Everyone in the werewolf circles says I’m the weakest Luna. Alexander, the Alpha of Shadow Fang Pack who I was arranged to marry, cheated on me. His mistress posted a photo of them kissing on social media to provoke me. Not only did I like their post. I even commented: “A perfect match. Congratulations to the newlyweds.” Alexander told me: “Her grandfather is sick. He wants to see her wedding before he dies.” I still smiled and nodded in agreement. Only because in my previous life, unable to bear his infidelity, I ran to the wedding to cause a scene. To punish me, Alexander had a group of Rogues break into Silver Crest Pack and kill my parents. I was also sent to a mental hospital by him, tortured until I became insane. So living again, I no longer hope for his love. Every time he cheats, I transfer a portion of his assets. Soon, he’ll have nothing left. “I trust you.” I looked at Alexander, my tone calm. Hearing this, Alexander scrutinized my expression carefully. Seeing that I truly showed no signs of anger, his furrowed brows finally relaxed. He smiled and pulled me into his arms: “Nina, I’m glad you understand. That human girl just loves to play around, and with her grandfather gravely ill, I really had no choice.” I obediently leaned into his embrace, but inside I sneered. In my previous life, because I didn’t understand his “no choice,” I went and caused a huge scene. To vent Vivian’s anger, he had a group of Rogues break into Silver Crest Pack. My father, the Alpha of Silver Crest Pack, and my mother, the Luna, were both killed in that tragedy. And I was forcibly sent to a mental hospital by him. My wolf was tortured until it was barely alive, and I became a madwoman. Vivian would occasionally visit me, nestling in Alexander’s arms, mocking me like a dog. In the end, I died on a cold winter night. So from the first day of my rebirth, I began planning to transfer the assets under his name. Because my father had long seen that Alexander wasn’t loyal, worried he would betray me. So before marriage, he forced Alexander to sign a prenuptial agreement. As long as Alexander showed any signs of infidelity, I could manage a portion of his assets on his behalf. This agreement was legally recognized. And now, it had already taken effect. Alexander was completely unaware of this, still talking to himself: “Oh right, today is our seventh anniversary.” “I’ll definitely make it up to you. I promise, tonight absolutely no one will disturb us again.” He raised his hand solemnly to swear. I nodded and obediently said: “Okay, I’ll listen to you.” Seeing how understanding I was, Alexander was in a great mood. Over the next few hours, he began preparing intensively. I heard him on the balcony making phone calls, his voice very low. “I want the best seat in the restaurant… yes, one where we can see the city’s night view…” “Is the billboard ready? It must cover the whole city… it’s a surprise for her…” Watching his busy figure, I felt a bit dazed. I almost thought the Alexander from years ago who loved me had returned. Looking away, I took out my computer and opened the operation interface. Because of that social media post, Alexander, you’ve already used up one chance. Within just a few minutes, I received a notification of information changes. All the mansions and vehicles under Alexander’s name. The property rights had all been transferred to the trust fund I had set up in advance. These assets combined were worth over five hundred million dollars. I picked up the coffee on the table that had long gone cold and took a sip. The bitter taste spread through my mouth, yet it made me feel incredibly clear-headed and satisfied.

At seven o’clock in the evening, Alexander brought me right on time to the restaurant he had reserved. The location was indeed excellent. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the dazzling city night view, with a clear view of the city’s largest billboard. Alexander gentlemanly pulled out a chair for me, smiling as he said: “Nina, eat something first. There’s a big surprise for you later.” I cut a small piece of steak and put it in my mouth. Before I could swallow, his phone rang. Alexander’s expression changed slightly, and he immediately answered. Vivian’s crying voice came from the other end: “Darling, Grandpa suddenly got worse and went into the emergency room. Sob sob sob…” “I’m so scared alone. Can you come keep me company?” Alexander’s hand gripping the phone tightened, and he instinctively glanced at me. I put down my knife and fork, quietly watching him. His eyes flickered, and finally he said into the phone: “Don’t be scared, I’ll come right away.” After hanging up, he stood up, looking apologetic and anxious: “Nina, Vivian’s situation…” “Go ahead.” Before he could finish, I interrupted him. “She’s more important. Don’t keep her waiting.” Alexander was stunned. He had already prepared himself for me to lose my temper and question him. He even furrowed his brow, ready to lecture me. But he didn’t expect me to be this calm, even urging him to leave quickly. He froze for a few seconds, suppressing the slight discomfort and strange feeling in his heart. “I knew my Nina was the kindest.” He leaned down and kissed me hard on the cheek. “You eat first and wait to see tonight’s surprise. It’s specially prepared for you. After you finish eating, I’ll have my assistant drive you home.” With that, he grabbed his coat and left without looking back. I pulled out a wet wipe and expressionlessly wiped the spot he had just kissed. So dirty. I didn’t waste this excellent viewing location and the table full of delicious food. I slowly savored the entire meal, and even ordered another dessert. Eight o’clock sharp. Outside the window, throughout the city, those huge electronic billboards suddenly changed their displays simultaneously. This was the surprise Alexander had prepared for me. All the screens lit up, illuminating half the city’s night sky. However, when the images became clear, the words displayed were: Vivian, I will love you forever. The huge golden words flickered throughout various parts of the city, extravagant and grand in scale. Beta William standing nearby was sweating profusely, sneaking glances at my expression, afraid I would flip the table and explode the next second. But I just clasped my hands together to support my chin, quietly watching the lights outside the window. How beautiful. I remember before, to give me a birthday surprise, he personally designed a whole week’s worth of declarations of love, just so that my eyes could reflect that city lit up for me. Those days he was so busy his feet barely touched the ground, his eyes full of bloodshot veins. Unfortunately, that person no longer exists. Memories flooded in like a tide, accompanied by an indescribable sharp pain. On our seventh wedding anniversary, my mate Alexander was having an affair with a human not far from where I was. No more anger or sadness, not even a ripple. Only relief. Relief that I was reborn and saw this man’s true face. Just then, my phone vibrated. It was a text from Alexander: [Nina, Vivian was overcome with grief because of her grandfather. The girl is innocent and fragile, so I could only temporarily change the billboard message to make her happy.] [Don’t overthink it, and don’t give her any trouble. This was all my idea.] I sneered and didn’t bother replying. I took out my phone. “Second chance.” My finger tapped lightly. “Transferring liquid assets…” “Clearing private investment funds…” At this moment, Alexander, holding his innocent and fragile girl, didn’t know. To make his girl happy, he had just paid ninety million dollars in appearance fees.

Another week passed, and Alexander barely came home. Every time he returned, I was already asleep. On the rare occasions we met, I was gentle and obedient, asking after his well-being, never mentioning Vivian. Recently Vivian had been posting on social media for a whole week, all photos of Alexander accompanying her. I liked every single one and commented blessings underneath. Friends in our social circle were shocked, privately messaging Alexander, saying that the former strong-willed Serena who couldn’t tolerate any betrayal was gone. They congratulated him on finally making his wife docile and obedient, enjoying all the benefits. Looking at those flattering words, Alexander felt extremely uncomfortable. Too obedient. So obedient she didn’t seem like the Serena who loved and hated so clearly. But thinking it over, perhaps this was the power of love. Serena loved him so much that she was willing to be patient for him, willing to understand his difficulties. Thinking this way, he felt at ease again. The next morning, Alexander unusually woke me up. “Nina, get up and get ready. Vivian has something she wants to ask for your help with.” I raised an eyebrow, said nothing, got up, changed clothes, and followed him out. When we arrived, I immediately saw Vivian wearing a crown. That crown, I knew all too well. It was the one that five years ago at our wedding, passed down through Alexander’s family, that he personally placed on my head, symbolizing my status as Luna, the only one of its kind in the world. Now, this “only love” was on another woman’s head. When Vivian saw me, she shyly glanced at Alexander, then walked up to me. “Serena, Alex darling told me you’re especially understanding and supportive of us acting.” “Don’t worry, I promise we’re just acting, there won’t be anything else…” As she spoke, she looked at Alexander, her eyes showing a kind of sorrow. “His heart is still with you.” Hearing this, Alexander clenched his fists, his expression showing restrained discomfort. I didn’t know what to say for a moment. Again, they were treating me as part of their game. Just as I was about to lose my composure, Vivian spoke again: “Because this is sister’s crown, I feel I should ask sister’s opinion, so sister, do you agree to let me have the crown?” The implication was clear. Not just wanting the crown, but wanting to take my position. Before I could speak, Alexander naturally took over: “Of course she won’t mind. After all, this crown just sits in the safe gathering dust, and Serena doesn’t need it anymore.” “Lending it to Vivian to fulfill her grandfather’s wish, you’re doing a good deed. You should be happy too, right Nina?” He turned to look at me, his eyes full of certainty. I sneered silently. I stepped forward, my fingers lightly brushing over the crown’s cold metal and gems. “Of course I don’t mind.” “I heard the wedding is set for next week? I’ll attend on time and definitely give you a generous gift.” “After all, the chance to personally watch my own husband marry someone else doesn’t come often. I’d like to broaden my horizons too.” Vivian was stunned, clearly not expecting me to be this calm. I continued: “But Vivian, this waistline… has it gotten a bit rounder lately?” I looked meaningfully at her lower abdomen. Vivian’s face stiffened, and she instinctively covered her stomach, her eyes showing some panic. My hand reached out and grabbed that crown. Since the heart of the person who gave this crown was no longer there, then this crown was indeed useless. I suddenly yanked it off Vivian’s head and, under everyone’s shocked gazes, threw it hard onto the marble floor! The delicate metal structure instantly deformed, gems scattered everywhere, making a crisp and piercing shattering sound. Vivian screamed, covering her chest and stepping back two steps, tears streaming: “Ah! My crown! Serena, what are you doing? Even if you don’t agree, there’s no need to destroy it publicly and embarrass me!” Alexander also became furious. He rushed over and pushed me aside, protecting Vivian. “Serena! Are you crazy? Bullying even a young girl!” “You’ve already worn this crown, and it would just be wasted sitting there. What’s wrong with letting Vivian use it? How can you be so malicious!” He frowned, impatiently saying: “As punishment, that project your parents’ company is negotiating, suspend the cooperation.” “I won’t be coming home recently either. You reflect on yourself!” With that, he put his arm around the crying Vivian and turned to leave. A sharp pain instantly exploded. I steadied myself against the display case beside me, took a deep breath, and endured the pain from the Mate Bond. Soon everything would be resolved. I took out my phone and performed a series of operations, transferring all assets under Alexander’s name. No cooperation then no cooperation. Anyway, the funds for that project, you can’t come up with them anymore.

The wedding was set at the city’s most solemn cathedral. Although publicly claimed to be acting to fulfill an old man’s dying wish, the grandeur even surpassed my wedding with Alexander back then. Almost all the prominent figures in social circles came. Whether out of curiosity or to watch the drama unfold, in any case, every seat was filled. I wore a black dress, sitting in a front row seat. This outfit didn’t look like attending a wedding, but rather a funeral. The people around me looked at me with eyes full of intrigue and whispered among themselves. “Hey, look at Serena, she actually came.” “Being a wife like this must be so humiliating, right? Her husband is about to marry someone else, and she can still sit here?” “I heard it’s for that woman’s grandfather, supposedly acting.” “Acting? Do you believe that? Look at that jewelry, that grandeur, no less than back then.” “Shh, keep your voice down…” I held my wine glass, gently swirling it, turning a deaf ear to the surrounding gossip. The wedding march began. The doors opened, and Alexander walked down the red carpet with Vivian on his arm. Alexander wore a perfectly tailored black tuxedo, devastatingly handsome. Vivian wore an expensive dress, a white veil on her head, her face beaming with happiness. It seemed they ultimately couldn’t find a more suitable crown. As Alexander passed by me, his steps paused slightly. He glanced at me, his eyes somewhat complex. I raised my glass in a distant toast to him, the corner of my mouth curling into a cold smile. During the vow ceremony, the entire venue quieted down. Alexander looked at Vivian affectionately, his voice loud: “I do.” Thunderous applause erupted below the stage. Vivian was moved to tears, one hand gently caressing her slightly protruding abdomen. “I have one more piece of good news to share with everyone.” “Alex and I already have the fruit of our love. Today is a double celebration.” As soon as she finished speaking, the entire venue erupted. “My God, she’s really pregnant!” “This isn’t acting, this is taking advantage of the situation to rise in status!” “Serena’s face must be completely humiliated now, right?” All eyes instantly focused on me, waiting for me to rush up like a shrew and cause a scene. Alexander on stage was also somewhat flustered. Obviously, Vivian hadn’t consulted him before publicly announcing this. He instinctively looked at me. I stood up, smoothed out my skirt, and calmly walked onto the stage, taking the microphone. “Congratulations, Alexander, Miss Vivian.” I smiled at them: “Since it’s a double celebration, as his legal wife, let me give you a big gift to help celebrate.” Alexander’s face turned pale, lowering his voice: “Serena, don’t do anything rash! Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it when we get home!” “Go home? Which home?” I looked at him mockingly: “The houses under your name now don’t seem to belong to you anymore.” “What do you mean?” Alexander was stunned. I didn’t answer him, just raised my hand and snapped my fingers. The huge LED screen behind me suddenly flickered. The originally playing images of their sweet wedding photos disappeared. Replacing them were densely packed financial statements, bank transaction records, and scanned copies of asset transfer agreements. The entire venue instantly became deathly silent. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the big screen. In the center of the screen, bold red text was particularly glaring: [Alexander, current total assets: zero.] [Current debt: 2.9 billion dollars.]

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At the wedding, I recognized at a glance that the bride in the wedding dress standing before me wasn’t Leah—it was someone impersonating her. But I still went through with the ceremony as planned. Because in my previous life, when I publicly exposed the fake bride, Leah reluctantly came crawling back to marry me. Meanwhile, Michael, who had been kicked out by my parents, jumped to his death from our building on our wedding night. When Leah heard the news of his death, she showed not a trace of sadness. After our marriage, we grew increasingly affectionate. I continuously funneled money from my family to save her company from bankruptcy. But on our first anniversary, she personally tied me up in a helicopter. She dropped her disguise, her eyes filled with madness: “If you hadn’t forced me to come back and marry you that day, Michael wouldn’t have died! Wasn’t it enough that your family kicked him out? You had to drive him to his death!” “What right do you have to be so happy? I’m going to make you feel the same pain he felt when he died!” I was thrown from ten thousand meters in the air and turned into a pile of mangled flesh. This time, I’m pretending not to know, going through with the wedding ceremony with the fake bride. I want to see how she’ll save the crumbling Leah Group without my family’s support.

“Do you, the groom, take this beautiful bride standing beside you, for richer or poorer…” “I… I do.” The woman’s voice came through the veil and mask, muffled and carrying a hint of barely perceptible nervousness. The guests below were all praising how deeply Leah loved me—even with a severe cold and wearing a mask, she insisted on completing this wedding of the century. She was practically the epitome of devoted love among the elite. “Wait a moment.” The woman before me had evasive eyes, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead. I let out a cold laugh and asked, “Leah, you don’t look well. Did you forget to take your medicine because you were too busy with the wedding?” She coughed nervously twice. “Yes, I…” I signaled the officiant to halt the ceremony and pulled the bride into a private lounge. The phone on the table happened to vibrate—over a dozen unread messages, all from Michael. [Gonzalez, you’ve figured out the bride is fake, haven’t you? Surprise! Michael and I are watching your wedding livestream from the Maldives.] There was even an attached photo: Leah intimately leaning against him, both wearing matching beach couple outfits, their faces radiating sweet happiness. [Oh, I forgot to mention—this was my idea. You stole my position, so I’m stealing your woman. This wedding is just a game she’s playing to amuse me.] I remained expressionless, quickly typing out a response. [Is that so? Well, believe it or not, with just one word from me, she’ll come crawling back like a dog begging me to take her.] The “typing…” indicator on the other end flickered for a long time without producing a single word. Perfect. The fish had taken the bait. I pocketed my phone and turned to look at the anxious substitute beside me. She looked at me awkwardly. “Actually, I… I…” I patted her shoulder. “Presley, don’t be nervous.” She instantly relaxed, her pupils dilating in shock. “You already knew?” After a moment of silence, she seemed to make some kind of decision. Taking a deep breath, she looked at me with intense eyes. “Gonzalez, Leah doesn’t deserve you. Today she’s deliberately conspiring with Michael to humiliate you. If you feel degraded, I’ll take you away right now!” After my death in my previous life, I learned that Presley had secretly loved me for years. When she heard about my death, she was the only one who refused to believe I had committed suicide. Later, she discovered Leah was the killer. Unable to find evidence, she dragged Leah to her death on the anniversary of my passing, taking them both down together. Thinking of her tragic end in my previous life, my fists clenched tight, a flash of fierce determination passing through my eyes. Seeing my cold expression, Presley thought I was forcing myself to stay composed. She reached out worriedly to touch me. I grasped her wrist instead, looking at her seriously. “Presley, listen carefully. This wedding must happen today, but I only want to marry you.” When we returned to the ceremony hall, the officiant wiped away cold sweat and announced with a smile, “Now, will the bride and groom please exchange rings.” I picked up the women’s diamond ring and pushed it onto her finger, but it stuck firmly at the knuckle. She tried awkwardly to force it on, but I pressed down on her hand. The guests below began whispering among themselves. “What’s going on? Is the ring the wrong size?” “How could they get something this important wrong? This is Mr. Wilson’s biological son—is the Leah family really this careless?” Below the stage, Leah’s parents’ faces instantly turned extremely ugly. They exchanged glances, filled with panic. It seemed they had known all along about Leah running away from the wedding to be with Michael, but they conspired to hide it from my family. My mother’s brows furrowed tightly, and my father’s face turned even colder. I gave my parents a reassuring look, signaling them to remain calm. Then, under everyone’s shocked gaze, I lifted Presley’s veil and removed her mask. “Oh my God! The bride isn’t Leah!” “Then where’s the real bride?”

Leah’s mother, Tobias, was the first to react. She rushed onto the stage without regard for appearances: “What… what is going on! Who are you!” Leah’s father, Anthony, his face ashen, shouted at the chaotic guests and reporters below: “Everyone quiet down! There’s been a small mishap with the wedding. We’ll resolve it immediately!” How spectacular. In my previous life, I was the one humiliated on stage. Now it was Leah’s parents. My mother also stood up in shock, looking at me with concern. “Gonzalez, what on earth is happening?” I turned to give my parents a reassuring look. Under the entire audience’s astonished gaze, I took Presley’s hand: “Thank you all for coming to attend the wedding between Miss Presley and myself today. Due to a small oversight, the wedding posters and rings were mixed up.” I paused before continuing. “However, it doesn’t matter. The wedding will continue.” Presley beside me gripped my hand back, her gaze firm, as if declaring her claim. Tobias looked at me, trembling with rage. “Gonzalez, have you lost your mind! Do you know what you’re saying?” Anthony also rushed forward, lowering his voice to say to me: “Gonzalez, stop this nonsense! Call off the wedding immediately!” I ignored them and turned to look at Presley. “Presley, tell everyone why you’re standing here.” Presley and I exchanged smiles, her voice cool and steady: “I’m standing here today because Leah gave me twenty dollars to impersonate her at the wedding, while she herself is on vacation abroad with Michael.” As soon as these words left her mouth, the entire room erupted. This was guaranteed to trend. “Holy shit! Paying someone to substitute at your own wedding? What is this!” “For Michael, who got kicked out, she’s offending Mr. Gonzalez? Is Leah under some kind of spell!” With their shameful secret exposed publicly, Anthony and Tobias’s faces completely lost all color. My father Wilson’s anger was finally ignited. Pointing at Anthony’s nose, he cursed: “What a fine Leah family! You begged for this marriage alliance, and now you’re treating my son’s lifelong matter as a joke! You think the Wilson family is easy to bully?!” My mother Kate was even more decisive, directly announcing to the media below: “This marriage is off! From this day forward, the Wilson family and the Leah family have nothing to do with each other!” “As for that Michael, he was kicked out of our home for misconduct. Whoever wants him can have him!” Seeing the marriage alliance collapse, Tobias completely panicked. “Gonzalez, Leah is just immature, bewitched by that Michael! I’ll make her come crawling back to apologize to you right now!” I shrugged, sneering. “Fine, I’ll give her one more chance. As long as you can get through to her on the phone, I’ll pretend nothing happened.” Presley’s grip on my hand tightened. I whispered to her, “Don’t panic. Leah won’t answer.” Tobias grabbed onto this like a lifeline, frantically dialing Leah’s number. Once, twice, three times… What came through the receiver was always that cold voice: “Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently on another call…” My face turned cold. “It seems Miss Leah doesn’t want to come back.” “Security, escort these uninvolved persons out.” Anthony and Tobias were dragged out by security, countless reporters excitedly snapping photos in their faces. My mother held my hand, asking nothing, only repeatedly saying: “Gonzalez, whatever decision you make, your father and I support you.” Father patted my shoulder. Warmth filled my heart. In my previous life, I insisted on marrying Leah and had a terrible falling out with my family. After my death, they turned white-haired overnight. This life, I would never repeat that mistake. And I wouldn’t easily let Leah, the true culprit, get away with it. After the ceremony concluded, I immediately called my assistant. “Terminate all cooperation with the Leah family immediately and withdraw all the capital we’ve invested. Not a single cent remains.”

The news that I had married Presley didn’t spread quickly. To stabilize their stock price, the Leah family paid to suppress the news. Right after the wedding ended, Presley and I rushed to get our marriage certificate. After registering, Presley said she had urgent company business and needed to go abroad for a few days. On the other side, the oblivious Leah accompanied Michael on the island for several days before belatedly realizing something was wrong. Usually by this time, I should have already pressured her to come back. But now there was no movement at all. Leah absent-mindedly scrolled through her phone. Michael handed her a drink, deliberately provoking: “Leah, Gonzalez isn’t angry, is he? It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t suddenly gotten dizzy, you wouldn’t have stayed with me…” Leah scoffed. “What’s he got to be angry about? You’re someone who lost your protection. He has everything. What’s wrong with being considerate of you?” At this thought, her brow suddenly relaxed. Gonzalez must be playing hard to get. A smile curved at the corner of Leah’s lips. She felt she’d been spoiling me too much. I never expected to run into them at my father’s business gala. Leah noticed me immediately, but when she saw me conversing with other female business owners, her face instantly darkened like storm clouds. Michael saw me too and deliberately wrapped his arm around Leah’s waist in front of me, saying loudly: “Leah, you’ve worked hard networking tonight. Let’s go rest over there.” Leah leaned against him naturally, though her gaze seemed to casually drift toward me. She was probably waiting for me to approach first. Unfortunately, I disappointed her. From beginning to end, I didn’t spare her even a sideways glance. She finally couldn’t hold back. Striding over to our table, she set her wine glass down heavily and spoke: “Gonzalez, are you angry because I had someone substitute for me at the wedding?” I didn’t even bother looking at her, standing up to leave. “The last wedding was because Michael was sick—it was an emergency, so I couldn’t attend.” Michael strode over to block my path, his tone full of righteous indignation. “Gonzalez, don’t blame Leah. Blame me for my failing health that delayed your wedding. As a man, don’t be so petty!” Hearing this, Leah looked at me and laughed in anger. “Gonzalez, I never realized you were this petty. It’s just one wedding!” As she spoke, she matter-of-factly reached out to grab my arm. My eyes turned cold as I directly shook off her hand. “Miss Leah, please show some self-respect.” “Regarding the wedding, didn’t your parents tell you?” Leah froze. “Tell me what?” Seeing this, Michael stepped forward and grabbed my shoulder, warning in a low, vicious voice: “Gonzalez, don’t be ungrateful. You should be honored that Leah is willing to humor you!” His grip was extremely strong, making me uncomfortable. I jerked my hand away and forcefully shoved him back. “Get lost!” Michael stumbled backward unsteadily, his waist hitting the table edge hard. Leah’s eyes blazed with fury as she rushed to protect Michael, roaring at me: “You maniac! Apologize to Michael right now!” I laughed coldly and ordered the security guards rushing over. “Security, throw them out!” Leah’s face turned iron-blue with rage: “Don’t think this will get my attention. If you behave yourself, I’ll go register our marriage with you in a few days.” She took it for granted that as long as she was willing to turn back, I would immediately rush over, grateful beyond measure. I smiled. “But I’m already married.”

The smile on Leah’s face instantly froze. She stood there dumbfounded, her brow tightly furrowed: “What nonsense are you talking!” She stepped forward, her tone arrogant. “You say you’re married, so where’s your wife? Why isn’t she here with you?” A mocking curve formed at the corner of my lips. “My wife is on a business trip. Unlike certain idle parasites who just cling to others like vampires.” Before she could explode, Michael beside her immediately darkened his face and accused sharply: “Gonzalez, how can you say that about Leah! You have no idea how hard she works for the company every day!” He deliberately paused, making Leah look at me with eyes full of disappointment and fury. “Gonzalez, look at yourself now, so mean-spirited. Who else would want you besides me?” “Let me tell you, stop playing these hard-to-get tricks. They only make me despise you more!” I completely lost patience. “Security! Are you deaf?” “Throw these two people out!” Security quickly moved forward, flanking them on both sides. Leah struggled frantically, her face contorted as she shrieked at me: “Gonzalez! How dare you treat me like this! You’ll regret it!” That evening, I received a text from an unknown number. [You think this will steal Leah from me? Surprise—she doesn’t care at all. She’s happily taking me ring shopping right now. You think being the Wilson family heir makes you superior? You still can’t even hold onto a woman.] I didn’t need to guess who sent it. I immediately blocked the number. During this time, Anthony and Tobias tried desperately to see me, but I turned them away at the door. A week later, calculating the time of Presley’s flight arrival, I personally drove to the airport to pick her up. Just as I entered the international arrivals hall, I ran straight into Leah and Michael. Both had gotten a bit tanned, wearing sunglasses with the leisurely air of returning from vacation. Seeing me, Leah’s eyes lit up, her smile full of triumph. “I knew you were just being stubborn. You even checked my flight schedule to come pick me up? Fine, I’ll give you a way to save face.” I looked at her like she was an idiot, not stopping my steps. Michael spoke in a sarcastic tone. “Mr. Gonzalez, since you personally came to the airport, and Leah is magnanimous enough not to hold it against you, as her fiancé, you should hurry and transfer the funds back to Leah Group.” Leah seemed pleased, raising her hand to hook my arm, but I nimbly dodged. She wasn’t annoyed, thinking I was still being proud. “Alright, stop playing around. Once we register our marriage, I’ll give you an even more luxurious wedding. Will that work?” I walked right past both of them and strode toward Presley, who had just emerged. “Darling, welcome home!” Presley caught my embrace, her cool eyes instantly softening as she lifted her head and placed a gentle kiss on my chin. Behind us, the triumphant smile on Leah’s face instantly froze. After a brief deadly silence came Leah’s humiliated roar: “Gonzalez! Haven’t you played around enough!” She rushed forward in a few steps, pointing at Presley and shouting: “To spite me, you even hired an actress? Not bad acting skills—how much did it cost?” “Name your price. I’ll pay you ten times that to get lost right now!” Presley moved me protectively to her side, her eyes darkening, the atmospheric pressure around her instantly dropping to freezing. But I pressed down on her hand, leisurely watching Leah’s twisted face. “Leah, didn’t you always want to meet my wife?” I wrapped my arm around Presley’s waist, smiling brilliantly. “Let me formally introduce you—this is my legal wife.” Leah’s face turned deathly pale. “How can it be you?!”

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The third floor of this mall was a ghost town when it first opened. I was the first to sign a lease. I toughed it out for two years and built up the entire floor’s traffic. On weekends, the lines stretched all the way to the elevator. When it came time to renew, the property manager handed me the contract with a smile. The rent had gone up forty percent. I said it was too high. Could we negotiate? He leaned back in his chair. “Think it’s expensive? The bubble tea chain next door is offering double what you pay.” “If you weren’t sitting on this spot, they would’ve signed already.” I said my contract still had three months left. He flicked cigarette ash onto my contract. “When those three months are up, you’re out. Move early and I’ll waive the penalty fee. Consider it a favor to an old tenant.” I stared at that ash for five seconds, then stood up and smiled. “Fine. I’ll move tomorrow.” He froze. I grabbed my bag, walked to the door, and turned back. “By the way, my mom’s jewelry store on the first floor, my husband，Richard’s gym on the fourth floor, my brother，Brennan’s cinema on the fifth floor—we’re all moving together.”

“You’re moving tomorrow? Who are you trying to scare?” Marshall leaned back in his swivel chair, his belly shaking with laughter. “Ms. Leon, we’re all adults here. Stop playing these games.” “That crappy shop of yours on the third floor—you sank almost three hundred thousand into the renovations, didn’t you?” “Move tomorrow? You don’t even have another location lined up. Where are you moving to, the street?” I didn’t answer. I pushed open the glass door of his office. Two of the motion sensor lights in the hallway had been broken for two months. No one had bothered to fix them. I walked through the dim lighting toward the elevator. My phone buzzed. A voice message from my shop manager, Carla. Her voice was tearful. “Leon, the power just went out in the store! All the cream in the freezer melted, and customers are demanding refunds!” My hand froze halfway to the elevator button. “How did it go out?” “The property said it’s line maintenance. But I checked—we’re the only shop on the entire third floor without power! Even the empty unit next door has lights on!” I turned and glanced down the hallway toward Marshall’s office. Behind the glass door, he was watching me, raising his thermos in a mock toast. His smile was full of smugness. “Calm the customers down. Double refunds for anyone who wants them.” “But the losses are too big…” “Just do it. I’ll be right there.” I hung up and stepped into the elevator. I pressed the button for the first floor. When the doors opened, the brilliant golden light was blinding. Directly across from the central atrium was the city’s largest gold and jewelry boutique. My mom was sitting behind the glass counter wearing her reading glasses, doing the books. Hearing footsteps, she looked up. “Weren’t you supposed to renew the lease today? Why the long face?” “Didn’t sign.” I pulled over a chair and sat down, pouring myself a glass of warm water. “Marshall raised the rent forty percent.” My mom closed her ledger and took off her glasses. “Is he insane? Who brought the foot traffic to the third floor these past two years? Doesn’t he know?” “He says a new bubble tea brand next door is offering double.” My mom let out a cold laugh. “Burning bridges. So what do you want to do?” “I told him I’m moving tomorrow.” My mom stared at me for a few seconds. The wrinkles around her eyes smoothed out. She picked up her phone and dialed a number. “Chris? Yeah, that new SKY Mall across the street—the double-door shop on the northeast corner of the first floor, is it still available?” “Yes, I’ll take it.” “No need to look. I’ll sign tonight.” She hung up and turned to me. “Richard and Brennan—have you told them yet?” “Not yet.” “Go on then. I’ll handle the first floor.” I stood up and set down my glass. “Mom, the penalty fee on your end might be pretty steep.” “So what?” My mom pulled a black card from her drawer and slapped it on the glass counter. “I was selling gold when Marshall was still in diapers.” I smiled slightly and headed back to the elevator. I pressed the button for the fourth floor. The elevator doors opened to a wall of deafening bass. The two-thousand-square-foot chain gym was packed, the equipment area full of people. My husband Richard, shirtless, was spotting a personal training client doing deadlifts, his back gleaming with sweat. When he saw me, he set down the barbell, wiped his face with a towel, and walked over. “What brings you here? Checking up on me?” “Marshall cut the power to my store.” Richard’s hand stopped mid-wipe. The towel was clenched in his fist, his knuckles slightly white. “I’ll go deal with him.” “Don’t bother.” I grabbed his arm. “I’ve decided not to renew. We’re moving tomorrow.” Richard looked down at me. There was no surprise in his eyes. Only a calm, fierce determination. “Know where you’re going yet?” “SKY Mall across the street. Mom already booked the first floor.” Richard tossed the towel onto a nearby bench. “I’ll call SKY Mall’s leasing office. I want the entire fourth floor.” “What about your members?” “I’ll bring them over. SKY Mall is just across the street—five-minute walk.” Richard turned to grab his phone. “I’ll have people come dismantle the equipment tonight.” I nodded and continued upstairs. The fifth floor was entirely occupied by a private cinema and esports lounge. My brother Brennan was sitting at the front desk with a lollipop in his mouth, hammering away at his keyboard. The clacking was deafening. “Brennan.” He jerked, and his character died on screen. “Leon? How do you walk without making any noise?” “Pack up. We’re moving tomorrow.” Brennan bit down on the lollipop with a crunch. “Moving? Where to?” “SKY Mall across the street.” His eyes lit up. “Holy crap, I’ve been wanting to move there forever! This dump’s internet is slow as hell, and that idiot Marshall keeps charging us equipment management fees!” “I’ll cover the penalty fee.” “Don’t worry about it!” Brennan pulled a cardboard box out from under the counter. “I’ve collected almost a million in membership prepayments these past few months. The penalty fee is nothing.” “I’ll pull an all-nighter dismantling the machines. Need help moving your stuff? I can call some friends.” “No need. Take care of your own shop.” I returned to the third floor. The store was pitch black. Carla and several staff members were using their phone flashlights to clean up melted cream. When she saw me, Carla’s eyes turned red. “Leon, Marshall came by with some people.” “What did he say?” “He said the cables burned out. It’ll take three days to repair. He told us not to open for three days.” I looked at the disaster zone that was the back kitchen. “Lock the door.” Carla froze. “Lock up?” “Yes. Take your personal belongings. You’re off early today.” “But everything in the store…” “A professional moving company will come collect it tomorrow.” I pulled out my phone and sent a message to the staff group chat. “Paid leave for three days. In three days, I’ll take you to the new store.” Carla looked at her phone, tears streaming down her face. “Are we really leaving? We built this store from nothing…” “Staying here, we’ll just get trampled like dogs.” I patted her shoulder. “Go on. Lock up tight.” At eight that evening, I stood outside the mall. The first-floor jewelry store had already pulled down its rolling shutter. The fourth-floor gym echoed with the metallic clanging of heavy equipment being dismantled. On the fifth floor, dozens of computer monitors were being loaded onto trucks. My phone rang. It was Marshall. “Leon, why is your store locked?” “Weren’t you the one who told me not to open?” “I’m telling you, the owner of the bubble tea shop next door is bringing a designer to measure the space tomorrow.” He laughed smugly on the other end. “Get your junk cleaned out fast. Don’t delay a major brand moving in.” “Sure.” I looked at the glittering neon lights of SKY Mall across the street. “I’ll definitely have it cleared out for you tomorrow.”

The next morning at ten. I brought two movers from the moving company and pushed open the door to the third-floor shop. There was still no power. The air was thick with the sour smell of fermenting cream. I directed the workers to dismantle the display cases. The crisp clicking of high heels echoed from outside the door. “This smell is absolutely disgusting.” A nasally voice came from the doorway. I turned. Marshall was bowing and scraping behind a woman in a Chanel suit. The woman wore sunglasses and carried a Hermès bag, looking around my store with disdain. “This is the store?” She took off her sunglasses and waved her hand dismissively. “This decor is so tacky. Marshall, are you sure this location is good?” “Absolutely! Ms. Santos, look—this spot is right across from the escalator. All the foot traffic flows right here.” Marshall pointed at me. “It was just wasted on this low-end shop before. But with your ‘Star Tea,’ it’ll absolutely blow up.” Santos glanced at me, looking me up and down in my casual clothes. “You’re the tenant?” I ignored her and continued speaking to the workers. “Be careful with that coffee machine. Don’t damage it.” Santos, now being ignored, darkened. “Hey, I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?” She clicked into the store on her heels, leaving white marks on the hardwood floor. “This floor needs to be completely torn up too. What awful taste.” She kicked a packing box I hadn’t gotten into storage yet. “Hurry up and get lost. Don’t delay my designer measuring the space.” I turned and looked at her. “This store’s lease has three months left. Currently, this is still my private business premises.” “Please leave.” Santos looked like she’d heard a joke. She turned to Marshall. “Marshall, what did she say? She’s telling me to leave?” Marshall’s face immediately hardened as he walked toward me. “Leon, don’t push your luck. Ms. Santos choosing this location is a blessing for you.” “Didn’t you say you’re moving today? Why are you still dragging your feet?” “Moving takes time, doesn’t it?” “Or is Marshall so impatient he can’t even wait half a day? Want to help me move personally?” “You!” Marshall pointed at my nose, but Santos stopped him. “Forget it, Marshall. Why argue with someone from the bottom rung?” Santos pulled a business card from her purse and tossed it on my table. “Looking at your pathetic state, you probably have nowhere to go.” “Come be a janitor at my new store. Considering you’re giving up this spot for me, I’ll give you three thousand base salary.” She covered her mouth and laughed. “Though you’ll need to wash off that poverty stench first.” The movers couldn’t take it anymore. “How can you talk like that? Ms. Leon has always been so polite to us. Who the hell do you think you are?” “Oh, you brought bodyguards too?” Santos rolled her eyes. “A bunch of manual laborers, and you think you can raise your voice at me?” I held back the movers who wanted to rush forward. “Get back to work. When a dog bites, you don’t bite back.” Santos’s face twisted instantly. “Who are you calling a dog?!” “Whoever responds, I guess.” I swept her business card into the trash. “Marshall, take your distinguished guest and leave. Otherwise I’m calling the police for trespassing.” Marshall’s jaw clenched as he pointed at me. “Fine. Leon, keep acting tough. Let’s see how long you last.” He turned to Santos with an apologetic smile. “Ms. Santos, let’s go to my office for some tea. Once she’s cleared out, we’ll come back.” Santos snorted coldly and clicked away on her heels. On her way out, she deliberately knocked over an advertising board by the door. It crashed against the glass door with a tremendous bang. “What a piece of junk.” The hallway went quiet again. One of the movers sighed. “Ms. Leon, this property management is way too much. Your store does such good business—how can they just kick you out like this?” “It’s fine. Out with the old, in with the new.” I pulled out my phone and sent Richard a message. “How’s your progress?” “Equipment’s dismantled, loading it now. SKY Mall cleared space overnight. We can move in tonight.” “Good.” I put away my phone and looked at the shop being emptied bit by bit. On the wall was still the group photo from our opening day. Back then this place was barren—there wasn’t even a janitor. I’d brought Carla and the others, and we’d wiped it clean ourselves with rags. Now, there was nothing left. At two in the afternoon, most of the stuff was packed. I had the workers push the largest commercial oven toward the freight elevator. I pressed the button repeatedly. The freight elevator door didn’t budge. A white notice was posted next to it. “Freight elevator under maintenance, temporarily out of service.” Signed by Property Management. I looked at that notice and smiled. Marshall was deliberately messing with me. Moving a several-hundred-pound oven down three floors via the stairs was impossible. And it wouldn’t fit in the passenger elevator. I pulled out my phone and called Marshall. “What’s going on with the freight elevator?” Marshall yawned on the other end. “Maintenance. Didn’t you see the notice? The cables are worn out. For everyone’s safety, we had to shut it down.” “When will it be fixed?” “Hard to say. Could be three days, could be two weeks. Parts have to be shipped from out of town.” He lowered his voice, his tone full of mockery. “Leon, I told you—you can’t move that junk. Why not just leave it here? Let Santos sell it as scrap.” “Or, you could come to my office right now and apologize to me and Santos.” “If I’m in a good mood, maybe the freight elevator will magically get fixed.” I hung up and turned to the movers. “Leave the oven.” The workers froze. “Leave it? But this is imported—it’s worth at least tens of thousands!” “Leave it. Just put it here.” I pointed to the middle of the hallway, right in front of the empty unit next door. “Right here.” The workers didn’t understand but did as told. The massive oven sat like an iron tower, blocking the hallway solidly. I dusted off my hands. “Let’s go downstairs.”

In the first-floor lobby, my mom’s jewelry store had been emptied out. Several security guards stood at the entrance, arguing with my mom. “Ms. Vesca, you haven’t paid the penalty fee yet. You can’t take everything.” The head of security held a walkie-talkie, blocking the truck. My mom sat in a wheelchair. Yes, a wheelchair. She’d deliberately gone to the hospital this morning to get a fake medical note claiming her herniated disc had flared up, then rented a wheelchair and rolled over. “Penalty fee? I still have five hundred thousand in deposit with your property management!” My mom’s voice was vigorous as she pointed at the security chief’s nose. “Deduct the penalty from that, and you still owe me two hundred thousand! Now get out of the way and stop delaying my medical appointment!” “Marshall said the deposit process takes three months. The penalty fee must be paid in cash today.” The security chief stood firm. I walked over and pushed him aside. “Three months? The contract says deposits are refunded within fifteen business days after termination.” “That’s for normal terminations. This is malicious breach!” Marshall’s voice came from behind. He approached with several property staff, strolling over leisurely. “Ms. Vesca, Leon, did your whole family plan this together?” Marshall glanced at the emptied jewelry store. “First floor termination, third floor termination. What, trying to pressure me by banding together?” He laughed coldly. “Let me tell you, this mall doesn’t need you small-time tenants. You want to leave? Fine. But the penalty fee won’t be reduced by a cent. The deposit? Wait for the process.” I looked at him. “Marshall, do you think you’ve got us cornered?” “Yes. What else?” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “I’ll tell you the truth. Santos doesn’t just want the third floor. She wants to use this first-floor spot for her flagship store.” “You leaving is perfect. Saves me the trouble of kicking you out.” “But if you want to leave smoothly, it won’t be that easy.” He pointed at the truck outside. “That truck isn’t leaving the mall gates today without my authorization.” Richard emerged from the stairwell. He wore a tight black T-shirt that stretched over his muscles, followed by a dozen equally muscular gym trainers. “Who says it’s not leaving?” Richard walked to my side, staring coldly at Marshall. Marshall instinctively stepped back and swallowed. “Richard, don’t do anything rash. This is a society of law. If you dare use force, I’ll call the police immediately.” “Call the police?” Richard smiled. He pulled a stack of photos from his pocket and threw them in Marshall’s face. “Take a look at these.” The photos scattered on the floor—all billing statements from property management. “Over the past two years, you’ve charged us equipment maintenance fees, hallway cleaning fees, even air purification fees under various pretenses.” Richard pointed at the photos on the ground. “Which of these went into the mall’s corporate account? They all went into your wife Mary’s private card, didn’t they?” Marshall’s face changed instantly. “You… you’re making this up! These are forged!” “Whether they’re forged or not, let’s call the police and find out.” The fifth-floor elevator opened. Brennan came out with several subordinates, pushing the last batch of computer towers. “I recorded everything.” Brennan waved his phone. “Marshall just blocked us from leaving and extorted cash. That’s blackmail, right?” Marshall completely panicked. He looked at Richard’s muscles, then at the phone in Brennan’s hand. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. “Misunderstanding… it’s all a misunderstanding.” He quickly bent down to pick up the photos from the floor. “We’re all old acquaintances. No need to make this so ugly.” “I’ll waive the penalty fee from the deposit. I’ll have accounting transfer the rest to you tomorrow.” I looked at his pathetic face. “No need to wait until tomorrow. Do it now.” “Now? Accounting is off work…” “Then use your personal money to advance it. You’ve embezzled plenty anyway.” Richard took a step forward. Marshall flinched and quickly pulled out his phone. “I’ll transfer! I’ll transfer right now!” Ten minutes later, two hundred thousand arrived in the account. My mom stood up from the wheelchair and dusted off her pants. “If you’d been this cooperative from the start, we wouldn’t have wasted all this time.” She pushed the wheelchair and swaggered out of the mall. The security guards looked at each other. No one dared stop her. The truck started and slowly drove out of the parking lot. I looked at Marshall. “Marshall, that oven on the third-floor hallway—it’s yours now.” “Keep it to bake Santos some brains to eat.” Marshall gritted his teeth, glaring at my back. “Leon, don’t get cocky. Once you leave here, I’ll watch your whole family crash and burn!”

SKY Mall, a brand-new commercial complex that had just begun trial operations a week ago. The old mall across the street might occupy the prime location, but its facilities were outdated and the property management was terrible. SKY Mall’s leasing director was a woman in her thirties named Rodriguez, sharp and efficient. “Ms. Leon, first-floor jewelry store, third-floor bakery, fourth-floor gym, fifth-floor esports lounge. Your family just delivered me quite a gift.” Rodriguez handed me a cup of coffee. “Rent as we discussed—six months free, then twenty percent off going forward. Property management fees waived.” “Thank you, Ms. Rodriguez.” “Don’t thank me. The traffic you bring is worth that price.” Rodriguez pointed out the floor-to-ceiling window. “At least half the weekend foot traffic at the old mall across the street comes for you. Once you leave, that place becomes an empty shell.” “Though I heard that Santos woman has some serious backing?” I took a sip of coffee. “Just an internet celebrity who slept her way to the top. She really thinks opening a bubble tea shop makes her a real businesswoman.” “She’s been handing out flyers at your old store entrance today.” Rodriguez handed me a tablet. In the video, Santos wore a revealing tank dress, holding a megaphone and shouting at my empty storefront. “The third-floor bakery has closed due to poor management! At the end of this month, Star Tea flagship store grand opening! Buy one get one free on everything!” Next to her was a sign reading: “Drink Star Tea, be high-class. Reject low-end bakeries.” Though my sign had been removed, the outline was still clearly visible on the wall. She’d even had someone splash red paint on the wall, drawing a big X. “This woman is truly disgusting.” Rodriguez frowned. “Let her shout.” I set down the tablet. “The higher they climb, the harder they fall.” I pulled out my phone and opened my store’s VIP member group chat. The group had over five thousand people—all loyal fans built up over two years. I typed a message. “To all our supporters: Due to the original property’s malicious rent increase and power cutoff to force us out, our store has officially relocated. The new store is on the third floor of SKY Mall across the street. To compensate for the wait, for the first month of the new store’s opening, all existing member credits will double, and everything is fifty percent off.” I attached location maps and photos of the renovation progress. The moment I sent it, the group exploded. “Holy crap! No wonder it was closed when I went to buy cake yesterday! The property management is disgusting!” “Raised rent AND cut power? What kind of mafia behavior is this!” “Support Leon! SKY Mall’s environment is way better—I’ve been thinking the other place was a dump anyway!” “I passed by yesterday and saw some Star Tea handing out flyers and trashing Leon’s store. Made me sick. I’ll never drink there!” I watched the messages scroll across the screen and smiled slightly. This was only the first step. I turned to Rodriguez. “Ms. Rodriguez, that huge LED screen on SKY Mall’s exterior wall—can I borrow it for a day?” “What are you planning?” “A relocation countdown.” Rodriguez smiled. “No problem. Use it for free.” The next day, directly across from the old mall. On SKY Mall’s massive several-hundred-square-meter LED screen, a poster lit up. Black background, white text. “3 days until [Leon’s Bakery], [Vesca Jewelry], [Richard’s Fitness], [Brennan’s Esports] all move into SKY Mall.” At the very bottom of the poster, in extremely small font: “Thanks to our former landlord’s mercy in not killing us, allowing us to find a better home.” This street was the busiest section downtown. Once the poster went up, everyone passing by could see it. When Marshall saw the poster, he was drinking tea in his office. According to security, he sprayed a mouthful of tea all over his computer screen. Then he rushed out of his office like a madman.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “382318”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

Sebastian, the adoptive brother of Callum, heir to the Ash Pack Alpha, committed suicide. After his death, pack guards found hundreds of photos of us together in his study. On the back of each photo, carved in ancient wolf script, were the words “MY LOVE.” So when I was reborn, and my father, the current Alpha of Raven Pack, asked me if I wanted to marry my childhood friend Callum, I shook my head and chose to marry his adoptive brother instead. I have a secret—I’ve been reborn. In my previous life, I chose to marry into Ash Pack, to marry Callum, with whom I had a twenty-year engagement. On our third wedding anniversary, I ended my pack patrol early to surprise him. I opened the door only to see condoms scattered all over the floor. His lover Lillian leaned against Callum’s chest, taunting me. “In Callum’s heart, you’ve never been his mate. Only I can give him the ultimate pleasure. You should leave while you still can.” I lunged at her and we fought. She grabbed a silver blade coated with wolfsbane from the bedside and stabbed it deep into my chest. The wolfsbane burned through my body. I used my last strength to scream at Callum to take me to the hospital. He just looked at me coldly. “Don’t kill the mood, Lucia. Deal with it yourself. We haven’t finished our sex yet.” I was left alone on the cold stone floor, listening to the moans resuming in the room, until I completely lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to that afternoon when my parents asked about my marriage.

“Are you sure you want to marry Callum’s adoptive brother Sebastian? Don’t you love Callum?” My father confirmed once more. I nodded. “I’m sure.” “Alright, as long as you’re happy! Then I’ll contact Sebastian right now to ask his intentions!” After receiving a positive response, my father immediately turned to contact the wedding planning company and book the venue. The phone rang soon after. It was Callum. “Lucia, could you be any more pathetic?” His voice was full of mockery. “I never agreed to marry you, yet you’ve already booked the ceremony venue?” “Callum, the person I’m actually marrying is—” “I don’t care what you want to say.” He laughed coldly, interrupting me. “Lillian is my destined mate. I’ll only marry her. Stop pestering me.” He hung up. I put down my phone. Fine. He’d soon find out the person I was marrying was his brother. My family and Callum’s were old allies. Sebastian was a beta adopted by Ash Pack, and we grew up together. After we came of age, the pack leaders arranged a political marriage between Callum and me. But in my previous life, Callum suddenly wanted to cancel the engagement, insisting on marrying his mate Lillian. I refused no matter what, and we had a huge fight. Though I eventually married Callum with my twenty-year engagement backed by family pressure, he rarely came home after the wedding. It wasn’t until our third anniversary, when I caught him in bed with Lillian, that I understood—from beginning to end, he never wanted this family alliance. He only wanted his destined mate. In the end, Lillian pierced my heart with a silver blade. I begged him to take me to the hospital, But he told me to deal with it myself and continued having sex with Lillian, ultimately leaving me to die on the cold floor. Callum didn’t even attend my funeral. He took Lillian to a tropical island instead. But after my death, Sebastian cried at my grave until he fainted from grief. Three months later, Sebastian ended his life in his own study. Guards found hundreds of my photos in his study, each with “MY LOVE” carved on the back. My parents, overwhelmed with grief, both passed away within a year. With Raven Pack leaderless, all assets and territory fell into Callum’s hands. He and Lillian lived happily ever after. In my previous life, because I clung to that marriage in name only, I died miserably and let down the one person who truly loved me. I looked at Callum’s photo on my phone and sneered inwardly. Callum never knew until his death that to maintain friendly relations between the two packs, the Ash Pack Alpha had once promised my father that whoever I married would become the next Ash Pack Alpha, and I would forever be Ash Pack’s most honored Luna. Callum, I can’t wait to see your anguished expression when you lose your power. This life, I will protect the one who truly loves me.

After the wedding venue was confirmed, my father urged me to finalize the overall plan quickly. To apologize for not being able to help me prepare for the wedding, Sebastian had someone deliver a black card from Geneva. I made an appointment for a consultation at the planning company’s uptown showroom. When I arrived, I found Callum just walking out of the VIP room. “Lucia?” Callum stopped, looking at me in surprise. “What are you doing here?” I said softly, “Finalizing the wedding plan.” “Lucia?” Callum’s expression instantly turned cold. “Are there no other Alphas left in this world? Why do you have to cling to me? When did I ever say I’d marry you?” I looked at him calmly and replied lightly, “Callum, I told you—I’m not marrying you.” His face darkened as he scoffed, “You deliberately chose to come here on this day, and you still say you don’t want to marry me?” He glanced toward the VIP room, his eyes full of affection. “I already told the pack last night to cancel the arranged marriage with you. Even if the whole family disagrees, I’m marrying Lillian! She’s my destined mate!” I smiled politely and said softly, “Then congratulations to you both. I’m getting married to someone else soon too. Our engagement agreement is already void.” I gestured for Callum to move aside, but he stared at me intently, refusing to budge. “Lucia, what game are you playing now? Besides this arranged marriage, who else could you marry?” That’s when Lillian walked out. She called out in surprise, “Callum, what are you two doing?” Callum immediately turned and quickly walked to Lillian’s side, trying to hold her hand. Lillian dodged slightly, and he immediately understood. “I’ll clean my hands right now. Wait for me!” My eyes met Lillian’s. Hers held unconcealed contempt and triumph. Just then, planning director Emily rushed over. “Miss Lillian, the wedding package you wanted to confirm has already been reserved. Please look at something else.” Lillian glared at Emily unhappily. “My fiancé is the heir to the Ash Pack Alpha—he has power and influence! He said I can book whichever package I want. He can afford it all!” Then Lillian turned to look at me with malicious intent. “Besides, even engagements can be canceled, let alone a reserved package.” Emily looked at me, almost in tears. I didn’t want to make things difficult for Emily, and sharing a package with them would be unlucky anyway. I smiled at the staff indifferently. “Emily,” I took out the black card Sebastian gave me. “I remember you designed a private island wedding for Nordic royalty?” “I want a similar plan, but don’t repeat any elements.” Callum came out just in time to hear this. He looked at me coldly. “Lucia, I told you the person I’m marrying is Lillian. I will never marry you. Why are you still pestering me here!” “Also, do you know the price of a private island wedding? One million! What are you going to pay with?” I smiled and handed the black card to the staff. “No need to think about it. Can we sign the letter of intent today?” “Of course! I’ll have the manager come down to personally assist you right away.” Under Callum’s shocked gaze and Lillian’s resentful stare, I turned and left.

That night, while handling pack documents in my study, Sebastian sent a video call request. Though we were about to get married, I still felt nervous. After the video call ended, I stood by the window for a long time. Until the doorbell rang—it was Callum. “Lucia, what was the meaning of today?” He walked straight into the living room. “I said I won’t marry you. You competed with my fiancée for a wedding package. Don’t you feel ashamed?” I’d just had a nice conversation with Sebastian and was in a good mood. Now that he’d ruined it, I was annoyed. “Callum, this is the last time I’m explaining this to you—the person I’m marrying is NOT you!” Callum looked at me with contempt. “Don’t play games with me, Lucia. The person I love is my mate Lillian. I will never marry you.” “If you want to preserve your last shred of dignity, stop appearing in front of me!” I was so annoyed by him that I angrily told him to leave. He flaunted his limited-edition watch and stormed off. His social media immediately updated with a new post: “The 18th of this month, city hall, marrying my destined love.” The photo showed him and Lillian together on a yacht. Coincidentally, that was also the day Sebastian and I had scheduled. I arrived at the marriage registry half an hour early, wearing the custom gown Sebastian had prepared for me. To avoid Callum and Lillian, I specifically chose a 7 AM time slot. I didn’t expect to run into them anyway. At 6:55, Callum and Lillian arrived with a group of friends. When he saw me, his expression froze instantly. “You actually came?” He dropped Lillian’s hand and strode over. “Lucia, I’ve told you so many times—I won’t marry you. What the hell are you doing?” His friends started laughing mockingly. “Callum, your childhood friend is pretty persistent!” “Is she going to object at the ceremony?” “Need us to call security?” Lillian walked over and put her hand on my shoulder. “Blake, do you need me to introduce you to some reliable Alphas?” “I told you,” I pushed her hand away, “the person I’m marrying today isn’t him.” Callum’s laughter was sharp and unnatural. “Then who are you marrying? At this time, in this outfit—” He reached out to touch my dress. I blocked him. “You’re not going to say you’ve been waiting at the marriage registry since 6 AM in haute couture for some other man, are you?” His friends burst into even louder laughter. “Lucia, stop making a scene.” One of the women patted my shoulder. “We all know you and Callum had a twenty-year engagement. But now he’s chosen his mate. You need to learn to let go.” “Yeah, want me to introduce you to some models? Better than making a fool of yourself here.” Callum laughed contemptuously. “A woman like her? Forget it. Boring, rigid. I wouldn’t want her even for free.” Hearing Callum’s insulting words, I could no longer suppress my anger. In my previous life, he used the same tone to tell Lillian, “Her? She’s not my mate at all. She can’t satisfy me.” I took a deep breath. “Callum, can you not understand human speech? I’ve said it—the person I’m marrying was NEVER you!” He laughed instead of getting angry. “Lucia, who would believe that? You’ve accepted our arranged marriage since you were five, even using family pressure to force me into it!” “So tell me, where is this person you’re supposedly marrying? It’s been so long—why hasn’t he shown up?” I glanced at my watch. Seven o’clock sharp. “He’s never late.” Just then, a black SUV drove through the mist. The door opened, revealing a pair of long legs. A tall, well-built man stepped out, his features cool and handsome, yet softening slightly when he saw me. “Callum,” Sebastian’s voice was low and gentle, “why are you making things difficult for my fiancée again?”

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The day I announced my retirement from Hollywood, paparazzi caught Arthur Sterling entering and leaving a luxury hotel with his “One That Got Away”—the legendary muse, Seraphina Rose. The internet was ruthless. “No matter how beautiful the trophy bird is,” one viral comment read, “she’ll always have to fly away when the original muse returns.” Later, as I was leaving New York, Arthur attended the premiere of Seraphina’s comeback film. A reporter asked him, “Word is Melody St. Claire dropped out of her latest role to enter an arranged marriage back home. Is it true?” Arthur let out a sharp, mocking scoff, his face full of arrogant certainty. “She wouldn’t dare.” At twenty, Melody St. Claire wouldn’t have dared. But Melody is twenty-seven now. In this short life, I’ve decided to run toward someone who loves me, rather than the man I used to chase. 1 “Give the lead role in this movie to Seraphina.” “I’m not going to ask you a second time. Are we clear?” Arthur’s voice was cold, like a New York winter. He was clearly agitated; his silver fork clattered against the fine china, a harsh, grating sound in the private dining room. My throat felt tight. I forced myself to swallow the tears. My phone was buzzing incessantly on the table. I stood up to take the call outside, and as I opened the door, I ran straight into Seraphina. She smiled at me, radiant and ethereal. “I heard it’s your birthday, Melody. Arthur invited me to celebrate with you.” Around her neck hung a sapphire pendant—the one Arthur had bought at a high-stakes auction just two days ago for a record price. It was stunning. And it stung. I nodded and brushed past her to find a quiet corner. The caller was my older brother, Nathan. His voice was warm, tinged with his usual lazy charm. “Happy birthday, superstar.” “Grandfather is back in the States. Brace yourself; that family arrangement we talked about… it’s back on the table.” The arrangement had been set years ago between our grandfather and his old business partner. Since Grandfather went abroad for his health, it hadn’t been mentioned—until now. I looked down, my voice quiet but firm. “Nathan, I’ll do it. I agree to the marriage.” “I know the Vance family has a lot of rules. I’ll settle my affairs here quickly.” “And then… I’m leaving the industry.” 2 When I returned to the room, Seraphina was already sitting intimately close to Arthur. A perfectly cut piece of steak sat on her plate, placed there by his hand. “Melody, Arthur said you’re willing to give me the lead in The Last Song.” “I know the role might not mean much to an established star like you, but for my comeback, it’s the crucial first step.” “Melody, thank you.” Her tone was airy. I didn’t hear a shred of gratitude; I only heard the triumph. I bit my lip to speak, but Arthur cut me off. “Why are you thanking her?” “It’s just one role. Besides, you were always the better fit for the character.” The indulgence in his eyes was blatant. Shameless. My brother’s words echoed in my ear: “Melody, Arthur Sterling isn’t a good man. If he won’t go public, if he won’t commit, he doesn’t love you enough.” It wasn’t that he didn’t love me enough. He didn’t love me at all. Nathan was just trying to save my pride. I forced a smile. “Director Miller invited me personally for this film.” “I don’t have the right to ‘give’ it away. Mr. Sterling should know that no one interferes with Miller’s casting.” Arthur shot me a look, his expression turning frigid. “Then you resign from the project.” 3 I had been in the industry for seven years. I went from indie films to the silver screen. Arthur had watched me grow every step of the way. He knew better than anyone that this film was supposed to be my masterpiece, my legacy. But now… It suddenly didn’t seem that important. Not because the role didn’t matter, but because Arthur didn’t matter. I stayed silent for a long time until Arthur’s impatient voice cut through again. “Is there a problem?” I let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “No problem.” Before re-entering the room, I had already called Director Miller to apologize. He tried to talk me out of it. I had spent three years in a local theater troupe honing my craft just for this role. Arthur frowned slightly when I didn’t fight back. He seemed surprised I had given in so easily. “Melody, don’t be dramatic.” “I’ve already looked at a few other scripts for you. You can pick one in a couple of days.” A slap, then a piece of candy. Ever since Seraphina came back, Arthur had been using this tactic to strip away almost all my resources. If she wanted it, I had to give it up. Once, during a heated argument, I asked him, “What if one day she wants you? Would I have to give you up to her, too?” Arthur had said, “She wouldn’t.” Only now did I realize what he meant. She wouldn’t have to ask. He was already hers. 4 As we left the restaurant, the first snow of the season began to fall over Manhattan. Arthur naturally took off his coat and draped it over Seraphina’s shoulders. I looked away instantly. Arthur cleared his throat, sounding slightly uncomfortable as he tried to explain. “Seraphina’s health is—” “It doesn’t matter, Arthur.” “My car is here. I’ll head out first.” My black SUV pulled up, followed by a familiar sports car. I cut him off with a smile; I felt strangely more peaceful than I had moments ago. As the door opened, Seraphina called out to me. “Melody, come with us.” “Let Arthur drop you off. You’ve helped me so much; I really should thank you properly.” She playfully nudged Arthur. “Is this how you treat your girlfriend? You don’t even know how to walk her to her door.” “You’re just as immature as when we were dating.” Arthur looked at Seraphina, his eyes filled with a tenderness I had never seen. “No need.” “I’ll drop you off first.” He took the keys from the valet, never once glancing at me. Seraphina kept teasing him, the perfect picture of a bickering couple. “I’ve told you so many times, girls need to be pampered.” “Arthur, do you ever listen to a word I say?” As the door closed, I let out a light laugh. It wasn’t just her words. She was the only one he ever listened to. 5 Seraphina was Arthur’s first love. In our third year together, he had whispered her name in a drunken stupor. She was the “Golden Girl” of Hollywood who had hit her peak and then suddenly retired and moved to Europe, vanishing from the map. That night, I didn’t sleep at all. When Arthur sobered up the next morning, he held me and confessed everything. “I didn’t know what love was back then.” “Even if I saw her again, I’d only feel a sense of debt toward her.” So they met. I don’t know what happened between them, but after that, Arthur became even more generous with me. He threw money at my career, securing every luxury brand deal and high-profile role. He said he loved watching me act, loved seeing me full of confidence in front of the camera. Just like when I was twenty, on the day of my first audition. Arthur, the lead investor, had ignored everyone’s objections to give me the lead role. The movie became a sleeper hit. My agent took me to a high-stakes industry mixer, telling me to thank the investors. I didn’t know my drink was spiked. In my panic, Arthur had suddenly burst through the door. That night. Arthur and I did everything we should and shouldn’t have done. The “love at first sight” from the audition flooded my heart, and I was completely lost. Back then, he built me up. Just like he was building up Seraphina now. 6 I went back to the penthouse Arthur had bought for me. Since Seraphina’s return, he barely came over. Once or twice, it was only because he had taken another contract or role from me. He’d tell me to wait for him at the apartment. Once he heard me say “it’s fine” in person, he’d leave in a hurry. But today. He probably wouldn’t come. Before going upstairs, I had the building manager bring up several large packing boxes. I turned on some music and began to slowly pack my things. I took down the photos from the display case one by one. Arthur never took photos of me. The ones I had were mostly official press shots from events we attended together, but I had cherished them like treasure. By the time the boxes were taped shut, Arthur had already sent several scripts to my email. He sent a follow-up text: “I’m going to be out of town for the next two weeks. I might not be able to reply to messages promptly.” “Once you’ve picked a script, contact my assistant directly.” “Happy birthday. Goodnight.” I curled my lip and didn’t reply. Before leaving the apartment, I deleted my fingerprints from the smart lock. I left the keys and the keycard in the tray on the foyer table. The night security guard looked at me uncertainly. “Are you leaving all of this behind?” “Yeah, I don’t need it anymore.” “I’ll have to trouble you to help me dispose of the rest. Thanks.” 7 On the day the cast for The Last Song was officially announced, Arthur, who was still out of town, actually called me. “Are none of those scripts to your liking?” “My assistant says you haven’t contacted him.” His voice was neutral, devoid of emotion. My brother, Nathan, was leaning back in the passenger seat of my car. Hearing Arthur’s voice, his brow twitched with annoyance. “I’m taking a break from acting for a while. I have other plans.” “I’m driving, I have to go.” Arthur didn’t say much. But before the call ended, a faint woman’s voice drifted through the car’s speakers. “Is Melody still upset about the movie?” “Arthur, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.” I took a deep breath, meeting my brother’s probing gaze. “Nathan, I can handle the contract terminations myself.” “Don’t worry.” Because of Arthur’s ego, the business clauses in my contracts were mostly in my favor. Even if I breached them, the fallout wouldn’t be too bad. “If you need anything, call your brother.” “Drop me at the next corner. I’m meeting Silas…” Nathan nodded, but his voice trailed off. He looked out the window with a bit of awkwardness. “Silas Vance just happened to be in the city for business.” “Once you’ve finished up here, we’ll head back to Charleston together.” 8 By the time I finished all the paperwork to terminate my contracts, Arthur still hadn’t heard the news. In the past, he’d know the second anything happened to me, fearing I’d suffer or get hurt. The day I decided to retire, I was worried Arthur might try to block me. But as I drafted the official announcement for social media, I laughed. I was overthinking it. I felt a sense of relief; this was for the best. An ambiguous beginning, a clean ending. The post was scheduled. When I got out of the shower, there were several missed calls. From my parents. From industry friends. From producers and directors I had worked with. My brother’s call came through too, his voice urgent. “Are you home?” “Is it a good time? I’m coming over now.” It wasn’t until Nathan showed up at my door, drenched in sweat, that I realized the internet had exploded. Photos of Arthur and Seraphina entering and leaving hotels and tourist spots in Europe had been leaked at the exact moment I announced my retirement. The internet was having a field day. “No matter how beautiful the trophy bird is, she has to make room for the original muse.” I stared at the screen, at that top-voted comment. My heart felt surprisingly still. “Melody, are you okay?” “I’ve already called people to take the posts down. Don’t let it get to you.” I wanted to say it wasn’t necessary. But the Vance family was old money, deeply involved in the community. I might not care, but they would. And I truly didn’t want anything to do with Arthur Sterling ever again.

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At the dinner table, there she was—the female “bro” I had never met, sitting right next to my husband. When she hugged his arm for the fourth time, I threw up all over the floor. My husband was frantic, patting my back and trying to help me catch my breath. But his “bro” just raised an eyebrow, crossed her arms, and scoffed: “Well, Arthur, you certainly know how to pick a wife. What a buzzkill.” Oh, I see. A classic “Pick Me” girl. But what she didn’t know was… When it comes to playing the innocent victim, I wrote the damn book. 01 The atmosphere in the private dining room plunged into a bizarre, suffocating awkwardness. Arthur frowned. “Chloe, stop talking nonsense.” His hand kept gently patting my back. Chloe lowered her voice a fraction. “I’m just saying, back when you and I would drink all night, and wake up in the same bed, I never threw up like this.” Immediately, people in the room tried to smooth things over: “Come on, Chloe, that’s ancient history. Don’t listen to her, Evelyn, she’s just got no filter.” Chloe froze for a second. Then, someone slapped a hand over her mouth. She peeled the hand away, pouting. “Can’t a girl even tell the truth? Women are so much drama.” Another wave of nausea hit me, and I started choking, tears welling up in my eyes. When I looked up, my eyes were already red. “Arthur, I’m not trying to ruin everyone’s fun… I’m so sorry…” Arthur looked entirely heartbroken. “Honey, if you’re not feeling well, let’s just go.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chloe’s expression instantly shift. She grabbed the hem of Arthur’s shirt. “I just got back into the country! You have a wife now, so you can’t hang out with your bros?!” Arthur’s face darkened. “Chloe, my wife is sick.” She craned her neck to look at me. “Evelyn, are you just upset because Arthur and I are so close?” I collapsed weakly into Arthur’s arms. “I really don’t feel well… Excuse me, sister, if you absolutely must keep Arthur here, could you at least let me go home first?” He furrowed his brow. Supporting my waist, he said, “I’m taking you home.” Arthur led me toward the door. “You guys keep drinking. My wife is sick. Next round is on me.” Behind us, the female “bro” sounded genuinely annoyed. “Do people who get married just lose all their freedom? Arthur, you are such a buzzkill!” Arthur didn’t even break his stride. He pulled me into the car and called a designated driver in one smooth motion. Once in the car, he rubbed my back soothingly. “Evelyn, are you still feeling sick? Should we go to the hospital?” The cool night air had significantly quelled my nausea. I pulled slightly away from him. “When exactly did you and Chloe roll into the same bed?” Arthur froze. He looked away unnaturally. “That was way before I even met you. And I swear, I had no idea she was going to be at the dinner tonight…” He reached for my hand again, his tone pleading. “Besides, we were both blackout drunk that time. Nothing happened, I swear to God!” Just then, the designated driver tapped on the window. Arthur pulled my hand against his chest, looking deeply worried. “Please drive carefully, sir. My wife isn’t feeling well.” 02 The next morning, I was woken up by another wave of nausea. I leaned over the toilet, dry heaving. Arthur immediately came running from the bedroom. “Still feeling sick, honey? I’m going to go buy you some medicine right now!” He scrambled around, frantic. He even forgot his phone on the bed. Right then, his phone started blowing up with notifications. After wiping my mouth, I picked it up. I saw a group chat on iMessage with four people. The girl, whose contact name was “Foam,” was rapid-firing messages into the group: [Wake up, bros! The sun’s shining on your lazy asses!] [I’m going to come around to all your houses to wish you a Happy New Year! Have you guys got my red envelopes ready?] [@Arthur, how’s your precious little wife? Let’s hang out today, just us. And don’t you dare run off again! Your family is such a buzzkill! Or better yet, just leave the wife at home!] [I don’t care, you have to give me a massive red envelope this year! Bigger than your wife’s! Otherwise, your bros will never forgive you!] Arthur came bursting back into the room, beaming. “Honey, I asked the pharmacist, and they said you might be pregnant! Let’s take a test first, and then I’ll take you to the hospital!” His eyes landed on the phone in my hand. His expression turned incredibly stiff. I handed the phone out to him. “Your ‘bro’. She’s asking for a red envelope. Bigger than mine.” I paused for a second. Then added, “She said she wants to hang out tonight. And told you not to bring your wife.” Arthur took the phone awkwardly. “Chloe… she’s just clueless. She’s a tomboy, she speaks before she thinks. Don’t be mad, honey.” I just stared at him quietly. Arthur hesitated for a moment, then held down the voice memo button right in front of me: “Stop talking nonsense. If my wife isn’t going, I’m not going.” 03 I went to the bathroom and took the test with my morning urine. Two pink lines appeared on all of them. Arthur was ecstatic. He picked me up and spun me around, making promises: “Honey, I promise, I’ll never do anything to make you upset again.” “Just focus on being happy and having this baby. From now on, you’re the queen of this house.” He hurriedly drove me to the hospital for a blood test. Once the pregnancy was officially confirmed, he immediately called his mom. “Mom! We’re coming over, I’ve got a huge surprise for you!” The car sped all the way to his parents’ massive house. Arthur grabbed the gift boxes from my hands, his face glowing with joy. Before we even walked through the door, he started shouting: “Mom! I’ve got amazing news!” He had barely stepped into the foyer. A flash of red hurled itself at him, throwing an arm around his neck. “Arthur, what took you so long?! We’ve been waiting forever!” She hung off his neck, one hand sliding inappropriately far down his chest. Then, she locked eyes with me. As if startled, she quickly let go, looking deeply annoyed with herself. “Oh, damn. Force of habit. I forgot you’re a married man now.” Arthur’s clothes were wrinkled from her grabbing him. He subconsciously smoothed his shirt, looking nervously at me. “Evelyn…” Before he could finish his sentence. I walked over and gently flattened his collar. As I did, my eyes welled up with tears. “Sister… do you really hate it when I iron his shirts so perfectly flat?” Chloe was stunned. Her eyes went wide with shock. Arthur had told me before that watching me iron his collar every night was the thing that made him feel the luckiest. Hearing my words, his brow furrowed deeply. “Chloe, you’re an adult now. Stop being so erratic.” At that moment, my mother-in-law came down the stairs. Seeing me, she smiled elegantly. “Evelyn, you’re here.” Arthur picked up the gift boxes that had dropped to the floor. He took my hand and walked toward her. “Mom, you don’t even miss your own son, you just miss Evelyn.” The scene was picture-perfect. A happy, harmonious family. I turned my head. Chloe was staring daggers at me. Her lips were pressed into a thin, tight line. I addressed her directly by name: “Sister Chloe, why do you look so unhappy?” Panic visibly washed over her face. Every eye in the room turned toward her. Chloe stammered, “I… I… Evelyn, you must be seeing things…” 04 At the dinner table. Arthur couldn’t wait to announce the news of my pregnancy. My mother-in-law was overjoyed. On top of the red envelopes she had already prepared, she immediately transferred a massive sum of money to my account right in front of everyone. Chloe’s chopsticks clattered loudly onto the floor. My mother-in-law paused. She frowned slightly. “Chloe, you aren’t getting any younger. You should start thinking about getting married and having kids of your own.” Chloe’s face soured. “Aunt Mary, I’m not in a rush.” My mother-in-law replied casually, “I just heard your mother saying the other day how anxious she is. She’s waiting for us to hold our granddaughters together.” Chloe forced a strained smile. “Aunt Mary, I really don’t mind.” Then, she suddenly looked right at me. “Besides, even if I never have kids, Arthur’s kid can always take care of me when I’m old, right?” My face dropped. But before I could speak, my mother-in-law slammed her juice glass down onto the table. Her face was deadly serious. “Even if you were educated abroad, you shouldn’t make jokes like that.” “Has the culture abroad deteriorated so much that people think it’s acceptable to joke about taking other people’s children?” The more she spoke, the angrier she got. She picked up her phone from the table. “I need to call your mother. She needs to have a serious talk with you about how you speak to people.” This time, Chloe’s face went completely white. She desperately kicked Arthur under the table. “Say something for your bro!” I picked up the toughest, chewiest fried meatball on the table and shoved it directly into Arthur’s mouth. “Hubby, taste this for me~” 05 “Pick Me” girls have one major advantage. They can use their “tomboy,” “carefree,” “one of the guys” label to pretend they don’t understand when people are disgusted by them, and just keep doing whatever they want. Outside the window, fireworks exploded in the sky. A knock came at the door, and Chloe immediately bounced over to open it. Two of Arthur’s childhood friends pushed the door open, greeting everyone with a barrage of New Year’s blessings. Chloe linked arms with one of them. She dragged him over to Arthur and held out her hand. “Arthur, the boys are here to wish you a Happy New Year!” “Wishing you prosperity, now hand over the red envelopes!” Arthur sneaked a nervous glance at me. I linked my arm through Arthur’s and smiled sweetly. “Sister Chloe, is the economy abroad really that bad right now?” The two friends who just walked in froze. I squeezed Arthur’s arm and gently swayed it. “Was it America? I heard they have a huge homelessness problem over there…” Before I finished the sentence, I covered my mouth in feigned shock. “I didn’t mean anything by it, sister! I just heard you just got back from America, and I was just curious…” Chloe’s face turned beet red with rage. She violently shoved away the hand of the friend she had been holding and pointed a trembling finger at me, screaming. “I came here to celebrate the New Year! I am Arthur’s BRO! What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” She kicked over one of the gift boxes the friends had brought. “Arthur, your wife is insulting me and you’re not going to do a damn thing about it?!” I recoiled in terror. Both my hands instinctively flew to cover my still-flat stomach. “Please… please don’t be mad…” Arthur gasped, quickly wrapping his arms around me to steady me as I stepped back. He glared at Chloe, his eyes flashing with genuine anger. “Chloe! She’s pregnant!” Chloe’s eyes were red with fury. One of the friends, Liam, tried to play peacemaker. “Chloe, it’s the New Year, let’s not get angry.” Her lips were trembling. She took a step back, right into Liam’s arms. “Arthur, everyone else gets married and stays the same! But the second you get married, you let your bros get treated like garbage?!” Arthur looked miserable. He looked at her, then looked at me. He was trapped. I bit my lip. “Sister Chloe, you just really hate the sight of me, don’t you…” I tugged gently on Arthur’s wrist. “Sister Chloe seems to have misunderstood me… Arthur, could you please explain it to her…” As I spoke. I let go of his hand and subtly wiped away a completely non-existent tear. My nose was perfectly pink. I looked at her, hesitant. “Is it because I’m not good at expressing myself? Did I say something to upset you…?” After I said that. The living room fell into a bizarre, heavy silence. Arthur wrapped his arm tightly around my waist. “It’s fine, honey. They’re just overreacting.” 06 Liam was the ultimate compromiser. He dragged Chloe outside, and within a few minutes, he had calmed her down. The two of them hauled several cases of liquor out of the trunk of his car. Chloe slapped the top of one of the boxes, looking incredibly smug. “I specifically told Liam to bring these for you! See? Only your bros actually care about what you want.” I slowly descended the stairs from the second floor. My tone was soft and delicate. “Hubby, the bedroom is so cold…” Every single person on the couch turned to look at me. Arthur hurried over and soothingly stroked my cheek. “Honey, go turn the heater on in the room first. Once they’ve had enough, I’ll come right upstairs to be with you.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chloe aggressively opening bottles of alcohol on the couch, frantically shooting pointed looks at the two friends. She said loudly, dripping with sarcasm: “If you’re pregnant, you should stay upstairs and rest! Why do you have to come down and interfere with the men?” “Arthur, your wife is seriously high maintenance!” Liam quickly covered her mouth. Arthur looked deeply conflicted. “Evelyn, it’s so late… why don’t you… go back upstairs for a bit?” He lowered his voice, pleading: “I’ll get rid of them as fast as I can.” My heart stopped for a second. Something heavy settled in my chest, slowly sinking. 07 The noise coming from the living room downstairs was loud. Four people—three guys and one girl. They drank and hollered well past midnight. Chloe’s cheeks were flushed pink as she suggested playing a game. Truth or Dare, of course. She “lost” the very first round. Liam laughed mischievously: “Then you have to choose someone to kiss! We never got to see you guys when you used to sleep in the same bed! We gotta get a front-row seat this time!” The atmosphere was rowdy. Chloe, her eyes blurry with alcohol, grabbed Arthur by the collar and pulled him toward her. Arthur looked hesitant, his eyes darting around. “Chloe, you’ve had too much to drink…” Before he could finish his sentence, she crashed her lips fiercely against his. The security camera footage I was watching on the second floor was high definition. I could clearly see a pink tongue sliding back and forth where their mouths met. One full minute. They finally broke apart, looking reluctant. Chloe giggled, her words slurring slightly: “I bit your lip and made it bleed. Let your wife see that. You were always mine first.” I saw it with absolute clarity. Arthur’s hands, which had been hanging limply by his sides the whole time, seemed to suddenly regain sensation. He reached up and cupped the back of Chloe’s head. He scolded her, but his tone was affectionate: “You never behave.” I silently closed the live feed on my phone. The bitter ache in my heart completely vanished. I suddenly realized something. Arthur. He wasn’t the man I thought he was. I used to think he was just a bit oblivious when it came to boundaries, but at least he shared fifty percent of my mother-in-law’s DNA. I didn’t expect him to be as ruthless or decisive as her. I just needed him to not be a philandering scumbag like his father. I never imagined. I really, truly never imagined. 08 Early morning. The sky was just beginning to lighten. They finally called it a night. The mattress beside me dipped. The man next to me, reeking of alcohol, wrapped his arms around my waist. “Honey, don’t be mad. They just wouldn’t let me leave…” “I love you…” Before he could even finish the sentence. He was snoring heavily. I peeled his arms off me and moved as far away as possible. I opened the security camera app and watched the playback. After that first kiss, Chloe proceeded to “lose” almost every single round. She went down the line, exchanging saliva with every single one of her “bros.” Including Arthur. She lost two more times. The penalty for the dare was for the guys to reach under her shirt and unhook her bra. The scene was completely debauched. Even on fast-forward, you could tell everyone involved was having the time of their lives. I was suddenly incredibly thankful. Ever since my mother-in-law had a minor stroke a while back, I immediately had security cameras installed all over the first floor. However, I had never mentioned it to Arthur. 09 They finally woke up in the afternoon. There were a lot of elderly people in the neighborhood where they grew up. According to the local tradition, they had to go door-to-door to wish the elders a Happy New Year. Chloe was incredibly enthusiastic about organizing it. When she looked at me, her eyes carried a faint, unmistakable glint of contempt. I understood that look perfectly. See? The man you treat like a treasure is still easily caught in my trap. I pretended to be completely oblivious. I smiled back at her. Arthur suddenly hugged me from behind. “Honey, we drank a little too late last night. Please don’t be mad. I love you the most.” I frowned. I instinctively pried his hands off me. Arthur froze. But he recovered quickly and started coaxing me: “Honey, don’t be mad. It was just once for the New Year. I promise I won’t drink with them like that again, okay?” He hugged me again. From the other side of the room, Chloe yelled, “Hey! Arthur! Stop being so gross and get over here for the picture!” “Coming!” Arthur yelled back. He reached out to pull me along. “Please, honey, just give me some face right now. When we get home, I’ll buy you that bag you wanted.” He dragged me into the middle of the group. I suddenly suggested, “Let me take the picture! I’m not very photogenic anyway.” Arthur looked slightly taken aback. But Chloe immediately ran over and squeezed right next to Arthur. “Fine, you take it! But make sure you turn the beauty filter on! Make us look good!” She was loud and boisterous. Grinning from ear to ear, she threw her arm around Arthur’s shoulder and threw up a peace sign at me. I snapped five photos in a row. I told the childhood friends that I would create a group chat via airdrop right then and there to share the photos. Seeing the group chat immediately swell to 30+ people—because the wives and girlfriends of the other guys had also joined—I instantly sent the photos I had just taken. However. Sent alongside them were the video clips from last night’s security footage. To make it perfectly clear for everyone. I had selected the most exciting scenes and spent quite a bit of time editing them together. Very quickly. A scream erupted from the couch area: “Evelyn! What the hell is this?!” “Recall it! Recall the message right now!” In the crowd, the sharp sound of a slap echoed. Arthur’s face turned ashen. He sprinted toward me. “Honey! Honey, we were just drunk…” “I swear to God, there is absolutely nothing going on between me and Chloe! We didn’t do anything! I swear!” He was spinning in circles, frantic with panic. But he still grabbed my arm and begged: “Please, just recall the video first, okay? It’s not just me in there, it’s Liam, and Chloe, and the others!” “Evelyn, this isn’t the time or place to make a scene.” Chloe also came jogging over to me. “Evelyn! You did this on purpose! You did this on purpose, didn’t you?!” “How can a woman be so vicious and calculating?! We were just playing a game between bros, and you actually kept evidence?! Recall it! Recall it right now!” The living room. Was in absolute chaos. But I looked even more panicked than they did. “I didn’t do it on purpose! What do I do?! The time limit passed, I can’t recall it…!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “411856”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The day I picked up my husband’s medical diagnosis, I caught him secretly installing a hidden camera in our master bedroom. That night, I watched him through the crack in the door as he made a solemn vow on the phone: “I won’t touch her again. I’ve sent you the account logins and passwords. You can check them anytime.” “I’ve decided to save myself for love.” Looking at his flushed, impassioned face, I silently fed his medical report into the paper shredder. Save yourself for love, huh? Well then, you can save yourself for the rest of your life. 01 When the letters [ALS] on Arthur’s medical report came into view, my knees nearly gave out. Three months ago, Arthur had taken a bad fall while hiking. During his hospital stay, I insisted the doctors run a comprehensive full-body workup, just for peace of mind. I never expected a result like this. “Currently, there is no cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. We can only use medication to slow the progression of the disease, but the ultimate outcome is irreversible.” The doctor looked at me with deep sympathy. Arthur was barely in his early thirties. Handsome, in his prime, and at the peak of his career. As one of the most prominent divorce attorneys in the state, he was shrewd, decisive, and brutally rational—the elite of the elite. His private life was simple and disciplined; he loved the gym and hiking, and he had extremely high standards for his quality of life. To think that a man like him would eventually become a completely paralyzed ALS patient… I couldn’t bear to imagine it. I sat on a bench on the sidewalk, watching the endless stream of traffic for a long time before slowly standing up. I had made up my mind. Since we were husband and wife, we should face everything together. No matter what he became, I would take our son and stand by his side. It was already dark by the time I got home. Our son, Leo, was quietly playing chess in his room. At seven years old, he had reached the level of a five-dan amateur and had even been interviewed by a local news station as a “child prodigy.” “Have you eaten?” I asked him gently, trying to compose myself. “Yes. The nanny made ribs and lotus root soup today.” He didn’t look at me, his eyes glued to the chessboard. “Where’s Dad?” “He went for a run.” Leo had a quiet personality and spoke concisely. He took after us. Two hours later, I was leaning against the headboard, debating whether or not to tell Arthur about his diagnosis when he finally walked in. Dressed in sleek black running gear, he looked striking and capable. I felt a sudden spike of anxiety. “It’s freezing outside, why are you wearing so little?” One of the precautions the doctor had given me today was that ALS patients generate less body heat due to muscle atrophy and must avoid getting cold, as it accelerates the disease’s progression. Arthur remained expressionless and said flatly: “This is what you wear when you run.” He proceeded to open a small box he was holding, took out a camera, and began setting it up on the dresser opposite the bed. Pointing directly at the bed. I was confused. “Why are you suddenly installing a camera?” “There have been some burglaries in the neighborhood. It’s safer to have surveillance.” “Aren’t you worried about privacy?” I asked hesitantly. After all, Arthur was someone who was obsessively protective of his personal space. He glanced at me and scoffed: “Privacy? Who would be interested in your privacy?” A tangled mess of emotions churned in my chest, but I didn’t have the energy to argue with him. When it was time to sleep, he lay down with his back to me, staying on the far edge of the mattress, looking completely exhausted and unwilling to communicate. I sighed softly to myself. He had just wrapped up a highly publicized celebrity divorce case. With the sudden release of pressure, I should let him relax for a bit. In the middle of the night, I woke up suddenly, my heart racing. The space beside me was empty. Arthur wasn’t there. A wave of panic hit me, and I got out of bed to find him. Out on the balcony, he was standing in his thin pajamas, talking on the phone in the cold night wind. I grabbed a jacket and started walking toward him. “I won’t touch her again…” His hushed voice drifted over, and I stopped in my tracks. “I’ve sent you the passwords and the accounts. You can log in and check anytime.” “I’ve decided to save myself for love.” Through the glass door, I stared blankly at Arthur. His usually cold, indifferent face was currently surging with incredibly intense emotion. Watching his flushed, impassioned face, my brain slowly processed the logic behind his words. For a moment, I felt like I was looking at a stranger. 02 Arthur had always had a very high sex drive. During the day, he was abstinent and disciplined, but at night, he demanded a lot. In recent years, as the pressure on him skyrocketed, he had to be meticulous and airtight in everything he said and did. Consequently, he closed himself off more and more. It was only during our intimate moments at night, when he was breathless and passionate against my ear, that I could catch a glimpse of the boy who used to blush when he looked at me. We met in grad school. He chased me. This cold, arrogant man only had burning eyes and a trembling voice for me. I fell for him quickly. Later, I stayed on at the university as a psychology professor. He started as an associate attorney and climbed his way up to partner, becoming a nationally renowned divorce lawyer making an eight-figure salary. We shared many personality traits: Emotionally stable, pragmatic, objective and calm, valuing a high quality of life, and willing to work hard for our goals. My job was stable and respectable, allowing me to balance work and family; his career was wildly successful, soaring in his field. Married for eight years, we treated each other with mutual respect and support, living in a multi-million dollar penthouse with a worry-free “child prodigy” son. It was, by all accounts, an enviable family. However, about six months ago, he suddenly started changing. He had a habit of going for night runs. It used to be out the door by 8:00 PM, home by 9:00 PM, followed by a shower and exactly half an hour of family time. Like clockwork. But six months ago, he suddenly started leaving at 7:00 PM and not returning until 10:00 PM. When he got back, he always seemed exhausted, going straight to bed after his shower, naturally canceling our family time. I asked him why his night runs were taking so long. He pursed his lips and said flatly, “I hit a wall with a case. Staying out a bit longer helps clear my head.” Mental labor can sometimes be more exhausting than physical labor. I understood. Later, he also suddenly seemed to lose interest in sex. I assumed the immense pressure was affecting him physically. Afraid of hurting his pride, I never brought it up, but I was deeply worried about him. That was also why, when he injured himself in a fall, I strongly urged him to take a leave of absence to recover properly, and asked the doctors to run a full-body checkup. But looking at it now, the situation wasn’t what I thought at all… I lay back in bed, staring wide-eyed into the darkness, quietly looking at the ceiling. The words he just spoke made him feel like a stranger, and the expression on his face made everything feel surreal. To the point where, having suffered two massive blows in one day, my overwhelming curiosity actually suppressed the sadness and anger I should have been feeling. I was genuinely curious. What kind of woman was on the other end of that phone call? To make Arthur, a man who had trained himself to be ruthlessly rational over the years, act like that? I’ve always been a direct person. The very next night, I slipped a sleeping pill into his glass of warm milk. 03 He slept heavily. I pressed his finger against the sensor and unlocked his phone. Finding the number he had called the night before, I stared at it for a long time before certain neurons finally connected. I had seen this number before. Three months ago, after Arthur fell while hiking and was hospitalized, I went to the police to get the contact information of the person who found him and called 911, wanting to express my gratitude. This was the number the police had given me. I have an excellent memory, especially for numbers. I couldn’t be wrong. I had called the number right there in front of the officer. A woman answered. Her voice was gentle and polite, but she sounded like she was in her late thirties or forties. She softly declined my offer to meet, saying there was no need for thanks, and that it was just what any decent person would do. After hanging up, the police officer chuckled and told me that while someone else might have accepted a reward, she definitely wouldn’t. I asked why. The officer said he recognized her during questioning. She had once been featured on the news as the “Most Beautiful and Resilient Woman.” “She’s had a hard life. Her husband suffered a massive stroke on their wedding day and was completely paralyzed, leaving behind a seven-year-old son from a previous marriage. She never left his side, feeding him and cleaning up after him for thirteen years, and raised that boy all by herself. Her husband passed away last year, and she finally caught a break. Now she runs a little food stall outside the suburban park, selling lamb stew.” “A woman with her moral character? She’d never accept your reward money.” At the time, I nodded in admiration. “My husband was truly lucky to have been found by her.” Now, in the dead of night, I stared at his phone for a long time before opening his photo album. I don’t know if Arthur was overconfident or just assumed I completely trusted him, but he hadn’t made any effort to hide anything. The screen was filled with photos of a woman. The exact same woman. Under the starry night sky, a brightly lit, steaming food stall. The woman had gentle eyes and a radiant smile, whether she was chopping ingredients, serving soup, or chatting with customers. Every single picture exuded warmth and a sense of peaceful domesticity. Across hundreds of photos, the woman’s wardrobe changed from short-sleeved summer dresses to heavy winter coats. The timeline spanned six months. On the third day, I went to the suburban park and sat down at the small stall with a sign reading “Linda’s Lamb Stew.” I watched the woman named Linda from a short distance away. She was squatting by a planter, speaking softly to a stray cat. Two men standing in front of her stall joked: “Linda, you only have eyes for these little cats and dogs, you aren’t even trying to make money anymore.” Linda hurriedly stood up, smiling apologetically as she explained gently: “I’m so sorry, I just feel so bad for them. I got too distracted and didn’t see you.” One of the men waved his hand dismissively. “You’re doing a good deed. These strays treat your stall like home because they know you have a soft heart and will always give them food. It’s a heartwarming sight, we enjoy seeing it.” After the two men left, I walked over. “One bowl of lamb stew, please.” Linda said “Sure thing!” and cheerfully served me a bowl. Through the rising steam, I quietly studied her. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, with fine lines branching out from the corners of her eyes. While she lacked the youthful allure of a younger girl, her features were soft and tranquil. Her hair was tied back casually in a low ponytail, with loose strands framing her face, giving her a distinct, gentle femininity. “Sister, it’s your first time here. Let me give you a few extra pieces of lamb to try.” I sat at a small table, slowly tasting the stew. My mind constantly wrestled with one question. A person like Linda, with her background and moral character… Would she really do something like destroying someone else’s family? Would she? 04 My vision blurred for a second, and Linda was sitting down across from me. I was slightly taken aback. She smiled gently, her bright eyes looking right at me: “You’re Arthur’s wife, aren’t you?” I put my spoon down and met her gaze silently. “So you know who I am.” She smiled. “I have a good memory. I saw you once on Arthur’s phone screen and recognized you.” I frowned, remembering. Arthur’s lock screen used to be a picture of me and our son. It was only six months ago that he suddenly changed it to a landscape. She lowered her eyes, stayed silent for a few seconds, then looked at me and spoke. “I know why you’re here. You probably think Arthur and I are having an affair, right?” I didn’t say anything. She slowly looked up, her expression warm and sincere. “Sister, if you trust me… we aren’t. Arthur and I are completely innocent. Our only interaction is that he stops by for a bowl of soup after his run.” At this, a look of distress crossed her brow. “Later, I noticed he seemed down when he came for his soup. He wouldn’t talk to anyone and looked like he was under a lot of pressure, so out of the goodness of my heart, I tried to comfort him a few times. I never expected… sigh, he probably misunderstood.” “He started saying some inappropriate things, but I just found it ridiculous. Not only is he a married man, but even if he were single, a man of his status wouldn’t look twice at someone like me.” “I told him he was just acting on impulse, but he wouldn’t listen. In fact, he got increasingly out of line. Sometimes, completely ignoring my wishes, he would call me and say the most absurd things.” “Actually, even if you hadn’t come looking for me, I was planning on finding you to talk. Arthur must be under too much pressure to act so crazily and irrationally. As his wife, maybe you could help him more.” I stared at the layer of white fat slowly congealing around the edge of my bowl. “So what you’re saying is, all these things are just Arthur’s unrequited obsession, and you’ve actually been trying to reject him this whole time?” Linda let out a long, mournful sigh and slowly nodded. I looked up at her and asked slowly: “So, him installing a camera in our master bedroom for you to monitor… was that also an impulsive act that he forced upon you against your will?” Linda froze for a second, then quickly said, “I’ve already scolded him for that! It was completely out of line!” I continued: “What about the time you guys went hiking together? When he fell down the mountain because you said your feet hurt and he tried to carry you… did he force you to go against your will that time too?” Linda’s pupils dilated, and she stood up abruptly. “Hiking? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I looked at her coldly. “Didn’t you say you have a good memory? I even called you to thank you that time. Have you forgotten already?” Just then, a customer shouted, “Large order to go!” Linda pressed her lips together and practically jogged back to her stall, her movements stiff as she grabbed a large ladle to serve the soup. “CLANG—” With a massive crash, the entire hot pot full of lamb stew tipped over, spilling steaming broth and meat all over the ground. The boiling soup splashed onto her, and Linda let out a sharp cry, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. The customer cursed, jumped back, muttered about bad luck, and stormed off. Looking at the mess in front of me, I didn’t want to get a drop of grease on myself, so I picked up my bag to leave. Red-eyed, she suddenly called out. “I’m sorry!” I stopped and frowned at her. She stood there miserably, sobbing softly. “I’m sorry, I did keep that from you. That day, I was upset because my stepson had been fighting, and he happened to show up. He said going for a hike would cheer me up, so I went. After he fell, I was terrified. I called 911, but I didn’t dare meet you because I was afraid you’d misunderstand.” Her eyes were bloodshot, tears streaming down her face, and her hands had immediately developed large blisters from the hot soup that splashed on her. She looked utterly pitiful. “Evelyn, what are you doing?!” A furious yell came from behind me. I turned my head to see Arthur sprinting toward us, his face flushed with anger. For a moment, I was stunned. It had been a very, very long time since I had seen such intense emotion on his face. He was wearing the blue suit he only wore for major negotiations, which meant he had rushed over in the middle of an important professional event. Yet when I was in a car accident and called him, he insisted on finishing his negotiation before coming to the hospital. Arthur glared furiously at the mess on the ground, then at the softly sobbing Linda. He pressed his lips tightly together and took a few deliberate steps to her side. He lowered his head, quietly looking at the wretched and helpless woman before him. Suddenly, he pulled her into a fierce embrace. “Are you okay?” “Did she hurt you?” Linda buried her face in his chest and suddenly burst into tears, crying as if she had been deeply wronged. Arthur closed his eyes in pain and said softly: “Don’t cry! Linda, don’t cry! Remember what you always say? The boat has passed ten thousand mountains. Your suffering is over, completely over! Nothing else will ever make Linda shed a single tear!” From beginning to end. Arthur didn’t spare me a single glance. 05 I took out my phone, pointed it at them, and snapped several photos in quick succession. The crisp “click-click” sound echoed. Linda abruptly pulled out of Arthur’s embrace, stepping back a few paces, looking regretful and panicked, as if she had just realized what she was doing. She looked at me frantically, scrambling to explain: “I forgot, I didn’t mean to, I—” She couldn’t finish her sentence. Because I was just looking at her indifferently. “You don’t need to say a single word. I’m here.” Arthur cut her off in a low voice, turned to me, and instantly regained his usual calm, composed demeanor, looking like the sharp-eyed attorney he was. “Evelyn, whatever it is, we’ll talk about it at home. This is very close to your university, and there are many people from your school passing through the park. Making a scene here will make you look bad. Besides…” He glanced at the messy ground. “Bullying a lonely, helpless woman, is that fun for you?” I looked at him coldly, my voice steady. “So you know there are people from my school coming and going here. Yet as my husband, hugging a widow here like dry wood on a fire… did you find that exciting?” Arthur’s eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of shock amidst his indignation. After all, I had always been gentle, elegant, and composed in front of him. He had never seen this side of me before. Even I hadn’t. “Even though I’m not the type to just slap you right now, don’t try to pin your shit on my head.” I turned to Linda, who was silently cleaning up the mess. “Ms. Linda, so you not saying anything… are you actually planning on doing that?” She trembled slightly, and after a few seconds, she slowly lifted her chin and said loudly: “Never mind, stop fighting! It wasn’t her, I knocked it over myself. Is that enough?” Red-eyed, she looked at Arthur with grievance: “Arthur, please take your wife and leave now. Don’t interfere with my business. I won’t be accepting your business from now on either. Please don’t come back!” A few customers gradually approached. “What’s going on here? Why is it such a mess!” “Linda, is someone bullying you? Who is it?” “Who dares to bully Linda! I’ll be the first to teach them a lesson!” Various hostile glares landed on me. Arthur’s eyes darkened, and he grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the parking lot. I couldn’t shake him off, so I had to follow him. We ran into an acquaintance from the university carrying a basketball, who smiled and greeted me. “Professor Sterling!” I smiled and nodded. “Hello.” 06 Once in the parking lot, I forcefully shook off his hand and walked calmly to my own car. As trees flew past on both sides, I drove on the main road, and tears finally began to fall uncontrollably. I gave myself half an hour. Anger, pain, acceptance, calm… Then I turned the steering wheel and headed for the bank. Arthur and I had a joint family account where we both deposited our salaries, dividends, and returns. When we originally opened it, he smiled and told me: “Didn’t you always complain that I’m not affectionate enough? This account is for you to manage. I’ll just be responsible for putting money into it, as a guarantee for you and our son’s future. Are you satisfied with this expression of love?” Over the past few years, the account balance had accumulated to over 18 million. The bank teller informed me with confusion: “This account has been frozen due to a guarantee default. Didn’t you know?” My hands and feet suddenly went cold as I slowly asked: “When did this happen?” “Two months ago.” Two months ago… That was right after he was discharged from the hospital, when I was completely exhausted from taking care of him and had a high fever for a whole week. While I was practically delirious with sickness, he was already laying the groundwork for divorce and fighting for assets to gain the upper hand. I felt it was both ironic and ridiculous. On the way here, I was actually regretting being too impulsive and showing my cards before having an escape route. But it turned out he had started scheming against me long ago. When a man changes his heart, he can be truly ruthless! It was pitch black by the time I got home. Arthur was sitting on the couch in his pajamas, drinking tea with his usual calm expression. He glanced at me. “I sent Leo to my mom’s place. Let’s settle things clearly all at once.” I sat down and stared at him in silence. He took a sip of tea and slowly began: “I originally planned to discuss this later. After all, I felt somewhat guilty and wanted to let you and our son enjoy a happy life for as long as possible. However, since you chose to go and cause a scene today, I can only give you what you want.” “Evelyn, I’ve fallen in love with someone else. Let’s get a divorce!” I was extremely calm, even giving him a slight smile. “Arthur, can you tell me exactly what you love about her so much that you chose to betray a 10-year relationship and abandon your wife and child?” He frowned slightly. “If you insist on asking for details…” After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly in a gentle and emotional tone: “Because of my work over the past few years, I’ve seen too much deception in marriages. I lost a normal understanding and judgment of love and marriage long ago. But after meeting her, I realized that there really are women like this. Purely out of love and responsibility, she didn’t hesitate to dedicate the best ten-plus years of her youth. She brought vitality to my heavy, stagnant, suffocating life.” “You ask what I love about her? I’ve asked myself that question countless times.” “Because she’s gentle, kind, and strong. Because life gave her hardship, yet she stubbornly bloomed like a flower from the mud. Because of every cold night, the bowl of hot soup she handed me.” As he finished this long speech, emotions surged across his face, seemingly having moved himself. The room fell into silence. After a long while, I clicked my tongue softly. “So the soup the nanny makes isn’t hot? You have to go outside to get a taste of something fishy?” Arthur froze, his face instantly turning cold. “Evelyn, you are a sophisticated egoist. You wouldn’t understand this kind of emotion.” I nodded. “Since that’s the case, you leave with nothing, and I agree to the divorce.” A distinct look of mockery appeared on his face. “Not to mention there’s no such thing as ‘leaving with nothing’ in the law. Taking a step back, Linda and I have had absolutely no physical relationship. I’m not even the at-fault party.” I gazed at him, silent for a long time. Can a person really change this completely? Flipping out so ruthlessly, as if suddenly swapping souls! Arthur seemed to guess what I was thinking and slightly furrowed his brow: “You don’t need to act like this. When feelings are gone, divorce is the natural next step. When I fell down the mountain and was waiting for rescue, I thought it through clearly. Life is short, and I don’t want to cower and be afraid to love. Even if I bear infamy and condemnation, I have to risk everything to truly live once.” “Evelyn, don’t forget what I do for a living. I have too many methods; it’s just a matter of whether I want to use them on you or not.” I started to laugh softly. “You haven’t used them on me? Didn’t you already use them? Playing dirty tricks like freezing the account, aren’t you afraid of desecrating your noble and pure love!” Arthur glanced at me and said lightly: “I see you went to check the account. It’s nothing, just standard operating procedure, just to prevent any unexpected twists during the divorce.” “I’ve already drafted the divorce agreement. I keep the money and our son, and you get the house. Of course, you’ll have to handle the remaining mortgage yourself.” “From the perspective of financial contribution to the family, this proposal is already exceedingly generous—” “Thud!” I grabbed the ashtray on the table and hurled it at him. He covered his forehead. Bright red blood flowed out from between his fingers.

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On the eve of our wedding, I found a spreadsheet on Nathaniel’s laptop. It was filled with details about the girls he had dated. In my column, it read: 【Docile, suitable for marriage.】 While in his first love’s column, it read: 【You are a wild bird; you belong to the proud skies far away.】 He said he wouldn’t marry her. Because his wife had to manage three meals a day, care for him, raise his children, and serve his difficult parents. He couldn’t bear for her to do that. I didn’t argue, nor did I make a scene. The next day, I went back to the network news bureau. Nathaniel didn’t know that I had a spreadsheet too. An application form to transfer to Africa as a war correspondent. The man I truly loved was still there. I had to go find him. 01 “You want to go back to being a war correspondent?!” A shocked exclamation erupted in the newsroom this morning. I had just handed in my transfer application. “Yes,” I said calmly. “I want a long-term assignment in the Congo.” “Elena…” Sarah, the station director, was speechless for a long time. “You’re excellent at being a war correspondent. We all saw that three years ago. But you’re right in the middle of preparing for a wedding! Everyone assumes you’re about to go on leave!” “Will your fiancé even agree to you going back to such a dangerous place?” I was silent for a fleeting moment. “I’m not getting married.” “What??” InSarah’s shocked gaze, I spoke with firm certainty. “Yes. The wedding is off.” Yesterday, Nathaniel went out to run wedding errands. He asked me to send him the inventory list of things on his computer. I opened the file labeled 【Wedding Plan】. But what I found was his relationship record. There were six girls listed. Each entry was a detailed account of their height, appearance, and background. Mine was at the top. 【Name: Elena Vance. 【Family: Orphaned. No parents, simple social connections. 【Personality: Virtuous, housewife potential. Silent and obedient. No ambition. 【Remarks: Can manage housework. Good for breeding offspring.】 At the bottom, he had highlighted a few words in yellow: 【Suitable for marriage.】 My heart dropped in an instant. I paused for a few seconds, then continued scrolling. The other girls had similar evaluations. 【Extravagant. Not considered.】 【Lazy lifestyle. Not considered.】 【Has a dependent younger brother. Not considered.】 But the last entry. Except for her name and a photo, it was empty. There was only one line written in the remarks: 【You are a wild bird; you belong to the proud skies far away.】 Her name was Chloe Albright. 02 I remembered when we were finalizing the guest list. Nathaniel had been hesitant about that name. He added it several times, only to delete it again. I asked him why. He said she was currently traveling the world and probably wouldn’t make a special trip back. So… she was the first love. Nathaniel’s Messenger account was still logged on to the laptop. I found Chloe Albright. Their chat history had been wiped clean. But her latest Instagram Story read: 【Dammit! The man I love is getting married. I’m going to crash the wedding and steal the groom!】 Nathaniel had replied privately: 【Stealing won’t work. I won’t marry you.】 【Waaaaah! Fine! So you’ve found true love this time, have you?】 【…What are you talking about?】 【Humph! Forget it! Your family is so archaic and rigid. Marrying you means serving your entire clan. I won’t do it! My journey is the stars and the sea!】 【Yeah, I know. That’s why I married the person they wanted me to marry. I couldn’t bear to put you through that.】 03 Couldn’t bear to? Hearing that word from Nathaniel’s mouth was truly rare. Nathaniel and I met through a blind date set up by mutual friends. He was young and successful, the youngest deputy chief of surgery at a prestigious university hospital. He was also handsome. But because he had an old-money, traditional, and difficult pair of parents, he had never married. They were incredibly controlling and demanded a submissive daughter-in-law who had an eye for servitude and would wait on them hand and foot. The first time I went home with Nathaniel to meet his parents, his mother brought a basin of water and demanded I kneel to wash her feet. I was willing to endure all of it. Because when I first saw Nathaniel… I thought, for this face, I would do anything. We dated for two years. His parents were very satisfied with me. And he gradually became accustomed to a perpetually clean and organized home, warm meals always ready, and shirts ironed to a crisp. But his attitude was always lukewarm. Until his birthday this year. I wanted to personally bake him a cake. But the oven exploded during preheating. By the time he rushed to the hospital, he found my arm full of glass fragments. For the first time, he was somewhat out of character, panicking as he held my face, his voice trembling. “You don’t need to do this for me… You can do without…” But even then, he never said he couldn’t bear to. Later, he proposed. I had assumed he did it out of a sliver of true emotion, willing to commit to me. I never imagined he only did it to appease his parents. Chloe Albright was the one he cherished, so much so that he was willing to let her go. The moment I saw their conversation. I knew this relationship should end. He was acting for his parents; I was acting for myself. But no matter how good the acting was, it was still a play. 04 Returning home from the news bureau, I dug out several camera bags from the deep recesses of the bookshelf. They held my deeply buried memories of the past. The feel of the camera casing was now unfamiliar, and the batteries had long since dried up. While waiting for the battery charger to do its work, I inserted the memory card into my computer. I opened those long-buried photos. The first was of a black woman in a refugee camp waiting for cholera medicine. The second was of a five-year-old child soldier who was barely taller than his rifle. The third was of refugees in North Kivu living in shattered tents. … The smell of smoke and dust seemed to pierce through time and space. My heart felt gripped by a pair of sharp claws. I lay back in my chair, calming my soaring heart rate, and let out a light, self-deprecating laugh. I didn’t know if Nathaniel would still put the words 【Docile and obedient】 in my remarks column if he saw these. As I was thinking, my phone vibrated. It was a text from him. He sent the location of a restaurant. I suddenly remembered that he invited the bridesmaids and groomsmen for a small gathering tonight. I had no close friends, so they were all Nathaniel’s friends. However, I knew clearly that this was just an excuse for an invitation. Because today. Chloe was back. 05 I arrived at the restaurant. They had already finished ordering. Chloe was sitting right next to Nathaniel. There was no seat for me. And when Chloe saw me, she sized me up with keen interest. Then she directed me. “Go pull up a chair and sit anywhere!” I sat in the farthest position from them. Throughout the meal, Nathaniel only watched everything indifferently. He didn’t say a single word. Someone asked: “Chloe, we thought you wouldn’t make it back this time!” “Are you kidding? This is Nathaniel getting married! I would return even if I had to crawl, just to see what kind of option he finally picked!” Several people exchanged meaningful glances. “That’s true. The relationship between you two is not ordinary.” After that, they began asking Chloe about her travels. By the time the main course arrived, she had finished telling stories about yellowfin tuna fishing in the Mediterranean, the Portuguese Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, and climbing the Uluru monolith in Australia. Their eyes were all shining. “Chloe, you’re a girl! You actually dared to go to so many places!” “Humph! I’m not the kind of woman whose world consists only of firewood, rice, oil, and salt for her husband and kids! The brave enjoy the world first!” 06 Amidst the joyful and boisterous atmosphere, she was the center of attention. Nathaniel sat beside her, rarely interjecting. However, his occasional side glances at her grew so tender that they seemed to drip with water. I silently downed half a shot of tequila. The back of my tongue was bitter with spiciness. Everything felt utterly meaningless. Chloe had already moved on to the story of her recent dealings with scammers in Egypt. She suddenly turned her head and asked Nathaniel. “Do you want to know how to say ‘dear’ in Arabic?” Nathaniel paused and shook his head. “I’ll teach you!” Chloe leaned against his shoulder, blowing air against his ear. “Habibi~” Nathaniel helplessly straightened her up, his earlobes turning pink. “Sit properly…” “Hurry up and learn with me!” Unable to resist Chloe’s persistence, he let out a sigh and obediently spoke. “Habibi…” “Bingo!” “Correct, you are my Habibi~” Her eyes swiveled and she suddenly looked at me. “Have you ever been to Africa?” 07 Someone immediately sneered. “Look at her. Does she look like it? Africa? She barely leaves the state line!” Even Nathaniel had a mocking look, shaking his head. Chloe narrowed her eyes, a victorious expression on her face. “That’s true. I asked the wrong person!” “We should ask her which nearby grocery store has the cheapest vegetables, or which brand of toilet bowl cleaner works best!” An outburst of laughter erupted from the table. She turned her head and started the next topic. I slowly clenched my fist. I think I was also somewhat drunk. Otherwise, how could I feel angry because of such clumsy provocation? “I have been,” I said softly. The voices at the dinner table quieted a bit. Chloe tilted her head. “What?” “I have been to Africa.” A fleeting look of astonishment passed her face, but it quickly turned disdainful. “Oh, no need to be so vain, right? If you haven’t been, you haven’t been!” “Lying is a bad look. It’s easily exposed.” “I’m not lying.” “Then you say, where did you go? Kenya? Morocco? Could it be South Africa?” She held her head high, seemingly certain I couldn’t answer. I stared at her. “Congo-Kinshasa.” 08 The air suddenly quieted. “…Where? Congo-Kinshasa? What kind of place is that?” “Drank too much, right? Even such things can be boasted about, haha!” “Which normal person would go there? Such a poor and chaotic place…” The fire in my heart burned brighter. Besides me, there were many other people there! Doctors Without Borders, peacekeeping forces, aid construction teams… Are all of them not normal people? “I have not only been there, but I have also stayed there for a whole year. “I have seen them fighting for mineral resources, I have been to Ebola treatment centers, distributed relief food with UN personnel… “I was even shot!” The room was in dead silence. Everyone opened their mouths wide. “Also.” I swirled my drink in my hand. “There are no yellowfin tuna in the Mediterranean; they prefer tropical waters. The Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route is not in Portugal; it starts in France to Spain. And the Uluru monolith has been forbidden to climb since 2019.” I narrowed my eyes. “Chloe, lying is a bad look. It’s easily exposed.” 09 Her face instantly turned ghostly white. The puzzled and blank gazes of everyone swiped back and forth between us. Chloe suddenly stood up, pretending to be brave. “She’s an orphan with no background! How could she have been to those places! “She’s lying!” I leaned on my hand and smiled. “Then you show everyone the photos? Went to so many places, must have taken a few photos, right?” “I… I…” “Won’t be not having any, right?” She became increasingly panicked and turned to Nathaniel. “Nathaniel! What’s wrong with your wife!! “Is today not my welcome banquet! How could you let her bully me like this! “Forget it. Since I’m so unwelcome, then I’ll leave!” Saying so, she wiped her eyes and actually ran out. The scene immediately was in turmoil. Others were so anxious that they pushed Nathaniel. “Hurry up and chase! What if she gets lost in the middle of the night!” Nathaniel’s face turned black, he glared at me fiercely, and quickly walked out. Others also left their seats one after another. “Elena, we’ll leave first.” Someone lowered their voice. “How does she have the face to target Chloe like this? Doesn’t she know she’s just Nathaniel’s stable option, and Chloe is the real one?” “Jealous! Chloe is beautiful and knowledgeable. What does she have?” “She made Chloe embarrassed, and in the end, wasn’t it her husband who went to coax. Truly stupid!” They sneered as they went away. The massive private room was instantly left with just me. I let out a silent scoff. Poured another cup of tequila for myself. Tilted my head and downed it.

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After spending two years roughing it at a remote project site, I came back to find my position at work stolen, my boyfriend snatched away, and a pick-me girl arrogantly telling me to get out of the company. Unable to take it anymore, I kicked her and my scumbag ex out of the building. “What gives you the right to fire me?!” I slammed the company’s business license onto the table in front of them: “Because I am the owner of this company now.” With my two powerful older brothers backing me up: “Anyone who bullies our sister can forget about ever showing their face in this city again!” 1 After graduating from college, I rejected my family’s proposal to work for our own corporation. Instead, I joined a mid-sized firm in the city with decent benefits, alongside my boyfriend, Caleb Wright. I didn’t want him to feel insecure or think I was just a spoiled brat who relied on her parents. So, I never told him that my dad was a real estate and construction tycoon, my oldest brother was a tech billionaire, and my second brother was a high-ranking diplomat. During our second year at the company, we took on a remote infrastructure project in a small town in North Dakota—a place I had always been curious about but never visited. Caleb and I agreed to go together to build our resumes for two years. But a week before our departure, he changed his mind, claiming he needed to stay at the headquarters to secure a promotion. Coaxed by his promises, I agreed to go to the site alone. The boss had also promised that upon the project’s completion, my position would be bumped up a level when I returned. The project wrapped up a week early. Wanting to give Caleb a surprise, I secretly booked a flight back. But when I arrived at our apartment, there was another woman in the house. Actually, no, there were two… Opening the door, I found an older woman sitting on the sofa. Before I could even speak, a young woman with very average looks walked out of the kitchen. She was carrying a fruit platter and wearing an apron, acting completely like the lady of the house. Seeing me walk in, she didn’t look surprised at all. I knew her. Her name was Harper Quinn, a junior colleague who had previously flirted with Caleb, though he claimed to have rejected her. “What are you doing here?” “Who are you?” The older woman on the sofa and I spoke at the exact same time. Naturally, I was asking Harper, who was holding the fruit. The older woman was asking me. I shifted my gaze to the woman on the sofa and found her somewhat familiar. It took me a moment to realize she was Caleb’s mother. I had seen her in a family portrait Caleb kept on his desk. “Mrs…” Before I could utter a polite greeting, she turned her head and shouted toward the hallway: “Caleb! Caleb… come out here for a second.” “What is it, Mom?” Caleb walked out of the study. When he saw me standing at the door, the color drained from his face. In our six years together, he rarely furrowed his brows that tightly or wore such a conflicted expression. It was the exact same look he had when he told me he wasn’t going to North Dakota. A bad feeling crept into my heart. Whenever Caleb had to choose between two things, he never chose me. “Who is this woman? How does she have the passcode to our house?” Our house? “Mom, this is a coworker. She’s here to drop something off.” A coworker? 2 While I stood there in shock, Caleb rushed to the door, grabbed my suitcase with one hand, and wrapped his other arm around my shoulder, practically shoving me out into the hallway. “Let’s go outside. I’ll explain everything,” he whispered urgently. Just as we took two steps, I heard the woman inside say to his mother, “Auntie, I know that girl. That’s Caleb’s ex-girlfriend. But don’t worry, I trust Caleb to handle it.” His mother quickly chimed in, “Yes, exactly! Our Caleb is a good boy, he’ll handle it. That woman must just be clinging to him. Don’t overthink it, Harper.” … Caleb dragged me all the way to the elevators. He reached out to press the button, and the doors happened to open. He tried to pull me in, but I stood my ground. “What is the meaning of this?” I looked up and confronted him. “I’ve been gone for two months, and suddenly I’m your ex-girlfriend?” Even though I was stationed at a remote project for the last two years, Caleb and I saw each other at least once every two months. Of course, it was almost always me flying back to see him. “Serena, please, just listen to me.” “Speak. I’m listening,” I said, crossing my arms. He tried to pull me into the elevator, saying we should argue outside so his mom wouldn’t hear us. Even now, he was only worried about his mom hearing us, entirely ignoring my feelings. A cold chill washed over my heart. “That is my apartment. Are you trying to force me to go back in there right now and kick those two women out?” I was furious, my voice raising an octave. Caleb came from a rural, working-class background. To protect his ego, I had never told him about my family’s wealth, nor did I tell him that my family bought me this apartment. “Even if the apartment belongs to your friend, I’ve been paying the rent for the last two years,” he retorted. Knowing I didn’t respond well to aggression, he immediately softened his tone. “Serena, I swear, I haven’t done anything to betray you. Please, I’m begging you, let’s just go downstairs for now, okay?” He pulled me into the elevator and hit the button for the lobby. Once he was sure those two women couldn’t hear us, he told me that his mom had come to the city for a minor surgery last month. She insisted on meeting his girlfriend, so he asked Harper to play the part. I was dumbfounded. I never imagined such an absurd excuse. If he had told me early on that he was bringing his mom in for surgery, I would have thought it was her dying wish or something. And even if she genuinely wanted to meet his girlfriend, why didn’t he just call me back? North Dakota wasn’t the moon. It was a three-hour flight. “I didn’t reach out to Harper. I ran into her at the hospital when I took my mom in for a checkup. She happens to know a doctor there and kindly helped us schedule the surgery sooner. My mom misunderstood and thought she was my girlfriend… Just to give my mom peace of mind for her surgery, I didn’t correct her.” “I never even knew your mom was coming for surgery. You could have told me! Why keep it a secret?” “I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to hide it from you. She came so suddenly, and you were so far away. Plus, the project was in its final crunch phase for the last two months. I didn’t want to distract you.” The last two months of the project really were insanely busy. I had been working myself to the bone, mainly because I wanted to finish early and come back. So, hearing him say that did soften my heart a little. After all, we had been together for six years. I couldn’t just condemn him over this one incident. “So what are you going to do now? Are you going to tell your mom the truth, or are you going to keep up the charade and officially make me your ex?” I asked, suppressing my temper. 3 “Just give me a little time, okay? My mom has mostly recovered. I’m putting her on a flight back home in a couple of days. After that, it’ll just be the two of us again.” He reached out and hugged me. I struggled for a moment but couldn’t break free. “Forgive me, please? I’m really just putting on an act for my mom. I have absolutely zero feelings for her,” he whispered in my ear, his tone incredibly sincere. He even added, “I didn’t like her in college, why would I have anything to do with her now?” Thinking about it, it made sense. She wasn’t as pretty as me, nor did she have my figure. How could Caleb possibly like her? Seeing that I was listening, Caleb pressed his advantage, saying I must be exhausted from the flight. He promised to take me out for a nice dinner and book a nice hotel so I could get a good night’s sleep. Before I could even ask where he planned to sleep tonight, he volunteered: “A new boutique spa resort opened a few miles east of our office. The CEO stayed there when he came for a meeting, and I dropped off some files for him. The scenery is beautiful. Let’s stay there tonight, okay?” I still felt sick to my stomach. Two voices were fighting in my head: The other woman has literally moved into your house. Are they really just acting? But we had known each other for nearly ten years and had been together for exactly six. I knew what kind of person he was. I should trust him. He definitely wouldn’t cross a fundamental line. In the end, between logic and emotion, I chose the latter. I agreed to go to the hotel with him. On the way, Caleb promised me again that he would send his mom back home by the day after tomorrow at the latest. “What I want isn’t for you to send your mom back home. I want you to explain everything to her clearly. You can’t let her think that I’m some clingy ex-girlfriend and Harper is your actual girlfriend.” I wanted the current problem solved immediately, leaving no lingering issues. Caleb looked conflicted, saying his mom had just had surgery and he was afraid the shock would be too much for her. He also mentioned that she really liked Harper since she had made such a good first impression. “So what? When we get married, is Harper going to play the bride too?” I refused to accept his excuses and told him straight out: “If you won’t tell her, I’m going back right now to clear things up.” He finally surrendered, promising to find a good time in the next two days to tell his mom the truth. 4 Bombarded by Caleb’s sweet talk, I dropped the issue for the moment. We arrived at the spa resort on the outskirts of the city. After dropping our bags in the room, we headed out to grab some food. The receptionist had mentioned there was a highly-rated rooftop garden restaurant. I hadn’t eaten much all day, and I was genuinely starving. Just as we walked into the restaurant, Caleb’s phone rang. He turned his back to answer it. His voice wasn’t loud, but I heard every word. “Mom, no… there was an emergency at work. I won’t be back for dinner, you guys go ahead and eat. Alright… I’ll drop by for a bit later. Yeah…” Obviously, his mom was calling to demand he come home. Honestly, part of me hoped he would just go back and resolve the situation right then. But he hung up, walked over, and didn’t mention his mom at all. He just said, “You must be starving. Let’s order.” Just as we flagged a waiter down, Caleb’s phone rang again. He glanced at the screen, flipped the phone over, and ignored it. I pretended not to notice and kept looking at the menu. But his phone kept buzzing relentlessly. I didn’t want to finish this meal to the soundtrack of his vibrating phone. I looked up at him. “Answer it.” He gave me an awkward look and finally picked it up. I minded my own business and ordered two local dishes I had been craving while I was in North Dakota. By the time I finished ordering, his call was over too. “My mom said Harper burned her hand making soup. She insists I go back.” I had heard the whole thing. On the other end of the line, his mom was frantically saying Harper burned herself and he needed to come back. Then, a sickly-sweet voice chimed in: “I’m fine, Auntie. Tell Caleb he doesn’t need to come. It’s not that serious. I’ll just go buy some ointment at the pharmacy later.” His mom yelled, “Your whole hand is red! How can you be fine?! We need to go to the hospital immediately!” Harper replied, “Caleb must be busy. Auntie, let’s not bother him.” Then, my boyfriend said, “Don’t panic. I’ll be right there.” I couldn’t help but wonder: injuring yourself and acting this pathetic just for a man… is it really worth it? “Are you a doctor?” I put the menu down and looked at him. My implication was obvious: if she has a burn, she needs a doctor, not him. “But, Harper got burned while cooking for my mom. Serena, you don’t understand. For the past month, Harper has been taking care of my mom with so much dedication—more than even I have. My mom’s surgery wasn’t supposed to happen this fast; the waitlist was at least two weeks. It was Harper who pulled strings with a contact at the hospital to bump her up. I know I shouldn’t be telling you this…” “Then shut the hell up!” I slammed the menu onto the table, cutting him off. Seeing his face instantly darken, I suddenly felt that exhausting myself to finish a project a week early just to rush back for him was completely worthless. “What does any of that have to do with me? That’s your mom, not mine.” “Right, she’s my mom.” He gave a bizarre, cold chuckle. “You’re always like this. You never try to understand my difficulties. Why didn’t I tell you about my mom’s surgery? Because telling you wouldn’t have helped! You don’t know how to cook, you don’t know how to take care of people, and you don’t have Harper’s connections. Now someone else has stepped up and done everything, and instead of being grateful, you throw a tantrum. Serena, why don’t you take a good look at yourself?” Me? I was so angry I actually laughed. His mother gets sick, so he brings his flirty admirer into my apartment, uses my kitchen, and then expects me to be overflowing with gratitude that she took care of my future mother-in-law? I wasn’t Harper Quinn. I didn’t have a pathetic bone in my body. “Caleb Wright, get the hell out!” I couldn’t swallow this insult. I pointed at the door and told him to leave. 5 Caleb turned around without hesitation. I was so furious I grabbed my water glass and hurled it at him. “Caleb, we’re done!” He left without looking back. Furious, I ate two entire bowls of rice by myself. I thought he just went back to check on the situation and would return to coax me considering our six years together. But not only did he not return after dinner, I also received a gloating message from Harper. “Serena, since Caleb can’t bring himself to say it, let me spell it out for you. Caleb got bored of you a long time ago. I suggest you take the hint and leave on your own. You can’t give Caleb what he wants.” I didn’t even know how Harper got on my contacts list. Because of work, I had added a lot of colleagues and clients, so she probably snuck in using an alt account. I clicked on her Instagram profile. Wow, her grid was spectacular. All the designer bags and skincare products she was showing off were photographed in my bedroom. Of course, the luxury waterfront condo was mine too. Even the boyfriend was mine. The most recent post was a screenshot of their texts: Her: “I want the first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the fall, and I want it from you.” The profile picture was blurred, but I instantly recognized it as Caleb. He replied: “Okay, I’ll get it for you right now.” Her: “Just… the latte?” Followed by a pouting, expectant emoji. Caleb: “I’ll buy you whatever you want.” Followed by a cute emoji. She replied with a smirking emoji. In the past two years, when had he ever sent me emojis like that? When had he ever spoken to me in such a doting tone? The first year I was away was mostly fine; we video-called almost every day. But gradually, he said he needed to focus on work so he could get promoted and give us a better life. So, he always used work as an excuse to avoid calling me. I thought he was genuinely busy… Well, he was busy, just not with work. He was busy spoiling another woman. There were so many similar screenshots. Two months ago on Valentine’s Day, I said I’d fly back to spend it with him. He said he was swamped with a new project and wouldn’t have time for me even if I came. He told me to wait until my project was over, and he’d make it up to me. That exact day, Harper posted a picture of two movie tickets. The long, slender fingers holding them were unmistakably Caleb’s. Half a year ago, on my birthday, I thought he’d fly out to see me. Instead, he sent me a $30 lipstick, claiming a new executive had taken over and was working everyone to the bone. But that very day, Harper posted a picture of a steak dinner. On the wrist holding the wine glass, the Rolex I bought for him was glaringly obvious. There was so much more. I couldn’t stomach reading any further. At this point, my heart was ice cold. Colder than a butcher’s knife. If I read any more, I was afraid I’d grab a butcher’s knife myself and slaughter the two of them. Clearly, Harper didn’t think her Instagram posts were enough to provoke me. Back in our chat, I saw she had shamelessly sent several more messages: texts, voice memos, and photos. The photo was her and Caleb sitting on a bed, kissing. Yes, on my bed. The voice memo was a secret recording of his mother scolding Caleb. “That woman doesn’t look like a good person at all. You need to end it with her. Harper is such a sweet girl, don’t do her wrong.” “I know, Mom. I’ll handle it. Don’t worry.” “I’m getting old, I can’t help you much. Thank God you’re successful and found a girlfriend as wealthy and virtuous as Harper. Caleb, don’t take the wrong path. We shouldn’t get involved with wild girls like that. Only a refined lady like Harper is worthy of our family.” I actually wanted to vomit. In all these years, I truly hadn’t realized Caleb was this kind of person. Even if he had just defended me with a single sentence when his mother spoke like that, I wouldn’t be this furious. But he didn’t. Six years of my youth, fed to the dogs. Well then, isn’t it time I kick the dogs out of my house and clean up the trash? I’m a decisive person who knows how to hold a grudge. Without a second thought, I headed straight to my family home and grabbed the deed to that apartment. Before Caleb moved into that place, I lied and told him it belonged to a wealthy friend who lived abroad and was renting it to me for a third of the market price—just to have someone watch the place. I made Caleb pay half the rent every month. Of course, the money he gave me was almost entirely spent back on him. Buying him meals, gifts… I was never stingy with him. My heart ached for his poor background and frugal nature. I thought he was just a reliable, honest guy. Who would have thought it was just a massive scam? 6 With the deed in hand, I returned to the apartment. The three people relaxing on the sofa, eating fruit and watching TV, were all stunned. “Why are you lingering like a ghost… Caleb, change the passcode immediately. What kind of shameless person keeps harassing her ex after they’ve broken up?” His mother spoke first, her tone venomous. “You definitely should change the passcode. But before that, we need to kick the stray dogs out,” I said, stepping inside and crossing my arms. “Are you going to leave on your own, or should I have security throw you out?” “This is my Caleb’s house! Who are you to kick anyone out?” “Haha… Caleb’s house.” I stepped closer, looking at Caleb. “Your house?” “Serena, stop making a scene.” He came over and grabbed my arm, trying to pull me outside. I forcefully shook him off and scanned the room. In just two months, my home had completely changed. “Caleb, get rid of this woman. My head hurts and I want to sleep.” His mother dramatically massaged her temples. Harper immediately rushed over to play the devoted servant. “Auntie, let me help you to bed. Serena must have something to discuss with Caleb, let them talk.” Harper’s understanding demeanor was obviously meant to make me look like I was throwing an unreasonable tantrum. Hah! As if I cared anymore! “Serena, let’s talk in the bedroom.” Caleb tried to pull me toward the master bedroom. I refused, sitting down directly on the sofa, and said calmly, “I’m putting this out there right now. Either you leave, or I have you thrown out.” “What gives you the right to kick us out? This is my Caleb’s house, not yours! If anyone is leaving, it’s you!” Before Caleb could speak, his mother yelled again. “Caleb’s house? Did he buy it?” I looked at his mother with amusement. “Of course he did! Did you see how wealthy, capable, and propertied my Caleb is, and decide you wanted to leech off him? Let me tell you, no way! My only daughter-in-law is Harper!” Hearing Caleb’s mother say this, Harper feigned embarrassment, but a smug look flashed in her eyes. “Wow… Caleb, I really didn’t know you were this vain,” I said, looking up at him. Guilty under my gaze, he lowered his eyes, his voice softening. “Serena, please don’t make a scene, okay? We can talk this out reasonably.” “What’s there to talk about reasonably? Caleb, we’re not afraid of her.” His mother really was a clueless country woman; she had no idea her son’s face was burning bright red with shame. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them anymore. I pulled the property deed from my bag and shoved it in their faces. “Old lady, open your eyes wide and look closely. This apartment is mine. It clearly says ‘Serena Sterling’ right here. For the past two years, your precious son has been renting from me.” “What?” His mother’s eyes widened in disbelief. But the person even more shocked was Caleb. “This is your apartment? I thought you said…” “That was to protect your fragile ego. Who rents out a three-bedroom luxury waterfront condo in this neighborhood for $1,500 a month? You know exactly what housing prices are like around here.” Looking at the information on the deed, Caleb was utterly speechless. “This is impossible, it must be fake.” His mother refused to believe it and reached out to snatch the deed. I tossed it back into my bag and pulled out my phone to call the concierge. “We’ll see if it’s fake when security gets here.” Within two minutes of my call, the concierge sent up two security guards. “Hello, Ms. Sterling. How can we assist you?” “These people are trespassing in my home. Please escort them out.” When I first told Caleb it was my friend’s place, I told him I had already paid the deposit, so we just needed to pay the monthly rent. We split it, and he gave me $750 a month. But for the last two months, I hadn’t asked him for the money, and he hadn’t offered it. So kicking them out was entirely within my rights! “Serena, do you have to be this ruthless?” Caleb frowned at me. I sneered and looked up at him. “Me, ruthless? …Hah, did you think about me when you brought her into my home? Did you think about me when you told me not to visit on Valentine’s Day so you could take her to the movies? Did you think about whether you were ruthless when you left me alone in North Dakota on my birthday to eat steak with her?” Looking up at him, I suddenly felt like the man in front of me was a total stranger. In the past ten years, had I never truly known him, or was he just an incredible actor? I had completely failed to see how vain and selfish he really was. Actually, the signs were all there. I was just blinded by love, treating all his flaws as quirks. “Ma’am, are you ready to leave with your wonderful son and daughter-in-law now?” I turned to Caleb’s mother, using every ounce of my upbringing to restrain my temper. “I’m not leaving! This is my son’s house. My son bought it with his money. You must have bewitched him into buying it and putting your name on it. This is my son’s property!” I truly had never met a woman this shameless. “Do you know how much this apartment costs? This condo is worth over three million dollars. Your son has been working for four years, making barely six grand a month after taxes. Even if he didn’t eat or drink for ten years, he couldn’t afford a single bathroom in this place. This apartment was bought for me by my family as a graduation gift.” Upon graduation, my oldest brother bought me this apartment, and my second brother bought me a car. It just so happened the job I took wasn’t far away, so I invited Caleb to move in with me. “I’ll give you two hours to pack your things. If you’re not done in two hours, I’ll have everything thrown out into the hall.” After saying that, I took out my phone and called my oldest brother, Carter. “Carter, I need you to buy me two new beds and have them delivered to Harborview Penthouse right now. Oh, and a new sofa, dining chairs, vanity… just replace everything you can see. Everything.” But honestly, even if I replaced the furniture, I’d still feel grossed out. No, I need Carter to find someone to remodel the whole place. Or maybe just buy me a new apartment entirely… A new apartment… That sounded like a good idea. Thinking of an excuse to get my parents to buy me a new place improved my mood slightly.

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On the eve of our wedding, I found a spreadsheet on Colin’s laptop. It was filled with details about the girls he had dated. In my column, it read: [Quiet, obedient, the safe choice for marriage.] While in his first love’s column, it read: [You are a free bird, destined to soar proudly into the distance.] He had told her he wouldn’t marry her. Because his wife had to manage three meals a day, care for him, raise his children, and wait on his overbearing parents hand and foot. He couldn’t bear to put her through that. I didn’t argue, nor did I make a scene. The next day, I went back to the news network. Colin didn’t know that I had a spreadsheet, too. It was an application form to transfer to Africa as a war correspondent. The man I truly loved was still there. I had to go find him. 01 “You want to go back to being a war correspondent?!” A shocked exclamation erupted in the newsroom this morning. I had just handed in my transfer application. “Yes,” I said. “I want a long-term assignment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” “Maya…” My station director was speechless for a long time. “You’re an excellent war correspondent. We all saw that three years ago. But you’re right in the middle of preparing for a wedding! Everyone assumes you’re about to go on leave! “Will your fiancé even agree to you going back to such a dangerous place?” I was silent for a fleeting moment. “I’m not getting married.” “What??” Under the director’s shocked gaze, I spoke with firm certainty. “Yes. The wedding is off.” Yesterday, Colin went out to run wedding errands. He asked me to send him the inventory list of things on his computer. I opened the file labeled [Wedding Plan]. But what I found was his relationship record. There were six girls listed. Each entry was a detailed account of their height, appearance, and background. Mine was at the top. [Name: Maya Brooks. [Family: Orphaned. No parents, simple social connections. [Personality: Housewife potential. Quiet and obedient. No ambition. [Remarks: Can manage housework. Good for having kids.] At the bottom, he had highlighted a few words in yellow: [Suitable for marriage.] My heart dropped in an instant. I paused for a few seconds, then continued scrolling. The other girls had similar evaluations. [Extravagant. Not considered.] [Lazy lifestyle. Not considered.] [Has a dependent younger brother. Not considered.] But the last entry. Except for her name and a photo, it was empty. There was only one line written in the remarks: [You are a free bird, destined to soar proudly into the distance.] Her name was Serena Montgomery. 02 I remembered when we were finalizing the guest list. Colin had been hesitant about that name. He added it several times, only to delete it again. I asked him why. He said she was currently traveling the world and probably wouldn’t make a special trip back. So… she was the first love. Colin’s iMessage was still logged in on the laptop. I found Serena Montgomery. Their chat history had been wiped clean. But her latest Instagram Story read: [Dammit! The man I love is getting married. I’m going to smash his wedding car and steal the groom!] Colin had replied privately: [Stealing me won’t work. I won’t marry you.] [Waaaaah! Fine! So you’ve found true love this time, have you?] […What are you talking about?] [Humph! Forget it! Your family is so archaic. Marrying you means serving your entire clan like a maid. I won’t do it! My journey is the stars and the sea!] [Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m marrying the person they want me to marry. [I couldn’t bear to put you through that.] 03 Couldn’t bear to? Hearing that phrase from Colin’s mouth was truly rare. Colin and I met through a blind date. He was young and successful, the youngest deputy chief of surgery at a top-tier hospital, and handsome. But because he had an incredibly traditional and difficult pair of parents, he had never married. They were intensely controlling and demanded a submissive daughter-in-law who had an eye for servitude and would wait on them. The first time I went home with Colin, his mother demanded I kneel on the floor and massage her swollen feet like a hired servant. But I was willing to endure all of it. Because when I first saw Colin… I thought, for a face like his, I would do anything. We dated for two years. His parents were very satisfied with me. And he gradually became accustomed to a perpetually clean and organized home, warm meals always ready, and shirts ironed to a crisp. But his attitude was always lukewarm. Until his birthday this year. I wanted to personally bake him a cake. But the oven exploded during preheating. By the time he rushed to the hospital, he found my arm full of glass fragments. For the first time, he lost his composure, panicking as he held my face, his voice trembling. “You don’t need to do this for me… You can do without…” But even then, he never said he couldn’t bear to. Later, he proposed. I had assumed he did it out of a sliver of true emotion, willing to commit to me. I never imagined he only did it to appease his parents. Serena was the one he cherished, so much so that he was willing to let her go. The moment I saw their conversation, I knew this relationship should end. He was putting on a show for his parents; I was putting on a show for myself. But no matter how good the acting was, it was still a play. 04 Returning home from the news bureau, I dug out several camera bags from the deep recesses of the bookshelf. They held my deeply buried memories of the past. The feel of the camera casing was now unfamiliar, and the batteries had long since dried up. While waiting for the battery charger to do its work, I inserted the memory card into my computer. I opened those long-buried photos. The first was of a Black woman in a refugee camp waiting for cholera medicine. The second was of a five-year-old child soldier who was barely taller than his rifle. The third was of refugees in North Kivu living in shattered tents. … The smell of smoke and dust seemed to pierce through time and space. My heart felt gripped by a pair of sharp claws. I lay back in my chair, calming my soaring heart rate, and let out a light, self-deprecating laugh. I didn’t know if Colin would still put the words [Quiet and obedient] in my remarks column if he saw these. As I was thinking, my phone vibrated twice. It was a text from him. He sent the location of a restaurant. I suddenly remembered that he invited the bridesmaids and groomsmen for a small gathering tonight. I had no close family, so they were all Colin’s friends. However, I knew clearly that this was just an excuse for an invitation. Because today. Serena was back in the country. 05 I arrived at the restaurant. They had already finished ordering. Serena was sitting right next to Colin. There was no seat for me. When Serena saw me, she sized me up with keen interest. Then she directed me. “Go pull up a chair and sit anywhere!” I sat in the farthest position from them. Throughout the meal, Colin only watched everything indifferently. He didn’t say a single word. Someone asked: “Serena, we thought you wouldn’t make it back this time!” “Are you kidding? This is Colin getting married! I would return even if I had to crawl, just to see what kind of option he finally picked!” Several people exchanged meaningful glances. “That’s true. The relationship between you two is definitely not ordinary.” After that, they began asking Serena about her travels. By the time the main course arrived, she had finished telling stories about yellowfin tuna fishing in the Mediterranean, hiking the Camino de Santiago, and climbing the Uluru monolith in Australia. Their eyes were all shining. “Serena, you’re a girl! You actually dared to go to so many places!” “Humph! I’m not the kind of woman whose world consists only of groceries, a husband, and kids! “The brave enjoy the world first!” 06 Amidst the joyful and boisterous atmosphere, she was the center of attention. Colin sat beside her, rarely interjecting. However, his occasional side glances at her grew so tender that they seemed to drip with water. I silently downed half a shot of liquor. The back of my tongue was bitter with spiciness. Everything felt utterly meaningless. Serena had already moved on to the story of her recent dealings with scammers in Egypt. She suddenly turned her head and asked Colin. “Do you want to know how to say ‘dear’ in Arabic?” Colin paused and shook his head. “I’ll teach you!” Serena leaned against his shoulder, blowing air against his ear. “Habibi~” Colin helplessly straightened her up, his earlobes turning pink. “Sit properly…” “Hurry up and say it with me!” Unable to resist Serena’s persistence, he let out a sigh and obediently spoke. “Habibi…” “Bingo!” “Correct, you are my Habibi~” Her eyes swiveled, and she suddenly looked at me. “Have you ever been to Africa?” 07 Someone immediately sneered. “Look at her. Does she look like it? “Africa? She barely leaves the state line!” Even Colin had a mocking look, shaking his head. Serena narrowed her eyes, a victorious expression on her face. “That’s true. I asked the wrong person! “I should ask which nearby grocery store has the cheapest vegetables, or which brand of toilet bowl cleaner works best!” An outburst of laughter erupted from the table. She turned her head and started the next topic. I slowly clenched my fist. I think I was also somewhat drunk. Otherwise, how could I feel angry because of such clumsy provocation? “I have been,” I said softly. The voices at the dinner table quieted a bit. Serena tilted her head. “What?” “I have been to Africa.” A fleeting look of astonishment passed her face. But it quickly turned disdainful. “Oh, no need to be so vain, right? If you haven’t been, you haven’t been! “Lying is a bad look. It’s easily exposed.” “I’m not lying.” “Then tell us, where did you go? “Kenya? Morocco? Could it be South Africa?” She held her head high, seemingly certain I couldn’t answer. I stared at her. “Democratic Republic of the Congo.” 08 The air suddenly quieted. “…Where? Congo? What kind of place is that?” “Drank too much, right? Making up places now, haha!” “What normal person would go there? It’s a war zone…” The fire in my heart burned brighter. Besides me, there were many other people there! Doctors Without Borders, UN peacekeeping forces, aid construction teams… Are all of them not normal people? “I have not only been there, but I stayed there for an entire year. “I have seen them fighting for mineral resources, I have been to Ebola treatment centers, distributed relief food with UN personnel… “I was even shot!” The room was in dead silence. Everyone opened their mouths wide. “Also.” I swirled my drink in my hand. “There are no yellowfin tuna in the Mediterranean; they prefer tropical waters. The Camino de Santiago is not in Portugal; it starts in France to Spain. And the Uluru monolith has been forbidden to climb since 2019.” I narrowed my eyes. “Serena, lying is a bad look. It’s easily exposed.” 09 Her face instantly turned ghostly white. The puzzled and blank gazes of everyone swiped back and forth between us. Serena suddenly stood up, pretending to be brave. “She’s an orphan with no background! How could she have been to those places! “She’s lying!” I leaned on my hand and smiled. “Then show everyone your photos? “You went to so many places, you must have taken a few pictures, right?” “I… I…” “You wouldn’t happen to have zero photos, would you?” She became increasingly panicked and turned to Colin. “Colin! What’s wrong with your wife!! “Isn’t today my welcome banquet! How could you let her bully me like this! “Forget it. Since I’m so unwelcome, I’ll leave!” Saying so, she wiped her eyes and actually ran out. The scene immediately descended into turmoil. Others were so anxious that they pushed Colin. “Hurry up and chase her! What if she gets lost in the middle of the night!” Colin’s face turned black, he glared at me fiercely, and quickly walked out. Others also left their seats one after another. “Maya, we’ll leave first.” Someone lowered their voice. “How does she have the nerve to target Serena like this? Doesn’t she know she’s just taking up space?” “Jealousy! Serena is beautiful and worldly. What does Maya have?” “She made Serena mad, and in the end, her own fiancé ran out to comfort the other woman. Truly stupid!” They sneered as they walked away. The massive private room was instantly left with just me. I let out a silent scoff. Poured another shot for myself. Tilted my head and downed it. 10 Actually, Serena was right. I indeed haven’t been to those tourist spots. But the reason I knew she was lying was because of my mother. I wasn’t an orphan from birth. She was an international news correspondent, and later began to be stationed in war zones. In that era, women working abroad in combat zones while men raised children at home was considered outrageous. Neighbors always ridiculed me. “Your mother doesn’t want you anymore!” I clenched my fists to beat them, fiercely defending my dignity as a child, but I was only laughed at more relentlessly. When I was little, it was hard to see her even once. But she often sent letters bearing postmarks from all over the world. Writing about her life in great detail, with attached photos. My happiest childhood moments were sitting on my father’s knee and listening to him read her letters. Then I would outline the image of that dynamic woman correspondent in my heart. She said: [Maya, most women’s world is small, but the real world is vast. Wait until you grow up, you must see it personally. Only by seeing the world can you know what you truly want.] She was my eyes. At an age when I hadn’t even read many books, I got a glimpse of the world through her. But when I was five years old, she passed away in the line of duty. She was killed while exposing the massacre of civilians during the Kosovo War. The news bureau only recovered her camera. Inside, besides the precious video materials she swore to protect, there was also a photo of me. I don’t know when she took it. At that time, I didn’t understand what “killed” meant. But the neighbors who used to gossip at our door gloated. “See? Women who run off to seek glory never meet a good end!” After that, I was motherless, but I always remembered her advice. To see personally, to record personally this world. Only then do you know what you want. … This afternoon, I dug out my cameras. The oldest and most worn-out one was hers. The heat rushed to my brain, making me dizzy. I buried my face in my palms. “Mom, I miss you so much…” 11 The next morning. I was awakened by a splitting headache. I pried my eyes open, confused for a while, before realizing I was staring at the ceiling of my apartment. I didn’t even know how I got home yesterday. I got up to pour a glass of warm water. Colin was sitting in the living room, his face gloomy. “Is this how you act as a hostess?” I didn’t want to talk to him at all. I turned and walked toward the study. However, the desk was empty. I asked in a hoarse voice: “Where is my camera?” “I gave it to Serena.” I whipped around. He crossed his arms and sneered: “Didn’t you tell her to take a few more photos?” My brain struggled to process every word coming out of Colin’s mouth. He… he actually gave my mom’s camera to Serena? I suddenly smashed the water glass on the floor. I grabbed his collar. “How dare you touch my camera?! “HOW DARE YOU!!” Colin was startled. “Where is Serena now???” “Maya! Let go!” “WHERE IS SHE?!!” I hysterically ripped at his collar. The alcohol I drank last night all rushed out of my eyes in tears at this moment. Colin was suddenly stunned. “…At the Grand Plaza Hotel.” “Room number!!” “1103…” I shoved him away and rushed out the door. I drove like a maniac to the hotel. I ran directly to the 11th floor and kicked the door hard. “Get out here!!” After a moment, Serena furiously opened the door. “What kind of crazy are you pulling this early in the morning!” I rushed in. Sure enough, the camera was placed on the TV cabinet. I picked it up and prepared to leave, but Serena grabbed my arm. “That’s a gift Colin gave me! You have no right to take it back!” I turned around and slapped her across the face. “This is MINE! What gives you the right to take it!!” She was slapped into a daze. After a long second, she screamed: “You dare hit me!!” She lunged at me, crying and scratching. “You cheap bitch!! “You already stole my man! Now you want to steal the things he gives me too!!” During the scuffle, the fragile, old camera strap snapped in Serena’s grip. She grabbed the body of the camera and hurled it hard against the hardwood floor. CRACK. My brain instantly went blank. That camera. It shattered into several pieces right in front of my eyes. 12 Serena’s eyes held a ruthless triumph. “If I can’t have it, neither can you!!” A tsunami of despair and rage hit me. I grabbed Serena by her hair and used all my strength to slam her against the wall. Just one hit, and she bled. She screamed: “Help! Murder!!” The hotel room door was violently thrown open. Colin rushed in. Seeing Serena bleeding, his eyes widened with fury. He shoved me hard against the wall. “Maya! You’re crazy!!” Serena trembled behind him, touching her forehead, her legs shaking uncontrollably. “…Colin, I’m so scared.” I pushed him away and knelt on the ground. With trembling hands, I tried in vain to piece those fragments together. I didn’t care that the shattered glass was cutting my fingertips. But no matter how I tried, it wouldn’t fit. Colin grabbed my hand. “Calm down! “It’s broken! It can’t be fixed!” I shook violently, silently weeping tears of absolute devastation. He gritted his teeth. “It’s just a broken camera! I’ll buy you a new one! “Do you have to act like a lunatic over this?!” I bit through my lip. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. A broken camera. This was my mother’s only remaining relic in the world, and he called it a broken camera. I looked up, unable to restrain the towering hatred in my eyes. I abruptly slapped Colin across the face. The blood from my fingertips smeared across his cheek. “Colin, get out! “GET OUT!!!” Under his horrified gaze. I took off the engagement ring from my hand. And threw it hard into the trash can.

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