital. After all, it wasn’t easy for him to raise you.” Seraphina immediately flared up. “Tom, are you sick? When has your dad ever raised me?” “No wonder Tom couldn’t help but teach your dad a lesson. With a son like you, he deserves the beating!” “My dad is coming back from overseas soon. I still need to prepare a surprise and a welcome party for him. I don’t have time for your messy, petty problems.” With that, Seraphina hung up. On the way, I saw Seraphina had posted an update. Just a short sentence: “My father is returning home. I can finally show him my filial devotion properly.” I silently liked the post. A morbid curiosity arose in me. What would her devoted reaction be when she realized her dad was beaten black and blue by Tom? By evening, I arrived at Seraphina’s hilltop villa. The villa’s courtyard was adorned with flowers and balloons, and a magnificent golden archway proudly displayed large letters: “Welcome Home, Dearest Father!” Beneath the arch, all of Seraphina’s family and friends were gathered. Seeing me, everyone’s expressions turned complex. As I stepped into the courtyard, I noticed a body covered by a white sheet, tucked away in a corner of the yard! Seeing the body, my entire being stiffened. Just then, Tom stepped forward, feigning regret, “Tom, I just meant to teach your dad a simple lesson. Who knew he was so fragile? He suddenly had a heart attack and died on the spot.” “You won’t blame me, will you?” So, my father-in-law was murdered by Tom? My heart pounded wildly. I was about to speak. But Seraphina stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Tom, and gently comforted him, “Tom, this isn’t your fault. You were just looking out for me.” “Blame it on his dad for being short-lived and always causing trouble.” “It’s already merciful that you haven’t demanded emotional damages from Tom.” With that, Seraphina glared at me with a dark expression, her voice chilling, “Tom, look at what your dad has done.” “Dying in my villa not only frightened Tom but also cast a shadow over the welcome party I specially prepared for my dad.” Seeing her righteous indignation, I found it utterly laughable. I couldn’t help but point at the covered body and say seriously, “Seraphina, I suggest you lift that white sheet and take a good look at who’s actually dead!” Seraphina frowned. “Isn’t it your dad? What’s there to see?” “I don’t want to pollute my eyes!” My sister-in-law, Chloe, also chimed in with disdain, “My sister bought this villa especially to give to our dad when he came back. He hasn’t even lived in it yet, and your dad comes to freeload first? How disgusting?” “If you ask me, he deserved to die. It saves him from embarrassing us again in the future.” “Do you really think that just because you married into the Harper family, your whole family gets to ride on our coattails?” 2 Seeing Seraphina and Chloe both siding with Tom, Seraphina’s relatives and friends also quickly took sides, declaring their positions: “Exactly! Such a freeloading father-in-law is a parasite on society even when alive.” “This time he embarrassed us among family. If he embarrasses us outside next time, who knows how others will mock the Harper family.” “Exactly. Anyone who doesn’t know us might think the Harpers are raising a family of beggars.” “So, Assistant Barclay handled this perfectly. It’s a permanent solution for the Harper family.” In an instant, everyone was praising Tom. It was as if the person who died by his hand was a heinous criminal, and he, Tom, was a great hero who had rid the Harper family of evil. Tom glanced at me with a smug look, then, the next second, he timidly said to Seraphina, “But Ms. Harper, the deceased is Tom’s father, after all. What if he causes trouble for me?” Seraphina looked at him with tender affection. “Don’t worry. With me here, no one can harm you.” With that, Seraphina immediately had someone draft a letter of understanding and handed it to me. “Tom, your dad was in the wrong first. His death is just bad luck, not Tom’s fault.” “For the sake of our marriage, I won’t pursue the matter of your dad trespassing in my villa and dying here, affecting my father’s welcome party.” “But you must sign this letter of understanding, guaranteeing that this matter ends here and you won’t cause trouble for Tom.” Chloe also stood with her arms crossed, condescendingly stating, “Tom, your dad brought this upon himself. Don’t even think about pinning anything on Tom. Be smart and sign the letter of understanding.” The two sisters imperiously ordered me, waiting for me to sign the letter of understanding. But I pushed the letter back to them, calmly saying, “If anyone’s signing, it’s you. I’m not qualified.” 3 Seraphina, assuming I was refusing, immediately snapped, “Tom, don’t be ungrateful.” “Your dad was just an unemployed drifter, completely worthless in this world. Tom is still young, with a bright future ahead of him. Are you really going to ruin him for a dead man?” Chloe also frowned, echoing, “Exactly! Your dad was just a waste of food when he was alive. Tom has done society a favor.” “You don’t even thank him, and you’re still thinking of extorting him?” I calmly explained, “You’ve got it wrong. What I mean is, the person who died is your father. This letter of understanding can only be signed by you.” Chloe, hearing me say this, instantly became agitated. “Tom, are you insane? How dare you say such unlucky things and curse my dad at his welcome party?” Seraphina was also enraged. “Tom, it seems I’ve spoiled you too much all these years, letting you become so arrogant, you don’t even know how to show basic respect to your elders.” “My dad is the most important person in my life. I won’t allow anyone to disrespect him, not even if you’re my husband!” With that, she suddenly turned and barked at a bodyguard nearby, “Go throw that old man’s body into the cesspit!” The bodyguard hesitated, glancing at me. “Ms. Harper, this… this might not be appropriate?” Seraphina sternly said, “He won’t sign the letter of understanding, won’t he? He likes to curse my dad, doesn’t he? Today I’ll make him realize the consequences of disrespecting my dad!” “Do as I say! Any problems, I’ll take responsibility!” Seeing Seraphina’s anger, the bodyguard dared not disobey and immediately went to carry out the order. The guests on site shook their heads repeatedly, murmuring among themselves: “Tom has truly touched Ms. Harper’s raw nerve this time.” “Exactly. Ms. Harper’s mother passed away early; Mr. Harper raised the two sisters alone. Everyone knows Ms. Harper cares most about Mr. Harper. This Tom is truly insane, cursing Mr. Harper at his welcome party!” “No wonder his dad died. With such an ungrateful son, what parent could live long?” The chatter of the crowd was jarring but didn’t affect me in the slightest. I ignored everyone, looking at Seraphina, and said, word by word, “Seraphina, are you sure you want to go this far?” Seraphina looked down at me from her superior position, her voice sharp. “Tom, this is all your own doing.” “Your dad’s death is entirely because he was shameless and loved petty advantages.” “You shouldn’t, because of this, repeatedly curse and bring bad luck to my dad at his welcome party.” “If you ask me, your dad deserved to die early, having an ungrateful, disrespectful son like you!” The words had barely left her mouth. My dad suddenly walked into the villa, looking at Seraphina, and asked in confusion, “Who died?”

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“What’s one plus one?” On the highway, my brother, Jayden, suddenly asked. I hesitated, my voice barely a whisper, “It’s…” Before I could finish, Mom, Elaine, flew into a rage and slapped me across the face: “I’m an Ivy League graduate, your dad’s a Ph.D. Your brother Jayden is a math genius who aces every test, yet you, you can’t even answer one plus one without hesitating, you good-for-nothing!” My face stung with a burning pain, and my heart was filled with terror. I cried, shaking my head, “Mom, please don’t despise me, I’m not worthless… it’s what Jayden said…” But Mom wouldn’t listen. She simply shoved me out of the car: “A good-for-nothing who only inherited inferior genes doesn’t deserve to ride with us! Get out and walk back!” I desperately chased after the car, but Dad, David, and Mom drove off with Jayden. A massive truck came roaring up behind me, and suddenly, my body felt light, ethereal. I caught up to Mom and Dad’s car: “Mom, Dad, I’m not worthless! My teacher says I’m a little artist, she says everyone has their own strengths!” 1 “A child’s stride is usually between one and one and a half feet.” “I’ve calculated it for you. From here to the next rest stop, it’s only three thousand steps.” “This is Mom’s punishment for you, but it’s also to unlock your potential, to help you, the less bright one, fit into our family.” Mom finished, then turned and got into the car without a moment’s hesitation. I rushed after her: “Mom, don’t leave me!” The car window slowly lowered, and Mom tossed out a small camera from inside: “This is the latest cloud-sync model. It’ll record you, so don’t get lazy and skip counting.” “Be careful on the road, only walk on the emergency lane.” Mom left her final instruction, and the car window immediately rolled up. I watched helplessly as the car drove away. The taillights grew dimmer and dimmer, until they vanished completely into the darkness. “Mom, it’s so cold.” The weather forecast said it was ten degrees Fahrenheit below zero today. But Mom had forgotten to give me my jacket. I dejectedly held up the small camera, speaking to its tiny lens: “Mom, I’m not worthless.” “I’m the best artist in my class. My teacher says that’s called having different strengths.” But the lens wouldn’t speak. I sniffled, holding back tears, and began to carefully count my steps. “1, 2, 3…” But it was so cold, my breath seemed to turn to ice. I counted slower and slower, my steps growing smaller. By the time I reached a thousand, my legs felt as heavy as two large stones. My foot caught on something, and I fell directly to my knees, a sharp, piercing pain shooting through them. My whole body ached. I cried, apologizing to the tiny lens: “Mom, I’m sorry. Rose is really hurting so much, I’ll just rest for ten counts.” Our family often played number games; success brought rewards, failure brought penalties. Jayden always got the rewards. I always failed, and Mom would punish me for ten counts. Ten counts of slapping my hand, ten counts of spanking my bottom. Before, ten counts felt so slow; now, they felt incredibly fast. When the ten counts were up, I struggled to get up from the ground. I moved my legs inch by painful inch; the blood from my knees soaked through my pants, and every step was agony. I gritted my teeth, knowing that just one thousand nine hundred seventy more steps would take me home to Grandma and Grandpa. They were waiting for us for Christmas dinner. But my body grew colder and colder. Large, snowy white flowers seemed to bloom before my eyes, and I cried into the camera: “Mom, I think I can’t walk anymore.” Mom wouldn’t answer me. But a blinding light suddenly appeared behind me; I had unknowingly wandered into the middle of the road. When I woke up, I suddenly realized my body felt lighter. 2 Feeling lighter, I quickly caught up with Mom and Dad. They were resting at a service station, their table laden with delicious food. Mom was coaxing Jayden to drink some hot water. “It’s too cold today, Jayden, you have to drink some hot water.” Jayden reluctantly took a sip, and I quietly swallowed, wishing I could have some hot water too. “Mom, I want some too.” I pleaded timidly, but Mom remained unmoved. She fed Jayden water, gave him fruit. She seemed not to see me at all. I stifled the ache in my heart. Just then, Dad, David, suddenly checked his watch, his brow furrowed: “We’ve been waiting at the service station for an hour. Where’s Rose? Nothing’s happened to her, has it?” My heart lifted. Dad, he finally remembered me. “Dad, I met a really big truck, I was too tired to run, and that truck…” I wanted to tell Dad loudly. But Mom, Elaine, impatiently cut in: “David, it’s only two miles, it’s not that far.” “If it were Jayden, he’d have run it already.” “She’s always been lazy and manipulative since she was little. This is a good chance for her to get some exercise!” Jayden nodded. He wasn’t just good at math; he was athletic too. “Sister is already clumsy; what if she doesn’t exercise and ends up a sickly mess?” He snorted. Jayden often teased me. This time in the car, he suddenly asked me a math question. He just wanted to make fun of how dumb I was. Before, I’d always just foolishly grinned at him, never minding, because he was my big brother. But this time, I was a little angry. I yelled at him, “I am not! Jayden is mean!” If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have been kicked out of the car. Dad hesitated. He looked at the heavy fog outside, then his brows gradually relaxed. “Two miles, even an adult takes 20 to 35 minutes to walk. Considering external factors, it’s normal for a child to be a little late.” Hearing Dad’s words, my heart felt heavy. I’d always been prone to illness, gasping for breath after just a few steps, let alone walking three thousand steps in such cold weather. But they seemed to forget that. They decided to wait a little longer. This wait stretched for another hour, until Jayden grew impatient. He started complaining, urging Dad to drive. Just then, a couple walked in, their conversation interrupting Jayden. “We specifically left at dawn, but still got stuck in traffic.” “That car accident earlier was truly gruesome. They said the person’s brains were splattered, and it was a child…” Hearing this, Dad trembled violently. Mom also looked a little panicked. She quickly pulled out her phone, sighing in relief when she saw the small moving dot on the screen. The next second, she grew angry again: “The camera I bought not only records but also tracks location.” “Look, she’s moving fast right now, she’s definitely playing the victim and got a ride. She’s so disobedient!” “We’re not waiting for her. We’re leaving now. If she’s so clever, she can have that person drop her home!” Hearing that, I instantly grew anxious. “Mom, no, it’s not that.” “I didn’t, that was an ambulance, not a ride I found.” But Mom couldn’t hear me. She bundled Jayden up tightly, then pulled Dad into the car for home. I cried, following Mom and Dad’s car. The ambulance siren seemed to get closer, but Dad floored the gas and sped off the highway. The car quickly arrived at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I sadly lunged towards them, but passed right through. 3 Christmas was my favorite time of year; I got to see Grandma and Grandpa. But now I was so sad, tears streaming non-stop. Grandma rushed to the back seat, first greeting Jayden. Then she peered into the car: “Where’s Rose? Why isn’t Rose in the car?” “Grandma, I’m here.” I choked, pulling on Grandma’s sleeve. Mom, Elaine, impatiently said: “She came back in someone else’s car.” “Alright, it’s freezing outside. Jayden’s been in the car so long and is cold and hungry. Have some sympathy for your oldest grandson.” Mom’s words instantly silenced Grandma. She glanced at Dad, David, saw him nod, sighed, and didn’t ask any more questions. “Alright, alright, I’ve made dumplings, I’ll boil some for you all.” Bowls of steaming hot dumplings were brought to the table. The aroma seemed to waft directly to me. Mom, Dad, and Jayden ate heartily, but I held my stomach, on the verge of tears. Walking for an hour had left me exhausted and starving. What I wanted most was Grandma’s homemade dumplings. “Rose loves dumplings the most. I even saved some especially for her. I’ll cook them when she gets here.” Grandma said with a smile, standing up and looking out the window again and again. I sniffled. I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. After everyone finished eating, and Grandma cleared the table, she saw I still hadn’t arrived and finally couldn’t resist asking Mom and Dad about me again: “How come Rose still isn’t here? Whose car did she come back in? Why didn’t you all come together?” The living room instantly fell silent. Dad hesitated: “Soon, she should be here soon.” His hesitant answer made Grandma and Grandpa confused. “Whose car is Rose in? Why don’t you just call and ask? She’s been gone so long, don’t you two, as parents, worry at all?” Dad pushed up his glasses, but looked at Mom. Mom angrily pulled out her phone. Grandma and Grandpa craned their necks expectantly, and I looked too. She frowned, opened her phone, saw the small camera’s location was not far from Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and said: “Alright, she’ll be back in five minutes.” Grandma and Grandpa wanted to see more, but Mom immediately closed her phone. “Now that we’re back, I need to talk to you two elders seriously.” “Rose is about to start elementary school. You can’t keep spoiling her like this; it’s very detrimental to her future growth.” Mom’s tone was very stern. I fearfully hid behind Grandma. Mom loved smart children. She always spoke to Jayden with gentle words. But I was too clumsy. Mom always got very angry. Once, I got 59 on a math test, and she was so mad she slapped me. “Are you even my biological child? How can you be so dense?” “How can you get such simple addition and subtraction wrong? What’s in your head?” To make me good at math, she fiercely designed a study plan for me. A year of math lessons, doing Jayden’s advanced math problems. If I didn’t learn, I’d get my palm smacked. Grandma couldn’t bear to watch and would speak up for me. This time too, she whispered: “Elaine, I think teaching a child shouldn’t be too forced, Rose is still small…” Before she could finish, Mom sharply interrupted her: “Mom, do you know that Rose still hesitates when asked what 1+1 equals?” “When Jayden was her age, he was already doing third-grade math problems!” Grandma’s face turned pale from being cut off. In the corner, Jayden was secretly laughing. I rushed forward anxiously: “Mom, it’s not that I hesitated, it’s Jayden!” “Jayden said, 1+1 doesn’t equal 2!” Although I didn’t understand, when Jayden asked again, I still hesitated. But Mom didn’t hear my explanation. “Look, is this Rose’s jacket?”

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1 My husband, Matt, had a heavy smoking habit. I was about to post online for advice to help him quit when I stumbled upon a question in a “quit smoking” thread: 【Under what circumstances would a husband truly want to quit smoking?】 The top reply had a million likes. 【If your husband truly loves you, he wouldn’t smoke at all.】 【My husband and I are both doctors, we know smoking is harmful, especially after having children, he wouldn’t even touch a cigarette.】 The comment section was filled with angry replies. 【If your husband doesn’t smoke, why are you replying to this thread? Maybe he smokes in secret?】 To shut down the online critics, the original poster shared a family photo of her and her husband and child. 【Our child’s health indicators are all normal, thanks for your concern. But even if he did smoke, what then? On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, he comes home from his shift without even a whiff of smoke. Isn’t that a testament to his love?】 The angry comments continued, but I kept zooming in on that family photo. My blood ran cold. The man who didn’t smoke on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and the man addicted to cigarettes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, were both my husband, Matt Vincent. … I compulsively zoomed in on the family photo, staring at that familiar face. He would be off work in twenty minutes, and then I could share the good news I had for him. I gently touched my slightly bulging belly, my heart feeling as if it were being shredded by a knife. Matt’s last angry message to me was still on my phone: 【I told you I wouldn’t quit smoking. No matter how much you try to convince me, it’s useless. Don’t be so selfish.】 On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, when he was with me, he could puff away to his heart’s content. But on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, when he was with Susan Thorne, he was a perfect family man, not even smelling of smoke. For five years, this apartment had been permeated with the smell of smoke. Every day I had to deep clean, using bottle after bottle of air freshener. It was still so foul. It even made me nauseous. I took a cab to the hospital, resolute in my decision to have an abortion. “The baby’s father is a heavy smoker; this child won’t be healthy either.” The doctor nodded helplessly, mentioning casually: “Dr. Vincent, the head of the department next door, hasn’t touched a single cigarette since his wife had their child. Responsible husbands like that are rare these days.” He joked: “If you marry a doctor, you won’t have these concerns.” I almost laughed and cried at the same time. Yes, the doctor I married was an “addict,” but in everyone else’s eyes, he was a good, responsible man. While waiting for my appointment, Matt walked toward me, followed by a large group of interns. His expression was a bit awkward: “I said too much yesterday. Don’t take it to heart.” I didn’t hear what he said. All I noticed was the refreshing mint scent emanating from him. I once carefully selected expensive mint candies, hoping he would use them as a substitute for smoking. He immediately scattered them across the floor, saying he hated the smell of mint. I glanced at my phone and understood. It was Thursday. He was on call and wouldn’t be coming home. He would be going to his other home. I forced an ugly smile. Matt cautiously looked around before patting my shoulder, “Go home.” I, his lawfully wedded wife, felt like a clandestine mistress. He turned and walked away. He accidentally stepped on my prenatal test results, which I had just dropped, and frowned in distaste: “You should be more observant. If there’s trash on the floor, you should pick it up and throw it away immediately.” An intern crumpled it into a ball and tossed it into the trash can. My heart ached. Presumably, in his mind, both the baby and I were just trash that could be discarded at will. In that case, I didn’t want this man anymore either. After getting the appointment for my abortion in three days, I called a number I hadn’t contacted in five years: “You said you’d always keep a position open for me. Does that still hold true?” 2 Back home, the greasy smell of smoke that hit me instantly confirmed my exhaustion. Everyone in my circle knew. As a law student, I had quit my job to support Matt’s preparations for his medical professorship exams. He couldn’t bear for me to abandon my dreams, so he married me early, against his family’s wishes. Even during his busy and tiring hospital internship, he would bring me little surprises after his late-night shifts. He poured everything into being a devoted husband. But later, he often said the hospital’s evaluations put too much pressure on him, and he started smoking pack after pack. From the balcony to the bathroom, and eventually, he’d just light up directly in the bedroom. I pleaded with him countless times to quit, even for the sake of trying for a baby. But all I got was his hysteria. “Of course you wouldn’t understand! You spend all day at home, eating and drinking, going shopping when you’re bored. What stress could you possibly have?!” I, once an accomplished lawyer who could debate a room full of people, was countless times rendered speechless by his rebuttals. But he probably forgot that I was trapped in this smoke-infused apartment because of him. In the end, he found a mistress, a doctor with a dazzling career, to bear his children. After packing my bags to leave, I clicked on Susan Thorne’s profile. Her latest video was marked “Visible only to me.” On a messy bedsheet, Matt lay panting, his face filled with satiation. “Since the child grew up, we haven’t enjoyed ourselves like this in a long time.” Matt didn’t light a post-coital cigarette. Instead, he gently kissed Susan’s forehead. It was then that I noticed the “scar” on Matt’s ribs, which he always covered with a band-aid. It was actually the initials of their three names. When I finally came to my senses, tears were already splashing onto the screen. Indignant, I commented below: 【Don’t you feel ashamed, stealing someone else’s husband?】 Immediately after, the entire video was deleted. But it wasn’t hard to feel that she was declaring war. Using the knowledge I gained in law school, I drafted a divorce agreement for myself. Just as I typed the last word, the hospital suddenly called. “Ms. Lin, your mother has had a sudden heart attack. Her condition is very serious, and we need you to come to the hospital immediately to sign some papers!” I stumbled and ran to the hospital. My mother lay on the hospital bed, barely clinging to life, her voice muffled by the oxygen mask, as if coming from another world. “My attending doctor said… said you stole her husband…” I quickly checked the tag at the head of the bed. My mother’s new attending physician was indeed Susan Thorne. But I was Matt’s legally married wife. How could a mistress say such a thing? “Mom, I…” I cried, about to explain, but my mother wouldn’t even spare me another glance as she was wheeled into the operating room. In the desolate hallway, I helplessly called Matt. The cold, mechanical female voice was my only answer. The phone number he had specially customized for me was switched off when I needed him most. Just then, a video popped up on my phone. Outside the courthouse, Susan Thorne, holding a prenatal test result, embraced Matt from behind, desperately pleading: “I’m pregnant. Although I don’t want to disrupt your and her life, at least, please guarantee the child’s future.” “The baby is still so small. You wouldn’t just abandon me, right?” Susan cried, her face like a weeping pear blossom, a truly pitiable sight. Even my heart clenched. It felt like an eternity. Matt’s deep voice, clear in the cold wind, finally broke the silence: “Let’s go in. I’ll marry you.” 3 The video’s date was the exact same day Matt and I “got married.” I rushed to the courthouse in a daze. The clerk told me my marriage certificate was fake. “Mr. Vincent’s wife for the past five years has always been Ms. Susan Thorne.” That single, short sentence pronounced a death sentence on my marriage. Five years ago, Matt had said his parents opposed our marriage, so we skipped the wedding ceremony. After quickly getting our “marriage certificate,” he flew to Paris for a month-long exchange program. But it was during that very time that Susan Thorne posted a lavish wedding ceremony video on her profile. Matt’s parents were seen placing a family heirloom necklace around Susan’s neck. Perhaps they never even knew I existed. It turned out I was the one living in the shadows, the mistress. The sudden, cruel truth struck me like a burning arrow, causing me to faint from the shock. When I opened my eyes again, I was already in the hospital. Matt sat by the bed, his face grim, reeking of stale cigarette smoke. “You knew I was on call last night, yet you kept calling me frantically. When I didn’t answer, you pretended to be sick. That’s just too much.” “I have several surgeries waiting for me. Don’t be so unreasonable.” But seeing my gloomy expression, and remembering it was Friday, his tone softened slightly: “Be on time for the awards ceremony tomorrow.” The next day, Matt and Susan Thorne, as the hospital’s star doctors, stood together looking exactly like a well-matched, attractive couple. Everyone’s mocking gazes landed on me. Trapped at home for years, I carried the unshakeable smell of stale second-hand smoke. “Is that Dr. Vincent’s wife? Why does she look ten years older, like a nanny? It’s laughable.” “I wonder what Dr. Vincent was thinking. Dr. Thorne has a Ph.D., she’s young and beautiful. She’d be so much more presentable.” “She smells awful, but Dr. Vincent doesn’t smoke, does she smoke herself?” … Hearing these words now only felt ironic. I really wasn’t fit to be Matt’s wife; I was just an unrecognized mistress. The Vincent family heirloom jade pendant on Susan Thorne’s neck still stung my eyes. I had tirelessly managed our small home, playing the role of a Vincent family “daughter-in-law” for five years, yet I had never even met his parents. To even glimpse the Vincent family heirloom, I had to see it on another woman. Susan Thorne linked her arm through Matt’s, smiling as she walked towards me. “They say Mrs. Vincent is virtuous and gentle. Seeing her today, the rumors are certainly true.” She emphasized the words “Mrs. Vincent,” her eyes filled with mockery. I opened my mouth, wanting to confront her about provoking my mother, but then realized I didn’t even have the right to question her. To my surprise, Susan Thorne noticed my resentment, smiling as she lowered her voice and whispered in my ear: “I just shared some of my and my husband’s daily life with your mother. I really didn’t expect her to enjoy listening so much. I’ll go talk to her again later.” The woman’s challenging smile grew larger and larger in my vision. Unable to bear it any longer, I forcefully pushed her away. “Shut up!” “Lynn Forrest, are you crazy?!” Matt grabbed my arm, out of control, his eyes filled with disgust for me. “How dare you lay hands on someone in public? Do you want me to throw you out?!” But Susan Thorne, where he couldn’t see, was still taunting me. By the time I reacted, I had already lunged forward, grabbing her collar, my eyes blazing with fury. To my surprise, the woman didn’t get angry; instead, she smiled, staring at my phone. The next second, my phone suddenly displayed my mother’s death certificate.

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On my wife, Eleanor’s, wake, I overheard her sister’s phone call. “Ellie, that fake death of yours is truly impressive. Your husband’s burying you at the cemetery, and you’re still up all night at an e-sports hotel with your little brother.” “Save a spot for me, I’ll be right there.” I froze instantly, subconsciously following them to the e-sports hotel. I watched Eleanor Stone, usually so formidable in the Stone family. Now, she was leaning against a red-haired man, smiling, enjoying him teaching her to smoke mouth-to-mouth. The moment she raised her arm, her sisters cheered. “Ellie, haven’t you washed off that temporary tattoo yet?” A sliver of white skin showed at Eleanor’s waist. On her slender lower back, black and red lettering was strikingly clear: Joshua Vance’s Exclusive. “Never. Joshua’s exclusive hand-drawn piece. I’ll never wash it off.” A chill ran down my spine, and I stumbled out of the hotel in a daze. As soon as I got home, my mother-in-law, Clara, her eyes red and swollen from crying, gripped my hand. “Adrian, Ellie had no luck. I’ve found a good girl for you from a respectable family. If she’s suitable, I’ll go with you to propose.” 1. In the private room, Eleanor spoke flatly: “Did Adrian take care of all the arrangements for my funeral?” Her sister laughed. “Everything’s handled, Ellie. Meticulous and respectful, just Adrian’s style.” “He was practically bursting with tears, yet he maintained that self-controlled, proper demeanor. Truly from a refined family!” Snap! Eleanor slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, then passed the cigarette to Joshua Vance with her mouth, her face full of indulgence. Through the swirling smoke, I saw a flicker of annoyance in Eleanor’s eyes. “That’s Adrian for you, emotionally numb, no feelings whatsoever.” “His life is a precise schedule—eating, dressing. Even in bed, he’s restrained and proper, so rigid.” “Even if I really died, he’d still faithfully keep vigil, taking care of the Stone family and my mom for me.” Her sister chuckled: “Just one marriage certificate, and he’s utterly devoted to you, Ellie, and to the Stone family. Quite a bargain.” “Who knows, maybe Adrian will even be happy about your resurrection, Ellie.” Everyone roared with laughter, a painful sting to my eardrums. The bitterness in my chest almost overflowed. It took several deep breaths to swallow back my tears. For her final dignity, I had suppressed my emotions to arrange the funeral. Every mourner praised my meticulous and respectful conduct. I had never found it difficult. For Eleanor, at home, in every aspect of life, I always maintained propriety, never letting her worry. Outside, I was Eleanor’s most capable assistant. I helped her secure the Stone family’s largest project in a decade. I always thought we were soulmates, moving forward together. But in the end, all I got was a mere “bargain.” “Ellie, when you’re with me, can you stop talking about your family’s old-fashioned ways!” Joshua Vance yanked off his headphones, throwing them forcefully onto the table. “I want you to divorce him! And I want you to tattoo my name over your heart! That’s the only way it’s real love!” My heart clenched. I was suddenly terrified of Eleanor’s answer. Eleanor only hesitated for a few seconds before quickly nodding. “Okay, if Joshua says divorce, I’ll divorce. Shall we go get the tattoo now?” My entire body felt cold, and a violent headache threatened to tear me apart. For the first time in my life, I lost control, stumbling frantically out of the e-sports hotel. On the crowded streets, Eleanor’s wedding vows echoed ceaselessly in my ears. “Adrian, in the Stone family, there’s no divorce, only widowhood. I will only ever have one husband, you.” How ridiculous. The validity of Eleanor’s vow lasted barely three years. I wandered the streets, distraught, my phone buzzing. My mother-in-law’s tired voice came from the other end. “Adrian, you’ve worked hard these past few days. I’ve taken it upon myself to find you a good match. Consider bringing her home.” 2. I don’t know how much time passed, but then I heard my own trembling voice. “Okay.” Hanging up the phone, I realized I had unknowingly walked to the entrance of an amusement park. This time, I bought a ticket and went in alone. As the elevator ascended, I felt as if I saw Eleanor from three years ago again. Before I met Eleanor, my life was lived meticulously, within the strict boundaries set by my parents. We were educated from childhood to be rational, to walk on a razor’s edge. One step out of line was unacceptable. The most my father ever said was, “You enjoy more wealth than ordinary people, so you must shed superfluous emotions.” I wanted to rebel, but I knew I had no right. For an elite family like ours, if I became disobedient, someone could immediately replace me. I would become worthless, lose everything. And Eleanor was the first person to make me drop my mask. “Adrian, life’s too short for all this formality.” “Why not live for the moment, enjoy the present?” Eleanor took me, helping me evade the bodyguards my parents had arranged. She took me drag racing. As the wind roared past my ears, I held her tightly. That was the first time I ever broke free from the rules, letting out a wild shout. Eleanor was one of the few redemptions in my life of self-restraint and proper conduct. I loved the rebellion in her bones, her fierce capacity to love and hate. The engine suddenly roared, and I gripped the brake, my heart trembling. Eleanor’s phantom blurred for a moment. Just like her odd behavior, which I couldn’t quite grasp. Six months ago, Eleanor had changed. She would come home after I had already fallen asleep. I would wake early for work, and Eleanor would still be asleep. I subtly questioned her secretary, who only stammered that Eleanor was entertaining clients. But the strong smell of tobacco on her clothes couldn’t be faked. My ingrained upbringing prevented me from making a scene; I only offered a calm reminder. “Be careful not to get food poisoning from eating out so much.” That was the first time Eleanor had smashed plates and cutlery in front of me, the splashing soup raising a row of blisters. “Adrian, aren’t you the most disciplined and proper? What is this now, jealousy? If you want to know something, then go find out.” Eleanor knew me, a fatal blow. She knew my upbringing and my restraint wouldn’t allow me to track her movements, so I could only let it go. Now, I regret it. If I had intervened earlier, Eleanor and I might not have ended up like this. “Sir, is this your first time drag racing? Safety precautions…” The staff member waved, interrupting my thoughts. I came back to myself and shook my head: “I know all the safety precautions.” The staff member nodded and opened the gate. I looked at the red motorbike, walked over, and twisted the throttle. One kick, and my breathing quickened. That long-dormant heart began to beat again. As the wind roared past once more. Eleanor’s playful tone, her mocking smirk, all were swept away by the wind. The story began here. It should also end here. 3. Coming down from the ride, the tears on my face had already dried in the wind. My mother-in-law, Clara, conveniently texted me the address of the person she was introducing me to. I set the destination on my GPS. Just as I was about to leave, there was a knock on my car window. I looked up, and Joshua Vance’s face appeared unexpectedly. “Hey, old man, you know me, right? You saw everything at the e-sports hotel, didn’t you?” He forcefully smashed my car window with the baseball bat in his hand. Bang! Shards of glass flew past my eye, burning like fire. Joshua Vance grabbed my hair, yanked me out of the window, and leaned close to my ear. “I’m just here to tell you that since you heard Eleanor wants to divorce you, you should cooperate. Eleanor doesn’t like you.” “Nowadays, free love is all the rage. Eleanor hates boring men like you the most. Please, old man, step out of our love story.” I met Joshua Vance’s challenging gaze: “You call that love?” Joshua Vance’s smirk froze, his eyebrow piercing glinting even more sharply in the light. “Adrian, to see if a woman loves you, you look at whether she’s willing to spend money on you, understand, old man?” “And even if she hasn’t spent money on me, she’s given me her time. What about you? Is she willing to spend time with you, old man?” My heart skipped a beat. I stared straight at him, my voice hoarse. “You think Eleanor truly loves you? You’re just the cheapest novelty she found! Once the novelty wears off, there will be a second you, a third you…” Joshua Vance’s face instantly flushed crimson, as if I’d struck a nerve. “You’re judging me and her now?!” He dragged me directly out of the car. Rip! I felt a sudden rush of cold beneath me; my collar had been torn. He pointed his phone at me, taking pictures, his voice grating. “You think you have any right to be near Eleanor? Tell me, if I post online that an old man like you is a gold-digger, what would people think?” His strength was surprisingly immense, the skull ring on his hand leaving red marks on my face. I stumbled backward, enraged. “You’re breaking the law!” Joshua Vance sneered: “Breaking the law? Do you think I’m scared?” He smiled and made a call. “Bring everyone over! I’m in a fight at the Star Court! Come give your Eleanor’s husband a proper welcome!” I frowned, trying to grab his phone, but Joshua Vance slammed the car door shut on my hand. The intense pain in my bones made me tremble uncontrollably. I endured the crushing pressure of the car door, gritting my teeth and yelling for help. “Security! Security!” No one answered. Despair slowly permeated me. This time, I couldn’t stay calm. I frantically searched for something to defend myself with. No one was coming to my rescue; I had to rely on myself! Catching sight of a fire hydrant in the distance, I was about to struggle free from the car door when I heard a familiar yet puzzled voice. “Adrian?”

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