On the eve of my wedding, my fiancé died in a car crash. Everyone thought I couldn’t live without him, but I didn’t shed a single tear. Three years later, I ran into him again. “Without me, you’ve really hit rock bottom? Fine, for old times’ sake, I’ll give you one day a week to sleep with me.” I didn’t get angry. I just laughed. Had no one told him I was already married? And my husband is his father—the Mafia Don. **1** A guest complained about not having enough condoms in the room. Worried he’d hassle the housekeeper, I went to handle it myself. I pushed the slightly open door. Julian Shaw was sprawled on the sofa in a robe. Serena Rossi was snuggled against him in a silk nightgown. “Julian, you’ve been gone for three years. You really don’t need to check on Elena?” Julian sneered. “What’s the rush? After our engagement party, I’ll just throw some cash her way. With her stubborn personality, what else can she do?” “I’m just worried. Honestly, that woman Elena is so shameless. If she knew you were here, she’d probably be too shocked to speak, right?” She laughed softly, her voice dripping with mockery. “I heard she’s been living pretty rough these past three years, doing odd jobs everywhere. Just goes to show, without you, her life is completely ruined.” The room was thick with ridicule. No one bothered to hide their sarcasm. I was about to turn and leave when Serena looked up and spotted me standing in the doorway. She bolted upright, a flash of surprise crossing her face before turning into blatant mockery. “Oh, look who it is. Elena?!” Julian turned his head, too, looking me over with bleary eyes. I was wearing the hotel manager’s uniform, holding a work tablet. A sarcastic smirk twisted his lips. “What, working here? As a housekeeper?” He pushed Serena aside and walked closer. “Dressed like that… yeah, I guess it tracks. With where you’re at now, landing a job at this hotel is a real achievement. So, what, you found out Serena and I are staying here and came looking for me?” Serena came over, too. “Oh wow, she really is a hotel employee. Elena, it’s been three years. How did you end up… working in a place like this? No wonder Julian forgot about you. Looking like this now, who would even care?” I frowned, my hands clenching subconsciously. They were making me sick. But Julian mistook my reaction as me being stung by their romantic display. He looked smug. “Alright, don’t pull that face. If you still want to be with me, you’ll have to adapt to this new dynamic. Don’t worry, I’ll save one day a week just for you.” He paused, then added, “Since you work here, that makes it even more convenient.” Serena jumped in immediately, her voice dripping with schadenfreude. “Oh, Elena, look! Julian still has feelings for you. Even with his memory gone, he still holds a place for you in his heart, willing to give you one day a week! How much can you even make as a manager here? Why not just take care of Julian and me? Your life would be way better than before, right? Look at how pathetic you are. You’ve had enough of this miserable existence, haven’t you? You need to grab this chance!” Serena tsked a few times. “No helping it, Elena. We’ll just have to put you in a tough spot for now. After all, Julian loves me the most right now. But since you work here, we’ll visit often to ‘help’ your business.” Julian glanced at me dismissively. “What’s she got to be upset about? She was crazy in love with me before. She should be secretly grateful she even gets to see me now.” Hearing this, my heart twisted painfully. Julian was now so unrecognizable, he was a stranger to me. I remembered clearly how, years ago, he had loved me so deeply. Once, I was cornered in a secluded back alley. He dropped everything to come for me, taking a life-threatening knife wound meant for me. He almost didn’t make it. Back then, looking at his pale face and blood-soaked bandages in the hospital bed, my heart ached so much I couldn’t speak. I just called him an idiot. But he weakly grabbed my hand. “As long as you’re safe, my life is worth it.” The past was vivid in my mind, but reality was a different story. It turns out a person can change this much. I suppressed the churning emotions, and calmly revealed the wedding ring on my finger. “You’ve got the wrong person.” “And I’m already married.” **2** The room instantly went silent. Julian casually glanced at the wedding ring on my finger. “Married? To some guy doing odd jobs?” He scoffed. “Look at how pathetic you are. That ring’s probably from a flea market! What, you think this is enough to trigger my memory of you?” Without waiting, he shot up from the sofa and yanked the ring off my ring finger. Serena stepped closer, examining the wedding ring carefully. Suddenly, she burst out laughing. “Julian, why does this ring look so much like the ‘Eternal Hearts’ pair your father, Alexander, bid on at that French auction three years ago? Elena, don’t tell me the man you married is Mr. Shaw?” The idea was too absurd for them. After all, Alexander Shaw was the family’s true power, a man of cold, swift decisions, someone no one in the criminal world dared to offend. Yet, three years ago, this very man suddenly got married in a flash wedding to a mysterious woman, treasuring her to an extreme. For three years, no matter how the outside world dug, they couldn’t find a single trace of his wife or son. “Elena, you’re not going to say you’re that mysterious woman no one has been able to find for three years, are you?” Serena tossed the ring in the air and caught it, her voice still mocking. “This fake is a pretty good copy. Where’d you get it?” Her relentless mockery was grating on my nerves. “Don’t touch my ring. It’s real…” Before I could finish, Julian slapped me across the face, snapping my head to the side. A sharp, burning pain bloomed on my cheek. “Elena, have you lost your mind? You dare spread rumors about my father? Everyone knows how much he treasures his wife. Even I’ve never seen her face. You actually have the nerve to impersonate her? Who gave you the guts?!” I licked my dry lips and slowly turned my head, meeting Julian’s gaze. Maybe my stare was too intimidating, because Julian frowned. Serena wasn’t having it. She pointed a finger in my face and yelled, “Elena, how can you be so heartless? Julian already promised you one day a week. You don’t appreciate it, and now you dare to impersonate someone? Everyone in our circles knows Mr. Shaw’s biggest taboo is his mysterious wife. Are you trying to get him to turn on Julian? How can you be so malicious!” Hearing this, I felt dazed. Once, Serena had been my best friend. We went to school together, job-hunted together. Until I started dating Julian. She suddenly changed, constantly trying to smear my image and drive a wedge between Julian and me. But back then, Julian never believed her. He even severely punished her for her malicious slander. Now, the man who once defended me most fiercely was standing with Serena. He held Serena’s hand and threw a wad of cash hard in my face. “Enough, stop pretending. For old times’ sake, I won’t hold this against you. Look at your pathetic state. This money should last you a while.” The sharp edges of the bills cut my face, tiny beads of blood surfacing. I ignored them, just staring fixedly at Julian. An inexplicable flicker of guilt and panic crossed his face. Seeing this, I let out a scoff and bent down. The guilt and panic on Julian’s face faded, replaced by sarcasm again. “I thought you actually had some backbone…” His words stopped mid-sentence. Under Julian’s stunned gaze, I found the ring among the scattered cash. Julian froze, blocking my path before I could leave. “Why are you still pretending? Any single bill on the floor could buy dozens of your cheap rings!” His expression was complicated. Looking closely, I could even see a trace of anger. I ignored his emotional shift and slapped his hand away hard. Julian’s hand froze in mid-air, his teeth grinding audibly. “Fine, you’ve really grown some nerve. The poorer you get, the bigger your temper. Tomorrow night, there’s a private dinner on the hotel’s top floor. My father will attend with his wife. If you have the guts, come!” At the mention of the dinner, Serena’s eyes lit up. She quickly added, “Maybe she’s scared of being exposed and won’t dare to show up.” I didn’t want to engage with them anymore. I turned and strode away, leaving one last sentence behind. “I’ll be there tomorrow night. I hope you’ll still be this confident then.” **3** I rushed out of the hotel, and breathing in the fresh air, the nausea churning in my stomach finally subsided. I took out my phone and replayed the video I’d received three years ago. In the footage, the man intimately held Serena, laughing lazily and carelessly. “Elena is too boring. Though I love her, she can’t give me the thrill I want.” “This faked death… once I’ve had my fun, I’ll go back. She’s the type you settle down with. But with this stunt I’m pulling, knowing her personality, she might do something stupid like hurt herself. You guys have to keep an eye on her.” The day I got the death certificate, I did think about ending it all. It was his friends who kept stopping me, preventing me from doing anything drastic. Looking back now, their twisted sobs were clearly them struggling to hold back laughter. I put away my phone and looked out at the dim streetlights outside the hotel. Regardless of whether Julian was alive or dead, he had no place in my heart, not since three years ago. The next evening, I held my son Leo’s hand and arrived at the Shaw estate as promised. The moment Julian saw us, mother and son, enter the banquet hall, his tense expression instantly relaxed, replaced by undisguised mockery. I looked away, holding Leo’s hand steadily, planning to take our seats. But someone tripped me hard. Shielding Leo, I crashed into a server’s tray. The tray, carrying a bottle of vintage red wine and several crystal glasses, smashed to the floor. Scarlet wine and glass shards splattered all over me, ruining my designer dress instantly. A few pieces of broken glass cut Leo’s exposed calf, and he winced in pain. The shards cut my face and arms, blood trickling from my forehead. The hall erupted in chaos, all eyes on us. Wine blurred my vision. I struggled to get up, but before I could steady myself, someone shoved me hard again. Serena’s furious voice rang out from above. “Elena, what is your problem? We invited you to a family gathering, and not only do you have zero manners, you deliberately knock over such expensive wine, and you bring a fatherless, ill-mannered brat to cause trouble! Can’t you stand seeing us happy?!” Many people were at this dinner, most having heard that Alexander Shaw would appear with his mysterious wife. They were all eager to curry favor with Julian. “Some people really have no shame, daring to bully the Shaws. Making a scene at Mr. Shaw’s family dinner and bringing a child of unknown origin. Let’s see how she gets out of this!” “Hey, look at that ring on her finger. Doesn’t it look just like the ‘Eternal Hearts’ ring Mr. Shaw paid a fortune for three years ago? How dare this woman!” “Everyone knows Mr. Shaw loves his wife deeply. Daring to blatantly pose as an imposter at an event like this, and with a burden whose father is a mystery, she’s really asking for death!” Julian heard these comments, too. His chest heaved with rage, his eyes looking ready to spit fire. He glared viciously at Leo, who was clinging tightly to my clothes, scared pale. “Elena, you’re just a walking disaster! I was blind to have ever liked you. Still wearing that fake, shabby ring, and you had a bastard with some random man. Are you waiting for my father to get here and deal with you personally?!” Without another word, he walked straight towards me and stomped down on my left ring finger, grinding it hard. A piercing pain shot from my finger, straight to my heart. It felt like thousands of blades stabbing my heart. Seeing me struggle, Serena immediately called for people to hold me down. In an instant, I couldn’t move. Crying, Leo tried to come to me but was shoved aside impatiently by a man. Wine blurred my vision. I wanted to fight back but couldn’t. Finally, I could only shout in fury: “Alexander Shaw is my husband! Let go of my son!” Julian burst out laughing at this, as if hearing the most ridiculous joke. His foot twisted cruelly, the tip of his shoe nearly snapping my ring finger off. “Your son? Just an unwanted bastard! Now you’re still trying to play the imposter? When my father gets here, how will you explain yourself? He loves his wife so much, just wait for your death!” Seeing Julian was beyond reason, I felt despair. I used all my strength to break free, but I was pinned down. Leo’s cries and the crowd’s mockery of “bastard” constantly pierced my eardrums. I gritted my teeth in my heart. When the time comes, I won’t let a single one of these people off the hook! Julian pressed down again with his foot. The distinct sound of bone snapping was heard. I grunted in pain, but suddenly, my whole body felt light. The people holding me down had let go. Everyone ignored me, quickly getting up to fix their appearance, their gazes eagerly fixed ahead. The butler opened the banquet hall doors. Alexander Shaw, alone, walked in with a calm expression. **4** Alexander strode forward alone. Serena immediately approached him, holding a plate of pastries. “Mr. Shaw, are you looking for your wife and son?” She wore an eager, attentive smile. Alexander glanced at her distantly, not answering directly. His gaze swept the room, as if searching for something. Seeing Alexander, Julian enthusiastically went to greet him. “You’re finally here. I’ve missed you so much all these years! Oh, right, why didn’t your wife and son come with you?” Alexander looked at Julian with detached coolness, his voice flat. “I had unfinished business abroad and came back a bit later. She returned to the country three days ago. You should have met her. She said she’d come find you beforehand. Did you not meet?” Julian was stunned, a look of surprise flashing across his face. “No, no one has come to see me in the past three days. I haven’t met your wife… or son.” Getting no response, Alexander’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Serena stepped forward at this moment, smiling gently. “Mr. Shaw, don’t worry. Your wife and son might just be delayed by something on the way. But… we have a bad woman here impersonating your wife, and she even brought a child pretending to be your son. Would you like to take a look?” Some guests eager to flatter Alexander chimed in, “Yes, Mr. Shaw, you have no idea how arrogant this woman is. Even knowing you were about to arrive, she still claimed to be your wife, and said that child was your son. Holding a shabby ring, did she think we couldn’t tell the difference?” Julian also stepped forward at this moment. “Rest assured, I’ve already severely punished this person. I broke her finger and threw away the ring. No one can impersonate your wife. You can be at ease!” “Embarrassingly, I actually know this person. I even had a past with her. I don’t know why I was so blind back then to choose someone so despicable, so vain, trying to put on a show as Mrs. Shaw.” “She probably wanted to use me to get close to you and rise to riches. But of course, I couldn’t give her that chance. Everyone knows how deeply you love your wife. Once, someone simply said a bad word about her, and you put that person in an oil drum filled with cement and sank him into the sea. We all see your love for your wife. I absolutely won’t allow anyone to damage her image!” Alexander’s expression changed the moment Julian mentioned having a past relationship with me. The more he listened, the darker his face became, until finally, he let out a cold laugh. “What’s the name of this person you’re talking about?” Julian thought Alexander was angry at me and ready to settle the score. He glanced at me, huddled in a corner, barely alive. My dress was still stained with wine, looking utterly disheveled. Leo was curled up beside me, his little face covered in tear tracks, a bloody scratch on his leg. Julian loudly announced: “This person is my ex-girlfriend, Elena.”

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My CEO husband asked me to go to the airport and bring him the underwear he needed for his business trip. I got in the car right away and arrived within thirty minutes. His friend praised me. “A wife really is more virtuous than a mistress.” I froze for a second, then asked, “Does he have a mistress?” His friends all fell silent, panic flashing through their eyes. But my husband smiled and pulled me into his arms. “Don’t listen to their nonsense. You’re the only one I love!” Looking at how calm and innocent my husband seemed, I smiled. But after they boarded the plane, I called my mafia stepbrother. “Victor Hale cheated on me. Kill him.” On the other end of the line, my stepbrother Adrian Cross went silent for three seconds. “Serena, is that true? Didn’t you once say he was the best man in the world?” I took the wedding ring off my ring finger, and the diamond dug painfully into my palm. “After ten years of marriage, every tie he owns was an Hermès tie I personally picked out. But today, he was wearing a cheap knockoff Mickey Mouse tie. Help me hire the best lawyer. I’m going to expose his tax evasion records from all these years, and I’m getting a divorce.” Adrian agreed without hesitation. “Okay.” Half an hour later, my phone received an encrypted file. When I opened the first photo, I saw Victor with his arm around a young, beautiful woman. It was the secretary who had been following Victor around. She was even wearing a T-shirt with a Mickey Mouse logo on it. I did not hesitate and drove straight to the company.

A few minutes later, the woman named Lily Vale ran out. The moment she saw me, her face turned pale with fright, and she instinctively hid her hand behind her back. But I still saw the pink diamond ring on her ring finger, the size of a pigeon egg. It was almost identical to the ring Victor had used to propose to me back then. No, my diamond was not even as big as hers. I let out a scoff and said directly, “Ms. Vale’s husband has taste pretty similar to my husband’s. Even the wedding rings have the same design.” When Lily heard my words, she trembled in fear, and her red lips opened and closed for a long while before she stammered, “Yeah… maybe men all have similar taste.” Her fingers, clenched around the hem of her shirt, had turned white. “Enough. Stop pretending. You’re Victor’s mistress, aren’t you?” When she saw me lay it all out, Lily trembled even harder, panicking beyond control. “Please don’t misunderstand. Mr. Hale just got drunk once, and I only took care of him that one time. Mr. Hale’s friends misunderstood.” After saying that, she even gave me an exaggerated ninety-degree bow. She looked so wronged and pitiful that if I had not seen the way she seduced Victor, I might really have been fooled by her. I sneered. “What are you pretending for? When you were flaunting your love all over social media, why didn’t you think that I, his actual wife, might find out?” Half a month ago, she posted a video on social media. Victor was buying a yacht. Her caption read, [A man’s money is where his love is.] At that time, I was at home with a fever so high I passed out. I called Victor and asked him to take me to the hospital. He panicked for a moment, but the next second, his voice turned hoarse, as if he were holding something back. “Serena, I’ll have the driver take you there. I have something urgent here and can’t leave.” An hour later, I developed pneumonia from the fever and was being rescued in the hospital. But she posted a photo of herself lying on the deck, the woman wearing a sexy bikini decorated with ambiguous red marks, while the man’s abs were sharply defined. The caption read, [On our new yacht, swaying with the person I love most until the end of time.] When Victor arrived, his shirt was soaked. He collapsed by my bedside, his eyes red. Back then, I naively thought he felt sorry for me, but it turned out that was just guilt after cheating. For no reason, I only felt disgusted that trash like this was even worth Victor betraying me for. Too lazy to look at her wronged, pitiful expression any longer, I turned and left. But as soon as I got into the car, Victor called me. The moment I answered, his tone was panicked. “Why did you suddenly think of coming to the company?” “What? The company is mine too. Am I not allowed to come?” Sitting in the car, I asked back calmly. “I just happened to pass by and came to take a look. Is there something you’re afraid I’ll find out?” Victor seemed not to have expected me to ask that. His breathing suddenly stopped, and after a few seconds of silence, his tone softened, carrying his usual coaxing sweetness. “Serena, what nonsense are you talking about?” “What could I possibly be hiding from you? The office was just too messy, and if you were coming, I would have had someone clean it up first.” “Besides, how could I ever betray you? Check anything you want.” Hearing that, I felt a little confused. Lily had actually not told him that I had confronted her. I flipped through the evidence while listening to him make excuses. There were over a thousand pieces of evidence about his affair, and every single one was related to Victor cheating. On our tenth wedding anniversary last year, he used a business trip overseas as an excuse and said he could not call me, but in reality, he was watching penguins in Antarctica with Lily. When my father was critically ill, I called him more than thirty times, and he did not pick up once, because at the time, he was celebrating Lily’s cat’s birthday. I could not believe a man like this had fooled me for so long. “I believe you. I just want to know what’s going on with the diamond ring on your secretary’s hand. Why is it exactly like mine?”

When I brought it up first, Victor actually breathed a sigh of relief. His voice moved closer to the receiver, carrying a deliberately crafted intimacy. “Lily won it at the company’s annual party.” He paused, then added, “Although it’s the same style as yours, hers is fake. I forgot to tell you back then, so don’t mind it.” He forgot, huh? Then his memory must be pretty terrible. Not only did he forget to tell me about that, he also forgot that they went to the penthouse suite of a hotel that same night. And he forgot that they stayed there for three days and three nights. I sneered inwardly. “Why didn’t you come home the night of the annual party?” His eyes panicked. “I got drunk that day. Don’t you hate it most when I drink? I was afraid the smell would bother you, so I asked Lily to take me to a hotel.” “She sure is enthusiastic. She knew you had a wife, yet she still dared to take you to a hotel.” Victor clearly paused on the other end, his breathing skipping half a beat, before he laughed it off. “Right? Girls these days are pretty bold. But I really only treat her as a subordinate.” “Look at you, always getting suspicious. You’re the only one in my heart.” His voice moved closer to the receiver, carrying a deliberately crafted intimacy. “When I’m done with this busy stretch, I’ll take you to the Maldives for a makeup vacation, okay? Just the two of us.” That tenderness once would have made my heart soften, but now, I only felt disgusted. “Sure.” I looked at the neon lights flashing past outside the window, my tone as calm as if I were talking about the weather. “But take care of your serious business first. Don’t let me delay you.” “Nothing matters more than spending time with you.” Victor’s voice was full of eager appeasement, but my heart only grew colder. It was not because Victor had betrayed me and cheated. It was because I could not understand how I had let them act right under my nose for so long. My grip on the steering wheel tightened, and I forced down the urge to confront Victor right then. I wanted him to admit his relationship with Lily with his own mouth, then ruin both of them completely. I gave a few perfunctory replies and hung up. Less than two days later, Lily’s social media account updated again. In the video, she wore a Chanel haute couture wedding gown, her eyes and brows full of joy. “A homewrecker came to make trouble a few days ago, and to make it up to me, Mr. Hale is finally going to marry me.” “I only said I wanted a seaside wedding, and he actually bought an entire island for me.” She curled her lips, and the camera casually swept over the island ownership documents. “He said this will be our home from now on, and no one can take it away.” “And he even insisted on giving me one billion dollars so I could build an amusement park and a resort hotel on the island.” “I’m such a silly little thing and don’t know anything about business, but Mr. Hale said that as long as I’m happy, it doesn’t matter how much money we lose.” Looking at the ownership certificate in the video that had my name on it, rage surged straight up inside me. That island was a birthday gift from my stepbrother! Victor had actually taken my island to hold a wedding for his little mistress! Fine, they wanted to get married? Then I wanted to see how he and the other woman would get married right in front of his actual wife!

I took a private jet to the island overnight. When the old butler on the island saw me, surprise flashed through his eyes. “Miss, why are you here? Didn’t you say you were lending this island to Mr. Hale for a banquet today? You even transferred away all the island’s security team and servants.” Hearing that, rage surged in me. I was just about to answer when Victor’s call came in. “Honey, I’m in an international conference right now, and I’ll fly back to keep you company when I’m done.” Before I could reply, a sweet, cloying female voice faintly came from the other end. “Victor, do I look pretty in this lingerie?” The next second, Victor covered the phone and walked away. “I have to go. The meeting is starting.” Almost at the same time, more than a dozen luxury yachts under my name appeared at the island dock. Countless people I had never seen before got off, were guided into the estate on the island, and took their seats, while I also found a remote seat and sat down. Once everything was ready, Lily appeared in a fiery red haute couture gown, looking every bit like a petty person drunk on sudden success. “Let me introduce myself. I am the new owner of this private island, Lily Vale.” “Mr. Hale said that from now on, this bay, the dock, the villas, and even this entire stretch of sea are all under my control!” “To celebrate, all yachts and ocean activities are free today, as my welcome gift to everyone!” Free? How generous of her. The island’s annual maintenance costs alone reached hundreds of millions. Just the superyachts docked at the private pier were worth over a hundred million each. Some guests could not rent them even if they wanted to. The old butler had watched me grow up, and when he heard that, he was so furious he could barely contain himself. “When did this island become hers?” “And Victor Hale actually found a mistress behind your back! Does he have a death wish?” Seeing that the butler was about to rush out, I quickly shook my head, because now was not the time to expose her. I wanted to wait until Victor personally admitted his relationship with Lily, then ruin both of them completely. Just then, the estate doors opened again, and Victor walked in wearing a haute couture suit. Seeing him, Lily immediately threw herself into his arms, smiling as she held his arm and swayed it. “Victor, I told you this brand’s clothes fit you best.” Victor’s eyes clearly froze, but he still nodded without changing his expression. The rage in my heart almost burst into flames. The founder of this brand was my family’s sworn enemy. Back then, my father was set up by them and literally died from rage because of it. Victor knew this, but now, he had slapped me in the face in public. Just as I could no longer hold back and wanted to rush out, Victor’s friends all surrounded him. “Victor, look at Lily. She’s so young, beautiful, lively, and charming!” “Lily, our Victor gives you a private island worth tens of billions as soon as he makes a move. Where else in the world could you find such a good man?” “From now on, this winery belongs to the Vale family. How are you going to thank Victor?” Amid their teasing laughter, Lily lowered her head with a shy blush. Just then, the wine steward who came to serve wine spoke in confusion. “What do you mean it belongs to the Vale family? Didn’t you borrow this from my young lady?” As soon as those words came out, the guests at the scene looked at each other and began whispering. “What’s going on?” “I’ve only heard that this island belongs to Mrs. Hale, but isn’t Mrs. Hale’s last name Cross?” “Huh? Then if her last name is Vale, could she be some fake who came out of nowhere?” Anger was already on the wine steward’s face. “Mr. Hale, how could you do something like this behind Miss’s back?” As he spoke, he moved to take out his phone and call me. The next second, the bodyguards behind Victor swarmed forward and forced the wine steward to his knees. Victor’s gaze swept coldly over everyone present. “Tear his mouth open and let him understand the price of running his mouth.” His voice was not loud, but it carried the ruthlessness of someone who had spent years in a high position, and the banquet hall instantly fell silent. Victor did not even lift his eyelids as his fingertips casually stroked Lily’s face. “Lily is the real Mrs. Hale! Serena Cross is nothing but a maid in my house.” A maid? I was so angry I almost laughed. It seemed Victor had really forgotten who had pushed him step by step into the position where countless people looked up to him. Since that was the case, he could not blame me for being ruthless!

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On the day of the engagement rehearsal, I saw my name erased from the main screen and replaced with another woman’s. Lily Carter spun in the spotlight. “Do I look good?” “Ethan said the main image looked too soft, but when I stand in front of it, I can hold the whole vibe together.” The staff laughed along with her, and not a single person stopped her. I called Ethan Grant, and his tone was flat. “Lily is just helping with the test shoot.” “You just got to New York, so don’t start throwing a tantrum the second you arrive.” The call ended, and the spotlight was still on. On the main screen, Lily Carter’s name overlapped with the tulip pattern my mother had drawn by hand, like a replacement that had been written in advance. I raised my hand and turned off that light. “I’m here, so the rehearsal starts over.” I said to the man on the other end of the line, “Goodbye, I’m going to marry a different man.” Claire Hayes POV On the day of the engagement rehearsal, I saw my name erased from the main engagement screen and replaced with another woman’s. It was a main image of tulips, and the tulip pattern in the corner had been finalized by my mother herself, with my name written in the corner of the draft. Before I came back from overseas, my mother told me that the Grant family in New York had plenty of rules, and the engagement did not need to be extravagant, but my first appearance could not let anyone look down on me. I never expected that the person who looked down on me would first take my place. In the center of the banquet hall, Lily Carter was standing under the spotlight, filming a pre-engagement video, and the main screen behind her showed her name and Ethan Grant’s name. Around her stood photographers, makeup artists, and hotel coordinators, and everyone called her “Miss Carter,” while someone even whispered that Mr. Grant truly spoiled her, since he was willing to let her film with his fiancée’s main engagement visual first. I stopped at the doorway and did not rush to speak. Lily Carter saw me through the mirror and deliberately spun around. “Do I look good?” “Ethan said the main image looked too soft, but when I stand in front of it, I can hold the whole vibe together.” Her voice was not loud, but it was just enough for the people around her to hear. The hotel coordinator glanced at me, and when he saw my simple trench coat, his attitude instantly became perfunctory. “Miss, the hall is not open to the public today, so if you’re looking for someone, please register at the front desk.” I looked at Lily Carter’s name on the main screen. “Take her image down.” The room fell silent at once. Lily Carter seemed startled and took half a step back, but her fingers gripped the cue card in her hand even tighter. “Who are you?” “You barge in and tell me to turn off the main screen?” “Can just anyone walk into the Grant family’s engagement venue in New York now?” Someone laughed along with her. I ignored everyone else and only asked the coordinator, “Who approved this main visual?” The coordinator grew impatient after being questioned. “Of course it was arranged by Mr. Grant’s side.” “Miss Carter is Mr. Grant’s close family friend, and she is also the one in charge of the test shoot tonight.” “If you’re just some passerby or freelance photographer, please leave.” Lily Carter smiled even more sweetly. “Don’t make things hard for her.” “Maybe she saw the engagement news online and misunderstood, thinking she had a chance to marry into the Grant family too.” Once she said that, the laughter in the hall became even more obvious. I took out my phone and called Ethan Grant. After the call connected, I asked only one question. “Did you let Lily Carter use my name to shoot the engagement video?” The other end of the phone went quiet for a moment. Ethan Grant’s voice was cold. “Claire Hayes?” “You’re at the hotel?” “I’m asking you whether you let her shoot it.” “It’s just one image.” Ethan Grant’s tone carried irritation at being disturbed. “Lily is helping test-shoot the materials, and the staff are rushing to meet the schedule.” “You just got back to New York, and you don’t understand how things are arranged here, so don’t start causing trouble the moment you arrive.” I looked at Lily Carter’s smug eyes in the mirror and suddenly laughed. “So I, the fiancée, should thank her for shooting my engagement video for me?” Ethan Grant was silent for a moment. “don’t come in here making a scene.” “Lily isn’t in good health, so don’t embarrass her in public.” “I’ll be there soon.” The call ended. Lily Carter lifted her chin like she had won a round. “Did you hear that?” “Ethan told you not to embarrass me.” I put away my phone, walked to the front of the main stage, and raised my hand to turn off that spotlight. The moment the light went out, the entire banquet hall dimmed by half. I looked at Lily Carter, and my voice was steady. “I’m here, so the rehearsal starts over.” “As for you, take down the name that doesn’t belong to you first.” Before I returned to New York, I had seen photos of Ethan Grant. My mother placed the documents in front of me and said the Grant family had been fairly stable in New York these years, and Ethan Grant himself was not an heir who only knew how to live off family money. At the time, I did not have much of an opinion. I had no fairy-tale expectations for marriage, and if two families could respect each other, getting engaged first and then getting to know each other was not completely unacceptable. But respect was never something written in documents. It showed itself in a person’s first reaction. For example, Ethan Grant clearly knew tonight was the engagement rehearsal, yet he let another woman stand onstage in my name. For example, when the staff saw the fiancée arrive, their first reaction was not to verify my identity, but to treat me like an outsider who had barged in. I had seen plenty of arrogance overseas, but this kind of contempt dressed up as intimacy still shocked me. The camera was still on, and the screen showed the clip Lily Carter had just filmed in real time. Facing the camera, she said, “Ethan and I can’t wait for everyone to come witness this,” and her tone was so intimate that she sounded like the real Mrs. Grant. I glanced at it and asked the photographer, “Where is this clip going to be posted?” The photographer said quietly, “The Grant wedding account, and the hotel’s partner promotion account.” Lily Carter’s expression changed slightly, and she rushed to speak first. “It’s just a test line, and it’ll be changed in post-production.” I looked at her. “Why wasn’t my name in the test line?” This question was far more deadly than fighting over an image. Only then did the people around us realize that Lily Carter had not just taken a main image, but had taken my place in front of the Grant family and their guests ahead of me.

Claire Hayes POV Lily Carter’s eyes immediately turned red. She was too good at controlling this kind of situation and knew exactly when to be arrogant and when to act weak. Once the spotlight went out, she looked as if I had bullied her terribly, clutching the cue card while her voice trembled. “I was only helping test the effect, so do you really have to humiliate me like this?” The hotel coordinator hurried over to support her. “Miss Carter, please don’t panic.” I glanced at the coordinator. “This main visual has a custom archive, a signature, a tulip pattern, and delivery records, all of which can be checked.” “She used my name and my main visual to shoot engagement materials, so who approved it?” The coordinator’s expression shifted, but he still forced himself to hold his ground. “Mr. Grant’s side said that the event site should follow Miss Carter’s opinions.” “Ethan Grant is the engagement partner, not the owner of the main visual and the signature,” I said. “Whoever paid you is the person you should answer to.” Lily Carter bit her lip. “You’re so harsh.” “Ethan always says I’m one of the Grant family, so what’s wrong with me helping him?” “Besides, you haven’t even married into the family yet, but you’re already in such a hurry to claim things.” “Isn’t that a little petty?” Someone nearby chimed in. “Miss Carter has known Mr. Grant for so many years, so of course their relationship is different.” “I heard Mr. Grant’s family arranged this marriage, and he might not even want it himself.” “Even so, she can’t come in and force someone to turn off the main screen right away.” “That’s so rude.” Listening to those words, I calmed down instead. Growing up overseas did not mean I had never seen this kind of scene. The more semi-public the occasion was, the more people wanted to step on me to test the Grant family’s attitude. Since Lily Carter dared to replace this main visual today, it clearly was not a sudden impulse, but a plan to firmly claim the position of “the woman Ethan Grant favors most” before the engagement. Footsteps sounded at the door. Ethan Grant walked in, followed by several members of the Grant family. He wore a dark suit, and he did have striking looks, but the impatience between his brows was just as clear. The moment Lily Carter saw him, tears immediately fell. “Ethan, I didn’t know she would mind this much.” “I only wanted to help you finish the pre-engagement video, but as soon as she arrived, she told me to take down the image.” Ethan Grant frowned and looked at me. “You just came back to New York, and you have to make things this ugly?” I asked, “Did all of this start with me, or with the person who took the wrong place?” Ethan Grant’s voice sank. “Lily is not an outsider.” “She grew up with me, she’s not in good health, and everyone has always accommodated her.” “If you’re going to join the Grant family in the future, the first thing you need to learn is how to get along with her.” I almost laughed out loud. “I’m joining the Grant family to get engaged to my fiancé, not to learn how to serve his mistress.” “Claire Hayes!” Ethan Grant’s expression turned completely cold. “Watch your words.” Lily Carter looked as if she had suffered the greatest injustice in the world and hid behind Ethan Grant. “Forget it, I won’t shoot anymore.” “Anyway, I’m not the real fiancée, so I’m not even worthy of helping you test a shot.” She shoved the cue card into Ethan Grant’s hand, but her feet remained in the spotlight as she waited for Ethan Grant to speak for me. Sure enough, Ethan Grant stopped her. “You don’t need to leave.” He looked at me. “Let Lily finish shooting this set of clips.” “If you’re upset, I’ll have someone send you another set tonight.” I stared at him for a few seconds. I suddenly felt that when my mother arranged this marriage for me, she probably had not expected the Grant heir to be stupid enough to put his favoritism on display in front of the main screen at the engagement rehearsal. I picked up the engagement schedule booklet from the table and tore off the cover with Ethan Grant’s name and mine on it. “No need to send anything,” I said. “I’m not going through with this engagement.” When Ethan Grant said, “Lily is not an outsider,” I suddenly understood. This was not about who owned an image, but about the position the Grant family had drawn for me in advance. Lily Carter could cross boundaries, test limits, and stand in my place while everyone coaxed her. Meanwhile, I, the real fiancée, had to learn to give way the moment I walked through the door. I looked at Ethan Grant. “If a different man replaced your name today, would you also say he wasn’t an outsider?” Ethan Grant’s expression darkened. “Why are you comparing Lily to a man?” “She’s different.” “What makes her different?” I asked. “So different that she can shoot my engagement materials for me?” “So different that you can demand I give up the spotlight to her at my own engagement party?” The quiet murmurs around us slowly stopped. Only then did many people realize that I was not throwing a tantrum. I was asking whether the Grant family still knew where the line was. Ethan Grant did not answer that question. After all, I had looked into him, and he was used to Lily Carter occupying a special place in his life. She could enter his office, use his driver, pick food at the Grant family dinner table, and before he got engaged to another woman, take away the most important thing with a single line about “helping.” Taken separately, those things did not seem serious. But as I stood there, I suddenly exposed the meaning behind them. Ethan Grant was unwilling to admit it, so he could only accuse me of making a fuss over nothing. I saw through his avoidance and instead stopped being anxious. “You don’t have to figure it out now.” “When you truly do, I probably won’t need to hear it anymore.”

Claire Hayes POV Ethan Grant looked as if he had heard a joke. “What did you say?” I threw the torn-off cover into the trash. “I said the engagement is canceled.” The staff in the banquet hall were all stunned. Several Grant relatives’ expressions changed, and someone immediately lowered their voice to advise Ethan Grant. “Ethan, don’t let this blow up.” “The Hayes family hasn’t arrived yet.” But Ethan Grant was angered by my attitude. “Claire Hayes, the engagement is not something you can decide on your own.” Ethan Grant lowered his voice. “Apologize to Lily now, and I can pretend this never happened.” I asked back, “She used my name to shoot my engagement materials, and I’m supposed to apologize to her?” Lily Carter sobbed and said, “I really didn’t know the main screen was supposed to use your name.” “Ethan only said there would be a test shoot tonight, and I thought it was a sample prepared by the hotel.” What an interesting thing to say. I looked at her. “You didn’t know?” “The corner of the tulip main image draft has my name on it, and the framed border even has a signature card for me.” “Did you not see it before you started shooting, Miss Carter?” Lily Carter’s face turned slightly pale. But Ethan Grant grew impatient. “She doesn’t understand details like that.” “Claire Hayes, you keep clinging to one image, and it makes you look petty.” “Petty?” I nodded. “Then the Grant family’s engagement really isn’t worth much.” Ethan Grant stepped forward and reached out to grab my wrist. I avoided him. “Don’t touch me.” Lily Carter suddenly cried out, and her entire body fell backward, knocking over a glass of red wine, and the deep red liquid splashed across the draft of the tulip main image. “Claire, if you didn’t want me to shoot, I could have taken it down, so why did you push me?” She clutched her wrist, and tears came the moment she wanted them. I looked at that red wine stain, and my gaze turned completely cold. This tulip main image was my mother’s heartfelt gift to me, yet it was not enough for Lily Carter to take it away, and she had to destroy it with her own hands too. Ethan Grant held Lily Carter and could not suppress his anger. “Claire Hayes, you’ve gone too far!” “Mr. Grant.” A calm male voice came from the doorway. “There are surveillance cameras here, so do you want to see what happened clearly before you scold her?” I turned around. Adrian Lawson stood by the door, with the Hayes family’s legal team behind him. He had his coat draped over his arm, and when his gaze landed on the stained tulip main image draft, his expression also turned cold. “Miss Hayes, Ms. Hayes is on her way,” he said. “She asked me to come pick you up first.” Someone in the banquet hall whispered, “Ms. Hayes?” “Which Ms. Hayes?” Adrian Lawson did not answer and only walked to my side. “Are you all right?” I shook my head. “I’m fine.” “The main visual draft is not.” Ethan Grant frowned. “And who are you?” Adrian Lawson looked at him, his tone so polite it was almost sharp. “Miss Hayes’s legal counsel.” “All future correspondence between the Grant family and Miss Hayes regarding this engagement must run through me exclusively.” Adrian Lawson’s arrival was not exactly sudden. On the day I returned to New York, Vivian Hayes had given me his contact information, saying that the situation in New York was complicated, and if I encountered anything that made me uncomfortable, I could contact Adrian Lawson first. At the time, I even laughed at my mother for being too cautious. Only now did I realize my mother did not distrust the Grant family, but understood human nature too well. Adrian Lawson did not rush in like a hero saving the day and argue on my behalf. He first confirmed whether I was hurt, then had his assistant secure the surveillance footage and the main visual modification records. Every step was steady, so steady that Ethan Grant could not find a gap to gloss things over with the word “misunderstanding.” I looked at the document envelope he handed me, and the fire in my heart calmed instead. Anger could make me turn away, but evidence could make the other side shut up. Ethan Grant stared at Adrian Lawson, his tone carrying a warning. “Claire Hayes is my fiancée, and her affairs do not need an outsider’s involvement.” Adrian Lawson was not provoked. “The engagement has not been completed, and the engagement contract has not taken effect.” “Even if we take a step back and say the engagement contract had taken effect, that still would not mean Miss Hayes had lost the right to independently retain counsel.” His words were too calm, so calm that they made Ethan Grant even more embarrassed. I looked at Ethan Grant. “See, even my hiring a lawyer feels offensive to you.” “How could I dare marry someone like that?” For a moment, Ethan Grant was speechless. Lily Carter still wanted to cry, but Adrian Lawson had already asked his assistant to pull up the surveillance screenshot of the moment she stepped back and knocked over the wineglass. The footage froze on the second her foot moved backward on its own, and all her grievances looked ridiculous.

Claire Hayes POV Ethan Grant did not know Adrian Lawson, but he should have heard of the Lawson family. Everyone in New York commercial litigation knew that Adrian Lawson was young, steady, and best at turning words into knives for his clients. When Ethan Grant realized I had not come alone, his expression finally changed. But Lily Carter still did not understand the situation. She looked at the wine-splashed corner of the image and spoke in a weak voice. “Ethan, did I cause a huge problem?” “Why don’t I kneel down and apologize to Claire, as long as she doesn’t blame you?” Ethan Grant immediately frowned. “Don’t say nonsense.” I felt sick listening to it. Adrian Lawson asked his assistant to retrieve the surveillance footage and then asked the hotel manager to come over. The manager had been hiding the whole time, and only when he heard “the Hayes family’s lawyer” did he rush over, his forehead covered in sweat. “Miss Hayes, today was indeed a failure in our on-site management.” The manager smiled apologetically. “We will coordinate the compensation for the destroyed main visual draft.” “Coordinate?” I asked. “You handed my main engagement visual to someone else to shoot with, allowed her to film materials under my name, and now the draft is destroyed, but you only call it a failure in management?” The manager could not say a word. Another group of people arrived at the door. When Vivian Hayes walked into the banquet hall, every voice lowered. She wore a black suit, and her presence was so strong that no one dared look directly at her. When I was young, I always thought my mother was too quiet, and only after growing up did I understand that people who could truly command a room never relied on shouting. An elder from the Grant family recognized her, and his face instantly turned white. “Ms. Hayes?” Ethan Grant’s brows furrowed even tighter. He knew my mother’s last name was Hayes, but he had never connected the woman before him with that low-key capital powerhouse. Vivian Hayes looked at me first. “Were you hurt?” I shook my head. “No.” Only then did Vivian Hayes look at Ethan Grant and Lily Carter. “Then let’s talk business.” Ethan Grant said, “Ms. Hayes, today was a misunderstanding.” “Lily didn’t understand the rules, and Claire was a little impulsive too.” “I can apologize.” Vivian Hayes smiled, but there was no warmth in her eyes. “Mr. Grant, your apology comes quickly.” “When my daughter was surrounded and humiliated just now, were you this quick too?” Ethan Grant froze at the question. Vivian Hayes looked at the hotel manager. “Stop all releases of the Grant family’s engagement materials tonight, and seal all on-site files.” “Send the main visual draft and modification records for verification, and the responsible party will bear the loss.” The manager nodded repeatedly. Lily Carter finally panicked. “Ms. Hayes, I really didn’t do it on purpose.” “I didn’t know Claire would care this much about one image.” Vivian Hayes looked at her. “You knew, but you didn’t care.” Lily Carter’s face turned deathly pale. Vivian Hayes took my hand, and her tone became gentle again. “Claire, let’s go home.” I looked at Ethan Grant one last time. There was no hatred in that glance, and no unwillingness either, only disgust. Vivian Hayes walked to the tulip main image. Her fingertips did not touch the wine stain. My mother had told me before. The tulip pattern was a flower I had drawn in a notebook as a child, and the name in the corner of the draft was something she had written for the studio herself. She had not wanted to dress me up as a tool for an arranged marriage, but wanted me to know that someone loved her when I made my first formal appearance in unfamiliar New York. Now that sincerity had been taken by someone else to film under a false name, and then ruined by red wine. Vivian Hayes looked at Ethan Grant, and her tone remained calm. “Mr. Grant, an image can be remade, but thoughtfulness cannot be compensated for.” “What you did today made my daughter understand one thing.” “The Grant family is not worthy of her.” Ethan Grant’s face turned pale. The hotel manager no longer dared to talk about coordination and immediately had someone take down the image on the main screen. When Lily Carter was taken by the staff to the lounge, she still looked back at Ethan Grant. She probably thought Ethan Grant would follow her, or at least give her a look of comfort. But Ethan Grant was nailed in place by Vivian Hayes’s words and did not immediately respond to her. She clenched the cue card, her fingertips still stained with red wine, looking both miserable and cold.

Ethan Grant POV By the time my father arrived at the hotel, Claire Hayes had already left. After he watched the surveillance footage, his expression became extremely ugly. In the footage, Lily Carter used Claire Hayes’s main visual to film, and during the dispute, she took a step back on her own and knocked over the red wine. Claire Hayes did not push her, but I stood in front of Lily Carter at the first moment. “You fool!” My father slammed his palm on the table. “I told you to host Claire Hayes, not offend her so badly that she calls off the engagement!” My face turned livid from being scolded. “Dad, it was just one image.” “Just?” My father laughed in anger. “That main visual was personally commissioned by Vivian Hayes.” “You letting Lily Carter use it to film engagement materials was the same as grinding the Hayes family’s dignity into the floor.” I fell silent. Lily Carter stood to the side, tears falling nonstop. “It’s all my fault.” “Please don’t scold Ethan.” “I saw that the main visual was beautiful, so I begged him to let me test it out.” My father looked at her coldly. “Miss Carter, you are not part of the Grant family, so in the future, stop making decisions in Grant family matters.” Those words were too heavy. All the color drained from Lily Carter’s face at once. After all, she had used my favoritism since childhood to freely enter and leave the Grant family, and everyone gave her some respect. This was the first time my father had publicly placed her on the outside, and grievance and resentment surged up together. I frowned. “Dad, Lily isn’t in good health, so don’t scare her.” My father pointed at me. “You’re still protecting her?” “If the Hayes marriage is canceled, do you know how much support Grant Group will lose?” “Grant Group doesn’t depend on women to make money.” My tone hardened. “And I don’t want to marry a woman who makes such a huge scene the first time we meet.” When my father heard this, he calmed down instead. “Do you think Vivian Hayes values you?” he asked. I raised my head. My father’s voice sank. “Back then, when Grant Group’s capital chain nearly broke, Vivian Hayes brought in the first lifesaving investment for us.” “Later, during several overseas mergers and acquisitions, the Hayes family trust also guaranteed them from behind the scenes.” “Half the position you sit in now is dignity that they left for the Grant family.” My expression finally changed. I knew the Grant family and the Hayes family had an old connection, but I did not know it went that deep. My father picked up his phone. “I’m going to the Hayes family to apologize in person.” “You’re going too.” I was just about to speak when Lily Carter suddenly grabbed my sleeve. “Ethan, my stomach hurts a little.” My father looked at me. I hesitated for only one second before supporting Lily Carter. “Dad, I’ll take her to the hospital first.” “We can apologize tomorrow.” My father closed his eyes in anger. Before my father went to the Hayes family, he first had someone bring me back to the study. “Do you know why Lily Carter has been able to do whatever she wants in the Grant family all these years?” my father asked. I said nothing. My father said coldly, “Because you backed her up.” “The maids didn’t dare stop her, your assistants didn’t dare refuse her, and business partners gave her resources because of your face.” “Now you say she was just ignorant, but who would believe that?” Those words made me very uncomfortable. I had always thought I was only taking care of Lily Carter. Her parents had died early, and she had lived with the Grant family for a while as a child, so it was normal for me to protect her a little more. But when my father laid out those acts of “care,” they suddenly became a long account of favoritism. Lily Carter had not become what she was today in a single day. She had been spoiled by me little by little until she no longer knew where the line was. Before my father went to the Hayes family, he specifically had someone send Lily Carter back to her own apartment. Lily Carter stood at the hotel entrance, and I stood beside her. She was wrapped in a coat temporarily brought over by the staff, and her expression was ugly. “I should go apologize too.” My father glanced at her. “If you go now, you will only make things look worse.” “But Ethan…” “Ethan shouldn’t go either,” my father said coldly. “But he is a Grant, so he must go bear responsibility for the trouble caused by the Grant family.” “You are not a Grant, so stop appearing on behalf of the Grant family.”

Claire Hayes POV After I returned to the Hayes house, I first placed the engagement ring in my mother’s study. I had not worn that ring yet, and it had been sent by the Grant family according to my size. The diamond was bright and the design was expensive, but looking at it now, I only felt like it was a trap exposed too early. Vivian Hayes had someone pour me warm milk. “Were you scared?” “No.” I sat on the sofa. “I just feel disgusted.” Vivian Hayes smiled faintly. “Disgust is good.” “It’s better than feeling disgusted after marrying into the family.” I looked at my mother. “Do we still need to continue discussing this marriage?” Vivian Hayes did not answer right away. After all, my mother had told me that she had agreed to the Grant marriage because Richard Grant had indeed honored a few old loyalties when he was young. Ethan Grant was capable, his reputation in public was good, and I had just returned to New York and needed a steady identity to enter its social circle. She was not determined to make me marry for family interests, but had believed the Grant family at least understood boundaries. But tonight proved that the most important heir of the Grant family did not. “Your marriage is your decision,” Vivian Hayes said. “I am only responsible for being your safety net.” Those words warmed my heart. I’d spent most of my youth studying abroad, while Mother’s schedule kept us separated far more often than not. The public saw Vivian Hayes as icy, unemotional. Only I understood the freedom she’d granted me was never neglect—she’d laid a clear escape path right in front of my eyes all along. Adrian Lawson brought in the preliminary materials. “The hotel has sealed the surveillance footage, and the design studio has also confirmed that the signature in the corner of the draft and the delivery records are complete.” “It would have been impossible for Lily Carter not to know that this main visual draft belonged to Miss Hayes before she filmed.” I flipped through a few pages and asked, “If I cancel the engagement, will it affect the cooperation between the Hayes family and the Grant family?” Adrian Lawson said, “It will, but the impact is controllable.” “The Grant family will be affected far more.” Vivian Hayes looked at me. “No need to feel sorry for the Grant family.” I closed the materials. “Then cancel it.” “We don’t need to scold anyone publicly, just say our values don’t align.” Adrian Lawson nodded. Vivian Hayes asked, “You’re letting them off that easily?” I shook my head. “I’m not letting them off.” “It’s easy to curse them out over someone replacing the main engagement visual.” “I want them to return every bit of favoritism, disrespect, and lying one by one.” My tone was very calm, but I was no longer the unfamiliar girl who had just arrived in New York and stood in that banquet hall. After returning to my room, I opened my suitcase and took out each piece of jewelry I had originally prepared for the engagement. Some were from my mother, and some I had brought back from overseas myself. I had originally thought that since I was formally entering New York society, I should be as considerate as possible and not let anyone think I was slighting the Grant family. Now it seemed that the more thoroughly I prepared, the more absurd the Grant family looked. I put the jewelry away again, leaving only the ring sent by the Grant family. I placed the ring box at the very edge of the desk, like a package delivered to the wrong address and waiting to be returned. When Vivian Hayes came in, she happened to see this scene. She did not advise me to be magnanimous, nor did she say the cooperation with the Grant family was still worthwhile. She only asked, “Claire, after tonight, do you regret coming back?” I thought for a moment. “I don’t regret it.” “It’s better to see clearly early than to fall in too late.” Before Adrian Lawson left, he listed the ways the Grant family might try to fix the situation. “They will most likely suppress public opinion first, then ask the elders to plead on their behalf.” “If Ethan Grant comes in person, it is best not to meet him privately.” Looking at the list, I could not help saying, “You even guessed how they would try to fix it?” “It isn’t a guess,” Adrian Lawson said. “People who make mistakes but still want to preserve decorum usually follow the same playbook.” Vivian Hayes heard this and looked at him lightly. “You seem to understand it well.” Adrian Lawson’s expression did not change. “I’ve seen too many people like that.” I lowered my head and drank tea, nearly laughing. After being tense all night, I finally felt a little lighter. I did not sleep well that night. I was not sad over Ethan Grant, but scared that I had almost handed my life over to a pretty file. Files could lie, family backgrounds could lie, and the “suitable” person described by elders could also lie. At the critical moment, who a person protected first and who he blamed first was far clearer than anything on a résumé. Ethan Grant protected Lily Carter. I pushed the ring box to the corner of my desk and would have Adrian Lawson return it to the Grant family tomorrow morning.

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“Daisy, your private videos were posted on a paid forum!” I was bedridden after giving birth, and that message from my best friend chilled me to the bone. I opened the link, and in the HD footage, strangers by the thousands were watching my private daily life: breastfeeding, changing clothes, everything. The comment section was packed with filthy words: “I love married women like this.” The camera had been installed by my husband, Nathan Reed, two weeks ago. His excuse at the time was, “This way I can check on the baby while I’m at work.” With trembling hands, I tracked his phone. His location was not at the research institute, but at Wisteria Apartments. Standing at the door, a seductive woman’s voice pierced my eardrums: “Professor Reed, if your wife finds out you come to see me every day, won’t she be furious?” Nathan Reed laughed. “I posted the camera footage to a forum, and if she finds out, I can still threaten her with it.” So my body was the offering he had made to the entire internet. In that case, he could not blame me for being ruthless.

Daisy Lee POV When my best friend Olivia Hart’s message popped up, I had just gotten the baby to sleep. “Daisy, your private videos were posted on a paid forum!” I had been resting at home ever since giving birth, so how could there possibly be any videos? The next second, Olivia sent me a link. After I opened it, I froze on the spot. In the HD footage, every moment of me breastfeeding my baby and changing clothes was clearly exposed to strangers. My limbs went cold, and my stomach churned. With shaking hands, I swiped to the comment section, and the words there made me sick. “Her body’s out of shape after giving birth, but that face is perfect.” “I love married women like this.” “I’d love to go all night with this beauty.” The comments were dense, filthy, and disgusting. I covered my mouth and dry-heaved as tears and bile rose together. But at the same time, I noticed one thing: all the footage came from the bedroom camera. That camera had been installed by my husband, Nathan Reed, two weeks ago. He had said, “Let’s install a camera so I can check on the baby while I’m at work.” But now, how had the footage from that camera ended up on a porn forum? I called Nathan four or five times, but he did not answer a single call. I hesitated for three seconds, then opened my laptop and tracked his phone. I had worked at a tech company before, so this was not hard for me. I did not expect Nathan’s location to be at Wisteria Apartments near the research institute instead of at the institute itself. I filed a report with the cybercrime tip center, unplugged the camera’s power cord, handed the baby to Nathan’s mother, Linda, and went out. When I reached the door of Wisteria Apartments, before I could knock, a seductive voice drifted out. “Professor Reed, if your wife finds out you come to see me every day, won’t she be furious?” Nathan laughed, his voice lazy. “She won’t find out. I installed a camera at home, so I know her every move. I even posted the camera footage to a forum, so every man has seen her body, and even if she finds out about us, I can still threaten her.” The woman giggled and clung to him, and the wet sounds of their deep kiss stabbed into my ears like needles. Between gasps, the woman spoke again. “No wonder you’re a big-shot professor. Tell me, compared to your wife, don’t I make you feel better?” “Don’t mention someone so depressing at a time like this.” Soon, her high-pitched moans spilled out. My whole body trembled, and my tears almost broke free. I had thought Nathan loved me, so even though my health was poor, I had still risked my life to give birth to his child. In the end, it had all been fake. I raised my hand to cover my mouth and forced myself to steady my breathing. But my gaze suddenly fell on the trash bag by the door. A supermarket receipt was stuck to the outside: cat food, fruit, rice, body wash, and all kinds of sauces. I froze. Nathan was not having a temporary affair; he had already started living with another woman outside our home. No wonder he came home less and less, always saying the research institute was busy. So he had a new home. The woman’s coquettish voice came from inside again. “When are you going to dump her and marry me? I want to have a baby for you too.” The room seemed to fall silent for a moment. Nathan said in a low voice, “What’s good about having a baby? Your stomach ends up covered in disgusting stretch marks. I couldn’t bear to let you suffer, so just stay beautiful.” My tears finally fell, and I raised my hand to cover my lower abdomen. For this child, I had endured every kind of suffering: stretch marks, tearing, incontinence… and what I had received in exchange for nearly dying was my husband calling it “disgusting.” Just then, my phone received an encrypted email. “Ms. Lee, I know you just gave birth and are still recovering, but only you are capable of leading Mr. Black’s new project. Are you really not considering returning to work?” HR had already sent this email several times. Before, I had naively thought Nathan needed me to manage the household, so I had rejected it again and again. Now? I wiped away my tears and typed quickly. “Okay, I’ll go to California next week to discuss it with you in person.” I could not tolerate a cheating man, and I definitely could not let a man like that be my child’s father. If I wanted to raise my child alone, I needed a job, because only then would I have the confidence to grind that bastard into the dirt. I took one last look at that door, then turned and left.

Daisy Lee POV When Nathan Reed came home, I was sitting on the couch with no expression on my face. “Honey, I’m home.” Nathan smiled gently, holding a delicate fruit platter in his hand. “The institute gave out employee perks today, a premium fruit platter, and I brought it back especially for you to try.” My gaze fell on the fruit platter. The cantaloupe pieces were cut in uneven sizes, and several strawberries were obviously soft and wilted. This was not a store-cut, sealed platter; it was leftovers pieced together. A sour ache surged into my nose, because he had not been like this before. When I was pregnant, my morning sickness was terrible, and Nathan ran across half the city at three in the morning to buy me fruit and vegetable juice. When my feet were so swollen I could not wear shoes, he crouched on the floor and massaged them for half an hour at a time. He never missed a single prenatal appointment, and once, when the doctor said the baby’s position was not quite right, his eyes turned red on the spot. Back then, I had believed I had married the right person. Even when stretch marks crawled across my belly, and even when I tore and hemorrhaged so badly during childbirth that I nearly did not make it off the operating table, I still thought I was happy. But now, as I looked at the face of the man beside me, he suddenly felt unbearably unfamiliar. My tone was extremely calm. “My videos were posted online.” Nathan’s face stiffened, but he quickly returned to normal. Fake anger rose on his face. “What videos? Who posted them?” “They were recorded by the bedroom camera, the one you installed two weeks ago.” Nathan raised his voice. “Are you saying the camera was hacked? Don’t be scared, I’ll make sure you get justice!” “I already called the police,” I said. Nathan opened his mouth, but he could not say a word. In the end, he only pulled me into his arms. “That’s good. Don’t be scared, your husband is here for everything.” I closed my eyes, and it felt like a dull knife was grinding against my heart. I knew I could not alert him now, because I had to collect evidence before I could sue for divorce. After calming down for a while, I got up and went to Linda’s room to get the baby. When I pushed open the door, the baby was lying in the crib, sleeping quietly. I walked over, but no matter what I did, I could not wake the baby. The baby’s little face was flushed an abnormal red, and her breathing was shallow and slow. My heart dropped. “What’s wrong with the baby? Why won’t she wake up?” Linda was watching TV and did not even lift her head. “She cried too hard this afternoon and gave me a headache, so I fed her a little alcohol, and now she’s sleeping just fine.” The string in my mind snapped. I practically roared, “You fed the baby alcohol?! She isn’t even a month old!” Linda waved dismissively. “Stop making such a fuss. We all raised kids like this back then. It helps them sleep better.” I could not listen anymore and scooped the baby up. “Nathan Reed! Your mother fed the baby alcohol! Drive us to the hospital right now!” Nathan’s face changed when he heard that, and he grabbed the car keys and rushed downstairs. The car started, and I held the baby while my whole body shook uncontrollably. The baby was still sleeping heavily, her little mouth faintly purple, and her breathing grew weaker and weaker. Nathan stepped on the gas and ran two red lights in a row. Just as the car picked up speed, his phone rang. The car’s Bluetooth connected automatically, and a woman’s sweet, crying voice filled the entire cabin. “Professor Reed, help me—I’m so scared!” The voice stopped abruptly, and the call disconnected. Nathan froze for a second, then instinctively jerked the steering wheel hard. The car instantly turned around. I was thrown against the car door and looked up in disbelief. “What are you doing? Why are you turning around?” “I have to go over there,” Nathan said tightly, flooring the gas pedal. “Nathan Reed! Do you know your daughter has alcohol poisoning? She needs emergency care!” “Something happened over there too!” Nathan roared. All the blood in my body turned cold. Holding back tears, I yanked open the car door, and Nathan slammed on the brakes. I ran out of the car with the baby in my arms. Nathan stuck his head out of the window as if he wanted to say something, but his phone rang again. He glanced at the caller ID, then sped away with one hard press of the gas. I stood there as raindrops smashed onto me and onto the baby’s burning little face. I looked down at the child in my arms, and her lips had already turned blue. I could only reach out to hail a cab, but it was rush hour, and the rain was pouring. One taxi after another sped past, and no one paid any attention to me. Helpless, I held the baby and ran forward, but my foot slipped, and I fell heavily to the ground. The fall made my vision go black, and rain mixed with tears until my face was soaked, but I still protected the baby tightly in my arms. Luckily, a kind person found me and took me to the nearest children’s hospital. The baby was sent to emergency care, and I stood frozen, staring hard at the doors of the resuscitation room. I did not know how long had passed before the doors opened. The doctor came out with a grave expression. “The child has acute liver failure and needs immediate surgery.” My legs went weak, and I collapsed straight to the floor.

Daisy Lee POV The red light above the operating room was on. I sat slumped in a chair, cold all over. Hurried footsteps came from the end of the hallway, and when I looked up, I saw Linda jogging over. “Daisy Lee! What did you do to my granddaughter?!” Linda rushed over, her finger almost jabbing the tip of my nose. “She’s so little, and you let doctors cut her open? Are you even human?” My voice was hoarse. “You fed her alcohol, and the baby’s liver failed…” “Bullshit. You think that tiny bit of alcohol I fed her could kill someone? You’re targeting me on purpose, making this a big deal so you can extort the Reed family!” My whole body trembled, and I wanted to stand, but I had no strength. I said weakly, “I’m not arguing with you. We’ll talk after the surgery.” “My perfectly fine granddaughter was sent to the operating table by you, and you still have the nerve to talk?” Linda’s voice grew louder and louder, drawing sideways glances from passing nurses. People began whispering, and the way they looked at me carried a hint of judgment. At that moment, Nathan Reed ran over from the other end of the hallway. I saw his eyes turn red instantly, but I clenched my teeth and did not let my tears fall. “How nice of you to show up. Wasn’t someone looking for you?” I said through gritted teeth. Nathan froze, and his expression turned a little unnatural. “My colleague had an emergency. A mouse got into her apartment and scared her badly…” I suddenly laughed. His daughter had alcohol poisoning and liver failure, yet he had turned around halfway to comfort his mistress because she was scared by a mouse. I took a deep breath and looked at Linda. “From now on, you are not allowed near my child again.” Linda froze for one second, then exploded. “You heartless thing! I worked so hard helping you take care of the baby, and this is how you repay me?” The more she spoke, the more worked up she became, until she sat directly on the floor, slapped her thighs, and began wailing. “Everyone, judge for yourselves! This woman abused my granddaughter, and now she won’t let me, her grandmother, see the child! She’s trying to steal the Reed family’s bloodline!” More and more people gathered in the hallway, and someone pulled out a phone to record. I looked at Linda throwing a tantrum on the floor and only felt my stomach churn. I took out my phone and pressed 911. A hand reached over and snatched my phone away. Nathan lowered his voice. “Are you insane? She’s my mother!” “She fed your daughter alcohol and nearly killed your daughter!” My voice was shaking. “She meant well and only wanted the baby to sleep more peacefully.” “And you? How much sincerity have you ever shown me and our child?” I stared hard at him. Nathan’s face changed sharply, and his lips moved, but no words came out. I said in a low voice, “Are you going to handle this or not? If you won’t, I’ll call the police.” Nathan was silent for a few seconds, then said, “I’ll take her home first. She’s old and can’t handle all this stress.” I closed my eyes, and my chest hurt as if it were being carved open alive. I did not know how long passed before the operating room finally opened. The doctor walked out and removed his mask. “I’m sorry. We did everything we could.” “The child’s alcohol poisoning was too severe, and she was brought in too late. Her liver function completely failed, and multiple organ failure occurred during surgery…” The doctor was still saying something, but I could no longer hear it. I saw a nurse push out a small cart covered with a white sheet. Under the white sheet was one tiny little rise. That was the child I had carried for ten months and nearly died giving birth to. I reached out to lift the white sheet, but my hand was shaking so badly that it took three tries. I lay over my child’s body, and my tears fell one by one. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… Mommy didn’t protect you…” In the hallway, only my sobs remained, until my throat was dry and hoarse, and even my tears had run out. My phone rang at that moment. Olivia’s voice came from the other end, urgent and sharp. “Daisy, why are you being exposed online? Someone posted on a forum saying you abused your child and caused her death! Everyone in the comments is cursing you! They even posted your photo and home address!”

Daisy Lee POV Numbly, I opened the link Olivia had sent. The title of the post was written in bold red font: “Mother with Postpartum Depression Feeds Infant Alcohol While Drunk, Baby Girl Dies of Alcohol Poisoning!” The poster wrote that I had been a long-term alcoholic, had lost control emotionally after giving birth, and had deliberately forced alcohol into my child. Every single word was false, but my photo and phone number had been leaked. The comment section exploded. “How can someone like this be a mother? Go die.” “That poor child had the worst luck being born into that family.” “Someone should dox her and ruin her life.” My phone started ringing, one unfamiliar number after another. When I answered, the person on the other end immediately screamed, “Murderer, why don’t you go die?” After I hung up, it rang again, and after I hung up again, it rang again. Text messages also flooded in, each one more vicious than the last. “I hope you can never have another child in this life.” “Aren’t you afraid your child will come for your life at night?” “Go die go die go die.” All my strength drained away, and cold sweat soaked my back. People came and went around me, and someone recognized me, pointing at me and whispering. “That’s her, right? The one online who fed her baby alcohol…” “Oh my God, she looks so normal, so how could she do something like that?” “You really can’t know a person’s heart by looking at their face.” All the slander pressed down on me like a giant mountain, but I did not defend myself and only held the child who had already lost her warmth tighter. After an unknown amount of time, I handed my child’s body to the nurse and walked to the hospital rooftop alone. The wind on the rooftop was strong, and I stood at the edge and looked down. If I jumped, I would not have to face my daughter’s body. If I jumped, I would not have to hear those people’s insults. I took one step forward, but when the wind poured into my collar, I suddenly remembered my daughter’s face. Her tiny mouth had opened in a grin, showing pink gums, and her eyes had curved into little crescents. My body suddenly trembled, because if I jumped, who would avenge my daughter? The people who had killed my daughter would keep living, without paying any price at all. I crouched at the edge of the rooftop and cried without making a sound. After an unknown amount of time, I walked down from the rooftop and took a cab home. I had to take the camera away first and preserve some evidence. But when I reached the downstairs entrance, I saw Nathan Reed’s mistress standing there. Chloe Snow wore a white dress, her long hair falling over her shoulders, graceful and pretty. “Daisy, I heard about everything online. Don’t be too upset. People online just follow the crowd, and they’ll forget in a few days.” Chloe Snow smiled just right. I stopped walking. “What are you trying to say?” “Your current reputation is bad for Professor Reed. If you really love him, shouldn’t you consider leaving him?” Looking at that face pretending to be innocent, I suddenly wanted to laugh. “Chloe Snow, what identity are you using to say this to me? His girlfriend? Or his mistress?” Chloe’s smile froze for a moment, and then she simply stopped pretending. “When you were pregnant, you cried and got angry over everything, and living with you was so painful for him that he came to me. You pushed him away yourself.” “Did he tell you that his monthly salary is deposited into my account? That the house under his name is in my name? That he still hasn’t dared to bring up divorce with me? Do you know why?” Chloe’s lips trembled. “Because he can’t afford to divorce me. If he divorces me, he’ll leave with nothing, and when that happens, are you willing to support him?” I stared tightly at Chloe. Chloe’s eyes turned red, and the resentment in them could not be hidden at all. I continued, “Actually, you don’t love him. You love the title of ‘Professor Reed.’ If he were just an ordinary researcher, would you still sleep with him?” “Shut up!” Chloe’s voice turned shrill. “With a mouth that nasty, be careful your daughter doesn’t get punished and die without a whole body!” My hand clenched tight, and a burst of rage surged up instantly. Slap. Chloe’s head was knocked to the side. “If you dare say one more word about my daughter, I’ll kill you.” Chloe covered her face, and tears instantly poured out. At that moment, Nathan Reed happened to come home and ran over when he saw the scene. “Daisy, why did you hit someone?” He glanced at the red mark on Chloe’s face and looked quite displeased. “I know you’re hurting, but what good does making a scene like this do anyone? Can’t you calm down for my sake?” I sneered. “What the hell is she, coming in front of me to stir up trouble?” Nathan looked at Chloe, and Chloe’s eyes immediately reddened. “I was only worried about Professor Reed’s career. I didn’t mean anything else…” Nathan waved his hand. “Chloe is just my colleague, and she meant well. Hitting someone is wrong. Your emotions have been very unstable lately, so you should see a doctor.” I opened my mouth, only to find my throat felt blocked. “Enough. Let’s talk inside.” As Nathan spoke, he reached out to pull me, but I stepped back and avoided him. Nathan’s hand froze in midair, and his face finally darkened. He frowned. “How long are you going to keep making trouble?” I looked at him heavily, with far too many emotions in that one look. “Nathan Reed, I’m tired. Let’s get divorced.”

Daisy Lee POV After I said that, I went upstairs, and soon Nathan Reed abandoned Chloe Snow and followed me. The air in the living room was so still it felt like it would freeze. “What did you just say?” My voice was flat. “I’m tired. I don’t want to drag this out with you anymore.” Nathan stared at me and laughed as if he were listening to a child speak in anger. “You’re still recovering, and I don’t blame you for being emotionally unstable, but you can’t just say things like divorce.” I looked up at him. “Nathan Reed, I know you cheated.” Nathan’s smile immediately froze. Before he could speak, I continued, “I went to Wisteria Apartments, and I know exactly what you two were doing inside.” Nathan’s face shifted several times, then he suddenly became earnest. “Daisy, have you ever thought about your own problems? After you got pregnant, your moods changed constantly. I was exhausted from work every day, and when I came home, I still had to deal with your emotions, so I was under a lot of pressure too. Besides, from your pregnancy until now, it’s been almost a year, and I couldn’t even touch you. I’m a normal man, and I have needs too. It’s normal for me to find a woman outside to deal with it, but in the end, I’ll still return to the family.” “So your cheating is my fault?” I asked expressionlessly. “I’m not saying you’re at fault,” Nathan said, shaking his head, “but when there are problems in a marriage, both of us are responsible, and you can’t push all the blame onto me.” I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, they were full of determination. “Get divorced, and leave with nothing.” Nathan’s face changed completely. “Daisy Lee, don’t go too far.” I sneered. “Why didn’t you think you were going too far when you cheated? Why didn’t you think you were going too far when you posted my camera footage online?” Nathan’s pupils shrank sharply. I did not give him a chance to argue. “You installed the camera, and you uploaded the videos. Did you think no one could find anything after you deleted the records? Nathan Reed, just wait to go to prison.” Nathan’s face turned pale. Linda, who had been eavesdropping, rushed out and pointed at my nose while cursing me. “You still have the nerve to mention divorce? You married into the Reed family, ate our food, and lived in our house, and now you want a divorce? Fine, pay three hundred thousand dollars, not a penny less!” Looking at that twisted face, I suddenly felt disgusted. “Your son cheated, and you’re talking to me about money?” “So what if my son cheated? That just means you couldn’t keep your man. Who can you blame when you’re useless?” My whole body trembled, and I suddenly understood that I had never been treated as family. I was a breeding tool, a nanny, a thing that could be discarded at will. I took out my phone to call the police, but Nathan snatched it away with so much force that he broke my fingernail. The pain made my vision go black, and in the next second, Nathan shoved me into the bedroom. “Nathan Reed! This is unlawful confinement!” I shouted angrily. “I’m your husband, and I’m responsible for controlling you. You’re too emotional right now, and I can’t let you go out and do something stupid.” I pounded on the door several times, until my hands turned red, but no one answered. The sky outside the window grew dark. After an unknown amount of time, I smelled something strange, a thick smell of smoke. I shot to my feet. “Nathan Reed! There’s a fire!” I pounded on the door like crazy, shouting until my voice cracked, but no one answered. The smoke grew thicker and thicker, choking me until I coughed violently. Suddenly, the door opened. But the person standing at the door was not Nathan Reed, but Chloe Snow. Chloe stood in the thick smoke, holding a lighter in her hand, with a smile hanging at the corner of her mouth. “Daisy, do you like the gift I gave you?” My pupils shrank sharply. “Are you insane? This is an apartment building!” Chloe’s eyes were cold. “As long as you die, your place will be mine!” The flames blazed, and Chloe locked the door, turned, and ran. Nathan was nowhere to be found, and Linda was gone too. I curled up by the window and gulped in the last of the air. Just then, the door was kicked open from the outside. Olivia Hart rushed in, soaked from head to toe and wrapped in a wet blanket, then grabbed my hand. “Don’t waste time! Come with me!” We stumbled through the sea of fire. Downstairs, a black SUV was already waiting by the curb. Olivia shoved me into the back seat, jumped into the driver’s seat, and sped away with one hard press of the gas. “The plane tickets and documents you asked me to prepare are done. We’re leaving tonight!” I looked at the Reed home growing farther away, my eyes numb. Nathan Reed POV Not long after, I came home from the research institute and found that the house had been burned. The bedroom door was open, and no one was inside. Daisy Lee had run away. I stood in the mess, my face so dark it seemed to drip water. Daisy did not have her phone, so I could only call the hospital. “Hello, I’m a family member of the patient in Bed 15. I’d like to ask about my daughter’s condition, and also, if the child’s mother comes to the hospital, please notify me immediately…” The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds. “Sir, the child in Bed 15 passed away during surgery last night, and we already informed the child’s mother on site.” The hand I was using to hold the phone froze. “What did you say? Passed away?” The world suddenly went quiet. The sirens of the fire trucks and the neighbors’ shouting all disappeared. I could only hear my own heartbeat. One beat after another, heavy and dull, like a hammer striking my chest. “Click.”

Daisy Lee POV The plane landed at San Francisco International Airport. I had not closed my eyes the entire way, and my tears dried, then wet my face again, then dried again. Olivia gently put her arm around me. “Pull yourself together. Mr. Black has already arranged everything, and you can handle onboarding this afternoon.” I took a deep breath and decided to use work to temporarily fill the hole in my heart. But when we arrived at the company, the receptionist glanced at me, and her expression looked a little strange. “Ms. Lee, please wait.” Mr. Carter walked over from not far away with a serious expression and held his phone right in front of my face. On the screen, Nathan Reed was sitting on a couch, brows furrowed and eyes red, doing a livestream. “My wife’s postpartum depression is very severe. Her emotions have been unstable since she got pregnant, and I’ve been trying hard to take care of her and comfort her, but after our child’s accident, she completely broke down.” He lowered his head and pressed the corner of his eye with his thumb. “She set fire to our home and then disappeared. I don’t blame her. I know she’s in more pain than I am. I only want to say one thing to her: Daisy, come back. I’ll always wait for you, and no matter what happens, I won’t give up on you.” The comment section scrolled like crazy. “Professor Reed is seriously so devoted. Where do you even find a man like this?” “Daisy Lee is just a crazy woman! She killed her own child and burned down the house?” “I feel so bad for Professor Reed, getting stuck with a wife like that.” “Hurry up and call the police to find her and force her into treatment. Don’t let her hurt anyone else.” I clenched my fists, and my voice tightened. “Mr. Carter, what he’s saying is false.” Mr. Carter had no expression. “The company is preparing the PR campaign for a new project, and every move we make is being watched by the media. Forgive me for being direct, but your current public image is not very suitable for onboarding.” “He’s slandering me. I am mentally normal!” “Public opinion online doesn’t care whether it’s slander or not. We can talk about reinstatement after you’ve cleaned up your personal affairs—” “Gregory Carter.” A faint voice came over, making Mr. Carter freeze in place. I turned my head. Adrian Black was wearing a dark gray shirt, the cuffs rolled up to his forearms, and his gaze was sharp as a blade. Mr. Carter immediately became respectful. “I was only thinking of the company…” Adrian’s face was cold. “Ms. Lee is someone I personally recruited back. No one but her can lead the North American project. If you can do it, then you take over.” After hearing that, Mr. Carter could only retreat awkwardly to the side. I did not stand on ceremony with Adrian either and spoke directly. “I need a livestream room, right now.” Adrian did not ask a single extra word. “The east-side conference room on the nineteenth floor is empty. Anyone who dares go up and disturb you can come answer to me.” After he said that, Olivia pulled me toward the elevator. After I entered the conference room, I opened the computer, and my fingers flew across the keyboard. When I hacked into Nathan Reed’s livestream, he was still broadcasting. Nathan wiped his tears. “I know many people are cursing my wife, but please be merciful with your words. She is a victim too…” With a livid face, I hit Enter and forcibly connected to Nathan’s livestream. The livestream comments froze for one second, then exploded. “Holy shit??? Is that Daisy Lee???” “What the hell is going on???” Nathan’s face went deathly pale, and before he could speak, I had already opened my mouth. “Nathan Reed, weren’t you looking for me? I’m right here.” “Do you want to tell everyone what you did one more time?” Nathan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Daisy, don’t be impulsive…” I cut him off directly. “You installed a camera in the bedroom to film me breastfeeding and changing clothes, then posted those videos on a paid forum for every man to watch.” The comments went crazy again. “A camera? A paid forum?” “That account was called Married Woman Watcher. Even though you already deleted the post history, you took monthly revenue shares from that forum, so do you want me to show your bank statements?” I said. Nathan’s face lost every trace of color. He forced the corners of his mouth apart, trying to argue, but I spoke faster and faster. “And then there’s Wisteria Apartments, where you and your mistress lived together for nearly half a year. That day, our child had alcohol poisoning and liver failure, and I held her in the rain trying to stop cars on the road, but you went to see your mistress because a mouse got into her apartment.” The livestream completely collapsed. The comments changed from cursing me to flooding the screen with insults toward Nathan. “Nathan Reed, are you even fucking human?” “Your daughter was dying, and you went to see your side chick?” “Holy shit, camera footage? That’s already illegal, right?!” Nathan suddenly stood up. “Daisy Lee, stop talking nonsense!” I tilted my head, and a faint curve rose at the corner of my mouth.I turned on screen sharing, and the transfer records, location history, forum backend data, and camera footage were neatly lined up in front of everyone. Nathan froze on-screen, and the expression on his face changed from anger to fear. The livestream’s viewer count jumped from twenty thousand to one hundred thousand, then to five hundred thousand. Trending tags shot up the rankings almost at the same second. #NathanReedCheated# #NathanReedFilmedHisWifeInSecret# Nathan roared and yanked out the power cord, and the screen went black. I slowly released the mouse, only then realizing my hands were shaking badly. When tears slowly fell, I thought of my daughter in a daze. I wanted so badly to hold her one more time, but I still had things left to do. This was only the beginning.

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I make ten thousand dollars a month, but right now, I’m standing at the hospital pharmacy counter, burning with embarrassment. My card was declined. I quickly opened Snapchat and messaged my husband. “Send me fifty dollars, fast. My card is declined and I need to pay for my stomach medication!” A second later, he sent over a PDF link. “Honey, don’t forget to fill out the Allowance Request Form first!” At that exact moment, cold reality hit me. We were done. I folded the unpaid prescription receipt, walked straight out of the hospital, and drove to a law firm. “I need your help,” I told the attorney. “I want a divorce.” I’ve been married to Ethan for three years. During this time, I put all of my assets and income into a joint bank account. It was Ethan’s idea. “Vivian, marriage is about equality. But our incomes are too different, and that can easily cause friction.” “How about we put all our money together? I’ll manage it, handle the bills, and cut down on unnecessary spending.” I had agreed back then. And now, the result was that my stomach ulcer was acting up, I was in agonizing pain, and I couldn’t even pay for my medication because my personal account was short by thirty dollars. The clerk behind the counter was getting impatient. “Are you paying or not? There’s a line behind you.” I awkwardly tucked the slip into my pocket. “Sorry, not today.” Under her pitying gaze, I turned around, clutching my throbbing stomach, and walked away. My phone buzzed repeatedly with messages from Ethan. “Vivian, why haven’t you submitted the form yet? If you miss the daily approval window, you won’t get the transfer today!” I looked at the screen and let out a cold, bitter laugh. Yes, according to his ridiculous rules, I had to fill out the request within ten minutes of receiving the form. Otherwise, I’d lose my eligibility for the day and would have to wait until tomorrow to get any cash. I took a deep breath, opened PayPal, and messaged my best friend, Chloe, to borrow a hundred bucks. She called me instantly. “Vivian, what’s wrong? Are you in trouble?” I explained the situation in two sentences. Without a word, she sent $10,000 to my account. “Tell me if you need more!” Looking at the notification, my heart felt like ice. The man sleeping next to me made me write an application for thirty dollars. My best friend sent me ten grand without a second thought. That is the difference in human nature. After buying the medicine and feeling a bit better, I drove home. I had already made up my mind. As soon as I walked through the door, I saw Ethan. He was sitting on the sofa, eagerly showing off his wrist. “Look at this! This watch just dropped today, and I nabbed it.” “Got a ten percent discount. Paid in cash!” Looking at his smug face, my expression went cold. “Ethan, from now on, I’m not putting a single penny into our joint account.” Ethan froze. “Vivian, what are you talking about? With the way you throw money around, you make ten grand a month and can barely save a thousand. You’d go broke without me.” “I know you’re mad about the medicine. But look at this watch—it’s an investment! It holds its value.” I sneered inwardly. When I spent money, it was “throwing it around.” When he bought a luxury watch, it was an “investment.” I had truly underestimated his double standards. I pushed past him, went to the bathroom, and logged into our joint account. There was only fifty dollars left in it. Ethan’s voice drifted in from the living room. “Honey, I know you’re upset. Tell you what, I’ll let you have that fifty dollars today without the form. Consider it a gift.” “See? Your husband takes good care of you.” I didn’t reply. I just sent a text to my lawyer. After reviewing my situation, the lawyer told me the first step was to find out exactly how much money we had. To get a fair share of the assets, or to claw back the majority of the wealth I had earned, was going to be difficult. Since I was the one initiating the divorce, I might have to compromise on some funds. I clenched my fists. I opened Instagram and checked his family’s profiles. I saw that his brother, Tyler, had just moved into a brand-new house. It was in the city’s most expensive gated community. Paid in full. Tyler was in his thirties, had no steady job, and his wife, Sarah, was a stay-at-home mom. Where on earth did they get the money to buy a luxury house in cash? Obviously, it was Ethan. He had drained our joint account to fund his leech of a family while keeping me on a leash. What a joke! My instinct was to storm out and confront him, but my lawyer’s warning echoed in my mind: “You need hard evidence first.” If I blew my cover now, I would lose. I forced myself to calm down, logged onto my mobile banking, and reported all my credit cards as lost.

I did the math. With my ten-thousand-dollar monthly salary, performance bonuses, and stock options, I had brought in nearly four million dollars over the last three years. All of it was in his hands. Meanwhile, Ethan worked as a project supervisor for the city planning department. He made barely three thousand dollars a month. That was it. Yet, he lived like a millionaire, casually buying forty-thousand-dollar watches and designer clothes. And me? I had nothing. My own jewelry was locked away in a safe. If I wanted to wear a necklace, I had to submit an request explaining the exact occasion and why it was necessary. In his words: “You have too many business dinners. Drinking and dining out is a waste of money. Home-cooked meals are healthier. And jewelry is unnecessary. Simple is best.” Before, I had believed his sweet talk about “natural beauty.” I didn’t care much because I was too busy with work, and simple accessories were indeed more convenient. Now I realized I had been financially abused and brainwashed the entire time. I took a deep breath, walked out of the bathroom, and went straight to the safe in the study. Ethan followed me. “Vivian, what are you doing?” “I have a product launch the day after tomorrow. I need to take out some jewelry to match my outfit.” But when I reached the safe and entered the code, the screen flashed red. Error. I turned to look at Ethan. “You changed the passcode?” “Yeah. Just tell me what you need and I’ll get it for you. I changed all the codes in the house.” My temper flared. “By what right?! That safe is mine! I bought it, the code was mine, and everything inside was bought with my money! What right do you have to lock me out?” “Starting today, you will not touch another cent of my money. We are done!” Ethan remained incredibly calm. “Honey, you’re just tired. Are you stressed at work? You’re the one who authorized me to manage everything. Why are you acting up now? Did someone get in your head?” He reached out to pat my head, but I slapped his hand away with a loud “smack”! “Don’t touch me! You disgust me!” Ethan looked at his reddened hand, his eyes darkening with a warning glare. “Vivian, behave. If you play nice, we won’t have any issues. But if you keep acting crazy, there will be consequences.” Hearing his threat, my rage boiled over. “Open the safe right now! I want my jewelry!” “No. Fill out the request form first.” I raised my hand to slap him, but he grabbed my wrist in a vice grip. “Vivian, you are emotionally unstable. You are unfit to handle our marital assets. Be a good girl, let me help you. If you need money, just ask.” I laughed out of sheer anger. “You really think I can’t do anything to you?” He smiled smugly. “You’re overthinking. Go get some sleep.” Ethan was completely fearless. He probably thought I’d never actually dare to divorce him. Undoubtedly, the safe was already empty. I couldn’t stand being in the same room with him. I grabbed my keys and ran out. Just as I got to the parking lot, his call came through. “Are you going to your downtown condo? Sorry to break it to you, but I sold it last week.” I froze in my tracks. I slowly turned around and looked up. Ethan was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window of our penthouse, looking down at me with a smirk. “Come back inside, Vivian. It’s getting late.” I squeezed my keys so hard they cut into my palm. I couldn’t believe he actually dared to sell my apartment! “Ethan, forging my signature on real estate documents is a felony!” “Let’s see who laughs last!” I immediately instructed my lawyer to draft the divorce papers and email them to him. Then, I got in my car and sped away.

I immediately contacted a friend who was a cybersecurity expert and sent him $5,000. I needed him to trace every single transaction from Ethan’s bank accounts. I also wanted a full trace on his family’s finances. At the same time, I filed an official complaint with the City Ethics Board, reporting Ethan for having unexplained assets that far exceeded his government salary. As a city employee, Ethan was subject to strict anti-corruption laws. He had just bought a forty-thousand-dollar watch and drove a luxury SUV worth over a hundred thousand. Most people with dirty money kept a low profile. But not Ethan. He was a poor boy who struck gold; he flaunted his wealth every chance he got, which had already made his colleagues jealous. Before, he always claimed the money came from his wealthy wife. Now, I was going to let the Ethics Board ask him exactly where those millions came from. While they investigated him, I would gather my evidence. My hacker friend worked fast. Within hours, he sent me a detailed spreadsheet of Ethan’s financial transactions. Looking at the numbers, my heart sank into a dark abyss. Over the last three years, under the guise of “supporting his parents,” Ethan had been transferring $5,000 to them every single month. On holidays, the transfers were at least $50,000. In total, he had funneled over $300,000 to his parents, and another $500,000 to buy his brother Tyler a house. He had also bought countless designer bags and jewelry. His sister-in-law, Sarah, frequently posted photos of her carrying Chanel and Hermes on Instagram. The hilarious part? Ethan always told his coworkers he bought those bags for me. In reality, they all went to Sarah. He was using my hard-earned money to feed his family of parasites, while treating me like a beggar who had to beg for a thirty-dollar prescription. He gave his family everything, but treated me like garbage. If I didn’t make him pay a devastating price for this, my name wasn’t Vivian! Meanwhile, Chloe, who worked at the main branch of our local bank, saw that Ethan’s government agency had flagged his accounts and demanded his financial statements. She called me immediately. “Viv, did something happen to Ethan?” “Yeah. I reported him.” She gasped in shock. When I told her that Ethan had locked up all my assets, she went absolutely ballistic. “Vivian! Are you insane?! You two were never on the same level! It was bad enough you married that loser, but you gave him control of your money?!” “I know. I regret it. That’s why I’m divorcing him.” Chloe fell silent for a moment, then said, “Whatever you need, I’m here.” She hung up, and a second later, my phone pinged with a PayPal notification: “$20,000 received.” Then came her text: “I know you’re broke right now. Consider this your war chest. Don’t you dare refuse it!” Looking at the screen, I started to laugh, and then the tears came. Sitting in my car by the curb, I cried and laughed like a madwoman, scaring away a few pedestrians. I wiped my tears, sat up straight, and my phone rang again. It was Ethan. “Vivian, you’re trying to ruin me! You’re the one who reported me to the Board, weren’t you?” “They brought me in for questioning today. But guess what? I got off clean. You can’t touch me!” I smiled. “I have all the time in the world to play with you, Ethan.” “The divorce papers are in your inbox. Enjoy.” Ethan choked on his words, his voice filled with disbelief. “What? You’re divorcing me? Over a safe and some jewelry? You reported me to the government and want a divorce over “that”?” “Yes. Over that.” I hung up on him. Then, I took my story and posted it on TikTok. I even paid for promotion to boost the video. I didn’t name him directly, but I knew his coworkers and acquaintances would easily connect the dots. The video was titled: 《My Husband is a Control Freak: I Have to Submit a Written Request Just to Buy Coffee!》 As soon as the video went live, it went viral. I posted screenshots of the “Allowance Request Forms” and his ridiculously petty rejections. I highlighted a few “masterpieces,” like when I requested $20 for a birthday cake or $15 for a pair of tights. I even showed his comments on the forms: “Honey, Walmart has sheet cakes for $5. Buy that instead. A birthday happens every year, no need to be extra.” “Your tights always rip. Don’t buy expensive ones. Order a bulk pack from Amazon.” Ethan, I hope you enjoy the spotlight.

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I had worked my fingers to the bone at Aura Tech for eight years. Every single year, my annual review rating was a straight A. Yet, I was downsized under the guise of “corporate restructuring” because I was thirty, single, and deemed “unstable.” The day the layoff list was announced, Brenda, the HR manager, sneered at me in her passive-aggressive corporate tone: “The company needs a younger, fresher vibe, Nora. A single woman your age is a liability—always on the verge of taking maternity leave or getting distracted.” My department manager, Richard, added oil to the fire: “Honestly, if you had a boyfriend, we might have reconsidered. But you have no anchor.” I just smiled, signed the papers, grabbed my severance package, and walked out. Three months later, I walked back into the Aura Tech headquarters as the lead representative of the acquiring investment firm, announcing a hundred percent buyout. My first order of business as the new boss: everyone had to reapply for their jobs. Brenda and Richard practically fell to their knees, begging for mercy. I looked at them with innocent eyes: “The company needs a fresh vibe, guys. Older employees like you, over forty-five, are a liability to our growth.” Only then did they realize that during the three months after my departure, I had married their biggest competitor—the legendary billionaire heir of the Sterling Group.

“Just sign it, Nora.” Brenda, the HR manager, slid the severance agreement across the table, tapping her manicured fingernail against the line under “Reason for Separation”: Voluntary Resignation. I glanced toward the glass door of the office. My department manager, Richard, was leaning against the frame, arms crossed, wearing a smug look that said, “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.” “Brenda,” I said, sliding the agreement back. “My performance review last quarter was an A. It’s been straight A’s for eight years. If the company is restructuring, I need a legitimate explanation.” Brenda smiled. It was that fake, pitying corporate smile she always wore right before she axed someone. “Nora, you’re thirty, right?” “I’m three months away from thirty.” “So, thirty,” she said, leaning back in her ergonomic chair. “The company is rebranding to target a younger demographic. An unmarried woman entering her thirties is a liability—always on the verge of taking maternity leave or getting distracted by family planning. Who’s going to run your projects when you suddenly leave?” I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. Richard strolled in and took a seat opposite me. He had been with the company for fifteen years, and he loved tapping his fingers on the desk to show his authority. “Nora, look at it from our perspective,” Richard said. “There are eight people in our department, and you’re the only one who’s single. If you had a boyfriend, at least we’d know you’re settled. But you don’t even date. How can the company rely on you for long-term projects?” I stared at him, cold and silent. Fidgeting under my gaze, Richard cleared his throat. “I mean, I’m not rushing you to get married. But your situation… it’s just not stable.” “So,” I said slowly, “because I don’t have a partner, I’m being downsized?” Brenda chimed in quickly, “That’s not exactly what we’re saying. But look at Chloe. She’s twenty-six, married with a kid. Super stable. Joey just got engaged and is planning his wedding for next year. They have life plans. What about you?” She paused, lowering her voice as if she were giving me sisterly advice. “Take the money, go home, and find a good man. A woman can have a great career, but what’s the point if you’re thirty and don’t even have a family to go home to?” I stood up. Brenda flinched, taking a half-step back. I grabbed the pen and signed my name on the dotted line. “Severance, plus my three-month notice payout,” I said, sliding the papers back. “According to labor laws, I am getting every single cent. If there’s even a dollar missing, I’ll see you in court with the Department of Labor.” Brenda’s face tightened, but she kept quiet. I grabbed my bag and walked out. At the door, I turned back. Richard was still sitting there, even finding the humor to joke, “Don’t hate us, Nora. When you finally get married, let me know. I’ll write you a fat check for your wedding registry.” I smiled. “Save your money, Richard. You’re going to need it.” Before he could process my words, I pushed the door open. On my desk, my belongings had already been swept into a cardboard box and left in the hallway. Chloe, my desk neighbor, peeked out with a complicated look in her eyes. I didn’t look back. I picked up the box and walked toward the elevator. Inside, my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and picked up. “Nora?” a young man’s voice came through, laced with a lazy, teasing tone. “I’m back in the country. About that acquisition proposal you mentioned last time… I’ve thought about it. Want to get a drink?” I watched the floor numbers count down. “Sure,” I said. “Actually, I have something else to discuss with you.” “Oh? What’s that?” “It’s about my former employer,” I said, stepping out of the elevator into the lobby. “I want to personally buy them out.” There was a second of silence on the other end, followed by a low chuckle. “Intriguing. Let’s talk over dinner.” The line went dead. I slid my phone into my pocket, holding my cardboard box tightly as I walked out into the bright afternoon sun. In three months, I’d be back.

“A full buyout?!” Richard’s voice echoed from the main conference room. Even through the heavy wooden door, the disbelief in his voice was palpable. I stood in the hallway, looking down at my phone. Liam had sent a Snapchat message: “Signed the papers? Let’s celebrate tonight.” I replied with a “Yes”, and slipped my phone into my pocket. The conference room door swung open. Richard walked out, sweat glistening on his forehead, talking rapidly to the CFO, Robert. “Vanguard Capital? I’ve never even heard of them wanting to enter this market! Who’s backing them?” Robert wiped his brow. “Word is it’s a newly established investment firm, but the real power behind them is the Sterling Group.” Richard stopped dead in his tracks. The Sterling Group. The biggest shark in the industry. Compared to them, our company was a tiny fish in a very small pond. “The Sterling Group is buying us out?” Richard’s voice cracked. “Why would they even care about us?” “It’s not Sterling directly,” Robert whispered. “Apparently, it’s a personal venture by the Sterling Group’s heir. He just returned from Europe, loaded with cash, and is snapping up local tech companies.” Richard’s expression shifted from panic to a forced smile. “Well, that’s good news, right? Merging with a giant means more job security.” “Good news?” Robert shot him a look. “It’s a full buyout. Everyone has to reapply for their jobs. Richard, you’re forty-eight, aren’t you?” Richard’s smile froze. I stepped out from the shadows behind them and cleared my throat. “Long time no see, Richard.” Richard spun around. His face went blank, then confused, and finally twisted into absolute terror. “No… Nora?” I gave him a polite nod. Robert looked between us, sensed the tension, and quickly walked away. “What are you doing here?” Richard took a step back, hitting the wall. “Are you here to—” “To sign the final papers.” I pulled a leather folder from my bag and tapped it lightly against my palm. “Vanguard Capital. Lead Investment Representative. I did the due diligence for this acquisition myself.” Richard’s mouth hung open. The sweat on his forehead seemed to double, dripping down his temple. “Nora,” he hissed, lowering his voice. “Three months ago, we… I…” “Three months ago, you told me,” I said, mimicking his exact condescending tone, “‘Nora, if you had a boyfriend, we might have reconsidered.’” Richard’s face flushed a deep, embarrassed red. “I went home and thought about it,” I said, sliding the folder back into my bag. “You were right. So, during my three months off, I got married.” He stared at me, dumbfounded. “My husband is Liam. You know, the guy you just mentioned,” I smiled sweetly. “The heir to the Sterling Group.” Richard’s knees actually buckled. He had to lean against the wall to keep from falling. “Nora,” he rasped, his throat tight. “We worked together for eight years. I always respected your talent. That layoff… it was company policy, not personal—” “I know,” I interrupted. “That’s why I don’t blame you.” A tiny glint of hope appeared in his eyes, only to be crushed by my next words. “I’m just following company policy, too. A complete restructure. Only the strongest survive. Our Chairman, Mr. Sterling, personally signed off on it.” I looked him up and down. “Have you prepared your portfolio for the re-application process, Richard? I recall your performance reviews for the past three years were two C’s and a D.” Richard turned pale as a sheet. Ignoring him, I turned to walk into the conference room. Suddenly, a flurry of hurried footsteps sounded behind me. Brenda rushed out of the elevator, her makeup slightly smeared, her eyes red. She grabbed my arm. “Nora!” she gasped. “Nora, please… I was wrong. You can’t let them fire me—” I looked down at her hand on my arm. She quickly let go, looking embarrassed. “Brenda,” I said calmly. “You’re forty-six this year, aren’t you?” Brenda froze. “The company needs a younger vibe,” I said, returning the exact words she had thrown at me three months ago. “Older employees like you, over forty-five, are a liability.” Brenda’s face crumpled. I walked into the conference room, and the door shut behind me, blocking out the world. My phone buzzed. It was a Snapchat from Liam: “Signed? What did their faces look like?” I typed back: “Guess.” He replied instantly: “I want to see it in person.” I smiled. “You’ll get plenty of chances tonight.”

I fired my first warning shot as the new boss on Monday morning. The all-hands meeting was packed. The large auditorium was filled to capacity. Standing on the stage, I looked out at the sea of familiar faces. These were my colleagues of eight years. People I had shared lunches and jokes with just three months ago. Now, they looked at me with a mix of fear, curiosity, and respect. Some avoided my eyes, some tried to smile flatteringly, and some just looked numb. A few were even secretly gloating, throwing glances at the front row where Richard and Brenda sat, waiting for the drama to unfold. Richard had put on a fresh, ironed shirt, trying desperately to look composed. But his hands betrayed him—resting on his knees, his knuckles were white. Brenda sat next to him, dark circles under her eyes, looking like she hadn’t slept in days. I turned on the projector. “Vanguard Capital’s acquisition of Aura Tech is officially finalized, effective today,” I announced. I paused, letting my voice carry through the room. “As the lead representative, my first executive order is this: every single position is open for re-application.” A collective murmur rippled through the crowd. “Every role will be evaluated based on merit alone. The standard is simple: performance.” I clicked to the next slide, displaying a detailed spreadsheet. “The HR department has compiled the performance reviews for the last three years. Anyone with consecutive ‘Needs Improvement’ or low-grade ratings will automatically be placed on probation. Anyone with consistent failing marks will proceed directly to termination.” Brenda’s head snapped up. I met her gaze and smiled. “Any questions, Brenda?” Her lips trembled, but no sound came out. “Great.” I clicked to the next slide. “The schedule and requirements for the application process will be emailed to you by noon. Portfolios are due by Friday, and interviews will begin next Monday.” The room was dead silent. I turned off the projector and nodded to the crowd. “Meeting adjourned.” As the crowd filed out, I stood my ground. Some people gave me polite, hesitant nods; some pretended not to see me; others looked like they wanted to apologize but lacked the courage. Once the room emptied out, I walked slowly toward the exit. Richard was waiting for me at the door. “Nora,” he said, squeezing out a tight smile. “Do you have a few minutes?” I checked my watch. “Five minutes.” He nodded frantically, leading me into a small, vacant meeting room nearby. The moment the door clicked shut, his shoulders slumped, and he practically bowed. “Nora, listen,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “We worked together for eight years. I’ve always supported you. Remember when you first interviewed here? I was the one who approved your hire.” I looked at him calmly. “I remember. You told me it wasn’t easy for a young woman in this industry, and that I should work hard.” “Exactly!” His eyes lit up. “I always saw your potential. The year you got your first A-grade review, I was the one who nominated you—” “Richard,” I cut him off. “What is your point?” His smile faltered. “Well,” he whispered, “about this re-application… I’m forty-eight, and I’ve been with this company for almost two decades. Surely my loyalty counts for something? Some of these younger kids have talent, sure, but they don’t have my experience—” “So you want to bypass the interview process?” He choked on his words, his jaw slack. “Nora,” he pleaded, dropping the professional title. “Why are you doing this? What happened back then… it was just corporate policy. It wasn’t my personal decision—” “What happened back then,” I said, “your exact words were: ‘If you had a boyfriend, we might have reconsidered.’” Richard’s face burned red. “That was… I was just talking—” “I recorded it.” He froze. I pulled my phone from my pocket and tapped a voice memo. “Nora, you’re thirty, right?” “I’m three months away from thirty.” “So, thirty. The company is rebranding… A single woman your age is a liability.” Brenda’s sharp, condescending voice filled the quiet room, clear as day. Richard’s face drained of color. “Richard,” I said, locking my phone. “Do you have anything else to say?” His mouth opened and closed, but he couldn’t form a single word. I opened the door and walked out. Behind me, his hollow voice drifted out: “That recording… when did you start recording?” I didn’t turn around. “The second I walked into that office three months ago.” At the end of the hallway, the elevator doors opened. Liam was leaning against the wall inside, a smirk playing on his lips. “All done?” “Just warming up,” I said, stepping inside. “What are you doing here?” “Picking up my wife from work,” he said, pressing the lobby button. “Didn’t you promise I’d get to see some action tonight?” I laughed. “Don’t be impatient,” I said, watching the numbers tick down. “The real show is just getting started.”

Brenda cornered me in the parking garage just as the sun was setting. Liam had gone to pull the car around, and I was waiting near the exit. A white Volkswagen Golf suddenly screeched to a halt right in front of me. Brenda scrambled out of the driver’s seat. “Nora,” she gasped, blocking my path. “We need to talk.” I looked at my phone. A message from Liam read: “Slight traffic block, give me five minutes.” I typed a quick “Okay” and put the phone away. “What do you want to talk about, Brenda?” “The recording,” she said, her voice shaking. “Can you delete it? Please.” I looked at her. Three months ago, she sat in her high-backed leather chair, looking down at me like a queen dispensing a sentence. She had smiled that pitying smile, enjoying her power. Now, she stood in a dim parking garage, her face pale, driving a battered car, begging me. “Delete it?” I asked. “Why should I?” Her eyes welled with tears. “Nora, I’m begging you. You know my family’s situation. My husband was laid off last year, my son just started college, and we have twenty years left on our mortgage. I cannot lose this job.” “And?” She blinked, taken aback. “And…” She sniffled, wiping her nose. “Can’t you just look at our history? We worked together for so many years—” “Brenda,” I interrupted her. “Three months ago, in your office, do you remember what you said to me?” She turned even paler. “‘Take the money, go home, and find a good man,’” I quoted her, word for word. “‘A woman can have a great career, but what’s the point if you’re thirty and don’t even have a family to go home to.’” Her lips trembled, but she couldn’t say a word. “Why didn’t you think about our history back then? Why didn’t you show me any mercy?” Tears finally spilled over her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Nora. I am so, so sorry. I didn’t have a choice! The board set a quota for layoffs, and I was just following orders from above—” “Orders from whom?” She hesitated. “Richard,” I answered for her. “He was the one who put me on that list, wasn’t he?” She nodded frantically. “Yes! Yes, it was him. He specifically targeted you. He said you were single and ‘unstable,’ that you were at an age where you’d probably get pregnant and leave. I was just the executor, I swear—” “And the things you said in that recording?” She froze. “‘The company needs a younger vibe. A single woman your age is a liability.’ You said those words, Brenda. No one forced you.” Her face went completely gray. “Nora…” “Brenda,” I said, staring at her cold eyes. “You’re forty-six. By your own standards, shouldn’t you have been ‘optimized’ a long time ago?” She gasped, unable to find an answer. “Submit your application,” I said. “Whether you stay depends entirely on your qualifications. As for the recording—” Headlights illuminated the dim garage. A sleek black Maybach rolled up smoothly, stopping a few feet away. Liam rolled down the window, looking at Brenda, then at me. “Ready to go, honey?” Without another word to Brenda, I opened the passenger door and slid in. As we drove away, I caught a glimpse of her in the rearview mirror, standing frozen under the flickering garage lights. “Was she crying?” Liam asked quietly. “Yes.” “Feeling soft-hearted?” I looked out the window at the city lights blurring past. “Not even a little.” He chuckled, reaching over to squeeze my hand. “What’s next?” “Next,” I said, “we wait for the Friday submissions.” He smirked. “They aren’t going to make the cut, are they?” I didn’t answer. Three months ago, I had walked out of this very building carrying a cardboard box in the middle of the night. I had promised myself I’d return. Now I was back. And this was only the beginning.

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After I closed a million-dollar contract, the intern who usually treated me like dirt suddenly brought me breakfast. “Eat this, and you have to hand the Vance account over to me, Evelyn.” Of course, I refused. I tossed the breakfast straight into the trash. The intern burst into tears, ran into our boss Arthur Johnson’s office, and claimed I was bullying her. I tried to defend myself, but my boyfriend, Scott, took her side. “Evelyn always steals the interns’ accounts.” Johnson fired me on the spot. I fainted from sheer rage, only to wake up in an underground human trafficking ring near the border. The intern’s voice came through the phone: “Evelyn, you’re so capable. I’m sure you’ll be the star escort here.” As she spoke, men rushed at me. After seven days of absolute hell, I was thrown into a room smelling of bleach. In agonizing pain, I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I was back to the day the intern asked me to hand over the contract. “Sure,” I said, offering a professional smile. This time, I’m sending her straight to hell.

“Evelyn, are you listening?” A sickeningly sweet voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I snapped my eyes open. I turned my head. Grace’s heavily made-up face was inches from mine. She pouted, tugging at my sleeve. “Can you let me have that million-dollar contract? I really need this chance to prove myself.” Under the desk, I dug my fingernails into my palms. The sharp pain proved it wasn’t a dream. I had really gone back in time. Back to the moment before this venomous snake ruined my life. Memories flooded in. In my past life, after I refused, Grace cried to Johnson, and Scott lied for her. Getting fired was just the beginning. I woke up in that overseas dark-web club. Seven days of torture. Electric shocks, waterboarding, endless abuse… “Evelyn?” Grace’s voice dragged me back. I watched her glossy lips move, my chest burning with pure hatred. “Sure,” I offered a professional smile. “You can have the Vance account.” Grace froze. She didn’t expect me to agree so easily. Suspicion flashed in her eyes, quickly replaced by fake gratitude. “Really? Thank you so much! I won’t let you down!” I watched her walk away, a cold smirk playing on my lips. Wesley Vance was notoriously difficult. He had two rules for doing business: either you outdrink him, or you sleep with him. In my past life, I succeeded because I have a freakishly high alcohol tolerance. But Grace? From what I knew, she was a lightweight. One glass, and she’d be out. I grabbed my phone and dialed a number I rarely called. “Aunt Samantha, it’s me,” I said, keeping my voice low. “Wesley Vance is going to the Eclipse Lounge tonight. Keep an eye on him for me.” My aunt’s calm, steady voice came through. “Is someone giving you trouble? Do you want me to handle it?” “No need,” I said, my nails digging into my palms again. I want to destroy her with my own hands. I hung up and walked to the conference room. Grace was already boasting to Johnson that she was the one who secured the deal. Scott stood beside her, his eyes practically glued to her. In my past life, Scott’s false testimony was the final nail in my coffin. “Evelyn,” Johnson said, pushing up his gold-rimmed glasses. He was a trophy husband who only got his position because of his wealthy wife, so he loved playing the big boss. “You need to learn to delegate. Give the newbies a chance.” “Grace did an amazing job landing this.” I looked at Grace, who was leaning uncomfortably close to Johnson. I smiled. At 5 PM, Grace touched up her makeup and left for her meeting.

At 10 PM, my phone buzzed. Samantha sent a video and a voice note. “Vance spiked her drink. He barely drank, but Grace kept chugging.” “Also, Johnson opened a private room next door. He keeps checking his watch like he’s waiting for someone.” I opened the video. It was a luxury VIP suite. Grace, in a low-cut dress, was flushed and slurring her words on the leather sofa. Vance leaned in. But Grace suddenly shrieked and slapped him. Furious, Vance grabbed her hair and hit her. As she screamed, the door burst open. Johnson rushed in. “Mr. Vance, what do you think you’re doing?” He pulled Grace away, acting like a hero. Vance sneered. “Mr. Johnson, she threw herself at me. What, can’t handle the heat?” Johnson’s face turned pale. Holding a bruised Grace, he snapped, “The deal is off!” The video cut to the next room. Johnson carried Grace inside and locked the door. After a hushed conversation, Grace’s hands went to his belt… I closed the video and smirked. The next morning, as soon as I entered the office, I heard Johnson roaring. “Evelyn, get in here!” I walked in. Johnson slammed his hand on the desk. “You knew what kind of man Vance was! Why didn’t you warn Grace? Did you do this on purpose?” Grace sat nearby, eyes swollen, neck covered in hickeys and bruises. She looked like she’d cried all night. I stared at them silently. “Fine, play dumb,” Johnson sneered, pointing at the door. “Get out. Don’t come back until you’re ready to apologize!” I smiled, pulled out my resignation letter, and slapped it on his desk. “I quit.” As I turned, I heard Grace’s whiny voice. “Mr. Johnson, please don’t be mad. I’m sure Evelyn didn’t mean it.” In the hallway, Scott blocked my way, glaring. “Evelyn, how could you be so malicious? You set Grace up!” “Let’s break up.” “Fine by me!” Scott snapped. I smirked and walked away. Grace had been throwing herself at him for months. In my past life, I thought he was loyal. In the end, he was the one who drugged me. A week later, I joined our main rival company and instantly snatched the Vance account. At the same time, I anonymously sent the video to Johnson’s wife, Leslie Stuart, the sole heiress of the Stuart Group. Three days later, the financial news broke: Stuart Group Heiress Leslie Stuart Files for Divorce; Strips Arthur Johnson of All Shares. Overnight, Johnson was kicked out with absolutely nothing. And Grace didn’t fare any better. On Monday, as I drove to my new office, I saw a crowd gathered outside our old building. “You cheap whore! Sleeping with my husband?” Leslie’s voice echoed. In the center of the crowd, Leslie and two bodyguards were dragging Grace by her hair. Leslie slapped her hard across the face. Grace sobbed, “I didn’t! Mr. Johnson forced himself on me!” Scott rushed forward to shield her, yelling at Leslie, “Stop it! Assault is a crime!” Leslie laughed coldly. “Still playing the white knight?” “Too bad your precious goddess was acting like a dog for my husband.” She threw a stack of photos into the air—all of them explicit pictures of Johnson and Grace in a hotel. Grace turned pale, and Scott’s face went completely stiff.

Grace’s eyes locked onto mine through the crowd. Blood trickled from her lip, but her eyes burned with toxic hatred. I smirked and walked away. I knew she wouldn’t stop. In my past life, she sold me out. In this life, she’d be even more vicious. The next afternoon, Scott texted me. Evelyn, I was wrong about everything. Can we talk? I stared at my phone and smirked. In my past life, he was the one who “kindly” took me to the hospital when I fainted. By the time I woke up, I was in a shipping container. I replied: Sure. At 7 PM, I arrived at the secluded restaurant he chose. The private room was soundproofed. “Evelyn, I was too impulsive.” Scott poured me a glass of water, a bitter smile on his face. “I realized I shouldn’t have broken up with you over Grace.” I took the glass, tracing the rim. The water smelled faintly of almonds. Roofies mixed with a heavy sedative. In my past life, they did the exact same thing. While I was being tortured in the cartel compound, Grace mocked me, boasting how she made Scott drug my drink. Because I trusted him back then, I drank it and fainted in the office. I looked up, met Scott’s tense eyes, smiled, and drank it. Dizziness hit almost instantly. I pretended to lose balance, holding my head while secretly hitting the emergency speed-dial on my phone. “Evelyn? What’s wrong?” Scott asked, pretending to be worried. I slumped onto the table. I heard him gasp. He whispered into his phone, “She’s out. Come in.” The door opened. The click of high heels drew closer. “Finally, you’re mine.” Grace’s sweet voice sounded warped with malice. “Did you really think you won, Evelyn?” My vision blurred, but I saw her bend down. Her red-manicured nails dug into my chin. “Don’t worry. I’m going to make your life a living hell.” They moved quickly. As they threw a heavy sack over me, my consciousness faded. But I was smiling. Because I knew Grace was about to die. The air inside the sack was hot and suffocating. I kept my eyes closed, letting my body bounce with the car. The terror of my past life was gone, replaced by cold, calculating patience. After what felt like hours, there was a violent crash.

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Julian, my long-lost younger brother, was finally found, but he stubbornly refused to come home with me. When I asked him why, he said it was because he couldn’t leave Aria, a blind girl from the orphanage. “He has a family now, and a bright future. Please understand,” I told the girl, leaving a massive check for her. But she couldn’t accept the sudden change. That very night, she committed suicide at the orphanage. Three years later, with my help, Julian inherited the family legacy and became the CEO of Franklin Enterprises. The very first thing he did was ruin our parents and kick me out of the company. “It’s payback time,” he sneered. “You guys are just biological strangers. Aria was my only real family.” He gouged out my eyes and literally drove our parents to their graves. When I opened my eyes again, our parents were pleading with Julian to come home. Julian was holding Aria’s hand tightly, refusing to let go. I smiled. “Mom, Dad, let’s respect their choice.”

When I died, my eyes were gouged out. The excruciating pain, combined with the suffocating darkness, drove me to absolute despair. “Hurts, doesn’t it, Jennifer?” A familiar voice echoed. I instinctively reached out to grab him. But my fingers only clawed through the cold air, finding nothing but emptiness. “Julian?” “Why… why would you do this?” Julian, my sweet brother. Ever since he went missing as a child, he had been a painful thorn in our family’s heart. I spent five long years searching for him, finally tracking him down to an orphanage. After bringing him home, I took care of his every need and taught him how to run the business step-by-step. Everyone knew that if Julian wanted money, I gave it to him. If he wanted power, I handed it over. But I never imagined he didn’t just want everything Franklin Enterprises owned. He wanted my life. The suffocation made it hard to breathe. “Why…” A cold laugh drifted into my ears, and the grip on my throat didn’t loosen even a fraction. “It’s payback time.” Julian’s voice was so cold, it was like he was talking to a corpse. “Aria was my only real family.” Aria? For a second, I couldn’t even place the name. Wait… was she that blind girl from the orphanage? So, Julian bided his time for three years just for her? A hoarse laugh escaped my throat, followed by the metallic taste of blood. “Haha… Julian, you really are…” An idiot! The next second, I felt my neck snap. Blood sprayed everywhere.

“Miss Franklin, wake up. Please, wake up.” I gasped, snapping awake, my forehead drenched in cold sweat. I looked around. Cute, childish drawings were taped to the warm-colored walls, making the room look cozy. A somewhat familiar face leaned in. “Miss Franklin, I’m the director of the orphanage.” The agonizing pain of having my eyes gouged out and my throat slit was completely gone! I had traveled back in time! Right now, I was holding the DNA report, visiting the orphanage for the very first time. “Thank you for taking care of Julian all these years. It wasn’t easy finding him.” Director Higgins poured me a cup of tea. I tried to calm my racing heart. Suddenly, the door was slammed open. A boy and a girl walked in. The boy was lean but tall, with tanned skin and messy hair. His eyes were filled with hostility and defensiveness. The girl beside him was petite and fragile, wearing dark sunglasses and holding a small cane. My lips curved into a cold smile. Julian. I didn’t expect to see him again so soon. “Julian, perfect timing! This is Jennifer, your older sister!” The director turned to me, smiling apologetically. “He’s usually a very polite boy. He was probably just eager to meet you.” Before Julian could say a word, Aria sank to her knees. “Jennifer, please, take me with you! I beg of you, Julian and I can’t be separated!” Aria cried so hard she looked like a delicate flower in the rain. Julian’s eyes filled with pure heartache. In my past life, seeing this scene, I immediately helped her up. Julian assumed I had agreed. But when he realized I was only bringing him home, he secretly started hating me. This time, I just sat quietly on the couch, watching Aria put on her little show. Oh, yes. Her fragility was an act, and so was her blindness. She thought she had fooled Julian, the director, and everyone in the orphanage. But I knew the truth. Aria acted so pitiful because she wanted Julian to protect her forever. Knowing Julian was about to be taken back by the wealthy Franklin family, she was determined to latch onto us. Aria started coughing from crying so hard, looking like she was about to faint. Seeing that I didn’t react at all, Julian couldn’t hold back anymore. “Jennifer, Aria is crying like this. Haven’t you had enough?” No, not even close. I picked up my tea and took a slow sip. “Do I owe you something? Why on earth should I take her with me?” Choked by my harsh words, Aria collapsed onto the floor, sobbing. “It’s my fault for being useless and blind. I only bring trouble…” Tsk. Still acting. What a manipulative bitch. But Julian was completely brainwashed by this act. He clenched his fists and marched over to me. “I’m only going if Aria goes. If you don’t take her, I’m staying here!” Hearing this, I almost laughed out loud. Julian, you really are pathetic. Just like a stray dog who desperately wants to go home but can’t leave his stray buddy behind. How can you expect to have your cake and eat it too? You’re being way too greedy. Besides… This Aria was far from innocent. I let out a soft laugh and looked at the director. “Who said I’m here to take Julian home today?” I slid the DNA report back into my bag and stood up, looking around. “This orphanage is poorly managed, the environment is sub-par, and the kids are incredibly undisciplined.” “I came here today to let you know that Franklin Enterprises will have to reconsider our investment in your expansion project.” With that, I turned on my heel and walked out. The crying behind me abruptly stopped. Just as the door swung shut, I heard the director scream in fury. “You two dared to offend our biggest investor? I’m going to beat you to death!”

After that, the director called me multiple times, but I ignored every single call. In my past life, the director knew how desperate I was to bring Julian home, so she slyly wrung hundreds of thousands of dollars out of me in “investments.” Back then, I was so blinded by joy that I didn’t care about the money. But in this life, I wasn’t in a rush anymore. Julian didn’t deserve it. In the cafeteria, Julian was holding two trays to get food, with Aria standing quietly beside him. “Why does everyone else get chicken legs, but we don’t?” He asked the cafeteria lady angrily, only to receive a massive eye-roll. “The director said kids who don’t behave don’t get the good stuff.” Julian clenched his fists. “Did Jennifer order you to do this? Did she?!” No matter how loud he yelled, everyone else just stared at him in silence. Getting no response, Julian could only take the meager trays in frustration. With their pathetic portions of food, they walked to a corner table. “Aria, you eat first.” Aria shook her head. “Julian… maybe you should just go home with Jennifer?” “Do you want me to bow my head to her?” Aria nodded. “If you do, you won’t have to suffer here anymore.” Seeing Aria worry so much about him, Julian’s heart ached. “Don’t worry, Aria. I promise I will bring you with me.” “But Jennifer…” Aria started crying again. “She seems to hate me.” I had to hand it to Aria. She really knew how to pull his strings, easily fueling Julian’s hatred toward me with just a few words. Watching the surveillance footage from the orphanage on my tablet, I let out a cold laugh. Over the next few days, Julian and Aria were treated like outcasts. A few older, bigger kids took every opportunity to mock them. “An idiot and a blind girl. You two really are a perfect match.” “Yeah, so stupid. Throwing away a rich family just for a blind girl.” The kids at the orphanage didn’t understand the gravity of bullying; they just saw the adults freezing Julian and Aria out and decided to join in. Even so, I didn’t feel a shred of pity. Showing mercy to a devil is just handing them a knife to stab you with later. Ring, ring, ring— My phone buzzed. “Hey, Mom.” My parents’ voices came through the line. “Jennifer, we got a call this morning asking why we haven’t picked up Julian yet.” “Mom, did the director call you?” “No, it was a young girl. She sounded very sweet.” “Jennifer, your father’s health is getting worse. He just wants to bring Julian home soon and spend more time with him.” “I understand, Mom.” It looked like Aria had finally made her move. Winter at the orphanage was brutal. After driving a few hundred miles, my parents and I arrived at the orphanage. Julian, dressed in brand-new clothes, was waiting outside the director’s office. “Julian… oh, my sweet boy…” Mom ran forward, crying. Dad silently wiped away tears beside me. Julian looked uncomfortable being hugged so suddenly, but when he looked at me, his eyes were filled with pure disgust. “Julian, I’m your mother. I’m your mom.” Mom held his hand, too emotional to calm down. “Tell me, sweetie, why didn’t you want to come home?” The director stood by, smiling awkwardly. “Mr. and Mrs. Franklin, Julian probably just wasn’t ready before.” “No.” Julian’s deep voice cut through the emotional reunion. He slowly pointed a finger at me. “It’s her.” My parents turned to look at me, completely baffled. “Julian, she is your sister.” “She’s the one. She told the director and everyone here to bully me,” Julian spat, barely controlling his rage. I looked at him like he was a child throwing a tantrum, keeping a calm smile on my face. “Me? Why would I bully you?” “Because I refused to leave Aria behind, so you used these dirty tricks to force my hand,” Julian said righteously, as if he were the ultimate victim.

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“Babe, my boss won’t let you touch me. He’s going to check tomorrow.” When my friend told me his wife wouldn’t let him touch her, it completely shattered my worldview. He also told me that his wife’s boss had created a Snapchat group for his female employees. There were exactly twenty-four women in it. But when I saw the screenshot of that group, my heart stopped. Because the twenty-fourth woman in that group looked exactly like my wife! Two days ago, my childhood friend, Ford, and I were out having drinks when he told me the most bizarre story. He said he had tried to get intimate with his wife, Mandy, but she had ruthlessly rejected him. Her reason? Her boss had ordered her not to let her husband touch her. What’s crazier was that the boss checked them every single day. If any woman was caught being “unfaithful” to him with her own husband, there would be severe consequences. To be honest, this ridiculous story left me completely speechless. My moral compass was spinning out of control. Who in their right mind proudly stays chaste for a side piece in this day and age? Ford cried like a child, looking utterly miserable. “That boss is an absolute monster! She’s my wife! Why the hell can’t I touch her?” “He already has over twenty female employees wrapped around his finger. Why is he still targeting my wife?!” As he spoke, he furiously pulled up his phone and showed me a screenshot of a Snapchat group chat. The content inside blew my mind. Those twenty-three women were chatting happily like a big family. And the moment their boss sent a message, they all replied in unison, calling him “babe” or “honey.” Suddenly, my eyes locked onto one photo in the chat. My pupils contracted in sheer terror—the woman in that photo was my wife, Sophie! How was this possible? The women in this group were clearly the boss’s playthings. Why on earth was my wife in there? The photo had been posted by their boss, announcing a newcomer to the group: “This is Number 24. She’s your new sister. Welcome her.” “Hi everyone, I’m Number 24. So glad to be part of this family.” “I will do my best to serve the boss alongside all of you.” There were no real names in the chat. Everyone was referred to by their numbers. The first woman to join was Number 1, and Sophie, being the latest, was Number 24. The chat log ended there. It was the last screenshot Ford had. I stared at that screenshot over and over, my face turning deathly pale, my heart sinking into a bottomless pit. I couldn’t hear a single word of Ford’s venting anymore. I hastily made an excuse, ran out, and drove straight home. I needed to get some answers from Sophie. But when I got home, the house was empty. I called her phone. It went straight to voicemail! Recalling the photo I had just seen on Ford’s phone, a terrible thought crossed my mind: Was Sophie at her boss’s house right now? Once a man starts doubting his wife’s fidelity, the seed of suspicion grows like wildfire, driving him insane. I tried calling her every few minutes, but her phone remained turned off. It wasn’t until past nine in the evening that she finally walked through the front door. She was holding her lower back, her face exhausted. And on her neck, I could clearly see several dark red marks! At that sight, I clenched my teeth, fully convinced she had spent the entire day in her boss’s bed. “Sophie! You had a pretty wild time with your boss today, huh? Coming home this late!” “Do you even care about this home? Do you even care about me?!” I roared. Sophie froze for a fraction of a second, her eyes instantly filling with panic. “Leo… what are you talking about? I don’t understand.” Seeing her play dumb, I let out a cold laugh and immediately pulled out the screenshot on my phone. “You don’t understand? The evidence is right here. Do you understand now?!” “Take a good look! The woman in this photo is you, right? Number 24!” Seeing the screenshot, Sophie’s face drained of color. She started trembling, completely at a loss for words. “No, Leo! That’s not me! I’ve never joined a group chat like this!” “If… if you don’t believe me, look at my phone!” She quickly unlocked her phone and forced it into my hands. I snatched it and searched through every single app, but indeed, there was no trace of that Snapchat group. What was going on? Sophie asked cautiously, “Leo, where did you get this screenshot?” I frowned, thought for a moment, and told her about Ford’s situation. Sophie immediately sighed in relief. “Leo, Mandy works at Vanguard Group, and I work at Skyline Enterprises. We don’t even have the same boss. How could I possibly be in that group?” “This woman just looks a bit like me. Plus, with the heavy filters girls use on social media, she looks similar, but she’s not me.” I froze. She was right. Mandy worked at Vanguard Group, while Sophie was at Skyline Enterprises. They had completely different bosses. It didn’t make sense. A heavy weight lifted off my chest, but I still kept a cold face and pressed further: “Then why did you come home so late? And why didn’t you pick up my calls?” “And what the hell are those red marks on your neck?!”

Those obvious marks were impossible to ignore! Sophie said quickly: “Cassie invited me over to her place, but something went wrong on the way.” “I got trapped in her apartment building’s elevator. There was no cell service and no Wi-Fi. I was stuck there almost the whole day.” She urged me to search the local news. Sure enough, I found a news report about an elevator malfunction in Cassie’s neighborhood. It wasn’t fixed until past eight in the evening. It matched Sophie’s story perfectly. “And the red marks on my neck are just bug bites.” She tilted her neck toward me, and I did see a few small bumps that looked like insect bites. No matter what loophole I pointed out, she had a perfectly logical explanation ready. She answered so smoothly, almost as if she had rehearsed it. Instead of clearing my doubts, this made me even more suspicious. Something was definitely wrong with Sophie! My gut was proven right that night. After Sophie stripped and fell asleep, I noticed something on her lower back, right above her tailbone. There was a number written in thick, indelible black marker. 24! I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white. I was about to explode with rage! This was no coincidence. Maybe a face could look similar, but there was no way in hell the number 24 was a coincidence! Sophie was indeed Number 24! Staring at that number, I gritted my teeth. Writing it on such an intimate part of her body was a blatant insult to me. It was a slap in the face. She was completely fearless, not caring if I found out, treating me like some weak pushover she could easily manipulate. A boss from another company? Why the hell did he think he could do this to me! Looking at the sleeping Sophie, I wanted nothing more than to drag her out of bed and scream at her. But I quickly forced myself to calm down. If I confronted her now, she would just throw another well-rehearsed excuse at me. It would be meaningless. I needed hard, undeniable evidence. Once I had it, I would cut her off completely! A cheating woman does not deserve to be my wife! The next morning, I hired a private investigator to track Sophie’s every move. Furthermore, I wanted to find out why Sophie, an employee of Skyline Enterprises, was in the group chat of the Vanguard Group’s boss. What dirty secrets was she keeping from me? The private investigator kept me waiting for three excruciating days. Those three days were the worst days of my life. Sophie kept leaving early and coming home late. What made me even angrier was that every time she returned, she smelled of expensive cologne that wasn’t mine, and her intimate belongings, like her pantyhose, were completely missing. It was obvious what she was doing out there. Yet, Sophie still lied straight to my face. Her excuses were so perfect that I couldn’t even find a way to argue back. Finally, on the third day, the private investigator called. He had dug up everything. Before telling me the details, he sent me a file and told me to watch the contents first. I connected the USB drive to my phone and opened the files. They were filled with videos. I clicked on a random one, and within seconds, my blood boiled. It was a video of Sophie cheating! And the man she was with was none other than Mandy’s boss, Henderson! Then, the investigator closed that file and opened another video. It was another clip of Sophie being unfaithful. But when I saw the man in this video, my jaw dropped. It was Sophie’s actual boss, Chris. Sophie was sleeping with more than one man!

The private investigator’s explanation finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together. As it turned out, Sophie’s first affair was with her direct supervisor, Chris. Chris and Henderson, the CEO of Vanguard Group, were longtime buddies. During a private party, Henderson laid his eyes on Sophie and wanted her. Chris was incredibly “generous.” He literally packaged Sophie up and gifted her to Henderson like a piece of property. And just like that, Sophie naturally became Henderson’s plaything. Chris was still somewhat normal—he only wanted his female employees to sleep with him occasionally. But Henderson was a controlling freak, a complete psychopath. Once he slept with a woman, he absolutely forbade anyone else from touching her, not even her legal husband. He even hired a private medical team. Every day, he would gather his twenty-four female employees and have the medical team examine them one by one. If any woman was found to have had intercourse the night before, she would face brutal punishments. And these women didn’t dare to fight back. In fact, they tried their best to please him. Not only because Henderson held serious dirt on them, but also because once they made him happy, the financial rewards he gave them were beyond imagination. These secrets were kept tightly under wraps. I only found out because I used every connection and dollar I had to dig up the truth. Knowing all of this made me want to vomit. I couldn’t believe there were people this sick and twisted in the world. To satisfy his own sick desires, Henderson was playing with twenty-four women. That meant twenty-four families were being torn apart by this monster. And I was one of his victims! I’ve always been a decisive man. The moment I got the evidence, I drafted a divorce agreement. Infidelity once means you’re out forever. I refused to let this green hat stay on my head for another second. When I threw the divorce papers in front of Sophie, she panicked for a second, but she quickly regained her composure and said coldly: “Well, Leo. It seems you found out.” I glared at her with pure hatred. “Don’t you dare call my name, Sophie!” “Selling your body and soul for a bit of cash, willing to be a plaything, being traded around like a piece of meat!” “I don’t have a shameless whore for a wife!” “Sign these papers right now. We are done!” Sophie didn’t even look at the papers. She grabbed them, tore them to shreds, and shook her head. “Divorce? Henderson said I’m not allowed to.” Hearing this, I lost my mind. “He said you’re not allowed to? Who the hell is he to decide?!” Sophie said righteously, “Because Henderson likes married women. He hates divorcees.” “To keep him happy, I am absolutely not divorcing you.” I pointed a shaking finger at her, my teeth grinding. “Look at yourself! How are you any different from a dog? You’ve completely thrown away your dignity for money!” Sophie let out a mocking laugh. “Dignity? How much is dignity worth? Can it buy me dinner?” “Leo, I know this is hard for you to swallow.” “But we can make a deal. As long as you don’t divorce me, I’ll give you one-third of all the money I get from Henderson.” “If I remember correctly, you have a thirty-year mortgage on this house, right?” “If you cooperate with me, we can pay off your entire mortgage in less than two years. What do you think?” Her words hit me like a physical blow. To marry Sophie, I had taken out a massive loan to buy this house. After the down payment, I was saddled with a thirty-year mortgage. My monthly salary was barely enough, and sometimes my income was unstable. Every month, after paying the mortgage and bills, I could barely breathe from the financial stress. And now, the crushing thirty-year mortgage could be paid off in just two years… if I just tolerated my wife’s affair? On one hand was my pride as a man; on the other hand was the brutal reality of life. I fell into a deep, painful struggle.

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I gave up my own college dreams just so Ethan Miller could get his PhD. During the day, I delivered food on my scooter. At night, I worked as a mall janitor. I survived on only four hours of sleep a day. Because of the physical exhaustion, I suffered two miscarriages. Eventually, I developed severe reproductive health issues and had to have half of my uterus removed. Finally, Ethan graduated. He landed a high-paying job at a listed company with a six-figure salary. He promised to give me a grand wedding. But while trying on wedding dresses, I got bored and browsed Instagram. A viral post on a local confession page caught my eye. “How do I dump my uneducated, janitor girlfriend who put me through school without looking like the bad guy?” “She can’t even understand basic academic talk. It is embarrassing to take her out.” “I have met a female executive at my company who truly gets me. I don’t want to play savior anymore.” Attached to the post was a photo of a medical report. The name was blurred, but I recognized it instantly. It was my uterine surgery report. Across the fitting room curtain, Ethan’s gentle voice drifted in. “Honey, are you done changing? I can’t wait to see you in that dress.” I looked down and touched the ugly surgical scar on my lower abdomen. Suddenly, my ten years of sacrifice felt like a total joke.

“Babe, is the dress on yet?” I locked my phone and slipped it into the pocket of my old coat. My hand lingered on the scar on my stomach for two seconds before I pulled it away. I pushed the curtain open. Ethan blinked in surprise when he saw me still wearing my old, faded clothes. “Why did you take it off? Weren’t you obsessing over that mermaid gown for days?” He set down his coffee cup, walked over, and wrapped an arm around my shoulder with a doting smile. “Is it too expensive? Don’t worry about the price. Your man makes six figures now. I can easily afford a wedding dress.” I took a subtle step back, slipping out of his embrace. “It doesn’t fit.” “How? Is the size wrong?” He frowned and turned to the sales associate. “Did you guys give her the wrong size?” The sales associate smiled apologetically. “Mr. Miller, the lady said the design is too complicated. She said it’s not practical for doing chores.” Ethan sighed, reaching out to ruffle my hair. “Silly girl. You’re going to be a princess on our wedding day. Who’s going to make you do chores?” He took my hand, his thumb gently rubbing my rough, calloused palm. “You’ve worked too hard these past ten years. From now on, you stay home and relax. I’ll take care of you.” His eyes were full of sincerity. He looked exactly like the boy who had hugged me tightly and sworn to love me forever when he got his PhD acceptance letter. If I hadn’t seen that post, I probably would have cried tears of gratitude. I pulled my hand back and shoved it into my pockets. “I’m tired. I want to go home.” “Alright. We’ll go home and rest today. I’ll take you to another boutique tomorrow.” As we walked out of the bridal shop, a cold gust of wind hit us. Ethan took off his cashmere scarf and wrapped it around my neck. “Cold? Wait here. I’ll bring the car around.” He turned and walked toward the parking lot. I watched his retreating figure. He wore a well-tailored wool coat. He looked tall, handsome, and successful. Ethan unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for me. A cup of tea sat in the cup holder. “Your favorite. Half-sweet, no ice. I grabbed it on the way.” I stared at the cup but didn’t touch it. “I don’t drink anymore.” Ethan’s hand on the steering wheel paused. “What’s wrong? Is your stomach acting up again?” He reached into the glove compartment with one hand and took out a bottle of stomach medicine. “Take two tablets when we get back. I’ll take a day off tomorrow to go to the hospital with you for a checkup.” I leaned back against the seat, watching the city lights blur past the window. “Ethan, do you find me embarrassing?” Ethan let out a soft chuckle. “What are you overthinking now? Who would dare call my wife embarrassing?” He stopped at a red light and turned to look at my face. “Did you overhear my mom’s phone call? Just ignore her. She’s old-fashioned.” “I only made it this far because you worked multiple jobs to support me. I will remember your sacrifice for the rest of my life.” Sacrifice. He called it a sacrifice, not love. I looked down at my worn fingers. “You wrote that post, didn’t you?” The light turned green. The car behind us honked. Ethan stepped on the gas, and the car smoothly crossed the intersection. “What post?” His voice was calm, showing no signs of guilt. “You spend too much time on social media. There are millions of people on Instagram. It’s just a coincidence that someone has a similar story.” “What about my medical report?” The smile finally vanished from Ethan’s face. He pulled the car over to the curb and killed the engine. “Did you go through my phone?” I didn’t answer. I just stared at him. Ethan let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “A coworker took my phone and posted that as a joke. We were playing Truth or Dare at lunch.” “You actually believed a stupid prank like that?” He leaned in, trying to hug me. “I’ve already paid the non-refundable deposit for the wedding venue, Ava. How could I possibly want to dump you?” I lay still in his arms, letting him hold me. His coat smelled of expensive woody cologne. I had never owned a bottle of perfume in my life. Right then, his phone on the dashboard lit up. A WhatsApp message popped up on the screen: “Are you coming over tonight? I saved some dessert for you.”

Ethan’s eyes quickly flicked to the screen. “There’s an emergency at the office.” “My manager is a total workaholic. She doesn’t even let us rest on weekends.” I kept my eyes on the congested traffic ahead. “I see.” Ethan seemed to think my reaction was too indifferent. He glanced at me. “Don’t overthink it. My manager is three years older than me. She just mentors me a lot at work.” “The competition for the promotion is fierce. I need to make a good impression.” He patted the back of my hand. “Once I make director, we’ll put a down payment on an apartment downtown. We can even bring your parents over from your hometown.” Reuniting with my parents was indeed my biggest dream. In the past, whenever Ethan said things like this, I would be so moved that I’d take on extra cleaning shifts at the mall just to make more money. But now… I pulled my hand back. “No need.” “My parents are doing fine where they are.” The car stopped in front of our rented apartment building. Ethan didn’t get out. “Babe, go upstairs and get some rest. I have to head back to the office.” He pulled two hundred-dollar bills from his wallet and handed them to me. “Buy yourself something nice for dinner. Stop eating leftovers.” I didn’t take the money. I pushed the door open and stepped out. “Don’t drink too much.” I shut the door and walked straight into the dark hallway without looking back. The motion-sensor light was broken again. It was pitch black. I climbed up to the fifth floor by memory and unlocked the door. The apartment smelled of dampness that never quite went away. Ethan’s faded white shirts hung on the balcony. Cardboard boxes I had collected for recycling were piled next to the sofa. I walked to the bedroom and pulled open the bottom drawer of the nightstand. There was a small metal tin inside. Inside were all the savings I had managed to scrape together over the last ten years. It was less than seven thousand dollars. During Ethan’s PhD years, tuition and living expenses were a bottomless pit. I delivered food in the freezing rain by day and cleaned toilets at night. I even bought the cheapest brand of sanitary pads just to save a few pennies. One night, while scrubbing floors, my back ached so badly I collapsed. I had a miscarriage. That was how I found out I was pregnant. By the time I was rushed to the ER, the doctor said it was too late. Half of my uterus had to be surgically removed to save my life. Ethan had cried until his eyes were swollen at my bedside, swearing he would protect me with his life. And I had believed him. I took out the savings cards and slipped them into my pocket. Then, I pulled out an old duffel bag and began packing. I didn’t have many belongings. A few cheap clothes bought from clearance racks, a pair of worn-out sneakers, and a few old textbooks Ethan had discarded. It took less than thirty minutes to pack my entire life. I sat on the bare mattress, looking at the framed photo of us from ten years ago hanging on the wall. In the photo, Ethan was wearing a simple white t-shirt, smiling shyly. I had my hair in a ponytail, leaning happily on his shoulder. I stood up and ripped the photo off the wall. I pulled too hard, and a chunk of the cheap wallpaper peeled off with it. The sound of keys jingling came from the front door. Ethan walked in, holding a beautifully packaged cake box. He froze when he saw the duffel bag on the floor. “What are you doing?” He set the cake on the table and rushed over to grab my hands. “Why are you putting your winter clothes away? I can toss them in the laundry for you tomorrow.” He always did this. He would find a reasonable-sounding excuse rather than face what was right in front of him. I shook his hands off. “I’m moving out.” The smile on Ethan’s face completely hardened. His brows furrowed deeply. “Are you seriously throwing a tantrum and running away over a stupid internet post?” He took a deep breath, trying to control his temper. “I already explained it was a joke. What more do you want from me?” He pointed at the cake on the table. “I skipped my overtime and drove across three neighborhoods just to buy you your favorite strawberry shortcake.” “Can you grow up for once?”

Grow up. Over the past ten years, I had heard that phrase more than anything else. When I worked two jobs and threw up blood from exhaustion, Ethan’s mother told me: “Ethan has a lot of academic pressure. Grow up, Ava. Don’t bother him with your minor illnesses.” When I lay in the hospital bed after losing half my uterus, Ethan said: “Thank you for being so grown up, babe. I’ll make it up to you when I graduate.” And now, because I wanted to leave, I was being childish. I looked at the elegantly wrapped cake box. It was from an upscale bakery downtown. A single slice cost thirty dollars. It would take me three hours of scrubbing floors to earn that slice. “I’m allergic to strawberries, Ethan. I break out in hives. Did you forget?” Ethan went rigid. His eyes flickered with guilt. He had obviously forgotten. “I’m sorry, babe. Work has been so crazy lately. My mind is all over the place.” He pushed the cake aside. “Forget the cake. Let me take you out for Korean BBQ.” “Haven’t you been wanting to try that new spot down the street?” I didn’t move. “Ethan, you replied to a comment on that Instagram post.” I looked at him, my voice completely flat. “You wrote: ‘Every time I go home and see her rough, calloused hands, I lose my appetite.’” Ethan’s face turned incredibly pale. “Do you have to make things this ugly?” He yanked his tie loose, his voice rising with anger. “Fine! Yes, I wrote it!” “But I was just venting online! I didn’t actually break up with you, did I?” “Look at yourself!” He gestured at me, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust. “You always wear cheap, thrift-store clothes. You never style your hair. When I brought you to my company mixer, everyone thought you were my maid!” “Every day, I deal with sophisticated executives and elite clients. Then I come home to face your plain, worn-out face.” “Do you think I don’t feel the pressure?” I stood there quietly, listening to him spit out those words. Strangely, I didn’t even feel pain anymore. Just an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. “If you feel so miserable, why didn’t you just ask for a breakup?” I asked quietly. Ethan frustratedly ran a hand through his hair. “Because I knew you couldn’t handle it!” “Your health is ruined, and you don’t even have a college degree. How are you going to survive in this city without me?” He stepped closer, his voice softening again. “Ava, I admit I had a momentary lapse in judgment.” “Victoria, my manager, can really help me with my career.” “But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you.” “The wedding will go on as planned. I will give you the status of being my wife.” “Just stop making a scene, okay? Be a good girl and stay home as a full-time housewife.” He spoke of marriage as if it were a generous charity. I picked up my duffel bag. “I have a night shift at the mall.” Ethan let out a sigh of relief, thinking I had submitted yet again. “Go on then. Don’t stay out too late. I’ll take you to another bridal shop tomorrow.” He leaned in to kiss my forehead. I didn’t dodge it. As I walked out of the apartment building, the cold night wind blew against my skin, and I realized I was drenched in a cold sweat. I didn’t go to the mall. Instead, I took the bus to the city hospital. My latest medical report showed that my uterine fibroids were showing signs of precancerous changes. I needed surgery immediately. But Ethan hadn’t even looked at the report. He had simply taken a photo of it to gain sympathy points from strangers online.

The bus rattled along. I leaned my head against the window, watching the neon lights of the city blur past. The doctor on duty frowned deeply as he reviewed my chart. “Why did you wait so long to come in? We need to schedule the surgery immediately. This could become life-threatening.” The doctor handed me a stack of forms. “Have your husband or a family member come in tomorrow to sign the consent forms and pay the deposit.” I took the papers, my hands trembling slightly. “Can’t I just sign them myself?” The doctor looked at me with pity. “This is a major procedure. Hospital policy requires an emergency contact or a family member’s signature for post-op release.” I walked out of the hospital clutching the papers. The cold wind slipped down my collar, and I wrapped my old coat tighter around myself. I pulled out my phone and opened Instagram. The post had reached the top of the local trending page. The author had updated the thread just thirty minutes ago: “She threw a tantrum today, but I easily managed her with a cheap cake. Women who have never seen the world are so easy to control. Once I get my company shares, I’ll find an excuse to send her back to her small town.” That was posted right after I left the apartment. I closed the app and walked to an ATM on the corner. I inserted my card to check my balance. Seven thousand two hundred dollars. It wasn’t even half of what the surgery would cost. The next morning, I went to Ethan’s company. It was located in a luxurious skyscraper downtown. Wearing my faded jeans and worn sneakers, I stood in the lobby looking completely out of place. The receptionist eyed me suspiciously. “Can I help you? Do you have an appointment?” “I’m here to see Ethan Miller. I’m his…” I paused. “…an old friend. I need to drop something off.” The receptionist made a quick call and then pointed to the elevators. “Mr. Miller is in the conference room on the 16th floor.” I took the elevator up. The door to the conference room at the end of the hall was slightly ajar. As I approached, I heard Ethan’s voice. “Ms. Sterling, you can leave this project entirely to me. I won’t let you down.” “I trust your capability, Ethan,” a woman’s voice replied. “But I heard you’re getting married soon? Your janitor girlfriend isn’t giving you any trouble, is she?” I stopped in my tracks and looked through the gap in the door. Ethan was standing near the desk, leaning forward slightly in a highly submissive posture. Victoria Sterling sat in her executive chair, casually spinning a pen in her hand. “You must be joking, Ms. Sterling.” Ethan let out a self-deprecating laugh, his voice filled with contempt. “That’s not a real marriage. It’s just a ceremony to quiet her down.” “Someone like her can barely read a complex spreadsheet. There’s no way I’d legally register a marriage with her.” “Once the project bonus is cleared, I’ll give her a lump sum of cash and send her back to her hometown.” Victoria chuckled. “You’re quite heartless. She did support you for ten years, after all.” “She did that of her own free will.” “She gave me her best years, but honestly, looking back, she had no self-respect.” Ethan spoke with absolute self-righteousness. “Besides, I give her a monthly allowance now. I’ve done more than enough for her.” I stood outside the door, listening to him dismiss my ten years of sweat and blood as nothing to another woman. Victoria stood up and walked toward Ethan. Her high heel accidentally caught the edge of a coffee cup on the desk. The dark liquid splashed all over her designer leather shoes. “Oh, great. They’re ruined,” Victoria grumbled, frowning. Ethan immediately grabbed some tissues and knelt down to clean them. I pushed the door open and walked in. Ethan’s face drained of color instantly. “Ava? What are you doing here?” Victoria looked me up and down, a mocking smirk playing on her lips. “So this is your janitor girlfriend? She does look… obedient.” She pointed to her shoe. “Since you’re a professional cleaner, why don’t you clean my shoes for me?” Ethan rushed over, grabbing my wrist tightly. “Ava, please. Just clean Ms. Sterling’s shoes. My promotion next month depends entirely on her. Be reasonable.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “445913”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster