I saw Nathan Reed again at my best friend Amy’s wedding. The man who had vanished five years ago. He was the groom, and I was a bridesmaid. Amy practically bounced over, her face alight, eager to tell me their love story. “You know, he was in that car accident, and I was the one who saved him,” she whispered conspiratorially, though her voice still carried. “I heard he had a fiancée back then, but I spirited him out of the country overnight for treatment.” She nudged me with her elbow, a wide, triumphant grin stretching across her face. “Pretty brilliant move, right, girl?” 1 Amy was still giddily rattling on about something, but I couldn’t make out a single word. My ears were filled with a piercing, unbearable buzz. Five years. Nearly two thousand days and nights. The man I loved most in this world had been hidden away for five long years by my best friend. I bent over, gasping for air, my body trembling uncontrollably. Amy, noticing my ashen face, quickly ushered me into the dressing room. She hovered, her voice laced with cautious concern. “Elara, what’s wrong? Is it your depression acting up again?” For the past five years, I’d scoured countless places, questioned endless strangers, plastered missing person posters, and even bought trending searches, all in a desperate bid to find Nathan. Even his own family had given up, but I stubbornly pressed on. In countless dark nights, I’d stood by the roadside, contemplating an end to this despair that threatened to swallow me whole. Now, it all felt like a cruel, elaborate joke. I gazed at the countless scars, a roadmap of jagged lines and healed skin, etched into my right wrist. My eyes burned, and my heart felt as if it were being ripped apart, piece by agonizing piece. Amy sighed, a weary note in her voice. “Are you thinking about your fiancé again? Stop looking, Elara. It’s been so long. He’s probably… he’s probably gone.” Then, as if an idea had just sparked, she brightened. “Tell you what, I’ll set you up with one of Nathan’s good friends sometime. I’ll throw a party.” The words were still hanging in the air when Nathan walked in. He was clad in a sharp black suit, his silhouette tall and impeccably tailored, exactly as I remembered him five years ago. Our eyes met across the room. He merely gave me a flat, indifferent glance before stepping toward Amy to adjust her wedding dress. Behind him followed his groomsmen, familiar faces, most of whom I’d known for years. Their eyes, when they met mine, were filled with unspoken words, a flicker of something close to pity. A moment ago, I might have tried to comfort myself, to rationalize that perhaps he’d lost his memory and that’s why he didn’t recognize me. But the expressions on his friends’ faces told a different story. They were telling me he hadn’t forgotten. He remembered everything. He just didn’t love me anymore. Amy beamed, looping her arm through Nathan’s. “Honey, tell your friends to stick around tonight, okay? We’re going to have a blast!” She shot me a conspiratorial wink. Nathan simply nodded, a casual gesture, without sparing me another glance. It was as if we’d never met, never shared a moment, never been anything to each other. Slowly, I closed my eyes, my heart seized in a vice-like grip, then brutally torn out and cast into a raging inferno. Never had I felt such profound agony. I desperately needed an outlet, a way to release the frantic, clawing despair within me. I stumbled to my feet and rushed into the restroom, slamming my forehead against the wall. A dull thud echoed in the small space, and instantly, warm blood bloomed across my skin. My body swayed precariously, my vision blurring at the edges. I barely managed to slide down the wall, sinking to the floor, a searing pain drilling through my very core. Again and again, I rammed the back of my head against the cold tile, as if only this self-inflicted torment could bring a fleeting moment of relief. It hurt. God, it truly hurt. I curled into a ball, a dizzying wave of exquisite pain washing over my chest. Then, a hollow, mirthless laugh escaped my lips. “Nathan,” I whispered into the silence, “you really don’t want me anymore…” 2 When I finally emerged from the restroom, the wedding ceremony was already underway. Amy, understanding my fragile state, had found someone else to step in as bridesmaid. I stood at the very back, watching Amy on stage, her face radiant with a sweet smile as she uttered, “I do.” Nathan knelt, a solemn gesture, and slipped a ring onto her left hand. A sharp pang of jealousy, cold and venomous, pierced through me. I wanted to rush forward, to tear them apart, to shout at Amy, demanding to know why she’d stolen my fiancé, why she’d hidden him away for five years, why she’d left me searching in a bottomless void. And I yearned to scream at Nathan, to ask why he pretended not to know me, why he hadn’t come back to me, why everyone had kept the truth hidden. I wanted to smash that wedding to pieces. But I didn’t. I merely sat in the corner, and when they finished their vows, I was the first to clap. My hands came together with a fierce, resounding clap that echoed through the hall, drawing curious glances from those around me. I paid them no mind. But as Nathan’s gaze drifted in my direction, I met it head-on. Our eyes locked. My nose stung, and the tears I’d been desperately holding back immediately spilled over. Nathan’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly, then he calmly averted his gaze, his deep, dark eyes devoid of any emotion. I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms. I truly believed I was losing my mind. I fumbled for my phone and typed a message, sending it to him: Nathan, I refuse to wish you a happy wedding. I curse you. I curse you to a lifetime of never getting what you truly desire. The next second, I scoffed at my own foolishness. The woman he loved had already married him. My curse was utterly powerless. I didn’t wait for the reception to end. I fled the venue and went straight home. I knew if I stayed a moment longer, I’d completely unravel. Three years ago, when all news of Nathan had abruptly ceased again, I’d tried to end it all. Tragically, I’d failed. My neighbor had found me and rushed me to the hospital. When I awoke, Mrs. Reed, Nathan’s mother, had clutched my hand, her eyes swimming with tears, begging me to live, to live for him. But a world without Nathan felt impossibly bitter. We’d met when we were six, started dating in high school, and just after college graduation, we’d picked a date to get our marriage license. But he’d been in a car accident on his way to meet me, and then he simply vanished. I’d gone to the police station countless times, questioned every stranger at the accident site, but to no avail. No one had seen him. Now he was back, but he no longer loved me. 3 I drifted into a fitful sleep, only to wake and check my phone. There were missed calls from Amy, soothing texts from Mrs. Reed, and then one stark, chilling reply from Nathan. It was just one cold, hard word: Get lost. A bitter laugh escaped me. My self-proclaimed devotion, my agonizing search, was nothing more than a pathetic joke in his eyes. I retreated entirely into myself, plagued by sleepless nights. My hair began to fall out in clumps, and I didn’t leave the apartment for ten days, rapidly wasting away. My already slender frame seemed to consist of nothing but bone. Then, Amy, unable to reach me by phone, showed up at my door. Nathan was right behind her. I hadn’t showered in ten days, and a faint, stale odor clung to me. But Amy didn’t seem to notice. She rushed forward and wrapped me in a tight hug, then practically dragged me towards the hospital. I knew what she was afraid of. My expression was detached as I gently pulled away from her, my voice polite but distant. “I’m fine, thank you.” I didn’t know how to face Amy. Should I resent her, or wish her well? I thought, I couldn’t do either, so instinctively, I just wanted to be away from her. She didn’t seem bothered by my sudden aloofness, simply attributing it to my mood. Amy let out a heavy sigh of relief. “Elara, can you please answer your phone? Did you buy it just to display it? Do you know how worried I’ve been?” Her voice brightened. “Starting today, my husband and I are moving in with you. We’ll take care of you until you’re better.” She shook her head playfully, a determined glint in her eye. “No objections! Nuh-uh, no backsies!” Her expression was earnest, her tone firm. She was bright, outgoing, and kind-hearted, the kind of person it was hard not to love. So, I supposed, it was no wonder Nathan had fallen for her. I looked at the figure standing behind her. His eyes were cold, a pair of dark, narrowed slits, as if he were looking at a complete stranger. Even though he was as distant as ice, miles away from me, I still craved a flicker of his warmth. Even if it wasn’t meant for me. Just to see him for one more day, one more minute, even one more second. I didn’t know if it was my inability to resist Amy’s overwhelming concern, or perhaps my own selfish desire, but I let them move in. This apartment, once, was supposed to be Nathan’s and my marital home, our dream space. After he vanished, I’d decorated it exactly to his tastes. Every piece of furniture, every placement, echoed his style. Amy’s eyes widened as she took in the space. “Whoa, Elara, your taste is… certainly unique! Why is everything so dark and dreary? So much black and gray, no color at all!” Because the light had gone out of my world. I spoke softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “Because my fiancé liked it this way. So, I decorated it according to his preferences.” 4 “Well, you should have some opinions of your own!” Amy huffed, clearly displeased. “Why go along with everything he wants? My husband, he lets me pick all the decor. Our place is so cozy! And I make him sleep on pink sheets every day!” I lowered my gaze, a hazy memory surfacing. When we’d first moved in together, I’d loved pink too. Pink sheets, pink mugs, pink toothbrushes, pink bowls. I’d even bought him pink underwear, but he’d never once worn it. As for the sheets, he’d rather sleep on the couch than in the bed. Eventually, I’d given up and changed the color, and only then did he return to sleeping in the bed. A moment of stiff silence passed before I asked, almost masochistically, “Is that so? Would he sleep on the couch if you made him?” Amy scoffed, shooting a sideways glance at Nathan. “He wouldn’t dare!” She grinned. “He even wears pink underwear now.” Nathan’s expression flashed with a hint of embarrassment. He lightly patted her head, trying to silence her. “What’s wrong with pink sheets?” Amy continued, unfazed. “If your fiancé would sleep on the couch just because of that, it only proves he doesn’t love you enough. And after all those years you spent looking for him? What a jerk!” After a long silence, I found myself agreeing with her words. “You’re right,” I murmured. “Maybe he truly didn’t love me enough.” As I spoke those words, I distinctly felt Nathan’s gaze linger on me for a fleeting moment. His voice, when it came, was thin and cold. “If that’s the case, Miss James, you should know when to step aside. Don’t disturb other people’s lives. If possible, it’s best if you disappear from his sight entirely.” He leaned forward slightly, his words like daggers. “Self-pitying delusion only breeds disgust in others.” Nathan’s words were raw, ugly, and merciless. Self-pitying delusion. So that’s what he thought. All my desperate longing, all my agonizing years, were just a pathetic, self-indulgent fantasy. My eyes immediately filled with tears, my voice trembling. “You understand him so well… is it because you’re both the same kind of person?” I choked out, a wave of bitter anger rising. “Someone who likes to vanish, who likes to make others wait, then drain all their hope without so much as an apology? And then to turn around and call them ‘self-pitying’? I just wanted an explanation! Does my five years just… just vanish into thin air?” At my words, Nathan’s brows furrowed, and a flicker of anger ignited in his own eyes. “No one forced you to wait, Elara. Love and hate are voluntary. Since you chose to wait, shouldn’t you bear the consequences alone?” His voice rose, laced with sharp contempt. “Or do you think because you waited five years, I owe you eternal gratitude and should marry you?”

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“Grandpa! Grandma!” Luna’s sweet voice chirped as she flung herself into Mrs. Hayes’s embrace. Then, her eyes landed on me, and her smile instantly froze, a fleeting flicker of disgust crossing her face. “Why are you still here?” “Mom, what are you trying to stir up now?” My older brother, Ben Hayes, stepped forward, shielding Eleanor Hayes. Before I could speak, Mrs. Hayes snapped, “I invited Elara back.” “Honestly, it’s almost the New Year, and you just had to make her come back. What a jinx…” Julian Hayes, my father, mumbled, his face clouding over. Ben and Luna also looked visibly displeased. “It’s rare for Sister to come home.” Eleanor stepped forward, exuding the graciousness of a hostess. Among the guests, whispers broke out. “Indeed, the younger Miss Hayes is truly sensible.” “Yes, I heard she studied abroad. Her perspective is just different.” “How could a mother be so cruel, abandoning her children…” “Grandpa, we have a gift for you. My assistant arranged for it; it should be delivered soon.” At these words, old Mr. Hayes’s face lit up with delight. “I hear all three of the Kingstons’ children are exceptional.” “The eldest son is the head of Kingston Enterprises, the second daughter is a viral influencer with millions of followers, and the youngest son is a top student at Imperial University.” “Mrs. Kingston must be living the dream! Honestly, to think the elder Miss Hayes was so foolish, abandoning her husband and children for such a paltry gain…” Someone beside him tugged at his sleeve, motioning for him to stop. Old Mr. Hayes’s face darkened, and he immediately turned his displeasure on me. “What are you doing back? No word for over a decade, and now that things aren’t going well for you, you suddenly remember to come home?” He scanned the empty space behind me, his eyes full of disdain. “Are you back alone?” “You have three grandchildren, sir,” I said calmly, meeting his gaze. “They’re busy with work. They’ll arrive later.” “When did you get married? How come I don’t know about this?” Julian’s eyes flickered with a complex emotion as he demanded. “You mean they’re already working? So you’ve been secretly raising bastards behind my back all this time!” Old Mr. Hayes slammed his cane heavily against the floor at his son-in-law’s words. “A disgrace!” Before he could finish, a polite, well-dressed man appeared at the doorway. Everyone gasped, struck by his extraordinary bearing. “That looks like a delivery company specializing in expensive luxury gifts. They only take orders for millions and above, and I hear their delivery fees alone are hundreds of thousands…” “Excuse me, is Mrs. Hayes present? These are New Year’s gifts sent personally by your children. Please sign for them.” Eleanor, all smiles, stepped forward to greet the distinguished man. “Mrs. Hayes’s three children are truly filial! Look, even the delivery person is so refined. These gifts must be incredibly expensive!” Eleanor walked forward with a triumphant smile, but after signing, the lead delivery man stopped her. He looked at Eleanor with a complicated expression, gently blocking her hand as she reached to unseal the packages. “The signatory on these packages is Ms. Elara Hayes. Madam, we do not allow proxy signatures.” “Who did you say the signatory was?” Ben walked forward, disbelief etched on his face. When he saw the sender’s information, he visibly relaxed. “It must be a mistake on their end. The signatory should be my mother.” Kingston Corporation, Horizon Media, and the research team at Imperial University. Weren’t these his older brother’s business partner, his younger sister’s investor, and his own university? The Kingston family had some reputation in their circle. With the holiday season and his grandfather’s birthday banquet, these gifts must certainly be for them. The delivery address was, coincidentally, the Hayes residence. But Elara didn’t live at the Hayes residence anymore. It must be that the delivery company hadn’t clarified and made a mistake. I looked at Ben, a flicker of irony in my eyes. “Sir, these items are extremely valuable. We can only allow the designated person to sign.” The lead delivery man looked apologetic. I smiled, stepped forward, and signed my name with my ID. The delivery team member breathed a sigh of relief, bowed politely, and left. His company never made mistakes about who the packages were for. These were gifts from those three titans. Eleanor, however, squeezed past me, tore open the packages, and displayed the contents for everyone. “How thoughtful of these three children to prepare such gifts for us.” Expensive jewelry, exquisite wines, and priceless health tonics unavailable on the market. “This…” Luna and Ben paused, a slight discrepancy between these gifts and what they had prepared. Looking at the items, they knew Elara could never afford such things. Besides, Elara was only a high school graduate. How could she possibly know people of such high standing? It must be for them, just a name misprint. Thinking this, they naturally claimed the credit. It was all Elara’s fault. Just the thought of having once shared a household register with her made them feel cursed. Hearing the guests’ praises, they smiled and elevated Eleanor. “Yes, we’re very proud to have such a mother.” “Indeed, Eleanor is a good one. Elara comes home, and she brings nothing.” “During the holidays, no matter how hard things are, you still have to show filial piety, right?” “Truly, the eldest daughter is an embarrassment…” Eleanor stepped forward, smiling sweetly. “Sister, I know you’ve had a tough time these past years, but as the younger generation, we should set an example, right?” She gave a slight tilt of her head. “Coming back empty-handed isn’t really… ideal. Even though the children are grown and don’t need cash gifts, you should still show respect to Mom and Dad, right?” She clasped her hands together. “How about this? You wish Mom and Dad a proper Happy New Year. It’s the holidays, after all, and we want to keep spirits high.” Eleanor covered her mouth, smiling coyly as she looked at me. “Eleanor, don’t forget, I was the one who signed for these. Are you so sure these things are yours?” “Dad, Mom,” I said, my voice cool, my eyes flicking with coldness as I looked at Eleanor. “These are gifts from your three grandchildren for you.” At my words, Ben, Luna, and Julian all frowned in unison. “Elara, you are truly shameless!” Ben roared at me. “Who doesn’t know those nutritional tonics are made by Imperial University’s research team, unavailable on the market?” “Yeah,” Luna chimed in, stepping forward. “Ms. Hayes, this jewelry is from Horizon Media. It’s obvious it must be from my investor, the empress of pop, Layla Thorne.” “And Kingston Corp is the Hayes family’s latest project partner,” Julian added, looking at Eleanor. “Mom, don’t talk nonsense and offend important people.” Luna and Ben both nodded in agreement. “Sister, I know you’ve always loved to steal things from me since we were little, but some things aren’t yours. Forcing it won’t do any good…” Eleanor finished, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Julian. Julian stepped in front of her, his gaze towards me laced with icy contempt. “Elara, don’t push your luck.” His voice was low and menacing. “What kind of occasion is this? What are you trying to stir up? Quickly, get down on your knees, apologize properly, and say something auspicious to bring some good cheer.” “Alright, alright, let’s just keep the family harmonious…” Mrs. Hayes said, seeing the tense atmosphere, trying to mediate. She knew her eldest daughter’s character all too well. “Mom… you always favor Sister! This is Dad’s eightieth birthday!” Eleanor’s words choked off Mrs. Hayes’s attempt at peace. Mrs. Hayes hesitated for a long moment, then turned her head away. “Elara, if you don’t kneel and apologize properly to Eleanor today, you will no longer bear the Hayes name,” old Mr. Hayes declared, successfully incited. Not only was this daughter a disappointment, but her divorce scandal had been public knowledge. Now, on his eightieth birthday, was she going to humiliate him again? Julian, watching my calm demeanor, found himself inexplicably annoyed. She shouldn’t be holding her head high like a swan. She should be bowing to him her entire life. Why did Elara seem to be living better after leaving him? No. Elara would always have to look up to him. He quietly whispered something to his assistant beside him. The assistant, seeing Eleanor’s face, immediately understood. Their boss wanted to stand up for his wife! And on New Year’s, who didn’t want a little extra something? It seemed this eldest Miss Hayes was penniless and powerless. If they could make the boss’s wife happy, they’d make the four Hayes seniors happy. “Don’t touch me!” I frowned, twisting my body to evade the approaching assistant. Ben and Luna frowned too, but they didn’t intervene. I didn’t expect, however, that Julian Hayes, standing behind me, would kick me hard in the waist. I stumbled and fell to the ground. The assistant immediately grabbed me, trying to force my head to hit the floor. “Who dares touch my mother!” A furious shout rang out, and everyone in the room instinctively turned towards the doorway. Liam Thorne and Alex Hayes strode in, their faces ashen. Alex kicked the assistant away and helped me to my feet. “Mom, are you alright?” Liam’s eyes darkened. “My sister’s dealing with a lot of people; she’ll be a little late. She told us to come first.” His gaze swept over the scene, full of cold fury. “Mom, do you want me to handle…” I shook my head, a deep, bitter disappointment in my eyes as I looked at Julian Hayes. “Elara, you really are something else, bringing such disreputable people to ruin my birthday banquet!” Old Mr. Hayes frowned, letting out a furious roar. “You’re not welcome here, get out! From this day forward, I, Arthur Hayes, have no daughter named Elara!” “Yes, and we don’t have a mother like you either!” Ben yelled at me, his face contorted in anger. Luna and Julian, though they said nothing, showed their agreement in their eyes. The guests began to buzz with whispers, pointing and muttering about me.

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Three months after my husband went missing in a skiing accident, I saw him at a bar. He had his arm slung around “sis-bro” Jamie’s shoulder, laughing like he was free from a life sentence. “Thanks to you, dude,” he was saying, “I was starting to forget what real freedom felt like.” His bros were buying him shots, one after another, asking when he was going to surface. He thought for a second, “I’ll give it another week, maybe. Let her sweat it out a bit, you know, drive her crazy before I show my face again.” I was standing in the shadows, watching him bask in his ‘freedom’, and dialed my friend at the county records office. 1. “I’m going to have Mark Harrison declared legally deceased,” I said, my voice tight. “You’re not going to keep looking?” my friend asked, hesitating. I looked up at Mark, who was now whispering something to Jamie, and my eyes stung. “There’s no point.” You can’t find someone who doesn’t want to be found. I hung up and went back to my booth. My bestie, Sarah, saw my face and shoved a drink into my hand. “Look, honey, Mark’s been gone for three months. The odds of him being alive are basically zero. You need to let go, move on.” I stared at the colorful drink in my glass and downed it in one go. The burn of the liquor made my eyes water, and I blinked back the tears, asking, “Do you think anyone would fake their own death to get away from their wife?” She looked at me like I’d sprouted a second head. “What kind of crazy talk is that? Only a real dirtbag would pull a stunt like that. He’d be better off actually dead!” I wiped away the tears and grabbed my purse. “You’re right, I need to let him go.” I left and went home. The house was silent. It’d been this way for three months. I hated the silence. I’d started leaving all the lights on, brewing a cup of his favorite tea and putting it on the coffee table, pretending he was still there. I just didn’t understand. If he didn’t want to be married to me anymore, he could have just filed for divorce. Why fake a skiing accident and disappear? I sat on the couch and picked up the two cartoonish figurines of us he’d given me. “When I’m not here,” he’d said, grinning, “these little guys can keep you company.” His words clashed with the annoyed tone I’d heard at the bar. “Chloe was sweet and chill before we got married, but now she’s way too clingy. This fake-out will teach her a lesson and she’ll lay off.” Jamie had poured him another shot. “Well, at least I never cling to you! We’ve been buds for years.” “You’re the best, man,” he’d replied. They called themselves “bros” but their legs were intertwined. The thought made my stomach churn. I chucked the figurines in the trash and grabbed my phone, sending a mass text: Mark Harrison passed away in an accident three months ago. Memorial service next week. Mark’s buddies started hammering me with texts, full of outrage. “How can you have a funeral if you haven’t found his body?” “Chloe, have you lost it? Mark’s not dead!” “If Mark comes back and sees his own memorial service he’s gonna lose it! Chloe, think this through, do you want to make Mark angry?” I didn’t reply to the first texts, only to the last: “He’s dead. He’s beyond being angry now.” I tossed my phone aside and started packing up Mark’s stuff. For the past three months, I had been searching for him in the mountain town where he was “skiing,” and barely been home. The bedroom was mostly as we’d left it. I opened his closet and froze. His clothes were gone, like half of them, and all that was left were the items he’d never wear at this time of year. Tears started to fall. I had spent three months looking for him, and he’d been sneaking back here to grab his crap whenever I wasn’t around. 2. I pulled up the security footage and fast-forwarded through the last month. At the start of the month, Mark had walked in with his arm around Jamie, leaving two hours later with a ton of clothes. Mid-month, he’d carried Jamie into the house, and Jamie hadn’t left till the morning. A couple of nights ago, they’d come home under the cover of darkness, leaving early yesterday morning. I had been looking for him in the next state over when these things had happened. I watched the screen as tears streamed down my face, not for Mark, but for myself. How had I fallen for such a scum bag? I had been losing sleep, worrying about him, while he and his “bro” were sleeping in my house, maybe even my bed. I clenched my fist and willed myself not to start hyperventilating. The phone rang. I didn’t want to answer but it kept ringing. I took a deep breath, got up and looked at the caller ID. It was Mark’s uncle, Ben Harrison. I quickly answered. “Uncle Ben, is everything okay?” “Mark’s not dead.” He sent a video. It was Mark and Jamie doing a sake bomb, their eyes glued to one another. My breath hitched, and my fingers trembled as I spoke. “I know he’s not dead.” The man sounded surprised, but then laughed. “Then why are you planning a funeral?” “Everyone kept saying he was dead. I wanted to believe it. So, he gets a funeral.” Ben was silent for a second. “So you’re saying you’re widowed?” “Yeah,” I replied. Ben Harrison was Mark’s uncle by adoption, and I barely knew him. He was the first person to tell me straight up that Mark was alive. I felt like I owed him something for that. “If you’re free next week, you can come to the service.” “I will.” Then another video came through. Mark’s friends are showing him something on their phone and he throws his drink. Jamie puts her hand on his chest like she’s trying to calm him down. The bar was too loud for me to hear, but I could see Mark’s face soften. He even buried his face in Jamie’s shoulder. He must have seen my mass text, and he got pissed. And, somehow, just a few words from Jamie had soothed him. Whenever he got mad at me, he’d make me spend the night thinking about what I did wrong. Only then he would forgive me. I closed my eyes, saved the videos, and set the phone down. Right then, Jamie called. I answered, and the loud music in the background nearly deafened me. Jamie was shouting. “Chloe! Are you planning a memorial service for Mark? Are you crazy? Cancel that thing now! If he ever sees it when he comes back, you’ll be sorry!” Before she finished, I hung up, grabbed a blanket, and crashed on the couch. It was the first good sleep I’d had in three months. The next morning, I went down to the courthouse to get Mark declared officially deceased. Once I got the paperwork, I went to Jamie’s place. Her front door was closed, and it took me several tries on the doorbell before I heard footsteps. She was wearing a silk robe, leaning against the doorframe, and there was evidence of a good time all over her neck and collarbone. “Oh, it’s you. What do you want?” I glanced at her neck, then her face, which held nothing but contempt. “I wanted to invite you to Mark’s memorial service. Seeing as you were his ‘best bro’ after all.” Jamie rolled her eyes and sneered. “Chloe, you’re his wife. He went missing three months ago. Instead of looking for him, you’re just planning a funeral? “What if he’s not dead? Are you trying to wish him into his grave? What kind of a wife does that?” I pulled the death certificate from my bag, laughing. “He’s been under the snow for three months. I couldn’t find him, so he’s officially dead now.” “That’s what everyone told me to do. To move on.” When I’d gotten the bad news, I’d fainted. The next morning all of Mark’s friends were sitting around my bed. “Honey, the area he went missing is really dangerous, it’s going to be hard to find anyone. Maybe you should just give up.” “Yeah, it’s a lost cause.” I’d gotten up, booked a ticket, hired a rescue team and headed to the mountains. For two and a half weeks I didn’t sleep or eat. I hadn’t noticed then, how there wasn’t any panic in any of his so-called friend’s eyes. Just amusement. Jamie’s jaw dropped, and then I heard a crash from inside her apartment. She glared at me and warned, “Don’t pull anything stupid. When Mark gets back you’ll be sorry!” I ignored her, like I had the night before, and walked away. 3. The argument from behind her door was loud. Now that he heard that I declared him officially deceased, Mark was starting to lose his mind. But I wasn’t going to let him find me. If he could disappear for three months, I could certainly be gone for a few days. I grabbed a packed bag and asked Sarah to book a hotel room for me using her name and ID. I’ve been hiding out at the hotel for the past few days, buying funeral supplies and that’s it. Sarah showed up looking smug. “I hear some dude is tearing up the city looking for you. Dude’s flipped out. They’re all over the news.” I watched the news, seeing a missing person poster with Mark’s face and smiled. “He can look all he wants. I won’t let him find me. When he said he wanted to make me sweat and then come back, why is he sweating now?” “He deserves it, the jerk. Why does the world have such awful men in it?” She was getting worked up, and I had to cut her off, “Hey, it’s my husband’s funeral today, I’m supposed to be sad, remember?” I got out my makeup bag, and turned myself into a hollow, sad, wreck. Once Sarah was certain I looked miserable enough, we left for the funeral. On the way, I gave her a USB drive with all the videos of Mark and Jamie, and told her to play it when I gave the signal. Only then did I send out the funeral address. First to arrive was Ben. He stepped out of his black car and took a white flower from me, pinning it to his lapel. “My condolences.” Next came the clueless relatives. Their grief was genuine, and it made my heart ache. Mark, you fake your own death, and you hurt the people who actually care about you. Today, you’ll pay for it. Finally, his “bros” arrived. They all looked pale and sick, and their hands trembled when they took their flowers. One of them dragged me to the side. “Hey, honey, you need to stop this! Mark is not dead! He’s going insane looking for you! Have you seen the missing person posters?” I blinked, and let out two tears. “Don’t try to cheer me up, those missing posters were Jamie’s idea.” “A dead man cannot return to life. I’ve given up hope that he will.” He tried to say something but I nodded to Sarah, who grabbed his arm and sat him down. Once everyone had arrived, I got up on stage, and adjusted the mic. “Thank you all for coming to the memorial service for my late husband…” A scream cut me off. “Chloe! What the hell are you doing? I said Mark isn’t dead!” Jamie was standing at the entrance, glaring at me. “Are you even his wife? How can you have a funeral when he’s been missing for three months? I won’t let you!” I looked behind her. Mark wasn’t there. So, even now Mark still wasn’t going to show his face. I glared back at Jamie, “You won’t let me? Who are you to tell me what to do? You just said it yourself, I’m his wife.” Jamie stared at me, tears filling her eyes. “How can you be so cruel? Mark loves you so much. How can you just declare him dead like that?” “What if he isn’t?” My eyes went to her marked neck and I smiled. “Even if he isn’t, I don’t want to waste my time on a cheater.” I had Jamie dragged off to a side and continued with the service. I was about to say something when a disheveled looking man appeared at the door. “Honey, I’m not dead! I’m back!”

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1 When the son of her ‘white moonlight’—Ethan—was kidnapped, he collapsed before me, his forehead striking the floor until blood ran red. “Leo is just a child. If you want to kill someone, take me instead.” I instinctively shielded my wife’s swollen eight-month belly, utterly baffled by his words. But Olivia’s face darkened. “I’ve been too lenient with you, haven’t I? How could you do something like this?” Olivia, who had always doted on me, now gripped my throat with bruising force. As my vision blurred, a chilling realization dawned: they believed I had hired the kidnappers for Leo. Because the ransom wasn’t delivered on time, the kidnappers mercilessly executed Leo. Ethan clutched Leo’s broken body, teetering on the edge of suicide. Olivia, her eyes raw and red, brought in the top experts in bioengineering. After a sleepless month of frantic work, they finally secured Leo’s cloned cells. But Ethan’s wife had died years ago. After a moment’s contemplation, Olivia’s gaze fell upon my eight-month pregnant wife—the one carrying my child. I shook my head in horror, kneeling and clutching Olivia’s belly. “Olivia, I sympathize with Ethan’s suffering, but I swear I had nothing to do with Leo’s kidnapping. You can’t do this to me!” “Alex, Ethan’s wife passed away years ago. Leo was his only hope for survival. Even if you were jealous, you had no right to harm his child.” “This is what you owe Leo.” She completely ignored my desperate pleas, brutally forcing the premature delivery of our child. Our little Noah was full-term; he cried when they pulled him out, but they smothered him, silencing his cries forever. I never even saw the face of the child we had conceived in hope and love before Olivia turned and walked back into the operating room. Having just lost our own flesh and blood, my wife was now preparing to carry the bloodline of my supposed enemy. I stormed into the operating room, sweeping every instrument from the trays, desperate to stop them from performing the implantation surgery on Olivia. Olivia’s gaze turned to ice. “Alex, if you continue this tantrum, don’t blame me for what comes next!” Seeing that I wouldn’t leave, Olivia ordered them to immediately perform a vasectomy on me. I struggled with all my might, fighting to stay awake even as they injected me with an excessive dose of anesthetic. My resistance prolonged the procedure, and with Leo’s precious cells on the verge of dying, Olivia walked back in, carrying the tiny body of our child. Watching Noah, his eyes tightly closed as if asleep, my heart bled tears. Olivia’s hand clamped around Noah’s neck. “Comply now. If Leo’s cells die and the surgery fails because of you, your child won’t get a proper burial either.” “Olivia! That’s your flesh and blood too!” I screamed, my voice tearing, but my body grew heavier, more sluggish. “You’re a father yourself. How could you be so cruel to Leo?” Olivia looked at me with a pained, reproachful gaze. It wasn’t me. But no one believed me. My body slowly lost the strength to fight the anesthetic. Consumed by grief and injustice, I closed my eyes. When I woke again, my hands and feet were secured tightly to the hospital bed. The two fresh wounds on my lower abdomen confirmed it: not only had Noah truly left me, but I had also been stripped of my right to be a father forever. And in my wife’s womb, the bloodline of my supposed enemy now thrived. I lost the will to live, biting down hard on my tongue. Olivia pushed open the door. Seeing the pristine white sheets stained crimson with the blood gushing from my mouth, she rushed forward, pinching my cheeks, forcing my mouth open. I clenched my jaw, letting out a hollow, desperate laugh as I stared at her. Her eyes burned crimson. She summoned every doctor in the hospital again. I thought she was worried about me, but after the frantic rescue, she slapped me hard across the face. “I’m warning you, you won’t commit suicide to escape punishment until Leo is safely born.” 2 She looked down at me. I stared at the canine tooth that had been knocked out and lay on the floor, my heart a barren wasteland. To prevent another suicide attempt, she ordered them to fit me with a bite guard. I had lost a portion of my tongue and could no longer speak clearly, though it made little difference. No one listened to me anyway. Once my tongue had fully healed, I was no longer restricted to a liquid diet. Olivia personally brought in a bowl of broth. She sat silently beside me, gently removing the bite guard with soft, careful movements, just as I had once cared for her when she was pregnant. “Alex, making your son give up his place for Leo was your punishment. As long as Leo is born healthy, Ethan won’t pursue this any further.” She chattered on, but I offered no response. “I forced the delivery of our child to teach you a lesson. Life isn’t a game. If you admit your mistake, we can try for another baby.” I couldn’t hold back any longer. I twisted my head to look at her, but my gaze froze on the contents of the bowl. There, unmistakably, was our baby’s placenta, prepared as a grotesque ‘tonic.’ I gagged, a wretched sound, and vomited. Olivia meticulously wiped the filth from the corners of my mouth with a wet wipe. The next moment, she clamped my jaw shut and forced a spoonful of the sickening mass down my throat. “Alex, this is highly nutritious. You’ve just had surgery; it will help your body recover.” I wanted to struggle, but my hands, feet, and head were all restrained. I could only endure as the boiled, mangled substance slid down my throat. Seeing that I had swallowed it all, Olivia released her grip. “Ethan’s mental state is still fragile. I’m taking him abroad to clear his head. During this time, you’re to stay home, diligently praying and meditating for Leo, and don’t cause any more trouble.” “If you behave, I’ll find a good resting place for Noah. But if Leo complains to Ethan in a dream that you haven’t prayed enough, you won’t get Noah’s complete ashes back.” “Wasn’t Noah your child too?” I managed to ask, the salty tears streaming down my face, more bitter than any sorrow in my heart. Her footsteps paused, but she didn’t turn back. “With a father like you, he would have been a curse even if he had lived.” The door closed. The last ember of feeling I held for Olivia extinguished then. Her departure lasted nine long months. During those nine months, I spent every day praying and meditating for Leo, fasting and becoming a shadow of a man. He seemed to sense my hatred. With every word I uttered, my head throbbed as if caught in an iron vise. Migraines relentlessly pounded through me every single day for nine months. I rapidly withered, my body gaunt, my eyes bulging, eerily prominent. Olivia called daily, not to check on me, but to supervise my unwavering devotion to Leo’s spiritual journey. Ethan even leaned into the phone, pressing his ear to Olivia’s swollen belly, talking to Leo from across the video call. To ensure I couldn’t escape my duty, my hands and feet were shackled to Leo’s makeshift memorial for nine months. The wounds from my struggles had long since fused with the shackles, but no one cared, as long as the candles and incense for Leo’s memorial never dwindled. In the month leading up to the delivery, Olivia and Ethan finally returned from abroad, their reluctance palpable. “Why are you so thin?” That was the first thing Olivia said to me after nine months. 3 “So weak, you didn’t let Leo’s memorial rituals falter, did you?” Seeing the thick layer of ash beneath Leo’s incense burner, Olivia nodded in satisfaction. “Once Leo is born, I’ll make sure you get good care to recover.” “Leo, Daddy finally gets to see you again. This time, I’ll never leave your side, I swear you’ll never be harmed again.” Ethan looked at Olivia’s heavily pregnant belly with a gaze full of fatherly love. “Olivia, could you leave me alone with Leo’s memorial for a moment?” Olivia immediately looked at me with suspicion. After confirming that I, in my near-dead state, posed no threat to Ethan, Olivia left the memorial room, glancing back constantly. Ethan’s gentle expression vanished instantly. “Leo’s death? I orchestrated the whole thing myself.” His eyes were fixed on me, a smile playing on his lips, utterly devoid of warmth. “Do you know why I did it?” Ethan leaned in close, his nose almost touching mine. He carried the subtle, woody scent of Olivia’s perfume, the very one I had personally chosen for her before she conceived Noah. My eyes held a blank indifference; I offered no response. “Five years ago, Mr. Caldwell, to break up Olivia and me, didn’t hesitate to orchestrate a cruel deception, having someone pose as my wife and seize everything I had, forcing me out of the country. Olivia had promised me she’d never marry another. But when I finally managed to escape Mr. Caldwell’s influence abroad and rushed back to find Olivia, I learned she had married you a year ago!” Ethan’s expression turned vicious. “I suffered so much abroad, yet she never once tried to contact me. I thought Mr. Caldwell was controlling her, but then I found out she’d completely forgotten about me!” “I had Olivia first! What right did you have to steal her?” “And I thought you were some scion of an esteemed lineage, someone who could match Olivia’s status. Turns out, you’re just an orphan, a nobody compared to me!” Ethan grew more agitated with each word, then slammed a fist into my face. A metallic tang of blood filled my mouth. I spat the blood directly onto his face. He seemed unable to comprehend that I would dare do such a thing. He furiously wiped his face, his expression even more distorted with the blood smears. “To win back a worthless woman, would you truly sacrifice your own flesh and blood?” He froze. Then, he laughed. “A worthless life with no name, what good is it alive?” “Since it’s useless, why not gamble with it?” “I only meant to use him to get rid of you and the bastard in her womb. But who knew Olivia cared so much about me? She even found a way to resurrect Leo with cloning technology! I never imagined she’d go to such lengths for us, father and son.” “The ‘worthless woman’ you speak of wields power enough to bring the dead back to life. Do you still think I was wrong to gamble my own flesh and blood to win her back?” “If you had cooperated back then, Olivia might have even kept some of your child’s hair or fingernails. Too bad she rushed to cremate every last trace of him~” Mentioning Noah stirred an uncontrollable surge of emotion within me. I snarled, wanting to lunge and bite Ethan. He laughed, taking a large step back, but a high-pitched shriek, incompatible with his smirk, escaped his throat. “Ethan!” Outside the door, Olivia’s frantic footsteps grew closer. Ethan, without hesitation, bit hard into his own palm. My breathing quickened. With a crash, Olivia kicked open the door and burst in. 4 Ethan had successfully bitten his right hand until it bled profusely, then replaced his pained expression with one of tearful sorrow. However, Olivia’s anxious gaze only lingered on his wounded hand for a fleeting moment. She stood frozen, then suddenly crumpled, sobbing, to the floor. Ethan’s shriek had startled her, triggering premature contractions. Olivia’s water broke. She had no time to mediate Ethan’s grievance. Even so, Ethan’s face contorted with a venomous expression. This terrifying man, who even envied his own son. Olivia swiftly summoned the most skilled obstetricians, but upon seeing the injury on Ethan’s hand, she coldly commanded: “Perform a C-section. And while I’m in surgery, castrate Alex too. Don’t give him any anesthetic. Let him watch his testicles being removed, fully conscious!” “My apologies, Mr. Caldwell.” After seeing Ethan escort Olivia away, the doctor put on his gloves, speaking softly and sympathetically to me: “Don’t blame me. I’ll make it as quick as possible, to spare you some suffering.” The moment the cold scalpel sliced into my skin, my soul vibrated with pain. I learned then that a human could be butchered like a piece of dead meat, stripped of all dignity. I screamed until my throat bled, losing consciousness several times. To keep me awake, the doctors had to inject me with adrenaline. By the end, I had completely lost all sense of self, forgetting I was even human. Leo’s first cries were like a pardon for me. The moment I heard Olivia had delivered, the male doctor on the surgical team quickly injected me with a painkiller. “Mr. Caldwell, it’s all over. Get some rest.” As I closed my eyes, the agony throughout my body vanished instantly. I thought it was just the painkiller working. My body grew lighter, relaxing completely, but then I found myself floating uncontrollably. When I opened my eyes again and saw myself from a bird’s-eye view, looking down at my mutilated self on the operating table, I realized I was already dead. If the entire operating room hadn’t been empty except for me, I wouldn’t have believed the person on the table was myself. After losing Noah, I hadn’t looked in a mirror. My once-muscular physique was gone. Skeletal limbs, wrists, and ankles bore permanent scars where my struggles had caused the long-term shackles to fuse with and then tear my skin. I gazed for a long time at my shattered, unrecognizable form. The operating room door opened. It was Olivia. Even in death, my soul trembled uncontrollably. What was she doing here? Did she think the punishment she’d inflicted wasn’t enough? If she discovered I was dead, would she grieve, or would she resent me for dying too soon, for not suffering enough to atone for Leo? She cradled her waist, carrying in a basin and a kettle of boiling water. Did she think I was sleeping instead of serving her after childbirth, and planned to scald me awake? She poured in the boiling water, then added cold, repeatedly testing the temperature with her hand. I began to feel confused. Apparently satisfied with the temperature, Olivia took out a soft towel, soaked it in the basin, then wrung out the water. She lifted one of my arms and meticulously began to wipe it with the towel. Olivia was washing my body. I let out a disbelieving, hollow laugh. After tormenting me to death over a crime she’d wrongly pinned on me, was she now staging some tender act? I couldn’t wait to see the expression on Olivia’s face when she realized I was truly dead. To my shock, the next moment, my corpse opened its eyes.

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1 When I was ten, an elderly woman took my twin sister, Chloe, and never brought her back. My parents reported her missing and searched for eighteen years, but there was never a trace. Then, recently, a trend of psychic streamers took off. Mom started trying to get a live reading, scrambling to connect in every session. After half a month, she finally got through to a well-known streamer. She trembled as she posed her most desperate question: “Is my younger daughter still alive?” The streamer glanced at me, a look of surprise crossing her face. Then she nodded, responding, “She’s alive! But your older daughter is gone!” Our family of three went utterly pale in an instant! Under my parents’ stunned gaze, I quickly disconnected the call. I laughed, trying to smooth things over. “These streamers, desperate for attention, they’ll say anything!” Ten minutes later, a knock echoed at our front door. It was the police! The psychic’s words had cast an eerie silence over the house. Mom and Dad both looked at me, their expressions complicated. I forced a laugh. “Mom, you can’t trust what’s online. You should watch less of that stuff!” “You’re not actually buying into that psychic’s nonsense, are you?” Seeing nothing amiss with me, Dad was the first to react. “Skye’s right, honey. You need to stop watching those crazy livestreams.” I smiled, picked up Mom’s phone, and uninstalled the streaming app. Then I playfully tugged her arm. “Mom, I’m starving! I want your braised ribs!” She took her phone, tossed it aside. “That psychic is just spouting nonsense. I’ll go make them right now!” Knock, knock, knock. The knocking came from outside the door again. My heart, which had just settled, leaped into my throat. I composed myself and walked to open the door. Officer Davies walked in, his face alight with excitement. “The trafficking ring has been apprehended! You can finally ask about Chloe!” Clang! Dad shot up, his water glass crashing to the floor. He couldn’t stop trembling. “Really?” Seeing Officer Davies nod in confirmation, I quickly rushed into the kitchen and pulled Mom out. Our family hurried to the precinct. 2 When I was ten, my twin sister, Chloe, disappeared. According to the kids in the village, she was seen being led away by an old lady. My parents reported it to the police and searched for eighteen long years, but there was never a single clue. From then on, we’d distribute tens of thousands of missing person flyers every year. The police station became our second familiar home. Now, finally, there was hope of news about my sister. Of course, we rushed there. Though we went through similar emotional rollercoasters twice a year, it never dulled our determination to find her. Entering the interrogation room, I saw a woman with white hair sitting in a chair. Mom and Dad trembled slightly, staring intently at her. “Is she the one who took my sister?” I whispered, bewildered, to my parents beside me. “She looks like it!” Dad’s voice shook, his excitement almost unbearable. My heart, however, fluttered with unease. How could this be? This was impossible! “Eighteen years ago, did you go to Maple Creek and abduct a girl?” Officer Davies asked the woman. The woman lifted her eyes, scoffing. “I’ve taken many. Not just Maple Creek, but Bluebell Hollow, Whispering Pines, too!” Officer Davies slammed his hand on the table. “Watch your tone!” Mom’s eyes reddened, her emotions raw. “Did you take my daughter? Where did you take her?” The woman glanced at Mom, then pointed at me. “Girls her age, of course, were sold to remote communities to be wives.” “That period was quite profitable… a single girl could fetch tens of thousands…” She laughed openly, without a shred of shame. “Specifically, where were they sold?” Dad lunged at her, grabbing her clothes, demanding fiercely. Officer Davies quickly intervened, pulling him back. “Calm down.” After several rounds of questioning, the woman refused to speak further. Mom was so desperate she knelt directly, sobbing and pleading, “Please, tell me! I’ve been looking for her for eighteen years. I miss her so much! Dead or alive, I just want to know what happened!” Perhaps the desperate kneeling touched something in her. She finally spoke an address. 3 Mom and Dad rushed out, eager to leave immediately. Officer Davies quickly caught up, pulling them back. “It’s too dangerous to go alone. Wait until tomorrow; I’ll gather more officers, and we’ll go together!” My parents hesitated, and I quickly chimed in, “Mom, Dad, going with the police will definitely be safer!” Once they nodded, I started looking up the address online. It wasn’t too far from us, about a five-hour drive. When we reached the foot of the mountain, police officers were already waiting. One led us to the village chief, and then we followed him into a dilapidated small yard. My heart pounded in my throat. Could my sister possibly be here? I found it hard to believe. Just then, a disheveled woman emerged from the house, holding a child. “Who are you looking for?” She looked no older than twenty. The village chief stepped forward. “Miss Lin, these are police officers. They’re here to help you find your birth parents!” A man stepped out from behind her. “What parents? My little Lily’s parents are dead! Get out, get out, don’t stay here!” We were ushered out. The door had just closed when we heard the woman’s scream from inside. Officer Davies pushed the door open again, sharply reprimanding the man who was hitting her… “Domestic violence can also be charged!” Hearing this, the man kicked the woman viciously. “Tch, how unlucky!” The village chief stepped in, smiling apologetically, trying to mediate between the two sides. The man glared at us, his face ashen, but finally agreed to let us take the woman! This wasn’t my sister. Her age and appearance didn’t match. My mom, heartbroken by the woman’s suffering, and thinking of our still-missing Chloe, cried uncontrollably. Officer Davies made calls constantly on the way. Through the woman’s descriptions, he quickly helped her find her family. When we returned to the precinct, an elderly couple stood at the entrance! The woman saw them and burst into loud sobs! She knelt before them, calling them Mom and Dad! Watching their family reunion, my mom fainted from sorrow! Back home, fearing Mom might do something drastic, Dad quickly contacted Aunt Carol, asking her to come over and console her. When Aunt Carol walked in, I was sitting by Mom’s bedside, holding a bowl of porridge. “Chloe? You’re home?” Aunt Carol looked at me, her face beaming with joy. My parents’ expressions instantly stiffened, turning ashen. I took a deep breath, suppressing my own reaction. I quickly put down the bowl and went to take Aunt Carol’s arm. “Aunt Carol, look closely! It’s me, Skye! My sister hasn’t been found yet~” Then I sighed again. “If Chloe came back, Mom definitely wouldn’t be sick like this~” Hearing that, Mom’s face looked a bit strained. 4 “Skye?” Aunt Carol looked confused. “You bought me so many candied hawthorns when I was little, and told me not to tell anyone… Have you forgotten, Aunt Carol?” “Chloe and I do look very similar, but Chloe had autism; would she joke around like me?” I playfully teased Aunt Carol and Mom. “If Chloe hadn’t disappeared, standing in front of you now, I probably wouldn’t even be able to tell us apart!” My parents’ expressions shifted quickly. I quickly pulled Aunt Carol closer, trying to be affectionate. Aunt Carol smiled, sat down by the bed, and comforted Mom. “Honey, look how wonderful Skye is! You can just think of her as Chloe, if you want!” “You’ve searched for eighteen years; it’s time to let go!” I kept a close eye on my parents’ expressions, only relaxing when they seemed to return to normal. Mom’s eyes were red, and she cried, “I don’t know where Chloe is, or how much she’s suffered!” Aunt Carol quickly changed the subject. A week later, Mom finally started to emerge from the crushing disappointment of the last failed hope. Then, we received news from the police again! Officer Davies, on the phone, excitedly told me: “The girl we rescued this time looks incredibly like you! And her age matches too.” “Come over quickly and identify her!” The cup in my hand slipped, shattering with a crash. Hearing the news, I feigned excitement and shouted, “Mom, Dad, let’s go quickly! There’s a lot of hope this time~” But my parents weren’t as thrilled as I expected. Mom sighed. “After so many years, there’s been hope many times, but in the end, it was never her.” Dad took her hand, comforting her softly. “Don’t give up. Maybe this time it’s real?” I quickly packed our things and went to get the car. When we arrived at the precinct, I saw the girl sitting across from us. At first glance, she was indeed seventy percent similar to me! Mom looked at her, her lips moving, too emotional to speak. She walked quickly to the girl, her trembling hand suspended in mid-air! The girl noticed the unusual attention, looking up at Mom. “You, who are you?” I excitedly stepped forward and grabbed the girl’s hand, “Chloe! We finally found you!” Mom hugged her, crying loudly, utterly overwhelmed. Dad’s face went completely pale, terrified! But I knew this girl still wasn’t my sister. Officer Davies came out, and Mom finally released the girl she was hugging. “Her age, memories, and appearance all seem to match quite well!” He handed me the file. I took a glance, then handed it with a smile to Mom and Dad beside me. “She should be Chloe, right?” Officer Davies stopped Mom and Dad, who wanted to take the girl home immediately. “To be cautious, we still need to do a DNA test!” We, of course, cooperated. 5 Seven days later, the results came out. Everyone was incredulous. She wasn’t Chloe either! This was, however, within my expectations. Mom left disconsolately, while Dad seemed somewhat relieved. Back home, Mom remembered the psychic streamer. She immediately asked me to re-download the streaming app, wanting to ask again. I initially didn’t want to download it for her, but I was afraid she’d overthink things. So I did it for her anyway. Even if it just gave her a sliver of hope, it was better than searching aimlessly. After the download was successful, I logged into Mom’s account. I saw a series of private messages, two of which were from that psychic. “Your daughter’s matter? Your husband and your current daughter both know about it. They’ve been hiding it from you all this time!” “You need to be careful of your daughter and your husband!” That psychic really was spouting nonsense. I casually handed the phone to Mom. “Mom, look, this psychic is trying to fool you! You can’t trust her!” “These streamers will say anything to go viral!” Her face changed slightly, then she deleted the messages right in front of me. “I know! I won’t believe them.” Seeing her emotions stable, I felt relieved. The next day, as I was at work, a few police officers suddenly showed up at the door, looking for me. I was confusedly taken to the precinct. As soon as I arrived, I saw my mom sitting on a chair inside. “Mom, what’s going on?” Her face looked unnatural as she looked at me. She hemmed and hawed, unwilling to speak. “What exactly happened?” My tone grew a little sharper. My mom finally spoke, “That psychic said your dad knows your sister’s whereabouts!” My heart plummeted. It lodged in my throat. “And then?” I looked around, but didn’t see Dad. “Your dad is in the interrogation room!” She pointed to a door inside. “Mom, how could you listen to some online psychic and have the police bring Dad here!” Watching her gaze awkwardly at the floor, I was speechless. “Have you forgotten that psychic last year who claimed she could find Chloe, and ended up conning you out of eight thousand dollars?” “I just finished paying that money back last month!” Saying this, I wanted to explain to the officer beside me. But instead, I was met with a pair of handcuffs.

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My best friend, Lana, and I unexpectedly transmigrated to a post-apocalyptic world where women were few and far between. In this shattered world, men constantly presented Lana and me with the most delectable food, dedicating every effort to defending our safety. As days turned into weeks, Lana gradually became immersed in this new reality, losing all desire to return to our original world. “This place,” she’d exclaim, her voice bubbling with delight, “is truly my paradise.” But as I gazed at the men who hovered around us, ever vigilant, like loyal guardians, a profound dread settled in my heart. I knew, with chilling certainty, that genuine kindness never came without a price in this world. Under any circumstances, the primary instinct of male organisms always remained the same: to procreate. 1 As that chilling realization dawned, eight security officers had already silently infiltrated the living quarters Lana and I shared. They stood rigidly in their crisp black uniforms, forming an ominous perimeter in the dim light. A cold, lethal aura radiated from them, each one young, strong, and imposing. After a moment of unsettling stillness, two of them slowly moved towards Lana’s room and my own. My heart hammered, a frantic drumbeat against my ribs. I forced myself to feign sleep, silently praying they were merely conducting a routine patrol. Yet, deep within me, an unsettling premonition whispered: their presence here, tonight, was likely to ensure Lana and I conceived. Just this morning, during our medical examination, I had inadvertently overheard snippets of the doctors’ conversation: “These two girls possess exceptionally robust physical conditions. The Ark Sanctuary hasn’t encountered bodies this healthy, this superior, in twenty years.” “And we’ve already identified eight highly genetically compatible males for them.” “If all proceeds smoothly, new life will be born by this time next year.” “Heaven truly has favored us after all.” There were a few other women undergoing examinations at the time, so it hadn’t immediately registered that they were speaking about Lana and me. After the check-up, we had been transferred to this towering structure—the only place in the Sanctuary with a view of the world beyond its walls. On our table, in addition to the milk, tender beef, and soft bread we enjoyed daily, rested two incredibly rare apples. Such luxuries were typically reserved only for the highest-ranking personnel within the Sanctuary. The common folk struggled to survive on coarse grains like yams and corn. Yet, ever since Lana and I arrived, despite being classified as commoners, we were regularly given these precious foods. I knew the Sanctuary enforced an extremely strict post-apocalyptic rationing system. You received only what you earned. And for us to receive such valuable treatment, we would undoubtedly have to provide something equally precious in return. Lana and I possessed nothing. Except… our bodies. Lana, as usual, picked up her milk, stood by the window, and gazed out at the vast, desolate landscape beyond the walls. Bathed in the warm sunlight, her skin was as fair as snow, gentle and appealing, like a pristine angel. I, on the other hand, stared at the food on the table, my heart filled with mounting anxiety. Lana turned, her brow furrowed in confusion. “What’s wrong?” I recounted, word for word, everything the doctors had said. “This place is too strange. We need to find a way back to our original world, fast.” She remained silent, not immediately responding. After a long pause, she softly asked, “Skye, isn’t it good here?” I frowned, bewildered. What was good about this place? The apocalypse had raged for a century. The climate was brutally extreme, the ecosystem severely unbalanced, food was desperately scarce, and mindless husks roamed everywhere… This, clearly, was a living hell. But she continued, her voice wistful: “Here, we don’t have to worry about finding jobs, or fret over food and clothes. We don’t have to toil tirelessly just to buy a house or pay off a mortgage. No one bullies us. Everyone takes great care of us, showing us profound concern.” “For me… this place is paradise.” I shook my head, my voice firm. “There’s no such thing as kindness without cause in this world. All good intentions have a price, a root. “With women so scarce here, our price is likely childbirth. It’s the sacrifice of these bodies.” Lana gently brushed a wisp of hair from her face. “But Skye, in our original world, we would also have to give birth, to dedicate our bodies, wouldn’t we?” 2 A man stepped into my room, stopping by my bed. I knew him. His name was Caleb. He was the son of the former Ark Sanctuary Commander. And also the most ruthless, cold-blooded security officer. Rumor had it he’d personally ended his parents’ lives when he was just ten years old. The first time I saw him, I was struck by his striking appearance. But who would have thought that the next second, his gun would be pointed directly at my head? Lana and I had transmigrated while we were at an amusement park. A sudden sinkhole had opened up, and Lana and I simply plummeted down. At that time, I was still wearing my gray-blue contact lenses. And gray-blue eyes, in this post-apocalyptic world, were the mark of an infected. Caleb had mistaken me for one. Although the misunderstanding was later cleared, he always held a deep aversion to me. He hated that I, a human, had adorned my eyes with the color of the infected. Yet, the Sanctuary had assigned him to oversee Lana’s and my safety. He was an absolute enforcer of orders; even if he loathed me, he had no choice but to carry out his duties. I held no fondness for him either. Many in the Sanctuary disliked him. They whispered that the security officers were mere lapdogs of the elite, and Caleb was the fiercest, most loyal one among them. Caleb stopped beside my bed. I heard the sharp, metallic click of his belt buckle being unfastened. My guess was right. Their objective tonight was to ensure our impregnation. I stopped pretending to sleep. I sat up, pressing the small, pre-prepared knife against my throat, articulating each word carefully: “Get out, or I’ll die right here in front of you.” The knife was meticulously sharpened. My hand trembled slightly, and the blade sliced into my skin. Warm blood welled, tracing a searing line down my neck. I was gambling. Gambling that he couldn’t, wouldn’t dare, let me die. Sure enough, Caleb froze. A flicker of confusion crossed his expression. It seemed I wasn’t supposed to be awake. I immediately thought of the milk from earlier today. I hadn’t drunk mine. Lana, not wanting to waste it, had consumed my portion. That’s why she had fallen asleep so early. They had drugged the milk. Now, another man had already entered Lana’s room. I continued to leverage the threat of my death against Caleb: “I said, get out now, and take them with you.” But the next second, my knife was snatched away, and my mouth was firmly covered by his hand. I struggled, but I was utterly powerless. For the first time, I felt a desperate, stark awareness of the immense strength disparity between a man and a woman. Especially against the most formidable fighter in the Sanctuary. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I did not want to be forced to conceive. So I bit down hard on Caleb’s hand, the metallic taste of blood quickly filling my mouth. Caleb remained impassive. But he made no further move. A voice crackled through his comms unit: “Major Caleb, what’s your status?” Caleb glanced at me. “She’s awake, uncooperative, and engaged in self-harm.” The voice paused. “Understood. Terminate the mission for now. Don’t let her injure herself.” Caleb: “Understood.” He released me. I pushed him away and jumped off the bed. I had to save Lana. But Caleb simply tossed me back onto the bed. Assuming he intended to continue, I sneered, “What, is your dog going to defy his master’s orders now?” He lowered his gaze, saying nothing. He unfastened his belt and bound my hands to the headboard, then gagged me with a cloth. Then, he pulled up a chair and sat facing me. 3 In the silent darkness, the creaking of Lana’s metal bed in the next room was starkly audible. Along with her soft, muffled whimpers. She should have been deep in sleep. But now, she was clearly lost in physical pleasure. It seemed the milk contained more than just a sedative. And there were six other men outside. The doctors had said these were our “matches.” I didn’t know if all of them were meant to participate. I blamed myself for not preparing Lana, for not warning her in time. After what felt like an eternity, the sounds from Lana’s room finally ceased. Someone spoke to the man. Then, the man led Lana away. Panic surged through me. Once Caleb finally untied me, I demanded, “Where are you taking Lana?” Caleb didn’t answer directly, only saying, “Your current state would affect her. You’ll meet again when the time is right.” I asked others, but no one offered an explanation. Two months since we transmigrated, and for the first time, Lana and I had lost contact. 4 I was isolated. Even Caleb, who had been my constant shadow, didn’t appear. The door was locked. I picked up a chair and slammed it against the window, only to discover the glass was specially reinforced. My strength was useless against it. This tower, once the only place with a view of the world outside, had become an aerial cage. I dared not eat. I feared they would drug the food. After enduring a full day and night like this, Caleb and an elderly man with white hair appeared before me. Hope ignited in my heart when I saw the elder. On the day Caleb had almost killed me, mistaking me for an infected, it was this old man who had stopped him. I didn’t know his identity, but from his attire and demeanor, his rank was clearly higher than Caleb’s. He asked kindly, “Is the food not to your liking, child? Grandpa can have them prepare something else.” I thought he was my savior. “Please, let my friend and me go. We can work for our food.” I told him Lana and I had both studied bioengineering, surely we could contribute to the Sanctuary. The old man listened patiently, then gently stroked my head. “Child, your work is to bear children.” I stared at him in disbelief. I thought, a wise elder like him should understand that procreation should not be forced. He then pointed to Caleb and asked, “Does Major Caleb not appeal to you? He is the most handsome man here, and his genetic compatibility with you is the highest.” “However, if you truly cannot accept him, you may choose someone you prefer.” “Your feelings are paramount. We will fully respect your choice.” I slowly backed away. “I refuse to be a breeding machine. I’d rather die.” The old man showed no anger. He calmly instructed Caleb to remove all food and water, leaving nothing behind. Caleb paused, “All of it?” The old man nodded. “All of it.” Caleb looked as if he wanted to speak further but held his tongue. I didn’t care. Because at that moment, I genuinely felt that being forced to procreate was worse than death. But in the days that followed, they gave me no food, only a small cup of corn juice daily to sustain my life. And the windows were all sealed with iron plates. I couldn’t hear sounds or see the sunlight. Initially, I could endure the darkness and hunger, sustained by memories of my beautiful life in the original world. But the hunger gradually made my throat and stomach burn as if on fire, becoming increasingly unbearable. By the seventh day, my consciousness began to blur. I thought I heard Lana’s cries, begging someone to save me. I used every ounce of strength to crawl to the door, weakly banging on it. It felt like ages, but finally, a pair of leather boots appeared before me, the light so blinding I couldn’t open my eyes. I clutched the boots tightly. “I… agree… to… your terms…” A bowl of plain white porridge was handed to me. I clutched the bowl with both hands and devoured it ravenously. I had believed my will would be as unyielding as a revolutionary martyr, but in the end, one bowl of bland porridge reduced me to begging on the floor. I also clearly realized that if I didn’t yield, they truly would let me starve to death. In their world, procreation was more important than life itself. After eating, I finally regained some strength. I looked up at the person who had given me the porridge. It was Caleb. He still wore that indifferent expression. “Going too long without food can hurt your stomach. You don’t need to eat so fast.” The person who came with him scoffed at me. “I thought you were so tough. Couldn’t even last seven days. There was someone else who…” Caleb shot the person a look, and they immediately shut up. The old man also arrived, bringing a few other potential partners. He still spoke to me kindly. “We respect your feelings. You can choose someone you like.” 5 I still chose Caleb. He was the one with the highest genetic compatibility with me. Though the old man outwardly said he allowed me to choose, he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And the female doctor who had examined me earlier had also said: “Combining with the person of highest genetic compatibility is beneficial for you.” “If a less compatible match doesn’t result in conception within two months, they will immediately be replaced by someone else.” “This will continue until you successfully become pregnant.” I asked her, “Why don’t you use artificial reproduction?” “Because all children conceived through artificial means will die from various sudden illnesses around six or seven months. Only natural, human conception is the most stable.” “Are all the women here living like this?” She shook her head. “Not all. Some women… they no longer have the ability to bear children.” “Is it because they’re old?” She didn’t answer me, her expression shadowed with sadness. She reported to the old man that my physical functions had declined due to starvation, and I needed a few days to recover before being intimate with Caleb. The old man did not agree. She sighed and advised me, “Major Caleb isn’t a bad person. Since you’ve accepted the pairing, try to embrace him. It will be easier for you, and it will benefit your future.” Her expression was earnest. I thought she must have gone through something similar to say those words to me. Only Caleb and I remained in the room. He was cleaning his firearm. I stood by the window, gazing at a white building in the distance. Lana and I had materialized just outside that building when we transmigrated. I had tried several times to reach that building, hoping to find a way back to our world, but I could only observe it from the outside; I couldn’t get in. I had yielded to my present circumstances, but I never intended to stay here forever. I had to find a way back into that building. 6 I finished showering and lay in bed. In the silent night, I heard faint sounds of intimacy. From the bottom of the tower to the top, floor by floor. Like a dense, interwoven net, it suffocated me. Caleb moved over me. The pain forced me to find something to distract myself. I asked him, “Did your previous partner have a child?” He gripped my waist. “She died.” “How… did she die?” “Infected.” “And did she successfully conceive before she died?” “No, I hadn’t even met her when she passed.” He looked at me, his amber eyes devoid of desire. Only instinct. The instinct to reproduce. He hadn’t even removed his shirt. The stiff fabric chafed my skin, a dull ache. His gun remained in his hand, a constant vigilance. I stared at the cold night moon outside the window, wishing for dawn to break quickly. Such nights continued for three days. On the morning of the fourth day, the Ark Sanctuary’s alarms blared. Infected had breached the perimeter. Normally, Caleb wouldn’t have to go, but this issue was particularly tricky and required his expertise. My second designated partner was left by my side. He wasn’t much older than seventeen or eighteen, and like Caleb, he was a man of few words. I asked him his name. His eyes were hidden in the shadow of his cap brim, but his earlobes flushed. “Jaxon.” I smiled. “Your name means ‘star of the game,’ doesn’t it? It’s really beautiful.” He nodded, a little nervous. “Th-thank you.” I started to get up and get dressed. He turned away to give me privacy. I deliberately called out to him, “You don’t have to be so formal. Anyway… if I don’t get pregnant in two months, you’ll be the one sleeping here with me.” He stopped, stumbling over his words. “Major Caleb… he has the highest compatibility with you. You two will succeed.” “Who knows? I’ve heard many people fail.” “No… no, he’s very capable.” “This isn’t something capability alone can ensure.” I walked up to him, tilting my head back to meet his eyes. His eyes were beautiful, and filled with a frantic energy. His breathing was unsteady, his chest gently rising and falling. I knew when to stop. “I’m hungry. Could you get me something to eat?” “Okay.” He fled as if released. Lana was returned at that very moment. 7 Lana hugged me tightly, her eyes welling with tears as she remarked on how thin I had become. Anxiously, I asked her, “Where have you been these past few days?” “Just on the floor below.” “With whom?” “With a few other girls, and…” She instinctively bit her lip, then glanced towards the door. Following her gaze, I saw the man who had entered her room that first night. The dim light had obscured his features then, but now I recognized him as Reid, the son of the Sanctuary’s current Commander. It was strange. Why were all these highly genetically compatible men the sons of the elite? Even stranger that Reid would agree to be paired with Lana. He had always been aloof, looking down on commoners, even advocating for abandoning them and keeping only the elite due to resource scarcity. It was ironic. Even with the Sanctuary’s population dwindling to less than three hundred thousand, its class divisions remained stark. Lana said there were other girls in the tower. Remembering the intimate sounds I’d heard last night, it seemed this tower housed others like Lana and me. “So, you’ve been with him all these days?” Lana softly assented. “So you knew what we were going through?” “Yes.” “And you agreed?” “Whether I agreed or not, I couldn’t change anything.” Her nature had always been to endure hardship. This was likely due to her orphaned childhood, living under the care of others. But we were best friends. I wouldn’t leave her behind. “If I can find a way back, you’ll come with me, right?” She nodded. “Yes.” My heart settled a little. Ever since she said this place was paradise, I worried she truly intended to stay. 8 I lived day to day, waiting for an opportunity. By day, I followed their instructions, taking my medicine and eating, and with Lana, we tried to recall details of our transmigration, hoping to find a clue. By night, I lay on the narrow bed, enduring Caleb. Lana adapted to all of this more easily than I did. She adapted to Reid’s bad temper, and also to his arrogance. Ten days later, my period arrived as expected. The doctors were somewhat disappointed, believing my prolonged starvation had affected my body. But they quickly rallied, because Lana was pregnant. A wave of jubilation swept through the Ark Sanctuary. Initially, I couldn’t understand such intense excitement, until Lana told me she was the first natural conception in the Sanctuary in nearly five years.

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When my girlfriend, Maya, received a call mentioning her ex-boyfriend Ethan’s grandfather and father had both passed away, she worried about Ethan’s mental state and decided to go care for him. As for her own father, Mr. Davis, still recovering in the hospital, she told me it was my chance to impress him, to win his approval as soon as possible. Hearing her devotion to her ex-boyfriend, I found myself envying her deep affection. And so, I began the process of becoming her ex-boyfriend. 01 I was driving Maya to visit her father when her phone rang, and she answered Ethan’s call. She wore headphones, so I couldn’t make out what Ethan was saying. But the way Maya’s hand instinctively reached to soothe an unseen distress, combined with the quick, guilt-edged flick of her eyes my way, spoke volumes. Finally, she took a deep breath, steeling herself, and declared softly, “Don’t be sad, I’m on my way to you now.” “It’s okay, he’ll understand.” After hanging up, she asked me to pull over. “Ethan’s in a bad place emotionally,” she explained softly. “I need to go comfort him.” My voice was flat. “Think this through.” A flicker of impatience crossed her face. “Ethan just lost his grandfather and father. Try to be more understanding.” I reminded her again. “Are you sure you want to leave me here, right now?” Her impatience sharpened. “Be sensible, get out.” I simply smiled. “Fine.” Her brow smoothed, and she adjusted her posture, perhaps intending to offer a reassuring word, but I stepped out of the car without another glance. Her hand, suspended in mid-air, slowly withdrew as she sighed. “It’ll be up to you to visit Dad at the hospital. Make a good impression, try to get his approval soon.” With that, she drove away. I called a rideshare and went straight back to Maya’s apartment, packing all my belongings. I had my own small apartment, only staying at hers occasionally, so my things were few. I finished packing quickly. Mid-move, I received a call from the hospital. They said Mr. Davis’s prepaid fees had run out and I needed to settle the bill. Mr. Davis was Maya’s father, a regular at the hospital. Since I had once paid a bill for him, it had somehow become my ongoing responsibility. Maya was too proud not to repay me, but she always deducted a small amount and delayed the transfer for an annoyingly long time. I directly gave them Maya’s number, stating that I was no longer associated with them and they should call her for payment. After some thought, to be fully responsible, I still tried to call Maya to inform her. But she didn’t pick up. After multiple attempts, she blocked my number. To ensure the message got through, I used another number to text her about the hospital bill and then informed her I was breaking up with her. From that point on, whatever happened was no longer my concern. 02 The next morning, I arrived at the company early to resign. Years ago, she had asked me to build this business with her, yet she intended for me to work as her assistant, without a title or proper recognition. She’d told me everything she owned would eventually be mine, and she’d give me a generous allowance each month, so I shouldn’t worry about shares or positions. She’d also keep my official salary low to help me with tax avoidance. Back then, I was still deeply in love with her, so I willingly abandoned a promising career path to join her startup. But her proposition still felt instinctively wrong. At the time, I’d firmly told her: “My salary is earned income, and paying taxes is my duty. Besides, I’m young and perfectly capable; what sense does it make for me to live off your allowance?” “Furthermore, without a proper title, my authority would be undermined. No legitimate company has its CEO’s personal assistant handling all business negotiations. How would I manage subordinates then? You’re building a real company, not some fly-by-night operation.” Maya’s face darkened, but she eventually relented, giving me an appropriate position and salary. She certainly had talent. Over the years, the company had expanded, from a single office to occupying three floors in the city’s most prestigious commercial district. But this would soon no longer concern me. After breaking up, I certainly wouldn’t stay with this company. Yet, I didn’t expect to see Ethan when I walked into Maya’s office. Before I could even register my surprise, she immediately accosted me. “What was that yesterday? I told you to go see my dad first, didn’t I? Do you know… Luckily I sent Sam.” I hadn’t closed the door yet. Sam, who was just passing by, heard her words, looked mortified, and hurried away. Sam was Maya’s assistant. She frequently sent him on personal errands without paying him overtime. I’d repeatedly advised her not to be so unreasonable, and she’d only grudgingly given Sam a small raise. I closed the door, a cold smirk on my face. “I called you to explain, but you were with Ethan then, so you blocked me.” Ethan’s face darkened at my words. “I know I shouldn’t have disturbed Maya and Mr. Li yesterday, but Maya and I were simply being friends. Mr. Li, you can’t slander me like that.” Maya also looked displeased. “Alex, don’t just spout nonsense. I told you yesterday I was just going to comfort Ethan. Don’t be so crude in your thoughts.” “Comfort him so much you brought him to work with you today?” Maya froze. “Ethan said he wanted something to do, so I brought him along. From today, he’ll take your position, and you’ll be his second-in-command.” I was stunned. “What?” She was indignant. “Ethan needs to gain work experience… Don’t worry, apart from the position change, all other benefits remain the same.” Ethan stubbornly interjected, “I won’t be staying at Maya’s company long, Mr. Li. You don’t need to worry.” I laughed. “Then who’s going to do the work?” The responsibilities of a director and a deputy director differed significantly. Maya’s tone wavered. “Ethan has been abroad; he’s not very familiar with the local business environment. Just help him out.” “Never mind,” Ethan said, feigning magnanimity, “My request was a bit much. I’ll find another way.” “Wait!” Maya grabbed Ethan’s arm, then turned to me. “Alex, be sensible. I haven’t even blamed you for yesterday’s incident yet.” “Enough. Don’t play this game.” I smiled faintly. “I quit.” 03 News of my resignation quickly spread through the company. My team members messaged me in our group chat, expressing their concern and asking if I intended to take them with me. I was surprised. Was Maya really that unpopular? But then again, it made perfect sense. In the early days of the startup, things were fine. But as the company grew, Maya became less respectful of her employees, often cutting benefits. Her employees mostly received empty promises. The more I tried to advise her, the more displeased she became, starting to lecture me with her “upper-echelon mindset.” I didn’t want to burn all bridges, and I also wanted to take some time off before finding a new job, so I politely declined their offer. These subordinates were all highly capable, and I knew they could easily find better jobs elsewhere if they left. A few days later, I unexpectedly received a call from a headhunter. They said Horizon Corp. was offering me twice my current salary and other generous terms to join their company. They even mentioned that if I could bring my team, the salary could be negotiated further. After hanging up, I was perplexed. Horizon Corp. was a national business giant. While Maya’s company had grown, it was incomparable to Horizon. Why would they use a headhunter to poach me and my team? I initially thought it was a scam, but the documents the headhunter sent confirmed it was indeed Horizon Corp. I couldn’t for the life of me recall any connection I had with Horizon, but it was a rare opportunity, so I replied that I was willing to meet. Just then, Maya asked me to come to her office. I entered to find her with a dark expression. “What do you want?” “Why aren’t you cooperating with Ethan?” “Cooperating with what? Fetching coffee, making copies, delivering files? Is that my job?” “…He’s new, but you don’t have to be so rude. You could teach him.” “I’m already organizing the handover documents. I’ll get them to him as soon as possible. Until then, tell him not to bother me.” “Handover for what? You’ll still be the director once he leaves.” “We’ve broken up. It’s not appropriate for me to stay at the company.” “Break up? I didn’t agree!” Maya abruptly stood up, her face livid. “Are you serious, Alex? You’re condemning me for just one mistake?” “It’s not just one. Have you forgotten two years ago?” Two years ago, on the day Maya and I planned to celebrate our anniversary, Ethan suddenly called, saying he had a fever and felt terrible. Maya, despite my protests, insisted on leaving to take Ethan to the hospital. She returned two days later, then profusely apologized, claiming she couldn’t bear the thought of Ethan being alone and uncared for in the city, with his family far away. She promised me it would never happen again. My feelings for her were still deep then, so I forgave her, but I also told her there would be no second chance. Now, hearing me say this, Maya suddenly laughed. “Are you jealous? You remember something from so long ago. Alright, I promise you, after I help him this time, I won’t contact him again. And please, give me another chance. Don’t they say ‘third time’s the charm’?” I shook my head. “You should focus on getting him up to speed with the work.” Her face changed. “Are you serious?” “What do you think?” I turned and left the office, hearing the sound of something shattering as I closed the door. For me, there was no ‘third time’s the charm.’ Forgiving her once was already a lapse in judgment brought on by love. 04 I returned to my office and saw Ethan directing someone to move a cardboard box. The person dragged their feet, clearly reluctant, and visibly relaxed when they saw me. A cold knot formed in my stomach, and I frowned. “Such a rush?” Ethan stood with his arms crossed. “Maya said this office is mine now, so I asked someone to pack your things.” I shot him a look. “You could have waited for me. Is it your upbringing to mess with other people’s belongings when they’re not around?” I took the cardboard box from the person’s hands. “You can go now.” The person eagerly agreed and left. Stepping into the office, I quickly searched through the box. Ethan quickly followed. “What are you doing?” “Checking for anything missing or damaged.” He scoffed. “Do you think I’d take your stuff?” Just then, at the bottom of the box, I found the pen I had been worried about. The moment I saw it, blood rushed to my head. That treasured fountain pen, a gift from my grandfather after he graduated high school, which I had used ever since his passing, was now carelessly tossed in the box with its cap, the nib splayed and ruined—clearly from being dropped. It took every ounce of my self-control, deep, shaky breaths, to rein in my fury. I held up the ruined pen, its splayed nib glinting accusingly, towards Ethan. “How do you explain this?” Ethan shrugged, utterly nonchalant. “It just slipped and fell when I was packing. You can always get a new one, can’t you?” Hearing his dismissive tone, my patience snapped. My right hand immediately lashed out, landing a heavy punch on his face. He was stunned, reeling. Coming to his senses, he clutched his face, his expression livid. “You hit me!” I sneered. “And I’ll do it again!” Just as I was about to land another blow, someone shoved me. I collided with the corner of my office desk, a sharp pain shooting through my left hand. Maya’s face was chalk-white with fury. “It’s just a pen, is it worth hitting someone over?” I stared intently at her. “You know what this pen means to me.” “So what? A pen is just an object. I’ll buy you a new one. Now apologize to Ethan.” My last shred of hope withered. “You’ve crossed a line, Maya. Don’t expect me to hold back anymore.”

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1 Just because Dr. Chloe Flynn, his intern and junior colleague, wanted to perform the surgery, Dr. Liam Thorne allowed her to practice on our son’s circumcision. “My junior colleague possesses extraordinary talent. You should count yourself lucky she’s willing to operate.” This was about our son’s future, his very essence. I wanted an experienced surgeon, but Liam exploded, pointing a furious finger at my face. “Don’t you dare look down on her. What if she’s just an intern? Even the chief started out as an intern.” I clung to the operating room doors, pleading desperately. “Let’s not do this. Can I just take our son home?” He kicked me aside, shoving our son inside. “The child you raised is just like you, utterly pathetic.” “Get out! Don’t embarrass me here. Patient trust is ruined by people like you.” It was days later, after he had attended a seminar with his junior colleague, when he finally reviewed the surgical recording. He saw our son’s very manhood severed… The operating room doors finally swung open. Our son was wheeled out, his face deathly pale, like a discarded rag. His pants were soaked with blood, and he was completely unconscious. Panic seized me. They said it was just a minor procedure. Why was he bleeding so much? But no one at the hospital paid me any mind. They simply put us in a corner room that smelled faintly of decay. When no one was watching, I trembled as I unfastened our son’s clothes to examine him. Red and yellow fluids glued his clothes to his skin. When I tugged, our son let out a heart-wrenching scream of pain. The next second, a bowl-sized wound was exposed to the air. My mind buzzed, and the world spun violently around me. Our son’s future, his very manhood, had been severed. Coming to my senses, I scrambled, half-crawling, out to find a doctor, but the room door had been locked from the outside at some point. With all the hospital equipment around, this particular dead-end room had no cell signal. Helpless, I kept pressing the nurse call button, banging on the door, and shouting. “Liam Thorne, are you out there? Please come save our son! His life is in danger!” “Is anyone there? Help! Is there a doctor?” My shrill cries echoed through the corridor. A distant nurse, yawning, finally approached. She opened the door and shoved me roughly. “What’s all that screaming for? A funeral? He’s just bleeding a little. Is your child made of gold?” “Director Thorne and Dr. Flynn are at an academic conference. Who has time to watch your son all day?” I ignored the throbbing pain of my twisted wrist, bit my tongue to force myself calm, and stammered. “Fine, he’s not here, that’s okay. Are there any other doctors? My son is really in a bad state. Please, save him.” The nurse rolled her eyes, scoffing. “This was a surgery approved by Director Thorne and performed by Dr. Flynn herself. What do you, a shrew, know?” “And it’s after hours. This isn’t your hospital; you can’t just demand to see anyone you want.” I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. Even the junior nurses knew Director Thorne and Dr. Flynn were the hospital’s ‘golden couple,’ while I, his legal wife, was treated like a pariah. Crash! Glass shattered, flying. I smashed a water glass, then held a shard to my throat, threatening. “This is medical malpractice! And because I’m Liam Thorne’s wife! My son isn’t just having normal post-op bleeding, his manhood was mistakenly severed! Call Leo’s father now!” I pressed the glass hard against myself, nearly piercing my throat. With every word, blood trickled from my neck. The young nurse’s face went white. She angrily dialed Liam Thorne. The moment the call connected, I snatched the phone, babbling incoherently for help. 2 “Liam Thorne, come back now! His manhood, our son’s manhood is gone!” “Reattachment has a window of six hours! If you don’t come back and save him, his life will be ruined forever!” At that moment, no other thought crossed my mind, only the desperate need to save my son. On the other end of the line, Liam Thorne paused for several seconds. He knew I would never joke about our son. “Alright, wait for me. I’ll be there immediately—” But then, Dr. Chloe Flynn’s syrupy voice drifted through the phone. “Senior colleague, do you not trust my medical skills?” “I’m your personal protégé, the rose you personally cultivated. Don’t you trust yourself, or don’t you trust me?” Though Chloe was Liam’s intern, she was cross-trained in medicine, originally studying administration. She had never set foot in an operating room before. Liam Thorne’s voice instantly turned icy. “Skye, don’t think I don’t know your sordid thoughts. We’re merely conducting legitimate business.” “His manhood is severed? Why don’t you just say he’s dead? It was just a circumcision. To frame Chloe, you’d even curse your own son. You, you shrew, are beyond redemption.” “Oh, dear, my sister-in-law is just anxious. Senior colleague, look at this lace lingerie. Isn’t it pretty? Buy some to appease your wife.” I broke down. Our son’s life hung in the balance, yet my husband was shopping for lingerie with another woman. What kind of “legitimate business” required a visit to a lingerie store? After the call ended, the nurse walked away with a look of disdain. Perhaps in her eyes, I was merely a jealous madwoman. Due to a post-surgical infection, our son began to convulse with fever. I wanted to hold him, but I was afraid of hurting him, so I could only repeatedly try to cool him down with cold compresses. Our son whimpered, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. “Daddy, am I brave?” At that moment, tears streamed down my face. He was the child I had conceived after three years of IVF. I had always been meticulous in raising him, sometimes overly so. But because of his gentle nature, Liam always found him disappointing. This time, our son had only cooperated with the surgery because he wanted to be brave, just like Daddy said. It was my fault, my baby. I’m so sorry. Our son saw me crying and tried to wipe away my tears. As he shifted, he suddenly bled out. The bed sheets beneath him instantly became soaked in blood. Seeing this, I panicked, losing a shoe as I ran. I furiously hammered on the room door, screaming for help again. Fortunately, the nurse on duty returned. Before I could even explain our son’s condition, several burly men rushed out from behind her. “This woman’s insane. She’s been causing a scene all night. Director Thorne said she has mental health issues. Just handle her.” After saying that, the men approached with leers, roughly lifted me, and strapped me to the hospital bed, spread-eagled. Countless large hands took the opportunity to roam over my body. Even my inner thighs were bruised purple. My wrists were raw with blood from the restraints. Unable to move, I struggled to signal the nurse with my head to look at my son. “The child is bleeding heavily. If he doesn’t get help soon, he’ll die. Please, find a doctor.” They injected me with a sedative. I slammed my head against the metal bed frame, the stinging pain of tears mixing with blood the only thing keeping me somewhat conscious. The nurse saw the bed sheet beneath our son, blackened and soaked with blood. Her knees buckled. She quickly called Liam Thorne. “Director, maybe you should come back and take a look. This child really has bled a lot.” Liam Thorne sighed impatiently. “Post-op bleeding is perfectly normal, isn’t it? Are you even a medical professional? Can’t handle this? Just quit.” “And if that woman keeps causing trouble, just throw her out.” After the call ended, I looked at the nurse with desperate hope, praying she would stop our son’s bleeding. 3 To my horror, she held her nose, glanced at him from a distance, then turned and uncapped a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from a cabinet, pouring it directly onto his wound. “Hear that? A little post-op bleeding is normal. Why are you screaming like a banshee? Remember to pay for the soiled sheets.” “This surgery was performed by Dr. Flynn and overseen by Director Thorne. How could anything go wrong? We see plenty of entitled mothers like you.” The moment the hydrogen peroxide touched our son’s wound, the surrounding flesh immediately curled and blanched. She then continued to prod the raw flesh in his wound with tweezers. Our son convulsed in agony, his body twisting, only to be yanked straight by the nurse. A guttural gasp rasped in his throat. Watching my son, in too much pain to even cry, I desperately hammered the metal bed, struggling to get down. “Son, my son, just a little longer. Mommy will find a way to save you.” He was only five, he should have been growing up without a care in the world. Instead, he was lying here. His manhood severed. How ironic that Liam Thorne was the best surgeon in the city, having saved countless limbs, yet he refused to come back and save his own son. As I saw my son’s struggles weaken, I exerted all my strength, biting down, and deliberately breaking my own wrist. Ignoring the searing pain of my fractured right hand, I slowly dragged myself next to my son, pressing tightly against his small body. You were brought into this world by your mother, and your mother will never, ever abandon you. In my fading consciousness, my phone, which had been without signal, suddenly flickered twice. I clenched my broken bone, using the pain to force myself to stay awake. Even a sliver of hope, I had to try. Dragging my broken right hand, I crawled on my knees until I finally reached my phone and dialed 911. “Hello, my son has a severe injury and is bleeding heavily from his lower body. Our address is St. Jude’s Medical Center…” But the operator on the other end mercilessly rejected me. “Patient transfer requires a certificate from the attending physician. Furthermore, you are already at the best hospital in this city. Please do not over-utilize medical resources.” I held the phone, almost in despair. By then, our son’s pupils were already somewhat dilated. He murmured faintly, over and over. “Mommy, I hurt so bad. Where’s Daddy? Didn’t he say he’d stay with me if I was a brave little man?” My heart felt like it was tearing apart. I wished the pain was mine. Unsure how to respond, I could only press my forehead against his, trying to soothe him. “Baby, don’t sleep. Daddy will be back soon.” Now, I had no extravagant hopes. I accepted that my son had lost his manhood. I just wanted him to live. He was my flesh and blood. I desperately hammered on the door, the glass shattering, piercing my palm, but I felt no pain. If only my child could be saved, I would willingly die right now. Perhaps heaven heard my prayer. The door before me suddenly opened a crack. I frantically crawled out, only seeing the hurried back of a cleaning lady. I knew this was the most she could do. I used to save empty bottles for her every time I visited. My wrist was broken, so I crawled forward on my elbows. Soon, both elbows were a bloody mess, revealing bone. I crawled tirelessly, leaving a long, crimson trail behind me. Finally, a pair of leather shoes stopped in front of me. I grabbed the person’s pant leg, disregarding everything else, repeating my plea. “Please, save my child.” Then I passed out. 4 When I next awoke, I assumed my son had already received treatment. To my shock, he was sprawled crookedly amidst medical waste, his body covered in filth. Suddenly, a searing pain shot through my scalp. Someone was yanking my hair, forcing my head up. “So you’re the one saying my daughter messed up a surgery? I think you’re just here to cause trouble.” “I truly don’t know how Thorne ever fell for a woman like you. Just die already and make way for my daughter.” The person was Dean Flynn, Dr. Chloe Flynn’s mother and the hospital’s director. She had always wanted Liam Thorne as a son-in-law, but I had somehow gotten in the way years ago. I prostrated myself on the ground, frantically kowtowing to her, not caring if I died. The floor was soon slick with my blood. “Please, save my child. If you’ll save him, I’ll divorce Liam Thorne tomorrow. I’ll take the child and never disturb their lives again.” Dean Flynn kicked me over, then closed the door again. “My daughter is a precious jewel; she will never marry a divorced man. If she marries, it will only be a widower.” I closed my eyes, letting the blood obscure my vision. My son and I would likely not make it out today, no matter what. If anything happened to him, I’d bash my head against the wall beside him, so he wouldn’t be lonely on his journey. Suddenly, the phone rang. Dean Flynn’s eyes held a complex expression as she walked into a darker corner to answer. “Is that Thorne? The Chief Consultant personally came to check. The child is fine. I’ve arranged a private nursing room for both mother and child.” “Don’t worry about the Chief Consultant. You focus on your conference over there; leave this to me. “Oh, coincidentally, the child is asleep right now. He can’t talk to you.” It seemed Liam Thorne still cared about our son. I screamed with all my might. “She’s lying to you! The child is in critical condition! She’s covering up Chloe’s mistake!” Liam Thorne, who had been somewhat hesitant, immediately became enraged. He cursed at me over the phone. “Are you just bored out of your mind? You complain about my junior colleague being an intern, and now you’re slandering my Chief Consultant? “If you’re unhappy with everyone, then just get out of the hospital.” Liam Thorne hung up, watched by Dean Flynn’s sneering eyes. My son and I were dragged back into the corner like two dead dogs. “Thorne has spoken. Trash belongs in the trash heap. Just wait to die and make way for my daughter.” The trash room was swarming with mosquitoes. Flies, drawn by the scent of blood, laid eggs in our son’s wound. Despite my tireless efforts to shoo them away, it was useless. After what felt like an eternity, our son stopped responding to my words. His body grew cold, then his wound began to emit a putrid stench. Soon, maggots crawled out of his flesh. I held my son tightly, rocking him gently, singing his favorite nursery rhymes, hoping he would call me “Mommy” one more time. In my haze, I seemed to hear Liam Thorne’s voice. I strained on tiptoes, peering out the window. Dr. Chloe Flynn was being pushed into Liam Thorne’s embrace by a crowd. Both of them blushed furiously, and the surrounding people jeered. “Congratulations, Dr. Flynn, on your first successful surgery! Aren’t the two heroes going to kiss?” Discharged? Were they talking about us? Who would have thought we were locked in a trash room? Just a door away. Liam Thorne and his mistress reaped fame and fortune outside. Our son seemed to hear his father’s voice and convulsed twice more, then died in my arms. At this point, I had nothing left to live for in this world. I took off the only piece of clothing still intact and wiped my son’s face. My son liked to be clean. He’d get upset if his clothes or face were dirty. But Liam Thorne hated this, saying our son was being dramatic. Yet, I had seen Dr. Chloe throw a fit because the hem of her skirt was dirty, and Liam half-knelt to clean it for her. Was Chloe not “dramatic” then? Perhaps he just despised everything about me and our son. “My baby, if there’s a next life, remember to choose a daddy who loves you.” After wiping our son’s face clean, I tied him tightly to my back with my clothes, then hurled myself backward through the sea-facing window.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392758”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The scion of the Blackwood empire, Liam, was a man forged in fire and ice. Those who crossed him invariably faced a whirlwind of brutal retribution. Unluckily for me, the very stepsister I despised most in this world happened to be his cherished darling, the jewel he guarded in his palm. Just days ago, that stepsister had deliberately shattered my mother’s urn. In front of everyone, I broke her wrist. The very next day, Liam Blackwood’s enforcers dragged me into a suffocating black room, a place where no light reached. My limbs were systematically crushed, my tendons severed. In my dying moments, I mustered every last ounce of strength to send a distress signal to my most trusted bodyguard. But then, I heard my captors address him with chilling deference… “Mr. Blackwood.” In that instant, an overwhelming tide of despair washed over me, drowning every last flicker of hope. I yearned for death, yet Liam Blackwood utterly unraveled. 1 Liam Blackwood was a broken boy I’d found on the streets. It was a torrential downpour, late at night, and a gang of thugs had cornered him in a grimy alley. I watched from the window of my car, intrigued by the desperate struggle unfolding in the rain-soaked darkness. The way he fought was brutal, yet strangely graceful. His drenched shirt clung to the lean, powerful lines of his muscles, every punch, every kick, traced an arc of deadly allure. I could even see raindrops tracing trails down his sculpted abs, catching fragmented gleams on his bruised skin. Even with his forehead streaming blood from a heavy blow, that stark crimson only added a touch of fractured beauty, turning him into a battered yet proud statue, striking a chord deep within the observer. He was outnumbered, of course. Only when two of his ribs cracked and he lay sprawled in the mud, soaked in blood, did I calmly push open my car door and pull out my phone to call the police. The thugs scattered like startled birds. I extended a hand to him. “I’ll save your life, you protect mine for three years. How does that sound?” Cold raindrops plastered his dark hair to his chiseled brow bone. He lifted his gaze, his dark eyes like ancient wells, radiating an icy chill. He didn’t answer, but I took it as a silent agreement. After all, I’d never been some bleeding-heart saint. I was merely acting on an impulse, drawn by a striking face. There was no one in this world to love me; I merely wanted to pick a companion for myself. And he was handsome enough, broken enough, and utterly alone enough. I pursued him for three years, but he remained cold as ice. He was like a wild, untamed wolf. No matter how I tried to extend an olive branch, he always regarded me with a distant gaze, as if I were nothing more than an irrelevant passerby. But strangely, that push-and-pull, that elusive feeling, became an addiction. Though he never claimed to love me, he always appeared whenever I was in danger, his scarred arms shielding me. Perhaps, this wasn’t so bad. Until that charity gala, where he saw my stepsister, Lily White, and fell in love at first sight… That’s when my nightmare truly began. One day, Lily “accidentally” tripped and fell during an argument with me. The next, I was pushed down the stairs, suffering a severe concussion. Another day, my best friend, fed up with Lily’s fake sweetness, made her drink a single glass of wine. The very next, I was forcibly made to drink three liters of hard liquor, nearly dying from a perforated stomach. In just a few short months, I faced escalating retaliation. And the source of all the brutality was Liam Blackwood, the notoriously ruthless heir to the Blackwood empire. No one knew when Lily had charmed Liam, but everyone in Riverton knew that the Blackwood heir adored Lily, considering her the apple of his eye. Anyone who dared to touch a hair on her head would face utter annihilation. Slowly, I was abandoned by everyone. Even my closest friend urged me, “Don’t cross Lily anymore. Liam Blackwood will torture you to death.” But when Lily deliberately knocked over my mother’s urn and ground the ashes with her heel, I didn’t hesitate. I lunged at her, beating her hands until they were a bloody mess. Predictably, the next day I was kidnapped and dragged to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. As the thugs leered, I watched, horrified, as they used iron bars to break my limbs and severed my tendons. “Mr. Blackwood, as you instructed, the lesson has been delivered.” A thug accidentally hit speakerphone. A familiar voice, cold as an ice pick, sliced through the air. “Warn her. If she dares to touch a single hair on Lily’s head again, I’ll skin her alive.” That voice. Flat, merciless. It was a stranger’s voice, utterly unlike the boy who had once shielded me from a knife. I shivered uncontrollably. How could I believe it? The boy I’d rescued in the pouring rain, the man I’d guarded with three years of my sincere affection, was the very monster torturing me to my core? The thug smeared the phone with a disgusting, sticky liquid and tossed it in front of me. “Call someone to pick up your corpse. Remember today’s lesson!” I lay in a pool of blood, watching them saunter off with grins on their faces. Just before the warehouse door clanged shut, I heard their casual chatter: “Mr. Blackwood calculated she’d call you first… after all, she always relied on you the most…” My last shred of hope utterly extinguished. So, Liam Blackwood had never been my salvation. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the executioner who had personally pushed me into hell. 2 I stared at the filth-smeared phone, recalling the last time Lily was trapped in an elevator. She’d cried, begging me for help. I’d merely sneered, turning on my heel and walking away in my high heels. That night, Liam Blackwood’s men seized me and locked me in a dark room. Three days and three nights, without a drop of water or a bite of food. Darkness coiled around me like a venomous snake, gnawing at my sanity. Liam’s phone had my location. He was the only one who could save me. I shakily dialed his number, only to hear him say: “Apologize to Lily, and I’ll come save you immediately.” I preferred death to bowing down and called the police instead. But I don’t know what methods they used; the police never found my location. When the police came to my home to investigate, my father, my brother Ryan, and even Liam himself, all denied everything without batting an eye. I even became a regular on the “false reporting” blacklist because of it. That time, I endured for three full days, pushed to my absolute limit. I was truly terrified. I cried and apologized to Lily. It was the first time in ten years I had bowed to that venomous mother and daughter. And it was the first time in ten years that Lily had truly trod me underfoot. She said she was so pleased that “big sister” finally understood her mistake. My father and Ryan were both relieved, saying I had finally become “obedient” and “sensible,” and should keep it up. When I emerged from that dark room, I had developed severe claustrophobia. I feared darkness, feared enclosed spaces. But now, lying in this warehouse, I felt no fear at all. Perhaps fear was a meaningless emotion reserved only for those who still clung to life. I didn’t touch the phone. I lay in that warehouse for three days. I remembered so many things. I remembered my childhood, when my mother was alive, and our family of four was filled with joy. I was the pampered princess of the family. I also remembered my mother falling ill, ravaged by chemotherapy and radiation, a skeletal figure. My father started coming home less and less. I remembered my mother’s hysterics, and that woman sending my mother intimate photos of herself and my father during my mother’s most painful moments. I also remembered her and her daughter shamelessly coming to our house to celebrate my mother’s last birthday. My mother trembled with rage. That day, my mother had just returned from chemotherapy, already in unbearable pain. Her heart suddenly gave out, and they couldn’t save her. That day, Ryan held me, crying for a long time. He stroked my back, whispering, “Summer, don’t be afraid. You still have me. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Less than a month after my mother’s death, my father eagerly brought his mistress and her daughter home. At first, Ryan and I were allies, united in our hatred for the mistress and her daughter. But when did Ryan start to accept them? Perhaps it was when Lily tremblingly offered him her only candy. Or perhaps it was when Lily was bullied at school, stubbornly refusing to bow her head, yet deliberately squatting on Ryan’s path home, wiping away tears… She was always fragile and pitiable, just like her mistress mother. And I was always the brazen aggressor. I don’t know when it started, but the way Ryan looked at me changed. When Lily and I argued, he chose to side with her. He seemed to have forgotten my mother’s suffering, forgotten why she died. I confronted him, but he seemed impatient. “Mom had cancer. It wasn’t curable anyway…” Look. Such familiar, cold words. That was how my father had excused himself and defended his mistress countless times. Now, even Ryan could say it, so naturally. From then on, I had no family left. And now, the person I had personally rescued and treated as family, for the sake of that wicked mother and daughter, had repeatedly, mercilessly plunged the dagger of death into me. I looked at my broken limbs, then at that filthy phone, and finally, I smiled. This life, filled with nothing but hatred and betrayal, was truly meaningless. I didn’t touch the phone. I just lay there for three days, until the very last moment. 3 I thought I was going to die. But at the last moment, someone kicked open the warehouse door. “Why?! Why didn’t you call me?!” Liam Blackwood burst in, like a maddened beast. In the faint light, he saw me covered in blood, my wrists a mangled mess, and my shins nearly exposing bone. All other sounds faded away. “Summer Hayes, don’t die! I forbid you to die!” He picked up my hand, his own trembling, as if he truly cared whether I lived or died. I cracked a smile, a silent laugh. “Summer Hayes! Summer Hayes! Please, live!” Liquid dripped onto my face. Crocodile tears, perhaps? Ha… I was rushed to the hospital and snatched from the jaws of death. When I opened my eyes, he was there, his eyes bloodshot from a sleepless night. “Why? Why didn’t you call me? Why didn’t you ask me for help? Why?” He stared at me, desperate for an answer. He couldn’t understand why the person who once relied on him the most, trusted him above all else, had chosen death over dialing that rescue number. The phone was right there, he was her emergency contact, her only refuge. “Why? Why didn’t you call me?!” Liam repeated, sounding utterly broken and desperate, as if consumed by a feverish madness. I found it almost amusing. Didn’t he want me dead? Who was this performance for now? I glanced at the phone he’d picked up. With just a flick of my eyes, Liam quickly handed me the phone. The moment it touched my hand, he finally seemed to understand. The dried filth on the screen dissolved in the sweat of his palm, leaving a sticky, nauseating residue. As a man, how could he not comprehend what that smear on the phone screen implied? In that instant, he completely froze. “They crippled my hands,” I rasped, the words tearing from my raw, bleeding throat and lips. “They wanted me to use my tongue…” My throat felt like a broken bellows, the sound truly hideous. Liam’s body swayed, as if he might fall. Shock, panic, utter disbelief painted his face, leaving only a tremor. I slowly stretched my cracked lips into a smile. Liam Blackwood, you were the culprit all along. How much longer did you plan to hide it from me? I closed my eyes, not wanting to see him. 4 A doctor came to check on me. “Broken bones are easy enough to set, but ligaments and tendons are extremely difficult to repair. The patient’s injuries are too old. If she had come to the hospital immediately after the injury, we could have guaranteed at least eighty percent function recovery in her hands. But now…” The doctor shook her head, regretfully. “The VIP patient upstairs is the White family’s heiress. She also suffered injuries a few days ago, just minor fractures, but the Blackwood Corporation brought in a global top-tier specialist team for her treatment. They’re still here. If we could get them to help, I believe there’s still a chance for the patient’s hands to regain some function. Not a hundred percent, but at least daily activities like eating and dressing wouldn’t be affected…” The female doctor managing my ward looked at me with deep sympathy. “Our chief personally went to ask them, but they said… they said if it’s you, you need to get on your knees and beg Ms. White…” She knew how humiliating this was, but she had to convey it. Lily’s stepbrother had explicitly demanded she deliver the message. Remembering the murderous look in his eyes, the doctor still shivered with dread. I smiled. “It’s alright. I can always just die.” How pathetic, those words came from my own brother. He truly had forgotten everything about our mother’s death. The doctor’s face turned ashen, unable to utter another word urging me to beg. They knew that if a patient angrily threatened to die, it might just be a momentary loss of control. But when a patient, calm and even smiling, said they could die, it meant they truly wanted to. Liam lost control again. “Summer Hayes, stop being unreasonable!” “You hurt Lily first. It’s just kneeling and apologizing… Is a little pride more important than your life?” I turned to him, sneering. “Apologize to the murderer who killed my mother? I. Would. Rather. Die!” Liam’s veins bulged with rage. He had always been so composed, so distant. This was the first time I’d seen him so utterly unhinged. Did he truly want me on my knees before Lily so badly? I wouldn’t give these animals the satisfaction! I closed my eyes, no longer wanting to see this filthy world. 5 In the end, that specialist team performed the surgery on me. As expected, even world-class experts couldn’t fully restore my severely damaged limbs. From now on, I wouldn’t be able to lift anything heavier than a couple of pounds, nor could I run or dance. After the anesthesia wore off, I endured the searing pain of my hands and feet being cut open again. Lily, surrounded by a throng of medical staff and specialists, entered my room. “Big sister, I know you hate me, but resorting to such desperate measures to hurt me will only provoke Mr. Blackwood’s furious retaliation. Why bother?” Her eyes, veiled in a misty sadness, always carried that fragile, pitiable air. It was this very demeanor that ignited the protective instincts in all men, including my own father and brother. I remembered when she first came to the Hayes home, her hands rough and calloused. Without a man to rely on, she and her mistress mother had eaten leftovers and slept on the streets. Ten years in the Hayes household had pampered her, her skin like porcelain, transformed into the very image of a delicate young lady from a prestigious family. “This time, out of consideration for Liam, I allowed the specialists to save you. But at my birthday party next month, you will publicly apologize to me. This is the condition for my agreement to save you. I hope you won’t go back on your word.” I looked up, my voice flat. “Who agreed to that?” Liam stepped forward. “I did.” He simply looked at me, his expression unreadable, as if I were the one making a scene. I let out a cold laugh. “All of you, get out!” This man I had loved for three years—I didn’t want him anymore! Lily’s tears finally fell. “Big sister, I’m doing this for your own good! If you don’t bow your head, do you want Mr. Blackwood to handle it personally?” She looked at my injuries and cried even harder, her sorrow seemingly so genuine. Liam frowned, displeased. He gently stroked Lily’s back. “Lily, you go back first. On your birthday, I promise I’ll make sure she’s there to apologize!” Lily was satisfied. As she lowered her head to wipe away her tears, a faint, triumphant smirk played on her lips. When she looked up again, her eyes were clear. “I trust Liam.” That look alone probably melted Liam’s heart. I watched him as he escorted Lily out until she completely disappeared, then I couldn’t help but laugh. “If I don’t go, are you planning to drag me there by force?” Liam’s brow furrowed. “Lily could have refused to let those specialists operate on you!” His implication was clear: I was ungrateful and didn’t know how to appreciate his efforts. “I told you, I was willing to die. I never intended for anyone to save me, including you!” Liam’s hand trembled, as if he’d recalled something. His face turned terrifyingly cold, but he didn’t utter another word, quietly backing out of the room. 6 Soon, the news of my ‘bullying’ Lily again reached Ryan’s ears. My own brother, who hadn’t appeared once while I battled between life and death for days, immediately stormed into my hospital room. “Mr. Hayes, have you come to collect your dear sister’s corpse? Should I say you’re too early or too late?” Ryan’s brow furrowed. “Summer, even after all this, you still don’t see your mistake?” His expression, as if I were a naughty, irrational child, disgusted me. My voice turned cold. “Did you tell me to kneel and apologize to Lily White?” Ryan’s eyebrows shot up. Rage surged in my chest. “Ryan Hayes, you want me to kneel and apologize to the animal who murdered my mother and deliberately shattered her urn? Ryan Hayes, you’re despicable! Do you have any respect for Mom’s spirit?” SMACK! Ryan’s slap connected with full force. My already weakened body reeled, the impact sending a fresh concussion through my brain. Through blurred vision, I saw Liam raise his hand, then lower it, standing still, observing coldly. A sneer twisted my lips. This was the man I’d picked up from the street, the bodyguard I’d employed for three years… I tugged at my lips, and a drop of crimson stained the pristine white sheets. My mouth filled with the taste of rust. My head spun. I squeezed my eyes shut. Ryan instinctively reached out to steady me, but I recoiled. Slowly, I opened my eyes and stared at him. This was the first time Ryan had ever laid a hand on me. Even he hadn’t expected to hit so hard! Regret, perhaps a little, but it wouldn’t change his stance. Ryan concealed his trembling fingers. “Summer Hayes, don’t pretend! Even if you die right here in front of me, I will never pity you! Lily is not that kind of person. If you dare to slander or harm her again, you won’t need the Blackwood heir to act. I’ll finish you myself!” I laughed. My own brother, for the sake of a wicked stepsister, said he would personally finish me? Ha ha ha, how could anything be so ridiculous in this world? “Ryan Hayes, don’t worry. Even if I die, I’ll drag the person who killed my mother to hell with me. Ha ha ha…” My whole body shook with laughter, and my freshly sutured wounds burst open, blood quickly soaking through the bandages. The shrill alarm of the heart monitor blared through the room. Ryan and Liam both panicked simultaneously. Both their hands reached out to hold me down. “Summer Hayes, don’t move! I command you, don’t move!” “Doctor! Doctor! Why isn’t the doctor here yet…” 7 Medical staff arrived quickly, staunching the bleeding and bandaging my wounds. Ryan was a mixture of anger and panic. “Summer Hayes, you are simply incorrigible!” He stormed out after the doctor finished bandaging me, leaving those words hanging in the air. Liam poured me a glass of water and held it to my lips. “Take a sip. Your lips are cracked and bleeding.” I watched him coldly, neither moving nor speaking. Liam sighed. “Everyone is on Lily’s side. Even your own brother. I heard Ryan used to dote on you. Haven’t you reflected on why you ended up abandoned by everyone?” “I have,” I replied. “Three years ago, I shouldn’t have saved you. I shouldn’t have brought you home. And I certainly shouldn’t have regarded you as family…” Liam’s face, which had just begun to relax, tightened into a mask of coldness. That same night, after I’d fallen asleep, Liam went to the restroom and took a call. The hospital room was quiet, and I faintly overheard their conversation. “Were those people dealt with?” “Dealt with! Mr. Blackwood, I’m sorry, I never expected them to smear that kind of stuff on Ms. Hayes’s phone! I’ve already taken care of them with a ‘physical’ lesson!” Liam nodded, satisfied. “Mr. Blackwood, we checked. Ms. Hayes wasn’t lying. It was indeed Ms. White who provoked her, shattered her mother’s urn, and even dared her to break her hand, saying she wanted to see how you’d retaliate!” “Mr. Blackwood, you really did misjudge Ms. Hayes…” The truth was so easily found. Liam, now, what do you intend to do? “The person I care about naturally has the right to act as they please. As for others…” Liam paused, not continuing. Even without saying it, I understood. Others, even if Lily killed them, he would cover for her. And I was one of those “others.” This was Liam’s stance. Even if Lily killed me one day, he’d probably still commend her for protecting herself. Ha ha… I squeezed my eyes shut. I had truly given my heart to the wrong person. Liam returned from his call and tucked the blanket around me. His movements were gentle, but my heart stirred with no ripple of emotion. The next morning, I woke up my phone’s assistant. “Call Alex Stone.” The dialing tone hummed. Liam returned with breakfast and, seeing the situation, suddenly realized. “That day, you could have called for help using voice commands…” I looked up. “And then?” Liam fell silent. “And then, like before, you would force me to apologize to the enemy who smashed my mother’s urn? If so, I’d rather die!” Liam’s body stiffened, unable to utter another word. He remembered the emergency doctor’s words that day: “If she had arrived a little later, not even a god could have saved her!” That sentence haunted him like a nightmare. Even now, he dared not close his eyes fully. He clenched his fists, then slowly released them. The call connected on the last second. “Alex, help me find a bodyguard.” 8 Liam’s nerves were violently frayed again. “You said you only wanted me as your bodyguard!” His eyes held a raw fury, a sense of betrayal and abandonment, just like when his own mother had left him. That woman who claimed to love him, who abandoned him no matter how he cried and begged… Liam’s emotions were a tumultuous storm, but I remained calm. “Liam Blackwood, haven’t you always wanted to leave? I’m granting you your freedom. Now, you can go to Lily White! I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to have you!” Liam’s face immediately turned ashen. “The contract was for three years! There’s still one month left!” This was what he wanted, yet now that I was giving him his freedom, he seemed displeased. Ha, men! I didn’t care. Even another word felt like too much effort. “Whatever. Stay if you want to…” Liam’s already severe face grew even colder. Soon, Alex arrived with his men. Alex was my sworn rival, yet he was also the only person I trusted not to stab me in the back. Alex leaned against the hospital room door, casting a cool glance at me, then at Liam. His schadenfreude was almost palpable. “Want to mock me? I’ll give you three minutes.” I met his gaze. We’d been at odds since kindergarten; we knew each other inside out. But this time, Alex, unusually, held his tongue. With a wave of his hand, three bodyguards entered the room. All three were over six feet three inches tall. Taller than Liam, more muscular than Liam, and even strikingly handsome. I casually picked one and also asked Alex to find me a female nurse to help me with washing up until my hands and feet could move. I was discharged from the hospital after more than ten days. The first thing I did when I got home was reassign the rooms. The nurse and the new bodyguard would stay on the second floor. Liam was to move to the first-floor guest room. As he moved his things downstairs, Liam’s face was clouded with resentment. He said, “You and Alex are rivals. The people he finds might not be trustworthy.” I laughed. “However untrustworthy, they wouldn’t stand by and watch my enemies abuse me, nor would they threaten me during a crisis to apologize to my enemies!” Liam fell silent. 9 In the days that followed, I never asked Liam to do anything. I didn’t even call his name. He used to complain when I called his name constantly, even for a fruit bowl within arm’s reach. Now that I no longer bothered him, he seemed displeased. When I started going out without calling for him, he finally couldn’t sit still any longer. He gripped the armrest of my wheelchair, his eyes simmering with a molten intensity. “Half a month left!” “Alright.” I replied without a trace of hesitation. He seemed to visibly relax, then leaned down and lifted me into the car. I caught his familiar scent. Every time he’d rescued me before, he’d held me just like this, carefully enveloping me in that reassuring scent. I had approached him countless times, craving his presence. But now, that scent only brought back memories of my past foolishness, the terror and despair of being trapped in that dark room, and the broken limbs, the hands that would never be whole again… My body began to tremble uncontrollably. I turned my head away, wanting to be as far from him as possible. Sensing my reaction, a strange emotion surged within Liam. He just knew Summer couldn’t bear to leave him. She was still the same, trembling with nerves when he got close. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Liam’s lips. “Where do you want to go today?” “The bank.” “You want me to apologize to her, don’t you? I should at least get a decent gift.” Liam looked at me through the rearview mirror, his mood clearly improving, pleased by my “sensibleness.” I stared out the car window, not glancing at him again. 10 The moment we arrived at the bank, I spotted a familiar car. Last year, on my birthday, I had won a prestigious jewelry design award. I’d fallen in love with that supercar; it was the only ladies’ exclusive model in the entire country. But my brother, Ryan, had bought it first, presenting it as a gift to Lily. From then on, that car became another trophy in her arsenal, a symbol of her triumph over me. Anything I desired, Lily would snatch—the sports car, and Liam too! After finishing my business and exiting the VIP lounge, I saw Lily. She was in another private room, holding a jewelry box, “humbly” showing off its contents amidst the staff’s lavish praise. “Tomorrow’s my birthday. Ryan told me to pick out a few pieces to wear. Which one do you think looks best?” These jewels were part of my mother’s inheritance to Ryan, now reduced to trinkets used to curry favor with her murderer. A wave of bitter resentment washed over me. Liam also looked over, his eyes soft as water. “Aren’t you going to say hello?” I asked, a sneer in my voice. He squared his shoulders. “I said I’d stay by your side and protect you.” I gave an ambiguous hum. At the bank’s entrance, Lily and I inevitably crossed paths. “Liam!” Lily called out sweetly, spotting him immediately. Just then, a car careened out of control, rushing straight towards me. “Watch out!” Liam’s expression changed instantly. He dropped me without a second thought and rushed to Lily, pulling her out of the way. I, utterly immobilized, was completely exposed to the unforgiving steel of the out-of-control vehicle. Everyone gasped in terror. I felt no fear, only a mocking gaze fixed on the man who had just vowed to protect me. In the final second, Liam seemed to remember me, frantically turning his head, his eyes meeting mine. A sudden, inexplicable dread gripped him. He lunged back towards me, but it was too late. “Summer Hayes!” A powerful force pulled me away. The car barely scraped past my wheelchair footrest. Alex’s face was ashen, his lips trembling, momentarily speechless. Liam finally reached me, his hands shaking. I looked coldly into his eyes. “You said you’d protect me. Ha…” Liam slowly clenched his fists. He wanted to explain, but I no longer wanted to listen. I told Alex to take me home. For the first time, I left Liam behind. For the first time, Liam took a taxi to follow me home. It had started to rain, I don’t know when. I sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the endless downpour. He stood downstairs, looking up at me, his gaze stubborn and determined. He looked exactly as he had the day I picked him up. That day, too, it had been raining heavily. I turned my head. “Close the curtains.” The nurse immediately obeyed. The heavy curtains fell, completely shutting off my world from his. 11 On Lily’s birthday, Ryan called first thing in the morning to warn me. “If you don’t come apologize to Lily today, you don’t need to come back to the Hayes home ever again!” He seemed to have forgotten that I hadn’t set foot in that so-called home for three years. But I still went. When Liam saw me leaving, he once again was the first to reach for the armrest of my wheelchair. But this time, I didn’t move. I simply looked at him, silently. Meeting my gaze, his hand slowly released the chair.

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1 The day I entered the palace, my dowry—a hundred chests—was displayed at the gates. Strange words flashed before my eyes: [Run! That’s Consort Clara—skinned alive by Emperor Cyrus and fed to his python!] [The emperor hates curvy women! Her parents sent her to die for their adopted daughter!] [Switch places with the adopted girl now!] In my past life, I believed those words and refused to enter the palace. My parents sent their adopted daughter in my place, with my dowry. I married the poor scholar she rejected—his cruel mother, sharp-tongued sister, and five stepchildren broke me. When I fled home, my adopted sister whipped me out: “A wife’s duty is to serve her husband! Running back shames all women!” My parents, who once adored me, coldly sent me back: “You belong to his family now. Live or die there.” I starved, froze, and died in my third winter. Only then did I learn the floating words were her trickery. Now, my adopted sister Theodora clutched my sleeve, greed dripping from her eyes. The words swirled madly. I picked up my wedding gown, staring her down: “You want to be Consort?” “You’re not worthy.” The imperial sedan, sent to escort me into the palace, waited outside the gate. Theodora, my cousin-sister, stared at the red wedding gown in my hands, her eyes practically overflowing with jealousy and malice. “Cousin Clara, I hear His Majesty has fangs and a green face, and kills people as casually as chopping vegetables. Your figure, naturally plump as it is, which man would ever favor it? How will you possibly fare in the palace?” Ever since the imperial decree naming me Consort Clara arrived, she had been whispering malicious rumors about the Emperor, off and on. I had always thought she was concerned for me, worried about my well-being, and thus sought out information. Only later did I realize she was clearly coveting my dowry and my position as Consort. I slammed my teacup to the ground, the porcelain shattering. “Insolence! Speaking ill of His Majesty, Cousin, do you wish for our entire family to be punished by imperial decree?” Theodora, startled by my sudden severity, shrank back. Countless floating words instantly erupted before my eyes. [Heroine, don’t be a fool! Only your cousin tells you the truth!] [Exactly! Only your cousin wants to save you, heroine! Quick, tell her to swap places with you! As long as you don’t enter the palace, you’ll be saved!] Theodora’s tears flowed instantly, just as easily as they had in my past life. “I am merely concerned for you, Cousin, fearing you will not fare well.” She cried with such genuine emotion, as if she truly worried for me. If not for the bitter lessons of my past life, I might truly have believed I misunderstood her. I ignored her completely, turning my back and, in front of her, began to put on my wedding gown. “My apologies, Cousin, but with a hundred chests of dowry and the position of Consort, how could I not fare well?” “If I recall correctly, Cousin, you are also marrying today, aren’t you? Why haven’t you changed into your dress yet?” “Unless… you wish to enter the palace with me? As a concubine?” Seeing the maids and matchmakers all looking at her, Theodora’s face turned from green to purple. “Cousin, how could you think such a thing of me?” “If not, then Cousin, please return to your room to get ready. It would be improper to miss the auspicious hour.” Theodora froze, stubbornly unwilling to leave. She wouldn’t give up today without achieving her goal! I waved my hand, and several maids immediately surrounded her. “Young Miss Theodora, allow us to escort you to get ready.” “Young Miss, the groom is waiting impatiently.” The floating words suddenly reappeared, overwhelming me! [No way?! Is the heroine actually going to feed the python?! Oh my god, she’s actually refusing this perfect chance to swap places!] [Though the scholar is poor, he truly dotes on his wife! The heroine will surely not suffer if she marries him.] [Good advice is wasted on the doomed!] I scoffed. Since this was the perfect husband Theodora herself had chosen, let her experience him firsthand. I put on my phoenix crown, and Mother placed the red veil over my face, escorting me out the door. The wedding sedan swayed, and a wave of overwhelming drowsiness suddenly washed over me. Something was wrong! The floating words appeared again. [Just sleep. Everything will be fine when you wake up.] [Don’t struggle! Even a strong man couldn’t withstand this knockout drug! You won’t be able to stay awake.] Theodora had actually drugged me with a knockout potion! I desperately pinched my palms and thighs, but my vision grew increasingly blurry. In a split second, I pulled out the golden hairpin from my hair and stabbed it hard into my thigh! Blood gushed! The pain instantly cleared my head. Peeking through the sedan curtain, I saw it—this was definitely not the way to the palace! I immediately ordered the sedan bearers to stop. “Stop! I am His Majesty’s Consort Clara! Where are you taking me?” A cold scoff came from outside the sedan. “What daydream are you having? This is clearly Scholar Wyatt’s sedan for his new bride.” Theodora swapped my sedan? But how was that possible? Mother herself had helped me into this sedan. No time to think. I immediately slipped off a golden bangle from my wrist and handed it to the sedan bearers. “Turn around, head for the Imperial Palace. These are all yours.” The sedan absolutely could not reach the Wyatt family’s home, or everything would be too late. They took the golden bangle, bit it to test its authenticity, exchanged glances, and then pocketed it. Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the next second, he spat at me directly. “Old Man Cloud and Old Lady Cloud already told us their daughter had hysterics. Send you to the palace? Dream on.” Floating words danced before my eyes. [You’ll be at the Wyatt home soon, why are you still resisting? Just be a good wife to Scholar Wyatt.] [Though Scholar Wyatt has five children, all five will become powerful officials in the future, very promising! How can you bear to see them without a mother?] [Accept your fate, accept your fate.] The sedan bearers directly blocked the sedan door. The suffering of my past life flashed before my eyes like a galloping horse. No, I absolutely would not yield. I grabbed the hairpin and stabbed it fiercely into their backs. The sedan bearers screamed and released the sedan poles. I seized the opportunity and bolted out. This place was not far from the capital. If I ran fast enough, perhaps I could still make it. However, the moment I stepped out of the sedan, Scholar Wyatt emerged from nowhere. His teeth yellowed, he grabbed a handful of my hair. “You stinking hag, the Cloud family has already sold you to me. Where do you think you’re going?” [Don’t let his looks deceive you, he’s truly a good man who dotes on his wife.] [Little Sister, you’ve really hit the jackpot by marrying him.] [Quick, go and perform the marriage rites with him.] I kicked him hard in the stomach. “The one marrying you is Theodora White, not me! You’ve been tricked! I am Consort Clara, personally bestowed by the Emperor! Can you bear the consequences of offending a Consort?” He cried out in pain from my kick, and slapped me directly across the face. “You stinking woman! I don’t care what Consort or not Consort you are! The Cloud family sent you here, so you’re my wife now!” “Now hurry up and come home with me for the marriage rites! My clothes are waiting for you to wash!” I was dizzy from his slap, my eyes seeing stars, and I spat out a mouthful of blood. The floating words gloated: [You should have just gone along with the marriage rites, why did you dare to hit your husband? You deserve to be beaten to death, you deserve it.] [Men are heaven, he is your heaven, how can you resist him?] [Once you enter the Wyatt family’s door, be a good wife and mother.] The entrance to the Wyatt family home was just ahead. I stopped, giving up the struggle entirely. Scholar Wyatt, noticing my sudden cessation of resistance, paused in surprise. In that very instant, I pulled out the sachet of scented powder from my bosom and flung it into his eyes. “You wretched woman!” Scholar Wyatt cursed angrily, rubbing his eyes. But his eyes were completely coated in powder. He chased for two steps, then stumbled and fell to the ground. I summoned every ounce of strength, running frantically. I finally caught up to Theodora’s phoenix sedan just before it entered the palace. I threw myself onto the sedan. “I am the real Clara Frost! I am the Consort appointed by the Emperor! The person inside is an impostor!” “An impostor?” The guards looked at me, uncertain. Young Miss Cloud rarely left the residence; they had never seen me before. I frantically searched my body for a token to prove my identity. My cousin-sister, Theodora, tearfully peeked out from the phoenix sedan. “Cousin, you eat my family’s food, live in my family’s house. Your usual jealousy is bad enough, but now you even want to snatch my chance at becoming a Consort?” “It’s not that I’m unwilling to yield, but Cousin, your figure is so plump. If His Majesty sees you, it might even implicate our entire Cloud family.” Passersby gathered, two by two. “Stealing your own cousin’s marriage? That’s utterly shameless.” “With her appearance, she doesn’t even look like a noble lady. And she wants to impersonate Young Miss Cloud to marry into the palace and become a concubine? She must have eaten a leopard’s heart!” “Precisely! Precisely!” I had run so hard, my wedding gown was torn and stained with blood, my hair a complete mess. Meanwhile, Theodora in the sedan wore a phoenix crown and robes, her clothes spotless. To anyone looking, she would appear to be the true Young Miss Cloud. The floating words reappeared to sow discord. [Don’t bother explaining, no one will believe you. If Emperor Cyrus sees you like this, he might even execute your entire clan.] [Your parents were so good to you, do you want to implicate them too?!] [Quick, say you’re jealous of your cousin, say it!] I gritted my teeth, gripping the phoenix sedan with all my might. A guard kicked me in the lower back, pointing his saber at me. Just then, I saw my parents rushing over, and a wave of overwhelming joy washed over me. “Father, Mother, Theodora swapped my sedan! Quick, tell them I’m the real Clara Frost!” No one could prove my identity better than my parents. Father rushed over, but before I could speak, he slapped me. “My own daughter, how could I not recognize her? You dare to come here and cause trouble!” “Our Cloud family fed you, clothed you, and yet you still want to steal my daughter’s marriage?” “The one in the phoenix sedan is my daughter, Clara Frost! Our Cloud family only recognizes this one daughter!” Mother hid behind Father, wiping away tears. “Theodora, please, stop causing trouble. Your husband’s family is waiting for you.” “Just go back and be a good wife and mother.” It turned out my parents had already sided with Theodora. The surrounding commoners began to spit at me. “How can there be such a shameless person in this world?” “She must have gone mad with hysterics.” Outside the crowd, Scholar Wyatt caught up. He grabbed my arm, twisting it, and pulled me up. “Excuse me, everyone, I accidentally let my crazy wife escape.” “Now hurry up and come home with me for the marriage rites!” With that, he dragged me by the arm, pulling me out of the crowd. The crowd automatically parted for him. Was I destined to be unable to change my fate, even in this new life? The floating words flashed by rapidly, one by one, filled with mockery. [I told you already, accept your fate, struggling is useless.] [Even your own parents don’t recognize you. You’ll never be able to turn your life around.] [Being a stepmother to five children, a housemaid for the Wyatt family, that is your final destiny, ha ha ha.] I was powerless to resist, completely trapped by Scholar Wyatt. Tears of helplessness streamed down my face. However, at that moment, a shrill voice suddenly boomed through the air. “Everyone, stop! His Majesty has arrived!” A yellow imperial carriage halted before me. The Emperor, his lips slightly curved, rested his pale, slender hand on the carriage. His dark gold dragon robes billowed in the wind, his knuckles lightly tapping. “How dare you insult My Consort?” Everyone by the roadside knelt in terror.

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