I once willingly became his mistress to save my mother, even carrying his child that he had so desperately wanted. I thought it was love, until I was forced to kneel before his wedding and lost my child. He passed me off to others in public, crushing whatever dignity I had left. I left with a broken heart, but he came chasing after me like a madman, saying he only loved me. But by then, I was already in a wedding dress, holding another man’s hand. I watched him break down, and I merely smiled faintly. “You? You dare talk about love?” Aria’s POV In my third year with Julian Ashford, I ran into him and his newly married wife at the hospital. In the obstetrics corridor, Julian wore a haute couture suit that clashed with his surroundings, his arms protectively wrapped around a woman. I heard him say to her. “I can bring any doctor you want to the house. Why must you come to the hospital?” The woman replied coolly. “Isn’t there a top-tier private doctor stashed away in your house? I wouldn’t dare ask you to bring her home.” I knew the private doctor she was talking about was me. Three years ago, I went to Julian’s mother, Helena, and asked to be with Julian without any title or status. To the public, my identity was his private physician. But in truth, I was his mistress. I watched Julian’s lips press into a tight line. “Ours is just a business marriage. Don’t interfere in my business with Aria. We’re already married. I’ll handle her appropriately. She won’t be a problem for you.” The woman’s lips curved upward. “You have one month before the wedding ceremony. You’d better clean up all your loose ends. Otherwise, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” The doctor called the woman’s name, and they walked into the examination room. I stood frozen in place, my entire body feeling as if it had been plunged into ice water. Julian had once sworn to me that he would make Helena accept me into the family, that being his mistress was only a temporary measure. But now, without me knowing, he had not only married someone else but also had a child with her. Helena was right. Julian would love many people. I would never be the special one. Five years ago, Julian was stabbed and collapsed on the roadside. I was still a university student then, and I gave him basic first aid before sending him to the hospital. When he woke up, he began pursuing me with great effort. A wealthy man falling for an innocent medical student became the latest gossip in high society circles. I couldn’t withstand such an offensive and quickly fell for him, accepting his confession. But Helena didn’t accept our relationship. And Julian wasn’t the devoted, infatuated prince I thought he was. Long hairs in his pockets, lipstick marks on his shirts, long periods of being unreachable. Combined with increasingly vicious rumors at school, I eventually chose to break up with him. But no one expected that after the breakup, Julian would become frantic about getting back together with me. He swore he would never be ambiguous with any other woman again, even tattooing my name on his body. Though I was moved and couldn’t let go of our relationship, I knew clearly the gap between us. The biggest obstacle was Helena’s opposition. Until my mother was diagnosed with acute leukemia. With no other options, I went to Helena and offered to become Julian’s mistress, nothing more. This way, I could stabilize him while keeping everything under Helena’s control. Helena agreed to this transaction, giving me a one-time payment of thirty million dollars and promising to send me to a top research institute to continue my studies when I left. Helena’s words still echoed in my ears: “Julian won’t have only you. He’ll love many people. You won’t be the special one. But you’re doing me a favor. Rather than letting him get involved with questionable women, having only you is more reassuring.” “If you can get pregnant with Julian’s child, letting you into the family isn’t impossible.” During these three years with Julian, he gave me promises and favoritism. We were no different from an ordinary married couple. Hope had secretly grown in my heart. Now it seemed I had been overthinking. I raised my phone, took a photo of them walking out of the examination room, and sent it to Helena. “Julian Ashford is already married to another woman and has a child with her. There’s no reason for me to stay. Please fulfill your promise and send me to Dr. Shaw’s research institute.” My mother’s illness had been under control for a year now. My savings could completely support both of us. I had only stayed because I couldn’t let go of my feelings for Julian. The phone screen lit up with Helena’s reply. “Even if you hadn’t discovered this, I would have told you eventually. The family business needs the South family’s support. This is an obligation Julian must fulfill.” “Julian still has feelings for you. You have three days. Find a way to make Julian completely let you go, and you’ll get everything you want.” Just as I finished reading the message, someone tapped my shoulder. “Aria? It really is you. What are you doing at the hospital?” Only then did I remember I had come to pick up my ultrasound report. I was pregnant with Julian’s child. Two months along.

Aria’s POV Hearing my name, Julian’s gaze turned toward me. The instant our eyes met, he quickly withdrew his hand from around Vanessa South’s waist, his brow furrowing. “Aria, she and I aren’t-” Vanessa smiled and stepped forward, cutting off his words. “I’m Julian Ashford’s wife. If I’m not mistaken, you must be the private doctor Julian’s been hiding at home, keeping from me, right?” I didn’t want to engage with her. I knew my position was disgraceful, and I didn’t want to humiliate myself. I turned to leave. But Vanessa grabbed my hand first. “Don’t rush off. I’m quite curious about you. Dr. Aria, coming to obstetrics-you’re not pregnant too, are you? Who’s the baby’s father? I hope you’re not one of those classless girls who becomes someone’s mistress.” She could say anything about me, but she couldn’t insult my mother! My mother raised me alone from childhood. She was my bottom line. I turned back. “I don’t know how old this lady is, but why do you gossip about other people’s business like a nosy neighbor? I’m a doctor. Coming to the hospital is normal work. If you have time, you should manage your own husband better instead-stop letting him drop your hand the moment he sees someone else.” Vanessa’s face darkened, her expression so fierce it looked like a storm was brewing. “You’re just a mistress. How dare you speak to me like this?” I smiled coldly. “Get your timeline straight. Julian Ashford’s obsessive love for me was common knowledge five years ago.” I wouldn’t swallow my anger when someone bullied me. Vanessa glared coldly at Julian. “Julian Ashford, I’m the South family’s pampered daughter. In the business world, my word is law. No one dares speak to me like this. Your mistress has quite the nerve. If she hadn’t made a scene in front of me, I could have turned a blind eye. Today, you must give me an explanation.” Julian stepped forward, his eyes as deep and affectionate as always, but his tone brooked no argument. “Aria, Vanessa’s status is different from yours. Apologize to her.” “I should apologize to her?” I laughed coldly. “First, she provoked me. Second, the person who should apologize most in this whole situation is you, isn’t it? Julian, have you forgotten all the promises you made me these three years?” “Whatever I promised you, Vanessa is now my legally registered wife. You should respect her.” His gaze turned cold and severe, scanning me up and down. “You need to know your place. Apologize to Vanessa.” Know my place? What place is that? His lover? His mistress? Or someone completely insignificant? I bit my lips tightly. “What if I refuse?” Julian raised his hand in a signal, and two bodyguards immediately stood behind him. He pinched my chin, his fingers caressing my face. “Aria, weren’t you always so obedient before? Be good, and I’ll compensate you.” I used to be obedient because I still dreamed of becoming his wife. Now he wants me to be obedient? Vanessa had insulted my mother, crossing my bottom line. I would never bow my head to her. “Then don’t blame me.” Julian’s expression turned cold as he waved at the bodyguards. “Go easy. Don’t hurt her.” The next second, two bodyguards twisted my arms behind my back, kicked hard at my knees, forcing me to kneel on the ground, and pressed my head toward the floor. Sharp pain shot through my knees. I couldn’t help but groan. I saw Vanessa leaning against Julian. “Looks like you still know what’s important. I’m satisfied. The family won’t hear about this. Let’s leave it at that. I hope next time Miss Aria sees me, she’ll remember her place.” After they left, the bodyguards finally released me. I moved my neck, dusted off my knees, and limped toward the examination room to get my ultrasound report. My phone vibrated. It was a message from Julian. “Aria, the family needs the South family’s support right now. I’m sorry you were wronged. I’ll compensate you.” I swiped left and deleted it. I had already decided to leave. From now on, Julian’s affairs had nothing to do with me.

Aria’s POV Outside the examination room, my emotions were too agitated. I slipped and tumbled down the stairs. The baby was gone too. For this child, I’d endured countless injections and treatments, willing to hurt myself just to hold on. But now it seemed some things simply couldn’t be forced. Two hours later, I was supporting myself against the wall, slowly walking through the hospital corridor. The stabbing pain in my lower abdomen kept reminding me of what I’d just been through. When I got home, under the influence of medication, I slept straight through until the next afternoon. Looking at the time, anxiety rose in my heart. Helena had given me little time. I took two painkillers, caught a cab to Nightfall, the club Julian frequented. Watching the men and women dancing wildly on stage, I removed my coat, revealing the sexy outfit I’d deliberately chosen underneath, and walked onto the stage with cash I’d prepared in advance. I snatched the DJ’s microphone and threw the money into the air. “Whoever makes me happy tonight gets all this money.” The venue exploded. Men of all types surrounded me, using every trick they had. I wasn’t sure if Julian was here today, but it didn’t matter. Someone would tell him. Because our relationship was common knowledge in this city. Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Julian appeared, fury blazing in his eyes, and yanked me out. “Aria, are you really this cheap? You can’t live without a man?” I smiled. “Of course. You’re already married-are you really going to control who I find?” My fingers traced circles on his chest restlessly. “Though if Mr. Ashford still wants to sleep with me, I won’t refuse. After all, who would refuse the richest man in the city?” Julian’s eyes turned bloodshot, his grip suddenly tightening. I felt like my hand would be crushed. “Aria, you’ll sleep with anyone who has money? Do you have any shame at all? Being my mistress isn’t enough for you? With your status, being able to be with me is incredible luck. How dare you look for other men behind my back?” His words were like a sharp blade stabbing my heart. He finally stopped pretending and said what was really in his heart. He had always looked down on me. He could give me money, coax me, but he would never respect me. Then Vanessa emerged from behind him, removing his hand from mine. “The butler said you were here, so I came to check.” Vanessa looked at me with arrogant eyes. “People of low birth are like this. Even if they glimpse a higher level of life, they can’t change their inherent inferiority.” Julian was silent for a few seconds, then spoke. “I was wrong about her.” Watching the two of them sing in harmony, I could only find it laughable. Julian had power and wealth, so being with me while marrying someone else was “unavoidable”? Vanessa getting pregnant before marriage and inserting herself into our relationship somehow became “noble”? Julian looked at me holding my head high, refusing to admit fault, seemingly remembering something. Finally, his tone softened. “Aria, I know you’re unhappy that I married someone else, but don’t stimulate me this way, okay? I know you’re not this kind of person. I admit I broke my promise. I can’t marry you. I have responsibilities I can’t escape.” Looking at the hypocritical expression on the man before me, I laughed. “How do you know I can’t live without you? Don’t be so confident. You’re pretty average in bed.” Julian’s face darkened. He took Vanessa’s hand and turned to leave. But then Vanessa suddenly collapsed on the ground in pain. “Julian, the baby…” Julian panicked, holding Vanessa with bloodshot eyes as he looked at me. “You’re a doctor-check on her quickly!” He added another line. “Don’t try anything. If something happens to her, I guarantee every hospital in the city will refuse to treat your mother!” I was angry too. “If you want her well, shut up.” I was a doctor. I would absolutely never do anything harmful to a patient. I quickly assessed the situation. After a simple massage, Vanessa’s breathing became steady. Julian immediately picked her up and rushed toward the hospital. This scene was exactly like two years ago when I had an acute appendicitis attack and Julian sent me to the hospital with bloodshot eyes. “Aria, nothing will happen to you. I won’t allow it.” But now, another woman was in his arms. I left the bar and took a cab to the Ashford residence. I still had some things there. In the car, I received a message from Helena. “You did well, but it’s not enough. You have one more day.” Helena always had people around Julian, monitoring his every move. I put away my phone and got out of the car. As soon as I entered, I could feel the servants looking at me strangely. I walked straight toward my room. Passing Julian’s room, I saw Vanessa half-lying on the bed with Julian pressed against her stomach-the picture of a happy family. “Vanessa, it’s so amazing. I’m going to be a father.” Vanessa stroked his hair, showing a blissful smile. “With a father who loves him so much, the baby will definitely be very happy.” I didn’t disturb them, just silently walked to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and calmed my emotions. Soon this would all be over. My mother’s illness was under control, and I could continue my studies. But the next second. Julian suddenly appeared outside the door, looking at me with confusion. “What are you doing here?” I didn’t answer, but asked instead. “Is Miss South asleep?”

Aria’s POV Julian nodded, then spoke with slight apology. “I’m sorry, I went too far earlier. The doctor told me that without your treatment, Vanessa might have lost the baby.” I shook my head. “Your affairs have nothing to do with me. I just came to pack my things.” “You’re not angry?” He asked. You have to understand-before, I had resolutely broken up with him over his ambiguous behavior with other women. “It’s fine. I respect your choice.” I looked up at him and suddenly asked. “Julian, when did you get together with her? When you were with her, did you feel guilty toward me at all?” Julian suddenly stepped forward and pulled me into his embrace. “Aria, I only love you. My feelings for Vanessa, for that child-they’re just out of responsibility. This is something I must bear being born into this family. You can understand, right?” “But I promise you, besides Vanessa, you’ll be my only woman. I won’t be like those men who have affairs everywhere. Aria, you can accept this, can’t you?” His tone was too matter-of-fact, as if he were stating some universal truth. But he was wrong. I was still the same Aria who wanted one person for one lifetime. I took a deep breath and stepped out of his embrace. The instant I left his arms, I seemed to see Vanessa’s figure by the door, but she disappeared the next second. “I need some time.” Whoever wants to accept this can accept it. I’ll be completely gone the day after tomorrow. “Then will you stay tonight?” He asked. I thought for a moment and agreed. Helena said I hadn’t done enough. I could use this opportunity to talk clearly with Vanessa and get her to control Julian. At 2 AM, I was woken by knocking on my door. Getting out of bed to answer it, I found Vanessa. Before I could actively seek her out, she came to me first. Perfect-it saved me the trouble. “Miss South, if you’re here to talk about Julian, you can rest assured. I’ll be leaving here the day after tomorrow, completely leaving him. In this matter, you and I are both victims. Everything stems from Julian Ashford’s irresponsibility.” I had no issue with Vanessa. From a certain perspective, we were both victims. But Vanessa laughed disdainfully. “What are you to be mentioned in the same breath as me?” Seeing my goodwill trampled, I changed my tone. “Miss South got pregnant before marriage. Quite the scandal. Is this how wealthy families raise their daughters? Well, I’ve learned something new.” “You!” Vanessa flew into a rage and slapped me. I wasn’t one to be bullied-I slapped her right back. “Miss South, instead of arguing with me here, you’d be better off controlling Julian Ashford. Otherwise, without me, there will be others.” With that, I shut the door and returned to bed. I tossed and turned in bed. I don’t know how long it took before I finally fell into a deep sleep. The next morning, before I was fully awake, I was startled by the sound of Julian kicking down the door. The next second, he kicked the door open, strode in, and grabbed my throat. He used such force that I could barely breathe. “What did you say to Vanessa? She already told me she’s willing to accept you, so why would you do this?” Julian’s eyes were bloodshot, the force on his hand gradually increasing. I used all my strength to push against his hand and finally broke free. “I didn’t do anything.” He cut me off. “I thought you really were willing to coexist with her. Turns out you were lying to me all along! You really think I’d still be with you after you’ve done these things? Still won’t admit it? Look at this!” He threw a card at me. On it was Vanessa’s “suicide note.” “Julia, I originally thought my sincerity and this child in my belly could make you love me. But Miss Aria is right. You love her. You caused such a scene over her for the whole city to see. Even if I have the title of Mrs. Ashford, I’ll never have your heart. If that’s the case, our fate has ended. Let’s meet again in the next life. Vanessa.” I never said any of this to her. “I didn’t-” “Still making excuses! If anything happens to Vanessa or the baby today, I’ll make you pay with your life!” Julian wouldn’t listen to my defense. He roughly dragged me down the stairs. My knees were scraped raw and bloody. “My people sent word that Vanessa is on the TV station rooftop right now. You’re going to kneel and apologize to her! If she doesn’t forgive you, you’ll kneel on that rooftop until you die!” He tied my hands and shoved me into the trunk, racing all the way to the TV station rooftop. The bodyguards carried me up with him to the rooftop. There were also TV station staff on the rooftop doing a live broadcast. I was thrown to the ground. Cameras and flashing lights immediately focused on me. I knew no one would come to save me.

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In the restaurant, my wife Alice’s boss poured a glass of red wine over my face and humiliated me: “Who the hell do you think you are? Do you know who I am? I’m giving Alice a chance for promotion. As her husband, you should be grateful to me, thanking me for giving Alice the opportunity to earn money, instead of coming here to stage some cheating drama.” All the guests in the restaurant turned to look at us. Alice’s boss rolled his eyes and continued: “I’ll give you a chance. Ask Alice whether she wants to stay or leave with you.” I ignored what he said and just pulled out a napkin to slowly wipe the red wine off my face. Then I looked at Alice, who was wearing a deep V-neck dress that exposed most of her chest. She looked at me and frowned: “Miles, go home.” “You’re not coming with me?” “We’ll talk at home tomorrow.” “Can’t you come back now? Do we have to wait until tomorrow?” “I’m not coming home tonight.” Hearing this, I smiled. If you’re not coming home tonight, you won’t be able to come home ever again.

A few days ago, I discovered a problem. Alice’s boss kept calling her frequently. After I pressed her about it. Alice finally told me the truth, saying her boss appreciated her and was preparing to put her in charge of a major project alone. If she could successfully complete this project, the performance bonus would be at least two hundred thousand dollars. At first, I didn’t suspect anything. I simply thought Alice was excellent and it was normal for her boss to appreciate her. But things got increasingly wrong after that. Alice started leaving early and coming home late every day, always drunk when she got home. After several days, we were like strangers. Apart from sleeping in the same bed at night, we had almost no communication during the day. Last night was even worse—Alice didn’t come home at all! I gradually realized things might not be as simple as I thought. Alice had the weekend off. Usually, she would stay home with me to cook, watch shows, and chat. But this time she dressed up carefully and deliberately wore a newly bought dress. And when she was looking at her phone replying to messages, her lips kept curling up in a smile she couldn’t suppress. All the signs indicated that Alice might be in love with someone! “Miles, I won’t be home for dinner tonight. Just order takeout for yourself.” After getting dressed up, Alice looked several years younger. Since she usually took good care of herself, she looked like a woman in her twenties. I saw Alice picking up her bag to leave, so I called out to her. “Alice.” “What is it?” Alice stopped and looked at me questioningly. “Who asked you out?” “I just told you, didn’t I? Mira broke up with her boyfriend. Since it’s the weekend, I’m going to keep her company. Mira and I might drink, so if it gets too late, I won’t come back. I’ll stay at Mira’s place. I’m afraid she might do something foolish if she’s alone. Don’t wait up for me tonight—go to sleep when you’re tired.” “Oh, okay.” “I’m leaving.” “Be safe.” “Okay.” Hearing the door close, my heart ached. I knew Alice had a close friend named Mira. Unfortunately, Alice didn’t know that I had heard her entire conversation with Mira in the bathroom. Alice told Mira. If I called to ask, Mira should tell me that she had broken up with her boyfriend. Without a doubt, Alice was making such thorough preparations in advance. Who she was going to see was self-evident. Thinking of this, I got up and left the house. I wanted to see who Alice’s new boyfriend was!

I followed Alice to an upscale Western restaurant. I watched Alice smiling and drinking with an old man. This old man’s perverted hands kept taking advantage of Alice. Seeing this, I was instantly furious. I rushed over and broke up their intimate atmosphere. I didn’t say a word, just glared angrily at the old man beside Alice. The old man was Alice’s boss. His name was Jamal. Jamal put down his wine glass, his other hand still wrapped around Alice’s slender waist. Alice’s expression became slightly unnatural. She frowned and asked me: “Did you follow me?” “I just wanted to confirm my suspicions.” I explained. “And is the result what you expected?” Jamal picked up his napkin and elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth, asking with a smile on his face. “Who is he?” I looked at Alice, asking a question I already knew the answer to. “My boss.” “So this is the old, perverted boss you mentioned.” My words made Jamal’s face change dramatically. Before he could speak. I sneered mockingly again: “You’re already so old, and you still have the nerve to seduce someone else’s wife? To put it bluntly, can you even still perform?” “Miles, I never said anything like that.” Alice hastily explained. At this point, unable to bear it any longer, Jamal suddenly stood up, furious, and grabbed his wine glass. In an instant, the entire glass of red wine was splashed on my face. “Who the hell do you think you are? Do you know who I am? I’m giving Alice a chance for promotion. As her husband, you should be grateful to me, thanking me for giving Alice the opportunity to earn money, instead of coming here to stage some cheating drama.” “Miles, can you stop acting like a child? So many people are watching. Aren’t you embarrassed?” Alice blinked at me, signaling me to leave. Of course, I wasn’t going to leave in disgrace like that. Alice was the one who wronged me. This old man was the third party. I glanced around. Many guests were watching us curiously. I pulled out a chair and sat down, demanding loudly: “How much money did he give you? You’re willing to give up our home and me?” “Miles!” Alice’s face changed dramatically, glaring at me with her whole body trembling. “How much money did he give you?” I pointed at Jamal and asked. “He didn’t give me money.” Alice said through gritted teeth. “Not for money? Then he promised to promote you?” After I asked this question, Alice fell silent. I immediately laughed. “He promoted you, giving you a few thousand dollars more per month, and you’re willing to drink and eat with him, and even sleep with him?” “Miles, stop talking!” Alice bit her lip, trembling with anger. “Why can’t I talk about it?” “If you had money, would I need to sell myself?” Hearing Alice’s question, I suddenly understood. “So after all this, you think I’m poor.” “That’s right, I do think you’re poor. I think you’re incompetent. I think you’re worthless. Compare yourself with any random man—who isn’t better than you?” “Then why did you willingly marry me in the first place?” “I was young and naive. I was blind. I thought all I wanted was love, but after getting married I realized that love is bullshit. Marriage without money and material things, this life worse than a dog’s—I’ve had enough!” “Is this what you really think?” “Yes!” “Fine, I understand.” I got up to leave, heartbroken. But Jamal suddenly called out to stop me: “Wait a minute.”

My gaze shifted to Jamal. “Young man, don’t say I didn’t give you a chance. If you’re capable, call Alice back home. Let’s see whether she wants to stay or go with you.” Looking at the somewhat smug Jamal, I suppressed the urge to punch him. My gaze moved to Alice, watching her lean tipsily against Jamal after carefully dressing up. My heart ached faintly. From dating to marriage, everything had been moving in a beautiful direction. But I never dreamed she would sell her body for money. Originally, I was going to leave directly. But I wanted to see if Alice would suddenly change her mind. “Miles, stop embarrassing yourself. Go home.” Before I could ask, Alice told me to leave. “If you leave with me now, there might still be a chance to salvage things.” I reminded her. “We can talk about anything tomorrow when I get home.” “Tomorrow?” “As you wish.” I said nothing more and turned to leave. “Young man.” Jamal suddenly spoke. “Spit it out if you have something to say.” I frowned impatiently. “Are you interested in watching a livestream tonight?” Jamal paused. “Didn’t you say I’m too old to perform? Then I’ll let you appreciate my prowess.” I didn’t answer. Jamal’s lips curled up, continuing smugly: “Letting you watch your own wife become another man’s plaything with your own eyes—just thinking about it feels especially thrilling.” Hearing this, Alice’s pretty face became somewhat unpleasant, but she said nothing. “Can’t help it. Who told me to have money and power?” Jamal shrugged, looking completely fearless. “Are you very rich?” I raised an eyebrow and asked. “Not much, just tens of millions. Nothing worth mentioning.” Jamal said. Then he changed the subject, becoming even more smug: “Of course, what I have now, you couldn’t earn in a lifetime. If I were you, I’d just accept this, or pretend it never happened. After Alice satisfies me and gets her promotion and raise, you two can still continue living your good life together.” “A mere few tens of millions and you dare to be arrogant in front of me? In a few days, I’ll make you go bankrupt.” I said calmly. “What did you say? Did I hear wrong? You’re going to make me go bankrupt?” Jamal looked at me in astonishment, as if he’d heard the biggest joke ever. “Just wait and see.” I didn’t want to waste words and turned to leave. After I left, Jamal turned to Alice and asked: “Alice, did his head get caught in a door?” “Boss, ignore him. He just likes to brag.” Alice wrapped her arms around Jamal’s neck. “What an interesting young man, too bad his brain doesn’t work well.” Jamal laughed triumphantly, his hand tightly holding Alice’s waist. I stood outside the restaurant, taking in Jamal’s brilliant smile. The next second, I calmly took out my phone and made a call. “Mom, I want to come home and eat your cooking.”

That night, I scrolled through photos of Alice and me, unable to sleep. And Alice didn’t come home all night either. Although I already knew the answer, it would be a lie to say it didn’t hurt. To marry Alice, I had sacrificed so much. It’s just that no one knew about the sacrifices I made except myself, including Alice. After dawn, I simply packed my personal belongings and sat in the living room waiting for Alice to come home. I waited until around ten o’clock before Alice finally came home. After she entered, we made eye contact. She had gone out wearing black stockings last night, but when she returned, the stockings were gone. Thinking about how she had been intimate with that old man in bed last night, I clearly felt what it meant to have your heart ache to the point of suffocation. “You’re back?” I asked calmly on the surface. “Yeah.” Alice just responded faintly, then was about to go to the bedroom. “Sit down. Let’s talk.” “Talk about what?” Alice frowned. “I want a divorce.” I once thought Alice and I would be happy together forever. I never thought the word “divorce” would come out of my mouth. “Miles, are you crazy? You want to divorce me?” Alice looked at me in disbelief. “Yes, divorce.” I said. Alice walked up to me in a few steps, anger appearing on her tired face, asking: “Can you be more mature? Just because of this trivial matter, you want to divorce me?” Hearing this, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I suddenly stood up, my face livid: “You slept with your boss for a promotion. You betrayed me right in front of me, and you still think this is a trivial matter?” “I don’t think it’s a big deal.” Alice retorted. Then she defended her actions: “Jamal and I just made a transaction. He promised to promote me and said he would never touch me again after this. It was just one night. From now on, my salary will increase by six thousand dollars every month, and there’s a big project. If I do well, I could get a bonus of hundreds of thousands of dollars at any time. Such a good opportunity is right in front of me—do you want me to give it up?” I looked at Alice in shock as she spoke so righteously. I always thought I understood her well, but it turned out all that so-called understanding was just my own wishful thinking. “You win.” I gave Alice a thumbs up in despair. “You really want a divorce?” “Yes.” “Think it through. As long as you accept this, our life together will only get better and better from now on.” “Sorry, I can’t accept my woman cheating on me and showing no remorse.” “Fine. You want a divorce, right? I agree. Don’t come crying to me to remarry later.” After Alice finished speaking, she turned to leave. I took the divorce agreement out of the drawer and placed it on the table. Alice didn’t hesitate either, decisively signing her name on the divorce agreement. “As you wish. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other.” After Alice finished speaking, she viciously threw the agreement in my face. At this moment, I suddenly had an illusion that the person who made the mistake wasn’t her, but me. “The house is mine. Pack your things and get as far away as possible. Don’t ever let me see you again.” After dropping these words, Alice turned and left.

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My son got a girlfriend who’s ten years older than him, divorced, and has a five-year-old son. Of course I didn’t approve. I strongly opposed it, but my son went on a hunger strike for a week, threatening to die. Watching my son grow so weak he could barely speak, I gave in. On the day we met the parents, she said arrogantly, “Ethan said he’ll treat my son as his own, and to put my mind at ease, he’s already gotten a vasectomy.” “Of course, if your family treats my son well, I might consider letting Ethan get a reversal surgery.” My son also rushed to declare his loyalty, “Until Jessica agrees, I absolutely won’t have children of my own.” I completely gave up hope. I said calmly, “Whatever you two decide is fine. I have no objections.” When my son brought Jessica home for dinner, I didn’t make things difficult for her or show her a cold face. I received her with a calm heart. She wore elaborate makeup and dressed young, but standing next to my twenty-three-year-old son, you could see the age difference, though it wasn’t too dramatic. I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and smiled as I made small talk with her. After chatting for about half an hour, I took out an envelope I’d prepared beforehand and handed it to her. Inside was eleven thousand dollars, which by our local standards was already quite generous. When Jessica took it, she thought she was being subtle, but her fingers obviously pinched to gauge the thickness. The corners of her mouth turned down. Clearly she thought it was too little. I’d originally thought that since my son loved her so much, she must have some redeeming qualities I hadn’t discovered yet, and I wanted to talk with her more. Now I’d completely lost interest. I made an excuse about having work at the company, preparing to end this meeting. That’s when Jessica spoke up. “Since Ethan and I are planning to get married, we’ll be family from now on. There’s something I don’t want to hide from you.” “Ethan always says you’re an open-minded mother. I believe you’ll understand.” Hearing this, I had a bad feeling. Sure enough, Jessica’s attitude seemed respectful, but her eyes were full of provocation as she said, “Ethan said he’d treat my child as his own, but words are just words. So to put my mind at ease, he voluntarily got a vasectomy.” I could hardly believe what I was hearing. A vasectomy? Suppressing my anger, I looked sharply at my son. “Ethan, is what she’s saying true?” My son’s eyes flashed with guilt as he explained, “Mom, Andy is still young, at a sensitive age. He often has nightmares at night because he’s scared.” “Not only is Jessica worried, I’m worried too, so I went and… got the vasectomy.” Jessica pretended to comfort me. “This is all temporary. As long as I’m sure your family truly treats my son well, I’ll agree to let Ethan get a reversal surgery.” A surge of anger shot up, burning so hot my whole body trembled. What did she mean by “she’s sure”? “She’ll agree”? But before I could demand an explanation, my son was already rushing to show his loyalty to Jessica. “Don’t worry, I’ll never go back on what I promised you!” “Until you agree, I absolutely won’t have children of my own.” My son’s words were like a bucket of cold water poured over me, chilling me to the bone. In that moment, I completely gave up hope. I said calmly, “Whatever you two decide is fine. I have no objections.”

Ethan took Jessica home, and I collapsed on the sofa, lost in thought. My son Ethan had been obedient and sensible since childhood, did well in school, got into a prestigious university, and after graduation used his own abilities to get into a major tech company. I could say he’d never given me any trouble. But I never expected I’d stumble so badly on his marriage. Jessica was his coworker. Ethan fell for her at first sight. “She’s extremely capable, she’s been involved in so many major projects.” “She has a great personality, everyone at the company likes her.” “There are a lot of factions at the company. If she hadn’t warned me, I would have offended people.” “When we work overtime, she always orders takeout for me.” … This was Ethan’s first relationship. Of course I wanted to bless it, but Jessica was not only ten years older than him, she was also divorced, and even had a five-year-old son! What I didn’t expect even more was that Ethan would go on a hunger strike and threaten to die for her sake. A mother can probably never win against her son, so I gave in and tried hard to convince myself to accept them. But I never imagined that this woman Jessica would encourage Ethan to get a vasectomy! I run beauty salons—my job is dealing with women. I knew her little schemes crystal clear. Ethan’s hunger strike for her gave her confidence. She just wanted to use Ethan to control me. As long as I still wanted grandchildren, I’d have to listen to her. But what made me even angrier was Ethan. I didn’t believe he didn’t know how important the vasectomy was, how angry and upset I’d be when I found out, but he still did it. He was just relying on being my only son, convinced I couldn’t do anything about it. Instantly, a thought I couldn’t control popped up. I was forty-seven this year, healthy—I was completely in time to have another one! When Ethan came home, I was still wildly tempted by that thought. He sat down across from me, somewhat unhappy as he asked, “Mom, today when Jessica mentioned my vasectomy, if I hadn’t interrupted, were you going to get angry?” I stared at him sharply and asked, “You got a vasectomy without saying a word. Shouldn’t I be angry?” Ethan froze and said, “That’s not what I meant.” “Mom, you’ve always opposed us being together. Jessica doesn’t feel secure, so that’s why I came up with the vasectomy idea. Don’t blame her.” I didn’t believe a word of this! But the deed was already done. Arguing now about whose idea it was had no meaning. I looked at him steadily and asked with utmost seriousness, “Ethan, I’m asking you one last time. If I still don’t agree, will you still insist on marrying Jessica?” Ethan suddenly stood up and said emotionally, “Mom, didn’t we already agree? Why are you going back on your word?” “Anyway, she’s the only person I’ll love in this life!” “If I can’t marry her, I’d rather die!” “Mom, don’t make me hate you!” Hearing Ethan say “don’t make me hate you,” I laughed coldly inside and completely let go of that last shred of hope. Have another one. I made the decision instantly. I said calmly, “Ethan, you’re not young anymore, and you’re about to get married and start a family with someone else. From now on, I won’t interfere in your affairs. You make your own decisions.” After a pause, I said meaningfully, “You chose this partner yourself. I hope you won’t regret it.” Ethan’s obsession with Jessica was obvious to the naked eye, but the way Jessica looked at Ethan wasn’t as passionate as how she looked at my Hermès Birkin bag. Unfortunately, Ethan didn’t notice and kept singing Jessica’s praises to me. On the surface I listened attentively, but inside I was already screening candidates to father my child. Over ten years ago, when Ethan’s dad was secretly meeting his mistress, he died in a car accident. After that, I never remarried for Ethan’s sake, but I also had needs, so I dated a few boyfriends. My current one was a company employee. His family had difficulties and I helped them out, then later he got into my bed under the guise of repaying me. He was young and handsome, so I just went along with it. He’d been my underground lover for several years without any official status, never actively asked for anything, never used my influence to suppress anyone, and instead worked hard for the company. Almost instantly, I made my decision. Him it was. I took out my phone and sent him a message. I’m coming to your place tonight to stay over.

After that, in my effort to get pregnant, I was trying almost every day, always getting home in the middle of the night. And Ethan was right in the thick of his infatuation with Jessica, also frequently staying out all night. We clearly lived under the same roof, but we managed not to run into each other, and Ethan didn’t notice at all that I was coming home late. After more than two months of this, Ethan called me, saying he wanted to discuss the wedding. That day, we both rarely came home from work on time. He talked for a bit about his and Jessica’s recent situation, emphasizing how good Jessica was to him, how her son was starting to accept him, and how happy that made him. After going on about this for over half an hour, he asked me, “Mom, what style of wedding do you prefer?” After listening to him talk nonsense for so long, honestly, I was quite annoyed. I said bluntly, “This is your and Jessica’s wedding. Shouldn’t you be asking what she likes?” “I told you, I respect all your decisions.” Ethan was very happy. “I said there’d be no problem, but Jessica insisted I ask you.” He asked again, “Mom, Jessica says the wedding needs eighty thousand dollars. That’s okay, right?” Ethan said with both heartache and emotion, “I think eighty thousand is too little, but she insisted, saying as long as she can marry me, she’d be willing even without a wedding ceremony. Mom, Jessica is so good, I don’t want her to feel wronged.” As he spoke, Ethan’s eyes even reddened. I raised an eyebrow. Looks like Jessica’s ambitions weren’t small. Sure enough, Ethan immediately continued, “Mom, that luxury penthouse you bought me for my marriage—I want to add Jessica’s name to the deed, and then do a prenuptial agreement.” I put my water glass down on the coffee table, a bit heavily—bang. I looked at Ethan and said calmly, “If you bought the house yourself, you could even put only her name on it if you wanted.” “But I paid for that penthouse. Understand?” Ethan was stunned and after a long pause could only squeeze out, “Isn’t it all family money?” I laughed coldly. He knew it was family money! I was too lazy to beat around the bush with him and decided to speak plainly. “I don’t like Jessica, but if you insist on marrying her, I won’t oppose it. I respect you.” “But my things—tell Jessica to stop coveting them!” “And you stop coveting them too!” Ethan’s face turned from red to white. “Mom, I’m your son. Why do you have to be so clear about everything?” He said righteously, “Your things will eventually be left to us anyway!” Though I already knew he thought this way, thinking it and hearing it firsthand were two different things. I said mockingly, “Don’t speak in such absolutes. I don’t necessarily have to leave it to you.” Ethan said impatiently, “Mom, I know you’re angry about the vasectomy, but I’ve already explained. Can you stop being so passive-aggressive!” “Also, don’t think I can’t tell—you’re just trying to use money to control me, to make me break up with Jessica. Let me tell you, I absolutely won’t compromise!” “Just you wait and see—even without your money, we can live well!” After delivering his speech, Ethan slammed the door and left. After that, he started preparing for the wedding. It was very grand—custom wedding dress and diamond ring, five-star hotel, tables at sixty-eight hundred dollars each, the venue decorated entirely with imported fresh flowers. He really kept his word—he never asked me for a cent. But I only had this one son. I’d always been generous with money when it came to him. For holidays I’d give him envelopes with fifty or a hundred thousand dollars. During his university years, his monthly allowance was ten thousand. That only stopped when he started working. His savings must be at least close to a million. At the end of the day, wasn’t that also my money? So when Ethan stood on stage saying something about how no matter how many people opposed him, he had the ability to give Jessica happiness, I only found it laughable. My best friend sitting next to me rolled her eyes and said bluntly, “Your son was raised for nothing.” Thinking of the pregnancy test result from this morning, my smile deepened. “Yeah, so I’m hoping this time I can have a daughter.” My friend froze. “You mean you’re…” Before she could finish her sentence, Jessica’s mother’s shrill voice interrupted, “You’re pregnant?”

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My best friend was a professional “relationship tester.” She said she was afraid I would get hurt by scumbags, so every time I dated someone, she would disguise herself as their ideal type and seduce them into bed. Every single time, she would send me photos from the bedroom. “Jade! If I was not protecting you, you would have been fooled by another scumbag! I am such a good friend to you!” I was tormented to the point of breaking down. I cut ties with her completely and moved to another city. Later, I met the love of my life, Ethan Rivers. On our wedding day, I saw my best friend disguised as a makeup artist. “Jade, let me test him before you get married!” She drugged me unconscious, put on my wedding dress, and got into Ethan’s bed. I woke up just in time, brought people to burst into the bridal suite, and had her sent to prison. Later, I got pregnant. During delivery, I hemorrhaged severely. Ethan watched me struggle in agony but refused to sign the consent form to save me. “Miranda just wanted to give herself to me before the wedding to fulfill her wish!” “But you sent her to prison and caused her suicide! When she died, she was carrying my child!” “You and that bastard in your belly both deserve to die for her!” Only then did I realize the man I thought was my true love had fallen for my best friend long ago. I died with grievances. He even threw my ashes into a sewer. When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn to the day my best friend disguised herself as a makeup artist and appeared at my wedding.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Miranda Cole’s familiar yet stunning face again. Her foot slipped. She let out a soft cry and fell into Ethan’s arms, her face flushed as she looked at him. “Sorry.” This was her favorite seduction trick. I had witnessed it countless times. In my previous life, when I opened my eyes and saw Miranda like a nightmare before me, when I saw the wedding makeup I had looked forward to ruined by her, when I watched her flirt and use the same old tricks to seduce my husband again, my fear and rage poured out like a flood. I screamed and rushed forward, yanking her away and slapping her across the face. “Get out! You’re trying to seduce my boyfriend again, aren’t you? I won’t let you ! I will not let you succeed!” Ethan quickly called the bridesmaids to hold me down. Miranda cowered in the corner, her face red and pitiful. “I did not. Mrs. Rivers, you misunderstood. This is just a pre-wedding prank.” No matter how I explained that she was a relationship tester, that she had seduced several of my boyfriends and destroyed countless relationships of mine, Miranda just cried in panic. “I really did not. I do not even know you. I am just a makeup artist. Please stop slandering me…” Everyone whispered. “A relationship tester? Has she been reading too many novels? Who does that?” “She thinks everyone is trying to steal her husband. How embarrassing…”

My defenses grew pale under everyone’s mockery and Ethan’s weary gaze. Ethan sighed helplessly and came over to hug me gently. “It is okay. If you do not like her, we will fire her, alright?” “But you should have told me directly instead of misunderstanding her and slandering her…” I thought he, like the other guests, had been deceived by Miranda’s lies and disguise. But it was not until I died that I learned the truth. His heart had already turned toward Miranda. This time, I watched Miranda throw herself into Ethan’s arms with no expression on my face. I did not miss the flash of emotion in his eyes. But the next second, he glanced at me quickly. He pushed the person in his arms away and said coldly, “This joke is not funny. Apologize to my wife right now and remove that makeup properly so you can redo it.” “No need.” I spoke calmly, picking up a makeup remover wipe to clean the marks on my face. Ethan breathed a sigh of relief and patted her head gently. “Are not you going to thank my wife? If she was not so kind and forgiving…” I cut him off. “Ethan, no need to redo the makeup. Let us just cancel the wedding.” Ethan looked at me in disbelief, then laughed after a moment. “That joke is not funny.” “This is not a joke.” I simply took off the wedding dress Ethan had imported and threw it aside like garbage. “The wedding is canceled. We are breaking up.” I quickly put on my coat and walked toward the door. “Jade!” Only then did Ethan realize I was serious. He grabbed my wrist, veins bulging on his forehead as he suppressed his emotions. “You are canceling the wedding just because of a makeup artist’s prank?” He looked at me, his eyes full of grievance and confusion. “Jade! Stop making a scene!” “This wedding we put so much effort into. All our friends and family are here. You cannot…” I shook off his hand, ignoring the pointing and whispering around us, and looked at him with cold mockery. “Ethan, you know perfectly well why we are not getting married.” “I am giving you a chance to be with the person you truly love. Is not that good?” I thought I would see panic on Ethan’s face. But he looked perfectly calm, confused and aggrieved. “Jade, what are you talking about? Everyone knows you are the one I love most.” He pointed at Miranda. “Is it because of her?” He said helplessly, “I did not know she would pull that prank.” “Besides, did not I already say I would make her apologize? If you are still not satisfied, I will fire her.” Miranda ran out crying. Ethan did not even look at her. His eyes were fixed deeply on me. “Is that enough now?” I looked at him with calm eyes, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Ethan’s parents walked in, their tone reproachful as they tried to persuade me. “Ethan has already apologized. Do not push it.” “Jade, you know how good Ethan has been to you. Have you forgotten who arranged your mother’s surgery and follow-up treatment? Do not be ungrateful.”

My heart ached sharply. My mother’s stroke was caused by Miranda. She deliberately displayed photos of herself in bed with my ex at his and my wedding, then publicly eloped with my ex, leaving me as the laughingstock. My mother collapsed in anger and fell into a coma. To get her treatment, I transferred hospitals to Portland and met Ethan Rivers, a neurosurgery expert. Ethan and I gradually fell in love during the treatment process. I understood the threat in his mother’s words. Their family was prominent. If I ruined the wedding today and made them lose face, my mother would be kicked out of the Rivers Medical Center. “Mom!” Ethan cut off his mother’s words with measured firmness. “Jade is my wife. Her mother is my mother-in-law. This is what I should do.” He looked at me, his tone pleading. “Honey, for the sake of me saving your mother, please do not make a scene at the wedding today, okay?” I dug my nails into my palms and showed a wronged expression. “Ethan, do you really not know that makeup artist? But she whispered to me that you deliberately had her make me look ugly to get back at me. That is why I got angry.” As soon as I spoke, the guests who had been displeased with me all showed sympathetic expressions. Ethan’s mouth twitched, then he showed a reassuring smile. “She was talking nonsense, just jealous of your good marriage.” Seeing I remained silent, he promised helplessly, “I will file a complaint against her right now, okay?” Only then did I show a smile and say, “Then you have to make a vow.” “If you really have something going on with her and betrayed me, then we will get divorced.” Ethan coaxed me and raised his hand to make a vow. The guests laughed good-naturedly. “You are worrying too much. Ethan only has eyes for you.” Outside the door, Miranda’s face flashed by, filled with vicious resentment at her failed scheme. I ignored it. After the wedding ceremony ended, just as I was about to go back to the room to change out of my wedding dress, someone covered my mouth and nose. I stopped breathing and closed my eyes, going along with it. Just like in my previous life. Miranda and Ethan were entangled, stumbling through the door of the adjacent guest room. The two fell onto the bed, making intimate sounds. I suddenly opened my eyes, quickly went downstairs, and found my in-laws who were chatting with guests. This time, I did not do what I did in my previous life. I did not mention that Miranda had drugged me and climbed into bed with him. I just appeared worried and said, “Mom, Dad, Ethan seems to have drunk too much and is not feeling well.” The doting Mr. and Mrs. Rivers, along with the Rivers family relatives eager to watch drama unfold, immediately followed me upstairs in a massive group. As soon as we reached the guest room door, we heard intimate sounds from inside. Immediately, their faces turned ugly. They hurried to cover it up, but I pushed the door open directly. “Ethan, are you not feeling well?” The door opened. The two entangled figures on the bed immediately sprang apart, hurriedly pulling up the blanket. Miranda flashed me a triumphant smile through the crowd. In an instant, the people outside the door erupted. “Oh my God, that woman is not that the makeup artist from this morning?” “Looks like what Jade said was all true…” Mr. Rivers’ face flushed red with shame and anger. “Ethan! Look at what you have done!” Mrs. Rivers rushed forward, dragging Miranda from the bed. “It is all you! You must have drugged my son and made him think you were Jade!”

“Son, that is what happened, right? We will call the police! Send this bitch to prison!” At these words, Miranda, who had been so arrogant moments ago, was frightened into tears, shrinking into Ethan’s arms. “Enough!” Ethan roared, fiercely protecting Miranda. He raised his head and looked at me through the crowd. His eyes were dark but showed not a trace of panic or guilt. “Jade, let us talk.” Mr. and Mrs. Rivers cleared everyone out. Only the three of us remained in the room. I did not think there was anything left to discuss between him and me. I was just thinking about why, in this life, when I had not sent Miranda to prison or caused her death there, he could still face me without any guilt. For a moment, I could not tell if my heart felt bitter or resentful. I took off my wedding ring and threw it in the trash. I said flatly, “You made a vow. If you lied to me, we would get divorced.” “Ethan, I will draft divorce papers as soon as possible.” “Jade!” Ethan behind me called out. “I will not divorce you.” I whipped around, looking at him with hatred for the first time. “Then I will file for divorce!” “You can try!” Ethan’s face was obscured in the dim room. “If you dare file for divorce, I will immediately stop your mother’s treatment.” “I guarantee that in all of Portland no, the entire country no hospital will take your mother.” “Ethan!” I clenched my teeth, trembling uncontrollably. I must have looked utterly pathetic and powerless right now because I saw Miranda flash that gleeful smile again. “Why are you doing this to me?” “If you like her, just divorce me! You two can be together openly! Why do you have to drag me into this!” I looked at Ethan through tears. “I have already made way for you. I have never done anything wrong to you! Why will not you let me go!” Ethan said coldly, “You have not wronged me, but you have wronged Miranda.” I widened my eyes in shock. “When did I…” Ethan sneered. “Every boyfriend Miranda ever had were not they all stolen by you?” “It was you who, under the guise of being a ‘relationship tester,’ stole all of Miranda’s boyfriends, slept with them, and stimulated Miranda until she became depressed and nearly committed suicide!” “You stole so many of her lovers. You should feel what it is like to have your man stolen.” “And your mother! Dare you say why your mother had a stroke?” “It is because your mother went to Miranda’s wedding to make a scene, trying to help you steal her man, and got yelled at until she fainted. Your mother is half-dead that is what she deserves.” My head exploded with a roar. Almost instinctively, I rushed to them. I slapped Ethan hard across the face. But when I raised my hand to slap Miranda, Ethan shoved me away. “Enough! Even now you are still bullying Miranda!” I wiped my tears and said through gritted teeth. “I did not do it! I never did any of those things! Ethan! It was Miranda who stole my boyfriends! It was she who eloped with my ex at the wedding and made my mother collapse!” “So many people witnessed these things. So many chat records are still on my phone. You can go check…”

“Enough!” Ethan slapped me across the face, cutting off my words. His face was ugly. “At this point, you still will not admit it! Still will not repent!” “Jade, I never knew you were such a shameless, conscienceless person!” “Will not admit it, huh? Still lying, huh? Then let me see just how stubborn you can be!” He stood up directly and dragged me downstairs. “Ethan! Let me go!” He ignored my struggles and threw me directly into the basement freezer, locking the door. “Let me out! Ethan!” I frantically pounded on the freezer door. His only response was cold and merciless. “You will not admit it, right? Then let us see if your life is tougher or your mouth!” “When you admit it and kneel down to apologize to Miranda, that is when I will let you out!” I desperately pounded on the freezer door, but no one paid attention. The temperature dropped rapidly. I collapsed helplessly on the floor, beginning to lose body heat. I do not know how long passed before the freezer door opened. I looked up to see Miranda coming over with concern to help me. “Bestie, are you okay? Come out quickly! Let us go to the hospital!” Looking at the genuine concern on her face, I only felt torn apart. “Miranda, why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to wrong you that you would hurt me like this!” My voice choked with sobs. If I hated anyone, I hated Miranda more than Ethan. We grew up together. We were best friends. I took slaps for her when blocking the seniors who bullied her. She once hugged my arm and said she wanted to be with me forever. But this same person kept stabbing me in the heart. Miranda looked hurt and wronged. “I am just afraid you will be deceived by scumbags. I just want to find you a husband who truly loves and trusts you!” “Look! If I had not tested him this time, you would have married a bad man. What if there is a mistress later who makes up lies like I did? Then you would…” I shook off her hand, sobbing. “You are not doing this for my good! You are hurting me again and again!” Miranda blinked her innocent eyes and said to me, “Okay, okay, it is my fault. Let us go to the hospital first.” She forcibly helped up the already unsteady me and pushed me into a car. The car drove all the way to a hotel. I looked at her warily. “What are you trying to do! Where are you taking me!” She just smiled mysteriously, grabbed my weakened body, and led me into a room. The door opened to reveal a group of sleazy-looking burly men inside. She suddenly screamed, tore her clothes, smashed her own head, and ran outside. “I was wrong! I am sorry, Miss White! I will not compete with you for him! I will not compete with you for anything! Do not hit me anymore!” My instincts screamed danger. I barely managed to stand, trying to grab her. Before I could steady myself, the door was kicked open. After Ethan saw me and the sleazy men behind me, his eyes turned red instantly. He slapped me across the face. “Jade! Do you have a death wish?!” “Not only do you refuse to repent for your mistakes, you want to keep retaliating against Miranda?! You even wanted to ruin her! How can you be so vicious!” “I did not!” I bit my lip and shouted. “It was Miranda who opened the freezer and brought me here!” “Enough! Only my parents and I know the freezer password! How could Miranda open it! You clearly sneaked out of the freezer and kidnapped Miranda here!” Ethan said through gritted teeth. “Fine! Threatening your life did not make you yield, so let us see if your mother’s life will!”

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On my wedding day, Ethan Cross bombed the hotel to stop the ceremony. He dug me out of the rubble with his bare hands. Looking at me with my lost memories, he hid the wild joy in his eyes and said in a trembling voice that he was my lover. But Ethan’s devotion to me only lasted five years. That day, he smoothly removed his wedding ring and gently cradled his assistant’s pregnant belly. “Have my child. I’ll give you whatever you want. Just don’t let Aria find out.” But he didn’t know the assistant secretly recorded this and flaunted it to me. “You old hag! Ethan loves me. It’s time for you to step aside!” What he knew even less was that I had recovered my memory. Before him, my true love was named Nathan Kane. That man was gorgeous, but also a crazy mafia boss who never forgot a grudge. And I was just like him. Ethan Cross was finished. Ethan hid his mistress extremely well. Too bad the girl’s courage and ambition were both enormous. This girl named Summer Collins came straight to my door, belly protruding, to provoke me. “Aria, I’m carrying twins. The doctor said they’re boys.” “Their father feels bad that pregnancy is so hard on me. He’s been giving me massages every night lately, and only goes home to his wife after I fall asleep. He can’t wait to meet the babies!” I lifted my eyes with a smile, coldness flashing through them. “Has the father of your children never told you what kind of person I am?” If Ethan was so eager to see the children, shouldn’t I help him out? Half an hour later, an express delivery package was sent to Ethan’s company. While I enjoyed afternoon tea, I watched the company surveillance footage. When Ethan received my package, his cold, stern features instantly melted into gentle spring water. But the moment he opened it, his expression changed dramatically. Inside was a medical certificate for a miscarriage. Along with his and Summer’s children. An hour later, Ethan came home. Summer was lying on a temporary hospital bed. The moment she saw him, she burst into heartbroken sobs. “Ethan, she killed our children! Those were the babies you’ve been dreaming about!” “I want her dead!” Pain flashed through Ethan’s eyes. He grabbed my wrist, his cold, hard voice clearly suppressing tremendous rage. “Aria, she’s just a young girl fresh out of college! Did you really need to be this ruthless?” In five years of marriage, this was the first time he’d been harsh with me. And it was for another woman. I threw my phone in front of him. The chat history was full of intimate videos between Ethan and Summer. Along with messages insulting me and demanding I step aside. “Your mistress sent these to provoke me. As your wife, I was very hurt watching them. Isn’t it okay for me to retaliate?” Ethan froze. He glanced coldly at Summer. Then his eyes softened as he half-knelt before me, holding my hands. “Aria, you misunderstood.” “I just didn’t want you to suffer through childbirth. I planned to bring the baby home for you to raise after she gave birth.” “I swear on my life, the only person I’ll ever love is you, Aria.” I believed what he said was true. Back when we were considering having children, he directly signed up for a childbirth simulation experience. That was the first time I’d seen Ethan cry. He held me tight with heartache. “Aria, how can childbirth be this painful? Let’s not have children, okay? I can’t bear to see you suffer.” But because he couldn’t bear to see me suffer… He had another woman carry twins for me instead? I turned my head with a mocking look, just in time to see Summer’s eyes widen in disbelief, turning bloodshot. I laughed softly. “Ethan Cross, you’re the truly ruthless one, stabbing both of us with a single sentence.” “So now, what do you plan to do?” “In the past, when someone made me angry, you’d ruin them without a second thought and drive them out of the city.”

Ethan’s eyes swept over Summer with cold indifference. But his trembling hands betrayed him. After a long moment, he said: “Aria, I apologize on her behalf.” “What will it take for you to calm down and let me take her away?” A violent energy suddenly surged in my chest. No matter how prettily he spoke or how cold his eyes looked, he was still protecting her! Expressionless, I swept the porcelain in the house to the floor, shattering it everywhere. Without hesitation, Ethan took off his shoes. Barefoot, he stepped on the broken shards. He picked up Summer and walked away step by step. The bright red blood mixed with porcelain white, making my eyes tremble. Though Ethan was crazy, he was an extreme egoist. Since I’d known him, he’d only been hurt for me, only suffered losses because of me. My expression grew colder inch by inch. Ethan still didn’t know I had recovered my memory. What he knew even less was that I might have actually developed some feelings for him. For a few moments, I’d even wondered if I should continue pretending to have amnesia and stay with him forever. But now… A ruined man and a woman who stole my man. I would make them both pay dearly! After that day, Ethan sent me gifts in different ways every day. But he ran to Summer’s place daily. Tonight’s excuse was that he had a last-minute business dinner and would be home a few hours late. The moment Ethan finished lying, Summer’s message arrived. “Ha ha, are you regretting it now, old hag?” “So what if you killed my child? He just feels more sorry for me now. He makes me healthy meals every day.” In the video, a tall man wearing an apron was busy in the kitchen. Ethan never used to cook. For me, he learned from chefs everywhere. Now the dishes he made for Summer were all my favorites. Staring at the food in the video, I could even recall the familiar aromas. My mouth filled with nausea. Damn Ethan! He ruined all my favorite dishes! Summer’s laugh was full of malice and showing off. “He also said he’ll give me another child tonight, while you…” “Old hag, you’re finished.” The moment the voice message finished playing, my car was violently struck. I looked up to see a dozen tattooed, bald muscle men with clubs surrounding me. “So you’re the one who bullied my little sister Summer?” I raised an eyebrow and calmly called Ethan. As usual, he answered after just one ring. “Ethan, Summer called her gang friends. They’ve surrounded me with their men.” His voice on the other end sounded somewhat helpless. “Aria, stop making things up, okay? She’s just a college graduate. How could she…” I smiled and cut him off directly. “I won’t resist whatever they do. Whether you come or not is up to you.” With that, I hung up. The night wind was cool. I counted the traffic lights in a daze. Ethan appeared quickly. He’d encountered traffic on the way and abandoned his car to sprint here. The man was gasping, his chest heaving violently, his shirt vaguely outlining his muscular chest. I stared for a moment, then smiled slightly. Actually, I’d lied to him. The muscle men who’d tried to do something to me were now sprawled all over the ground. Ethan stared at me through clenched teeth. Finally, his gaze fell on my scratched leg. With heartache and defeat, he crouched in front of me. With extreme gentleness, he held my calf and applied medicine. “You’re only acting this way because you know I love you!” He had a thousand complaints in his heart, but this was all he dared to express. In that instant, my heart stirred again slightly. For once, I felt the urge to explain. “This wasn’t staged by me. Summer really did call them here.” But Ethan said without hesitation: “I asked Summer. She swore it wasn’t her. She’s a very innocent girl, not like…” His words cut off abruptly. But I understood. Not like me—vicious and cunning. My expression darkened. I grabbed my phone and called my lawyer right in front of Ethan. “Please prepare divorce papers for me. I’ll come pick them up right now.” I kicked Ethan out of the car and turned it around. He actually stood directly in front of my car. The night wind lifted his hair. His eyes were defiant yet crazed. He gritted his teeth, his voice practically squeezing through his throat. “Aria, if you want a divorce, run me over first!” The bright headlights illuminated his insane expression. I met his gaze and stepped on the gas.

The piercing sound of brakes rang out. I stopped just a few centimeters away. But Ethan didn’t retreat at all, staring at me with hot, crazy eyes. This time it was my turn to grit my teeth. “This lunatic!” I fled in panic, turning to leave in another direction. A few days later, I received another message from Summer. Unexpectedly, her attitude this time was surprisingly humble. “Aria, I’m here to apologize. I really know I was wrong.” “I know I made you angry. Give me a chance to make it up to you, okay?” She sent an address, saying she wanted to invite me to relax. And apologize in person. I went. An enormous rose garden appeared before my eyes. Summer stood in a white dress in front of intensely red rose bushes, waiting for me with a smile. Like a hostess, she used a key to open the estate’s gate. When I glimpsed the huge photograph by the flower bushes, my body stiffened. In the photo, Summer and Ethan held hands, lying in the flowers kissing. The scene was beautiful and warm. And the date it was taken was five years ago. Before I lost my memory. Summer’s pretentiously proud laughter came from beside me. “Aria, actually I knew about you long ago. I even helped Ethan come up with ideas to pursue you.” Only then did I learn that Summer had known Ethan much longer than I had. She was a poor student he sponsored. Ethan brought her out of the mountains. When she had nowhere to live, she stayed at his place. The corridor was filled with photos, every single one of Summer and Ethan together. This rose garden was built by him for her. Listening to Summer introduce their past photo by photo. My palms actually went a bit numb. She smiled as she looked at my wedding ring. “Every gift Ethan gave you, I helped him choose.” “Including this wedding ring—he only bought it because I liked this style.” I knew she wasn’t telling the whole truth, or rather not telling it completely. The wedding ring was something Ethan first selected from dozens of styles. He brought them to me and let me choose personally. But that didn’t stop me from being disgusted. Expressionless, I pulled off the ring and casually tossed it into the rose bushes. Seeing this, Summer’s eyes curved with satisfaction. “Mr. Cross really likes you. I’m so unwilling to accept it.” “But it’s okay. People always get tired, right! I acted understanding in front of him, saying I didn’t want anything, just that when he thought of me, he could spare me a little of the love you didn’t want.” “Guess what?” Summer laughed exaggeratedly, as if remembering something happy. “He took the initiative to sleep with me!” “You, the white moonlight, became a mosquito blood stain after he caught you. He’s tired of you!” “So I advise you to be smart and get lost. Mr. Cross will be mine sooner or later!” I stared at her for a while, then suddenly smiled sweetly. “If you’re this cheap, then I feel relieved.” Summer froze, looking at me suspiciously. I raised an eyebrow and smiled. “This way I won’t feel any guilt.” Under her confused gaze, I kicked over the shelving. Collectible wine shattered all over the floor. I pulled out a lighter. The flickering flame illuminated Summer’s terrified face. The next second, fire engulfed the entire estate. Ethan arrived quickly. Seeing me and Summer in the flames, his eyes nearly split with rage. Summer screamed at the top of her lungs: “Ethan, save me! The fire’s about to reach me!” “I just lost two children for you!” I watched Ethan with interest and mouthed words to him. “Between the two of us, who will you save first?”

The wild, unrestrained fire dragon licked at the sky. Illuminating the man’s struggling expression. He soaked himself thoroughly and rushed toward Summer. At the same time, I heard his anxious voice. “Aria, I know what you’re capable of. You can escape on your own, but Summer can’t!” He scooped Summer up in his arms. Through the rolling flames, I saw Summer turn her head and flash me a triumphant smile. I smiled back at her. Arms crossed, standing still without moving. The flames burned more and more fiercely. Ethan glanced at me not moving and hesitated for half a second before gritting his teeth. In the end, he put Summer down and rushed over to cover me with his wet jacket, pulling me to escape the fire. I stared at him with half disappointment. What a shame. If he’d just chosen to leave me behind, I could have used that as grounds for divorce. As for what the other half of my emotions were, I didn’t want to think about it. After rescuing me, Ethan went back for Summer. After we got out, the corridor’s flower stands collapsed. They fell right on Summer’s leg. When Ethan carried her out, she was crying her heart out. I knew Ethan was angry. As he passed me, he slammed heavily into my shoulder. He ordered coldly: “Take the lady to the hospital with us!” On the hospital bed. Summer’s leg was wrapped in thick bandages. She obediently held Ethan’s hand. “Ethan, don’t be angry. I’m fine.” “I don’t blame Aria for making trouble at the estate, and I don’t blame you for not saving me first. It’s my own fault…” As she spoke, her eyes reddened, but she stubbornly refused to let tears fall. She looked like she’d suffered a great injustice no matter how you looked at her. Ethan’s eyes filled with heartache and guilt. He even ignored my presence and directly cupped her face, kissing and comforting her tenderly. Then he frowned at me. “Aria, you trespassed on Summer’s estate, set fires, and hurt people. Don’t you think you should apologize?!” I smiled provocatively, resolute. “I won’t.” Ethan’s frown deepened. Summer said with false sincerity: “Ethan, don’t force Aria. Don’t fight because of me!” She suddenly smiled at me quickly and operated something on her phone. The next second, media reporters flooded into the hospital room. “Are you Mrs. Cross?” “We heard you won’t let any woman near Mr. Cross. This assistant was just doing her daily work, and you directly set a fire to hurt her. Is this true?” Dense microphones and cameras pointed at me. Ethan’s expression became panicked. Five years ago, to hide me after I lost my memory, he’d gone to great lengths. He spent hundreds of millions creating false leads to lure my lover, who was desperately searching for me, out of the country. He blocked the media, forbidding any reports or public photos showing my face for five years. He took big strides toward me. But at that moment, Summer pretended to be pushed down by the media and cried out in pain. “Ethan, my stomach hurts so much. Did my wound open again?” “Forget it, forget it. You should go check on Aria first. I can find a doctor myself.” “After all… this isn’t the first time you’ve abandoned me for her.” As she spoke, she shed bitter tears. Ethan’s eyes froze. Across the crowded cameras and heads of the media, he looked straight into my eyes. “Again? You arranged these media yourself, didn’t you?” “Aria, I won’t fall for your tricks this time.” “Summer is right. I’ve spoiled you too much these five years. It’s time you learned a lesson!” With that, he picked up Summer and turned to leave. “Summer, I’m sorry. I’ll never let you get hurt because of her again!” Over his shoulder, Summer gave me a flaunting look. This time, she’d finally won. I held my sides laughing until tears came. Ethan desperately hid me for five years. Turns out all it took was one Summer to make him let his guard down. The hospital room door slammed shut. I looked at the camera and smiled as I tucked my hair behind my ear. I knew he would definitely see me. As long as I gave him the slightest clue, he would spare no effort to find me. My former beloved, mafia boss Nathan Kane.

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The morning after my high school reunion, I woke up, eyes still glued shut, and immediately brushed my hand against a long, incredibly hairy leg. Driven by sheer, sleepy curiosity, I couldn’t resist running my hand up and down it a few times… The very next second—BANG! The hotel room door burst open, and a crowd of people flooded inside. Terrified, I snatched my hand back, snapped my eyes open, and clutched the duvet tightly to my chest. “Dr. Carter, the Chief of Surgery needs you in…” The group of men who had just barged in suddenly stopped dead in their tracks, letting out a collective gasp of shock. Me: ??? What Dr. Carter? I followed their wide-eyed stares and glanced to my side. There was a man lying right next to me. Two long, straight legs, covered in enough masculine leg hair to scream raw testosterone. And further up… My eyes practically burned out of their sockets. “We… we didn’t mean to…” The group of guys frantically covered their eyes, stammering apologies. I didn’t recognize a single person in that group, and I definitely didn’t recognize the man currently occupying my bed. Just as I was sitting there, completely paralyzed with panic— The man next to me reached out, gave the duvet a slight tug, cracked one eye open to look at me, and rasped, “Mind sharing a little?” It took my brain a full second to process that sentence before I let go of the blanket like it was on fire. The duvet slipped down, barely covering his essential anatomy. He closed his eye again and drawled lazily at the crowd by the door, “Are you guys leaving or what?” Whoa… I was so spooked by his casual attitude that I started to scramble out of bed. He let out a heavy sigh, sounding incredibly exhausted. “Not you.” Upon hearing that, the group of men finally stopped gawking. One of them threw out a hasty, “The Chief is waiting to start the M&M conference, hurry up and get downstairs!” Then, they all practically tripped over each other running out of the room. The world suddenly went dead quiet. I sat there, clutching a corner of the duvet, shivering uncontrollably. The Playful Doctor vs. The Good Girl “What are you so scared of?” My trembling seemed to have finally killed his desire to sleep. He sighed, opened his eyes to look at me, but clearly couldn’t keep them open and let them fall shut again. “I… I think… I’m a little sore,” I blabbered, my brain completely short-circuiting from the shock. The second the words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself. This time, his eyes snapped open and stayed open. He stared at me for a few long seconds, reached up to massage his temples, and then slung a long arm around my waist, pulling me haphazardly against him. “The first time is always like that. It’ll fade in a bit.” I think he was trying to comfort me. But I felt absolutely zero comfort. Instead, a cold sweat broke out all over my body. Then, I looked down and saw a small patch of blood on the pristine white hotel sheets… My scalp went numb. He noticed the bloodstain too. He froze for a moment, then reached out, ruffled my hair, and let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh. “Sorry. I guess I lost control.” Lost control?! Another wave of cold sweat washed over me. “Who are you?” I asked, my voice cracking with pure misery. My question actually made him laugh, a sound born of sheer disbelief. “You don’t even know who I am, and you still broke in here and slept with me?” “I… I can’t remember anything…” I had never been in a situation like this in my entire life. I was covered in goosebumps. “I’m not going to get pregnant from this, am I?” Okay, I really had to hand it to myself. In the midst of all this existential panic and utter confusion, I still managed to prioritize the most critical question. Classic me. “…” He cracked an eye open to look at me again. He looked incredibly, profoundly exhausted. He looked so weak that I felt like if I poked him too hard, he might actually stop breathing. Just how wild was I last night to exhaust a grown man to this point? I was dying of shame. “No,” he stated simply, getting straight to the point. I had zero experience, and I couldn’t even remember the mechanics of what happened last night, so I didn’t dare press for details. If he said I wouldn’t get pregnant, I chose to believe him. After all, those guys called him a doctor. Maybe he used protection? That was the only thing I could tell myself. “So, um, bye?” Desperate to avoid the agonizing awkwardness of both of us being fully awake and sober, I chose the coward’s way out. Flight. “…” He glanced at me, then suddenly chuckled. “Sure.” I truly believed I would never see him again. Yet, two weeks later, clutching a positive pregnancy test, I found myself sitting outside his office at the hospital, shivering like a leaf. “Hey, future Mrs. Carter!” A young male doctor bounded up to me. I jumped out of my skin, almost having a heart attack right there in the waiting room. “Are you waiting for Dr. Carter?” He was grinning at me with the aggressive enthusiasm of a close friend. But in reality, the only time I had ever seen him was during that chaotic, mortifying morning in the hotel room. The morning I wanted to scrub from my brain forever. Two weeks ago, I attended my high school reunion, drank way too much, and stumbled into the wrong hotel room. I only found out later that Dr. Carter and a team of surgeons were at that hotel for a medical conference. In a twist of terrible fate, his room was right next to mine. He had come down with a severe fever, and the colleague who was checking on him had forgotten to pull the door shut when he left… and I just wandered right in. And then his colleagues came to wake him up for their morning meeting… Leading to the apocalyptic scene I woke up to. “Uh, yeah,” I mumbled, my face burning so hot it felt like it was going to melt off. “Come wait inside.” Without waiting for an answer, he practically dragged me into the doctors’ private lounge. As we walked past Dr. Carter’s desk, he glanced up at me. His expression was completely blank. It was like he had never seen me before in his life. To be fair, I was having a hard time recognizing him too. I had never seen him out of bed, fully dressed in his crisp, professional white coat. I waited in agonizing suspense for two hours. Staring at the nameplate on his desk, I finally learned his full name: Dr. Liam Carter, Cardiothoracic Surgeon. I discreetly googled him on my phone. And discovered he was already… 29 years old? I mentally calculated the massive generational gap between us. Finally, Liam walked into the office to change out of his scrubs. He shot me a suspicious look. “Are you waiting for Dr. Weeks?” Me: ??? “Dr. Carter, I’m waiting for you.” I stood up, gripping my purse so tightly my knuckles were white. My voice was as quiet as a mouse. “And you are?” Me: ??? Did he seriously have amnesia the second he got out of bed? “Two weeks ago. At the Marriott. We…” I forced myself to explain, my voice losing confidence with every syllable. Finally, I gave up, pulled the pregnancy test out of my purse, and carefully held it out to him. “I think… I’m pregnant.” “Liam, it’s time for lunch.” Right at that exact second, a female doctor barged into the office. I panicked, trying to hide the pregnancy test, but fumbled it. It clattered directly into the trash can next to his desk. I stared at the trash can, terrified he hadn’t seen it clearly, agonizing over whether I should dig it out. “…” Liam didn’t say a word. He just stared at me, a highly amused, calculated look in his eyes. “Is this your patient?” The female doctor clearly had no intention of leaving. She turned her scrutinizing gaze onto me. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. The awkwardness was suffocating. “I have something to take care of. You guys go ahead.” He didn’t introduce me. I felt like I had been caught stealing. The female doctor looked incredibly displeased about leaving. Before she walked out, she intentionally tugged on Liam’s sleeve—a blatant territorial claim. He has a girlfriend. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. Yet Liam acted like absolutely nothing had happened. He sat back down in his rolling chair, pulled a patient chart toward him, and started writing. Then, in a half-joking tone, he asked, “Feeling better?” Whoa. My heart did a violent flip at his words. “I’m fine,” I replied automatically. He shot me a fleeting, breezy glance and smiled again. “Want me to take responsibility?” I was honestly in awe of him. How could he calmly write medical charts at a time like this? He was acting like I was just here for a routine checkup. “I just don’t know what to do.” I had never expected him to take responsibility. I was just completely lost and overwhelmed by the result, hoping he might have some medical or practical advice. I tested the waters. “I should probably schedule an abortion, right?” I was trying to play it cool, but my palms were dripping with sweat. He kept writing in the chart, acting like I was discussing the weather and not our potential unborn child. What a jerk. His absolute calm was driving me insane. “Up to you.” He suddenly looked up, his gaze locking directly onto mine. His face was entirely devoid of emotion. “If you’ve decided you don’t want it, then don’t have it.” “Okay.” Could I even have it? Given the absolute trainwreck of a situation… “Scared?” There was a distinct teasing lilt in his voice. “Yeah.” I didn’t know what else to say. “So now you know how to be scared…” He shot me a highly unreadable look, flipped to a fresh page in the chart, and smirked. “That’s definitely not the girl I met that night.” Me: ??? Thinking back to how half-dead he looked that morning, I desperately wanted to know what the hell I had actually done to him. But his comment made it sound like this entire disaster was 100% my fault, and that pissed me off. “It wasn’t entirely my fault either,” I mumbled, my voice so quiet I could barely hear myself. He suddenly stopped writing. He raised a single, perfectly sculpted eyebrow at me, and a sudden, disarming smile broke across his usually stern face. “I was running a 103-degree fever that night. Did you really expect me to have the strength to fight you off?” Well… I was completely boxed in. If you didn’t have the strength to fight me off, where did you find the strength to absolutely wreck me? I thought bitterly. A player is a player. He could casually bring up the most mortifying, unmentionable details without batting an eye. He was clearly a seasoned pro at handling ‘situations’ like this. I was completely out of my league. “If you’ve made up your mind…” He fell silent for a moment, finishing his notes. Once he signed the bottom of the page, he let out a sigh and looked up. “Let’s do it next week.” “Next week?” “Next week is the only time I have an opening in my schedule,” he explained. “Okay.” Adults have to pay the price for their actions. I didn’t argue, I was just incredibly anxious. A week later, I was back in his office. My resolve to go through with the surgery was crumbling. It started because my mom had invited me over for family dinner this week. Sitting at the table with my stepdad, my younger half-brother, and my mom, the atmosphere was so warm and loud. When I got back to my tiny, silent apartment, I looked around the empty walls. The contrast of the warm family dinner flashed in my mind, and I let out a heavy sigh. I felt a wave of profound, crushing loneliness. My parents divorced when I was very young. After the split, I stayed with my mom. From middle school onward, I had been living in dorms. Because when I was in middle school, my mom met my stepdad and they built a new life together. She was so happy. I knew I should be happy for her. But coming back to this empty apartment, I just felt physically and emotionally drained. I suddenly really, really wanted to keep this baby. I was just so incredibly lonely. I knew Liam would never agree to it. No sane man in his position would. And he probably had a girlfriend. So, even as I sat in his office again, I was still agonizing over whether to keep it. “Future Mrs. Carter! Back to see our Dr. Carter again?” It was Dr. Weeks, the guy from last time. “Yeah.” I sat there, feeling stiff and awkward. “Please don’t call me that!” I whispered frantically. “Don’t be shy,” Dr. Weeks instantly slid into the chair next to me, looking around conspiratorially before dropping his voice. “We’ve all been taking bets for months on who would finally manage to tame the Ice King… We never saw you coming. We have mad respect for you, seriously.” “Huh?” I was totally lost. “You guys have the wrong idea… He and I aren’t…” Finally, I just threw my hands up and blurted out, “Doesn’t he have a girlfriend? Please stop saying things like that.” “Who?” Dr. Weeks suddenly looked deadly serious. “How do I not know about this?” “…” Now I was even more confused. Liam didn’t have a girlfriend? Did I misread the situation with that female doctor? “Are you saying Dr. Carter is seeing another woman behind your back?!” “?” I had no idea how to explain that I was the “other woman.” “Do you have a lot of free time on your hands, Dr. Weeks?” A voice suddenly floated down from above us, and a tall shadow fell over the desk. Liam! I jumped to my feet so fast I almost knocked the chair over. I felt exactly like a middle schooler caught gossiping in the back of the class. “I…” I tried to formulate a sentence. Dr. Weeks was equally terrified. He grabbed a random stack of charts and practically sprinted out of the room, pretending to be incredibly busy. “I wasn’t talking to you.” Once Dr. Weeks was gone, Liam’s tone softened significantly. He reached out, gently ruffled my hair, and gestured for me to sit back down. He then took his seat behind his desk. I felt my face heat up. Why did he always insist on petting my head? Didn’t he know it felt way too intimate and totally embarrassing? “Why do you always look so terrified of me?” he asked, studying me intently. “Do I look like a monster?” I sat down nervously. “No, it’s just… you’re a lot older than me… you feel like a…” “Like a what?” He looked highly amused. “An authority figure. An elder.” I answered honestly. “An elder?” He let out a sharp bark of laughter. “How old are you?” “I’ll be 22 next month.” His laughter made me feel incredibly insecure. When a guy who is usually dead serious starts laughing, it is absolutely lethal. Especially since he possessed an objectively devastating face. “Yeah, you are pretty young.” He stopped laughing, his expression turning thoughtful. “Wait here for a second.” He suddenly stood up and walked into the adjoining locker room to change. Those few minutes of waiting were pure agony. I was agonizing over how to say what I needed to say. Because of what Dr. Weeks had just said—that Liam didn’t have a girlfriend—my resolve had wavered even more. I was almost 22, and I had never had a real boyfriend. And Liam… well, whether it was his looks, his demeanor, or his career… he pretty much checked every single box I had ever imagined for a partner. Except for the fact that he was a massive player, obviously. I started thinking, maybe… maybe I could try dating him? Finally, I gathered every ounce of courage I had, stood up, walked to the locker room door, and knocked lightly. “Dr. Carter, I have a question.” My fists were clenched tight. I honestly didn’t have the guts to look him in the eye when I said this, so talking through the closed door was much easier. He didn’t answer. I hesitated, but pushed forward anyway. “Do you have a girlfriend? Because if you don’t… could we maybe… give this a try? I really want to keep the baby.” Saying that sentence felt like it drained my entire life force. I stood outside the door, bracing myself for the verdict. Then, the door swung open. But instead of hearing his verdict, I was blasted by a voice coming from his phone on speaker…

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Everyone in the military base housing envied me. I was the “slow” girl, yet I was going to be the wife of Captain Liam Hayes. But they didn’t know that when I was eight years old, I took a hit meant for him. That incident nearly cost me my life, and it permanently froze my mental development at that age. Knowing he owed me an unpayable debt, Liam promised to marry me. He promised to treat me well for the rest of his life. And for a long time, he actually did. While the other officers’ wives were elegant, sophisticated, and perfectly poised, Liam never found me embarrassing. He never minded how slow or clumsy I was. Once, during a devastating flash flood, he even gave up his spot on the rescue chopper for me. Until… Mia showed up. Her arrival made Liam’s trips home fewer and farther between. Even the little boy we had adopted together started saying: “I wish Auntie Mia was my mom. I don’t want a stupid girl for a mother!” Before I even had time to process the heartbreak, I was sent away to a rundown cabin in the country, where I died alone in the freezing drafts. When I opened my eyes again, I was unexpectedly back on the exact day Liam was supposed to fulfill his childhood promise. But this time, I didn’t want his guilt. And I didn’t want to marry him anymore. I didn’t understand why, but I should have been dead. Dead in that dilapidated, freezing cabin. But when I opened my eyes, I saw Liam, standing tall and handsome in his crisp military uniform. He asked me gently, “Ellie, let me take care of you forever, okay?” I lowered my eyes, knowing this meant we would spend the rest of our lives together. Because the last time he asked, I agreed, and not long after, I put on a white wedding dress. Honestly, marrying Liam was something I used to be thrilled about. It had been my birthday wish every single year since I was eight. But my head was spinning. It felt like I had just woken up from a vivid, identical dream. In that dream, Liam said the exact same thing. Then he married me, but shortly after our wedding, he regretted it. The very last time I saw him in that dream, I was crying, clutching his hand, begging him not to throw me away. He coldly shook me off. His voice was so tired, so utterly exhausted. “Ellie, please, just let me go.” “You took that hit for me when we were kids. I owe you, I know. But I’ve poured my heart and soul into taking care of you for all these years. Isn’t the debt paid by now?” “Just have some mercy. Sign the divorce papers. Let Mia and me be together.” Mia was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. In my memories, Liam was always by her side. I heard the other wives on the base whispering about her. They said Mia was incredible. She was a brilliant, highly educated researcher who had just returned from studying in Europe. The kind of person I could never compare to in a million lifetimes. They also said she and Liam were a match made in heaven, unlike him and me—a slow girl who could barely even read. I had pouted. I felt so wronged. Actually… I wasn’t born slow. I grew up with Liam. We went to elementary school together, and teachers used to call me bright. But when I was eight, I drank a glass of poisoned cider that was meant for him. When I woke up, a crowd was gathered around my hospital bed. A doctor with a white beard shook his head and sighed. “There’s no cure. Severe neurological damage. She’ll be like this for the rest of her life.” Back then, I didn’t understand what “the rest of her life” meant. But I remember Liam holding me tight, crying endlessly. He shed so many tears. Finally, the little boy made a promise: “Ellie, I’m so sorry.” “When you grow up, we’ll get married. I’ll take care of you forever.” I didn’t know what marriage really meant, but Liam said marriage meant two people getting to stay together forever. My eyes instantly lit up. I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt. That sounded wonderful. I loved Liam more than anything. I wanted us to be together forever. But for some reason, after that day, the kids on the base stopped playing with me. They walked around me. They would huddle in groups far away and secretly point and laugh. I ran to Liam and asked him why. He comforted me so patiently: “It’s okay. Our Ellie is just a little sick right now. When you get better, your friends will come back.” “Besides, you have me, right? I’ll play with you.” “I’ll always stay with you, Ellie.” And he kept his word. He took care of my every need. When I turned nineteen, Liam kept his promise and married me. But shortly after, he met Mia. And he regretted it. The very first time I heard the phrase “love of my life” come out of Liam’s mouth… It was when he was describing Mia. Liam didn’t know that on the day he asked for a divorce, I wasn’t plotting anything. I had no intention of clinging to him. I just wanted to ask if he could please not send me back to that empty cabin in the country, because it was too lonely there. But the more anxious I got, the harder it was to form a complete sentence. Huge tears just kept rolling down my cheeks. That was when little Noah stepped forward. He was the son of Liam’s fallen squadmate. Liam and I had adopted him together. I knew the little guy never liked me. He thought I was an embarrassment. So when Liam brought up the divorce, Noah quickly shoved me away. He glared at me viciously. “You burden! You’re just dead weight! How much longer are you going to drag my dad down?” “Get out! Get out of our house! Auntie Mia is coming over soon, and she’s going to be my real mom! I don’t want a stupid girl for a mother!” Liam was also disgusted by my crying. In the end, I was sent away to the country, where I died in that broken-down cabin. A cold sweat broke out across my back. The dream felt too real. So real that it chilled me to the bone. I didn’t want to die. So I gently pushed Liam away and waved my hands frantically. “Let’s not do that, Liam.” For the first time, a look of utter confusion crossed his face. Before he could ask why, two soldiers in uniform walked in and saluted him. They told him there was a new mission. Liam hastily said goodbye, telling me to take good care of myself before he left. I watched his back as he walked away. If I remembered correctly, this was the exact rescue mission where he was going to meet Mia. I really didn’t expect Mia and I to cross paths so soon. A week later, she showed up at my door with gifts. She said she wanted to thank Liam for saving her life. She covered my table with beautiful, delicate pastries. Mrs. Higgins, the sweet older lady who lived next door, pulled me aside to warn me. “Ellie, honey, you need to keep your eyes open. You aren’t officially married yet, and you have no idea how many women are gunning for your Captain.” When she said that, her eyes were locked onto Mia. Seeing that I still didn’t react, Mrs. Higgins patted my head and sighed. “Oh, you poor, sweet girl.” Then, she turned her head and quietly spat in Mia’s direction, muttering, “Homewrecker.” Mrs. Higgins told me that after Liam saved Mia, she had used “gratitude” as an excuse to invite him out to dinner multiple times. People had spotted them alone at the local diner more than once. Mrs. Higgins knew I had saved Liam’s life, and she knew about our arrangement, so she was trying to help me guard against Mia. But I just shook my head. After that vivid dream, I was more certain than ever that I couldn’t use a childhood debt to hold Liam hostage. He deserved to choose his own life. And I wanted my freedom, too. I didn’t want to stay in the Hayes household anymore. After all, besides Liam, no one there actually liked me. In stark contrast to me, Mia was incredibly popular. Liam’s grandmother absolutely adored her. How much? She would constantly hold Mia’s hand, pushing her toward Liam, saying the family was just missing a granddaughter-in-law exactly like her. During their very first meeting, Grandma Hayes even gave Mia the antique diamond bracelet that had been passed down through the family for generations. I remembered Liam telling me that bracelet was meant for his future wife. Liam happened to be walking downstairs when it happened. Hearing his grandmother’s words, he frowned, clearly displeased. He stopped her. “Grandma, stop talking nonsense. I’m marrying Ellie.” But even though Liam said he was marrying me, he and Mia were becoming increasingly inseparable. Coincidentally, Liam’s newest assignment was to act as the protective detail for this brilliant researcher. As a result, they were glued to each other. The people on the base laughed at me constantly. They would walk right up to my face and joke: “Ellie, your man took Mia to the movies again.” “Hey there, slowpoke, the Captain took someone to the mall today.” “Does the Captain even want you anymore? We all saw him buy Mia a gorgeous dress. Did he buy you one?” Whenever they started talking like that, I would run out and sit under the old oak tree by the gate. I wouldn’t say I was heartbroken. I really was fine with not marrying Liam. But could he please not abandon me? I didn’t want to be completely alone. I… needed family. Liam treated me well, and he was all I had left. If we couldn’t be husband and wife, could I just be his little sister? I picked up a twig and drew circles in the dirt. The answer was no. A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, Grandma Hayes took Noah and me to the department store downtown. She wanted to buy some holiday treats and toys. And right there, we bumped into Liam. And Mia. At that exact moment, he was looking at her with absolute tenderness, gently helping her tie a silk scarf around her neck. From the back, they looked like a perfect, beautiful match. Little Noah immediately squeezed next to me, gloating proudly. “See that? That’s the kind of person who actually deserves my dad.” “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll pack your bags and leave, you dead weight.” Mhm… Noah loved calling me that. Dead weight. A burden. I bit my lip, just about to pinch his cheek and tell him: Listen here, kid. I can be really mean. I’m not someone you want to mess with. But when I looked up, I locked eyes with Liam. Seeing me, he completely panicked, instantly putting a massive distance between himself and Mia. He rushed over to explain, “Look, Ellie, it’s not what you think. Mia and I are just…” I didn’t wait for him to finish. I just nodded. I didn’t blame him. Truly. Ever since that dream, I knew that the Liam who met Mia was no longer just my Liam. I just didn’t expect Mia to take him away so absolutely, so completely. Because that night, I came down with a terrifyingly high fever. Maybe I hadn’t worn enough clothes at the mall. Usually, when I got sick, Liam would make me hot tea, stay right by my bed, and tell me stories until I fell asleep. But this time, a single phone call from Mia changed everything. I heard her crying through the receiver. “Liam, I sprained my ankle. It hurts so badly. Can you take me to the ER?” Liam didn’t hesitate for a second. As he headed for the door, I made one last, desperate attempt. “Liam, can you not go? I feel really sick too.” Liam grabbed his truck keys, not even turning around. He brushed me off. “Be a good girl, Ellie. I need to get Mia to the hospital, it’s an emergency.” “I’ll bring you your favorite caramel apples when I get back.” And then he was gone. The house he left behind was suffocatingly quiet. Not a single sound. I rolled over in bed, tears streaming down my face. I cried because, once again, I had no family. It was true. Liam… my Liam, was no longer my family. I knew I wasn’t smart. But when my mom was still alive, she told me: No matter what happens, family will never abandon you when you need them most. Liam’s excuse—it’s an emergency—translated to one simple truth: Mia was more important than me. I curled into a tight ball under the covers. I waited, and waited. By the time the middle of the night rolled around, Liam still hadn’t returned. I was dizzy with fever, my throat parched and burning. I had to get out of bed to boil some water myself. I guess I really am just clumsy and stupid. So stupid that I tripped over my own feet just trying to get a glass of water. I hit my head hard against the edge of the cabinet. I saw stars. I finally understood why, in my dream, Liam had slowly grown to resent me. Just like Noah said, I really was a burden. I was dead weight. I couldn’t do anything right. I bit down hard on my lip to stop myself from crying out loud. It hurt… It hurt so much. My forehead was throbbing. I mimicked the way my mom used to comfort me when I was little, whispering to myself: Don’t cry, Ellie. Be a good girl. Ellie is the bravest. Ellie is… is very strong. But the more I whispered, the faster the tears fell. Mom, I miss you so much. I miss you and Dad. You were the only ones who never thought I was stupid. I crouched on the floor, sobbing quietly. That night, the moon and stars were completely hidden behind dark storm clouds. I dug through my closet and pulled out a floral dress my mom had made for me years ago. I used it as a pillow, and finally cried myself into a heavy sleep. My fever raged on and off for days. It wasn’t until Thanksgiving arrived that I finally started feeling better. During that entire time, Liam stayed by Mia’s side. He didn’t forget I was sick, though. But every time he showed even the slightest inclination to come check on me, Mia conveniently found a reason to call him away. I got used to it. In my dream, this exact scenario had played out countless times. Perhaps out of guilt for abandoning me while I was sick, Liam went out of his way to buy me a bunch of my favorite pastries. And peanut butter cups. I had a massive sweet tooth. Ever since my parents passed away, candy was the only thing that could reach the bitter depths of my heart. Sitting on the sofa, Noah rolled his eyes at me. “Are you a baby? I stopped eating that childish junk years ago.” I pressed my lips together, clutching a crumpled candy wrapper in my hand, saying nothing. Of course Noah didn’t need candy. Even though he didn’t have his biological parents, he had Liam to dote on him. He had Grandma Hayes to spoil him. I was different. I only had candy. It was the only sweetness I could actually hold onto. Later that evening, the Thanksgiving family dinner began. Liam finally came home. He wasn’t alone. He brought Mia with him. Liam explained that it was Mia’s first holiday back in the States, her family was still in Europe, and she didn’t have many friends around here yet. So, he just brought her home. Mia walked up to me with a brilliant smile, handing me a beautifully wrapped gift box. “Ellie, I heard you love sweets. This is my Thanksgiving gift to you.” She winked at me. “I had a friend specifically send these from a boutique down south. You have to try them.” I didn’t want them. But after glancing at the warning look on Liam’s face, I took the box. Pecan pralines. All the color drained from my face. There was absolutely no way Liam didn’t know that I had a severe, life-threatening allergy to pecans. I realized then that I truly despised Mia. Especially when she tried to force me to eat something that could kill me. When it was just the two of us left in the living room, she aggressively pushed her gift on me. “Ellie, just take one bite. Don’t you love candy?” I ignored her, shifting my seat further away. She followed me. “Ellie, it was so hard to get these imported. Why are you being so disrespectful?” Mia aggressively tried to shove one of the pralines toward my mouth. I slapped her hand away. During the scuffle, a glass cup on the side table was knocked to the floor. It shattered into a dozen pieces. It was a custom, matching couple’s cup I had hand-painted for Liam and me. Now it was shattered, just like the far-from-perfect ending Liam and I had in my dream. Mia reached down to pick up the pieces, and a shard of glass sliced her finger. It was a long, bleeding cut. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears of pain. Liam walked into the room at that exact moment. Mia stood pitifully next to the broken glass. She pointed a trembling finger at me. “Liam, I just wanted Ellie to try the candy I brought her, and she aggressively refused. Does your family really hate me being here that much?” Before Liam could even speak, Noah rushed over. “Auntie Mia, it’s not your fault! Evelyn is just a weirdo, none of us like her anyway!” “She’s stupid. Don’t let her get to you.” “Does your finger hurt?” Seeing Mia bleeding, Liam’s face turned terrifyingly dark. “Ellie, apologize.” I didn’t understand. I just didn’t want to eat the candy that would make me deathly ill. Why did I have to apologize? I refused. But the price of not apologizing was that I had to eat the pecan pralines. Liam said that eating them was the only way to prove I wasn’t intentionally disrespecting Mia’s kindness. I stood frozen in the middle of the room. My throat bobbed. I wanted to scream, Why? Why are you treating me like this? Didn’t you say you’d treat me well for the rest of your life? Didn’t you say Ellie was the most important thing to you? But Liam was unyielding. Either I apologized, or I ate the candy. Noah stood protectively in front of Mia. The two of them, father and son, stood like a united front, guarding a woman they had only known for a few months.

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I spent ten years trapped in a cage, poked, prodded, and torn apart in the name of psychic research. When I finally broke free, I stepped out into a world that had already ended. A zombie apocalypse had ravaged the surface while I was underground. Now, I’ve found my old best friend from the orphanage. But her husband, a newly awakened “evolved” human with powers of his own, is bullying her into giving up her last scrap of food. “Everyone else chipped in, Sarah. Don’t be selfish. Are you really trying to hide those candy bars?” Sarah protested in a weak whisper, “I was saving them for JJ.” A young girl standing next to the husband interrupted with a cold sneer. “Come on, Sarah. You always use your son as an excuse when you get greedy. It’s pathetic.” As the crowd glared at her with disdain, I stepped out of the shadows. I threw a heavy backpack right at the girl’s head. It struck her hard, sending her stumbling. “Is that enough?” I asked, my voice dead and flat. “Say one more word, and I’ll kill you all.” Chapter 1 The zipper on the backpack hadn’t been closed properly. Loose chocolate bars scattered across the dirty floor. “Who the hell are you?! How dare you talk to me like that?” the girl screamed, her face flushed with rage and shock. No one answered her. Every eye in the room was glued to the chocolate on the floor. The sound of involuntary swallowing echoed through the quiet factory. “Chocolate… an entire backpack full of chocolate…” “I checked with my sensory abilities,” a guy whispered nearby. “It’s real. It’s not an illusion.” They surged forward, completely ignoring the girl’s outrage, scrambling to grab the candy. She bit her lip, grabbing the tall man next to her by his arm, shaking it. “Elias, look at them!” The man, Elias, frowned, his voice dropping to a low command. “Stop. Don’t touch it.” “All supplies must be turned in. They go into Chloe’s sub-space storage for rationed distribution. Have you all forgotten the squad rules?” The scavengers froze, reluctantly stopping their grab for the candy. The girl, Chloe, giggled. She walked over to confiscate the chocolate bars from their hands. As she touched them, I saw faint blue sparks flicker in her palm. Spatial manipulation. Storage power. Through all of this, my friend Sarah—whose face was so pale she looked bloodless—didn’t spare a single glance at the food. She was staring only at me. Her voice trembled, filled with absolute disbelief. “Nova? Is that really you? Are you alive?” She rushed forward and threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I felt distant, confused by the physical contact. Yet, a dormant instinct kicked in, and I brought my hands up to pat her back gently. “My name… is it Nova?” “You don’t remember?” She pulled back from the hug, her hands frantically roaming over me, checking for injuries, laughing through her tears. “Back at the home, the director said you were adopted. I asked by who, but he absolutely refused to say. I tried looking for you later, but I couldn’t find a single trace…” I remained silent as she rambled. Of course she couldn’t find me. For the last ten years, I had been in a top-secret underground laboratory. I was subjected to extreme human experimentation to unlock psychic potential. I don’t know how many times they cut open my brain, how many chips they implanted, or how many serums they injected. My memories and emotions were fractured, dulled to almost nothing. I didn’t even remember my own name. I only had a vague, hazy recollection that before I was taken, I had a best friend named Sarah. And she… loved me very much. “Who are you? How do you have this many resources?” While Sarah was still fussing over me, checking if I was okay, the tall man walked over. His eyes were sharp with suspicion as he eyed me. I thought about it for a second. “I was passing through the city center. Just picked it up.” Elias narrowed his eyes. “Just picked it up? Do you have any idea what it’s like out there…” Before he could finish, Sarah spun around, spreading her arms to shield me. “Elias, stop. She’s my friend. I told you about her—she’s my best friend in the whole world.” She looked back at me. “Nova, this is my husband, Elias King. We got married five years ago.” After the introductions, she looked earnestly at Elias. “Please, let her join our squad!” Elias didn’t say anything. Behind him, Chloe, the spatial user, walked over. “Sarah, I don’t mean to be harsh, but we are an elite squad. Carrying you—an ordinary human with no powers—already holds us back severely.” “If we take your friend too, are we ever going to make it to the safe zone in the capital?” Sarah’s face turned cold. “Chloe, if you won’t take her, then give her back her chocolate.” “Why, you—!” Chloe’s face turned red with anger. She turned back to Elias, whining. “Elias, look at Sarah! Why is she taking an outsider’s side against us?” “Enough. Stop fighting.” Elias issued his final command. “She turned over her supplies, so we have an obligation to protect her. Sarah, your friend can come with us. It’s settled. I don’t want to hear another word about it.” Sarah’s eyes crinkled with a smile. Beside her, Chloe’s face fell, and she rolled her eyes at me. I scanned her with my mental acuity. Her energy signature was incredibly weak. Chloe’s spatial storage was less than three cubic meters. It was the lowest tier of spatial power. I could kill her with a single thought. But I looked at Sarah standing next to her. …I decided to let it go for now. We drove for two days before entering a small town. Sarah still loved to talk, just like when we were kids. Along the way, I pieced together her life from her stories. After I was “adopted,” she got into college. She started dating Elias during her sophomore year and married him right after graduation. Two months ago, the zombie virus erupted globally. Elias awakened a rare metal-manipulation power, allowing him to control metal for combat. As for Chloe, she was Elias’s step-sister from a remarriage. They weren’t blood-related. “They have such a tight bond,” Sarah sighed. “Sometimes I’m actually jealous. After you left, I was always alone.” “I have a son, too. JJ. He’s four, just started preschool. On the day the outbreak started, he was on a summer camping trip at the coast. I begged Elias to go get him, but Elias said he couldn’t find him in the chaos. Later, Elias got in touch with the camp organizers through the radio. They said due to a change in plans, the group had flown to the capital safe zone early.” “So, we’re heading to the large safety base in the capital. Once we get there, you can meet him.” Sarah smiled brightly, resting her chin on her hands as she looked at me. “JJ knows about you, Nova! I always tell him, ‘Mommy has a wonderful, dear friend named Nova.’ I told him so many stories about us growing up in the orphanage. He knows you like origami, and he’s folded hundreds of paper cranes. He said he wants to give them to Auntie Nova.” I looked at her smile. Something shifted in my mind, like a block of ice that had been frozen for ages finally starting to melt at the edges. “Okay.” I held out my hand to her. In my palm lay a few chocolate bars. Sarah’s eyes went wide. I smiled slightly. “Saving these for JJ.” That night, we rested in an abandoned factory. Sarah came to find me, clutching two loaves of bread. “Nova, eat this.” After countless physical modifications, my body barely needed food to function. But looking at her shining eyes, I took the bread anyway. Sarah sat down next to me and took a bite of her bread. “Where have you been for the last ten years? How did you suddenly show up here?” I remained silent for a moment, staring at the soft, warm bread in my hand. Images of the cold, sterile lab flashed in my mind. Endless precise machinery, researchers in white coats walking back and forth. “Attempting to inject the latest serum into Subject 09!” “Increase the chip stimulation current!” “Oh no! She’s spiraling!! System breach!” There had been a deafening explosion. My mental powers were so intense they shattered the glass of my containment tank. By the time my sanity returned, the lab was deserted. Corpses lay scattered everywhere. I had grabbed some clothes off the floor, put them on, and stared blankly into the distance. “Sarah… I need to find Sarah…” … “I was in a special place,” I said vaguely. “It wasn’t convenient to contact the outside world during that time.” “Later, I got out. I wanted to see you, so I came looking.” “Nova~” Sarah suddenly threw herself into my arms, nuzzling against me. “I knew you loved me the most. Hmph. Elias kept saying you were probably adopted by some rich family and were living the good life, that’s why you didn’t want to contact me. I didn’t believe him for a second! I told him he just doesn’t understand the bond we have.” Yes, who could understand? During those ten years of experimentation, not even the world’s top scientists understood. The agonizing pain caused by excessive doses of neural drugs was enough to kill a normal person. Yet I had survived hundreds of injections. Of the hundred subjects brought in with me, I was the only one left alive at the end. I often heard them through the glass, saying, “Subject 09 is a gift from God.” There is no God. I just vaguely remembered someone saying to me: “Nova, we’ll still be best friends when we’re a hundred years old.” I had to live to be a hundred. I couldn’t break my promise. In the middle of the night, Sarah fell asleep leaning against me. I carefully adjusted her position so she was comfortable, then stood up. In the darkness, I locked eyes with Elias, who was watching me with a scrutinizing glare. He began walking toward me. Psychic energy condensed into an invisible blade, gathering in the palm of my hand. The next second, a piercing siren shattered the night! “Crap!! It’s a horde!!” The factory doors, which had been barricaded with vehicles, were forced open. Densely packed zombies surged inside. Everyone in the squad woke up instantly, utilizing their powers to fight. There were six evolved humans in this squad. Aside from Elias, who had mid-tier metal manipulation, the others only had low-tier powers. Their mental stamina was depleted almost immediately. The defensive line collapsed. Several zombies, clawing and gnashing, lunged toward Chloe and Sarah. “Elias!!” Chloe shrieked. “Elias!” Sarah cried out. Hearing Chloe’s blood-curdling scream, Elias didn’t even hesitate. The metal spike in his hand drove through the skull of the zombie lunging at his step-sister. Then, as if realizing Sarah was crying for help too, he whipped his head toward us. Just in time to see— Thwack— The rebar in my hand drove through the brains of two zombies consecutively. They tottered and fell to the ground. Sarah grabbed the hem of my jacket, her face utterly colorless. “Nova, are you okay? Are you hurt??” “I’m fine.” I casually wiped the foul, dark blood that had splashed onto my face, noticing even more zombies surrounding us. “Get in the car, I’ll cover the rear!” Elias gritted his teeth. “Let’s move!! Drive out of here!” Chapter 2 Sarah remained silent throughout the drive. After dawn, we finally escaped the zombie horde. We found an abandoned, empty house nearby to rest and regroup. Sarah kept rubbing the cuff of her sleeve nervously. I gently took her hand, looking into her eyes. “I will protect you.” Sarah looked up at me. The scene in the factory hung between us. When Sarah and Chloe both needed protection at the same time, Elias had chosen his step-sister. “All our supplies are in Chloe’s sub-space. She has to be prioritized for protection. It’s not that I don’t understand that, logically. It’s just… it’s just…” Sarah sobbed, “Nova, am I being selfish?” I shook my head. “You are good.” In my heart, Sarah was the best person in the whole world. I was dumped at the orphanage door when I was four years old because my biological parents realized I wouldn’t speak. A trip to the hospital confirmed I was on the autism spectrum. After the orphanage took me in, the older kids bullied me. It was Sarah, three years older than me, who grabbed a brick and chased them all over the yard, ready to fight. “Don’t touch her! Don’t you dare touch her!” One night, when I was nine, the director called me into his office. He said he had brought a doctor in to give me a physical exam. I went. There were two strange middle-aged men in the room. They told me to take off my dress for the exam. The director was standing nearby, smiling. “She can’t talk. It’s perfectly safe.” Right then, the office door was slammed open. Sarah charged in waving a massive, filthy shovel meant for the septic tank. She swung it wildly at the director and the two men. “AHHHHH! Get away from my Nova! I’ll kill you!” Amidst their screams of surprise and disgust, the shovel cracked open their skulls. The incident caused a huge scandal. The director and the two men were arrested. That night, in the dark, Sarah held my hand, repeatedly stroking my messy hair. She said, “Don’t be scared, Nova. When there’s danger, just shout my name!” … I awkwardly tried to imitate the tone she used back then. “Don’t be scared, Sarah. When there’s danger… just shout my name.” She stared at me, stunned. Her lips began to tremble. “Nova…” Before Sarah could say another word, the light in front of us was suddenly cut off. I looked up. Elias and several other evolved squad members had surrounded us. Sarah immediately pushed me behind her, shielding me. “What’s going on?” Chloe spoke up. “Sarah, I know you want to believe in your friend, but haven’t you noticed how weird things are?” Sarah frowned. “Weird? How?” Chloe shot Elias a look of concern. Elias didn’t speak. He just used his power to condense a metal spike, holding it ready in his hand. A rat-faced man next to him said, “Sarah, think about it. Outside, it’s crawling with zombies. It’s nearly impossible for us to find a scrap of food. Yet your friend here is lugging around a whole backpack full of chocolate, surviving all alone in the middle of a zombie infested city for two months.” “She claims to be an ordinary person with no powers. How is that possible?” Sarah grabbed my hand even tighter. “So, what are you actually trying to say?” Elias took a step forward, dropping his voice to a low rumble. “Sarah, I know she’s an important friend to you. But these are dangerous times. We have to be cautious.” “Our squad has been traveling for nearly a month. We specifically picked low-population rural routes and barely ran into any zombies. It’s too coincidental that the very night your friend joins us, we get hit by a massive horde.” “The military radio broadcast mentioned a few days ago that zombies are evolving. They’ve confirmed high-level zombies that are indistinguishable from humans, and even Zombie Kings capable of commanding legions.” He raised the metal spike, aiming it right at my eyes. “I suspect your friend… is a legendary Zombie King.” “Impossible!” Sarah retorted immediately, without even a moment’s hesitation. “If she were a Zombie King, she would have bitten me ages ago! I’m still standing here fine, aren’t I?” “Sarah, you are so naive.” Chloe looked at her, shaking her head and sighing, acting as if she were counseling a clueless child. Elias said in a low voice, “Sarah, step aside.” The metal spike grew brighter. Sarah continued to shield me, her voice cracking with desperate emotion. “Are you all insane?! Elias, last night when those two zombies lunged at me, you ran to save your sister. If Nova hadn’t killed them to save me, I’d be dead right now! How could she possibly be the Zombie King you’re talking about?!” At the mention of last night, Elias’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing. Chloe smirked. “Sarah, you’re not blaming Elias for saving me, are you?” Sarah gritted her teeth. “I didn’t say that.” “If you want your friend to keep traveling with us and ease everyone’s fears, then let her go outside and prove herself.” Chloe pointed a finger toward the few zombies visible outside the door. Sensing the presence of living humans, they were slowly converging on our location. “If she’s not the Zombie King, if she’s not one of them, those zombies will definitely attack her. How about it?” Sarah’s hand clamped onto my wrist like an iron vise, her nails digging into my flesh. “I won’t let you go out there.” Her voice was shaking, her eyes red and desperate. “Nova, you can’t go out. There are zombies outside—” “Sarah, if you truly care about your friend, don’t stand in her way.” Chloe leaned in behind Elias, her tone casual. “If she’s clean, the zombies will attack her, and we’ll just pull her back inside. It’s easy.” “Bullshit!” Sarah spun around and screamed at her, her voice raw. “One bite and you’re infected! You make it sound so simple!” “Well, if she doesn’t go out, how can she prove it?” Chloe shrugged. “Right, Elias?” Elias didn’t respond. But he never lowered the metal spike. Several other evolved members had scattered, taking positions that implicitly formed a semi-circle around us. They weren’t waiting for an answer; they were waiting for the signal to attack. I looked down at Sarah’s hand. Every finger was straining, as if she believed that as long as she didn’t let go, no one could take me away. I pried her fingers open, one by one. She held on tightly, refusing to let go, so I had to apply a little pressure. “Let go.” I looked into her eyes. “You can’t protect me.” Sarah looked like she had been slapped. Her fingers went rigid. Then, one by one, they loosened their grip. As her hand fell away, a flash of a memory from twenty years ago crossed my mind. That night, two men in white coats were dragging me toward a car. Sarah had chased after us, grabbing my arm with both hands, gripping with all her might. She lost a shoe, her knees got scraped bloody on the concrete, and even after being kicked away, she got back up to keep chasing. She chased us for three blocks. Later, I heard her say something over the phone to someone; she thought I couldn’t hear. She said, “I couldn’t hold on to her.” It wasn’t a statement of fact. It sounded like a confession of guilt. This time, she couldn’t hold on either. I turned and walked toward the door.

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On New Year’s Eve, my little sister kept pestering me to play hide-and-seek. I covered my eyes. Right as I counted to thirty, the eraser in my brain moved again. I stood frozen in the middle of the living room for a few seconds. Then, I turned around, went back to the couch, and started watching TV. An hour later, Mom crouched down in front of me. “Sweetie, where did your sister go?” Sister? I blinked at her. “I don’t have a sister.” Mom’s face instantly changed. The family abandoned the holiday dinner. They rushed out into the heavy snow. But they couldn’t find my sister anywhere. Mom raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. Her eyes were completely red. “Didn’t I tell you to watch your sister?! Didn’t I tell you not to let her out of your sight?!” “Where is she now?! Which way did she go?! Tell me!” The force of the slap shoved me backward. I fell onto the freezing, snow-covered porch. “Why couldn’t you be the one who went missing, you idiot?! You don’t remember anything anyway!” “This time you forgot your sister! What about next time?! Are you going to forget me and your father?!” Mom lunged forward to hit me again, but Dad grabbed her arm. They were both crying hysterically. My chest hurt so badly. She was right… why wasn’t I the idiot who went missing? … Mom’s hand stopped inches from my cheek, gripped tightly by Dad. “That’s enough!” Dad’s voice was hoarse. “She’s sick! You know she’s sick!” “It’s exactly because she’s sick that I told her not to let her sister step foot outside the house!” Mom violently yanked her arm out of his grasp, but she didn’t step closer to me. She just glared at me with those bloodshot, terrifying eyes. “She’s only four years old… In a blizzard like this, where could she possibly go?!” Four years old? I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. Is that sister four years old? But there was truly, absolutely nothing in my head. Nothing except the New Year’s Eve broadcast replaying on the TV, and the snow swirling wildly outside the window. Hearing the commotion, our neighbors rushed over. “Keep looking! A little kid can’t get far. Did she go to a friend’s house?” Dad grabbed Mom’s arm and pulled her up. “Why are you still sitting here?! Get up and help us look! Yelling at her won’t do any good!” Clarity flashed in Mom’s eyes for a split second. “Yes! I have to find my Lily…” Mom didn’t look at me again. She grabbed a flashlight and sprinted out into the snow. The crowd of people echoed through the neighborhood, shouting my sister’s name. I stood alone on the porch, my mind completely, entirely blank. “Lily… isn’t Lily my name?” My memory drifted back to when I was three. Back then, Mom and Dad called me Lily, too. “Mia! Why are you just standing there like an idiot?! Hurry up and help us find your sister!” Mia. Why did my name change again? Whatever. If I can’t figure it out, I won’t think about it. I had just taken a step off the porch when I heard a shout from the distance. “Found her! Lily is over here!” Everyone rushed toward the old oak tree at the entrance of the subdivision. There was a shallow ditch hidden by the accumulating snow. My sister was inside it. Her face was purple. Her hair was covered in icicles. Mom let out a guttural wail and threw herself into the ditch. “Lily… my baby Lily!” As if sensing her presence, my sister slowly opened her eyes. But she looked straight past Mom, staring directly at me. “Sister… why didn’t you come find me?” She started crying. “You promised you would come find me after you counted to thirty. I hid so well. I was waiting for you the whole time…” Mom violently snapped her head around to glare at me. She gently set my sister down and marched toward me. Smack! The slap landed squarely on my cheek. My left ear instantly started ringing. “Are you satisfied now?” Mom’s voice was shaking with pure, unadulterated rage. “You saw her almost freeze to death. Are you happy now?!” “How could I have given birth to a monster like you?” “This disease… this goddamn disease! It makes you forget your sister, it makes you forget us! Would it be better if you just forgot who you were entirely?!” Her tears finally broke, streaming down her face. “Or… did you do this on purpose? Did you pretend to forget, just so you could leave her out here in the freezing snow to die?” “Enough.” Dad finally spoke, but he only pulled my sister tighter into his heavy winter coat. “Let’s get Lily inside by the heater first. The paramedics are almost here.” Not a single person spoke up for me. And I didn’t know how to defend myself. This really was my fault. Mom shot me a look of pure, venomous hatred. “You stay right here. Stand in the snow and feel exactly how cold and terrified your sister was just now!” They turned and walked away. Seeing the situation, the neighbors didn’t know what to say. They all awkwardly shuffled back to their own houses. The snow was falling harder now. I slowly crouched down, mimicking the way my sister had curled up, and huddled into that shallow ditch. The freezing snow instantly soaked through my clothes. So this is how cold it was. I’m such a horrible person. How could I have forgotten something so important? But… I’m just sick. The doctor said it’s an incredibly rare, progressive memory disorder. It’s like something is slowly, constantly eating away at the hippocampus in my brain. New memories can’t be stored, and old memories are vanishing bit by bit. Mom calls it an eraser. But I don’t know why there’s an eraser inside my head. All I know is that things I remember clearly in the morning become blurry by noon. Mom says I’m an idiot. Maybe I am. The sky grew darker and darker. The lights in the houses down the street flickered on one by one. I could hear the faint, scattered pops of New Year’s fireworks. It was time to go home. I shifted my freezing, stiff legs. But the moment I stood up, that familiar, terrifying sensation hit me again. I blinked, looking around wildly. The trees were white. The road was white. I turned around, then turned back. What was I… what was I about to do again? Go home. Right, go home. But… where is my home? My heart started hammering against my ribs. I pressed my hand against my chest, gasping for air. Think. Today is New Year’s Eve. My sister wanted to play hide-and-seek. Then Mom hit me… And then what? I couldn’t remember. Forget it. I’ll just wait. When they realize I haven’t come back, they’ll come looking for me. Just like they looked for my sister. I sat back down in the ditch, hugging my knees to my chest, counting the distant pops of the fireworks. One, two… when I got to seventeen, I forgot what the number before it was. I sat there until the midnight countdown rang out from a distant TV. Massive fireworks exploded in the sky, lighting up the entire neighborhood. It was so beautiful. On past New Year’s Eves, Dad used to set off fireworks for me and tell me to make a wish. But what did I wish for? I forgot that, too. I curled myself into an even tighter ball. I should have felt incredibly cold, but somehow, I was getting hotter and hotter. I took off my winter coat. Then I took off my sweater. But I was still so hot. It wasn’t until I stripped down to just my thermal undershirt that I suddenly felt like I was floating. I blinked, and I was back inside my house. The New Year’s Eve broadcast was still playing on the TV. Mom was sitting on the sofa, holding my sister, feeding her hot ginger tea from a spoon. “Be a good girl, Lily. Take one more sip. It’ll warm you up.” The color had returned to my sister’s little face. She was wrapped in a thick, fluffy blanket, with only her eyes peeking out. “Where’s my sister?” she suddenly asked. Mom’s hand paused. “Don’t talk about her.” “But she hasn’t come back yet…” “She deserves it! She needs to learn what it feels like to freeze in the snow! She’s a grown teenager, and she can’t even watch her own little sister.” I wanted to walk over and say I was sorry, but I walked straight through the coffee table. I froze. “Mia still isn’t back.” Dad was standing by the window, staring outside. “The snow is coming down harder…” “Oh, now you’re worried?” Mom didn’t even look up. “What if Lily had actually died today? What then? Tell me, what then?” Dad fell silent. “She did it on purpose! She’s jealous of her sister, so she pretended to forget! That disease… who knows if it’s even real? The doctors themselves said they’ve never seen a case this bizarre…” “The doctors said it’s organic brain damage,” Dad said quietly. “Organic brain damage that conveniently makes her forget her sister, but remember how to watch TV?! Does that make any sense?!” Mom’s voice spiked aggressively. “She hates that we had a second child! She hates that we gave our love to Lily!” My sister was startled by the shouting and shrank deeper into Mom’s arms. Mom instantly softened her voice, gently patting my sister’s back. “Don’t be scared, baby. Mommy isn’t yelling at you… my sweet, perfect Lily…” Dad stood by the window for a long time before finally turning away. “When she gets back, I need to have a serious talk with her.” “Talk about what? Talk about how she tried to murder her sister?” Mom sneered. “If you ask me, we should just institutionalize her! She can’t remember anything anyway, what difference does it make where she lives?” Dad didn’t reply. I stood to the side, opening my mouth. “I…” No sound came out. I reached out to touch Mom’s shoulder, but my hand passed completely through her body. Oh. I’m dead. Well, that’s okay. At least now I won’t forget anything ever again.

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My younger brother put someone in the hospital, and the victim’s family demanded $20,000 to drop the charges. To raise the money, my parents tried to force me into an arranged marriage to collect a dowry. I refused. I went to my boyfriend and begged him to lend me the $20,000. Not only did he refuse, but he verbally humiliated me in front of all his friends. Without the money, my parents dragged me back home by force. In my desperate attempt to escape, I almost died. After I survived, terrified that my parents would track me down again, I legally changed my name, moved across the country, and cut ties with every single person I knew. In this new city, I started over. I got married, had a daughter, and built a life. Just when I thought I would live happily ever after, my husband’s tech startup was suddenly and maliciously targeted, pushing us to the brink of bankruptcy. My daughter, Lily, was crying, demanding to FaceTime her dad. I tried calling Arthur at least half a dozen times, but it kept going straight to voicemail. By the time I finally managed to coax Lily to sleep, it was past 10 PM. I stepped out of her bedroom and tried Arthur’s number again. Still voicemail. I texted him. No reply. I remembered him mentioning a high-stakes dinner meeting tonight, so I decided to wait a bit longer. But an hour later, there was still no text back. After another unanswered call, I dialed his executive assistant, Ben. Ben picked up almost immediately. “Hey, Anna. Calling pretty late, is everything okay?” “I can’t get ahold of Arthur. Did something happen to him?” “No, no, nothing like that. Arthur just… he had a bit too much to drink at the dinner, so he’s already passed out in his hotel room.” Ben’s voice sounded incredibly strained. Suspicious, I pressed him. “Let’s FaceTime. I just want to see him to make sure he’s okay.” Ben panicked. “No! We can’t!” “Why not?” “Um… well… I’m already in my own room, in bed. It’s been an insanely long day, and we have back-to-back meetings tomorrow. Please, Anna, have a heart, don’t make me get dressed and walk all the way down the hall.” “Ben, tell me the truth right now. Or I am booking the next flight out there to see for myself.” Knowing he couldn’t hide it anymore, Ben caved. “Arthur had a severe gastric hemorrhage. He’s at the hospital.” “Are you kidding me?! Why would you hide something this serious from me?!” “Arthur ordered me not to tell you!” “Text me the address of the hospital. I’m on my way.” After hanging up, Ben put his hands together in a prayer motion, looking at the unconscious Arthur on the hospital bed. “Boss, Anna is just too sharp. You can’t blame me for this when you wake up.” There were no flights out that late, so I booked the earliest Amtrak Acela ticket I could find. I threw a few changes of clothes into an overnight bag and rushed out the door. On the way to the station, I texted my mother-in-law, asking her to come over and watch Lily for a few days. When I finally arrived at the hospital, it was just past 6 AM. I grabbed some coffee and breakfast from the cafeteria downstairs before heading up. Arthur was in a private room. Ben was asleep on the uncomfortable vinyl chair bed next to him. Trying not to wake them, I quietly walked over to Arthur’s bed. His lips were cracked and peeling from dehydration. I slipped out of the room, found a vending machine, and bought a pack of cotton swabs. When I got back, Ben was awake. Seeing me, he whispered, “Anna, when did you get here?” “Just a few minutes ago. I brought breakfast. Eat up.” “Thanks, Anna.” I dipped a cotton swab in a cup of water and gently moistened Arthur’s lips. Then, I sat down and waited for Ben to finish his food. Once he was done, I asked, “I thought you guys flew out there to sign a contract? How does a contract negotiation end with a bleeding stomach in the ER?” Seeing him hesitate, I narrowed my eyes. “Arthur told you to keep your mouth shut about this too?” He nodded. “Ben, tell me exactly what he told you to hide. I’m here now. He won’t dare give you any crap for it.” That was exactly what Ben was waiting to hear. He spilled everything. “At the beginning of this month, three of our primary component suppliers abruptly terminated their contracts without cause. They just stopped shipping to us. “Without those components, our manufacturing grinds to a halt. We have massive fulfillment deadlines coming up. “Arthur tried meeting with them multiple times, but they stonewalled him. He spent the last two weeks desperately trying to find alternative suppliers, but every single firm in the industry suddenly refused to do business with us. It’s a total blacklist. “Finally, a few days ago, one supplier agreed to a sit-down. That was the dinner last night. “We had all the terms hammered out. But right at the end, the supplier brought out a bottle of hard liquor. He told Arthur that if he could drink him under the table, he’d sign the contract on the spot. “Arthur was so desperate to save the company, he agreed to the drinking contest. He drank until his stomach lining gave out.” “Someone is obviously coordinating this blacklist to destroy him. Do you have any idea who?” Ben shook his head. “No. Arthur said the only priority right now is keeping the company afloat. We can worry about who’s behind it later.” When Arthur finally woke up, the first thing he did was glare at Ben. “I told you to keep your mouth shut! Why did you…” I cut him off. “Don’t you dare yell at him! The company is falling apart and you hid it from me. You end up in the hospital and you hide it from me. You hide everything from me! Am I just some outsider to you?!” Arthur grabbed my hand, offering a weak, apologetic smile. “No, of course not. I just didn’t want you to stress out. I thought I could handle it.” “Handle it by drinking until your stomach bleeds?! How many times have I told you that no business deal is worth your health?! If something happens to you, what are Lily, your mom, and I supposed to do?!” My eyes welled up with tears. Arthur panicked and immediately started apologizing. “I know I messed up, honey. I promise, it will never happen again.” “You better remember that. If there’s a next time, I’m filing for divorce!” “There won’t be a next time. Please don’t say things like that.” Seeing him so pale and trying so hard to comfort me, my heart instantly softened. “Does your stomach hurt? Do you want me to get the doctor?” “No, I’m okay.” “Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?” Ben, who had been trying to make himself invisible in the corner, chimed in. “Anna, the doctor said the boss can’t have any solid food for twenty-four hours.” Arthur added, “Stop worrying about me. You took the red-eye train out here, you must be exhausted. Let Ben take you to the hotel so you can get some sleep.” “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here to take care of you.” Arthur knew he couldn’t win that argument, so he let me stay. At 9:00 AM, Arthur picked up his phone and called the supplier from the night before. “Mr. Torres, it’s Arthur Davis. When would be a good time for you to sign that contract?” Torres’s voice came through the speaker, lazy and dismissive. “I don’t have any contract to sign with you.” “Last night, you explicitly said if I won the drinking contest, you’d sign.” “I did say that. But I’ve decided I don’t want to do business with you.” Arthur suppressed his anger and kept his tone professional. “Mr. Torres, business is built on trust. Going back on your word like this isn’t exactly ethical.” “Look, I never had any intention of signing with you. I just wanted to make you realize the reality of your situation. Unless you do exactly what he wants, you have zero options.” Torres seemed genuinely baffled as to why Arthur was risking his life when the solution was supposedly simple. Arthur gripped his phone tightly. “Understood. Then perhaps we can collaborate in the future.” “As long as that guy doesn’t give the green light, your company is dead in the water. Take my advice…” Arthur didn’t wait for Torres to finish. He hung up. “He backed out?” I asked. Arthur nodded. Ben was furious. “How can a CEO act like that?! He gave his word!” I was equally angry, but Arthur was surprisingly calm. “If he backs out, he backs out. We’ll just find someone else.” Arthur stayed in the hospital for two more days before being discharged. As soon as he was cleared, we took the train back to Boston. When we arrived, he dropped me off at the house and immediately headed straight to the office without even coming inside. Late that night, I woke up to feel him pulling me into his arms. Habit took over, and I rolled over, burying my face in his chest to go back to sleep. The next morning, I walked into the kitchen to find Arthur helping his mother make breakfast. Lily, who hadn’t seen him in almost a week, was clinging to his leg like a koala bear. He was struggling to walk, but he couldn’t bear to make her let go, so he just dragged his leg around the kitchen. When he saw me, he smiled. “You’re up. Breakfast is almost ready.” After we ate, we dropped Lily off at preschool together. He drove me back to the house before heading to the office, and then he came home surprisingly early that afternoon. It felt incredibly wrong. That night in bed, I finally asked him, “Why do you have so much free time today? Isn’t the company in crisis mode?” “I’ve already found a solution.” “What solution?” “I’m going to sell the company.” I sat bolt upright in bed. “Sell the company?! Why?!” Arthur sat up too, speaking slowly and deliberately. “I’ve been thinking about this since the crisis first started. I just couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger back then.” “Is it really beyond saving?” “I’ve exhausted every possible option. If I keep dragging this out, the financial hemorrhage is only going to get worse. Selling it now, while it still has some value, is the best move.” Arthur wrapped his arms around me. “As long as our family is together, nothing else matters.” The negotiations to sell the startup moved incredibly fast. But the night before he was scheduled to sign the acquisition paperwork, Arthur received a text from an unknown number. He was in the shower. His phone was on the nightstand, and the screen lit up with the message. I saw it. It read: Change your mind now, and your company can still be saved. When Arthur walked out of the bathroom, he saw me staring intensely at his phone. “What’s wrong?” I held the phone up. “What exactly does this text mean?” Arthur was furious internally. He had blocked the guy’s number, yet he kept buying burners to harass him! Like a ghost that wouldn’t leave him alone! “Do I really have to say?” If he didn’t want to tell me, that meant it involved me. “Yes. If you don’t tell me, I’m calling this number right now to ask.” “I don’t know exactly who he is. I just know he’s the one orchestrating the blacklist against my company. He called me a few weeks ago and told me that if I wanted the blacklist lifted, I had to divorce you. I told him to go to hell!” Arthur’s tone turned incredibly serious. “I can survive losing my company. I can always find another way to provide. But if I lose you, this family is destroyed.” The area code on the text was from New York. But it was a number I didn’t recognize. I only had a handful of ties to New York. Who could it be? “Let’s find out exactly who this is.” I dialed the number and put it on speaker. The person on the other end seemed to have been waiting by the phone. They picked up instantly. “Mr. Davis, have you finally come to your senses?” The second I heard that voice, I knew exactly who it was. But Arthur spoke first. “Who the hell are you? Why are you so obsessed with forcing me to get a divorce?” “You just need to follow the instructions. As for the rest…” “Eric.” I said his name coldly. The voice on the other end instantly fell silent. I continued, “Julian Sterling ordered you to do this, didn’t he?” Eric, Julian’s right-hand man, didn’t dare confirm it. He played dead on the line. “Give me Julian’s direct line,” I demanded. “I need to speak to him.” “I… I need to request authorization from Mr. Sterling first.” “Then go request it.” I hung up. Arthur looked at me. “Julian Sterling… is that the ex-boyfriend you told me about?” “Yes.” I hadn’t expected him to connect the dots so fast, but I wasn’t going to lie to him. Getting confirmation, Arthur looked deeply worried. Was Julian doing this for revenge? Or had he discovered the truth and wanted me back? Back in New York, Eric wanted to cry. This idiot Arthur actually called while Anna was right next to him! He’s going to get me killed! Eric dialed his boss’s number, bracing himself. “Mr. Sterling, Arthur Davis just called. Anna was with him. She recognized my voice. She asked for your direct line. Should I give it to her?” Julian’s voice was like glacial ice. “No. Tell her if she wants to talk, she has to come see me in person.” The line clicked dead. Eric shadow-boxed the air in frustration. “What a terrible attitude! No wonder she dumped you!” After his minor tantrum, Eric texted Arthur’s phone: Tell Ms. Anna that if she wishes to speak with Mr. Sterling, she must come to New York in person. Reading the text, I immediately pulled up a travel app. “We’re delaying the acquisition signing tomorrow. We’re going to New York to see Julian first.” “I’m not letting you go alone. I’m coming with you.” “Okay. We’ll go together.” The next day, Arthur and I took the train to New York and headed straight for Julian’s corporate headquarters. The front desk security refused to let us up, so I called Eric. Eric got the call, realized I was already in the lobby, and rushed to Julian’s office. “Mr. Sterling, Ms. Anna is downstairs. She’s demanding to see you.” “Tell her to wait.” Julian’s face was a mask of utter indifference, but the way his expensive fountain pen was practically tearing through the paper on his desk betrayed his internal chaos. Eric tried to sugarcoat it when he came down to the lobby. “Ms. Anna, Mr. Sterling is currently in a very important meeting. It’s going to be a little while.” “You answer my calls on the first ring, and you’re running messages back and forth in record time. Do you honestly expect me to believe he’s ‘in a meeting’?” Eric realized he was outmatched. He dropped the act and gave it to me straight. “Mr. Sterling said to tell you to wait.” “Is he standing right next to you?” “No.” “Take your phone and go to his office. I’m going to say one sentence to him.” “Just tell me, I’ll pass the message along.” “You really don’t want to be the middleman for this. If I just tell him directly, he won’t have the time to punish you for it.” Eric cautiously walked back into Julian’s massive corner office and nervously placed his phone on the mahogany desk. “Mr. Sterling, Ms. Anna is on the line.” He didn’t put it on speaker. After setting the phone down, he rapidly backed away, putting as much distance between himself and the desk as possible. He was not going to eavesdrop on anything above his pay grade! Julian picked up the phone and held it to his ear, saying nothing. Eric heard total silence from his end, but I knew Julian was listening. “I was pregnant with your child.” That single sentence hit Julian like a sledgehammer. The phone slipped from his fingers, clattering loudly against the hardwood floor. He didn’t care about the phone. He didn’t care about anything. He just needed to see Anna now. “I was pregnant with your child” looped endlessly in his brain. When Eric had first investigated Anna and reported that she was married with a five-year-old daughter, Julian had been consumed by a venomous rage. How could she dump him and immediately run off to marry someone else and start a family?! But now, the timeline clicked into place. The truth was highly likely that Anna had discovered she was pregnant with his child and, in a panic, was forced to find someone—anyone—to marry immediately! The more Julian thought about it, the more certain he became that this was the truth. A wave of overwhelming, ecstatic joy crashed over him. Watching Julian frantically sprint out of the office, almost tripping over his own expensive rug, Eric praised whatever god was listening that he hadn’t overheard the call. Then he remembered he had just bought that phone a few days ago. He rushed to the desk, picked it up, and inspected it meticulously. Finding no cracks, he clutched it to his chest. “Thank god.” I didn’t get a response after I dropped the bomb, but the chaotic sound of the phone hitting the floor, followed by the rapid, frantic clicking of dress shoes sprinting down a hallway, told me everything I needed to know. Julian was coming. Sure enough, minutes later, Julian appeared in the lobby, looking slightly disheveled despite his custom Tom Ford suit. Suppressing his intense emotional high, he forced a composed greeting. “Anna. It’s been a long time.”

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