My husband, Ralph Stone, cheated on me. To get back at him, I spent six months straight partying hard at clubs. But Ralph didn’t care. He just kept throwing money at me. The day I finally told him I wanted a divorce, another two million dollars landed in my account. The message that popped up on my phone read: “Mrs. Stone, my little bird is being clingy tonight. I won’t be back.” I calmly hung up the phone and headed straight to the exclusive club he frequented. Inside, I heard his buddies teasing him. “Ralph, how many is this now? Aren’t you worried your wife will get fed up and run off with some young stud?” Ralph idly twirled the cigarette between his fingers, a dismissive smirk playing on his lips. “Skye is all about money. As long as the compensation is right, she’d never give up being Mrs. Stone.” The room erupted in laughter. As I pushed the door open, Ralph reached out to pull me closer. “What, two million wasn’t enough? You actually chased me all the way here for more cash? There’s a limit to playing hard to get, you know.” But I dodged his hand and handed him the divorce papers. “Your little girlfriend is kicking up a fuss. Sign these, and I can give her some peace of mind.” … The moment I finished speaking, the private room fell silent. Ralph’s smile slowly vanished as he leaned back into the sofa. “Skye, I never cared what you got up to before, but this little stunt tonight? Isn’t it a bit much?” “Or have those pretty boys from the clubs gotten greedy, forcing you to come back to me for a raise?” His friends around us burst into another round of mocking laughter, their gazes lingering on me with an unsettling familiarity. They all knew how wild I’d been these past six months, a desperate attempt to retaliate against Ralph’s infidelity. Every night I’d paint the town red at the most expensive clubs, spending money like water, always flanked by a different man on each arm. Ralph never stopped me. He just figured I was throwing a tantrum, trying to get his attention this way. I calmly pushed the divorce papers a little closer. “I’m serious, Mr. Stone. Sign them.” Just then, a head popped up from behind Ralph. It was a girl with a choppy bob and a lollipop dangling from her mouth. “So this is the wife? She looks so prim and proper, why’s she such a firecracker?” She said, slumping against Ralph as if she had no bones. “Ralph, I told you, you can’t spoil women, can you? Look, you spoil them, and they start acting up, always threatening divorce.” The girl was Allee Green, Ralph’s latest darling. Not the seductive vixen I’d imagined, nor the delicate, damsel-in-distress type. But Ralph absolutely adored her act. “Hear that? Even Allee knows you’re being unreasonable. So, how much more do you want?” Allee giggled, then took the half-eaten lollipop from her mouth and directly popped it into Ralph’s. “Ralph, have some candy, cool down. The wife must be on her period, messing with her hormones.” Ralph frowned, but he didn’t spit out the candy. Instead, he just sucked on it, giving me a smirk. “Skye, take your pathetic papers and get out. I’ll pretend tonight never happened. Don’t make me say it again.” Watching the scene unfold, a wave of nausea washed over me. “You don’t have to sign it. We can go to court!” With that, I turned to leave. Behind me, I heard the shattering of a glass hitting the floor. “Skye, if you take this too far, there’s no going back. Think carefully before you walk out that door.” My steps didn’t falter. My hand was just reaching for the doorknob when I heard Allee’s exaggerated gasp. “Oh, Ralph, don’t be mad! The wife is just so uptight. Not like me, I just want you to be happy.” “If you ask me, you shouldn’t give her any more money. Freeze her cards for a couple of months, see if she still dares to cross you.” Ralph let out a cold laugh. “You’re right. Some people just need to be taught a lesson.” Not long after leaving the club, my phone buzzed. Notification after notification popped up, all credit cards frozen. Yet, a strange calm settled over me. Just then, a familiar Ferrari roared to a stop in front of me. The window rolled down, and Allee whistled, tilting her chin up at me. “Wifey, no ride home? Want us to drop you off?” “Though this car only has two seats, you might have to squat in the trunk, boo.” Her laughter grated on my ears, and Ralph spared me a cold glance. “Skye, it’s not too late to apologize now.” “Just say you’re sorry for ruining everyone’s fun, and I’ll take you home.” I tightened the collar of my trench coat. “No thanks. I find it dirty.” Allee whined, hitting the steering wheel. “Ralph, look at the wife! I was being nice and offered her a ride, and she called me dirty!” “I don’t care, I’m upset. Does your wife think I’m embarrassing you by being so chummy?” Ralph chuckled, running a hand through Allee’s hair. “Skye, since your last little outburst, I really have reined it in.” “I only keep Allee around because she’s a carefree, innocent girl, like a little sister. We haven’t slept together!” Right, they hadn’t slept together, but he’d done plenty of other intimate things. When I first discovered Ralph’s cheating, I threw a massive fit. I even forced the other woman to abort his child. But he never lost his temper with me. He let me yell and scream, promising he’d never sleep with another woman again. Then, shortly after, I caught him in a suspiciously intimate situation with his secretary. It was from that moment that my feelings for him chilled, and my half-year-long clubbing spree began. He thought I was copying him, trying to get back at him, to force him to return to me. But this time, he was wrong. Seeing my silence, Ralph instructed his bodyguards: “Since Mrs. Stone finds it so dirty, let her walk home herself.” “Keep an eye on her. Don’t let anyone give her a ride.” With a roar, the Ferrari sped off. Several bodyguards immediately positioned themselves behind me, shooing away the curious onlookers. I reluctantly took off my heels and began walking home barefoot. After nearly three hours, my feet were covered in blisters, the pain searing. By the time dawn was breaking, I pushed open the front door. Allee was sprawled out on Ralph’s lap, wearing my silk pajamas, looking completely at ease. “The wife’s back? Good stamina, are you a marathon runner?” Ralph’s gaze fell on my bloodied feet, and he looked momentarily stunned. “Do you understand now? There’s a bowl of porridge on the table. Allee specifically saved it for you.” “Drink it, and this whole thing is forgotten.” I looked at the living room table. The bowl of porridge was mixed with cigarette ash, wine stains, and a half-bitten lollipop. I ignored them both and headed straight upstairs. Ralph’s voice, however, turned cold. “I told you to drink it!” Allee jumped off the sofa, bare-footed. “Wifey, I made this myself! I don’t really cook, but it’s the thought that counts, right?” She giggled, shoving the bowl towards my mouth. The sour smell hit my nostrils. I tried to turn my head away. But Allee’s wrist flicked, splashing the entire contents over me! “Oops, I’m such a clumsy idiot! My arm must be tired from serving Ralph earlier, and he just wouldn’t let me go.” “Ralph, it’s all your fault for taking so long! Come on, blow on my arm and make it feel better!” Ralph strode over, roughly shoving me aside. I was already unsteady and slammed directly into the entryway cabinet. But he didn’t spare me a glance, instead, gently blowing on Allee’s hand. “Skye, Allee was kind enough to save you some food. If you don’t appreciate it, fine. But what’s with that death glare? Who’s it for?” “Apologize, now!” I looked at him calmly. “I’ll apologize. You sign the divorce papers first.” Ralph was completely enraged. “Skye! Are you ******* kidding me?! You think you’re hot stuff?” “Who do you think you are? A country bumpkin who flew out of some backwater. Without me, Ralph Stone, you’re nothing!” Allee, hiding behind him, made a face at me, exaggerating her mouth to form words. “Nyannyannya, you mad?” I laughed, casually tossing my soiled trench coat into the trash. “If you can’t stand it, sign the papers. Do you think I want to be around you two disgusting lovebirds?” But then, a stinging slap landed across my face. Half my face instantly went numb. Ralph retracted his hand, then threw a signed agreement onto my face. “You’ve been bossing me around for too long. Did you really think I had no temper?” Allee jumped up, thrilled. “Woohoo, Ralph’s a man! What an example for all men!” I clutched my stinging cheek and picked up the divorce papers. Since he’d signed them, that slap wasn’t for nothing. It was worth it. Dragging my blistered feet, I walked out without a backward glance. Penniless, no ID, just my phone in hand. But should I call him? He’d probably lose control, tear Ralph apart. Before I could even think it through, Allee’s malicious call came in. “Wifey, Ralph was furious because of you just now. He’s already thrown your favorite ragdoll cat into the alligator pond, you know.” “Oh, the scene was so bloody, I almost cried.” My hand trembled violently, almost dropping the phone. “What did you say?!” That ragdoll cat was named Muffin. My mother loved that cat more than anything. Before she passed, she entrusted Muffin to me, saying seeing it was like seeing her. For seven years, Muffin had been with me through countless days and nights. To me, it wasn’t just a pet; it was family. Allee’s heartless laughter echoed from the other end of the line, and I could even hear a high-pitched shriek. Ralph’s cold voice cut in. “Skye, Muffin is just the beginning. Tomorrow is Allee’s birthday party. If you don’t come back and apologize.” “The next one to be thrown into the alligator pond will be your grandmother, the comatose one in the nursing home.” My hands shook uncontrollably. “Ralph Stone! The divorce is already done. Why won’t you let me go?” But the call was disconnected. I rushed to the nursing home, but the room was empty. Equipment lay overturned, IV lines ripped out, and alarming bloodstains marred the floor. A nurse, face pale with terror, explained. “Ms. Skye, Mr. Stone sent people just now, saying they were taking the old lady to another hospital.” “We couldn’t stop them, they had guns…” My vision blurred, and I nearly fainted. That was my only family, my very life! By the time I returned to the mansion, it was filled with laughter and cheers. A group of wealthy heirs were gathered, celebrating something. Seeing me enter, Allee clapped her hands excitedly. “Ralph, see? I told you this trick would work! She came running back to apologize, didn’t she?” My grandmother was tied to a wheelchair, pushed to the edge of the alligator pond. My whole body trembled. “Ralph Stone, what do you want? Come at me!” Ralph casually lifted his eyelids. “Skye, your attitude last night displeased me greatly.” “Want to save her? Then crawl from here to everyone’s feet, get on your knees, and beg for forgiveness.” The crowd instantly started cheering. “Ralph, Skye was so mad she even signed the divorce papers. Did she really find someone else?” “Don’t let her mess around and get some nasty disease, why even let her back? Allee’s fine, why not just change the wife?” But Ralph stepped forward, wrapping his arm around my waist. “My little woman’s just throwing a tantrum. Skye, as long as you apologize, we’ll remarry first thing tomorrow.” “But if you don’t know what’s good for you…” A bodyguard by the alligator pond suddenly kicked the wheelchair. The wheelchair instantly slid towards the edge of the pond, half a wheel already suspended in the air! “No!” I shrieked, my legs giving out, collapsing directly onto the floor. Ralph smiled, satisfied. “Behave. Everyone’s here. You’ve had me wrapped around your finger for so long, I need to save face too.” “If you don’t like Allee, once you apologize, I’ll even scar her face to make you happy!” With that, Ralph planted his foot on my back, forcing my head down. I wanted to vomit, to scream, to stab these animals. But the distant wheelchair swayed. All my rage instantly morphed into despair. “Fine, I’ll bow, I’ll apologize.” A cheer went up from the group, and some even pulled out their phones to record. “Awesome, Ralph! That’s how you tame a wife! Even the wildest woman can be broken!” “Skye, hurry up and bow! Let the guys get a clear shot!” Just as I was about to lower my head, a loud bang echoed as the villa’s front door was kicked open. A voice cut through the air. “You little bastards of the Stone family, you’ve got some nerve.” “How dare you touch my wife?” Behind the newcomer was a phalanx of bodyguards. Ralph’s smile froze. Allee and the others stopped their jeering, staring blankly at the unexpected guest. Someone recognized him, their voice stammering. “Mr. Carter? That lunatic from Carter Group?” “Why is he here?” Leo Carter ignored them, kicking Ralph aside and helping me up. “You’re being mistreated and you didn’t think to call me?” “You had to endure it all by yourself?” His voice trembled, and so did his hands. But just as I was about to speak, Ralph scrambled to his feet. “Leo Carter? Who let you in?” “This is my wife and my private family matter. If you know what’s good for you, get out!” Leo narrowed his eyes, looking at Ralph. “Who’s your wife? The divorce papers are already signed.” “Don’t you know Skye is going to be the future lady of the Carter family?” Everyone froze.

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To show off her hacking skills, intern Jess Lee sent out mass resignation letters in the name of the entire staff. The company group chat exploded. The boss, Mr. Williams, sent a laughing emoji in the chat: “Jess is really dedicated, and her tech skills are impressive! Everyone, no need to panic. I’ll retract all the resignation letters. Afternoon tea is on me!” The chat erupted in celebration. Liam, the VP with a terrible sales record, seized the opportunity to joke: [Mr. Williams, I’ve already sent my resignation. Am I really leaving?] Mr. Williams replied instantly: [Liam, what kind of joke is that? Even if everyone else left, you’d have to stay. I can’t handle tonight’s client dinner without you to fend off the drinks!] Watching the lively chat, I excitedly prepared to follow suit. But the page flickered, and my approval came through. It wasn’t “retracted,” but: [Approved] Out of a hundred employees, he kept ninety-nine, but he approved the resignation of me, the “old workhorse” who maintained the core architecture. Since Jess was a tech prodigy, and Liam was a trusted confidant for client dinners, there was no need for me, who only knew how to work, to stay and be an eyesore. Before leaving, I casually revoked the authorization for my self-developed AI to protect the database. By the time I sat in my new company’s director’s office, Mr. Williams’s frantic calls for help had already begun. … The computer screen popped up with a message saying all resignation letters had been retracted. I scrolled to the bottom. Only my approval form said ‘approved’. Sarah, the HR manager, slapped my resignation report onto my desk. “Mark, you’re the only one in the whole company whose resignation was approved. What a shame, the annual bonus is being paid out in a few days. You probably won’t make it.” My heart sank. I pleaded, “Sarah, that $20,000 can’t be cut. My family urgently needs that money for medical bills…” She shrugged indifferently. “I’m just an employee. You’ll have to talk to Mr. Williams and see if he’s willing to give an old workhorse like you any consideration.” I hurried into Mr. Williams’s office. He was fiddling with a cigar, waving his secretary out. “Mr. Williams, regarding my resignation approval, I’d like an explanation.” Mr. Williams exhaled a puff of smoke, casually brushing me off. “Mark, we need to give opportunities to young people. You really can’t keep up with the times.” He propped his feet on his desk, his tone sneering and sarcastic. “You want your annual bonus? Fine, I can retract your resignation, but…” I forced out a question, my voice tight. “What are your conditions?” Mr. Williams let out a scoff, holding up five fingers. “Your rank drops to level 12, and your monthly salary will be paid at intern rates, $500. Consider it paid learning.” I stood there stunned, my head buzzing. “$500? When you begged me to join the company during startup, that wasn’t the price.” Mr. Williams’s expression instantly changed, his voice turning cold. “The company needs to streamline now. It’s a privilege for you to stay. Take it or leave it.” I stood rooted to the spot, my palms sweating. My phone popped up with a hospital bill. My wife had been diagnosed with ALS; her daily hospital fees were a non-negotiable five thousand dollars. To get back that life-saving $20,000 annual bonus, I gritted my teeth and nodded in agreement. As I walked out of the office, Mr. Williams made a public announcement. “Jess Lee is appointed as Technical Lead, with a Level 5 salary and benefits, effective immediately!” That income, which should have been mine, just landed in the lap of an intern. Liam, the VP, led the applause, shouting at the top of his lungs. “Jess is the future of our company! Everyone, learn from Lead Lee!” Afternoon tea was delivered to the office, and cheers erupted. Jess, carrying a bag of bubble teas, handed them out to everyone. When she got to me, she held up an empty bag and scoffed. “Oh, Mark, I didn’t account for your share. Why don’t you just have some tap water?” Liam chimed in from the side, spitting maliciously. “Interns should act like interns. You think you’re getting afternoon tea?” I carried my worn laptop bag into the storage room, looking at the moldy peeling paint on the walls, and gave a self-deprecating laugh. I remembered the early days of the startup, when Mr. Williams and I huddled under server racks, sheltering from the rain. He had personally promised to split the empire, and that scene felt as if it were still before my eyes. Now, he was popping champagne with Jess, celebrating their success. I wiped my face, my fingers flying across the keyboard. Since you want a genius, I’ll revoke all underlying authorizations for my self-developed AI. I entered the command into the code terminal: Resignation means immediate deactivation. I said nothing, just coldly watched this absurd farce. This place, which treated people as less than human, didn’t deserve the defense I had maintained for three years. The next day, Jess was sitting at the core control console, laughing at a constantly error-reporting piece of code on the screen. “Oh my god, this kind of infinite loop bug has been here for three years? No wonder the system runs as slow as a turtle.” Her finger hovered above the enter key, a look of disdain on her face. “I’m going to fix this bug. Delete it completely.” My scalp instantly prickled. I rushed over and grabbed her hand. “Stop! That’s not a regular bug; it’s a logical compromise made for compatibility with older hardware!” My throat was dry from urgency. I stared fixedly at her. “This bug, even though it reports errors, it forces other control units to run at a lower frequency. Delete it, and the system will overload and crash!” Jess flung my hand away, disdainfully dusting off her sleeve. “Mark, you’re just bad at tech, you write bugs you can’t fix, and then you make up terms like ‘logical compromise’ to fool people?” The commotion grew, and Mr. Williams walked over, hands behind his back, his brows furrowed. “What’s all this noise? Can’t a person have some peace and quiet in the morning?” I felt like I had grabbed a lifeline, pointing at the screen and explaining. “Mr. Williams, Jess is about to delete that load-balancing bug. This will cause a huge problem. We must stop her immediately!” Mr. Williams glanced at Jess, then at me, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. Jess immediately pouted, her eyes reddening. “Mr. Williams, Mark is just jealous of me. Fixing this bug will speed things up by at least 20%, but he doesn’t want the company to progress.” The hesitation in Mr. Williams’s eyes slowly disappeared. He turned to me, his gaze cold. “Mark, we need to give young people a chance to make mistakes. Don’t always use your old ways to suppress them.” He patted Jess’s shoulder. “Jess, go ahead and fix it. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility.” I stood frozen in place, watching Jess press the enter key. In an instant, all the indicator lights in the server room suddenly went out. The main server let out a muffled hum, and the screen immediately went black. The entire office area fell into a dead silence, with only the emergency lights casting a pale glow. Jess’s face turned deathly pale, and she sprang up from her chair. “I… I just deleted one line of code…” The red dedicated phone on the desk suddenly rang, piercingly. It was the direct hotline from our major client, DragonCorp. Mr. Williams fumbled to answer the phone, his forehead beaded with cold sweat. “Mr. Dawson… Mr. Dawson, so early?” Mr. Dawson’s furious roar came through the phone, loud enough for even me to hear. “William Smith! We received a red alert signal here! What in the world are you doing?!” Mr. Williams’s legs were trembling with fear. He was about to explain when the main server behind him suddenly chirped. Power reconnected, the screen lit up again, and that glaring red alert disappeared. Jess pointed at the screen, shouting excitedly. “It’s on! Mr. Williams! System reboot successful!” A line of large green characters flashed across the screen: [System logic optimization complete]. Jess impatiently hit enter, running a performance test. The progress bar zipped to the end, finally settling on an astonishing number. [Current system overall operating efficiency: 30% improvement]. Mr. Williams let out a long sigh of relief, immediately adopting a fawning expression. “Mr. Dawson, a misunderstanding. We were performing a core technical upgrade just now. It’s now complete.” He hung up the phone, pointing at the big screen, his face beaming with ecstasy. “See that? This is called breaking to build! A 30% speed increase!” Jess proudly lifted her chin, provocatively looking at me. “Mark, I wonder who was scaremongering just now. Does your face hurt?” Liam led the applause, shouting at the top of his lungs. “Jess is amazing! Unlike some people, who hog the toilet and don’t do their business, always fear-mongering!” He glanced sideways at me, adding sarcastically. “This is called technical superiority, the difference between a genius and a waste!” The entire company erupted in cheers, everyone celebrating this so-called “technical breakthrough.” Only I knew that the seemingly perfect data flow was just the last gasp before collapse. I returned to the storage room. My phone vibrated. It was a familiar number. When I answered, a headhunter’s respectful voice came through. “Mr. Green, I’m the HR for Starlight Tech. How have you considered the job offer we discussed?” I looked at the jubilant crowd outside the door, who were popping champagne around Jess. “Joining is not a problem.” I lowered my voice, my tone calm. “But I still haven’t received my $20,000 annual bonus. That’s my hard-earned money.” The headhunter paused on the other end of the line, then said. “Understood. We’ll await your good news.” I hung up the phone and gave a self-deprecating laugh. William, since you’ve chosen your “genius,” I’ll reclaim what’s mine. Then, I’ll watch your empire rise, and watch your empire fall. On the third day morning, the final deadline for the handover. The company group chat suddenly exploded. News of the annual bonus hitting accounts flooded the screen, everyone celebrating that the amount was significantly higher than previous years. I scrolled through my bank SMS, my fingertips trembling as I stared at the string of numbers. [Incoming: $2000.00] Before I could catch my breath, my phone rang jarringly. It was the head of the emergency department at City Hospital. When I answered, the piercing alarm of a medical monitor came through the line. “Mr. Green, your wife suddenly went into respiratory arrest and is undergoing CPR!” The doctor’s anxious voice was like a thunderclap. “The situation is critical. We must perform an emergency tracheotomy immediately. Please deposit fifty thousand dollars for the surgery right away!” My head buzzed, and I almost dropped my phone. “Save her! Please, you must save her! I’ll transfer the money immediately!” I hung up the phone, rushing frantically into Mr. Williams’s office. Inside, Mr. Williams was stuffing a thick stack of cash envelopes into Jess Lee’s hands. “William! You have to give me that $20,000 commission! My wife is in critical condition!” I lunged at the office desk, my eyes bloodshot, my voice hoarse. Mr. Williams calmly sealed the envelopes, not even bothering to look up. “Mark, why are you shouting? That money has already been distributed to everyone.” He pointed at the cheering employees, self-righteously. “Jess’s 30% speed increase, everyone worked very hard. This money should be awarded to the meritorious.” My whole body trembled uncontrollably, a rush of blood surging to my head. “That’s my life-saving money! How could you use it to win favor?” Mr. Williams suddenly laughed, grabbing my collar and roughly dragging me out of the office. “Come on! Everyone, stop for a moment!” He unceremoniously pushed me into the center of the office area, shouting loudly. “Mark says he wants back that $20,000 commission!” The entire room fell silent instantly. Dozens of eyes stared at me. Mr. Williams spread his hands, looking completely shameless. “I’ve already given the money to everyone. If I give it to him, you’ll have to return the envelopes you just received.” He looked around, deliberately asking. “Do you agree?” Liam was the first to jump out, stuffing his envelope into his pocket, cursing at me. “Why should we? You want to claw back money that’s already in our pockets?” “Mark, you’re too shameless, trying to fill your bottomless pit with everyone’s money?” With someone leading the way, the jeering instantly erupted. Jess, giggling, raised her hand and shouted loudly. “Mr. Williams, since Mark is leaving anyway, why not use the freed-up salary budget to give everyone a $500 monthly raise!” The entire room fell silent for a second, then erupted in thunderous cheers. Mr. Williams waved his hand, agreeing grandly. “Approved! Jess is so sensible, unlike some people who only take and never give.” I stood among the crowd, my heart feeling as if it had been pricked by needles. I remembered last year, when I led the team, working five days and four nights straight to overcome a critical issue, everyone sleeping in the server room. To fight for an extra two hundred dollars in hazard pay for my colleagues, I begged Mr. Williams for three days. Back then, he had smashed a cup and yelled at me, pointing his finger. “Mark! The company is in its startup phase, we don’t have money! You need to understand my difficulties, don’t always fixate on money!” Now, he was using my hard-earned money to buy loyalty, appearing incredibly generous. “Long live Jess! Lead Lee is our real benefactor!” The employees’ gazes at me instantly shifted from disgust to hatred. As if I were the sinner blocking their path to wealth. Suddenly, a figure burst out of the crowd. It was Leo, whom I had personally mentored in coding. “Slap!” A loud slap landed squarely on my face. Leo’s face was flushed red, and he roared at me. “Mark! Get out! You almost cost us our raises!” “You always acted so noble, turns out you’re a bloodsucker trying to cut off everyone’s income!” I clutched my stinging cheek, looking in disbelief at the apprentice I had shielded countless times. Mr. Williams watched the scene, then leaned into my ear, his voice chilling. “See that, Mark? That’s human nature. Now you’re the target of everyone’s scorn.” “You were always the high-achieving student in school, and I’ve disliked you for a long time.” “I’m manipulating you to make you, the genius, bow to me, the underachiever, for a mere pittance.” Before I could even react, Jess walked over, carrying a cup of scalding coffee. “Mark, still not awake?” Her hand trembled, and the brown liquid splattered directly onto my face and chest. “Oops, my hand slipped.” The burning sensation made me gasp, and coffee dripped down my chin onto the floor. The entire room erupted in laughter, whistles filling the air. Jess covered her mouth, a look of smug satisfaction on her face. “Are you awake now? Take your two thousand dollars and get lost.” Mr. Williams clapped his hands, delivering his final summary. “Mark, facts prove that your skills and character are inferior to Jess’s.” He pointed at the main door, issuing a dismissal. “Ryder doesn’t need a useless person like you who can’t even fix a bug. You can safely get out.” “From now on, this is Jess Lee’s domain!” A burning sense of humiliation consumed me. My fingernails dug deeply into my flesh, drawing blood. I wiped the coffee stains from my face, not saying another word. I didn’t even spare them a glance. I turned and walked out the main door, behind me, unrestrained revelry. In the corridor, I leaned against the cold wall and dialed a number I had saved long ago. The phone rang only once before it was answered. “This is Mark.” I kept my voice low, chillingly calm. “The Starlight Tech job offer, I accept.” The headhunter’s surprised voice came through the phone. “Excellent, Mr. Green! Salary and benefits will be double what we discussed. A $50,000 signing bonus will be in your account at any time.” “I need the money, now.” “No problem. It’ll be in your card within ten minutes.” I hung up the phone, looking at the tightly closed company door, listening to the cheers inside. Cheer, cheer to your heart’s content. This is your last moment of joy. Through my phone, I entered a command into my personal terminal: Deactivate Sky Shield AI virus protection function. A red warning popped up on the screen: [Confirm deactivation? After deactivation, the system will lose AI virus protection functionality]. I pressed the confirm button. Watching the error red dots gradually appearing on the screen, I let out a long breath. Your tower is about to collapse. With the “transfer successful” notification sound, the fifty thousand dollar signing bonus instantly flowed into the hospital account. The head nurse hurried over, handing me the payment receipt, her face beaming. “Mr. Green, the money is in, and the best medication is being used. Your wife’s condition is stable.” I glanced through the glass. My wife was sleeping peacefully. The anxiety in my heart finally settled. Leaving the hospital, I headed straight for Starlight Tech. From the 88th-floor panoramic window, I looked out over the entire city. There was no musty smell here, no leaky pipes, only spacious, private offices. Mr. Chen himself brought me a hot cup of tea, offering it with both hands. “Mr. Green, the defense architecture relies entirely on you.” That “you” sounded like an echo from another life. At Ryder, I was the ridiculed outcast. Here, I was a valued guest, commanding a fifty thousand dollar signing bonus. I took a sip of tea, my fingers flying across the keyboard. With a press of the enter key, my self-developed “Sky Shield” AI system instantly covered Starlight Tech’s entire network. At the same time, on the monitoring screen of my former company, Ryder, the data flow began to show eerie fluctuations. Without my AI suppression, the long-dormant “King of Viruses” awakened. Ryder’s old antivirus software, which had always operated under my AI’s protection, never needed to work at full capacity. Now that my AI was gone, that fragile old antivirus software was forced to run at full load, only to find itself completely overwhelmed. Even more ironically, the entry point for the virus was Jess’s “masterpiece.” The day before yesterday, to show off her hacking skills, she wrote a script to automatically retrieve all employee resignation emails. She thought it was cool, a way to show she was more efficient than me. But she didn’t understand that this unencrypted script had left a wide-open door for the virus. The virus, using the resignation email port, burrowed into the internal network like a mad dog.

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The day I gave birth, my sister-in-law, eight months pregnant, suddenly went into premature labor. My sister-in-law gave birth to a healthy boy, gaining status through her son and successfully marrying into a wealthy family. I, however, delivered a stillborn baby and suffered injuries that left me unable to have more children. My mother-in-law forced my husband to divorce me. When he refused, she threw him out of the house. Distraught, he suffered a heart attack and died tragically. To claim his inheritance, my mother-in-law ran me over with her car, killing me. After I died, I discovered that my sister-in-law’s son was actually my child. My sister-in-law and mother-in-law had conspired to steal her. They were responsible for my husband’s and my tragic deaths! When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my sister-in-law and I gave birth simultaneously. 1 I abruptly opened my eyes and touched my round belly, realizing I had been reborn. My sister-in-law, Lily Stone, eight months pregnant, sat beside me, reaching out to touch my stomach. She said with a concerned expression, “Sister, your nephew is moving in your belly. He’s so lively. Your due date is today, right?” Lily had a smile on her face, but her eyes were full of greed and calculation. Her hand was cold and clammy, making me shiver involuntarily. I subtly shifted my body, pulling away from her hand. It was laughable. In my previous life, I hadn’t seen through the wolfish ambition hidden beneath Lily’s concerned smile. I had believed she genuinely cared for me, her sister-in-law, and treated her like my own sister. But she had conspired with my mother-in-law to destroy my family. In my previous life, my mother-in-law ran me over with her car on the roadside. Strangely, after I died, my soul didn’t leave but returned to the day of childbirth. I watched everything that happened that day as if it were a movie. The day I gave birth, my eight-month pregnant sister-in-law suddenly went into premature labor and went to the same hospital as me. I was in labor for three agonizing hours, giving birth to a healthy baby boy with all my strength. But the moment he was born, my mother-in-law took him away. Just then, my sister-in-law also gave birth, but it was a stillborn baby girl due to prematurity. When I woke up, my mother-in-law held the deceased fetus in front of me, telling me it was my child, born dead. While I was heartbroken and distraught, my sister-in-law cradled my son, happily snuggling in the arms of her wealthy boyfriend. Lily had been dating a man from a prominent family, but his mother had declared that Lily could only enter their family if she gave birth to a son. Having finally become pregnant, Lily was naturally eager to know the baby’s gender. My mother-in-law consulted an old traditional doctor who examined both Lily and me. The doctor informed my mother-in-law that Lily was carrying a girl, while I was carrying a boy. From then on, my mother-in-law and Lily fixed their eyes on my belly. They deliberately sent my husband, Ethan, away two days before my due date for a cousin’s wedding. After I gave birth, they stole my child. Lily, gaining status through the son, successfully married into the wealthy family. When I learned my child was stillborn, I became emotionally agitated, suffered postpartum hemorrhage, and completely lost my ability to have children. My mother-in-law cursed me as a barren hen and demanded my husband divorce me. My husband staunchly refused. My mother-in-law then lashed out at him, calling him unfilial and an animal, ordering him out of the house. In a fit of rage, my husband suffered a heart attack and died tragically beside me. After my husband’s death, he left behind an inheritance of two houses. To seize the inheritance, my mother-in-law ran me over with her car right outside our home. After my death, she and Lily conspired to say I died in an accident. They cremated me hastily and discarded my ashes in a landfill. I never imagined that fate would be so kind as to give me another chance at life. This time, I must protect my child and make my mother-in-law and sister-in-law pay for their actions! 2 My mother-in-law, carrying a bowl of chicken soup, said to me with an overly solicitous expression, “Claire, drink this bowl of chicken soup. I specially made it for you.” Ever since she found out I was pregnant with a boy, my mother-in-law had been exceptionally attentive to me. At the time, I was incredibly touched, feeling suddenly lucky to have such a wonderful mother-in-law. But now I know she was merely using me and the child in my womb as tools for her and her daughter to climb into a wealthy family. However, with my husband not by my side, I couldn’t afford to fall out with my mother-in-law. So, I calmly took the chicken soup and placed it on the table. I told my mother-in-law, “Mom, the chicken soup is too hot. Could you get me a spoon?” My mother-in-law agreed with a loving smile. I gently closed the door, pressing my ear to the crack to hear if she had walked away. Instead, I heard her say in a venomous tone, “Such a nuisance. Once she’s given birth, just wait and see how I deal with her.” My once loving mother-in-law uttering such terrifying words sent shivers down my spine, having just been reborn. I quickly pulled out my phone and dialed my husband, Ethan Cole’s, number. To successfully steal my child, my mother-in-law had deliberately sent my husband home two days before my due date to attend a cousin’s wedding. So my husband was still in his hometown. “Hello, wife, is everything alright? My cousin on Uncle’s side is getting married; I’m at the wedding.” After hearing my husband’s voice, the hand holding my phone trembled uncontrollably. In my previous life, my husband had a sudden heart attack from being angered by my mother-in-law, collapsing by my bedside. I wanted to save him, but it was too late. I could only watch helplessly as he died tragically. This time, I must change both our fates! I anxiously told Ethan, “Husband, come home immediately. I’m about to give birth. Hurry to the hospital and wait for me.” Ethan, though surprised, immediately replied, “Okay, wife, don’t be nervous. I’m leaving for the hospital right away.” Hearing my husband’s definite answer, I felt a slight relief. But the moment I opened the door, I saw my mother-in-law standing there with a spoon. My heart pounded furiously a few times. I managed to force a faint smile and asked my mother-in-law, “Mom, what are you doing standing at the door?” My mother-in-law smiled and said, “Weren’t you asking for a spoon? I brought it for you.” I took the spoon and told her, “Thank you, Mom. I can drink it myself; you don’t need to take care of me here.” My mother-in-law nodded and left. But I still felt uneasy, wondering when she had started standing by my door. My mother-in-law went to Lily’s room. Lily’s room was next to the bathroom, so I pretended to go to the bathroom and leaned against the window, listening to my mother-in-law and Lily’s conversation. “Lily, did that bitch find out something? I heard her calling your brother, telling him to wait for her at the hospital.” My mother-in-law’s venomous voice slithered into my ears like a poisonous snake. “Mom, what did you say? That bitch must have found out something. What do we do if my brother is at the hospital? How will we snatch the baby?” My mother-in-law was silent for a moment, then said triumphantly, “She thinks that just because her brother goes to the hospital, we’ll be helpless? If that bitch really goes into labor later, we’ll just say we’re afraid of traffic on the way and call the doctor to deliver the baby at home. Then it’ll just be the three of us at home, and we, mother and daughter, will be in charge.” I, eavesdropping from the window, instantly broke out in a cold sweat. I never expected my mother-in-law and sister-in-law to be so vicious. I had to hold on until Ethan returned, no matter what. But just then, a sharp pain shot through my belly. With a “splash,” my broken amniotic fluid spilled onto the floor. I was going into labor! 3 My painful groans startled my mother-in-law. Lily looked excited when she saw I was in labor. My mother-in-law glanced at me and whispered to Lily, “Finally, those months of serving her weren’t for nothing. Every day I made her soup and meals, I was so annoyed I wanted to strangle her. Now she’s finally going to give birth. Lily, hurry and take the labor-inducing medicine. Any later, and it’ll be too late.” Lily agreed, telling her mother, “Mom, watch her closely. I’ll go take the medicine now.” I was sweating profusely from the pain, yet I had to listen to my mother-in-law and sister-in-law conspiring to steal my baby. I grabbed my mother-in-law and told her, “Mom, I’m about to give birth. Please, take me to the hospital quickly.” My mother-in-law shook off my hand and said, “Why go to the hospital? I’ll call Dr. Lee in a bit and have him come here to deliver the baby. What if you go into labor on the way to the hospital with a baby in your belly?” With that, my mother-in-law took out her phone and called Dr. Lee. Dr. Lee was the doctor my mother-in-law and sister-in-law had bribed in my previous life. He was the one who stole my baby after I gave birth to my son. I had planned this time for my husband to wait at the hospital in advance, so my mother-in-law and sister-in-law wouldn’t have an opportunity. I didn’t expect them to overhear my phone call and decide to have Dr. Lee come to the house for the delivery. My phone had also been taken by my mother-in-law; I couldn’t contact Ethan at all. Now, it was just my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and me at home. After I gave birth, the baby would definitely be stolen by Lily and her mother. So, no matter what, I couldn’t give birth at home. I had to hold on until I saw Ethan. Lily took the labor-inducing medicine, and soon her water broke, and contractions began. Hearing her heart-wrenching screams, I grew even more agitated. Suddenly, I heard the sound of the opposite neighbor’s door opening. I instantly calmed down. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law were both in the bedroom. I wanted to find a chance to pass a message, and it had to be now. I quietly opened my door, grabbed the neighbor’s young daughter’s hand, and told her, “I’m about to give birth. Please help me contact my husband. Tell him my mother-in-law wants me to give birth at home, and to hurry home and take me to the hospital.” The young girl was hesitant at first, but seeing my face covered in sweat, she nodded and agreed to help me. Just then, my mother-in-law suddenly pulled me inside, slamming the door shut with a loud “bang.” My mother-in-law yelled at me, “Why are you running? What if you give birth at the door, how unlucky would that be? Stay put quietly. Dr. Lee will be here soon.” No sooner had my mother-in-law finished speaking than Dr. Lee knocked on the door. 4 My mother-in-law eagerly pulled Dr. Lee, urging him to deliver my baby. But at that moment, Lily was continuously wailing in her room. My mother-in-law comforted Lily, her face filled with worry. I quickly told my mother-in-law, “Mom, Lily is in premature labor and is in more danger than I am. Why don’t we let Dr. Lee deliver her baby first? I can wait. We can’t let anything happen to Lily’s body.” My mother-in-law looked at my belly with some hesitation. I continued, “Mom, even though Lily can marry into a wealthy family if she gives birth to a boy, if something happens to her own body, even giving birth to a boy won’t matter.” Hearing my words, my mother-in-law immediately made up her mind and told Dr. Lee, “Dr. Lee, please deliver my daughter’s baby first.” My mother-in-law and Dr. Lee rushed into Lily’s room. I endured wave after wave of searing pain, gently stroking my belly and comforting my baby. “Baby, don’t be in a hurry. Wait until Daddy comes back before you come out. For the sake of our family, you must bear it a little longer.” The baby in my belly seemed to understand my words; my labor pains weren’t as severe as before. Meanwhile, Lily’s room continued to emit heart-wrenching screams. A moment later, the door was pushed open with a “bang.” Dr. Lee frantically shouted, “Oh no, it’s a hemorrhage! Call an ambulance quickly!” Dr. Lee picked up his phone, ready to dial emergency services. Just then, the main door opened. It was Ethan; he was back! He urgently asked me, “Wife, how are you?” I lunged into his arms, instantly collapsing and fainting. Before losing consciousness, I suddenly felt incredibly relieved. The person I could rely on had finally returned. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed. A nurse held my hand, telling me to push. I pushed with all my might. An hour later, I finally heard my baby’s cry. I lay exhausted on the delivery bed. The doctor held the baby, letting me glimpse him. “It’s a boy, everything’s normal.” I lay on the bed, unable to stop crying. In my previous life, I gave birth with all my strength, only to be met with the devastating news of a stillborn baby. Overwhelmed by the shock, I suffered a postpartum hemorrhage and almost died in the bed. But this life, I finally heard the nurse tell me with my own ears that I had given birth to a healthy baby. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. When I opened my eyes again, Ethan was by my side, looking at me with concern. I grabbed his hand and anxiously asked, “Where’s the baby? Where is he?” Ethan picked up the baby from the nearby bassinet and smiled at me. “He’s right here. Don’t worry. I’ve been watching him the whole time.” Only then did my heart completely settle. Looking at the adorable baby in the swaddle and my husband beside me, I felt incredibly happy. Suddenly, I remembered Lily. I asked Ethan, “How’s Lily? Has she given birth?” My husband nodded, saying with relief, “Thankfully I came home in time and rushed Lily, who was hemorrhaging, to the hospital. That’s why she was able to give birth smoothly. She also had a boy.” My brows instantly furrowed. Lily was clearly carrying a girl. Even if my husband had gotten her to the hospital in time and the baby hadn’t died, the gender couldn’t possibly change. I grabbed my husband’s hand, staring fixedly at him, and asked, “Are you sure she gave birth to a boy?” My husband looked at me, confused. “Claire, why that expression? Lily really did give birth to a boy. Even though he was premature, he was put in an incubator in time, and the baby is quite healthy.” It seemed Lily had indeed given birth to a boy, but how could that be? Did my mother-in-law and sister-in-law secretly swap someone else’s baby?

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My husband’s “friend” had a birthday party for her child, and the little one clung to my husband, calling him “Daddy.” The friend casually explained, “Oh, don’t mind it, darling. A godfather is like a dad, right?” I gently touched my belly, a serene smile gracing my lips. “If the child’s actual father doesn’t mind, why would I?” Meeting my husband’s warning gaze, a look that told me not to cause a scene, my smile sharpened with mockery. You can let another woman’s child call you Daddy. And I can let the child in my womb call someone else Daddy. 1 Once again, Willow’s son latched onto my husband, Jackson, mumbling “Daddy,” his tiny hands clutching Jackson’s collar tightly. Jackson’s eyes almost disappeared into a beaming smile. He gave the chubby little boy a kiss before seemingly noticing me standing there. A touch of awkwardness crossed his face as he said, “Why are you just standing here? You’re pregnant, you should go inside and sit down.” I gently stroked my still-flat belly, my voice cool and even. “In a moment. All your best friends are coming today, aren’t they? Perfect. I’ll pick out a father for my baby.” Jackson’s face instantly darkened. He gripped my wrist tightly, his voice a low, seething growl. “Eveleigh, I’m not dead yet. Are you in such a rush to find a stepfather for our child?” I retorted, unfazed, “What, Jackson? Willow can find a dad for her child in you, but I can’t find one for mine?” “Honestly, you’re such a hypocrite.” “To spare your feelings, I’m only planning to pick from your closest friends. Surely you trust your own friends?” Jackson’s face cycled through shades of red and green. He was speechless, utterly choked by my words. Willow, cradling her son, quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Darling, you’re wrong about that. Men are all bad news, even Jackson can be a real sneak sometimes!” Her words held an undeniable hint of intimacy. I smiled at her, a hint of resignation in my eyes. “See, you’re just as hypocritical. Your son can have my husband as his daddy, but my baby can’t have someone else as a daddy?” “Tell you what, why don’t you introduce me to your son’s actual father? I’ll have him be my child’s godfather. It’s only fair, a nice exchange, isn’t it?” The smile on Willow’s face froze solid. Jackson gave me a helpless look, his expression softening slightly. He put an arm around me, trying to appease me. “Alright, alright, you’ll say anything to provoke me.” “Willow and I are just friends, and her son calling me ‘godfather’ was something we agreed on ages ago. Please don’t be so jealous, okay?” Willow chimed in, “Darling, what kind of talk is that? I had a child to appease my family, so I just found a stranger to be the father and raised him myself. I didn’t want to be tied down by marriage forever.” “Besides, if Jackson and I had anything going on, we’d have a house full of kids by now. You wouldn’t even be in the picture!” “You just relax. Jackson and I grew up together. I still remember him with missing teeth and two snot trails hanging from his nose, grinning like an idiot. Who could ever be attracted to that?” No sooner had she finished speaking than Jackson rolled his eyes playfully and threw an arm around her neck. They tumbled into a playful scuffle. I didn’t get angry or try to intervene, as I might have in the past. I just watched them with a cold gaze. The first time Jackson introduced me to his friends, Willow had also roughhoused with him. After he’d just introduced me, Willow, the only other woman there, immediately stood up. “Well, look at you, old man! We agreed to stay single, and you went and secretly got a girlfriend?” “A bet’s a bet, now bark for me!” Jackson immediately plunged into their antics, ending with Willow pinning him down and making him bark like a dog for the camera. I stood there awkwardly, a strained smile on my face. Since then, I’d told Jackson countless times that he should maintain some distance from Willow. Jackson always brushed it off, saying they were just friends, and he never thought of Willow as anything more than that. I’d argued, I’d yelled, but each time, it only earned me Jackson’s impatience or a half-hearted attempt to mollify me. I resigned myself to trying to believe that their bond was truly just platonic. The two of them finally stopped their antics. Willow said something, laughing, and Jackson reached out to pick up her son. His hand brushed against Willow’s chest, and after he’d settled the child in his arms, he even jokingly nudged her with his elbow, earning him a sharp glare from Willow. I watched, a self-deprecating laugh escaping my lips. And that’s “just friends”? Her child is calling him Daddy, and Jackson is openly touching Willow’s chest in public, and they act like it’s completely normal. And I was supposed to believe they had nothing but a pure friendship? I watched coldly as Jackson carried the child to the “grabbing ceremony,” Willow by his side, beaming shamelessly. After a long while, my phone buzzed. Jackson, busy with Willow and her son, finally remembered to appease me. [Alright, stop being mad and jealous. You’re pregnant; emotional fluctuations aren’t good for the baby.] [Didn’t you like a certain handbag earlier? Send me the link.] Every time we argued because of Willow, Jackson would try to smooth things over like this. In the past, I would have thrown my phone, accusing him of a guilty conscience, of only knowing how to bribe me with money. Now, I calmly sent him the link to the handbag I liked. He’s already playing Daddy to his “friend’s” child. Why would I still talk about feelings with him? I’m not that foolish. 2 Jackson didn’t come home again that night. His social media feed updated three times in one day: from the child’s “grabbing ceremony” video in the morning to pictures of him playing cards and drinking at a bar that evening. It was someone else’s child’s first birthday, and here he was, singing and dancing. Anyone who didn’t know would think… Thinking of him and Willow, and the child calling him “Daddy,” I let out a cold laugh. Everyone, whether they knew the truth or not, probably thought he was the child’s real father. The next day, I took samples of Jackson’s hair and the child’s hair to a paternity testing center. Just as I was leaving, planning to grab a bowl of wontons nearby, someone called out, “Eveleigh?” from behind me. A flicker of panic shot through me. I turned to see Luke, one of Jackson’s close friends. He still had a puzzled look on his face. “So early, what are you doing here by yourself? Where’s Jackson?” I forced myself to sound calm. “I came to the hospital next door for a prenatal check-up, just wandering around.” Luke didn’t seem entirely convinced, but he ended up inviting me to have wontons with him. We weren’t very close to begin with, and the conversation was awkward, an uncomfortable back-and-forth. Halfway through our meal, a man at the next table started talking loudly on his phone, his expression agitated. Luke glanced over, then pulled his chair a little closer to my side. The man hung up, then suddenly pulled a small knife from his bag and lunged towards us, muttering curses. Luke’s face changed dramatically. He instinctively threw himself in front of me. “Watch out!” The tip of the man’s knife grazed Luke’s arm! I screamed in terror, instinctively recoiling. My foot caught, and I fell heavily to the ground. The agitated man was quickly subdued by helpful bystanders. Seeing the blood spreading on Luke’s sleeve, my face turned ashen. Someone offered us a ride to the hospital. On the way, my hands shaking, I pulled out my phone to call Jackson. He hung up the first time, but I patiently called again. This time, it connected, but instead of Jackson’s face, the screen showed a plump shoulder. On a whim, I recorded the screen. The next second, Willow’s voice, thick with sleep and laziness, came through the receiver. “Hello? Oh, Eveleigh. What’s up with Jackson? He drank too much last night, and he’s showering now.” The atmosphere in the car became thick with unspoken tension. I frowned, my voice still trembling with residual fear. “Tell him to come to the hospital immediately. I’ve sent him the address.” Jackson finally arrived over two hours later. Luke’s arm was already bandaged. He sat beside me, defiantly playing a game on his phone. Jackson pushed the door open, looking tired and irritated, his tone laced with annoyance. “What’s wrong? Why did you insist I come to the hospital so early? Are you having morning sickness again? Other people get sick too, why are you always so delicate?” Willow’s voice followed closely. “Exactly, Jackson. Eveleigh is a bit too much of a ‘delicate darling.’ Morning sickness requires a hospital visit, and she needs you by her side.” “When I was pregnant, I went through it all by myself.” I rolled my eyes. I remembered who it was that demanded fish in the middle of the night, insisting Jackson go catch it fresh. And every single prenatal check-up during her pregnancy? Wasn’t Jackson always by her side? Jackson finally noticed Luke in the hospital room, his brow furrowed as he began to question him. “What are you doing here?” Luke put away his phone and sneered. “Jackson, it’s bad enough you didn’t come with Eveleigh for her prenatal check-up. But earlier at breakfast, a lunatic attacked us with a knife. Eveleigh was terrified. Shouldn’t you be here comforting her?” Jackson froze, a flicker of guilt and shame crossing his face. He immediately rushed over and took my hand. “Wife, I’m so sorry. I completely forgot about your appointment today.” “Last night, it was a rare chance to get together with the guys, so I drank a bit too much. Are you okay?” I pulled my hand away coldly and turned my back to him. Willow remained unfazed. “Oh, Luke, you sly dog, playing the hero for her.” “Alright, Jackson. Eveleigh’s fine, isn’t she? Didn’t you say you were taking my son on an outing today? It’s about time.” Jackson’s tone was a little cold. “Something came up today. Another time.” Willow tried to say something else, but Luke gently ushered her out. Jackson went around to the other side of the bed to coax me. “Wife, I’m sorry. I swear I won’t ever forget again, okay?” I closed my eyes, ignoring him. Jackson eagerly pulled out his phone screen to show me. “Wife, look, I already bought that bag you sent me yesterday.” “Didn’t you also like a bracelet before? I bought that for you too. Please don’t be mad anymore, okay?” Noticing that I no longer resisted him holding my hand, Jackson seemed to relax a little. A few minutes later, he casually brought up, “How did you run into Luke today, and why were you having breakfast with him?” “In the future, when I’m not around, you should spend less time with other men.” No sooner had he spoken than the hospital room door opened. The doctor walked in with the test results. “Patient in Room 39, your test results show signs of a threatened miscarriage. The fright and fall you experienced have had a significant impact on the fetus. You must maintain absolute bed rest, keep your emotions stable, and avoid any further mishaps.” The doctor’s words were like a stinging slap across Jackson’s face. He stood frozen, seemingly just realizing the gravity of the situation. After the doctor left, before Jackson could speak, I tossed my phone to him. “You complain about me having wontons with your friend outside the hospital, but what about you? Aren’t you going to explain yourself?” Jackson picked up the phone, looking puzzled. When he saw the video on the screen, his face instantly went white.

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Every lover Gideon picked looked like me. But the day I returned to the country, he smirked, “After seeing so many replicas, the original isn’t so impressive.” Last month, he dismissed all his flings, keeping only one innocent college girl by his side—who bore no resemblance to me at all. Gideon thought I rushed back because I feared he was truly falling in love this time. But I wasn’t here to surrender to him. Five years had passed. While he searched the world for my stand-ins, I was already expecting my second child. 1 The day I returned, Lord Ashworth specifically prepared a welcome feast for me. At the banquet, Gideon was conspicuously absent. His cousin, Lawrence, looked at me with open disdain. “Didn’t you say you’d never return to the Ashworth manor? Why are you suddenly so restless now that Gideon has found true love?” I blinked, surprised. “Then congratulations to him.” “Such theatrics.” Lawrence smirked, gesturing towards the entrance. “Gideon’s here. If you want to put on a show, at least do it for him.” Gideon wore a grey shirt, its collar slightly unbuttoned. Five years unseen, he was far more composed than I remembered. He took a seat very close to mine. I turned my head and immediately noticed a lipstick stain on his shirt. Lord Ashworth, seated at the head of the table, seemed oblivious, still lamenting, “You two have been fighting for five years; surely that’s enough. When are you going to get your marriage license again?” I remained silent. Gideon, however, chuckled, “Grandfather, my new girlfriend already dislikes that I’m divorced. If she heard that, she’d blow a fuse.” Lord Ashworth’s face darkened. “Can those women out there compare to Elara?” “This time is different,” Gideon said, glancing at me. “This time, I’m serious.” 2 “Nonsense!” Lord Ashworth was too enraged to speak. Everyone else looked at me, some with pity or sympathy, others waiting for the drama to unfold. I lowered my gaze and spoke softly, “Grandfather, I appreciate your good intentions, but I cannot reconcile with Gideon.” No one expected me to be so definitive. After all, they had all witnessed how, for Gideon, I had once been willing to risk everything. Crack A crystal goblet shattered. Gideon slowly wiped the blood from his hand. “Slipped.” 3 It was a long time before I realized my social media group chat was exploding. “Elara, how could you keep such big news from us? Congratulations!” “Gideon really went all out this time.” “Oh my god, I knew you two would get back together!!!” Confused, I scrolled through hundreds of messages before I saw Gideon’s post in the group: he was getting married, and he’d shared a photo of the wedding ring. It was a flawless, teardrop-shaped pink diamond ring, enough to make any woman’s heart flutter. I thought for a moment, then posted a clarification. “Gideon isn’t getting back together with me.” The flurry of messages paused, then resumed scrolling frantically. “Exactly, talking about getting back together, the couple never broke up.” “Just some long-distance romance.” “Hehe, Elara, we all get it.” Until Gideon suddenly appeared, adding his new girlfriend to the group. “Let me introduce you all, this is my wife, Liliana. She’s young and feisty, so go easy on her…” Before he could finish, the girl playfully snatched his phone, “Don’t listen to his nonsense, I’m super easy to get along with.” From the voice message, I could hear Gideon’s doting laughter. Some smart aleck started a new group, directly asking Gideon, “Gideon, you’re marrying someone else, what about Elara?” Gideon replied quickly, “If you’re not grossed out, you can take her.” “Gideon, if you talk like that, I might actually go after Elara?” Gideon ignored him. The group started laughing at the guy for being out of his league. He puffed out his chest, “Well, who doesn’t want to take a bite of swan meat?” Everyone in the group fell silent. Then, Gideon casually remarked, “Even swan meat gets boring if you play with it too much.” 4 The group was all calling Gideon stubborn and invited me to dinner the next day. But when I arrived, I found Gideon and his new girlfriend there too. The friend who initially invited me looked a bit awkward and whispered, “Gideon insisted on coming, but he didn’t tell me he’d bring her along.” I just hummed, indifferent. The young woman, Liliana, wasn’t shy at all. She quickly made friends with everyone, and seemed particularly keen to stick close to me. “Elara, Gideon told me everything about you two. I don’t mind.” “I practically nagged him all night just to meet you.” “You know, you’re even prettier in person than in pictures. You don’t look seven years older than me at all.” “How do you take care of yourself? You must be very diligent, right? Do you only use very expensive brands?” One friend, unable to listen anymore, gave Gideon a pointed look. “Aren’t you going to control your woman?” “Oh, I wouldn’t dare,” he said, smiling as he pinched Liliana’s cheek. “My little queen is terribly hard to appease.” “Hmph, good that you know!” Gideon used to be good at charming people when he was little. But as he grew up, everyone around him fawned over him, giving him a spoiled, unruly temper. I hadn’t seen him coax anyone like this in a long time. Liliana stuck out her tongue at me. “I’m sorry, Elara, I didn’t mean anything by it.” She picked up two glasses of wine, offering me one. “I apologise to you, sister.” With that, she tilted her head back and downed the drink. But I couldn’t even pretend. “I’m sorry, I can’t drink.” Liliana’s eyes immediately reddened. “Elara, are you looking down on me?” Gideon’s tone also turned cold. “Elara Blunt, I’ve given you too much leeway, haven’t I?” “That drink, you’ll have it whether you want to or not.” A friend quickly stepped in to mediate. “Elara, it’s just one drink. Everyone here knows your tolerance.” I shrugged helplessly. “I’m pregnant, I really can’t drink alcohol.” The entire room fell into instant silence. “Pfft!” Liliana burst out laughing. “Hahahaha, Elara, I’ve seen that ‘read and reply randomly’ trick online. You can’t fool me.” Others laughed too. “Might as well say you took antibiotics, much more believable.” “Elara, don’t scare us with things like that. My heart nearly stopped.” Gideon impatiently snatched my glass. “Fine, fine, fine. You won’t drink, you’re so mighty.” 5 Liliana looped her arm through mine, sweetly asking, “Elara, everyone says you’re Gideon’s ‘one true love.’ Is that true?” She asked so softly, I almost thought I misheard. “Didn’t Gideon tell you?” She pouted. “He just says sweet things to coax me; I don’t believe him. I want to hear it from you.” What was there for me to say? I was an orphan, adopted into the Ashworth family, picked up from the orphanage by Gideon when he was a child. Truthfully, I was more like a stray kitten he took pity on, a toy he once liked. Even our relationship started because a teenage Gideon wanted to experiment with a girl. That day, we stood in a narrow hallway, our cheeks flushed. I couldn’t speak, and the tears that welled in my eyes were gently licked away by Gideon’s tongue. “Do you cry even when I kiss you?” He smiled and said, “Poor little thing, you’ll never stop crying.” I pulled myself back to the present. “Nothing to say. We’re divorced.” Liliana covered her mouth. “Elara, you’re so elusive! No wonder Gideon couldn’t forget you before he met me.” “Do you want to hear what he said?” I watched her quietly. “Gideon said…” “What are you two chatting about?” Gideon leaned in. Liliana kissed his cheek, but her eyes were on me. “It’s a secret!” Actually, I had heard Gideon’s answer before. After the divorce, I received a call from the country. It was noisy on the other end, but I recognized Gideon’s voice. “One true love, my ass!” “There’s no other reason for finding lovers who look like Elara Blunt.” “I’m just not used to a different face. Even a toy needs to feel right after you use it for a while.” Before he hung up, a soft, delicate voice said, “Did you hear that? He doesn’t love you at all.” “I heard it.” “You’re not the first girl to approach me, but I hope you’re the last.” Apparently, she wasn’t. 6 Liliana suggested we play a game of telepathy. The rules were to identify a specific person from wine glasses bearing lipstick marks. “Let’s start with Gideon!” she cooed. “If you don’t pick me, you’re dead!” Gideon smiled and raised his hands in surrender. Someone quietly sighed, “I’ve never seen Gideon dote on anyone like this…” Gideon rarely cared for anyone, but if he did, he would spoil them rotten. The girl responsible for preparing the glasses winked. “Elara, could you help out…” Everyone, enjoying the spectacle, placed about ten wine glasses filled with wine in front of Gideon. Gideon raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping quickly, and he soon made his choice. “This one.” He caressed the lipstick print, smiling ambiguously. “It’s too familiar. Clearly my wife’s.” The girl who knew the answer widened her eyes, about to speak, but I interjected, “Correct.” Liliana, however, stood up and playfully glared at Gideon. “Idiot! The one in the top left corner is mine.” “Elara, you broke the rules, so you have to take a penalty!” “I’ll punish you by making you choose, blindfolded, from five men—which one is Gideon!” 7 “No way!” someone gasped. Liliana giggled. “It’s just a game, Elara. You have to be a good sport, don’t you think?” I smiled back. “Alright, let’s play.” Blindfolded, I tentatively took a few steps forward. The first man extended his hand to me. But as soon as my hand touched his arm, I shook my head. “Not him.” Everyone was shocked. “What?! So fast! How did you guess?” Because Gideon never wears silk shirts. The second man was also easy to rule out. Before I even got close, I smelled his cologne. It wasn’t a scent Gideon would use. The third one made me hesitate. He smelled strongly of smoke, and Gideon didn’t smoke. But… Following his arm, I slowly moved upwards, tracing his shoulder, his neck. Even through his clothes, I could feel his growing excitement. The person’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He swallowed softly. The surroundings were eerily quiet. I paused. “Let’s check the fourth one first.” The fourth man was a bit too thin. Not him. Only the last one remained. This time, my movements were very restrained. The first thing I touched was the cufflink, the logo Gideon wore today. I spoke directly. “It’s the fifth one.” “Wrong guess!” Liliana untied my blindfold from behind. “Looks like Elara doesn’t really know Gideon after all. That’s a relief.” In the dim light, Gideon stood in the center, his eyes dark and unreadable. The man laughed, tossing his jacket to Gideon. “Hahaha, Elara, surprised? It was a trick!” 8 That night, I dreamt of Gideon from when he was a child. He was with Lord Ashworth at a charity event at our orphanage. He picked me out from the crowd and refused to let go. “Grandfather, Elara doesn’t have a home or parents. I like her. I want to share mine with her!” Lord Ashworth deliberately made it difficult for him. “If you promise to practice the violin every day, I’ll agree.” Gideon’s brow furrowed in conflict. He was a restless little rascal since childhood, hating violin practice. But that day, he clutched my hand tightly and readily agreed. Later, he diligently studied for over ten years, come rain or shine. I was by his side for every single lesson. When I first arrived at the Ashworth manor, I was as thin as a kitten. Gideon would hold me in his arms and feed me. For a long time, we ate, lived, and slept in the same bed. “Elara, you need to eat more! You need to grow tall like me!” “Elara, don’t be scared. I’m here with you!” “Elara, I just lied to Grandfather. I told him I liked him the most, but actually, I like you most of all in the whole world!” Little Gideon was incredibly kind to me. Opening my eyes, my phone was ringing incessantly – it was him, the current him. “Elara Blunt, let’s talk.” “I know you can see this.” “Elara Blunt… text me back.” “Elara Blunt.” There was also a deleted message that I hadn’t seen. I couldn’t help but tap on the familiar profile picture. “How much longer until you come back? I miss you and the baby so much.” The other person replied instantly. “Soon.” “The baby and I miss you even more~” 9 Gideon leaned silently on the sofa, surrounded by a scatter of cigarette butts. His craving for nicotine was particularly strong tonight. Not long ago, a friend leaned in mysteriously and whispered to him, “While we were playing games, I found something on Elara’s phone.” Those few words made Gideon’s pupils tremble. “Gideon, you and Elara might have a four-year-old daughter.” 10 The next day, Liliana stopped me at the mall. “What a coincidence, Elara, are you alone too?” She smiled and complained, “I didn’t bring Gideon either. Every time I try something on, he just says it looks good and only knows how to swipe his card. It’s so annoying.” Liliana pulled me into a luxury boutique. “Elara, you must know this brand, right?” She deftly picked out a few bags, then handed me one of the boxes. “A platinum milkshake white, perfect for your age, Elara.” I didn’t take it. She pouted. “This is my thank-you gift to you, Elara.” “Gideon used to be such a player. If you hadn’t gone through all that trouble for me, how would he have settled down the moment he met me?” “I’ve always had very few possessions. When I find something, I have to hold onto it tightly. You understand that feeling better than I do, don’t you, Elara?” “Some men, if you choose them, you’ll lose.” Liliana had a hint of smugness. “You lost, but I didn’t.”

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My husband, Brandon, threw an elaborate birthday party for me. I thought it was also to celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary. Instead, he said, “Let’s get a divorce.” With all our friends and family present, his declaration of divorce clearly demonstrated his resolve. I was caught off guard, completely bewildered as to why. He said, “I’m tired. This life of being managed by you… it’s suffocating. I want to live freely, on my own. Will you set me free?” The chatter around me seemed to condemn me, saying I controlled my husband too strictly, and no man could endure it. I was genuinely speechless. I’d never even looked at his phone, I didn’t even know his password. I gazed blankly at Brandon. Then, I heard Brandon’s best friend say, “Elara, just do a good deed and set him free. You manage him too tightly. His mistress is already pregnant, and she still has no legal status.” 1 My husband had a mistress, and I had no idea. It was his best friend who told me, in front of so many people. Brandon, enraged and humiliated, lunged and punched Mark. “What the hell is wrong with you! What nonsense are you spouting! Whose friend are you, anyway?!” Mark took the full force of the punch. “Brandon, I let you hit me once. I’ve been tolerating you for too long. Every time we go to the club, you bring that girl, and then you come home and put on a show of devoted husband with Anna. “Elara, you think he’s working hard entertaining clients every night, but he’s out at the club with us! He only comes home late because he has to be with that woman after work. “He bought that woman a house, right across from your neighborhood!” My birthday party turned into a complete farce. In comparison, I wasn’t even the most humiliated. Brandon was. He never expected his best friend to betray him so publicly. Everyone gradually left. They all had their own thoughts: some pitied me, some mocked me, some cursed Brandon for being a jerk, and some criticized Mark for being disloyal. Mark, however, responded openly, “How am I disloyal? Was Brandon’s public announcement of divorce loyal? He wants a divorce but throws dirt on his wife, making everyone think she controlled him so strictly he felt suffocated and wanted to escape. What, do you all hope your husbands’ friends conspire to lie to you when this happens to you?” He said this loudly, ensuring everyone could hear. Everyone fell silent. Brandon gnashed his teeth, clenching his fists, wanting to rush out and fight Mark again. The room fell into a deathly silence. I asked Brandon, “How long has it been?” I actually knew nothing. Brandon said, “Two years. She’s still in college, please don’t make trouble for her. She comes from the countryside and it hasn’t been easy for her.” “Anna, you’re different from her. You can thrive on your own without anyone, but she can’t. She has no family but me. Without me, she wouldn’t survive.” I let out a short, bitter laugh. “So, I’m supposed to be abandoned, betrayed, and cheated on? If it weren’t for Mark, I would have been branded a controlling wife who drove you to divorce at my own birthday party. How could you be so disgusting?” “I’m sorry, she’s pregnant, and I need to give her a sense of security. She’s still in college. If I didn’t pressure you like this, you wouldn’t divorce me.” I laughed softly, and as I laughed, tears streamed down my face. “What do you take me for? You’re already getting a divorce. Do you expect me to beg you to stay? Just tell me you have someone else and want a divorce. Do you think I’d cling to you?” Brandon didn’t say anything more. He just muttered “I’m sorry” and turned to leave. Only today did I learn that Brandon had another home, right across from our neighborhood. He had bought that woman a house. I locked myself in my room for three days. I didn’t go to work. I saw the office chat group was buzzing with gossip about me. [Anna Vance’s husband actually cheated! And he’s got another woman! I saw her social media, all full of travel photos with her husband! They were always together, how did he find time to cheat?] [You’re thinking too small. I’ve even seen husbands sneak off to a hotel on the way to pick up their kids!] [They’ve been together since college, eight years, I heard. They got married right after graduation. The house they live in now, Anna bought it. Her husband had nothing when he was with her. Anna paid for all their living expenses. Now that things are good, men get more fickle.] [Do you think she’ll get a divorce? Would divorcing just make things easier for that scumbag?] I closed the group chat, refusing to read any more of their gossiping about me. I opened my social media, deleting every single post about Brandon, one by one. I used to be that perfect woman, successful in her career, happily married, with a handsome, wealthy husband who was gentle and thoughtful towards me. Everyone envied me, both at work and in life. Even when I went back to my hometown, I was surrounded by relatives praising me, saying how lucky I was—good grades, good university, good career, good husband. And having a child in a year or two would make it even better. They all said I had good foresight, not shying away from a poor young man, knowing how to invest in potential, helping my husband climb to his current position. He started his own company and became the esteemed Mr. Blackwood. He probably really forgot the hardships and poverty he endured back then, the embarrassment of having not a single penny in his pocket yet wanting to buy me a birthday gift. 2 Three days later, I received a call from Brandon’s lawyer, asking me to sign the divorce papers. The property division was 50/50. Except for our current house and the company. The house we lived in was bought by me, so he wouldn’t get a share. The three million dollars for his company’s startup fund came from my parents, and he would return the three million with interest, so I couldn’t get a share of the company. He thought this was fair. “I won’t sign. If he leaves with nothing, I’ll sign immediately.” “Ms. Vance, you should know that the law does not support a spouse leaving with nothing. As a woman, I sympathize with you and understand you. Right now, Mr. Blackwood feels guilty and is willing to give you half. Once his guilt passes and he clears his head, you might not get this much. Besides, divorcing sooner allows you to start a new life. Why drag this out?” I chuckled. “He’s already started a new life without divorcing. If he can, why can’t I? He leaves with nothing, and I’ll divorce!” The lawyer sneered, rising. “Ms. Vance, you’re just stalling. Your demands won’t be supported in court. If you insist, then we’ll see you in court.” I went back to work. My boss already knew about my situation and offered me a month off. But I didn’t need it. If I had to save one, it would be my career. Since my marriage was over, I would focus on work. I went to work and left at my usual times every day, showing no signs of the humiliation and distress I was experiencing in my marriage. My colleagues all thought I must have chosen to swallow my pride and make peace with the mistress. Because such things were all too common, especially with my husband being so wealthy now. Wouldn’t a divorce just benefit the adulterous couple? Some senior colleagues even offered me advice on how to maintain a marriage. “Anna, any smart woman should learn to be lenient with her husband. Especially since your husband is rich and successful, and there are so many women eyeing him. You need to humble yourself appropriately, turn a blind eye. That’s how you get through life.” “That other woman he’s so smitten with, isn’t it because she knows how to show weakness and be accommodating? You, my dear, shouldn’t always focus solely on your career. You should also have a child with Mr. Blackwood.” “Your child with your husband is the legitimate heir; the other one is illegitimate!” I found it hard to understand their marital philosophy: finding out your husband cheated, then rushing to have a baby with him to secure your position as the rightful wife. Even my parents advised me this way, saying that Brandon was different now, not the poor boy he used to be. He was now a CEO, and his company was facing funding for an IPO. Divorcing him now, wouldn’t it just be a windfall for someone else? It was strange. Why were they all telling me this? It wasn’t about whether I wanted a divorce; it was Brandon who insisted on it to legitimize his mistress. Then my father said, “So, go be a little accommodating. You’ve had so many years of history, you’ve suffered alongside him every step of the way. If you soften up, he’s sure to be touched. Men in his position want to be admired. He wants to protect the vulnerable.” I went home for dinner, and all I heard was this kind of talk. If he wanted to protect the vulnerable, he should do charity work. There were plenty of vulnerable people who needed protecting. I was about to leave. Brandon arrived. “Mom, Dad!” Seeing me, Brandon froze. “Anna’s here too.” “Isn’t that a coincidence? We didn’t know Anna was coming home for dinner today! Well, you two talk, have a good long chat! Anna has a lot to say to you!” My parents quickly left. Brandon sat on the sofa, straightening his clothes, and said, “The court date is coming up soon. We don’t have much to talk about. The sooner you sign the divorce agreement, the sooner we divorce, the better for both of us.” “I know you don’t want to divorce me, but I’ve fallen in love with someone else. There’s no turning back, Anna. After so many years together, let’s part amicably.” I said, “You’re overthinking. I came back today not knowing Mom and Dad also called you. Brandon, my dad gave you three million from our family’s demolition compensation to start your business. Without that money, you wouldn’t be where you are today. You think you can just pay back three million and expect me to divorce you? Don’t dream.” Brandon was almost enraged. “Anna Vance! How did you become so materialistic! Yes, the three million was from your father, but I also have outstanding abilities and built up the company! If you invested that three million elsewhere, you probably wouldn’t even see a ripple! Now I’m returning it to you with interest, and you’re still not satisfied?” “You want me to leave with nothing? You’ve read too many novels! Is that even possible?! Dragging out this divorce is just wasting time, wasting your youth! I don’t love you anymore, and you still insist on being with me. Is there any point?” Watching Brandon angrily scold me, I remembered how happy he was when he got the three million, holding me and promising. “Anna, trust me, once I build up the company, I’ll pay you back a hundred, a thousand times over! I’ll remember your and your father’s kindness forever, and I’ll love you forever, always treating you well! Wife, I love you, I love you!” Getting the money then, saying he loved me, was true. Now, successful with a mistress, saying he didn’t love me, was also true. My parents realized Brandon was determined to divorce me. They stopped trying to persuade me, only urging me to divorce soon, start a new life, and not waste time on meaningless things. I said, “I want him to leave with nothing.” My parents thought I was delusional, because that was simply impossible. 3 Moreover, with Brandon’s current financial power, he had ample time and resources to fight me in court. I also found a lawyer: Brandon’s former best friend, Mark. After the events of my birthday party, the two of them had a complete fallout. I repeated my demand: “I want him to leave with nothing.” I expected Mark to laugh at me like everyone else: “Stop dreaming, that’s impossible!” Then Mark said, “Alright! He’ll leave with nothing!” At that moment, I smiled. But as I smiled, tears started to fall. I said, “They’re doing road construction outside your law firm, and sand got into my eyes.” Mark handed me a tissue. “Why is this damn sand piled outside my door? I’ll get someone to clear it!” And then, sure enough, someone came with an excavator and cleared the sand. At that moment, I cried even louder. The excavator driver, not knowing how he’d offended me, sped off, *chug-chug-chugging* away. Seeing the excavator drive off so quickly, I laughed again. I was both crying and laughing, looking utterly absurd. Mark, however, suddenly hugged me, holding me tightly. “Don’t be afraid, you have me.” I listened to his heartbeat tapping against my chest, and for some reason, I felt a strange calm. Mark and I were actually childhood sweethearts, growing up in the same alley. Mark was raised by his grandparents, his parents abroad. Later, in high school, Mark was also taken abroad. He only returned in the last two years. Because of work dealings with Brandon’s company, the two became close friends. That day, I received a friend request from a stranger. Looking at the profile picture, I already had a guess. I accepted the request. Then the person sent a series of photos. Photos of her and Brandon together, photos of her secretly kissing him as he slept on the sofa. And of them embracing in bed. There were even explicit videos of them. [Elara, your husband doesn’t love you anymore. Please divorce him gracefully, okay?] [Brandon has always carefully protected me, just afraid you’d hurt me. But I know you’re a kind person. If your husband cheats, you’ll only blame him, not me. After all, if it wasn’t me, it would be someone else, right?] [You know I live across from your neighborhood, yet you never came to bother me. I knew you were a good person. Elara, let go. Grant me and my baby’s father peace. I truly love him, and he loves me too.] [I told Brandon to give you more money. Get the divorce. You’re still young, you can find another man who loves you.] […] She wrote a lot, I didn’t read all of it. She sent me all the crucial evidence of Brandon’s infidelity. These proofs were taken by her, not me, so they were perfectly legal. I forwarded them to Mark. Mark burst out laughing. “How could she deliver such important evidence right to our doorstep? One step closer to that jerk leaving with nothing. Worth celebrating, let’s go out for a late-night snack!” “Coming!” Her name was Lena. She was a third-year student at Capital University, from a poor family. By chance, she received sponsorship from Brandon and became his sponsored student. Mark sent me all of Lena’s information, including her university’s contact details and her academic advisor’s. Mark ate a skewer and casually said, “Send her chat logs to the university; they’ll handle it. She said you’re a kind person and wouldn’t make things difficult for her.” “Of course, I also think you’re kind and wouldn’t trouble her.” Then Mark reminded me, “However, her being a mistress is a personal life and moral issue; the university usually won’t expel her. At most, it’ll be a reprimand and education.” I immediately exposed all of Lena’s affairs to her university. As Mark said, the university gave Lena a reprimand and education, with no other disciplinary action. Only school staff and her advisor knew about her being a mistress. A few days later, a banner appeared outside the university. [Lena from the third-year Finance Department deeply loves my husband and is carrying his illegitimate child. As his rightful wife, I hereby formally propose a concubine!] Someone was also banging gongs and drums at the entrance, instantly attracting the attention of the school’s faculty and students. Lena instantly shot to fame, even making it onto local news trends, notorious for being a mistress. But it wasn’t my doing. Lena didn’t believe it, and neither did Brandon. When Brandon came to confront me, Mark opened the door. It was raining outside, and he had gotten wet, so he was showering at my place. He really was just showering. Brandon, however, exploded, forgetting the reason he came. He threw a punch. This time, Mark didn’t tolerate it. He dodged, caught Brandon’s fist, and easily pushed him away. “Mark! What do you mean! Why are you alone in my house!” I said, “We’re getting a divorce. This house is in my name alone. It’s not your home anymore.”

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I was just born when the housekeeper swapped me. She put me in the servant’s quarters, claiming I was the illegitimate daughter of a staff member. She placed her own daughter in the gold-trimmed crib, turning her into the beloved true heiress everyone envied. For three years, I watched her wear princess dresses, drink imported formula, and be cradled in my parents’ hands. Meanwhile, I slept on a mat, ate leftovers, and my name was chosen at random. That night, the housekeeper drank too much and let slip the truth. I heard every word clearly. That same night, while everyone was asleep, I crawled into the master bedroom. In the crib, the fake heiress slept soundly. I climbed up, aimed at her, and raised my foot— 01 *Thump* The dull thud of a body hitting the carpet. Immediately followed by Liliana’s heart-wrenching screams. The lights in the entire villa flashed on. I heard hurried footsteps in the corridor. My father, Jonathan, my mother, Elizabeth, and the housekeeper, Mrs. Green. They rushed in together. The sight before them made them all freeze. I, Ivy Vance, the illegitimate daughter of a servant in their eyes, lay comfortably in the Ashworth heiress’s crib. And their treasured daughter, Liliana, lay on the cold carpet, crying as if her lungs would burst. “Liliana!” My mother, Elizabeth, was the first to react, screaming as she rushed to pick up Liliana. My father, Jonathan’s face was ashen, his gaze like daggers shooting towards me. Mrs. Green’s face, however, instantly lost all color. She knew, more than anyone, what this meant. “Liliana, my darling, where did you fall? Let Mommy see.” Elizabeth held Liliana, tears streaming down her face from distress. Liliana’s small face was streaked with tears. She pointed a finger at me. “It’s her! She pushed me!” Her words were slurred, but her meaning was clear. Everyone’s gaze focused on me again. Jonathan’s eyes grew colder. “What happened?” His voice was heavy with suppressed fury. Mrs. Green’s body trembled like a leaf. She quickly stepped forward and roughly pulled me from the soft crib. Her grip was strong, making my bones ache. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m sorry, madam.” “It’s my fault. I didn’t keep an eye on this little devil.” “She must have been sleepwalking and just climbed up herself.” As she spoke, she fiercely pinched my arm, her eyes full of warning. I endured the pain. I said nothing, merely staring at the nominal parents before me with wide, dark eyes. My gaze was filled with timidity and fear. Like a startled little animal. This was an act. In three years, I had learned how to disguise myself to survive. Elizabeth’s attention was entirely on Liliana; she didn’t even look at me. Jonathan, however, was scrutinizing me. His brow was deeply furrowed. Perhaps he was wondering how a three-year-old child could run from the servant’s quarters to the master bedroom and then climb into such a tall crib. “Sleepwalking?” He repeated, his tone laced with suspicion. Mrs. Green’s cold sweat instantly poured down. “Ye… yes, sir.” “This child has always had that habit.” “I’ll take her away right now and lock her up. I’ll make sure she doesn’t bother young Miss anymore.” As she spoke, she moved to drag me away. I sneered inwardly. Lock me up? She wished. My goal tonight wasn’t just to kick Liliana. I wanted to stay. To stay by their side. So, I started to tremble. My small body shook violently, my teeth chattering. I looked at Jonathan, my eyes filled with extreme terror, as if I had seen something dreadful. Then, I burst into tears with a “wah.” Crying more miserably than Liliana on the floor. My cries were frantic and fearful, mixed with an inexpressible sense of grievance. “Not me… not me…” I cried, speaking in broken sentences. “There was… there was a bad man…” “A bad man in black clothes. He carried me up here.” “He also tried to carry my sister. I was scared, so I pushed him…” My words were muddled. But the core message was clear. An intruder had entered. Jonathan’s face instantly changed. He wasn’t concerned about me, but about the Ashworth family’s security. “What did you say? A man in black?” He demanded sharply. I flinched at his voice and cried even harder. Mrs. Green froze. She hadn’t expected me to invent such a lie. She wanted to refute it, but dared not. Because if she said there was no intruder, how would she explain my presence here? Would she admit she was drunk and let slip the truth, which I overheard? She wouldn’t risk it. “Sir, this girl is talking nonsense!” She could only deny it, forcing a brave front. “How could a stranger get into the house?” Jonathan ignored her. His sharp gaze swept around the bedroom. The windows were tightly shut, and the door was locked. Indeed, it didn’t look like an intruder had entered. His gaze fell on me again, filled with scrutiny and impatience. “Enough, stop crying.” Elizabeth had finally soothed Liliana. Holding her daughter, she looked at me with disgust. “A servant’s child, all she does is lie. Truly, like mother, like daughter.” “Mrs. Green, take her away quickly. She’s irritating to look at.” Mrs. Green looked as if she had been granted a reprieve. She immediately grabbed my arm, trying to drag me out of this troublesome place. I knew this was my last chance. Once she took me back to the servant’s quarters, a more brutal beating awaited me. I couldn’t leave. Just as Mrs. Green pulled me, I used all my strength to wrench free from her hand. I dropped to my knees with a thud. Not towards Mrs. Green, nor towards Elizabeth. I knelt towards Jonathan. The ultimate authority of this household. I looked up at him, my face streaked with tears. My eyes no longer held only fear. There was a hint of deference and dependence. “Daddy… Ivy is scared…” I called out timidly. That single word, “Daddy,” instantly plunged the room into silence. Everyone froze. Including myself. No, I hadn’t meant to call him Daddy. I meant to call him “Sir.” But this three-year-old body seemed to have its own instincts. In extreme fear and a desire for protection, it uttered the deepest address of its heart. Jonathan’s body stiffened. He looked down at me. At my thin, gaunt little face, at my dark eyes, like grapes. I saw a complex emotion flash in his cold gaze. There was shock, bewilderment, and a hint of… a tenderness he himself hadn’t noticed. Mrs. Green’s face was already as white as a sheet. 02 Silence. The air seemed to solidify. Elizabeth, holding Liliana, frowned even more deeply. “What did she call you?” She asked Jonathan, her tone full of disbelief and revulsion. “A servant’s bastard child, daring to call you Daddy?” Mrs. Green was terrified out of her wits and also dropped to her knees with a thud. “Sir, madam, I’m sorry!” “This child has problems, always talking nonsense. I’ll go back and teach her a good lesson!” She kept bowing her head, trying to cover my mouth. I shrank back, dodging her. I remained kneeling, looking up at Jonathan. I didn’t speak, just stared at him with eyes remarkably similar to Elizabeth’s, stubbornly. My gaze said: I didn’t make a mistake. Jonathan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He didn’t immediately get angry, nor did he tell Mrs. Green to take me away. He just stared at my face for a long time. So long that Elizabeth grew somewhat impatient. “Jonathan, what are you waiting for? Tell Mrs. Green to get her out of here!” “Liliana is already scared.” Liliana in her arms cooperatively started sobbing again. “Daddy, I’m scared, she’s so dirty.” Liliana’s voice pulled Jonathan from his contemplation. The flicker of emotion in his eyes instantly vanished, returning to its usual coldness. “Mrs. Green, take her downstairs.” He spoke calmly. “Yes, sir.” Mrs. Green breathed a sigh of relief, quickly got up, and grabbed me like a chicken. This time, I didn’t resist. Because I knew my goal had been half-achieved. The seed of doubt had been planted in his mind. I had caught that momentary glance. A man who commanded the business world wouldn’t be easily swayed by emotion, but he would absolutely trust his own eyes and judgment. My face was the biggest piece of evidence. Mrs. Green dragged me, walking quickly out of the master bedroom. Behind us, Elizabeth’s voice could be heard comforting Liliana. “Liliana, don’t be scared. Mommy will make her leave our house tomorrow, okay?” “Okay!” Liliana immediately stopped crying. Mrs. Green’s steps faltered. My heart sank too. Leave this house? That wouldn’t do. On the way back to the servant’s quarters, the long corridor was silent. Mrs. Green said nothing, but her grip on my arm tightened. I knew a beating awaited me. Sure enough, as soon as we entered that dark, damp little room, she locked the door from the inside. Then, she turned around. The fear was gone from her face, replaced by savagery and venom. “You little hussy!” She slapped me across the face. It stung, burning. I stumbled, thrown to the floor. “Who told you to run out? Who told you to talk nonsense?” Still not satisfied, she lifted her foot and kicked me. I curled into a ball, shielding my head with my arms. This was the most effective self-preservation method I had learned in three years. I was long used to this pain. Compared to hunger and endless cold, physical pain was the easiest to endure. “Did you hear something?” She kicked a few times, then seemed tired, stopping to catch her breath as she asked me. I lay on the floor, saying nothing. “I’m asking you a question!” She grabbed a handful of my hair, pulling me up from the floor. A tearing pain shot through my scalp. I was forced to look up at her distorted face. “I’m warning you, Ivy.” “From today on, if you dare to run around or speak nonsense again, I’ll break your legs and rip out your tongue!” “You remember this: I am your mother! And that Liliana, she is the true young lady of the Ashworth family!” “You’re just a nobody’s bastard, destined to serve my daughter like a slave your whole life!” She spat venomously. I looked at her, my eyes calm. I didn’t cry, nor did I beg. My calmness seemed to anger her even more. “You dare to glare at me?” She raised her hand, about to hit me again. Just then, a knock sounded from outside the door. “Mrs. Green, are you in there?” It was the voice of a young maid. Mrs. Green’s movements froze. Her face changed. “What is it?” She asked impatiently. “Sir wants to see you.” The maid said from outside the door. Mrs. Green’s pupils suddenly contracted. Sir? So late, what did Sir want with her? An ominous premonition enveloped her. She released my hair, roughly throwing me back to the floor. “You stay put! Don’t you dare go anywhere!” She warned me in a low voice, then walked over and opened the door. The maid outside looked at her, startled. “Mrs. Green, your face…” “It’s nothing, just accidentally bumped into something.” Mrs. Green vaguely explained, tidying her clothes and hair. “Where is Sir?” “In the study.” “Good, I’ll be right there.” Mrs. Green closed the door and locked it from the outside again. I heard her hurried footsteps fade into the distance. In the room, darkness and silence returned. I crawled up from the cold mat and went to the door. I pressed my ear against it, hearing nothing. But I knew Jonathan must have grown suspicious because of my “Daddy” earlier. He wanted to verify. And Mrs. Green was his first step in that verification. A cold smile touched my lips. Mrs. Green thought locking me up would solve everything? Too naive. This tiny servant’s room couldn’t hold me. I walked to the window and skillfully moved a small stool. The window wasn’t locked, just a simple latch. I stood on tiptoe, struggling to slide it open. Then, I pushed open the window and took a deep breath of the cool night air. Jumping down from here would sting a bit. But it didn’t matter. I knew the show was just beginning tonight. I had to see it with my own eyes. 03 The study light was on. Jonathan sat behind the large mahogany desk, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the surface. In front of him, sat a cold cup of coffee. He hadn’t drunk it. His thoughts were a mess. In his mind, the scene of that child crying and calling him “Daddy” echoed repeatedly. And her eyes. Those eyes, almost identical to Elizabeth’s. Three years ago, on the day the child was born, he was abroad negotiating an important contract. By the time he returned, the child had been born for several days. Elizabeth was somewhat weak after childbirth; he didn’t think much of it. Family matters had always been handled by Mrs. Green. Mrs. Green was a distant relative of Elizabeth’s, and had been with them since Elizabeth married into the Ashworth family. They trusted her implicitly. Therefore, he had never doubted his daughter. But tonight, that child named Ivy, like a pebble, had been thrown into the calm lake of his heart, stirring up ripples. Could a three-year-old child have such eyes? It wasn’t just fear; there was a calmness and stubbornness beyond her years. It was too strange. *Knock, knock.* A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Come in.” Mrs. Green pushed the door open, her head bowed, her expression both respectful and uneasy. “Sir, you called for me?” “Sit.” Jonathan gestured to the chair opposite. Mrs. Green was a little flattered and cautiously sat down. “That child, her name is Ivy?” Jonathan asked directly. Mrs. Green’s heart leaped into her throat. “Yes, sir.” “Who is her father?” Jonathan stared into her eyes. Mrs. Green’s gaze flickered. “I… I don’t know either.” “She was an abandoned baby I found outside my old home. I took pity on her and kept her by my side.” This lie, she had prepared long ago. It was watertight. Jonathan said nothing, just looked at her. His gaze seemed to penetrate her soul. Mrs. Green felt a prickling on her scalp, cold sweat streaming down her face. “How many years have you been with Elizabeth?” Jonathan suddenly changed the question. “Almost ten years, sir.” “Ten years.” Jonathan nodded. “Elizabeth trusts you very much.” “Madam has been incredibly kind to me.” Mrs. Green quickly declared her loyalty. “So, three years ago, when Elizabeth gave birth, you were managing everything inside and outside the hospital.” Jonathan said, seemingly casually. Mrs. Green’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. What did he mean? Was he suspecting something? “That… that was my duty.” Her voice was somewhat dry. “I remember you said then that the child had a red birthmark on her ankle when she was born.” Jonathan continued. Mrs. Green’s face instantly went white. The birthmark! How could she have forgotten that! That year, to make the Ashworth couple believe Liliana was their daughter, she specifically fabricated the lie about a birthmark. Because Liliana’s ankle did indeed have a red birthmark. But the true Ashworth heiress had none! “Ye… yes, sir.” “Miss Liliana’s ankle does have a plum blossom shaped birthmark.” She could only force herself to admit it. “Hmm.” Jonathan hummed in response, not pursuing the topic further. He picked up the cold coffee cup and took a sip. “Alright, you may go.” “Remember, keep a close eye on your daughter. Don’t let her run around again and scare Liliana.” His tone was calm, betraying no emotion. Mrs. Green, however, felt as if she had just walked through the gates of hell. “Yes, sir, I understand.” She quickly rose, bowed, and retreated. It wasn’t until she was out of the study and had closed the door that she realized her back was completely drenched in cold sweat. That was too close. Fortunately, Sir didn’t press further. She let out a long sigh of relief and hurried towards the servant’s quarters. She had to go back and teach that cursed Ivy a good lesson. It was all that little devil’s fault! In the study, Jonathan put down the coffee cup. He pulled open a drawer and took out a photograph. It was Elizabeth’s baby picture. The infant in the photo was chubby and fair-skinned, with bright, dark eyes. Almost identical to the child named Ivy tonight. He remembered another thing. Elizabeth’s family had a very distinctive genetic trait. They were severely allergic to mangoes. Yet his daughter, Liliana, loved to eat mangoes. Before, he simply thought the child didn’t take after her mother. But now, it all seemed strangely peculiar. A thought so bold that even he found it absurd, rose in his mind. Could it be… He picked up the phone on the desk and dialled a number. “Hello, Old Leo, it’s me.” “I need you to do something for me.” “Tomorrow morning, send your most reliable person to the house.” “Take two samples for a paternity test.” “One is Liliana’s, the other…” He paused, the image of that thin but stubborn little face appearing in his mind. “…is Mrs. Green’s daughter, Ivy.” “Remember, this must be kept absolutely confidential.” Hanging up the phone, Jonathan leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He hoped he was overthinking. Meanwhile, outside the window, on a large tree. I hid behind the dense leaves, taking in everything that happened in the study. Although I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I saw Jonathan’s expression. I saw his contemplation as he took out the photo. And I saw his serious, resolute demeanor when he finally made the call. I knew my plan had succeeded. He was shaken. Now, I just needed to add fuel to the fire. To let this spark of doubt completely ignite into an inferno. I silently slid down from the tree, like a nimble cat. I didn’t return to the servant’s quarters. Mrs. Green was surely in a rage now; going back would be walking into a trap. I had to go somewhere else. A place where I could make the fire burn even brighter. My mother, Elizabeth’s room. 04 Elizabeth was still awake. She sat at her vanity, gently stroking Liliana’s hair. Liliana, having been frightened today, insisted on sleeping with her. Now, the little girl was fast asleep, a hint of unease still on her small face. Elizabeth sighed. She thought again of tonight’s events. That child named Ivy, that dirty little face, and that timid whisper of “Daddy.” To be honest, the moment she saw that child, she felt a very strange sensation. Not entirely disgust. There was also a vague… sense of closeness. Especially when she knelt on the floor, looking at her with eyes so similar to her own, her heart actually felt a pang. How could this be? She must be crazy. That was just a servant’s child. A coarse, ill-mannered, lying bastard. Elizabeth shook her head, trying to shake off these absurd thoughts. Just then, she heard a faint, suppressed sob. The sound came from the balcony. She paused. So late, who was out there? She stood up, quietly walked to the French doors, and pulled back a corner of the curtain. In the moonlight, a tiny, frail figure was curled up in the corner of the balcony. It was Ivy. She hugged her knees, burying her head in her arms, her small shoulders shaking. She was crying. Crying so sadly, so helplessly, yet daring not to make too much noise. As if afraid to disturb others, or perhaps afraid of revealing her vulnerability. Elizabeth’s heart felt as if something had violently clenched it. It hurt. She didn’t know what was happening to her. She had been so disgusted with this child this afternoon. But now, seeing her cry alone in the cold night wind, she felt a strange reluctance. On an impulse, she opened the balcony door. “What are you doing out here so late?” Her voice was softer than she expected. Hearing the sound, my body trembled violently. I slowly lifted my head, and seeing her, my eyes instantly filled with panic. I quickly scrambled up from the ground, standing there awkwardly, like a child who had done something wrong. “I… I’m sorry, madam.” “I… I didn’t mean to.” My voice was thick with sniffles, hoarse and pitiful. “I… I don’t dare to go back.” “Mrs…. Mrs. Green said she would break my legs.” As I spoke, tears fell again. Elizabeth’s brow furrowed. “She’s going to hit you?” “Mm.” I nodded, unconsciously touching my swollen, red cheek. In the moonlight, the clear slap mark was strikingly visible. Elizabeth’s gaze fell on my face, her eyes narrowing. She reached out, as if to touch it, but stopped midway. She seemed to be disgusted by my dirtiness. I saw her hesitation. I sneered inwardly, but my face showed even more grievance. I lowered my head and whispered, “It’s okay, madam, I’m not in pain.” “Mrs. Green said it’s because I was disobedient, because I made Miss angry. I deserve to be hit.” “As long as… as long as you don’t send me away, being hit is fine.” “I don’t want to go to the orphanage.” “I heard other servants say that children in orphanages never get enough to eat and are always bullied.” Every word I spoke was like a needle, piercing Elizabeth’s heart. She came from a privileged background. Since childhood, she had never witnessed such a scene. A three-year-old child begging not to be sent away, willing to be beaten instead. What kind of despair was that? For the first time, a hint of displeasure towards Mrs. Green arose in her heart. Even if it was a servant’s child, she shouldn’t be abused like this, should she? “You… come in first. It’s cold outside.” She was silent for a long time, then finally spoke. I paused, seemingly unable to believe my ears. I looked up at her, my eyes filled with surprised gratitude. “Thank you, madam.” I cautiously entered the room, standing awkwardly by the carpet, daring not to step further. I kept my head down, not daring to look at her, nor at any of the luxurious furnishings in the room. I behaved like a child from the slums who had accidentally stumbled into a palace. Insecure, yet with a hint of curiosity. Elizabeth looked at my demeanor, and that hint of displeasure in her heart turned into pity. “Your name is… Ivy?” She asked. “Mm.” “Who named you?” “Mrs. Green.” I said, “She said I was found under a grapefruit tree.” Elizabeth fell silent. She looked at me, then at Liliana, who was sleeping soundly on the bed. One was picked up casually under a grapefruit tree. The other was cherished like a precious jewel, showered with endless love. Fate, how unfair. Just then, I suddenly smelled a sweet scent. It was a plate of sliced mangoes on the bedside table. That was Liliana’s late-night snack. My eyes immediately fixed on the plate of mangoes. Then, an expression of extreme fear appeared on my face. I began to uncontrollably retreat, my body starting to tremble. “No… don’t…” I cried out in terror. “Don’t eat that… eating it will… will kill you…” My reaction was very strong. As if I had seen some deadly poison. Elizabeth was startled by me. “What’s wrong with you?” She asked, puzzled. “This… this thing, it’s poisonous!” I pointed at the mangoes, my voice trembling. “I… I saw it before. A child in the village ate this, and red spots broke out all over his body, and then he… he died.” I fabricated a lie that fit my background, filled with ignorance and fear. Elizabeth froze. Mangoes? Poisonous? She knew, of course, that mangoes were not poisonous. But she also knew that everyone in the Elizabeth family was allergic to mangoes. Mild cases caused rashes, severe cases… could indeed be fatal. This was a family genetic secret. No outsider could possibly know about it, except for the closest family members. But this child before her… Why did she react so strongly to mangoes? Could it be… A thought, which even Elizabeth herself found absurd, just like Jonathan’s, broke through in her heart. She looked at me, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief. She then looked at the “daughter” on the bed, who loved to eat mangoes. A thought screamed wildly in her mind. Could this be my daughter? And who was the one on the bed? Her world, at this moment, began to turn upside down.

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On New Year’s Eve, my sister-in-law Rachel’s son threw a firecracker into the manhole cover behind my son. After a deafening explosion, my son collapsed on the ground, not breathing. I rushed forward, demanding her son pay with his life. Rachel said it was just an accident. She tossed me fifty thousand dollars and told me not to ruin everyone’s holiday mood. The whole family urged me to be magnanimous, forcing me to sign a settlement agreement. In the end, I was completely exhausted and committed suicide on my son’s death anniversary. When I opened my eyes again, I was back one second before the firecracker was lit. I immediately yanked my son into my arms. A loud explosion rang out, followed by a scream behind me. I turned around and saw a child lying beside the manhole cover. Rachel screamed and rushed over. Her son was gone. The air reeked of sulfur as a lighter clicked. My nephew Logan crouched by the manhole cover, holding a lit firecracker that was sparking. My son Daniel faced away from the manhole, crouched a meter away playing with firecrackers. This scene overlapped with the image from my past life when my son was blown to death. “Daniel!” I yelled and lunged forward. I grabbed my son’s collar and yanked him into my arms, simultaneously kicking out with my right leg. Logan was just about to throw the firecracker when my foot connected with his rear. “Ow!” He screamed, lost his balance, and fell forward onto the manhole cover. The firecracker that had burned down to the end slipped through the hole. BOOM—!!! The earth shook. The shockwave mixed with sewer gas and sludge shot into the sky. I pressed Daniel firmly beneath me. My back was struck painfully by flying debris, my ears ringing. “Mom… scared…” Daniel in my arms trembled all over, his little hands clutching my clothes. Still alive. The smoke cleared. Rachel, holding a bag of snacks, rushed into the yard. A large crater had been blown in the concrete, the cast iron manhole cover was gone. A figure lay at the crater’s edge. The child was covered in sludge, his clothes indistinguishable, his head and face smeared with blood and mud, motionless. Rachel froze for a moment. Then she saw me hiding behind the flower bed. My back was toward her, my coat covering Daniel, only showing a pair of dust-covered shoes. Rachel spat out some shells. “Oh my God! I told you to watch your Daniel, but you wouldn’t listen!” She scurried in front of the child and began lecturing, pointing at the body on the ground. “I said it during dinner—manhole covers are dangerous. My Logan is so well-behaved, he never goes near those places! Your Daniel is the wild one. Now he’s gotten what he deserves, hasn’t he?” She turned and shouted toward the house. “Mom! Derek! Come out and see! Nina’s gotten her son killed!” I straightened up, holding Daniel against me, not letting him look. I just watched Rachel. In my past life, when Daniel was blown up, she wore this exact same expression. Back then she said: “Kids fooling around, who knew the manhole would explode? It’s fate!” Now, watching her gesticulate over that body, even kicking the rubble on the ground with her foot, I said nothing. Since you think this is karma, then let it be karma. The people inside ran out. My mother-in-law Martha, wrapped in a cotton coat, leaning on her cane. “What happened? Are you trying to tear down the house?” Rachel pointed at the child on the ground and shouted. “Mom, look! I told you Nina was bad luck! On New Year’s Eve she just had to play with fireworks, and now she’s blown herself into this state. Isn’t it unlucky?” My mother-in-law squinted through her reading glasses and frowned. “Oh my heavens! Is… is this Daniel?” “Really a cursed short-lived child! Seeing blood on New Year’s—how unlucky!” My mother-in-law poked at the child’s leg with her cane. “Why aren’t you getting up? What are you pretending to be dead for? Don’t embarrass the Miller family here!” Logan on the ground made gurgling sounds in his throat, his body curling up. Rachel jumped back a step, covering her nose. “Pretending! Still pretending! That noise was so loud just now, I bet he’s just trying to scare us! Covered in this stinking mud—hurry up and drag him away, don’t dirty the ground in front of my house!” Neighbors gathered around. Someone spoke up: “Rachel, this child doesn’t look right. So much blood—I’m afraid his internal organs are injured. Call 911 quickly!” “Yeah, look at that leg, it’s deformed.”

Rachel immediately panicked, hands on her hips glaring at the neighbors. “Call what 911! I’ll see who dares call!” “Today is New Year’s Eve! If an ambulance comes into the village, how will our family show our faces afterward? What family calls an ambulance on New Year’s?” She turned and glared at me. “Nina, stop playing dumb! Hurry up and get rid of your half-dead son!” “Let me tell you, tonight my brother is bringing important guests home for dinner. If he sees a bloody person lying at the door, can you handle the consequences?” I shielded Daniel, showing only my dust-covered face. “Rachel, are you sure you don’t want to call an ambulance?” “I think this child is seriously injured. If it’s too late, I’m afraid he won’t survive.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “Survive? What survival? A worthless life!” She glanced at the child on the ground. “The Miller family has virtue—how did we produce this thing? Playing with fire and burning himself, even dragging down the whole family. If he dies, it’s because he’s cursed! Just have another one!” She pulled out her phone, preparing to call her husband to complain. “Nina, I’m telling you right now—if you dare call an ambulance to come cry at our house, I’ll make sure you can’t stay in this family! Try me if you don’t believe it!” Logan on the ground convulsed again, spitting out a mouthful of black blood. His eyes were swollen into slits, staring fixedly in Rachel’s direction. His mother was busy making phone calls. I looked down at the foot on the ground. Half the shoe had been blown off, revealing bloody flesh. The remaining part still showed that swoosh logo. Limited edition AJ children’s sneakers. Last night, Rachel had specially shown them off, saying she spent three thousand dollars on them as Logan’s New Year’s gift. I curved my lips. Since you don’t want to save him, I’ll grant your wish. … “Oh my God, how sinful! Why is there so much blood?” My husband Derek came back from the village entrance carrying two bottles of wine, his hands shaking in fright. “Nina, what… what happened?” Derek ran to my side and looked past me at the child on the ground. “This… this is Daniel?” I looked at him. In my past life, when he saw Daniel lying in a pool of blood, his first reaction was also to check Rachel’s expression first. Rachel rushed to complain first. “Derek, you’re back just in time! Look at what your wife’s son has done! On New Year’s Eve, throwing firecrackers into the manhole—he blew up the manhole cover!” “And now look—he not only killed himself, but he’s made my doorway so bloody!” She slapped her thigh. “Mom was so scared her heart condition almost acted up! If word of this gets out, the Miller family will be completely disgraced!” Derek whipped around to glare at me. “Nina! Are you brain dead? What did I tell you before I left? I told you to watch the child! Is this how you watch him?” He pointed at “Daniel” on the ground. “Now it’s come to this—how are Rachel and Mom supposed to celebrate New Year’s? My brother is about to bring his boss home. Are you deliberately trying to ruin our family?” “Derek, shouldn’t your priority be checking if the child can still be saved?” Derek hesitated, glanced at the blood-covered person on the ground, his eyes evasive. “Save? How can we save him when he’s blown up like this? Do you want to bankrupt me?” He lowered his voice, speaking in my ear. “Anyone can see he’s beyond saving! Even if we save him, he’ll be disabled! Do you want me to spend the rest of my life taking care of a cripple?” “So, what you’re saying is, you won’t save him?” Derek stuck out his neck. “This was an accident! His own bad luck! Besides, Rachel already said we can’t call an ambulance. If we offend my brother’s important guest, can you bear that responsibility?” Rachel walked forward. “Enough, enough. Why the long face on New Year’s? It’s just a child.” She pulled a stack of banded cash from her bag. Fifty thousand dollars. The red envelope her brother had just given her. With a smack. She flung the stack of bills at me, hitting me in the face. The bills scattered, fluttering to the ground, several landing in the black-red sludge. “Take this fifty thousand.” Rachel lifted her chin. “Don’t say I’m heartless. This whole thing was your son’s own fault. Take the money and do whatever you want with it. Just keep your mouth shut.” She waved her hand. “Hurry up and get rid of this unlucky thing, and clean the ground! If you delay my brother’s dinner later, I’ll make sure your whole family regrets it!”

The neighbors whispered among themselves. “Fifty thousand isn’t a small amount. This child looks like he won’t make it.” “Rachel is ruthless enough.” My mother-in-law picked up a bill, wiped off the dust, and stuffed it in her pocket. “Nina, what are you standing there for? Why aren’t you thanking Rachel? Only Rachel is kind-hearted. In any other family, they wouldn’t give you a penny and would make you pay for road repairs!” “Take the money and get lost! Don’t be an eyesore here!” Derek crouched down to pick up the money. “Nina, are you stupid? Quick, take it! With this fifty thousand, we can renovate the house next year. As for Daniel… we can just have another one.” Looking at this family, I said nothing. Logan on the ground began convulsing. Those blood-covered hands scratched at the ground, fingernails digging into the dirt. “Mom… Mom…” The voice was faint. Rachel frowned and stepped back. “What are you calling for? Still not being quiet in this condition! Really a debt collector!” I bent down and snatched the money from Derek’s hands. “Fine.” “Since Rachel is so generous, I won’t refuse.” Derek grinned. “Now that’s more like it! Nina, you’re finally being sensible!” Rachel also smiled contemptuously. “Smart of you. Alright, hurry up and get rid of him. Just looking at him makes me sick.” I clutched that stack of bills. “Rachel, I’ll take the money. But we need proof of this, right?” I glanced at Logan on the ground—his convulsions were getting weaker. “What if you go back on your word later and say I extorted money from you? Or what if the child really dies and you turn it around, saying I caused it?” Rachel laughed. “Oh, quite the legal awareness? Fine, you want proof? Then let’s write an agreement!” Rachel pulled out a small notebook and pen, quickly writing a “liability waiver.” She shoved the notebook in front of me. “Sign it. Once you sign, the money is yours, and we’re square from now on.” Derek urged. “Sign quickly! What are you dawdling for? If my brother comes back and sees this mess, what will it look like?” My mother-in-law also tapped the ground. “Sign! Hurry up and sign! The sooner this mess is over, the better!” I took the pen and glanced at the dying Logan on the ground. I signed my name on the paper: Nina Carter. Then I added a line: “Rachel personally confirms waiving any rescue obligation for said injured party and demands family members immediately clear the scene. Consequences borne by her.” Rachel barely looked before snatching the notebook back and putting it away. “There, smart of you.” “Derek, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and help your wife get rid of this… this thing!” Derek rolled up his sleeves, about to drag the body. “Nina, give me a hand. Let’s move him to the back yard—don’t let him be an eyesore here.” There was only an abandoned pigsty in the back yard. I stepped back. “Wait.” Derek frowned. “What now? Having second thoughts?” “Since we signed the agreement and took the money, I’ll handle the body myself.” I looked at him. “No need to dirty your hands.” Derek breathed a sigh of relief. “Fine, fine, you handle it yourself. I’ll go help Rachel rinse the doorway. All this blood is so unlucky.” He ran to get the hose. Rachel nodded with satisfaction. “My brother-in-law is sensible after all. Nina, don’t blame me for being heartless. Don’t be too sad either. That child was always a bit slow anyway. Better to die early and be reborn early.” She took out a wet wipe to clean her hands. In the distance, an engine roared. Two headlight beams shone directly over. A Mercedes G-Wagon pulled into the village road. Rachel’s eyes lit up. “Oh! My brother’s here! My brother’s here!” She fixed her hair. “Mom! Derek! Quick, quick, quick! Don’t let this unlucky scene disturb my brother!” My mother-in-law threw down her cane to move debris blocking the road. Derek dropped the hose and ran to greet him. “Nina! What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and drag away the dead body! If my brother sees this and gets upset, you can forget about keeping that fifty thousand!” The car stopped five meters from the blast crater. The door opened, and Raymond stepped out in a fur coat with gold chains, a cigar in his hand. “Hey, Rachel, why is it so messy here?” Raymond glanced at the crater and me, frowning. Rachel smiled and rushed over. “Raymond! It’s nothing, nothing! Just Nina’s little brat who didn’t know any better, playing with fireworks and blowing up the manhole. And now, he’s blown himself to death. I already gave her money and told them to clean up!” Raymond exhaled smoke, scanning me with contempt. “Oh, dead? If he’s dead, hurry up and get rid of him. Why leave him lying here on New Year’s to disgust everyone?” He turned to get gifts from the trunk. “Rachel, quick, come see what I brought you. This is authentic Australian lobster…” The whole family gathered around. Logan on the ground had completely stopped moving.

“Rachel.” I suddenly spoke, my voice cutting through their laughter. “You just said this child died because he was cursed, better to die early and be reborn early, right?” Rachel, holding a large lobster, turned back impatiently. “Yeah! What about it? You want to back out? The agreement is signed!” I shook my head and walked toward the child on the ground. “I don’t want to back out. I just think that since you gave so much money, as a family member, I should let you take one last look.” I crouched down beside Logan. Rachel wrinkled her nose. “Look at what? A pile of rotten flesh? Am I sick?” I pulled out Rachel’s remaining wet wipes, placed them on the blood-covered face, and began wiping. The sludge and blood were wiped away, the features gradually becoming clear. Though swollen and deformed, these eyes, this nose, this mouth… The black mole on the left eyebrow was revealed. I stood up and stepped back. “Rachel, now, can you see clearly?” Raymond’s cigar dropped to the ground. My mother-in-law’s mouth hung open. Derek froze in place. Rachel’s hands, holding the lobster, trembled violently. The large lobster fell to the ground with a splat. Her eyeballs bulged as she stared at the face on the ground. That face, she recognized. “Lo… Logan?” Rachel’s voice trembled and shrilled. She swayed forward two steps, her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees. “Impossible… this is impossible…” She shook her head frantically. “Logan was inside… Logan was inside watching TV! He was eating jelly! He was still wearing the new shoes I just bought him…” Her gaze fell on that foot. That foot with half a destroyed AJ sneaker. “AHHHH!!!!!!” Rachel crawled over and grabbed the corpse. “Logan! Logan, what’s wrong? Say something! I’m your mother!” She shook Logan’s body desperately, frantically wiping the blood from his face. The more she wiped, the more blood there was. “How could it be you? How could it be you?! Weren’t you inside?” My mother-in-law let out a wail and fainted. Derek caught her. “Mom! Mom, don’t scare me!” Derek roared. “Nina! It was you! You did this, didn’t you?!” “You knew it was Logan all along! You deliberately didn’t say anything, right? You deliberately watched us make fools of ourselves, right? You venomous woman!” Wind blew through my hair. I unbuttoned my coat and turned slightly. Daniel, whom I’d been protecting behind me all along, carefully poked out his little head. His face was clean and unharmed. He blinked his big eyes. “Mom, why is big brother sleeping on the ground? Why is auntie throwing money on him?” Rachel jerked her head up, staring at Daniel, her eyes frighteningly red. “Daniel… Daniel isn’t dead?” She froze. If Daniel wasn’t dead… then all those words I just said, those kicks, that spitting… were all directed at my own son?! “NO!!!” “I’ll kill you! Nina, I’ll kill you! You killed my son!” She tried to lunge at me but couldn’t lift the child or stand up. Raymond snapped back to reality. “Quick! Call an ambulance! What are you all standing there for!” “No need to call.” I pulled out that stack of bills. With a flick of my wrist. The bills scattered, falling on Rachel and the corpse. “Rachel, this is the price you set yourself.” I looked at this woman with her twisted face. “Fifty thousand dollars to buy out your son’s life.” “Just now, you were the one who said not to call an ambulance, and you were the one who said to just have another one if he dies.” I pointed at the ground. “Don’t ruin everyone’s holiday mood, right?” Rachel looked at the money, looked at that “consequences borne by her” agreement. She opened her mouth wide, making gurgling sounds in her throat. A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out, splashing on the money. “Karma… this is all karma…” Her eyes rolled back, and holding the corpse, she fell backward.

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When the news reached me that Julian was planning a three-day “seven times a night” challenge with an underclassman, I had just sent him the pregnancy test results. The next second, his video call came through. A girl was wrapped tightly in his arms, covered in kiss marks. “Can’t we just get rid of this baby? You two are a family of three… and I’m all alone.” Julian patted the girl while coaxing her, then issued me a command. “Get the abortion. She’s crying.” I calmly refused him. “And if I don’t?” Julian froze, then smiled coldly. “If you don’t, we’re getting divorced.” I instantly felt relieved. “Alright. I’ll prepare the divorce papers for you.” My wish to have a child without keeping the father was finally coming true. “Lila, be good. Don’t make a scene.” Julian crushed out his cigarette and repeated the same words he’d said countless times before. I shook my head. “I’m not making a scene. I really want this baby.” Hearing this, the girl in his arms, Summer, cried even louder. Summer was a year below him in school. Half venting, half marking her territory, she hooked her arms around Julian’s neck and bit down hard. Julian let out a muffled groan. Without any consideration for me, he grabbed the woman and kissed her deeply. I had the sense to hang up the phone and took a cab home. As soon as I got in the car, Julian’s video call came through again. The man had several bite marks on his neck now. He grinned. “Little girl’s got a temper. I promise they’ll be gone by the time I get home.” Only then did I remember. The day I gave up on Julian, I made an agreement with him. No matter how much he fooled around outside, he couldn’t have any marks on his body when he came home. He’d cheated so many times that I’d even forgotten when I stopped loving him. I shook my head immediately, thinking I was being understanding. “It’s fine. We’re getting divorced anyway.” The man on the screen froze, his dark eyes dimming as he stared at me silently with pursed lips. “Lila, stop this.” “You’re lying! Lila would never abort the baby!” “I’ll never… let you do it again.” Summer’s reaction was even more dramatic than mine. She cried until she was choking on her tears. Julian’s heart tightened. He immediately held the young girl and issued his final ultimatum to me. “Lila, we’re not keeping this baby.” Whenever he called me by my full name, it meant he was truly angry. But I still shook my head. “When you get back, let’s just talk about the divorce.” Summer cried miserably. Julian had no choice but to hang up the video to comfort her. He really had a way with comforting people. He’d hold you gently, whisper sweet nothings against your ear with his mouth right there. Combined with his good looks and attractive voice, almost no one could resist. Even I, who had decided never to marry, had been fooled by him like this. As I got out of the car, the driver hesitated before speaking. “Your husband is this shameless and you’re not going to confront the other woman?” I smiled lightly. “I did once. That’s how I lost my first child.” The driver had nothing more to say. I’d never been loved by my parents. They’d rather dote on my uncle’s daughter than give me even a kind look. So I’d always longed for someone connected to me by blood who would love me. I met Julian a week before I was planning to go to a sperm bank. He was handsome, well-educated, and intelligent. I quickly conceived the idea of having his child without keeping him as a partner. Through careful planning, I successfully dated Julian, and then married him. The only uncontrollable variable was my heart. Against the plan, I fell in love with him and started thinking about spending the rest of my life with Julian. When I first discovered his infidelity, I was devastated like any wife would be—in pain, hysterical. But each time after he promised to change, he’d go behind my back and mess around with another woman. Gradually, that uncontrolled heart returned to its original place. I gently stroked the life growing in my belly. After the divorce, I’d raise it well on my own, whether it was a boy or girl.

I was working on the divorce agreement on my laptop when Julian came home with a bouquet of roses. Julian brought me a gift every day when he came home. Sometimes it was cake, sometimes blind boxes, sometimes jewelry. Roses were the gift he brought most often. He skillfully replaced the withered roses in the vase with fresh ones, his tone gentle. “Tomorrow’s my day off. I’ll go with you to the hospital for the abortion.” Such a gentle tone, yet speaking such cold words. In the past, I would have cried and fought with him. But I didn’t love him anymore. I showed him my laptop. “See if there’s anything that needs adjusting in the agreement. If not, I’ll go print it out.” Julian held the withered roses, a smile playing at his lips. “Still throwing a tantrum with me?” He sighed and stroked my long hair with practiced ease. “Lila, I’m very tired. Stop fighting with me, okay?” Three consecutive days of seven times a night—any man would be exhausted. I stubbornly moved the laptop toward him and looked at him seriously. “Julian, I’m serious about this.” Julian seemed utterly exhausted. Without even looking, he pushed the laptop back toward me, walked past me, and lay down on the sofa. “Lila, make that herbal soup from the fridge for me.” Since I stopped loving him, I could prepare meals for him without batting an eye. I was even more worried than his mistresses about him not performing well. If he couldn’t perform, I’d have to go buy quality sperm. But with purchased sperm, I couldn’t see what the donor looked like. I wanted a smart, beautiful baby. So I endured the mockery from his friends and cooked meals and made soups for him every time. But now, I already had what I wanted in my belly. I didn’t need to play the role of the numb, considerate wife anymore. “If you think there are no problems, I’ll go downstairs to print it.” Julian’s closed eyes suddenly opened, revealing complex emotions. “You want to divorce me that badly?” I nodded without hesitation. Honestly, Julian was disgusting. After all, he’d slept with so many women. No normal woman could tolerate him. If it weren’t for my obsession with having a child, I wouldn’t have put up with this until now. Julian sat up from the sofa and beckoned me over. “Bring it here. Let me see.” After I handed it to him, he barely glanced at it. “Go print it then.” Without a moment’s hesitation, I transferred the file to my phone and immediately put on my coat to go downstairs. As I closed the door, Julian leaned back on the sofa and smiled at me, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. When I returned from the print shop, I saw Julian and a woman playing around in the kitchen. “You’re mean! I’m in so much pain.” The woman pouted and reached to pinch Julian’s face. Not only was the man not angry, he leaned down, grabbed her waist, and kissed her. What a scene of passionate affection—just like an idol drama. Unfortunately, the scene was interrupted by the sound of me opening the door. Julian’s hand on Summer’s waist suddenly dropped, though his expression remained gentle. “You’re back.” Summer acted as if she didn’t see me, grabbing the fabric on his chest and mumbling something about not having kissed enough. Julian glanced at me. “Summer’s been spoiled by me. Don’t be angry.” In the three years of our marriage, Summer was the one who had stayed with him the longest and whom he doted on the most. I nodded and walked over with the divorce agreement. “I already signed at the print shop. Once you sign, we can go on Monday.” Watching Summer acting coquettish in his arms, I considerately added another line. “I can move out today to make room for you two.” Summer’s eyes immediately lit up. “Can I move in tonight then?” Julian tapped her on the head. “Why don’t you say hello to Lila?”

Both Summer and I froze, not expecting him to ignore both of our questions. On the second day after I stopped loving him, I rented an apartment that had remained empty all these years. I didn’t like any place that carried Julian’s presence. “Sign first. I’ll go pack my things.” I placed the documents on the table and turned to get my suitcase from the balcony. “You don’t care about me at all!” Amid Summer’s soft accusation, a warm body pressed against my back. Julian held me with one hand while reaching for the suitcase with the other. “Lila, still angry?” I felt a bit disgusted and instinctively tried to push him away. Instead, Julian pressed even closer. “About the seven times a night thing—you know about it? If you’re angry, once I recover, we can challenge even more…” “Don’t touch me!” I couldn’t hold back and stepped on his foot. The moment Julian felt the pain, I broke free from his embrace. I used to cherish his embrace so much, but now I found it equally revolting. His arms had held another woman just a second ago, yet now he was holding me and saying sweet words. Shock flashed in Julian’s eyes. He maintained the posture of holding me. “Lila, what will it take for you not to be angry?” “If you don’t want to go tomorrow, we can pick a better day. I’ll go with you to get rid of the baby.” As he said this, he returned to his usual gentleness. But Julian’s gentleness was like a mud puddle that anyone could step in. I suppressed the urge to retch and spoke. “No need. Just hurry up and sign. I’ll make room for you two.” The curve of Julian’s lips gradually turned downward. “Lila, I don’t want this baby.” “Stop throwing tantrums. I’m serious.” “I’m serious too.” The darkness in Julian’s eyes grew heavier, his aura increasingly cold. Just when I thought he would get angry— The man smiled instead. “Let’s wait until tomorrow. My friend’s having a birthday party. You don’t mind if I bring Summer, do you?” Julian was smiling, but I felt no warmth from it. Whether he smiled or not had nothing to do with me anymore. I shook my head. “Whatever.” Julian turned around without hesitation, strode over, and princess-carried the crying girl. His voice was louder than usual at home. “Little crybaby, I just said two sentences to Lila and your eyes are already swollen from crying. From now on, you’re only allowed to cry in bed.” Summer nodded through her sobs. As the two left, Summer seemed to speak casually. “Huh, there are roses here too?” “But they’re not as big as the ones you gave me, and not as red as mine…” The rest of her words were swallowed by the closing door. I walked over and threw the flowers, vase and all, straight into the trash. Julian seemed to be deliberately showing off to me. He updated his social media eighteen times in one night. Every single post was about his intimate moments with Summer. Since we were getting divorced anyway, there was no point keeping him. I immediately blocked him. When I switched to my alternate account to block him there too, I discovered those eighteen posts were set to “visible only to me.” I’d created this alternate account when I still loved him, to stalk his social media. Now that I didn’t love him anymore, there was no need for it to exist. After I deleted the alternate account, I started packing my things. By midnight, all my belongings had been moved to the rented house. For the first time, I felt the air was so fresh, without that rotting stench—only the presence of me and my baby. Lying on the sofa that wasn’t made up yet, I slept beautifully. Remembering I needed to ask him when we could register for divorce at the government office, I unblocked Julian to send him a message, only to get a red exclamation mark. I didn’t think much of it. After tidying up briefly, I went to the supermarket to buy household supplies. Even though I didn’t know if the baby in my belly was a boy or girl, I couldn’t help but linger in the baby products section. I picked out a few pieces of clothing, wondering if this child would like them. As I was hesitating whether to buy a pink baby bottle, I heard a familiar voice. “The milk’s over there. Don’t go that way…” It was Summer’s coquettish voice. Then Julian appeared, directly going through the items in my shopping cart. “Geez, Lila, why is your taste so bad? Are you sure the baby will like these things?” “This outfit is for a five-month-old baby. The child won’t even be able to wear it after birth. And you’re buying these things when you’ve just gotten pregnant?” “Lila, do you even like… our child?” Julian’s pursed lips held emotions I couldn’t understand. I didn’t know from which day he started looking at me like this. Every time I asked him what was wrong, Julian would open his mouth but say nothing for a long time. Then he cheated. I put down the bottle and asked him, “Have you signed the agreement? When are you available to register the divorce?” Julian sneered. “Do you really like this baby that much, or are you still throwing a tantrum with me?” The man’s expression was cold, completely inconsistent with his usual gentle persona. Even when Summer came over with red eyes, he didn’t comfort her. I looked at the woman acting coquettish with Julian in public, asking for kisses, and the corner of my mouth twitched. “Does it matter?” “You can only choose one—me or the baby.” People who didn’t know better would think Julian was such a devoted man. I stroked my belly. “The baby, of course.” A blood relative who would love me without any reason. I’d been longing for it for so, so long. Julian was merely a scumbag I used to love. How could he compare to the baby? Suddenly, Julian pulled Summer close by the waist. “She has my seed in her belly too, but I only want the child Summer gives me.” A flash of surprise crossed Summer’s eyes, but she quickly hugged him back joyfully, calling him “honey.” “Lila, I don’t like the child you’re giving me.” These two sentences seemed to be squeezed through gritted teeth. No one understood what he actually wanted. “Oh, don’t worry. This baby is for me. I absolutely won’t let you take any responsibility for it.” “Good… very good.” Julian said through clenched teeth. “Who knows if you’ll use this baby to demand living expenses from me!” “I’m taking you to the hospital right now to get rid of it!”

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I’d been married to Dylan Harper for three years, and he’d cycled through six mistresses during that time. Every time he found someone new, he’d make me personally paint the two of them in intimate poses, then hang it on the most prominent wall in our house. Everyone in our social circle said I was the most tolerant wife they’d ever seen. But no one knew—I’d fought back once. The first time, my art exhibition mysteriously caught fire, and ten years of my life’s work turned to ashes. The second time, he allowed his mistress to push me down the stairs. I lost our three-month-old baby. Now, my grandmother was the only person I had left to depend on. So when Dylan called and asked me to deliver ultra-thin condoms to him, I smiled and agreed without hesitation. I personally placed that box of condoms in his mistress’s hand and said, “Call me if you need more.” I’d just reached the door when Dylan’s low voice came from behind me. “Violet.” My steps faltered. Without turning around, I already knew what expression he wore right now. Lazy, casual, with a hint of amusement. I slowly turned around. The private room’s lighting was deliberately dim and suggestive. Dylan was half-reclined on the sofa, his shirt casually unbuttoned. Sitting on his lap was his latest mistress, Melody Shaw. She wore a skirt that couldn’t possibly be any shorter, draped over him. Her fingers were restlessly tracing circles on his chest. Seeing me turn around, Melody not only didn’t restrain herself—she deliberately pressed closer into Dylan’s embrace, marking her territory. Dylan’s gaze landed on my face. With scrutiny and curiosity, as if he couldn’t believe I could be this calm. “What,” he began, his tone indifferent, “being sarcastic? Throwing a tantrum?” I slowly curved my lips into a smile. A perfectly appropriate smile. “No,” I said. “Mr. Harper, don’t misunderstand.” “I just want you two to enjoy yourselves.” At those words, Dylan stared at me, his dark eyes intense, as if trying to find a crack in my expression. But Melody on top of him wasn’t pleased. She directly wrapped her arms around Dylan’s neck. “Dylan,” she cooed, “you were so eager just a moment ago. Why are you only looking at her now?” As she spoke, she turned to glance at me. Her eyes were full of naked provocation. She might as well have written “you’re in the way” directly on her face. But I only pressed my lips together lightly. Without a word, I wisely turned and left. When I reached the door, I even thoughtfully helped them close the private room door gently. Shutting out the sordid scene inside. And shutting out the last trace of emotion I shouldn’t have had. By the time I got home, it was already dark. I’d just changed my shoes when my phone buzzed. A message from Dylan. “Perform well at the family dinner tonight and put Grandpa’s mind at ease, okay?” “I know you’re jealous. That limited edition Chanel piece you had your eye on—I’ll have someone deliver it to the house soon.” I paused for a few seconds, then typed back two words: “Thank you.” Dylan was always like this. He made a habit of slapping you, then offering a sweet treat. In the past, I couldn’t accept it. I always felt his compensation was an insult. Those clothes, jewelry, handbags—I didn’t want to use any of them. I threw them all into the depths of my closet, out of sight, out of mind. But now it was different. I no longer loved him. So these things were just gifts. Naturally, I accepted them all. Besides, this time Dylan was truly wrong. I really hadn’t been sarcastic. I wasn’t angry either. I didn’t even feel the slightest ripple of emotion. Because as long as I could protect Grandma and let her spend her remaining years in peace and stability, I wouldn’t complain even if I had to do more than just deliver condoms—even if I had to help them put the damn things on myself.

At seven o’clock that evening, Dylan’s car pulled up downstairs right on time. Seeing me come down, he stubbed out his cigarette in a trash bin and opened the passenger door. His movements were as gentlemanly as always. For a brief moment, I almost believed he was still the man from three years ago who’d promised to treat me well for a lifetime. I bent down and got into the car. As soon as I’d fastened my seatbelt, my gaze inadvertently fell on his hand. The ring finger that should have worn our wedding band now displayed a pink crushed diamond ring instead. The style was childish and tacky, completely at odds with his usual taste. I froze slightly. My heart felt like something had stung it gently. Dylan also noticed where I was looking. He glanced down at his own hand, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. “The girl doesn’t know any better,” his tone was flat, as if discussing something trivial. “She replaced my ring. I’ll change it back tomorrow.” I shook my head calmly. “No need.” That wedding band—we’d designed it together. He’d said, “Violet, this is our lifelong promise.” So even later, no matter how badly we fought, no matter how much he hurt me, I never took it off. But now, I suddenly understood. Dylan no longer loved me. If that was the case, why keep deceiving ourselves, forcing him to wear that ring and pretend we still had feelings for each other? Dylan seemed surprised by my response. He froze for a moment. He stared at me for several seconds, as if trying to read something in my face. But my expression was blank. Calm as stagnant water. So he said nothing more and closed his eyes to rest. The atmosphere in the car grew heavy. I felt tired. Slowly, I removed my own wedding band. The car soon arrived at the family estate. Dylan opened his eyes. “Don’t let Grandpa and Grandma notice anything. Don’t upset them, okay?” I nodded obediently and numbly. After all, I was used to it. No matter how Dylan humiliated me in front of others, no matter how much he made me suffer, as soon as we returned to the Harper family home, he would immediately put on an affectionate act. He’d tell his grandparents how well we were getting along. It was all performance. I could play along. But just as we were about to enter, Dylan’s phone suddenly rang. “Dylan, someone drugged me and threw me in a hotel room. Please come save me…” Melody’s voice came through. Dylan’s expression grew darker by the second. “What did you say?” He lowered his voice. “Alright, I’ll be right there.” He hung up and immediately turned to leave. I stood there, somewhat stunned. “If you don’t come, Grandpa and Grandma will definitely be unhappy,” I found myself saying. “Besides, how could anything happen to Melody on your turf? Don’t be fooled!” Even I knew what kind of person Melody was. What she loved most was using various schemes to get Dylan’s attention. I’d seen this act before. But Dylan acted as if he hadn’t heard me at all. He just threw out a line without looking back. “Melody is different from you,” he said. “She never lies to me.” “As for how to appease my grandparents, figure it out yourself.” With those words, he’d already reached his car. He disappeared into the night. Leaving me standing alone. I watched the direction he’d gone and laughed bitterly.

I took a deep breath, pushing down the emotions churning in my chest. Steeling myself, I pushed open the Harper family’s front door. In the living room, Dylan’s grandparents sat on the sofa. Seeing that I’d come alone, the smiles on their faces instantly cooled. “Where’s Dylan?” Grandma spoke first, her tone clearly displeased. “The family dinner is such an important occasion—he’s not even coming?” Grandpa frowned too. “Getting more irresponsible by the day. Does he not care about us at all anymore?” I stood at the entrance, feeling helpless. “He had an emergency at the company and couldn’t get away.” I forced myself to explain. “He sent me ahead to keep you company.” “An emergency?” Grandma clearly didn’t believe it. She scoffed. “What emergency could be more important than a family dinner?” Her gaze fell on me with scrutiny and dissatisfaction. “You must have upset him again.” “Our Dylan wasn’t like this before. Ever since he married you, his mind hasn’t been on family!” Grandpa also sighed, looking at me with disappointment in his tone. “Violet, I don’t mean to criticize, but as Dylan’s wife, you should be more understanding and caring toward him.” “Men work hard out there. You need to learn to be considerate of his feelings.” “If he refused to come to the family dinner today, you must have done something wrong.” I opened my mouth to explain, but the words stuck in my throat. What was the point of explaining? In their eyes, I was always the one at fault. I was silent for a few seconds, then nodded gently. “It’s my fault.” Grandma still seemed unsatisfied. She scoffed. “Since you know you’re wrong, go kneel as punishment.” She pointed to a spot in the center of the living room. “Kneel for two hours and reflect properly.” “When you’ve thought it through, then you can get up and eat.” My knees already had old injuries. Two years ago, when Dylan’s mistress pushed me down the stairs, I’d damaged the bone. Over the years, whenever the weather turned cold, the pain would be excruciating. Now I looked at the cold floor of the living room. For a moment, I felt resistant. But I didn’t dare refuse. After all, my own grandmother was lying in a Harper family hospital, receiving treatment. If the Harpers were unhappy, my grandmother’s days wouldn’t be easy either. She was the only family I had left in this world. Resigned to my fate, I walked to the center of the living room and knelt down on the cold floor. The moment my knees touched the ground, piercing pain instantly spread through them. It felt like countless needles were simultaneously stabbing into my bones. I clenched my jaw and made no sound. My gaze fell on the dining table not far away. Grandpa and Grandma had already resumed smiling, discussing tonight’s dishes. As if I didn’t exist at all. I lowered my head, staring miserably at the floor. In that moment, the last remnants of feeling I’d had for Dylan completely shattered.

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