My husband is the top gynecologist in the city, but he vanished for three days and three nights to care for his secretary who claimed to have depression while I was hemorrhaging during childbirth. Later, intimate photos of the two of them spread throughout the entire city. Liam knelt by my hospital bed, his face swollen red from slapping himself. “Jenna, I was drunk that night and mistook her for you. I deserve to die.” To prove his innocence, he grabbed a scalpel and stabbed it into his own chest. Blood gushed out. I watched him confess with this insane performance and gave him one last chance. Until Sophie, his secretary, and I were both held hostage in a remote warehouse. “Jenna, you grew up in elite European schools. You’re strong—just hold on a little longer! Sophie can’t take it. She’ll lose her mind!” Liam roared as he begged the kidnappers on his knees. The high-altitude wind chilled me to the bone. But Liam didn’t know that these five years were just a gamble I made with my family. If I won, I’d spend my life with him. If I lost, I’d return to the Rivers family and inherit the fortune.

After escaping from the kidnappers, I dragged my battered body to make a call. “Dad, I lost the bet. I need to leave the country. Can you help me make arrangements?” My father paused but didn’t ask questions. “Alright. Get ready. I’ll send someone to pick you up in seven days.” After hanging up, I found a clinic by the roadside. After having my wounds simply bandaged, I returned to the villa under the servants’ mocking gazes. I never expected Liam to be waiting at home. When he saw me, he acted as if nothing had happened, pulling me into his arms. His mouth opened and closed, but all that came out was a pale: “I’m sorry.” “Sophie has depression and can’t handle stress. You know that, Jenna.” I stood still, my heart already frozen solid. Yes, between Sophie and me, he would always choose that homewrecker without hesitation. When Sophie was in a bad mood, he could stay out all night on our wedding anniversary. When Sophie had menstrual cramps and needed care, he could abandon me when I was burning with fever late at night. When Sophie’s parents got food poisoning, he could still skip my mother’s funeral to see her. But I remembered that in the beginning, when I was trapped abroad fighting against my family, he fought his way through the medical world to become a top figure in the field. He gave everything he had just to be with me. But now, that man who would firmly choose me had disappeared. I wiped the tears from my face. “Liam, but do I deserve to wait for death on the ninety-ninth floor?” Our eyes met. Liam seemed to notice my weakness. A flash of emotion crossed his face. The next second, Sophie suddenly screamed: “Liam, don’t leave me! I’m so scared!” Liam quickly pulled her into his arms, his eyes gentle. “Don’t be afraid, Sophie. I’m right here.” This scene was so familiar. Years ago, when I was injured after being kidnapped by my father’s enemies, he held me in his arms the same way, his eyes full of tenderness. “Don’t be afraid, Jenna. I’m right here.” The same person, the same words. Only the person in his arms had changed from me to Sophie. I looked at the intimate pair, my heart filled with desolation. When Liam looked up again, his face was full of irritation. “Jenna, is it really necessary to be so aggressive just because I chose to save Sophie?” “Besides, you didn’t die, did you?” He strode quickly to the third-floor balcony. “If you want an explanation, I’ll give you one!” But just as Liam took a step, Sophie threw her arms around the man’s waist. “No!” She cried with tears streaming down her face. “Miss Rivers, this is all my fault. I won’t bother you two anymore!” “Please don’t let Liam hurt himself, okay?” I somehow laughed out loud. “Fine. As long as you get out of this city, I’ll give Liam one more chance.” But after Sophie left, Liam, who usually never showed his emotions, began roaring and crying hysterically in the villa. “Jenna Rivers, you always satisfy your own needs without caring about anyone else’s wishes!” “You’re so selfish!” His eyes held a trace of coldness as he turned and left the villa. I clutched my aching abdomen and picked up my phone to schedule surgery and draft divorce papers.

The divorce procedures were complicated. As I browsed divorce information on the computer in the study, I accidentally discovered a private folder. I tried Sophie’s birthday as the password. Photos flooded out of the folder like a deluge. I knew the answer in my heart, but when I saw the proof with my own eyes, my heart ached so much I could barely breathe. Every record in the folder featured Sophie. When I was doubled over with menstrual cramps, they were chasing the sunset by the sea. When I couldn’t get a cab in the pouring rain, they were kissing under the stars. When I was being bullied by a doctor at my first prenatal checkup, they were entangled intimately in a romantic hotel. Liam expressed his love, saying he regretted not meeting her sooner. I let out a bitter laugh, my heart aching all over. The screensaver on the computer related to me seemed so pathetic compared to these thousands of photos featuring Sophie. It turned out the happiness I thought I had was built on ruins of lies. The sounds of a man and woman making love in the living room jolted me from my thoughts. Their movements continued until midnight. Torn clothes, lingerie, and mysterious stains on the carpet. Liam and Sophie lay naked on our marriage bed, their bodies tightly joined. I trembled with rage and disbelief. In five years of marriage, Liam had used his supposed germophobia as an excuse. We’d been intimate only a handful of times. Even when going through the motions of sex, he always frowned with disgust, and afterward would scrub himself raw in the bathroom, as if trying to remove a layer of skin. I never imagined he would be so shameless with another woman. I hugged the toilet and vomited until only acid remained in my stomach. After some time passed, Sophie appeared wearing my silk nightgown, deliberately showing off the red marks on her chest. “Sorry, Jenna, we made a mess of your room.” “But you can see it too, right? Liam can’t bear to let me go. I’m the one he loves.” Seeing my silence, Sophie even provocatively held up the sachet in her hand. “Your sachet is really useful. Liam got even more intense in bed when he smelled it!” I recognized the familiar scent and trembled with rage. The scars on my knees from kneeling to pray for blessings still remained, throbbing on rainy days. Back then, I had reverently hung the sachet I obtained on Liam’s body. But it became a toy for him and Sophie’s flirtation. When I knelt in the scorching sun until darkness fell, my knees rubbed raw, my entire body peeling from sunburn, what was he doing? Rolling around in bed with his little secretary, enjoying paradise. But the next second, Sophie dropped to her knees in front of me with a thud and slapped herself hard.

“I know I’ve wronged you, but Liam and I truly love each other!” “I don’t want status or to compete with you for anything. I just want to stay by Liam’s side.” Her cheeks were red and swollen, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. Liam seemed to hear the commotion and rushed out from the bedroom. His expression changed several times before he ultimately chose to believe Sophie. “Jenna, I never thought you’d stoop to physical violence out of jealousy!” I found it absurd and grabbed Sophie’s collar. “Sophie, when did I touch you? Stop acting!” She secretly dug her nails into my arm. I instinctively dodged, and Sophie took the opportunity to fall to the ground. Her knee was bleeding, and she cried heartbreakingly. “It hurts so much, Liam. I’m bleeding. Will I be okay…?” In his panic, Liam knocked me to the ground. Sharp pain shot through my abdomen. Blood flowed down my legs, but I barely registered it. Liam quickly opened the car door to take Sophie to the hospital. “Sophie has poor blood clotting. If anything happens to her, I won’t forgive you!” As we got in the car, Liam suddenly grabbed my arm. “I remember you and Sophie have the same blood type. Come to the hospital with us!” Without waiting for my answer, Liam roughly shoved me into the car. Halfway through the drive, there was a loud crash. We’d had an accident. My forehead slammed hard into the front seat. Excruciating pain swept through my lower abdomen. I tried to lift my head to call for help and saw Liam protecting Sophie firmly beneath him. He carried Sophie away and calmly made calls to have people handle the situation. Not until I struggled to crawl out from the back seat did he remember my existence and look at me with some surprise. “My stomach hurts so much…” Hearing this, Sophie asked weakly: “Liam, my knee is bleeding so much. Will I die?” Before, even if I just scraped my skin a little, Liam would be extremely anxious. He’d apply medicine, feed me candy, and cheer me up. This time, he looked at me with disgust as I broke out in cold sweat. “Jenna Rivers, how long are you going to keep up this act?” “I’m not…” My voice grew weaker and weaker. Until the ambulance arrived, Liam never looked at me again. My forehead was badly swollen, my arms torn and bloody from glass. Finally, I was sent to the hospital in a daze. When I woke up, my hospital room was already surrounded by Liam’s bodyguards. Seeing me open my eyes, Liam dragged me all the way to the blood draw room and threw me on the floor in front of the nurse. “Draw as much blood from her as you can. I just need Sophie to be safe!” Blood drained from my body at an alarming rate. By the time there was no more blood to draw and my vision went black, the nurse gasped in shock. “Miss Rivers has been taking special medication recently. This blood can’t be used!” Liam’s fury exploded instantly, his eyes dark. “Let’s see you try to weasel out of this!” “Sophie was right—you’re trying to kill her!” Before he finished speaking, he ordered his men to force me to kneel on broken glass without hesitation. I cried out in pain, my whole body nearly collapsing to the ground. Liam covered Sophie’s eyes with his hand, not wanting her to see this bloody scene. He looked down at me from above. “Jenna Rivers, you think too highly of yourself. Did you really think I’d soften and let you off?”

Intense pain swept through my entire body. I gasped for air. Sweat slid into my eyes. The last trace of warmth I felt for Liam in my heart vanished completely. The bodyguards dragged me and threw me outside the hospital. It was more than ten degrees below zero outside, with heavy snow falling. I wore only thin clothes but was pressed into the snow. The bone-chilling cold made me gasp. The freezing wind blew right through me. Sophie stood under the eaves wrapped in a fluffy blanket, watching my suffering. Liam raised his hand to tighten the blanket around Sophie. “Sophie, be careful not to catch cold.” Half my body was buried in the snow. I was shivering so hard my teeth chattered. My heart felt suffocated. I slowly bent over, covering my face to swallow my grief. I went from wailing at first to finally losing all strength, left with only faint breathing. Until the kidnappers sent a message. In the video, Sophie’s kitten was tied up in a cage. Covered in blood, it seemed to have lost all signs of life. Seeing this scene, Sophie nearly fainted. Her face turned deathly pale as she shouted at the kidnappers through gritted teeth. “However much money you want, we can give it. Don’t hurt my cat—” The kidnapper on the other end laughed. “Want to save your cat? Of course. A life for a life.” “Break Miss Rivers’s legs and send her to us as a hostage.” Liam froze in place, his chest heaving violently. But I could no longer speak, only begging brokenly. “Liam, don’t…” A flash of hesitation crossed Liam’s eyes. But the next second came Sophie’s crying plea for help. “Please, I’m begging you. The kitten has been with me since I was little. It’s my life.” “If the kitten doesn’t survive, I won’t live either!” The man who had been hesitating grew determined after hearing Sophie’s cries. Liam picked up a nearby stick and approached me step by step. My heart sank to the bottom. I begged. “Liam, you can’t do this to me.” He gritted his teeth and used all his strength to smash the stick into my knees. My legs were broken alive. Heart-piercing pain drilled through my flesh and into my heart. Liam held me tightly, his voice trembling. “Jenna, forgive me.” “I can’t live without Sophie. When you come back safely, I’ll atone to you.” Sophie smiled smugly at me and turned to the kidnapper in the video. “We’ll send you the hostage right away. You must keep my kitten safe!” I was dragged and hauled by Liam to the kidnappers’ location. Liam’s eyes were filled with crimson. “Don’t blame us, Jenna. I can’t let any danger come to Sophie’s cat.” “You were born with everything, but Sophie is all alone with only her cat to keep her company.” I was covered in injuries, without even the strength to resist. “Now that we’ve brought the person, release Sophie’s cat!” Liam pushed me into the kidnappers’ hands. The kidnapper looked at me mockingly. “Miss Rivers is truly pitiful—worth less than a mistress.” The atmosphere grew cold. Half-opening my eyes, I watched them hurriedly leave with Sophie. Only the kidnappers and I remained. They immediately grabbed my hair and violently smashed my head against the ground. Once, twice, more than ten times. Dark red blood flowed continuously from the torn flesh, tasting fishy and bitter when it reached my mouth. The kidnapper laughed sarcastically. Seeing that I didn’t struggle or beg for mercy, he immediately lost interest. “Miss Sophie said to leave no survivors. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for provoking the wrong person.” When the cold barrel pressed against my temple, I closed my eyes, my tone extremely calm. “You really think you can kill me?” The moment the trigger was pulled, there was no expected gunshot—only the dull thud of heavy objects hitting the ground. Both kidnappers had been subdued by the men in black my father sent. Walter, the leader, rushed forward and knelt on one knee. “Mr. Rivers sent us to bring you home!” Three minutes later, more than a dozen helicopters circled on the rooftop. I picked up my phone and sent a text to my lawyer. “Withdraw all of Liam’s medical symposium funding and take back the mansion he’s currently living in.”

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After breaking up with my werewolf boyfriend, my period was a whole month late. My best friend was convinced I was either accidentally pregnant or had completely wrecked my body from pulling all-nighters. She practically dragged me to the campus medical clinic—the one with the impossible-to-get appointments. The doctor sitting behind the desk turned out to be my ex-boyfriend, the one I’d broken up with just a month ago with some pretty harsh words. His silver-framed glasses couldn’t hide the crimson gleam in his eyes. “Lie down on the examination bed. Pull your pants down and expose your lower abdomen.” When I froze and refused to move, he got up and walked over, trying to forcibly pull down my pants. “We didn’t even finish that last night before we broke up. Whose kid are you carrying?” I never dreamed the harsh words I’d thrown at him would come back to bite me this fast, in such a humiliating way. When my best friend Lynn half-dragged me into the campus medical clinic, I was still putting up a dying struggle. My mind kept replaying that final sentence I’d shouted at Kane a month ago as I stormed out the door: “Even if an ambulance carries me into the campus hospital, I will never come looking for you, and I won’t let you see me ever again!” Well, now look at me. Not only had I ended up at the clinic, but I’d specifically made an appointment and delivered myself right to his doorstep. Lynn wouldn’t shut up in my ear: “You should be grateful! I stalked the campus message board for a whole week and traded a concert ticket for this appointment! Dr. Cullen is the youngest associate professor in the medical school—cold, reserved, and ridiculously handsome. He’s been seeing patients for two weeks, and every girl on campus has been crashing the booking system just to get a glimpse of him!” My head was completely occupied with my missing period. I didn’t take her words seriously—I just figured he was some skilled, good-looking doctor. Until I stood in front of the appointment screen and saw my assigned physician’s name printed clearly: “Kane.” My brain crashed. My blood ran cold. No. It couldn’t be this coincidental. I frantically tried to reassure myself: There are tons of guys named Kane. It’s probably just someone with the same name. It can’t actually be him. But when I pushed open the examination room door and our eyes met, my last shred of hope shattered into dust. Neat dark brown hair, a crisp white coat that emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist. If this wasn’t Kane, my ex-boyfriend of one month, who else could it be? He glanced up at me, his tone completely professional, devoid of any emotion. “Willow? What seems to be the problem?” Fine. Real fine. One month after our breakup, he could already pretend we were strangers. This level of composure was wasted on anything but acting. Even though I was the one who’d said those brutal words—words that cut to the bone— seeing him like this now still made my heart ache and feel blocked up. After all, what I’d originally said was that unless he was lying in the ER on the brink of death begging for me, he shouldn’t expect to see me again in this lifetime. Now the tables had turned. He sat steady and composed in his examination room, while I, the one who’d thrown out those harsh words, had obediently delivered myself as his patient. I’d practically slapped my own face swollen. Lynn, completely oblivious to the frozen atmosphere between Kane and me, grabbed my hand and started talking a mile a minute: “Dr. Cullen, please help her! She’s been so wrong this past month—iced coffee and iced lattes every single day, her emotions exploding at the drop of a hat, breaking out like crazy, and most importantly, her period hasn’t come for a whole month!” She leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a volume that could still be heard throughout the entire room: “We’re all worried she might be accidentally pregnant! This girl’s too stubborn—she absolutely refuses to buy a pregnancy test herself, so I had to drag her here to see you!” I watched Kane’s eyes turn ice-cold, dying of embarrassment on the spot, my toes curling inside my shoes. I wanted to vanish into thin air. Kane nodded at Lynn. He lowered his head, gripping his pen as he wrote in the medical chart. The pen tip pressed so hard it tore through a layer of paper. Beyond the routine symptom notes, he wrote an extra line: “Broke up one month ago, delayed period, suspected early pregnancy—moved on without missing a beat?” My eyes went wide. This is a medical chart, not your personal complaint journal! “Do you have a regular partner? Any intimate activity?” This was standard procedure for diagnosing menstrual irregularities. I was about to say “No, I’ve been single for a month,” but before I could even open my mouth, Lynn jumped in, patting her chest confidently: “Yes, yes! They have a great relationship! They’ve just had a little spat these past couple months, but that’s normal for couples—it definitely won’t affect anything!”

“Have you taken a pregnancy test yourself?” “No, no! We came straight to you first! Your appointments are so hard to get—we absolutely trust your medical skills!” Lynn beamed, selling me out completely. “I see.” Kane responded coolly. His face looked calm, but I could see it clear as day— his knuckles gripping the pen had gone white from the pressure. Alarm bells rang in my head. I knew this look too well. This was his tell when jealousy was taking over and he was about to lose control. “Doctor, doctor, based on her condition, is there a high probability she’s pregnant?” Lynn pressed on with eager, gossipy anticipation. That sentence scared the soul out of me. I shot up from my chair: “I’m fine! I suddenly feel perfectly healthy! My period will come tomorrow! I’m leaving!” If I stayed any longer, who knew what Kane would do. But the moment I took a step, Lynn yanked me back and pressed me firmly into the chair. “Are you crazy? Do you know how hard I worked to get this appointment? Sit down and stay put!” I sat there feeling miserable, every cell in my body screaming at me to run. Just then, Kane finally looked up, his gaze landing on me before he addressed Lynn: “Your friend might feel a bit embarrassed with you here. Could you wait in the waiting area outside?” Lynn had an epiphany. As she headed for the door, she kept muttering: “Geez, what’s there to be embarrassed about? We’re all girls—what haven’t I seen?” Before leaving, she even gave me an encouraging thumbs-up. I watched her close the door, one thought in my mind: Lynn, my dear best friend, you have no idea that this upstanding doctor in his white coat has a possessiveness that runs terrifyingly deep in private. He once spent an entire day jealous just because I’d partnered with a male classmate for a class presentation. Let alone now, when he thought I was pregnant with another man’s child. The moment the examination room door fully closed, I felt like I couldn’t even breathe. Lynn was gone. Kane finally dropped the act. He casually tossed the pen that had run out of ink onto the desk and removed his silver-framed glasses. Those eyes that used to look at me with warmth were now cold as ice. He leaned back in his chair, pulling his lips into a cold smirk, his voice dripping with frost: “Well, well, Willow. Only one month since the breakup, and you’ve really leveled up.” “Who’s the father?” That one sentence left me stunned. I stood there frozen, taking forever to react. “What are you talking about? What child?” “Still playing dumb?” He leaned forward slightly, his gaze cutting into me like a knife. “Your period’s a month late. Your best friend says you and your boyfriend have a wonderful relationship. What’s wrong—you can do it but can’t own up to it?” “The forum posts weren’t lying after all. Just days after our breakup, you’re already out and about with other guys. Now you’ve even gotten yourself pregnant. Are you that desperate for company?” His voice grew colder with each word, until by the end, it was filled with barely suppressed hostility. I was completely baffled. What posts? What other guys? Heaven as my witness, this past month since the breakup, aside from going shopping once with Lynn, I’d spent all my time either cramming papers in the library or lying in my dorm. I hadn’t so much as touched another guy’s hand, let alone found a new boyfriend or gotten pregnant! My feelings for Kane had never changed since the day we got together. Even though I was the one who initiated the breakup, the one who said those harsh words, I’d never truly let him go. Looking at Kane’s expression, I suddenly remembered how Kane and I first met.

Last fall, I was helping a friend from NYU film her short movie project. One scene required borrowing the school’s medical clinic. For better filming quality, we specifically picked the quietest time slot—a Wednesday afternoon. In the empty examination room, I lay on the exam bed, frowning as I delivered my lines. Getting into character, I even reached my hand up into the air, trying to convey a sense of weak helplessness. Then my hand was suddenly caught by a warm, dry palm. Thinking my roommate was improvising, I kept my eyes closed and leaned toward that hand, continuing my performance: “Doctor, am I… am I dying…” Then I heard a low laugh above me, magnetic and tinged with helplessness: “Miss, you seem perfectly healthy right now, but if you keep this up, I might need to refer you to psychiatry.” My eyes flew open. I was completely dumbfounded. Standing before me was a man in a white coat—broad shoulders, narrow waist, refined features, eyes full of barely concealed amusement. He was still holding my hand firmly, and I was practically pressed against him. My roommate behind me had nearly dropped the camera in fright, shrinking into the corner, not daring to move. My mind went blank. My first thought was: I’m screwed. We got caught using the exam room without permission, and by a ridiculously handsome doctor no less. I scrambled off the exam bed in a panic, my face hot enough to fry eggs, stammering out apologies. I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. Later I learned his name was Kane Cullen, NYU’s youngest medical professor. To make amends, I brought him food every day, making constant trips to the medical clinic. Though I claimed it was to apologize, my eyes couldn’t help but wander all over him. Kane was gentle and handsome. The more I looked, the more my heart raced. The more I visited, the more frequent my trips became. That Friday, I was taking my usual route with coffee and pastries, cutting through the quiet alley behind the medical school. The setting sun painted the brick walls on either side a warm orange. I hummed a tune, my mind full of the way Kane’s lips curved when he accepted my coffee. Then three men turned the corner and blocked my path. The one in front had a cigarette dangling from his lips. He looked me up and down with a gaze so slimy it made me sick: “All alone? Why don’t you have a drink with us?” I instinctively took a step back, my mind racing. “Don’t be scared. We won’t eat you.” Another one grinned and stepped forward, reaching for my wrist. I turned to run, but the third one blocked my escape route. Just as that dirty hand was about to touch me— The three men went flying. Their bodies slammed into the brick walls on either side with dull thuds and screams. And Kane stood right in front of me. He turned around, those amber eyes looking straight at me. “Are you hurt?” His voice was lower than usual, like he was struggling to suppress something. I shook my head blankly, staring at the three men’s pitiful state, my brain completely blank. He’d sent three grown men flying with his bare hands? “You… how did you…” My voice trembled. Kane took a deep breath. “Willow,” he said, his voice soft. “There’s something I was planning to wait a bit longer to tell you.” He took a step closer to me. “But now, I don’t want to hide it anymore.” The next second, a massive black wolf tail emerged from beneath his white coat. His eyes turned completely golden.

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I’ve been dating Derek, the Alpha heir of Frosthowl pack, for three years. He’s never marked me, never mentioned marriage. I know he still can’t forget his deceased former mate Vivian, which is why he takes such good care of Vivian’s sister Moira. But I always believed that with time and companionship, he would eventually fall completely in love with me. Until one day, on my way home, I was attacked by a group of Rogues. I barely escaped, beaten and severely injured. I called Derek for help, but he accused me of lying and yelled at me: “You’re my girlfriend. How could any Rogue dare attack you? Are you making up lies just to get my attention?” “I told you, I won’t mark you until Moira finds her mate!” Then I heard Moira’s voice on the other end of the line: “Derek, I’m done with my shower. Your turn.” Derek snapped “Stop putting on a show, I need to take care of Moira” and hung up. The pain nearly made me pass out. I used every ounce of strength I had left to dial emergency services. Later, the doctor said I needed to be hospitalized for serious injuries. I called him over a dozen times, but no one answered. Then I saw Moira post something on social media. [These condoms are pretty good quality.] The picture showed several used condoms. After I recovered and was discharged, since I still hadn’t met my destined mate, I agreed to the arranged marriage my parents had set up. “Yes, the sooner the wedding date, the better.”

Mom was shocked and delighted to hear my words. She’d never approved of Derek, but she knew how deeply I loved him. If I wasn’t completely broken, I would never give up so easily. Dad was the Alpha of Shadowclaw pack and had never been optimistic about our relationship either. He spoke up. “Since you’ve decided to break up, make it clear to Derek.” “Part ways on good terms.” I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and shook my head. Just last week, while I was hospitalized. Moira posted on social media. [A spontaneous trip. This entire journey sponsored by Derek.] In the photos. Two suitcases, one black and one pink, side by side. I recognized it immediately. That black suitcase was the limited edition celebrity model I’d given Derek for his birthday this year. I called to confront him. Derek was dismissive. “Moira’s been feeling down lately. I’m just taking her out to clear her head.” “She’s Vivian’s sister. I have an obligation to take care of her.” From the other end of the phone. Moira’s voice came through at just the right moment. “Derek, can you grab me a towel?” Derek responded smoothly. Finally, as if to comfort me or justify his actions: “Clara, if it weren’t for you, Vivian wouldn’t have died. What I’m doing now is just helping you atone for your sins.” My heart felt like it had been stabbed, the pain suffocating. Even now, he still stubbornly insists that I was responsible for Vivian’s death. Then why did he even agree to date me? He’s been torturing me for three years! But all my questions died in my throat before I could voice them. I stared at the red notification on the screen. My vision blurred. Derek was afraid I’d disturb their trip, so he blocked me! His beta warrior relayed his message to me. “Tell Clara to stop making a scene. This trip is important for Moira’s mental health. She’s been emotionally unstable.” “When I get back, I’ll propose to her as promised.” But he was wrong. No one waits in the same place forever.

I thought the family I was arranged to marry into would be suspicious and doubtful about my request. I never expected. They seemed more worried I’d back out. They said if possible, next week would be best. My parents anxiously asked for my opinion. Without hesitation, I agreed. It was just short notice, and there were many things to handle. After dinner with my parents, I returned to the house where Derek and I had lived for three years. As soon as I turned the key. A figure jumped out in front of me. Blocking me at the door. “Master, if you have any requests, just tell me, I’ll definitely…” Before she could finish. Moira, dressed in a bunny girl maid outfit, recognized me. Or rather. She realized I wasn’t the person she was waiting for. I looked at the black stockings on her legs, her ultra-short skirt barely covering her private areas. She was only three years younger than me. Yet her whole body radiated a youthful vitality that seemed to endlessly mock my dullness and boring nature. “I’m sorry… Derek insisted I come over.” “If you don’t like it, I’ll leave right now.” Moira looked innocently guilty as she backed away. Turning around, she tripped over a suitcase. Almost simultaneously, a figure rushed out from behind me. Catching her protectively beneath him. After confirming Moira wasn’t hurt. Derek immediately turned on me with harsh accusations. “Clara! Can’t you be more tolerant?!” “Moira is still just a child. How could you lay a hand on her?” I watched this performance with cold eyes. “A child? A twenty-year-old child?” “Derek, what kind of child wears an outfit like that in someone else’s home?” “She clearly lacks discipline! No manners!” “Slap!” Derek raised his hand and struck me across the face. “Have you made enough of a scene? Clara, not everyone is like you, born into wealth with no worries about food or shelter!” Moira seized the opportunity to start crying. “Yes… I’m sorry, I really have no manners…” “But when I was born, my parents were already dead… no one taught me these things…” “The only person who was willing to teach me, my sister… she’s dead now too…” She buried herself in Derek’s arms, her whole body trembling with sobs. The look she gave me carried barely concealed hatred. “Moira, none of this is your fault. This has nothing to do with you…” Derek looked down at her with pity, instinctively reaching to wipe her tears. His hand froze in mid-air. As if he’d just noticed what Moira was wearing. “Why are you dressed like this…” Before he could finish, Derek’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The desire in his eyes was completely unconcealed. Moira was clearly pleased with his reaction. She lowered her head shyly. “I have to attend a party tomorrow night. This is just a performance costume.” “If you don’t like it, I’ll take it off right now!” As she spoke, Moira actually started to undress. Derek quickly stopped her. Their hands clasped together, palm to palm. I had clearly become an outsider. “Since it’s for a performance, there’s nothing wrong with it.” Derek shot me a pointed look. “Only people with dirty minds see everything as dirty!” I laughed mockingly. Watching Moira’s little schemes. I only felt that my three years of effort had been worthless. Since Vivian died, although I became his official girlfriend, for these three years, he never marked me. I thought time would fade everything. That one day, I would find my way into his heart. But reality kept slapping me in the face. One Vivian left. Another Moira arrived. Yet in his world, I was still just an accessory girlfriend. I tried to take our relationship further. I even bought the clothes my best friend recommended to please him. But he pushed me away every time. Looking at me with growing disgust. I thought I wasn’t charming enough. So I specifically took ballet lessons. But in the end, even this flexibility didn’t win Derek’s special attention. On the contrary, all these attempts to please him became “scheming” and “cheap tricks” in my boyfriend’s vocabulary. Now. Moira only needed to have a face fifty percent similar to her sister’s to easily move this supposedly ascetic man. All my efforts seemed like a joke in this moment. It turned out it wasn’t that I wasn’t good enough. I just wasn’t the person he held dear in his heart.

“I think I should go back to my rental apartment.” Moira pushed Derek away. She turned and started packing her suitcase. Several photos slipped out at just the right moment. Beach photos. From the background, they appeared to be taken on a Hawaiian beach. The poses were intimate, the gazes affectionate. And in Derek’s locked cabinet in his study, there was an identical photo album. Same location, same outfits, similar person. Derek used this method to repeatedly relive his past with Vivian. But I’d begged Derek for so long. Wanting him to take me to the beach just fifty kilometers away each summer, but he always made excuses. Derek snatched up the photos, treasuring them as he put them away. “It’s so late, you can’t get into your apartment anyway. Just sleep here tonight!” Moira looked at me anxiously. “Why are you looking at her! This is my home. I can let whoever I want stay here!” I looked at Derek calmly. “Yes. This is your home.” I should be the one to leave. Besides, I never planned to come back anyway. Walking past them both, I went straight to the bedroom to get my things. Derek grabbed me. “You sleep in the guest room. Moira likes watching the sunrise in the morning.” Just for some sunlight. “Fine.” Derek seemed surprised I’d be so generous. His cold expression finally softened slightly. His tone carried a rare hint of regret. “I shouldn’t have hit you.” I ignored him, pulled out my suitcase and simply packed a few clothes and important items. Moved directly to the guest room. As for everything else, I could replace it all. Out with the old, in with the new. Derek tried to follow me into the room. Only to find I’d locked the door. After knocking a few times. His voice carried some hesitation, a probing quality. “Clara, you’re not really angry, are you?” In the past, every time anything involved Moira, we’d fall into cold wars and arguments. Now seeing me so calm, not crying or making a scene, he seemed uncomfortable. My tone was mocking. “No. How could I be? She’s just Vivian’s sister, not your lover.” The air went silent for two seconds. Derek sighed with relief. “Clara, just get through this period. I promise, I will marry you.” Marriage? I couldn’t help but laugh. Derek, too bad I don’t need it anymore. “Derek!” Moira’s voice suddenly came from the bathroom. Derek rushed over anxiously. “What’s wrong? Moira? What happened?” “Moira?” No matter how Derek called, no more sounds came from inside. I looked at the semi-transparent bathroom door. Derek’s concern clouded his judgment. He hadn’t noticed the additional shadow by the door at all. After calling several times with no response. He hesitated for two seconds. Then reached out and opened the unlocked door. Almost the instant the door opened. That pale white figure threw herself directly onto Derek. Moira let out a muffled moan, her voice coquettish. “Derek, that time we had sex, didn’t you enjoy it too? Let’s do it again. Just pretend I’m Vivian.” “Stop it, you know last time I was drunk…” Derek tried to push her away, but his hand touched something soft. His whole body went rigid, at her mercy. Moira became even more brazen. Pressing herself entirely against him. “Why? Am I not as good as Vivian? Not even as good as Clara?” Derek sighed helplessly, softly comforting her. “Be good, we’ll talk about this tomorrow, okay?” I looked at the two intertwined shadows on the wall, gave a self-mocking smile, and closed the door again.

The next morning. When I got up, the house was already empty. On the dining table, Derek had specifically left macarons. Next to them was a note he’d left. [I’m taking Moira back to her apartment first.] [Wait for me to come back.] I picked up my suitcase. Threw the macarons directly into the trash. Along with the bracelet I’d worn for two years. This was the only gift Derek had ever given me. Even though it was just something someone else had casually given to Derek. I once treasured it like a precious gem. But now, these things. Had no value worth cherishing for me. When I got home, Mom joyfully took the suitcase from my hands. “We were just discussing booking the wedding venue with Leo.” I looked at the familiar home. My nose felt sour. “Is it booked?” “All set. This afternoon I’ll go with you to order your wedding dress. It’s so wonderful, you’re finally getting married.” As she spoke, Mom’s eyes reddened too. I was the only child in the family. I’d been showered with love and affection since childhood. Before meeting Derek, my entire life hadn’t encountered a single setback. Now, for a man like this, I’d let myself become wounded all over. My parents must hurt even more than I did. I raised my hand to wipe away her tears. “Why are you crying? I’m not getting married today.” The bridal shop wasn’t far from our house. Just a ten-minute walk. As we approached, Mom remembered we hadn’t bought invitations yet. I told her to go buy them first and meet me at the bridal shop. But before I even entered, I saw a familiar figure. Moira, wearing a pure white wedding dress, was blissfully leaning against Derek. The shop assistants were gushing about what a perfect match they made. Through the mirror, Derek immediately spotted me standing at the entrance. “Clara, why did you follow us here?” “Don’t misunderstand. I’m taking wedding photos with Moira just to make up for a regret.” I felt nothing inside. I walked straight into the shop. Moira saw me and looked livid. “That’s right, Derek just wants to make up for his regret with Vivian.” “It’s just wedding photos. I don’t even mind being a substitute. Surely you don’t mind either?” Several shop assistants gathered around, clearly enjoying the drama. I said expressionlessly. “Of course. Please continue.” I didn’t look at them anymore, seriously selecting styles I liked. But Derek froze. Looking at my back, he suddenly felt panicked. “Clara, why would you suddenly come here?”

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I was reborn on the day Alpha Ethan lost control to an aphrodisiac. In this life, I didn’t sleep with him. Instead, I called his destined mate. In my previous life, I fell in love with Ethan, my guardian who shared no blood relation with me. When I learned he’d been drugged and was losing control, I ignored his request to call Chloe and slept with him instead. Out of responsibility, Ethan was forced to marry me. However, on our wedding day, Chloe was kidnapped and killed by a group of Rogues. Before she died, she called Ethan ninety-nine times for help. But Ethan was too busy with the wedding ceremony to answer a single call. Afterward, Ethan stared at those ninety-nine missed calls without saying a word. Then, a month later, when he learned I was pregnant, he abandoned me in the forest and left me to be torn apart by his enemies. Before I died, I heard him say: “If you hadn’t deliberately climbed into my bed, I wouldn’t have been forced to marry you, and I wouldn’t have missed Chloe’s calls for help. You deserve to die…” When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Ethan lost control.

“Lydia, don’t touch me! Call Chloe now!” Hearing those familiar words again, I jolted awake. I had been reborn. At that moment, I was clinging to Ethan’s waist. I’d already torn off his shirt, and his burning chest pressed against my face. Without a moment’s hesitation, I quickly pulled away from Ethan, ending this mistake. I grabbed my phone and dialed Chloe’s number. Ethan’s face was flushed red, his gaze burning and unfocused as he looked at me. Unable to control his impulses, he moved toward me when I pulled away. He tried to kiss my lips. In my previous life, I’d mistaken his aggressive behavior for love, thinking he felt the same way about me. So I made a terrible decision that led to my tragic death. This time, I backed away toward the door, avoiding his gaze as I said: “Ethan, just hold on a little longer. Chloe will be here in ten minutes!” Then, ignoring his reaction, I opened the door and escaped. The moment I closed the door, I heard Ethan force out a few words through gritted teeth, seemingly calling my name. But I pretended not to hear, firmly closing the door behind me and standing guard outside. Ten minutes later, Chloe arrived in a hurry. She looked at me with a complex expression, then relaxed when she saw my clothes were still intact. Before pushing open the door, she glanced at me: “You can leave now. You’re not needed here.” I turned and went straight upstairs to my room. It wasn’t until late that night that the room downstairs finally fell silent. I let out a long breath. In my previous life, I loved Ethan so much that I willingly became his lover. Later, he married me under pressure, but on our wedding day, Chloe died unexpectedly, and he lost the one he truly loved. Then he said nothing, waiting in silence until the day I discovered I was pregnant. He said he wanted to take me out to relax, but instead left me alone in the forest. I was surrounded by a group of rogues. I tried to intimidate them by dropping Ethan’s name, but they just laughed. That’s when I realized—those men had all been punished by Ethan and harbored deep hatred toward him. When I was barely alive from their torture, Ethan finally arrived and dealt with the rogues. Then he looked at me coldly: “If it weren’t for you, Chloe wouldn’t have been killed by them. Now you and your child have served as bait to lure them out. Consider it your atonement.” Ethan had known all along. He’d deliberately brought me there, wanting to watch me die. In this life, I followed his request and called Chloe. And soon I would leave this place, getting away from him completely. The next morning, when I came downstairs, I found Chloe already sitting in the dining room having breakfast. When she saw me, she immediately put on a flawless smile. “Lydia, good morning. Did you sleep well?” She deliberately lifted her head so I could clearly see the bite marks on her neck. “I hope I didn’t disturb your rest. Ethan has such stamina…” Growing up in the pack, I knew this meant Ethan had already Marked Chloe. They’d formed a mate bond and become true mates. I paused briefly but kept my expression neutral: “Morning. I slept very well.” Chloe cut a small piece of bacon and spoke as if casually: “Speaking of which, I really need to thank you for contacting me last night.” I looked up at her: “Don’t mention it. It’s what I should have done.” Chloe’s smile deepened. “I’m so glad you think that way. I was worried you might feel uncomfortable about it, especially since…” She raised an eyebrow. “The way you looked at him last night didn’t seem like you were looking at your guardian. But obviously, even though you were in his room last night, he wanted me, not you.” Blood seemed to rush to my head with a roar, but I forced it back down. I took a deep breath, about to speak— “Ah!” Chloe suddenly cried out softly, knocking over the glass beside her. At the same time, Ethan’s deep voice sounded from the dining room doorway: “What’s going on?” Chloe had already quickly switched to a panicked and aggrieved expression. “No—nothing… Ethan, I was just clumsy…” As she spoke, she glanced at me timidly. “Lydia?” Ethan walked to Chloe’s side, checked on her, then looked at me with displeasure. “What did you do now?” “I didn’t do anything.” “Ethan, it’s really not Lydia’s fault.” Chloe grabbed Ethan’s arm, her voice breaking. “I said something wrong… I shouldn’t have mentioned last night. I might have upset Lydia. Please don’t blame her.” Ethan’s eyes instantly became sharp. “Lydia, Chloe is my future partner and your mother. You need to learn to respect her.” “I told you, I didn’t do anything.” I repeated. “Are you saying Chloe is framing you?” Ethan’s anger seemed ignited. “Lydia, you make a mistake and won’t admit it, and now you’re turning it around on her? Is this what I taught you?” “I haven’t done anything wrong, and I don’t need to admit to anything.” I turned to leave. “Stop!” Ethan barked. “Did I say you could leave? Apologize to Chloe!” “Sorry for interrupting your breakfast.” I nodded slightly, then without looking at his instantly livid face, I turned and left the dining room. Behind me, I could hear Chloe’s fake attempts to mediate and Ethan’s suppressed angry murmurs. I shut them all out behind my bedroom door. Half an hour later, someone knocked on my door. I opened it, completely unsurprised to meet Ethan’s eyes.

I instinctively tried to close the door, not wanting to get entangled with him. Ethan blocked the door first, frowning as he looked at me: “You’re avoiding me? Why?” He leaned in closer, scrutinizing me: “Are you angry? Because of Chloe?” I quickly shook my head and explained: “I’m not angry. I’m happy for you, Dad.” His eyes held an unreadable emotion, as if he was dissatisfied with my answer. “Is that the truth? Are you sure you’re not just saying that out of spite?” Then he sneered: “Lydia, you haven’t gotten over me, have you? On your eighteenth birthday, you snuck a kiss while I was sleeping. You think I didn’t know? “I’ve read all those private diaries you’ve been secretly keeping over the years. You think you hide it well, but the love in your eyes is so obvious. Who in Shadowfang pack can’t see that you’re in love with me? “Not confessing your feelings to me was the smartest decision of your life, because I would have laughed at you! Laughed at you—a human—for being so delusional.” He laughed to himself, then walked around me to my desk and yanked open the bottom drawer. Ethan grabbed a box from inside. It was full of photos I’d secretly taken of him. Ethan scattered the contents all over the floor, then stepped on them: “Lydia, I’ve raised you since you were eight years old. I’ve taken care of you all this time, but you, at such a young age, developed inappropriate feelings for your guardian! You even secretly collected these things. Do you know how disgusting that makes me feel?” Then he leaned close to my ear and said softly: “I came here to tell you—I know you wanted to use yourself to calm me yesterday! But fortunately you didn’t go through with it, or I would have been disgusted for the rest of my life!” My heart suddenly clenched, aching sharply. Even though I’d decided not to love him anymore in this life, hearing these hurtful words still caused pain. After speaking, Ethan warned me several more times to keep my distance so Chloe wouldn’t misunderstand, then stormed out, slamming the door. I didn’t want to be an eyesore around them, and I needed to handle my paperwork for going abroad anyway, so I packed up and left the house. That evening, I deliberately waited until almost ten o’clock before returning. As soon as I entered my room, I noticed something was wrong—someone had gone through my closet. Then I saw Chloe had posted on her social media, showing off a full-length photo of herself in a luxurious gown. The caption read: “I only mentioned needing a dress, and he immediately gave me this one.” She’d taken the custom dress Ethan had made for me. That dress had been specially designed by a master for my coming-of-age ceremony. It was worth seventy million dollars. He’d told me the dress was one of a kind in the world. Just like I was one of a kind to him. He knew exactly what treating a young woman he’d raised himself that way would mean. He’d encouraged my feelings, letting me fall in love with him. Yet he stood on moral high ground, saying I shouldn’t have violated ethics by falling in love with my guardian. Now, with just one casual comment from Chloe, Ethan had the dress sent to her without even telling me first. Ethan heard me return and stood at my door, saying lightly: “Chloe needs a nice dress for the upcoming gala, so I gave her yours. You don’t have any occasions that require it lately anyway.” I didn’t even look up, just hummed in acknowledgment. Ethan frowned, staring at me intently: “Lydia, you’re suddenly so agreeable that I’m not used to it. What’s gotten into you these past two days? You’re not planning something, are you? I’m warning you, if you dare provoke Chloe, I won’t indulge you like I used to!” Only then did I look up and reply softly: “I don’t want to provoke anyone. In fact, I hope no one provokes me either. Besides, Dad, haven’t you always wanted me to be more sensible? You should be happy with how I am now.” Ethan pressed his lips together and said almost petulantly: “Fine, fine, fine! Lydia, you’re doing great!” He slammed the door and went downstairs. Whenever he said that, it meant he was angry. And I would always try every means to placate him. I’d prepare all his favorite foods or carefully make handmade gifts for him. But I didn’t want to placate him anymore. For me, I’d decided to stop loving him. Whether he was angry or not no longer mattered. Besides, I would be leaving soon.

The following days passed simply. Chloe made a point of flaunting her affection with Ethan in front of me every day. She even deliberately showed me the marks on her body, saying on purpose: “Lydia, that’s just how Alpha Ethan is. He always wants everyone to know I’m his.” But I didn’t care. Even when I saw them, I acted as if I hadn’t. Ethan was still holding a grudge against me, and this time I was determined not to placate him. A month later, Chloe announced she was pregnant. Ethan was so excited he wanted to announce the news to the entire world. He moved up his wedding with Chloe, and the entire Shadowfang pack was busy preparing for their ceremony. In this life, it was Chloe—the woman he deeply loved—who was pregnant. I decided to help them have their happy ending. As soon as my paperwork for going abroad was ready, I immediately booked a flight to Switzerland for the day of their wedding. Ethan finally couldn’t hold back and came to find me. He waited until Chloe wasn’t home, then came upstairs and pushed open my door. He pulled out his phone, opened an email, and held it in front of me: “You bought a plane ticket abroad? Why? Are you so devastated by my marriage that you need to go abroad to recover?” My heart skipped a beat. I’d forgotten that any purchases on that card would send notifications to Ethan. But his follow-up comment eased my tension somewhat. Seeing me looking down without speaking, Ethan’s tone grew cold: “Lydia, haven’t you thrown enough tantrums? You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder for an entire month. If I hadn’t come to you, were you planning to ignore me for the rest of your life?” “Ever since Chloe moved into this house, you’ve been cold to me. But she’s the woman I love. If you love me, you should love everything about me, not avoid me and Chloe all day long.” “Are you going to avoid me forever? Even after Chloe and I are married, you plan to keep this up?” I shook my head in denial: “Ethan, I think you’ve misunderstood. I only see you as the elder who raised me. I only feel gratitude toward you.” He laughed as if he’d heard the funniest joke, unable to stop. “Lydia, the whole world knows you love me beyond reason. You only feel gratitude toward me? Would you have wanted to sleep with me if that were true? Ask yourself—do you believe that?” Then he glanced at the display cabinet in my room and smirked: “All these gifts I’ve given you over the years—you’ve kept them in such perfect condition. And you’re saying you don’t love me?” He walked over, picked up the gifts from the cabinet one by one to admire them, then said seriously: “But you should probably put these things away. I’m about to marry Chloe, so you shouldn’t keep harboring inappropriate fantasies about me. You’re grown now. You should interact more with humans instead of revolving around me. After Chloe and I are married, I’ll have her make arrangements for you.” I hummed in agreement, not telling him I’d already decided to leave. I casually packed the items from the cabinet into a storage box. I was planning to get rid of these things before going abroad anyway, so I might as well pack them up now. Seeing my calm reaction, Ethan frowned deeply and stopped me: “Lydia, can’t you be more careful? Look, you’ve scratched the band of this watch!” I glanced at the luxury watch in his hand. After my parents died in an accident, Ethan, as their close friend, decided to adopt me. And this watch was the first gift he’d given me. The watch face was inlaid with priceless gemstones, and my name and adoption date were engraved on the back. Over the years, I’d treasured it, carefully maintaining and polishing it every day. I wouldn’t let anyone else even touch it. But now, I’d just casually tossed it into the storage box. I didn’t answer. Looking at my calm expression, Ethan actually couldn’t take it anymore. “Lydia, stop pretending! You’re obviously so upset about my marriage to Chloe that you need to go abroad to recover, but now you’re acting like you don’t love me anymore! This behavior is really laughable. But it’s good for you to go abroad and clear your head. Maybe you’ll actually get over me!” After speaking, Ethan handed me a supplementary card. “Use this. Visit several countries. Stay for a month before coming back. By then, Chloe’s baby will be stable too.” He looked at me meaningfully and handed me a key: “I’ll be a married man from now on. Living together would make Chloe unhappy, so when you come back, go live in this apartment.” I took the key, neither accepting nor refusing. Ethan gave me a few more instructions about precautions. But he didn’t know that this time, I was truly leaving for good. On Ethan’s wedding day, everyone in Shadowfang pack got up early to help with preparations. I left the key and card on the table, and while everyone was busy, I quietly slipped out the back door with my suitcase and headed straight to the airport.

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In the third year of our long-distance relationship, I secretly transferred to a hospital in Silva’s city without telling him. But on my first day at work, he became the first patient’s family member I received. “Doctor, my wife has been having severe morning sickness lately. Can you take a look at what’s wrong?” Silva’s hand rested on the slightly protruding belly of the pregnant woman beside him, his eyes full of heartache. Noticing my hesitation, he looked up at me with some confusion. I lowered my head and pulled my mask up as high as it would go, biting my lip hard as I suppressed my voice to ask. “How far along is the fetus?” “Three months.” Three months. But just one month ago, Silva had been beaming with joy as we registered our marriage at city hall. I let out a cold laugh and turned away from him to make a phone call. “Dad, take the marriage certificate I left in the safe and have it checked for authenticity.” “If it’s fake, freeze Silva’s bank cards, fire him from his job, and take back the penthouse we gave him.” “And if that marriage certificate is real, do the same thing anyway!”

After hanging up, I returned to the examination room. I adjusted my mask again, making sure Silva wouldn’t recognize me. I glanced at the name on the registration form again: Antonella. Very unfamiliar. I’d never heard Silva mention her to me before. I suppressed the shock in my heart and asked routine questions again under their puzzled gazes. “Have you been keeping up with your prenatal checkups?” Antonella nodded and turned to glance at Silva. “Yes, we’ve been on time with all of them.” “For the first prenatal checkup, my husband even left work and flew back overnight to be with me.” My chest swelled with an odd, bloating sensation, and my nose suddenly stung. Based on her pregnancy timeline, the first prenatal checkup would have been exactly the day after my wedding. No wonder Silva had changed his clothes before the wedding even ended that day, hastily packing his luggage. “Alice, something urgent came up at work. I need to catch the last flight back.” He’d held my hand apologetically, his eyes reddening for the first time in front of me. “Once I’ve handled everything, I’ll definitely take time off for a proper honeymoon with you.” I’d grabbed my wedding dress, wanting to call him back, but even after running until I lost a shoe, I still couldn’t catch up to his hurried figure. With the groom leaving mid-ceremony, the guests didn’t say anything outright, but the mockery in their eyes was impossible to hide. That absurd scene from that night—I never wanted to experience it again in my lifetime. I smiled stiffly, my tone sarcastic. “Your husband is so good to you.” I looked through the previous examination report again. “Last time you were slightly anemic. To be safe, we should draw blood for another test.” Hearing this, Antonella’s expression became nervous, her voice tinged with unease. “Is it necessary? My husband has been personally cooking for me every day recently. I’ve gained quite a bit of weight, so I shouldn’t be anemic anymore, right?” As she spoke, she shrank into Silva’s embrace, her eyes reddening, looking rather pitiful. Silva immediately gripped her hand gently to comfort her, then looked up to explain to me. “Sorry, Antonella is a bit afraid of needles, so she gets scared every time we need to draw blood.” Then he gently patted Antonella’s back to persuade her. “But for your health, let’s still listen to the doctor and get checked. It’s safer that way.” “After the checkup, I’ll go home and make soup for you myself.” I gripped my fingers, my eyes fixed on the computer screen in front of me. Silva was a male chauvinist at his core. Since we’d known each other, he’d always believed housework was women’s work.

The kitchen had always been his forbidden zone. Once when I had a high fever and was too weak to move, I asked him to make me a cup of fever-reducing medicine, but he coldly refused. “I’m a grown man. How can I step into a kitchen?” That night my temperature spiked to 104°F, and I remained in a daze until the cleaning lady found me the next day. Turns out he could set aside his prejudices and go to such lengths for the woman he loved. As they were talking, Antonella’s face suddenly turned pale, and she abruptly covered her mouth and stood up. It looked like she was experiencing morning sickness again. The next second, Silva helped her stand, skillfully pulling a bag from his pocket. Clearly he’d become very practiced at handling this situation. He steadied Antonella’s shoulders, letting her weight rest almost entirely on him. “Sorry, we need to use the restroom.” After the two left, I finally let out a sharp breath and opened Silva’s chat window. Our last conversation was from two days ago when I told him I had a surprise for him. As things stood now, this surprise would probably turn into a shock. Just as I was about to exit, a new message popped up in the pinned conversation. [The certificate is real, but I found out he purchased a fake marriage certificate online a few months ago.] I closed my eyes. I already knew the answer in my heart. Right after I replied to the message, someone knocked on the door from outside. “Doctor, we’re back.” The two sat down in front of me again, leaning on each other. Silva helped Antonella tuck the strands of hair by her face behind her ear, then adjusted her clothes. As he moved her collar, it revealed a bright red hickey on her neck. I frowned, trying to keep my voice calm. “Didn’t anyone tell you? The fetus isn’t stable during the first three months. You can’t have sex.” Antonella’s cheeks flushed red. She lightly punched Silva twice, her tone coquettish with reproach. “It’s all your fault.” “As soon as three months passed, you couldn’t wait. Now you’ve embarrassed me in front of the doctor.” My stomach suddenly churned, intense nausea rising to my throat. Silva smiled and good-naturedly accepted all her complaints. He asked me a few questions about pregnancy precautions, then pulled out his phone and recorded everything in his notes. I caught a glimpse of his note title: Darling’s Pregnancy Precautions. When the interface exited, I could see other notes inside: Antonella Baby’s Food Restrictions, Antonella Baby’s Health Cycle Records… I looked away, my heart cold. Such detailed life records—we’d known each other for four years, and he’d never done this for me. Last month, to fly over to see him, I’d swapped shifts with several colleagues. After working 36 hours straight, I rushed to catch the flight to see him. But when I got off the plane, I couldn’t even get through to him on the phone. After calling for a long time, the line finally stopped being coldly unanswered. But when I said I was already on my way from the airport to find him, Silva immediately raised his voice. “Don’t come over right now!” I sat in the taxi, somewhat bewildered. I’d told him my plans a week earlier, and we’d agreed on today. He’d readily agreed and promised to pick me up at the airport himself. But the Silva on the phone hemmed and hawed. “I… I forgot about this…” “I’m on a business trip out of town right now. Sorry, Alice, I didn’t get a chance to tell you.” “Just go back home today.”

My brain was foggy from staying up all night, and I hadn’t caught the panic and confusion in his tone. He must have had a beauty in his arms at that moment, having completely forgotten about our plans. After arranging their examination items, Silva took the forms to pay. Once Silva’s figure completely disappeared down the hallway, Antonella reluctantly withdrew her gaze. She touched her belly. “After talking so much, I still don’t know the doctor’s name?” I raised my eyes to look at her. “You can just call me Dr. Alice.” A flicker of emotion crossed her eyes, and she smiled as she spoke. “What a coincidence.” My heart stirred, and I pretended to ask calmly. “Do you also know someone named Alice?” Antonella smiled slightly and nodded, then her expression changed, disgust appearing in her eyes. “My husband’s ex-girlfriend is also named Alice, but that’s all in the past now.” “I heard his ex was really ugly, had a terrible temper, treated Silva badly, and was extremely controlling.” “Thank goodness he was brave enough to break up with her. Now he’s met me instead.” I gripped the pen in my hand tighter, laughing coldly inside. “Did your husband tell you all this himself?” “Of course.” She clenched her fist, her expression indignant, as if feeling wronged on Silva’s behalf. “She even threatened Silva with his future career, forcing him to marry her.” “Of course Silva refused and even gave her a good humiliation.” Hearing this, I raised an eyebrow, having already sentenced Silva to death countless times in my mind. When I met Silva, he was still a young man with nothing but his studies, penniless and naive. He said after graduation he wanted to work in Texas—it was the place he’d dreamed of since childhood. So I convinced my father to pull strings and build a highway for him to the top companies in Texas. I even bought him a house there. I held his hand and told him, “Do what you want to do. People in love won’t let distance change their feelings.” When he proposed, he admitted in front of all our friends that without me, there would be no him today. He knelt on one knee and solemnly placed the ring on my finger, saying he would be with me for the rest of his life. But in the blink of an eye, he’d betrayed me so completely. I looked at the girl in front of me, exhaled gently, and suddenly felt utterly tired of it all. Twisting the wedding ring on my finger, I suddenly changed the subject. “I really envy you for having a husband who loves you so much. I’m different.” Antonella quickly looked up at me, her eyes shining with gossip. I continued. “Actually, I’m already married. In the first month after marriage, I discovered my husband was cheating.” “He was hiding another family from me.” “Bang!” As soon as I finished speaking, Antonella slammed the table hard. “He’s such scum! Dr. Alice is so wonderful, and he doesn’t know how to cherish you at all.” I smiled helplessly and continued slowly. “And recently, I found out he got someone else pregnant behind my back.” This time Antonella stood up directly in anger, her chest heaving violently. “Scumbag!” “That kind of person deserves to be struck by lightning and die a terrible death!” Just then, Silva pushed the door open and asked with a smile. “What are you talking about? Who deserves to die a terrible death?” Antonella looked at Silva angrily. “We’re talking about Dr. Alice’s scumbag husband. You don’t know what vile things he’s done.”

Then she turned to look at me. “Are you two still together?” I smiled in acknowledgment, my gaze falling on Silva as he organized things. Hearing this, Antonella frowned, her tone somewhat earnest. “You should divorce him decisively. That kind of man is nothing but trouble.” “If Silva ever messed around behind my back, I’d definitely kick him to the curb the next second.” Behind her, Silva’s movements stiffened. He put away his smile, his expression turning somewhat unpleasant. Unfortunately, Antonella was facing me and didn’t notice at all. I nodded thoughtfully, then pulled out my phone and dialed a number in front of them both. “You’re right. I’ll bring up divorce with him right now.” The examination room fell quiet. Even Silva put down what he was holding and looked at me. Almost the instant the call went through, Silva’s phone rang from his pocket. Silva jerked his head up to look at me, then avoided my gaze and fumbled to pull his phone from his pocket with shaking hands. Then he decisively pressed the disconnect button. Antonella looked confused. “Who’s calling you right now?” A flash of guilt crossed Silva’s face. He lowered his eyes and quickly darkened the screen. “Unknown number. Probably a spam call.” I held up my phone and waited a while longer before an automated voice reported that no one had answered. I smiled bitterly and shook my head. “No answer. Probably busy with things I don’t know about.” Seeing my low spirits, Antonella grabbed my hand and tried to comfort me. “A week from now, Silva and I are having our wedding.” She pulled out an invitation from her bag and handed it over. “I happen to have an invitation in my bag. Come to the ceremony and soak up some good fortune.” “May Dr. Alice only meet good people from now on.” Hearing this, I was somewhat surprised and instinctively glanced at Silva. But I still nodded and readily accepted her invitation. After the two left with all their materials, I finally removed my mask. After rubbing my aching eye sockets, I looked at the recent call record on my phone. When I dialed, I’d deliberately deleted the last digit of the number, so it hadn’t actually gone through to Silva’s phone at all. Opening the invitation, I saw simple cartoon drawings of Silva and Antonella—clearly a thoughtfully designed piece. I noted the wedding venue address. My newlywed husband’s wedding—I definitely needed to carefully prepare a big gift. On the wedding day, I stood outside the hotel and saw Silva and Antonella greeting guests at the entrance. Seeing me, Antonella stood on tiptoe and waved at me. “Dr. Alice, over here.” I pointed to the mask on my face, my tone somewhat apologetic. “I’ve caught a cold recently. To prevent spreading it to others, you don’t mind if I wear a mask, do you?” “Of course not.” She arranged my seat at the front of the banquet hall, right next to the emcee’s stage. The ceremony began quickly, with all the steps proceeding smoothly according to plan. Until the final speech segment, when Antonella suddenly invited me up on stage. Her hand gripped my arm tightly, as if afraid I would escape the next second. I frowned, an odd feeling crossing my mind. The next second, Antonella suddenly turned and yanked off my mask in front of everyone. A beam of flashlight shone directly on my face. The intense light made my eyes sting painfully, and I couldn’t help but tear up.

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I was filling up at a gas station when I scrolled past a trending local post: “I want my mistress to come over for an affair, but my wife’s schedule is unpredictable. How can I avoid getting caught?” Someone replied: “I’ve got experience with this. I have two parking spots at home. Whenever I’m having an affair, I park my car horizontally across both spots. When my wife comes home and can’t park, she calls me to move the car. While I’m going down to move it, my mistress slips away. I’ve been doing this for six months without getting caught.” The comments praised his clever scheme, and the original poster even liked the reply. I rarely post online, but I couldn’t help responding: “A bunch of scumbags!” But when I drove home, I found my parking spot blocked by my husband’s car parked horizontally across both spaces. Seeing my husband, who always parked carefully and never crossed the lines, suddenly park horizontally across two spots, I slammed on the brakes. The post I’d just read flashed through my mind. It had to be a coincidence, right? Alexander was famous for being devoted to his wife. We’d been dating for five years and married for two—seven years total. He was attentive and considerate, treating me like a treasure. He never let me enter the kitchen or do any housework. Knowing I loved to drive, he’d even given me a Porsche as a birthday gift and bought the parking spot right next to his. Every time we parked, he’d always position his car closer to his side, leaving an extra eight inches of space for me to park more comfortably. How could a man who loved and protected me so wholeheartedly possibly betray me? But that post kept replaying in my mind. I stared at Alexander’s car for a long time before making a decision. I didn’t call him to move his car. Instead, I drove to a temporary parking spot nearby, turned off the engine, got out, and went home. I wanted to see if there really was an unfaithful husband inside, waiting for me to call about moving the car. When I reached the front door, I quietly pulled out my key and opened it as silently as possible. Once inside, I headed straight for the bedroom. The door was half-open. Through the gap, I saw the room was empty. I turned to the guest room. Pushed open the door—still empty. The study, bathroom, balcony, even the storage room—I checked every single one. Every room was quiet and empty. No one was there. Where was Alexander? Just as I was puzzling over this, the kitchen door opened. Alexander came out wearing an apron, carrying a dish. Seeing me, he froze for a moment, surprised: “Why are you home so early today?” He quickly set the dish on the dining table and gave me a simple smile: “I was planning to make a few more dishes before you got off work. You came home early—I haven’t finished cooking yet.” I glanced at the kitchen. Cut vegetables were arranged on the cutting board, and in the pot, my favorite soup was simmering. Clearly, he’d been busy in the kitchen for quite a while. I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled slightly: “There wasn’t much going on at the office today, so I came home early.” Alexander nodded. “Then rest for a bit. I’ll finish the last two dishes and you can eat.” He went back into the kitchen to continue cooking. Watching his busy figure, I couldn’t help asking: “Why did you suddenly park horizontally across my spot today?” Alexander looked back at me, somewhat embarrassed: “I was worried you’d be hungry when you got home, so I rushed upstairs to cook. I didn’t pay attention to parking properly—just left it there and ran up.”

Alexander’s behavior seemed completely natural, and his explanation was flawless. After all, every day when I came home from work, there was always hot food waiting for me. Alexander was a surgical doctor with an incredibly demanding workload, yet he always managed to find time to come home and cook for me. Sometimes I’d tell him to rest and not work so hard, but he’d always say: “You have a weak constitution. When you’re hungry, you get heart palpitations and trembling hands. We can’t be careless about that.” “I need to make sure you have hot, fresh food the moment you get home. Nothing can interfere with that.” After speaking, Alexander continued bustling about. Soon, the food was ready—all my favorites. After serving me rice, Alexander was about to sit down and eat with me when suddenly his phone rang. He answered, immediately frowning with concern: “Alright, I’ll be right there.” He quickly took off his apron and said to me urgently: “There’s an emergency patient at the hospital that only I can operate on. I need to go.” He grabbed his car keys, planted a gentle kiss on my forehead, then hurried out the door. The moment the door closed, the house fell silent. I sat at the dining table, looking at the spread of dishes, but had no appetite. That post stuck in my mind like a thorn I couldn’t pull out. Alexander’s behavior and explanation had no flaws, yet I still felt something was off. I set down my chopsticks, stood up, and found myself walking into the bedroom as if possessed. The bedroom was tidy. Alexander had made the bed with military precision. At first glance, nothing seemed wrong. But the neater everything looked, the more uneasy I felt. I began searching the bedroom thoroughly. The bed had no strange odors or out-of-place items. Even the trash can was spotlessly clean. Everything was exactly as it should be. Was I really overthinking this? I shook my head and was about to leave when, as I turned to close the door, I spotted something under the bed. My heart skipped a beat. I immediately walked over, crouched down, and pulled it out. It was an earring. And I didn’t have pierced ears. It belonged to another woman. Realizing this, my head started buzzing. I stood there, staring at the earring in my hand, frozen for a long time. Then I pulled out my phone and found the post I’d read earlier. Sure enough, the original poster had replied to the comment he’d liked just one minute ago: “I parked across my wife’s spot like you said, but she didn’t call me to move the car and came straight inside.” “If I hadn’t heard her opening the door and hidden my mistress in time, I would’ve been caught.” The commenter replied instantly: “Looks like your wife’s pretty sharp.” The poster responded: “Yeah. I made up an excuse and slipped out. I’m driving my mistress home right now.”

Alexander really had cheated on me, and he’d brought his mistress into our home. My hands trembled as I put away my phone and walked out of the bedroom. Looking at the food spread before me, my heart ached. Alexander remembered all my preferences. He remembered that I got heart palpitations and trembling hands when hungry. He remembered I loved his goodbye kisses. But he forgot that I despised betrayal above all else. How ironic. A person could express such deep love for me while bringing another woman into our home. At that moment, I found myself curious. How much of the love I’d once been so proud of was real, and how much was fake? And when did things start between him and that woman? I sat at the dining table, trying to compose myself for a long time. Then suddenly remembered something. The thought made me immediately call my parents and ask them to come over. Sensing my urgency, my parents arrived as quickly as possible. “What’s wrong, Grace? What’s so urgent that you called us over?” I didn’t hide anything. I told them everything about Alexander’s affair in one breath. After hearing it, my dad couldn’t believe it: “Grace, could there be some misunderstanding? Everyone can see how good Alexander is to you.” “Plus, you know his job—he’s a surgeon, on call 24/7. Maybe he really does have an emergency surgery?” “That post—could it just be a coincidence?” But my mom slammed her hand on the table: “Impossible! There’s no such thing as this big a coincidence!” “The post says park horizontally, and he parks horizontally.” “Grace doesn’t call and walks straight in, and the post describes the exact same situation.” “The post says he slipped out to take his mistress home, and Alexander made up an excuse to leave.” “Plus there’s a strange earring in the house. How could this possibly be a coincidence?” My dad frowned. “But Alexander has always valued Grace more than his own life all these years!” My mom scoffed. “So what?” “Just because he’s been good to Grace means he couldn’t be cheating now?” “Every man who keeps a mistress acts perfectly fine at home.” “The better they act, the more convincing their performance.” My dad had no response. My mom grew angrier: “That Alexander!” “When he was pursuing Grace, he knelt at our door for three days and nights, swearing he’d treat her well. That’s when I agreed to let Grace marry him.” “And what happened?” “It’s only been two years of marriage and he’s already bringing his mistress home? This is outrageous!” My mom was furious. But I felt more confused than anything. As my dad said, Alexander had been very good to me all these years. He was young, accomplished, handsome—never short of young women throwing themselves at him. Even the hospital director’s daughter had openly pursued him. She’d even publicly stated that if Alexander would be with her, she could give him the entire hospital. But Alexander remained unmoved. He even offended her over it and nearly got blacklisted from the medical field. Despite all that, he stayed firmly devoted, telling me: “I can lose the whole world, but I can’t be without you.” Precisely because I’d genuinely felt how good he was to me, I couldn’t understand. What kind of woman could make someone like Alexander, who treated loyalty as his faith, change his heart?

“Grace, what do you want to do?” My dad looked at me, his expression serious. I paused, then said firmly: “I want to catch them in the act.” My mom immediately perked up: “How?” I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I looked down at my phone and opened an app I’d never used before. It was a location tracking app. Alexander had insisted on installing a tracker on his phone to put my mind at ease, saying it would let me check his location anytime. I’d refused at first—I trusted him, and I believed couples didn’t need such things. But he’d insisted, saying it was just insurance. If something ever happened to him, I could find him immediately. All these years, I’d been proud that I’d never once opened this app. I never thought I’d be using it to catch him cheating. I took a deep breath and opened the app. The screen loaded for a few seconds, then a map appeared. A green dot was slowly moving across it. My dad looked at the map, somewhat surprised: “That’s Alexander’s real-time location?” I nodded without speaking. My mom said impatiently: “Let’s go. We’re going there now.” “I want to see what kind of woman could bewitch someone like Alexander.” My dad said nothing, just grabbed his car keys and headed for the door. My mom and I followed close behind and got into my dad’s car. In the car, my mom kept muttering: “I thought Alexander truly loved you. I never imagined he could cook for you while bringing women home.” “In all my fifty-plus years, I’ve never seen anything so disgusting!” “If he really didn’t love you anymore, if he’d asked for a divorce, I’d be angry but I’d respect it.” “But instead, he treats you like a fool! Plays you for a monkey!” “If I catch him keeping a woman today, I’m going to tear them both apart!” My mom’s eyes were red with anger. When Alexander was pursuing me, she’d been against it. She felt Alexander’s family background was ordinary and he wasn’t good enough for me. It was only after Alexander knelt at our door for three days and nights that my mom relented. My dad drove in silence, not joining the conversation. I saw his furrowed brow in the rearview mirror. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. After about twenty minutes, I suddenly saw Alexander’s location stop moving. I immediately told my dad to speed up. We stopped near Alexander’s position. When we arrived, I spotted Alexander’s car parked in front of a villa. I quickly got out of the car and headed straight for the villa. But I didn’t notice that in the car, my parents’ faces both changed dramatically when they saw the villa. Seeing me walking toward it, my dad immediately got out and blocked my path: “Grace, are you sure Alexander brought that woman here?” Seeing my dad’s strange expression, I sensed something was wrong: “What’s going on, Dad? Do you know this place?” My dad opened his mouth but made no sound. Then my mom caught up. She glanced at the villa, swallowed nervously with a panicked expression, then said gravely: “Grace, let’s go back. Stop investigating.” I looked at my mom in disbelief: “Why?” “Mom, you were the one who wanted to come investigate. You were the most insistent about catching them red-handed.” “Now they’re right inside that villa, so why are you telling me to stop?” My mom didn’t answer. Instead, she grabbed my arm, her voice breaking: “Grace, I’m begging you. Let’s go back.” “Let this end here, okay?” My dad also stepped forward, his face serious: “Grace, listen to your mother. Let’s go back first.” “We’re doing this for your own good.” I was completely baffled. I couldn’t understand why my parents, who’d been so eager to defend me just moments ago, suddenly changed after seeing this villa. Was there something wrong with the villa? Or was it the person inside? Consumed by intense curiosity, I ignored my parents’ objections, rushed to the villa entrance, and knocked on the door. The door opened quickly. The moment it did, I saw Alexander standing inside, and the woman behind him. The instant I saw that woman’s face, my eyes widened and I suddenly understood everything…

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On the third day after my C-section, the baby and I checked into the premium postpartum care center I’d reserved in advance. Worried about the cost, I gently suggested to my husband Santiago that we could just hire a nanny to take care of the baby at home instead. Santiago laughed and said: “Don’t bother.” “I withdrew this cash without going through the finance department. If Everett finds out, I won’t be able to deal with her stubborn temper.” I froze. My heart felt like it had been pierced by a thorn—I couldn’t pull it out, couldn’t swallow it down. It just throbbed with a dull ache. Every time Santiago spent money on me, he had to get approval from Everett, the new CFO at his company. He called her his Minister of Finance. But I never imagined that on the very night I checked into the postpartum center, Santiago’s reservation would be hit with a full refund request. Clinton, the center’s manager, threatened and cornered, threw the refund receipt in my face and kicked the baby and me out into the rainy night. That night, my incision became infected. I developed sepsis and a fever that wouldn’t break. I called Santiago crying for help, only to discover I’d been blocked. As I lay in the emergency room with no one caring whether I lived or died, Everett posted a photo on Twitter from an auction. In the picture, she nestled in Santiago’s arms, smiling coyly: “Without my approval, what does it matter that Mr. Santiago is worth hundreds of millions? He still doesn’t dare spend half a cent without my say-so.” “I’d advise certain people not to be so possessive of other people’s money. You just had a baby—where do you get the nerve to stay at a luxury postpartum center?” Only then did I see clearly that Santiago hadn’t just handed financial control to Everett—he’d also given her the power to hurt me.

When Everett arrived at the postpartum center with the legal team, it was already late at night. Learning that the baby and I were staying in the most expensive top-floor suite, jealousy flashed in her eyes and her delicate features twisted for a moment. Seeing me, she let out a contemptuous laugh and said coldly: “How does a useless freeloader have the nerve to enjoy such luxury with a clear conscience?” “Russell, surely you’re aware that I never approved the expense for this postpartum center stay?” The incision from my C-section hadn’t fully healed yet. The fine, persistent pain left my face pale and my forehead covered in cold sweat. Our eyes met. Everett stared at me arrogantly, her gaze full of smug confidence. I took a deep breath, forcing myself through the pain to respond hoarsely: “I’m spending Santiago’s money—my husband’s money. I don’t need approval from some company CFO.” “Now, you’re disturbing my rest. Please leave!” Everett’s face darkened. She snatched the contract from the lawyer’s hand and threw it heavily at me: “Is that so? Too bad the money Santiago spends on you goes through the company accounts. And guess what? I have the authority to recover that money.” I jerked my head up to look at the lawyer standing nearby. Meeting my questioning gaze, the lawyer pressed his lips together and said with some reluctance: “Russell, Mr. Santiago did give Ms. Everett this authority.” “I’m sorry. I can only follow company regulations.” I froze, suddenly gripped by a terrible premonition. My heart pounded so hard it hurt. Sure enough, the next second, Everett turned and presented a stack of legal contracts signed by Santiago to Clinton, the postpartum center’s owner.

A shallow smile played on her face, but her words carried heavy threat: “Refund this order in full, and I won’t make things difficult for anyone. But if I don’t get this money back, Clinton, you should know how easy it would be for Santiago’s company to destroy a small postpartum center, right?” “Government departments could shut you down for inspection with any random reason I give them.” “Or would you prefer to be charged with conspiring with Russell to launder money?” Clinton didn’t dare confront the aggressive Everett. He clutched the stack of legal documents tightly and shot me a sinister glance. Through gritted teeth, he said: “Ms. Everett, Russell is still Mr. Santiago’s wife. Aren’t you afraid Mr. Santiago will be angry if you do this?” “Why don’t I call Mr. Santiago right now and get his opinion?” This fifty-thousand-dollar contract was too tempting. Clinton couldn’t bear to give it up, so he tried invoking Santiago’s name, hoping to make Everett back down. But the moment Clinton finished speaking, Everett burst into laughter as if she’d heard the funniest joke. In the vast room, only her clear laughter could be heard for a moment. Piercing, sharp, dripping with mockery. She said: “Sure, let’s get Santiago’s opinion. I’ll make the call myself!” As she spoke, Everett pulled out her phone and directly dialed Santiago’s number. The moment the call connected, his lazy, infinitely indulgent voice came through: “Everett, who’s bothering you in the middle of the night?” “What, we’ve only been apart for a little while and you already miss me?” My face went deathly pale. Hearing Santiago’s achingly familiar voice, I felt like my breath caught in my throat. The discomfort made my heart race with panic. Everett glanced at me dismissively, then let out a coquettish hum and said in a wronged tone: “Santiago, there was a fifty-thousand-dollar order a while back that you paid without my approval again, wasn’t there?” “I’m really going to get angry. You don’t take me seriously as your CFO at all.”

Santiago let out a muffled laugh and said helplessly: “My mistake, my mistake. Just go recover the money, okay?” “I give you full authorization. Take the legal team with you. Don’t be angry anymore, alright?” My mind went completely blank, replaying Santiago’s words over and over in an endless loop. Every word, every sentence was like a blade glinting with cold light, stabbing into my heart again and again. Only then did Everett break into a smile. After hanging up with a proud flourish, she looked at me with a mocking expression. “Surely no one actually thinks they can throw their weight around just because they’re the CEO’s wife?” All the blood in my body instantly turned cold. I bit my lip hard, unable to make a sound. Malice flashed in Everett’s eyes. She leaned close and whispered: “You dare pull rank on me as the CEO’s wife?” “Russell, just wait and see how I destroy you!” As soon as she got close, the heavy scent of her perfume hit me in waves, making my temples throb painfully. I suddenly snapped back to reality and frantically reached for my phone on the nightstand, my voice shaking: “That can’t be right. Santiago wouldn’t treat the baby and me that way.” “I don’t believe you, Everett. I need to make this call myself!”

But the moment I grabbed my phone, Everett slapped it out of my hand. She looked down at me from above. Her high heel came down hard. The lit screen quickly went dark, and Santiago’s name on the display went black along with it. Everett smiled: “One excuse after another, Russell. You’re not deliberately stalling for time, are you?” “I’m very busy. I don’t have time to play games with you.” She stood up and walked leisurely toward the door: “This postpartum center has no reason to stay in business anyway…” Clinton shot me a venomous glare, then hurried after her: “Ms. Everett, I’ll process the refund right now. I’ll return the money immediately.” “Please, you and Mr. Santiago, show some mercy. Don’t make things hard for my small business.” Soon, the fifty thousand was refunded to Everett’s account. She lifted her chin and flashed me a triumphant smile: “Oh no, Russell, this is Santiago’s money after all. He trusts me, and I can’t let him down, right?” “Please don’t blame me. If just anyone could spend Santiago’s money, how exhausted would he be?” The last thread of rationality in my mind snapped. Ignoring the pain, I lunged desperately at Everett. My voice came out hoarse: “Everett, you did this on purpose, didn’t you!” “I don’t believe it…” In the scuffle, I pushed hard. Everett stumbled backward. Just then, a familiar voice rang out urgently: “Everett!” That shout made me freeze. Everett froze too. But she quickly recovered, deliberately falling heavily to the ground, saying with tears in her voice: “Russell, I only came out of kindness to check on you and the baby. Why did you push me?” Santiago suddenly appeared, taking the fallen Everett into his arms. The look he gave me was ice-cold: “Russell, apologize to Everett!”

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My husband had weak sperm. After our eighteenth round of IVF, I finally got pregnant. I came home with my eight-week ultrasound report, overjoyed, only to find Margaret with a dark expression. “This baby can’t stay. Your sister-in-law Madison is fighting her husband for custody of their son in the divorce. If she gets custody, it’ll be hard for her to find someone new with a kid in tow. We’ll raise little Tyler here instead.” I couldn’t believe my ears. “Margaret, what did you say? You want me to abort my baby? Are you out of your mind?” “If she can’t raise him, then let his father have custody. I’m not raising him, and I’m definitely not getting rid of my baby!” Madison’s expression immediately turned sour. “Jason already agreed. Who the hell do you think you are? This family isn’t yours to run!” I looked at my husband in disbelief. “Jason, you agreed to this?” Jason grabbed my arm, trying to persuade me. “Madison’s looking out for you. You’ve never raised a child before. Having Tyler here would give you practice for being a mom. Just listen to her.”

I was shaking with rage. “Jason, three years! I’ve done countless IVF cycles. My stomach is covered in needle marks. Now that I’ve finally succeeded, you want me to abort?” Margaret chimed in with her snide remarks. “Who’s fault is it that you’re useless? Jason’s been kind enough to keep going through this with you. Anyone else would’ve divorced you ages ago!” “I’m making the decision. Abort the baby. When Tyler’s older, you two can try again.” I looked at my husband, my face pale. “Is this what you think too?” He pulled me aside and lowered his voice. “It’s just weak sperm. If it worked once, it can work again. Just listen to Madison.” I stared at him in despair. He still didn’t know that he now had azoospermia—no sperm at all. “Jason, do you have any humanity left? That’s your own flesh and blood in my belly, and you want me to abort it to raise your sister’s kid?” Jason grabbed my hands, looking aggrieved. “Emma, please understand. Tyler is Madison’s son, born after ten months of pregnancy. I can’t bear to see them separated.” “But you can bear to let our baby die before it’s even born?” My eyes were red. “Jason, we’ve been waiting for this baby for three years. I’ve done eighteen IVF cycles. How can you not want our baby?” For this child, I’d taken ovulation shots for three years. My stomach was covered with tiny needle marks. The egg retrieval was so painful I wanted to die. Back then, Jason had held my stomach and cried tears of heartbreak. “Emma, you’ve suffered so much. From now on, you and the baby are my life. I swear, as long as I’m here, no one will hurt you.” But now, the man who’d sworn to protect us with his life wanted to be the executioner who killed his own child first. Jason looked torn as he glanced at Madison. “Madison, maybe we should think of another solution…” “Another solution, my ass! Who else could we trust to raise Tyler? We’re going today. From now on, Emma will be Tyler’s mom!” Margaret shoved Jason aside and dragged me toward the door. I clutched the table desperately, screaming at the top of my lungs. “Mom, this baby is your grandchild too!” Margaret sneered. “My daughter is my blood. Her child is the true heir of the Smith family. You’re an outsider. How can your child compare to my daughter’s?” “Besides, I’m not saying you can never have kids. Once you’ve put Tyler through college, you can have as many as you want. But this one has to go!” I was trembling with rage. “Margaret, I’m twenty-eight years old. Tyler is four. He won’t graduate college for another twenty years. I’ll be almost fifty by then. How am I supposed to have children?”

Before Margaret could respond, Madison added her mocking commentary. “If you can’t have them, someone else can. Jason can have children with another woman. You’re a barren woman anyway. IVF babies aren’t even healthy. Let Jason have kids, and you can just pay to raise them.” “You just focus on raising my Tyler. If I’m satisfied, I might consider letting Tyler take care of you when you’re old.” I was about to explode with fury. She wanted me to raise her son, while Jason had children with other women, and I’d have to pay for them? What did that make me? A complete fool? The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I was about to reveal the secret I’d kept buried for three years. “The one who can’t have children isn’t me, it’s…” “Emma!” Jason dropped to his knees in front of me, frantically giving me meaningful looks. “Emma, I know you’re suffering. But Madison saved my life when we were kids. I owe her this. I have to repay her. I’m begging you, please just agree.” I was furious. “You owe your sister, so you repay her yourself. Why should my baby’s life be the price? I’m telling you, absolutely not!” Madison pulled him up, glaring at me coldly. “Why are you negotiating with her? You’re the father. You have the right to terminate the pregnancy!” Madison dragged me toward the door without another word. I screamed in panic. “This is illegal! I’m calling the police!” I grabbed my phone to call for help, but Margaret snatched it away. Then Madison slapped me hard across the face. “You dare call the police? This is a family matter. I’ll tell the cops you’re pregnant with another man’s baby and we were just trying to stop you from leaving. Who’s going to interfere?” My face burned with pain. I was shaking all over. I stared at Jason. “Jason, you’re just going to watch your sister hit me?” Jason cowered like a turtle, glancing timidly at his sister before pleading softly with me. “Emma, that’s just how Madison is. Please bear with it.” “Bear with it? How am I supposed to bear with this? Jason, your mother and sister want to kill our baby. Do you have a heart or not?” Before I could finish, Madison kicked me in the chest. “So what if I hit you? Let me tell you something, Emma. If you come with us quietly to get the abortion, it’ll be easier on you. Otherwise, I’ll kick that baby out of you myself. You’ll hemorrhage so badly you won’t even be able to save your uterus. Believe me?” I stumbled backward and fell to the ground, gasping for air. Jason took a half-step forward as if to help me, but didn’t dare. He looked at me pathetically. “Emma, just agree. I promise we’ll get you painless anesthesia at the hospital…” “What painless anesthesia?” Margaret shot him a displeased look. “She can’t have children. Spending money on her is wasteful. Save it all for Tyler!” She turned to look at me with a smile that held poison-tipped needles. “Emma, don’t blame me for being cruel. You can only blame your timing for being wrong. If you’d gotten pregnant three years ago when you got married, the baby would be running around by now. This is your fate. Just accept it.” I looked up sharply at Jason. “Jason, say something! Tell your mother the truth—I’m not the one who can’t have children. This baby can’t be aborted. You have azoosper—” “Emma!” Jason pulled me up from the floor and said earnestly. “Margaret’s just blunt. But I never looked down on you for not being able to conceive, did I?” “Tyler and Madison are my mom’s whole life. She can’t stand to see them suffer even a little. She’s just upset.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t make you wait twenty years to have another baby. Just terminate this pregnancy first. I’ll talk to Margaret and my sister later about letting you have one sooner.” He leaned close to my ear, his voice very low. “Come on, Emma. I have weak sperm, not no sperm. You’ll just have to work hard for a few more years. I’m sure you’ll get pregnant again.” My heart turned to ice. Three years ago, our premarital checkup revealed his weak sperm. He’d cried so helplessly, so pitifully. I knew he was afraid I’d leave him. I chose to marry him anyway because I couldn’t bear to give up our three-year relationship. For the sake of his pride, I’d accepted the narrative that I was the infertile one. Three years. Eighteen IVF cycles. Each one stripped away a layer of my being. And all I got in return was his “I never looked down on you” and “you’ll just have to work hard for a few more years.” I suddenly laughed, tears streaming down my face. “Tyler and your sister are your mom’s life. Isn’t my baby my life too?” I tried to grab his collar, but my fingers were shaking too hard to muster any strength. “Jason, do you realize this might be your only child? Are you really this heartless?” Reluctance flashed in Jason’s eyes. He turned to look at Margaret. “Margaret, maybe we should keep this baby. Emma’s pregnancy wasn’t easy. We can still raise Tyler. Whatever Madison wants, we’ll agree to it.” Margaret and Madison exchanged glances. Margaret’s tone softened. “I can’t bear to lose my grandchild either. Your sister’s just worried that once Emma has her own child, she’ll treat Tyler badly. How about this—to put your sister’s mind at ease, have Emma sign a property transfer agreement. Everything goes to Tyler. Then we can keep the baby.” Madison immediately pulled out an agreement and shoved it in my face. “Sign it!” “Emma, take a look. Make sure there’s nothing I don’t know about. Hand over everything so Margaret and my sister can feel secure.” I stared blankly at the agreement, which listed every single asset I owned in detail. A 2,000-square-foot apartment in a premium school district, worth $300,000. Two 1,000-square-foot commercial properties in the downtown business district, worth $2 million. A beauty salon business, worth $500,000. $400,000 in fixed deposits across three major banks. A Mercedes, 200 grams of gold, household appliances… From major assets like properties and savings down to every needle and thread, everything was documented clearly. I hadn’t even realized I owned this much. The last item on the agreement was particularly striking. [Assets to be managed by legal guardian. Manager: Madison Smith] A voice in my head suddenly made everything clear. I finally understood the real reason behind all this. Aborting the baby was just an excuse. Seizing my assets was the real goal. I looked up at Jason and asked through gritted teeth. “Jason, you’d kill our baby for this?” His eyes darted away. “Emma, you said the baby was your life, right? Trading all your assets for the baby’s life is worth it.” My face turned iron gray with rage. I threw the agreement on the floor. “I won’t sign! These are my premarital assets. They have nothing to do with you. This is extortion and blackmail. I’m going to report you!” Madison immediately flew into a rage. She grabbed my hair and slapped me repeatedly until my head was ringing. “Bullshit! You little bitch! You belong to the Smith family, so your money belongs to the Smith family!” She grabbed my hand and pressed it hard onto red ink pad. “We were being nice by discussing it with you. Just stamp your fingerprint and sign. Don’t make me get nasty!” Her strength was terrifying. My wrist bone felt like it was about to shatter.

I screamed in pain. “Jason, are you dead?” Jason stood there unmoved. Not only did he not intervene, but he spread his hands with a helpless expression. “Emma, giving the assets to Tyler is just giving him security. We’re all family. Why make such a fuss?” “Just sign it and you’ll suffer less.” My heart felt like it had a gaping hole in it, cold through and through. Margaret picked up a stick and struck my waist hard, saying viciously, “Are you going to sign or not? If not, the next hit is your stomach!” I screamed in pain. My waist throbbed, and my stomach felt an ominous heavy ache. My heart lurched with fear. I closed my eyes in despair. “I’ll sign…” My hands trembled as I pressed my fingerprint, tears falling. Seeing my clear fingerprint on the property transfer agreement, all three of them breathed a sigh of relief at once. “Should’ve cooperated earlier. Would’ve saved me the trouble!” Madison blew on the still-wet marks, then collected the agreement with satisfaction. Jason finally came over and reached out to help me up. “Emma, good girl. What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you.” My stomach cramped in waves. My face contorted. “My stomach hurts. Take me to the hospital.” Jason looked at me nervously. “It’s okay, Emma. I’ll take you to the hospital right now. We’ll definitely save our baby.” He’d just gotten me to the door when Margaret stopped him. “Wait. You gave all your money to Tyler. Where’s the money for the hospital?” “Did you hide money from us? Unlock your phone. Let’s check how much she still has.” Margaret clutched my phone and walked over to slap me hard across the face. “What’s your phone password?” My already swollen cheek took another brutal hit. Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth. “That’s all the money I have left. I need it for childbirth…” “Childbirth? You’re Tyler’s mother now. Everything has to be about Tyler first. You’re already thinking about your own baby before it’s even born? That money belongs to Tyler. You have to hand it all over.” I looked pleadingly at Jason. Jason said helplessly, “Emma, just give it to them. Don’t make Margaret angry.” I shook my head stubbornly. “No. That’s my and my baby’s emergency money. You can’t have it…” “Thud!” A kick to my stomach. My back slammed against the door with a dull sound. Searing pain shot through my lower abdomen. A hot stream gushed between my legs. “Won’t talk?” Margaret grabbed my hair and bashed my head against the door. “Then you can forget about keeping this baby!” I screamed in agony as my vision went black. “Jason…” Jason grabbed Margaret’s hand. “Margaret, that’s enough. Emma’s pregnant with my child.” I slumped weakly against the door, blood streaming down my forehead and covering my face. Jason grabbed my chin. I thought he was checking my injuries. But instead, he held my phone up to my face for facial recognition. I struggled frantically, but couldn’t break free. The phone unlocked effortlessly. He opened my mobile banking app. His eyes grew wider and wider. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…” Margaret and Madison crowded over. Seeing the string of zeros in the balance, their voices trembled. “Two hundred thousand dollars!” Margaret grabbed my hair. “You little bitch! You hid this much money from Jason. Tell me, how much more do you have that we don’t know about?”

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On April Fools’ Day, I received a promotion email. I thought my five years of hard work had finally paid off—I was finally being promoted to Sales Director. Full of joy, I moved my belongings to the door of my new private office. But when I pushed open the door, there wasn’t even an office chair inside—just a pile of stinking garbage. That’s when I heard loud mocking laughter from my colleagues behind me. “Sasha, you actually fell for it? How pathetically shameless!” My boss also chimed in, “It’s just an April Fools’ prank. You can take a joke, right?” I became the laughingstock of the entire company, a complete fool. But they forgot—this afternoon, I was scheduled to sign a one-billion-dollar contract that would determine the company’s fate. Since my boss loved April Fools’ jokes so much, I’d give him a special April Fools’ gift of my own. …… “What’s wrong, Sasha? It’s just an April Fools’ prank. You can take a joke, can’t you?” My boss, Mr. Richards, looked down at me with unconcealed smugness. Faced with his mockery, the entire office area erupted in piercing laughter. “Exactly, Ms. Turner! Did you really think you could become Sales Director?” Lily from reception covered her mouth, laughing so hard she was shaking. “She should look at her own credentials—a community college graduate thinking she can become a phoenix? As if.” I didn’t lose my temper. I just stiffly crouched down and began picking up the personal belongings I’d just joyfully packed into the large cardboard box, one by one. I was like a clown being paraded through the streets. Under everyone’s unrestrained pointing and whispering, I walked step by step back to my cramped old desk in the main hall. “She usually acts so high and mighty just because she’s the top salesperson, bossing us around. Now she’s been put back in her place.” Behind me, I could hear my colleagues’ shameless gossip. Mr. Richards followed me over, tapping my desk with the bottom of his coffee mug. “Sasha, don’t take it to heart. Young people need to face some setbacks—it’s good for you. I’m just trying to build your stress tolerance.” He adopted the tone of a caring elder. “You’ve been with this company for five years. Even if you haven’t achieved great things, you’ve worked hard. But the director position isn’t something you can get just by working yourself to the bone. You need big-picture thinking, you need to understand office politics. Understand?” I looked at him coldly. “Mr. Richards, last week you personally told me that if I secured Mr. Wilson’s one-billion-dollar contract, the director position would be mine.” Mr. Richards scoffed. “That was motivational rhetoric. You couldn’t even tell? Besides, we could land Mr. Wilson’s deal even without you, just based on our company’s reputation. Don’t think too highly of yourself.” I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. Five years of my youth, countless days and nights of struggle. In his eyes, it was all just a cheap game he could trample on at will. I felt utterly humiliated and degraded. But I forced myself to swallow this bitter pill. Because this afternoon, I still had to represent the company to sign that one-billion-dollar contract. It was the most important credential in my professional career. I couldn’t flip the table at this critical moment. “You’re absolutely right, Mr. Richards.” I forced out a smile completely devoid of warmth. Mr. Richards nodded with satisfaction. “That’s more like it. Girls shouldn’t always be fighting for power.” He turned to the other employees who were watching the spectacle. “What are you all standing around for? Don’t you have work to do? Even though it’s April Fools’ Day, performance reviews are no joke!” Everyone immediately scattered, but the looks they gave me were still full of undisguised contempt. Derek Shaw from the next desk leaned over. “Well, well, Ms. Turner, giving up so easily?” Derek usually got chewed out by me for his bottom-of-the-barrel sales numbers. Now seeing my misfortune, he was happier than on Christmas. “I’ve always said women in sales are just trading on their youth. You’re getting older now, you’ve lost your looks—how can you compete with those young girls?” He picked his teeth while giving me an extremely sleazy up-and-down look. “You should just find yourself an honest man to marry and be a housewife.” I whipped my head around, staring at him with icy eyes. “Derek Shaw, your sales this month are zero, and you still have time to worry about my marriage prospects?” His face stiffened, then flushed with embarrassed anger. “Who are you to act so superior! You’re not even a manager anymore—what right do you have to boss me around?” I didn’t bother with him. I needed to go over the final contract details one more time. No matter what, this contract was my personal achievement, and I wouldn’t allow any mistakes. Just then, someone gently tapped my shoulder. I turned around.

“Ms. Turner, are you okay?” Marcus, a subordinate who’d only been with us for two months, stood behind me. I shook my head. “I’m fine. Go back to your work.” I stood up, heading toward the break room to get some water. The corridor was narrow. Derek saw me coming and deliberately stretched his leg into the aisle. I tripped over it and fell hard to the floor. My knee hit the hard surface, sending a sharp, drilling pain through me instantly. “Oh my! Why is our great Director Turner bowing so low?” Not only did Derek not apologize, he mocked me loudly with heavy sarcasm. The surrounding colleagues burst into laughter again. “Sasha, are you blind or something?” I endured the searing pain in my hand and knee, struggling to get up from the floor awkwardly. I looked coldly at Derek. “Get your dog leg out of the way.” Derek slammed his hand on the desk and stood up. “You walk without watching where you’re going and blame others? You think you’re still that high-and-mighty top salesperson? You’re nothing but a joke now!” Marcus walked over, his eyes red. “Ms. Turner, ignore them.” He helped me to my chair, his voice choked with tears. “Ms. Turner, what am I going to do?” I frowned, looking at the paper in his hand. It was a demotion notice. It stated that due to Marcus’s failure to meet performance standards during his probation period, he would be demoted to reception assistant with his salary cut in half. “What’s this about?” I asked. Marcus wiped away tears. “Mr. Richards said I’m too stupid and can’t do anything right. Ms. Turner, I really need this job. I have a sick grandmother back home to support.” Seeing him like this, the anger in my heart subsided slightly. In this cold company, perhaps only this fresh graduate still retained some human warmth. Remembering how I’d trained him hands-on these past two months, I softened. I patted his shoulder consolingly. “Sales is tough for everyone. You just started—not having resources is normal.” I thought for a moment and pulled out a client list from my desk. “Tell you what—I have some repeat orders from old clients here. The profit margins aren’t high, but they’re enough to get you through probation. Take these and follow up on them. They’ll count as your sales numbers, give you a cushion.” Marcus’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Really? Ms. Turner, you’re really willing to share clients with me?” I nodded. “Everyone’s struggling. We should help each other out.” Marcus clutched the list tightly, breaking into a smile through his tears. “Thank you, Ms. Turner! You’re like a second parent to me!” Watching his joyful retreating figure, I sighed helplessly. The wounds on my hand were still bleeding. I went to the restroom to clean them up. Otherwise, meeting Mr. Wilson this afternoon looking like this would be far too unprofessional. I limped toward the restroom. I firmly believed that as long as I held that one-billion-dollar contract in my hands, I’d have the capital to turn things around. But I never imagined that what I thought was kindness was just another carefully crafted joke. A party popper went off in the office area. Immediately followed by everyone’s cheering and celebration. “Come on, everyone! Let’s congratulate Mr. Richards on his promotion to Sales Director!”

I froze in place. What should have been a quiet workspace now looked like a wild party. I stood at the office entrance. I saw Marcus, who’d just been crying to me moments ago, now sitting brazenly on my desk. He held a glass of freshly opened champagne, laughing his head off. “Did you all see how stupid Sasha looked just now? She actually believed I was getting demoted and condescendingly offered me some trashy clients! Those moldy resources of hers—I wouldn’t even use them as coasters!” Lily from reception approached with a wine glass, looking obsequious. “Exactly, Marcus! She doesn’t know her place. Just because she landed a few big clients, her tail’s pointing to the sky. She doesn’t even know whose name is on this company.” Derek circled around Marcus like a lapdog. “Marcus is Mr. Richards’s own nephew, an elite returnee from a prestigious university! The Sales Director position was always meant for Marcus. That nobody Sasha isn’t even worthy of carrying Mr. Richards’s shoes!” I stood in the corridor’s shadows, feeling all the blood in my body freeze instantly. His own nephew? I stared at Marcus sitting on my desk. So all of this was fake. The promotion email was fake. The demotion notice was fake. Only I was the fool, manipulated and mocked by the entire company in a conspiracy. Mr. Richards emerged from the private office, holding a wine glass. He looked at Marcus with a smile. “Marcus, how was my April Fools’ production? Pretty good, right? Did it help you vent?” Marcus jumped off the desk and threw his arm around Mr. Richards’s shoulder. “It was awesome, Uncle! You don’t know—these past two months she’s been making me memorize product materials every day and forcing me to run sales calls in the blazing sun. I’ve never been treated like this in my entire life—not even by my own mother! Seeing her today like a stray dog moving her stuff—I can’t tell you how satisfying that was!” Mr. Richards laughed heartily. “She’s just meant for grunt work. This afternoon, after she signs Mr. Wilson’s one-billion-dollar contract, I’ll just find some excuse to fire her. Then that massive achievement will be yours! I’m good to you, aren’t I?” I stood there watching their ugly faces, suddenly feeling my stomach churn. Five years. For this company, I’d given up all my vacation days. I’d pulled a nearly bankrupt workshop up by its bootstraps into a well-known industry player. I thought if I just worked hard enough, I’d earn the respect and rewards I deserved. But reality had slapped me hard across the face. I pushed open the door and walked in expressionlessly. The cheering stopped abruptly. Everyone looked at me like I was some kind of monster. The smile on Marcus’s face froze for a moment, then returned to that same arrogant expression. “Oh, Ms. Turner’s back? That demotion notice earlier was a misunderstanding. My uncle said for April Fools’ fun, all decisions and responses today had to be reversed!” He boasted, “So I actually got promoted!” I laughed coldly inside. Reversed. So that’s how I got that ridiculous promotion notice. Just then, Mr. Richards walked over with a cold expression. He slammed a thick stack of documents against my chest. “Sasha, you still have the nerve to chat here? Get your ass to the conference room right now!”

Mr. Richards pointed at my nose and cursed. “Mr. Wilson’s already here with his legal team—go sign that contract immediately!” I looked down at the contract that had fallen to the floor. Just flipping to the first page, my brow furrowed tightly. This contract was full of holes. Not only were the profit margins completely wrong, even the breach of contract clauses were reversed. “Mr. Richards, this contract is unusable.” “Shut up!” Mr. Richards rudely cut me off. “This is the proposal Marcus personally revised. He’s an elite returnee who understands advanced management concepts far better than you!” Marcus chimed in smugly from the side. “Exactly. Your outdated negotiation tactics are ancient history.” I looked at this ridiculous uncle-nephew pair, hardly believing my ears. Signing this hole-riddled contract would destroy my industry reputation and lose all client trust. Mr. Richards and Marcus could easily deflect all blame, but I’d be finished in the industry. Mr. Richards glared at me viciously. “Sasha, stop being alarmist! I’m ordering you to go to the conference room and handle this right now, or you’ll bear all the losses and get out immediately!” He shoved me, pushing me straight through the conference room door. Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was oppressively tense. Mr. Wilson sat across the long table with his elite legal team, their expressions dark. I looked at the wound on my knee from Derek’s trip, then at the disgusting faces of this uncle-nephew duo. Then at Mr. Wilson’s extremely displeased expression across from me. Five years of grievances, humiliation, and resentment reached their peak in this moment. Mr. Wilson pushed the contract toward me. I took a deep breath and picked up that contract. Then I announced loudly to Mr. Wilson: “On behalf of the company, I reject this partnership!” As soon as the words left my mouth, I gripped the contract with both hands. With a loud rip— In front of everyone, I tore that billion-dollar contract to shreds. Paper fragments floated down like snowflakes in the conference room. The smile on Mr. Richards’s face instantly froze. “Sasha, have you lost your mind!”

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When the arrogant and wild rookie, Vexx, first joined the team, he always loved to clash with me. But gradually, I noticed something changing in the way he looked at me. Fans flooded the comments: [Bro, you’re looking real good right now.] [Ray, your teammate is totally gay! Better guard your six and keep running!] Just when everyone was shipping us like crazy, living for the chaos, Vexx publicly announced his new girlfriend and posted: [I am completely straight! Stop trying to pair me up with a girly-man like Ray, okay? Anyone shipping us needs to get their head checked…] 1 Ten minutes after Julian posted his official announcement on X (formerly Twitter), it blew up the trending topics. Which wasn’t surprising. After all, he was highly skilled, insanely popular, and had a face handsome enough to cause a stir. For an esports player, a normal relationship announcement wouldn’t be this explosive. The reason it blew up was… Rather than a simple announcement, it looked more like Julian was desperately throwing a selfie with a beautiful woman in everyone’s faces just to prove he was straight. And, as a bonus, he completely severed ties with his teammate. Unfortunately, that teammate was me. My in-game ID is Volt. “Ray” or “Ray-mom” is the derogatory nickname haters gave me because they think I’m too effeminate, hence bestowing me with the word “mom.” To be honest, I wasn’t angry about this at all. Applying feminine traits to me… was actually a compliment. It represents the strongest, bravest force in the world. Besides… I actually am a girl. The esports circle is different from the entertainment industry. Esports fans never coddle anyone: [Lmao, does this kid not know ‘Ray-mom’ is a derogatory term? Volt has been carrying your team for two years, even if he hasn’t won it all, he’s put in the work, right? And this is how he gets treated by a rookie? @VG_Esports] [If the org doesn’t step in after this kind of public tear-down, Volt will probably transfer next season… maybe even retire. Sigh, three consecutive runner-up finishes is too heartbreaking.] [Getting first in the regular season went straight to your head, huh? Tearing the team apart before the playoffs even start, are you guys even going to play?] [Even as a hardcore Volt hater, I can’t stand this. Julian is way too arrogant. Is this the future of the LCS? What a joke!] Scrolling through these comments, I couldn’t help but let out a soft scoff. It was true. Julian had just debuted this year. Just a few days ago, he won Rookie of the Year and Regular Season MVP. He was widely acknowledged as the future hope of the LCS. Yeah. Widely acknowledged. I didn’t acknowledge it. Because I wasn’t a guy. “Volt” wasn’t me. It was actually my twin brother, Liam Sullivan. Two years ago, he hit rank one on the North American server and signed with the VG organization for a multi-million dollar contract. But then… The day before he was supposed to report to the team house, he slipped in the shower and broke his right hand. We originally planned to tell the truth, but the moment we saw the penalty clause for breaching the contract, we completely scrapped that idea. Left with no choice, I had to cut my hair short and pretend to be Liam to play Jungler for VG. In ancient times, Mulan took her father’s place in the army. Today, I, Lily Sullivan, was playing in my brother’s place. Thank God the game he played was League of Legends. If it had been any other game, my brother and I would probably be bankrupt and starving on the streets. I originally thought I’d just stall for a bit, and once his hand healed, we’d switch back. But who knew… Liam’s injury was too severe. Even after recovering, it was incredibly hard for him to regain his previous mechanical agility. And so… I stalled all the way to the final year of the contract. This year was my third year playing for VG. I had an agreement with Liam: whether he could make a comeback or not, I had to go back to living my own life. Therefore… Whether “Volt” would retire depended entirely on the results of Liam’s physical therapy. 2 After Julian threw that massive fit, our manager, Dave, couldn’t sit still. He rushed back to the team house in the middle of the night, only wearing one sock. He ran a hand through his thinning hair, his face etched with worry as he asked: “Jesus Christ! What the hell are you doing now?!” Julian was messing with his phone, non-stop arguing with people in the comments section, not even bothering to look up. Seeing he couldn’t get through to him, Dave forced a smile and turned to try and placate me: “Ray, man, why don’t you post on X and clarify things? Just say you guys have a great relationship and Julian just lost his head because of those crazy shippers.” I let out a cold laugh, turned my face away, and said nothing. The atmosphere in the practice room was heavy. Even our usually good-tempered Support, Marcus, uncharacteristically muted his mic and continued grinding solo queue with a bitter expression. Finally, our Top Laner, Ethan, stepped up to break the ice: “We have a scrim scheduled with TG at 10 PM. Let’s stop queuing up after this game. I’ll make the custom lobby.” “I’m good. I’m going out to the balcony for some fresh air. Call me when everyone’s ready.” Hearing my voice, Julian finally looked up: “My bad, Volt. I acted impulsively earlier and couldn’t control my temper. It wasn’t directed at you. I just think those fangirls shipping us are disgusting, don’t you think?” He flashed a toothy grin. But there was zero warmth in his eyes. His striking, arrogant face showed absolutely no sign of apology. Instead, it looked like… He was faintly expectant. I stopped, frowned, and replied: “First of all, we don’t have shippers. The entire league knows our relationship is garbage. It’s all just trolls and haters intentionally trying to disgust people. Girls aren’t that desperate. Stop fighting imaginary enemies and throwing around ‘fangirls’ like an insult. Second, apologies require a ‘sorry’. And obviously, even if you said it, I wouldn’t accept it. Finally…” I hooked the corner of my mouth, looking him up and down scrutinizingly: “Julian, homophobia is just closeted behavior. What exactly are you afraid of? Don’t worry, even if I were gay, I wouldn’t be interested in someone like you.” Straight guys really have this baffling delusion that everyone, male or female, is attracted to them. Julian was so furious he laughed. He sat there quietly, a storm brewing in his eyes: “Liam, before I actually get mad, you’d better take that back.” “Okay, you’re mad. Then what? You’re going to int the scrims? Or post a few more tweets and have your haters come flame me with you? Go ahead, knock yourself out. I just lost my verified badge anyway, you guys can help boost my engagement metrics.” I shrugged and smiled nonchalantly. Julian’s face darkened significantly. I continued: “Julian, you’re a pro player. Whether it’s an official match or a scrim, if you want to troll, I can’t stop you. The only career you’re throwing away is your own.” “You think I’m like you? What gives a three-time runner-up trash like you the right to lecture me?” Hearing this, my face drained of color. I clenched my fists tight. Seeing Julian about to say something else, Ethan stood up and said coldly: “Don’t cross the line.” “Mind your own business.” Seeing the situation spiraling, Dave quickly called the head coach over to separate us. I shook my head. Sighed. I pulled Ethan to the side, then raised my head, trying my best to look Julian straight in the eye: “You’re confident, and that’s a good thing. But Julian, in esports, no one wins forever.” We were currently on the same team. I wouldn’t curse Julian to lose matches just out of spite. But I would wait… For the moment he fell from his pedestal. “Ray, Ethan, TG’s Mid Laner is rushing us. Let’s just play the scrim first.” Marcus took off his headset, glaring blankly at Julian. Then he waved the two of us over. The three of us exchanged a look… and inexplicably let out a bitter laugh. Right. The three unlucky bastards with three consecutive second-place finishes were all right here. Julian really was a buy-one-get-two-free deal. Insult one, get the whole package. 3 The drama that night ended with the social media manager logging into both of our X accounts and posting a PR-crafted essay for each of us. They even posted a photo of the two of us with our arms around each other’s shoulders, looking chummy. They hoped to dispel the rumors of a Mid/Jungle rift. It was just a pity that observant fans quickly deduced from our styling that… The photo was from a commercial shoot last month. As for the scrim, there were no surprises. Julian still refused to listen to the draft plan or shotcalling. He locked in Fizz, and proceeded to int across all three lanes for the rest of the game. I knew it… A mad dog like him would never listen to a word I said. Right before bed. A friend request suddenly popped up on Discord, and the message attached sent a shiver of disgust down my spine: [Volt, sweetie, I’m Julian’s girlfriend.] … I can’t take this anymore. Could I get any more ridiculous nicknames? Holding firm to the belief that the enemy of my enemy is definitely my enemy… I simply blocked the friend request, pretending I never saw it. 4 After the Spring Split regular season ended, Julian absolutely crushed the competition with 14 MVP awards, securing both the Rookie of the Split and the Regular Season MVP honors. On the podium, he was as ill-mannered as ever: “The people I should thank the most for getting these awards are my teammates, right? Especially the Jungler. If Volt didn’t carry so hard, how would it ever be my turn to steal so many MVPs?” The regular season awards ceremony wasn’t a huge affair; they usually just breezed through it before the first Best of 5 (BO5) of the playoffs. So when Julian said that, I was sitting right behind him adjusting my peripherals. The broadcast appropriately cut to my camera feed, followed by a tidal wave of deafening screams from the crowd. Everyone knows esports doesn’t have fans, only trolls. So no matter how much Julian and I hated each other, there were always spectators in the audience who loved the drama and shipped our “pure hatred” dynamic. Especially after Julian’s announcement fiasco a few days ago. The number of our shippers didn’t decrease; it surged. Rumor had it they were all doing it just to piss Julian off. And this massive wave of engagement… The event organizers obviously weren’t going to miss out on it. So the host practically crossed the entire stage to shove a microphone in my face: “I wonder what player Volt has to say about this?” I flicked my bangs out of my eyes, deliberately lowered my voice, and replied: “Ah, nothing really. As long as he knows he stole them, that’s fine.” Seeing Julian’s face completely darken, I finally felt a bit of satisfaction. I smiled, pushed the microphone away, and went back to adjusting my gear. Marcus shook his head: “Why did you have to provoke him? He’s just going to int again later.” “Let him. Are we supposed to coddle him through every match forever? I’m not his mother.” Just as I finished speaking, Julian returned to the lineup to adjust his equipment. He strode past me and sneered: “That’s not impossible either. After all, you look like a girl anyway.” I opened my mouth, but didn’t retort. But Ethan, next to me, furrowed his brow: “Julian, can you watch your mouth for once?” “Why do you always butt in when I’m talking to Liam?” Julian glared at Ethan over my head, looking incredibly annoyed. “Uh, referee, please help me lower the Mid Laner’s volume. Thanks.” Our newly imported Korean AD Carry couldn’t understand English well, which was fine, but he was also completely oblivious and couldn’t read the room at all. He just thought Julian was being noisy. Consequently… Marcus and Ethan casually chimed in: “Referee, lower the Mid Laner’s volume for Support.” “Referee, lower the Mid Laner’s volume for Top Laner.” Me… I couldn’t lower it. Because I was the Jungler. League of Legends is a Mid/Jungle game. Even though Julian hadn’t trolled in an official match yet, I still couldn’t relax. I deliberately used his ID to give him a final reminder: “Alright, Vexx, knock it off. We’re entering draft phase.” Playoffs have a double-elimination bracket, so both teams played relatively relaxed. We ultimately moved on to the next round with a 3:1 victory. Team XY fell to the lower bracket to fight another day. I thought it was just an unremarkable BO5, but who knew… By evening, the hashtag #VGTeamBullying was trending on X. 5 It started because the pre-match conversation with the referee was cut into the official broadcast comms. Instantly, the internet exploded with different opinions: [Feel so bad for Julian. I didn’t expect Volt to be the only one who didn’t join in…] [Min-ho Lee (the Korean AD) leads the bullying and you do nothing? @VG_Esports. Koreans love pulling this seniority crap, and you just watch your own player get bullied?] [It’s not that serious… What are Julian’s mom-fans throwing a fit about now?] [The drama clearly started on Reddit first… Stop blaming Julian’s fans!] [What’s all the fighting for? It’s such a minor thing! Reddit guys are so petty, can you just leave?] Ethan scrolled through the comments section: “Wow, Ray. I got my verified badge taken away before you did.” “Congratulations.” I clapped calmly. Marcus had escaped disaster because he had already deleted his X account. Min-ho Lee looked at him with envy: “I just made account, you no tell me.” “Are you jealous? After we played the final game last year, I traded my whole family’s safety for it.” After the finals last year, “Marcus Mad Cow Disease” hung on the trending list for three whole days. His entire family was almost “confiscated” by the netizens. Thinking back on it, he still had lingering trauma. He glanced at Julian, who was sitting nearby with his headphones on, and muttered: “What a joke. Bullying him? He basically bullies the four of us…” “Vouch!” “+1” I also gave a thumbs up, agreeing with Marcus. Julian let out a cold snort: “It’s not a big deal. I’ll just clarify it and it’ll be fine.” “It’s all just people chasing shadows. Just don’t mention it and it’ll blow over. The official league is just milking our team for engagement…” Dave stopped Julian, smiling bitterly. I looked at his thinning hair and felt a rare pang of sympathy: “Let’s just focus on the matches first. Winning fixes everything.” “Tch! Stop looking so depressed, Dave! Just wait till I bring back that first-place trophy for you!” Julian deliberately emphasized the words “first place.” Looking at his arrogant, naive face, I sighed secretly in my heart. My final year… Will probably end with nothing to show for it either. 6 Since the start of the season, the most discussed topic around the VG team was— Could they break the second-place curse this season? The answer was… We broke it. Just in the opposite direction. This time, we didn’t even manage to scrape a second-place finish… We were unexpectedly knocked out in the semifinals, proudly taking home third place. In that moment… The word “DEFEAT” felt like a knife, stabbing viciously into my heart. It was over. My first half of the year. I closed my eyes in despair, then took off my headset. Ready to face the hurricane of the fans’ wrath. Marcus was crying so hard he couldn’t stand straight. Ethan and I exchanged a look, helped him up, and walked to the front of the stage together, bowing deeply and ashamedly to the fans: “We’re sorry for letting everyone down.” Julian wasn’t with us. The moment the match ended, he threw off his headset and walked off the stage. He hid in the locker room and refused to participate in the post-match interviews. Ethan knocked on the door to no avail, his face dark as he cursed: “Coward.” A few seconds later, Julian came out with red eyes. His voice was hoarse: “I’ll take responsibility for the match I lost.” “Take responsibility with what? How many times did I tell you not to play so aggressive without vision?! If you can’t win the trade, call for help! Aren’t you usually so talkative? Why do you turn mute the second you get into a game? You’re still young! You’re only 18! You have time to waste! We don’t!” Seeing Julian, Marcus, who had just calmed down, broke down again. He rushed forward, grabbed Julian by the collar, and roared. I rubbed my sore eyes, took a deep breath, stepped forward, and tried to mediate: “Alright, it’s fine. You guys go rest for a bit. I’ll handle the interview by myself.” “I’ll go with Ray. We’re top-tier damage sponges for getting flamed. Don’t worry, and stop crying.” Ethan patted Marcus, trying hard to force a smile. However, Marcus wiped his tears: “I’m coming too.” After arguing for ages, Min-ho Lee only understood the word “too.” So he quickly raised his hand: “Too, together, no matter what do.” I nodded. Then together it is. Julian didn’t say anything; he just silently followed behind us.

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