Stepping back into the familiar operating room, I knew Dr. James Carter was about to make a fatal error, yet I chose to watch, cold and detached. In my past life, it was James’s mistake that left the patient teetering on the brink of death. I rushed to the table and saved the patient, whose chest lay open. But afterwards, my wife, Katherine Hayes, fabricated evidence and sent me to prison. I confronted her, incredulous, but she merely looked contrite and said, “James is an international colleague; he can’t be implicated! Once this blows over, our lives will go back to normal.” Ultimately, I was killed by the patient’s family, reborn consumed by hatred. This time, I wanted to see how Katherine Hayes would handle it! But then, she suddenly turned to me, her voice trembling yet firm: “Daniel Thorne! The patient’s condition is critical! James can’t control it! You take over!” … 1 “Don’t you understand? The patient is fading fast!” Katherine’s voice abruptly rose, her eyes wide with terror. “Please, darling… this surgery is a turning point in my career. It can’t go wrong!” She clutched my hand tightly, her tone shifting from command to desperate plea. On the operating table, the patient’s chest lay wide open, blood gushing out. The monitor’s readings plummeted, life draining away. “You’re the most skilled surgeon in the entire hospital! Only you can salvage this!” I shook off her hand, a cold sneer playing on my lips. “I’m just an assistant. I don’t know James’s specific technique. And with millions of people watching nationwide, I’m not capable of stepping in at the last minute!” Katherine’s eyes instantly filled with panic. “Didn’t James claim he was experienced?” “Or are you saying you put him in charge, knowing he wasn’t competent, to boost your reputation, playing with a patient’s life?” Katherine’s face turned stark white. “Now is not the time for assigning blame!” her voice trembled. “The patient’s chest is already open. The family is waiting outside…” “This surgery is a key publicity event for the hospital. It affects the future of the entire department!” James stood by, flustered, constantly glancing at Katherine. I remembered the past life at this very moment. I had stepped in, saved the patient’s life, but James’s mistake had left the patient paralyzed. When the family stormed the hospital, Katherine, tears streaming, had handed me a confession: “Daniel, for our future…” I, naive, signed that life-destroying document. My license was revoked, I was subjected to national online slander, the hospital cast me aside like trash, Katherine filed for divorce and took all our assets. Most tragically, the paralyzed patient’s family found me: “You incompetent doctor, you ruined my son! I want your life!” Before I died, I learned my father had a heart attack from the shock and passed away, while Katherine and her lover gained fame and fortune. Back in reality, Katherine was still pleading: “Darling, for the sake of our marriage…” James had caused too much trouble. Even she found it hard to escape responsibility. I smirked inwardly: You reap what you sow. I stepped back, yielding my position in front of the operating table. The patient’s vital signs plummeted. James stood by, helpless, muttering “Damn it.” Ultimately, the patient died on the operating table. Katherine’s face was ashen. Vice President Davis walked into the operating room, his gaze glacial: “Chief Hayes, what happened?” Katherine pulled off her gloves, feigning composure: “The patient suffered unforeseen complications, leading to…” Heart-wrenching cries echoed from the corridor. The patient’s family had received the tragic news. “Ah! You butchers killed my father!” A young girl was restrained by security at the door. James produced a folded paper: “This is standard operating procedure. I followed the protocol precisely.” Davis took the document, his brows furrowed: “A resident as lead surgeon? This surgery shouldn’t have been your responsibility.” “James is very experienced. I trust him completely.” Katherine straightened her back. “Dr. Carter, please explain the cause of death.” Davis turned to James. James bit his lip: “The situation was complex after opening the chest, but within controllable limits.” “Specifically, what caused the death?” “It might be… his pre-existing heart condition.” Dr. Evans, the anesthesiologist, scoffed: “Pre-operative assessments showed the patient’s cardiac function was normal, perfectly sufficient for the surgery.” “What vessel did you sever?” Davis pressed. James’s forehead beaded with sweat: “A routine incision…” “State its specific name.” James’s eyes darted: “I… I need to check the records.” Katherine attempted to interject: “This is a technical issue. We’ll discuss it later.” Davis remained unmoved: “As lead surgeon, the most basic anatomical structures should be ingrained in your mind.” James retreated, hiding behind Katherine. The atmosphere in the operating room solidified. Nurses lowered their heads, organizing instruments, their eyes filled with disdain. “I saw him sever a branch of the coronary artery, completely against protocol,” a junior doctor whispered. “I heard Chief Hayes specifically authorized him to lead, even knowing his skill wasn’t up to par…” “It’s just leveraging his international status to boost the department’s global exchange points. Who knew it would lead to reckless disregard for human life?” Katherine scanned her surroundings. Her colleagues, who usually flocked to her, now deliberately kept their distance. Only James cowered behind her, like a frightened child. She anxiously searched for Daniel Thorne. I stood in the corner, watching everything with an impassive face. Katherine’s gaze locked onto me, her expression complex, a mix of plea and command. Step forward. Take responsibility. she mouthed. I ignored Katherine, exiting the operating room through a side door. Walking out the main hospital entrance, my phone vibrated. A news alert popped up: “Major Medical Malpractice Incident at City General Hospital; Patient Dies on Operating Table.” I immediately dialed my private banker, Ms. Lee. “Ms. Lee, I need to freeze all assets, including joint accounts and property shares.” “Dr. Thorne, this is a large transaction. It requires…” “Execute it immediately. Emergency situation.” My voice was cold and firm. “Transfer all liquid funds to my father’s independent account.” Then I contacted the only person from my past life who had believed me. My phone rang again. It was Katherine. “Darling, where are you?” Her voice was clearly tearful. “You have to come back and help me! You’re the only one who can save me! The patient’s family is causing a huge scene. The hospital wants answers from me…” The hospital corridor was eerily quiet. I turned the corner and saw Katherine leaning against the wall, her eyes red and swollen, her fingers tightly clutching a file, knuckles white. “Darling, you’re finally here.” I nodded, subtly touching the button camera concealed in my chest pocket, confirming it was recording. “Katherine, what’s so urgent?” Katherine pulled me into a deserted small conference room, locking the door behind us. “The situation is worse than we thought.” Her voice was trembling uncontrollably as she pulled a document from the file. “Darling, help me. Sign this, saying it was your operational error, and this whole thing can be settled.” I stared at the cover of the document. “Medical Malpractice Confession Agreement” stood out in bold letters. “Katherine, you want me to be your scapegoat?” “It’s not like that, darling.” Katherine squeezed my hand. “I promise I’ll get the best lawyers, and I’ll get a letter of understanding from the patient’s family. You won’t be in any trouble.” She embraced me, her voice softening. “Darling, I know this is asking a lot! But I swear, once this is over, I’ll compensate you tenfold. We’ll have a child and live a good life together.” I picked up the document, flipping through it, saying nothing. Katherine saw I didn’t immediately agree, and her eyes quickly welled up with tears. “Darling, please, only you can save me now!” I paused, then picked up the pen and signed my name on the confession. Katherine immediately breathed a sigh of relief. The tears in her eyes quickly vanished. She neatly put away the document, lightly touching my cheek. “Daniel Thorne, you should rest now. You’ve been through too much these past few days.” With that, she turned and left the room without a second glance. I watched her retreating back, a cold sneer forming in my heart. Katherine Hayes, this time, things won’t go as you wish! Back at home, I took off my coat and hung it up. The living room lights were dim. From the second-floor bedroom, I heard the sound of water and muffled laughter. I frowned, treading lightly upstairs. The moment I pushed open the bedroom door, my breath hitched. Dr. James Carter, the man, was standing there, wearing my wedding suit, adjusting his tie in the mirror. That suit, which I had cherished in my closet, had once been a symbol of my happiness. “Oh, hi!” James turned, a clumsy surprise on his face. “Chinese doctor, you’re back earlier than expected.” Footsteps pounded on the stairs. Katherine frantically appeared in the doorway. “Daniel Thorne, you’re back.” Her eyes darted around, her body instinctively positioning itself between James and me, like a shield. “James needs a safe place to stay lately. The hospital… you know, with what happened, he needs to cooperate with the investigation.” I raised an eyebrow. “So, you invited him to live in our home?” Katherine’s fingers unconsciously twisted together, her gaze briefly flickering away. “He wants a home in America.” Her voice lowered, and she tilted her head slightly to avoid my gaze. “I promised to help him.” With that, she quickly looked up again. I felt a wave of visceral nausea. The familiar feeling of betrayal washed over me again. “What do you mean?” James smugly pulled a document from his suit’s inner pocket and handed it to me. “Dr. Thorne, this is my home now.” I took the document. The property deed indeed listed this address and James’s name. I looked at Katherine, incredulous. “This is the house my parents bought for us as our marital home.” Katherine stepped closer, her hand gently resting on my arm, her eyes filled with feigned apology. “Darling, I know this is sudden for you, but James really needs help. Didn’t you always say we should be compassionate?” Her voice was soft, yet there was no hint of retracting her decision. “Darling, you said you loved me. Truly loving someone means supporting all her decisions.” I subtly reached into my pocket, confirming the recording device was active. Seeing my silence, Katherine moved closer and linked her arm through mine, her voice tinged with a false intimacy. “Daniel, rest assured, you’ve done so much for me. My husband will always be you. That will never change.” Her eyes glittered with self-satisfied confidence. I nodded impassively, feigning acceptance of the reality. The master bedroom had been completely transformed. My belongings were all gone. In their place were James’s luxury items. Even our wedding photo had vanished, replaced by a picture of James and Katherine. Seeing a few pieces of lingerie scattered on the bed and the trash can in the corner overflowing with used tissues, my heart still ached, imperceptibly. I walked out to the yard. In the corner, near the trash can, piles of my clothes, books, and personal effects were strewn. Katherine rushed after me. “Daniel, I didn’t know. James did all this on his own.” “He’s an international colleague, not very familiar with our customs…” I crouched down. From the pile of trash, I picked up a broken music box. It was my mother’s most cherished possession, the only memento left to her by my grandfather. The delicate wooden casing was completely shattered, its internal springs and gears scattered on the ground. My heart felt as if it were being pierced by countless tiny needles. Katherine’s eyes began to redden. “I’m sorry. I can have James put your things back…” I shook my head, forcing myself to remain calm. She instantly relaxed. James swaggered over, apologizing with an exaggerated tone. “Dr. Thorne, I’ve never done this kind of work before. If it’s not done well, I’m sure you won’t mind!” “Look at this pathetic little thing.” James snatched the broken music box contemptuously. “This cheap piece of junk. Only a loser like you would treasure it!” “No wonder your mom died early. She probably couldn’t stand a pauper son like you. Good riddance!” He laughed coldly, then threw the music box to the ground, heavily stomping on it, grinding it a few times. “This is where it belongs—with the trash.” The accumulated grief and humiliation from both my past and present lives erupted at this moment. “You’re dead!” My fist swung out uncontrollably. James crumpled to the ground, blood gushing from his nose. I lunged at him, punching again and again, pouring all my hatred into every blow! “Ah! Help! Someone, help!” Katherine shrieked, her voice shrill, frantically dialing her phone. In less than ten minutes, several burly bodyguards stormed into the yard. They roughly pulled me off James. Katherine’s voice sharpened: “Daniel Thorne, did I give you too much leeway? How dare you hit James!” “Teach him a lesson! A harsh one!” The bodyguards immediately restrained me, punches and kicks raining down. Katherine stood coldly to the side. My wife, who used to cry tears of concern if I even scraped a finger, now watched as if a stray dog were being beaten. James wiped the blood from his mouth and slowly walked over to me. He brutally kicked my ribs. Then, deliberately, he ground his foot onto my hand. Crunch! I heard the sound of my own finger bones shattering. “Katherine Hayes! James Carter!” I gritted their names through my teeth. “Throw him in the cold storage. Let him cool down.” Katherine’s voice was icy as she gave the order, then she turned to James, her face instantly filled with concern. “Darling, are you alright? Come, let me help you get some medicine.” “Katie, it’s just a scratch. It’s nothing.” James leaned weakly on Katherine’s shoulder, a mocking smirk on his face as he looked at me. The bodyguards dragged me like a dead dog and tossed me into the cold storage. My fingers, broken, were useless. My whole body ached with intense pain. The voice recorder in my chest pocket was still intact. I endured the searing pain and activated the recorder. “I, Daniel Thorne, am currently being illegally imprisoned in this cold storage by my wife Katherine Hayes and her lover James Carter. I have sustained multiple severe injuries, including fractured fingers on my right hand…”

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1 Because my wife refused to accompany a business partner for drinks, I put her in the hospital. I did it because, in my previous life, trying to shield her from the endless toasts, I’d ended up passed out cold. The next day, I woke to find myself branded a monster—a drunk who’d abused his own daughter and driven her to her death by suicide. Before she jumped, my daughter left a suicide note, claiming she couldn’t bear my long-term abuse. But I’d always cherished her, loved her more than life itself. I would never abuse her, especially not in a drunken rage, let alone systematically! I fought to prove my innocence, but the surveillance footage showed me abusing my daughter! My wife, who had always claimed to love me, publicly exposed me, branding me a twisted sadist who regularly beat both her and our daughter. My mother, sobbing, clutched my daughter’s lifeless body and cursed me: “You beast! How could you lay a hand on your own flesh and blood? I don’t have a son like you!” My father, overwhelmed by fury, suffered a heart attack and died on the spot. I was speechless, left to rot in jail, and eventually, I was beaten to death by angry inmates. Then, I opened my eyes again. I was back on the night my wife pleaded with me to drink in her place. … “Darling, my stomach isn’t feeling well. Could you drink for me?” Susan Miller’s eyes were wide with a pitiful plea, making Mr. Thompson, the business partner, frown in displeasure. “Ms. Miller, bringing someone else to drink on your behalf? That’s not very sincere, is it?” “We’re a team, my husband and I. It’s the same no matter who drinks, right, darling?” In my last life, Susan used the exact same words. And Mr. Thompson, claiming double the drinks for a proxy, had poured me into unconsciousness. That’s how I ended up being framed for drunkenly abusing my daughter. But I’ve always held my liquor well. Drunk, I just pass out. I’ve never been a belligerent drunk. Besides, I have only one daughter. I cherished her, afraid even a harsh word would hurt her. How could I abuse her?! Yet, when the crowd was whipped into a frenzy, Susan had cried, exposing bruises all over her body, accusing me of being a sadistic brute who had secretly abused her and our daughter for years. She even produced surveillance footage, inciting everyone to curse my name. Remembering the injustice and my miserable death in the previous life, I grabbed a bottle and slammed it, hard, into Susan Miller. “Useless piece of trash! Mr. Thompson offering you a drink is a compliment! Who are you to pretend to be so pure?!” “Ah!” The bottle shattered against her head. Everyone gasped, stunned. “Whoa, easy there, buddy! If you don’t wanna drink, don’t drink, but don’t get violent!” I ignored Mr. Thompson and the others. I grabbed more bottles from the table, smashing them, one after another, onto Susan as she cowered, clutching her head. This time, I’d strike first. Let’s see how she frames me now! After Susan was rushed to the hospital, I voluntarily went to the police station to confess. Due to surveillance footage and witnesses like Mr. Thompson, I was detained on the spot. After I was locked up, Mom rushed to see me, her face etched with worry: “Son, you and Susan have always been so loving. What made you suddenly beat her like that? Did something happen?” “If she did something to wrong you, Mom supports you divorcing her, but you can’t lay a hand on her!” I looked at my white-haired mother, asking the question I’d wanted to ask in my previous life: “Mom, do you believe me?” “Of course, I do! You’re my only son, how could I not believe you!” Getting the answer I needed, I breathed a sigh of relief. In my previous life, she had seen the “evidence” and heard Susan’s accusations before she spoke of disowning me. This time, as long as I had enough proof, Mom would definitely be on my side! Thinking this, I squeezed her hand, asking anxiously: “Audrey, how is she?” Mom paused, said Audrey was home asleep, and asked why I was suddenly so tense. I earnestly pleaded with her to protect Audrey, to make sure nothing happened to her. Also, not to tell Dad about this. Mom nodded: “Silly child, even if you didn’t ask, I’d take good care of Audrey! Your dad has a bad heart. Before I came, I told him Audrey missed me. I didn’t dare mention anything else.” My heart felt a great peace. I gave her a few more instructions, then urged her to rush home to be with our daughter. Remembering my daughter’s tragic death in the previous life, my heart ached. Why would the daughter cherished by our entire family be covered in wounds and jump to her death? Had Susan coerced and harmed her? This time, I had to uncover the truth! 2 At four in the morning, Susan Miller rushed to the police station, seeking to bail me out. I heard she had come looking for me the moment she regained consciousness. “Darling, yesterday was my fault. I’ve been so busy with work lately, no time for you and Audrey. It’s normal for you to feel resentful and want to vent. I’ve pushed that collaboration away. From now on, I’ll spend more time with you and Audrey, okay?” Her head and arm were wrapped in bandages, blood seeping through. Yet she spoke softly, her eyes red-rimmed, as if she were truly the one in the wrong. If not for her public defamation of me in my previous life, I almost would have believed her. In my last life, she had deliberately inflicted those wounds on herself, claiming they were the work of me, her “monster” husband. If I let her bail me out, I’d surely be branded a “violent psychopath” again! Thinking this, I coldly refused her. “No need. Hitting you was indeed wrong of me. It’s only right to face punishment for my mistakes. You don’t need to bail me out.” Seeing my unyielding stance, Susan trembled with fury, but no matter what she said, I insisted on staying in detention. Finally, Mom arrived and took her home to recover. As she left, Mom said Audrey had slept soundly all night and had already gone to school this morning. In my last life, my daughter hadn’t gone to school; she had jumped to her death from the rooftop that morning. My heart settled. It seemed I had finally changed the trajectory of my previous life. Audrey wouldn’t jump to her death! After a sleepless day and night, I finally couldn’t hold on any longer and drifted into unconsciousness. At three in the afternoon, I was woken by my daughter’s voice. “Daddy, I came to see you!” My daughter, who had tragically jumped to her death in my previous life, was now alive and vibrant before me. I was so overwhelmed I nearly cried aloud. “Daddy, why are you crying? Mommy said you got locked up because you beat up bad guys to save her.” “Daddy, you’re a big hero! Don’t cry!” My daughter’s words made me pause. Susan, behind her, gave me a subtle wink. “Darling, Audrey kept begging to see you today. She thought you didn’t like her anymore, and that’s why you weren’t picking her up or dropping her off at school.” Mom also came in. “Audrey, now do you believe Grandma and Mommy?” My daughter nodded, her small hand gripping the iron bars, her voice innocent: “Daddy, Audrey made a little red flower to give to you, my big hero!” My eyes stung. I gripped her small hand. Looking at her innocent, adorable face, I suddenly remembered her bruised corpse from my previous life. Many of those were old wounds, clearly from years of beatings. Thinking this, I abruptly pulled up her sleeve. Her smooth, tender arm showed no crisscrossing whip marks. So, what had gone wrong in my previous life? My daughter couldn’t have developed so many old injuries overnight! Thinking this, I turned her around and pulled up her shirt from behind. Still soft and smooth, not a single scar. Perhaps my gaze was too fierce; my daughter looked a little scared. “Daddy, what’s wrong?” “Audrey, has anyone been bullying you lately?” My daughter paused. “No, why?” “Mommy hasn’t hit you, has she? Don’t be scared. This is the police station. Tell the truth, and the police officers will protect you!” My daughter continued to shake her head. “Mommy loves me so much. Why would she hit me?” Susan covered her face and began to cry. “Darling, you actually suspect me of mistreating our daughter? If that were true, why would I tell her all that? I was just afraid she’d know the truth and hate you!” Mom also sighed: “Son, you’re in the wrong here. We’ve seen what Susan is like all these years. You really shouldn’t misunderstand her!” Just then, the guard came in and said visiting hours were over. Susan picked up Audrey and left crying. Mom muttered, sounding exasperated: “Son, you went too far this time! Susan is a good wife. You shouldn’t have beaten her like that over a mere suspicion!” Watching them leave, I was confused. Was everything from my last life just a nightmare I had? Sweat soaked the little red flower in my hand. I lowered my head and looked at it. My heart nearly stopped. My past life wasn’t a dream! It was real! 3 That night, against the walls of my detention cell, I replayed every detail of my previous life. Since my rebirth, I’d asked myself countless times. Why would my daughter, whom I loved to my very core, write such a suicide note accusing me before she died? Why, when I had done nothing wrong, did I wake up branded a monster, reviled by everyone? Why would Susan, who had always loved me, suddenly turn on me, exposing her wounds and accusing me of being a twisted abuser? One by one, the unsolved mysteries gave me a pounding headache. I could only desperately recall every detail of my previous life, trying to catch any clue. Until I clearly saw the little red flower my daughter had given me, all the fog began to lift. Instead of waiting to be crushed, I’d strike first! As soon as dawn broke, I had someone call Susan, telling her I had come to my senses and wanted to be released. I even apologized to her, saying I shouldn’t have hit her that night. Susan sobbed, saying she didn’t blame me, and immediately wrote a letter of understanding, bailing me out. I resumed picking up and dropping off my daughter at school. After seeing her into the school building, I called a private investigator. His efficiency was remarkable. In less than half a day, he had investigated all my questions. Looking at the report on my phone, I was so filled with hatred I nearly crushed the device. Turns out, there were secrets in there I hadn’t even guessed! I spoke in a low voice, giving instructions: “I also need you to do one more thing for me. Make it quick. Absolutely no one must find out!” Two days later, it was my daughter’s birthday. Susan, true to her word, cancelled all her work and hosted a lavish birthday party. Despite the hot weather, she wore a wide-brimmed hat and a long-sleeved gown, basking in everyone’s admiration. My daughter, dressed as a magnificent little princess, thanked everyone for their gifts. Finally, my daughter smiled, took my hand, and happily said: “Thank you, Daddy, for always spoiling me. I have a gift I want to give to Daddy too.” With that, she took my hand, leading me upstairs to see it. She wouldn’t allow anyone else to follow, standing with her hands on her hips, saying it was a gift just for Daddy. Everyone was amused by her innocent, adorable demeanor. I smiled faintly, letting her lead me onto the rooftop. “Daddy, cover your eyes and count down from ten. No peeking~” She tied a black blindfold over my eyes, and I listened as she counted down. When she reached “1,” there was a loud “Thud!” from the yard. It was then I realized my daughter, who had just been standing on the rooftop, was gone. Gasps of horror rose from the yard. When I went down, I saw my daughter lying face down, dead. Her death was as tragic as in my previous life. On the rooftop, another suicide note lay. In the note, just like in the last life, my daughter’s words were blood and tears, accusing me of being an animal of a father. She couldn’t bear my long-term abuse and was terrified of being alone with me, so she no longer wanted to live. Susan rushed to her, clutching my daughter’s bloody corpse, crying hysterically as in my previous life. “Ethan, I thought you only abused me, but you still loved our daughter. But I never imagined you could be such a monster!” With that, she took off her hat. She pulled off the sleeves of her gown, revealing arms and head covered in scars. “You asked why I was so heavily covered, didn’t you? It’s because of these wounds he inflicted!” Everyone gasped. Then, Susan, sobbing uncontrollably, recounted years of my abusive beatings as a twisted sadist. Hearing that I had dared to hit her with a bottle in front of business partners, sending her to the hospital, everyone erupted in fury. Mr. Thompson stepped out of the crowd, slammed his glass, and cursed me. “Ms. Miller asked us to cut you some slack, but I never imagined you were such a demon!” “He beat Ms. Miller in front of us and sent her to the hospital. We all saw it with our own eyes!” “I never imagined this demon not only beats his wife but his daughter too!” Suddenly, everyone started cursing me. Susan cried so hard she almost fainted. “Audrey, it was Mom’s tolerance that killed you!” Mom rushed over, grabbing my hand and yelling: “Son, I don’t believe you’re this kind of person! You’ve always been so kind, since you were a child. Tell me you didn’t do these things!” I impassively pulled my hand free and stated calmly: “I did it.” 4 Everyone exploded. Some called the police, others pulled out their phones to start livestreaming. “The heir to Hayes Enterprises just publicly admitted to years of violently abusing his wife and daughter! His daughter just left a suicide note and jumped to her death!” Instantly, the comments section blew up. [OMG, I thought he was just a worthless good-for-nothing who relied on his wife to secure the company. Turns out he’s also a super-violent murderer!] [His wife is so good, all these years she’s given him a child, secured all sorts of collaborations. How could he have the heart to abuse her so brutally?] [I bet his daughter didn’t jump to her death; she was probably pushed by him! They need a thorough investigation!] [+1! Didn’t they say this beast was alone with his daughter on the rooftop? Maybe he really did push her!] Mom shrieked, protesting these accusations, threatening to sue them for defamation. But Susan set down her daughter’s body and slowly rose. “Our house has rooftop surveillance cameras, and I… I also put a tracker on Audrey.” “Because three years ago, I noticed that whenever he came back from a business trip, Audrey would have new scars. But when I asked her, she said she fell while practicing horseback riding.” “I thought about the abuse Ethan inflicted on me, and I was so afraid Audrey would be treated the same way. So, I gathered my courage and warned him.” Susan’s voice choked as she spoke. “While he was asleep, I held a knife to his throat.” “I told him, if you want to hit someone, hitting me is enough. Don’t lay a hand on our daughter again, or I’ll drag you to hell with me!” “At the time, Ethan was truly scared. He promised he wouldn’t hurt Audrey again, so I let him go.” “But I never imagined he would switch to a method of abuse that I couldn’t detect…” With that, Susan opened the projection screen in the yard and cast the video from her phone onto it. The footage showed me in a car, my face contorted, brutally stabbing my daughter with a fine needle. My daughter wept, pleading softly. “Daddy, I’m in so much pain. Please stop stabbing me…” “Damn it, what a monster!” In the crowd, someone couldn’t hold back any longer, picking up a stone and throwing it at me. I was struck, my head bleeding, but Susan operated her phone again. The scene shifted. The camera moved to the rooftop. My daughter blindfolded me, then counted down to the last second. “Daddy, my gift, is trading this life for your arrest.” She stood on the edge of the rooftop, tears in her eyes, saying softly. With that, she dropped a suicide note and jumped, without looking back. At that moment, Mom could no longer side with me. “You beast! I truly wasted all these years raising you!” She violently threw her phone at my face. A hot stream of blood immediately gushed from my nose. Then, she rushed over and clutched my daughter’s bloody corpse. “Audrey, my sweet granddaughter, it’s the beast I gave birth to who harmed you!” Susan, her voice choked with tears, shrieked at me, heartbroken. “In the detention center, I thought your apology meant you understood your wrong, and I was soft-hearted enough to bail you out.” “But I never imagined you would actually force my daughter to her death! If you had something to vent, take it out on me! Why force my daughter to die?!” I, however, smiled cruelly. “She jumped to her death herself. How can you blame me?” That single sentence enraged everyone. “Monster! A person like you doesn’t deserve to be a father! You should be shot!” Countless bottles and pebbles rained down on me, and some even spat in my face. I was bruised and swollen, covered in blood, yet I laughed even louder. Because only by blowing things up would the truth be seen. “Stop it, everyone! The real killer of Audrey Hayes is not him!” Hearing that voice, I knew. The person I was waiting for had finally arrived. The show was about to begin!

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In my previous life, my wife and I shared forty years, a harmonious, devoted marriage. Our son was dutiful and intelligent, becoming a renowned medical expert both domestically and abroad. Surrounded by grandchildren, my wife and I treated each other with respect, and I lived out my sixty years in blissful contentment. After my death, my soul lingered in the world. To my shock, my seemingly loving wife hadn’t shed a single tear for me. After my cremation, she delayed my burial, instead tossing my urn into a cluttered storage room. My son, renowned for his filial piety, was actually eagerly urging his mother: “Mom, hurry and book the burial plot. Dad’s almost out of time.” Turns out, he wasn’t my biological son. His biannual “overseas assignments” were actually trips to spend time with his real father. And my wife’s annual “sister trips” were, in fact, rendezvous with her lover. They used my money to support another man, and after my death, they begrudged me even a burial plot. The pain was unbearable. When I opened my eyes again, I heard shouts: “Someone fell into the water! Quick, save them!” In my previous life, Jane Evans had, in a fit of pique with David Carter, jumped into the river. At the brink of death, David hesitated. As the son of the Evans family’s housekeeper, I risked my own safety to save Jane and ended up permanently disabled. In gratitude, she became my wife. Reborn, I pushed David Carter forward. This life, I’ll make sure you two get your happy ending. … David Carter, shoved forward by me, his eyes flashed with momentary anger, but he suppressed it, aware of the onlookers. “Mr. Carter, where are you going? Ms. Evans is in the water! Aren’t you going to save her?” Seeing everyone’s gaze fixed on him, I unhesitatingly turned to leave. But he blocked my path again. David stared at me coldly: “Arthur Hayes, you’re her family’s servant. You owe the Evans family a great debt. Now is the time to repay it! Get down there and save her! If anything happens to Jane, the Evans family will never let you go!” In my previous life, David was also present, but my eagerness to save Jane, and his cowardice, gave me the opportunity. I suppressed a cold sneer, feigning difficulty: “Mr. Carter, I was actually looking for you. I can’t swim. You, on the other hand, are the swim team captain. This chance for a heroic rescue should naturally go to you.” Only then did the crowd react. “Oh, it’s Mr. Carter! I heard the Carter and Evans families had an arranged marriage since childhood. Hurry and save her!” “I heard Ms. Evans and Mr. Carter were even a campus celebrity couple in college! Perfect for a heroic rescue!” Whispers rose and fell, and David was caught between a rock and a hard place. I tried to slip away amidst the confusion, but then Jane Evans’s cry for help came from behind me: “Arthur, save me! I know you like me! If you save me, I’ll marry you, okay?!” The crowd’s gaze shifted to me again. David’s eyes were shadowed with malice: “Ha, you’re not actually taking her seriously, are you? Jane’s just arguing with me. But since your young mistress has spoken, aren’t you going to save her?” I turned to look at the woman in the river. That face I had loved for decades, now smooth and youthful, free of wrinkles. But my heart, at the sight of her, was brutally torn. She knew I couldn’t swim, yet she wouldn’t let her lover risk himself. I suppressed the bitterness and feigned difficulty: “Ms. Evans, I can’t swim.” She almost eagerly replied: “Arthur, trust me, emergency services will be here soon. You’ll be fine.” I froze. Her eyes darted away: “I… I’m just guessing.” I instantly understood—she had been reborn too. After two lifetimes, she still wouldn’t let me go! Fury almost consumed my reason. I clenched my fists, feigning reluctance: “Ms. Evans, Mr. Carter is your childhood sweetheart. It wouldn’t be right for me to steal his thunder. Besides, how could I dare like you? You’ve misunderstood.” As the words fell, the scene went silent. Jane Evans almost forgot to struggle, standing stunned in the water. Was it my imagination, or was there a hint of panic in her eyes, besides shock? I turned sharply and left the scene. In my previous life, when Jane fell into the water, I plunged in to save her. A piece of wire scraped my leg. By the time I was rescued, the wound was bone-deep. Even with the doctors’ best efforts, they couldn’t save my right leg. I became a cripple. Jane, in gratitude, became my girlfriend. Two years later, we married. A year into our marriage, our son was born, intelligent and adorable. As our son grew, my responsibilities weighed heavier. Due to my disability, I endured countless stares and cold shoulders. For my wife and son, I worked three jobs a day, starting as a concrete worker, gradually becoming a contractor, and eventually founding a construction company. I never wanted Jane to suffer. I bought her the biggest house, the latest designer bags, and transferred all my company’s earnings to her immediately. Just because she said “pink diamonds are so beautiful,” I traveled across Africa, selected the largest pink diamond, and personally crafted a unique ring for her. On my return journey, I encountered armed robbers. To protect the ring, I nearly lost my life. When my son grew up, I sent him to the most expensive schools, to tutoring classes that cost two thousand an hour. Rain or shine, I personally drove him everywhere. I nurtured him into a celebrated medical expert overseas. When he married, I gave him a hundred million dollars as starting capital for their new home, and two villas valued at two hundred million. A few years later, he had a child, and I began taking care of my grandchild. I did all the chores, big and small, at home. I never let Jane touch housework; I wanted her to always be beautiful and radiant. And out of trust, I entrusted all our savings, bonds, stock funds, and jewelry to her keeping. I dedicated myself to this family, but due to overwork, I collapsed in my office at sixty years old. At my bedside, I was barely clinging to life. My grandson sweetly called “Grandpa” by my hand. My son held my hand, eyes red-rimmed, while Jane turned away, unable to look at me. Surrounded by my children and grandchildren, my marriage harmonious, I lived out my sixty years in happiness. Perhaps my soul lingered too long in the human world. After my death, my soul stayed, unable to pass on. And because of this, I saw that the moment I drew my last breath, my wife turned away, her face utterly expressionless. My son casually wiped away a tear, then nonchalantly told the nurse: “Pull the tubes. Free up the room for others.” My grandson clung to my son: “Daddy, was my acting good? Daddy promised me a reward, don’t go back on your word.” I was stunned. My body was quickly bagged and sent to the funeral home. My wife didn’t notify any of my friends or relatives. She simply posted a brief message on social media: “Old Arthur passed away this morning. He wanted everything kept simple. I hope everyone won’t be too sad.” My son even went back to work on the very day I died. Under the firelight, I watched my body slowly turn to dust, scattering into the air. And the woman waiting in the lobby was buried in her phone, texting, as if the burning inferno behind her had nothing to do with her. “David, he’s dead. I only have you now.” My soul floated before her, watching her flirt and confide in another man. Later, my urn was taken home by her. My son urged: “Mom, hurry and book the burial plot. Dad’s almost out of time. Do you really want to be buried with this man?” Turns out, the son I cherished wasn’t my biological child at all. His annual “official assignments” were just excuses to see his real father. And the travel photos Jane posted on social media all those years were just quick snapshots she took to show me after being intimate with another man. I saw them standing by David Carter’s hospital bed, Jane weeping inconsolably: “David, you’ll get better.” My ashes were still tossed in the storage room, and they were already preparing for another man’s funeral. The day David died, Jane Evans stood before his newly purchased grave, her face mournful: “I owe David so much in this life. After I die, I want to be buried with him.” My son nodded, choking back tears: “Mom, don’t worry. You’ll definitely be with Dad.” Sixty years of my life felt like a cruel joke. The pain was unbearable. Full of resentment, I lunged at the mother and son, but my body became lighter and lighter. When I opened my eyes again, I was here. Heaven had given me another chance. This life, I decided to live for myself! After returning home, I immediately found Mom and told her I wanted to leave the Evans family. Mom looked troubled: “The Evans family has been very good to us. We can’t forget our roots.” I pleaded patiently: “Mom, do you really want to see your son serve as a servant his whole life? Besides, after all these years, we’ve repaid their kindness.” Mom still hesitated: “But, don’t you like Ms. Evans?” All these years, she had witnessed my devotion to Jane, so she naturally knew my feelings. I shook my head bitterly: “Mom, you misunderstood. I don’t like her.” Before my words finished, a soaking wet Jane Evans rushed over, slapping me hard across the face. When she moved to strike again, I caught her wrist and fiercely flung it away. She gritted her teeth: “You dare resist?! Arthur Hayes! Why didn’t you save me?” I took a step back, my face calm: “I can’t swim.” Jane Evans frowned: “Didn’t you say you’d die for me?!” She remembered the vows I’d made in front of her all those years ago, yet she had completely forgotten how she betrayed me. I laughed: “Ms. Evans, how could you take a servant’s teasing words seriously?” Jane Evans froze, her eyes flashing with shock and disbelief. Indeed, the old me wouldn’t have dared to utter a harsh word in front of her. I started to pull Mom away. She suddenly called out to me. “Stop! It’s all your fault David got hurt! If he ends up a cripple, I won’t let you go! Go to the hospital and apologize to the Carter family right now!” Looking at her furious eyes, my heart was desolate. Ten years of unrequited love, forty years of marriage. I loved her to my very bones, never wanting her to suffer. My conscience was clear, yet in her heart, I was merely David’s scapegoat. Not to mention, in my previous life. David, relying on his connections and influence, made me act like a dog and eat dog food, pushed me down a mountain, made me lick their shoes… The Carter family always doted on their only son. Now, asking me to apologize to them was nothing short of sending me to my death. I wanted to drag Mom and escape. But Jane Evans called for people to pin me to the ground. Mom frantically kowtowed: “Ms. Evans, for Arthur’s sake, as he once saved you, please spare his life! I’m begging you!” Jane Evans merely turned her head: “Arthur Hayes, if you don’t want anything to happen to your mother, come with me quietly.” I almost ground my teeth: “Alright, I’ll go with you.” She caught the suppressed hatred in my eyes, and she froze for a moment. Then, she suddenly ripped the good luck charm from my neck. As if in a fit of pique: “It’s useless for someone like you! A worthless life. It’s better for David to use it!” My eyes burned with rage: “Jane Evans, that’s something my father left for me! Give it back!” How could she not know? In my previous life, on the day she gave birth, I carefully tied this amulet around her neck. I told her: “Jane, the year I was born, a Daoist priest said I would face a tribulation. My father crawled three thousand steps to get this amulet for me, telling me it must never leave my side. Now I give it to you, hoping for safe delivery for you and the baby.” But after my death, she burned it along with all my belongings. Hearing this, Jane Evans paused, then, the next second, walked away quickly. … I was thrown onto the hospital corridor floor. Jane Evans whispered in my ear: “Just apologize properly, get the Carter family to forgive you. I can still let you work for the Evans family.” With that, the hospital room door opened, and David’s parents walked out, their faces grim. “You’re that servant?” Mrs. Carter rushed over, kicking me to the ground. “It’s all because of you! My son will be a cripple for the rest of his life! You, a worthless life, what right did you have to make my son save someone?” Several men rushed over, kicking and punching me. I felt as if all my limbs were splitting open with pain. “Enough.” Jane Evans walked over, seemingly unable to bear the sight of my wounds. “Go apologize to David Carter.” Blood streamed from my forehead, my vision a crimson blur. Her icy gaze softened slightly, and she instinctively reached out to wipe away the blood. I dodged, staggering to my feet. “If I apologize, will you let my mother go?” Jane Evans clenched her fist: “As long as David forgives you, I promise your mother will be fine.” I nodded and walked into the hospital room. The people outside immediately locked the door from the outside. An hour later, I walked out again. The moment Jane Evans saw me, her eyes widened: “Arthur! You!” “Mr. Carter has vented his anger. You can let my mom go now.” With that, I collapsed to the ground. My body had multiple bone-deep wounds. My forehead, limbs, torso—almost no undamaged skin. The nurse who came to bandage me couldn’t bear to look. Jane Evans placed a thermos in front of me: “I heard you had a fever before you came. Eat something. I made this chicken soup myself.” How ridiculous. In my previous life, I doted on her so much that I would even remove the seeds from watermelon before feeding it to her. This life, because of David, she actually cooked for me. I turned my head away: “Ms. Evans, you’ve vented your anger. Can I leave now?” Her face instantly changed. She slammed the thermos to the ground. “Arthur Hayes, what kind of tone is that? If you hadn’t abandoned me, David wouldn’t have had to go into the water to save me, and he wouldn’t have been hurt! Don’t you like me? Why did you stand by and watch me die?!” My tone was nonchalant: “How could a lowly servant like me be worthy of liking you? Ms. Evans must have misunderstood.” Seeing my calm expression, Jane Evans felt an inexplicable panic in her heart, as if something was slipping away. She feigned composure, a mocking smile on her face. “Everyone in River City knows you’re my lapdog, Arthur Hayes. Let me tell you straight, I love David. If I hadn’t been angry with him, you wouldn’t even have had the chance to save me!” I wasn’t angry. I just nodded: “Then I wish Ms. Evans and Mr. Carter happiness and many children! Besides, my amulet has already been broken by Mr. Carter. I probably won’t live much longer. You won’t have to worry about me bothering you anymore.” Jane Evans sprang to her feet, her face pale. “How could that be? I just… I just lent it to him to wear. I didn’t think he’d break it.” “It doesn’t matter,” I said calmly, looking at her. “Consider this life repaid to the Evans family.” She stood up frantically. The fear of losing something made her unable to look me in the eye. She could only suppress the anxiety in her heart, sneering: “So what? You’re just a dog of our Evans family. We feed and clothe you and your mother. What part of you doesn’t belong to the Evans family? Even your life belongs to me!” Just then, a nurse’s voice came from outside the door: “Ms. Evans, Mr. Carter says his wound hurts. He wants you to come check on him.” Jane Evans glanced at me nervously. But she saw I was only looking down. My eyes, once full of love, were now cold. That panicked feeling surged again. But then, she remembered how, in her previous life, no matter how she treated me, I loved her without complaint. It was well known that I, Arthur Hayes, was her devoted follower. If she gave me even a little affection, I would willingly give her my leg, even my life. She relaxed: “I’ll go see David. You rest well. I’ll come visit you. Don’t be difficult.” I was kept under watch, only occasionally hearing the nurses gossip. Jane Evans washed David Carter’s feet. Jane Evans went to pray for an amulet for David, kneeling until her knees were raw. Jane Evans personally made breakfast for David every day… All the things I had done for her in the past, she was now doing for David, one by one. I climbed out of bed, vaguely hearing them mention patellar graft surgery. Turns out, Jane Evans was keeping me captive because she wanted to use my patella to save David. Sure enough, that night, Jane Evans came to my room. She was unusually attentive and enthusiastic, even offering to examine my wounds and apply medicine. I coldly pushed her away: “Ms. Evans, is there something you need?” My coldness made her slightly flustered. But she still shook her head. After all, in my previous life, I loved her so much. Besides, it was just one leg. “Arthur, I promise you, the Evans family will take care of you for life. Don’t you like me? I can be your girlfriend, as long as you graft your patella to David Carter.” I laughed through tears. “Jane Evans, have you ever considered how difficult life would be if I became crippled?” She was indifferent: “David is so outstanding; he can’t be disabled. Besides… it’s just one leg, isn’t it? You love me so much, are you unwilling to make even this small sacrifice?” I looked at her, feeling as if decades had passed in an instant, leaving only disgust. All the cold stares I endured in my previous life due to my limp—she had never felt a hint of heartache over them. After a long pause, I nodded: “Alright, but first, I need to see my mother.” Jane Evans happily lunged into my arms: “Arthur, I know you love me most.” … The surgery was scheduled for a week later. Jane Evans called me every day, urging me to prepare. During this time, I visited the hospital once to get medicine for Mom, and inadvertently ran into Jane Evans, who was there with David for his surgery rehab. David took a grape from Jane’s hand, asking, “Aren’t you afraid he’ll run?” Jane Evans chuckled, “Don’t worry. His heart is mine; how could he run? It’s just one leg. Even if I asked him to give his life for you, he wouldn’t refuse.” David scoffed, “You wouldn’t actually agree to be his girlfriend, would you? That kind of lowlife, don’t you find him disgusting?” Jane Evans paused, as if making up her mind. “David, you’re the only one I love. I never want to be apart from you again. He and I are just putting on a show.” “Don’t worry, he’s so obedient, he’ll give you his patella willingly.” I lowered my eyes and chuckled. My heart no longer stirred. My phone suddenly received a message: “Boss Hayes, your flight is booked. Take a look.” … In a flash, the week was over. Early that morning, Jane Evans called me in a rush. “Arthur, why aren’t you here yet? The surgery’s about to start! If you’re late and delay the surgery, I won’t forgive you.” Even now, she was confident I would undergo this surgery. I looked at the plane about to take off and chuckled, “Sorry, Jane Evans. This life, you’ll probably still have to marry a cripple.” The line went suddenly silent. The next second, Jane Evans’s hysterical scream came through. “Arthur, did you… did you get reborn too…?” Before she could finish, I hung up. The plane lifted its nose, soaring into the clouds. She didn’t know that in this past week, I had used my memories from my previous life to pave my escape route. This thing called love, I’d tasted it before. It wasn’t good. I didn’t want it anymore. I covered Mom with a blanket beside me, my gaze fixed on the blue sky. This life, I would live for myself.

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At the club, as I negotiated a business deal with a client, my wife burst in, accompanied by her male assistant, demanding our private room. She was clearly intoxicated, leaning on the assistant, their gestures oozing intimacy. But before I could even question her, she accused me of stalking her, claiming the assistant was merely a subordinate, and berating me for being petty and misunderstanding them. My client tried to defend me, only to be cursed at by her and the assistant, nearly ruining a lucrative deal. I said no more, immediately proposing a divorce. That’s when my wife’s entire family panicked.

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Chad, the hottest guy in school, had snared Olivia, the heiress to the Calloway fortune. He’d plastered their engagement announcement all over the school group chat, but made a point of explicitly banning me from the celebration. “Tomorrow, at the engagement party, I’ll be formally introduced to Olivia’s Grand-Uncle. So, anyone with ill intentions should just stay home, save themselves the envy.” The words felt like a match dropped into a pool of gasoline. My blood boiled. A while back, someone had snapped a pic of me kissing Olivia’s forehead, calling her “sweetheart.” Chad twisted it, labeled me a homewrecker, and led a two-year bullying campaign against me. I clenched my jaw, typing back: “Even if you invited me, I’d be tied up. One of my own juniors is getting engaged, and I need to be there to give my blessing.” The next day, I was at the party, digging into a plate, when they swarmed me, beating me senseless. “You got a death wish? Crashing an engagement party to steal the bride?” They brutally murdered Muffin, my beloved cat, then shattered my hands. What followed was a torment of unspeakable degradation, as they bound me and shoved me into a dog cage. Later, Dustin knelt for hours, holding the traditional blessing tea, until his knees gave out. But the Patriarch’s seat remained conspicuously empty. He stubbornly refused to get up, sobbing and begging for the Patriarch to appear and accept his offering. Oh, sorry. My hands are broken. This tea, I won’t be drinking. … Outside, Olivia Calloway was a formidable heiress, cool and commanding. But here, kneeling before me, she was a docile kitten. “My fiancé, Dustin, is truly dutiful and respectful. I’ve brought him today for you to meet, Grand-Uncle, so he can pay his respects. Once he officially joins the Calloway family, he and I will honor you together.” Dutiful and respectful? The image of Dustin’s ugly face in the group chat flashed in my mind, and I couldn’t help but frown. Mr. Calloway, Olivia’s grandfather, his hair streaked with grey, mistook my expression for displeasure at his presumption. He immediately dropped to his knees, frantic. “While the younger generation is quite pleased with the prospective groom, if you, Uncle Ethan, don’t give your blessing, he won’t be worthy of joining the Calloway name.” The Calloway dynasty, a multi-generational legacy, upheld strict traditions. Though young, I held the highest lineage, automatically overseeing all family resources and power. Outside, Mr. Calloway was a revered figure, but within these walls, he knelt to me, never daring to overstep. I gave a cold smile, gesturing for him to rise. “It’s fine. Proceed as planned.” He wouldn’t let me attend the engagement party? I was curious to see how Dustin would walk through the Calloway gates. After everyone respectfully withdrew, my phone pinged with a message. The contact name read: “Victoria Vance, The Iron Lady.” “Handsome, when are we going public? If you don’t give me a title soon, I might just have to crash the party myself.” The Big Four families governed the East Coast elite, and Victoria Vance was the formidable President overseeing all of them, including the Calloways. She was known as the ‘Ice Queen’ to most, feared by all, but when she teased, she was nauseatingly sweet. I couldn’t resist. “Then come on over.” It wasn’t until I’d finished up that my stomach rumbled. I scooped up Muffin and wandered through the mansion. The banquet was set in the side hall, with servants already arranging the engagement gifts. The evening reception hadn’t begun, guests hadn’t arrived, and everyone was busy in the side hall. When I reached the main dining room, I noticed it was well past lunchtime, yet the dishes hadn’t been cleared. Then I remembered – no one dared touch the food before me. I sat down and began to feast. I’d barely had two bites when a sharp blow landed on the back of my head, nearly sending me face-first into my bowl. A man’s shrill, angry voice exploded in my ear simultaneously: “You filthy freeloader! Grandpa hasn’t even touched his chopsticks, and you dare to steal food?” I clutched my throbbing head and looked up, meeting Dustin’s eyes. He wore a custom-tailored suit I had picked out, looking like a gentleman, but his eyes held nothing but contempt for me. “Ethan Calloway, are you that desperate? I told you not to come, and you still brazenly snuck in to freeload?” His three cronies, seeing me, were equally scornful. “Do you even know where you are? The Calloway mansion! You’re a country bumpkin, what makes you think you belong here?” “Look at him, dressed like a… a kept boy. He’s definitely here to seduce Ms. Calloway and ruin the engagement!” “Exactly! This lowlife even dared to call Ms. Calloway ‘sweetheart’! Ms. Calloway is the Calloway Patriarch’s most valued future leader, and you’re nothing!” I gritted my teeth, retorting, “Me calling her ‘sweetheart’ was an honor. She must have woken up laughing every night.” To gain my approval, Olivia had gone to great lengths to win me over. Once, pleased with her efforts, I’d kissed her forehead. She’d been so thrilled she posted it online to show off, which Dustin then twisted into me seducing her, triggering two years of relentless bullying. They’d put thumbtacks in my sneakers, slipped explicit cards into my desk, and glued my chair with superglue. They even spread vicious rumors online that I was seducing forty or fifty-year-old female teachers and doing unspeakable things for money. For two years, my reputation at school was in tatters. I called the police repeatedly, but the school always let him off with a simple apology. I never imagined he’d escalate to assaulting me in my own home. “I am Olivia Calloway’s Grand-…” My words were cut short as Dustin grabbed the soup pot from my table and emptied it over my head. “Ah!” Scalding liquid streamed down, my scalp instantly sizzling with pain, making me shake violently. Before I could react, Dustin seized my hair and slammed my head onto the table. Thud, thud, thud. My face bounced repeatedly off the hard surface. The metallic tang of blood filled my mouth, mixing with the desperate, gurgling cries clawing their way from my throat. Dustin laughed, a harsh, triumphant sound. “Hahaha, look at this scumbag! You must scream just as loud when you’re servicing those old ladies, huh?” His rage flared. He ordered the three others to hold me down. “Since you dared to steal food, we’ll just break your hands.” “Dustin, you wouldn’t dare!” I screamed in alarm. No sooner had the words left my lips than he picked up the soup pot and slammed it down on my hands. Thump, thump, thump. Excruciating pain shot through my fingers, but I was held immobile. I watched in horror as my perfectly good fingers were crushed and twisted at grotesque angles. Just then, Muffin, who had been bristling, arched her back and lunged at Dustin, scratching his hand in a flash. “Ah! You damn animal!” Dustin shrieked, kicking Muffin hard, sending her flying across the room. “Muffin!” Taking advantage of their momentary shock, I gritted through the agony and broke free, shielding Muffin with my body. “Don’t you dare touch my cat. Olivia will never forgive you if she finds out.” Muffin was a gift from my grandmother, her significance beyond measure. The previous head of the family had accidentally stepped on Muffin once; I merely frowned, and he was expelled from the Family Council for disrespecting an elder, now reduced to begging for scraps. Olivia, keen to earn my approval, had seized the opportunity, taking care of Muffin, even scooping up her droppings with her bare hands when the cat had an upset stomach. That’s how she earned my trust. “He’s right. I’ve seen the Calloway family’s pet cat in the news several times. It looks exactly like this one.” One of the cronies realized the gravity of the situation. But Dustin, hearing this, became even more enraged. “A pathetic loser like you dares to threaten me?” “There are plenty of animals that look alike. Your cat is as low-class as you are.” “Even if it is the Calloway family’s cat, Olivia wouldn’t blame me over a damn animal, would she?” A cold sneer twisted his lips as he exchanged glances with the others. “Kill this animal. I’ll take full responsibility.” Amidst their wild laughter, I was stomped on again by several feet, my face contorted from the blows. I watched in despair as Dustin raised his foot, ending Muffin’s life in a single stomp. “No!” My desperate cry was met with Dustin’s sinister grin. “The small runt’s taken care of. Now for the big one.” Without another word, Dustin uncoiled his belt and began lashing at my face, counting cruelly as he struck. “One hit, two hits, three hits… Hahaha, look at him, his face is swollen like a pig’s head.” “Let’s give him a ‘pretty boy’ makeover!” one of the cronies cackled, and then several more slaps rained down on my face. My lips were split and swollen, numb to the point where I couldn’t feel them anymore. My teeth, mixed with blood, came loose. The pain echoed in my skull, a buzzing void that made their words indistinct. With tremendous effort, I pulled at my sausage-like lips, forcing out a final, raw whisper. “I am Olivia Calloway’s Grand-Uncle. If you do this to me, the Calloway family will not let you walk out that door alive.” Dustin roared with laughter. “You’re named Calloway, so you’re the family Patriarch? Then I’m the Calloway family’s ancient ancestor! I’m gonna shut your rat mouth for good!” “Who’s making that racket?” Everyone spun around. The newcomer wore the Calloway butler’s uniform, an imposing figure. Hope surged within me. “Mr. Hayes, it’s me! It’s Ethan Calloway!” The cronies looked uncertain, releasing their grip on me. “Could he really be the Calloway Patriarch?” The butler eyed me from head to toe, then let out a dismissive scoff. “Who’s this filthy beggar? I don’t know him.” “Don’t be ridiculous. The Patriarch is at least eighty or ninety years old. You really believe this brat, who’s barely old enough to shave, when he claims to be him?” Normally, only core family members were allowed to see me. How could this new, low-ranking butler possibly know me? My heart plummeted. My last sliver of hope shattered. Dustin, his face full of disdain, spat a thick wad of phlegm onto my face, then gave the butler a thumbs-up. “Still, my dad’s smart.” Complete despair washed over me. No wonder Dustin was so arrogant – he was riding on the coattails of the new butler. A furious rage ignited in my gut, and my eyes burned red as I glared at him. “You let strangers into the Calloway mansion without the owner’s permission. You have a lot of nerve.” Slap! Dustin’s hand cracked across my face, dislodging more teeth. “I am the future owner of the Calloway family! I come and go as I please.” “Shut your filthy mouth, you’re deafening.” The group collectively bound me, and Dustin wrapped my mouth with layers of duct tape. I was helpless, my head forced towards their crotches, occasionally bumped and shoved, as they guffawed. When they’d had their fill, Dustin noticed my phone lying on the floor. He picked it up and unlocked it with my fingerprint. When he scrolled to the photo album, his eyes widened, then he exploded in fury. “You’re really delusional, aren’t you? You dared to secretly Photoshop photos of you and Olivia! I don’t even have photos that intimate with Olivia, and you’re this desperate for a woman?” “Oh, look! The Calloway family’s official group photo! You even dared to Photoshop yourself right in the center! Living out your rich-boy fantasies, huh?” “Who knows how many perverted things you’ve Photoshopped behind everyone’s backs? We need to teach this creep a lesson.” The others exchanged glances, huddled together, whispering and chuckling. At that moment, I was like meat on a chopping block, utterly at their mercy. They rushed forward and ripped my pants off. Meanwhile, Mr. Hayes stood by the door, nonchalantly blowing smoke rings, acting as their lookout. I was lifted upside down, humiliated. Dustin scanned the food on the table, a cruel smile twisting his lips as he scooped up a spoonful of something from a bowl. “Let Big Bro here perform a little… procedure for you.” “Ah!” A burning sensation erupted between my legs, spreading like wildfire through my entire body, making me convulse uncontrollably. “Ooh, he must be loving this!” “Don’t get him addicted, he’ll be asking us to do this every day!” “Well, what can we do? Gotta satisfy him!” Mr. Hayes, who’d been watching with sick amusement, flicked his cigarette and pressed the glowing tip onto a sensitive spot. My body, already limp with exhaustion, convulsed again from the fresh agony, and three seconds later, my head fell heavily. Dustin, meanwhile, gleefully snapped photos with my phone, then uploaded them to all my family group chats and social media feeds. Every single one. The caption read: “I’m a desperate little male dog in heat, begging my owner to come and give me some love. The older, the better.” A group of people scrambled to see the photos, asking Dustin to send them. Powerless, I shed my last tears of dignity. Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, I’m so sorry. I’ve brought shame to the Calloway name. “You’re so eager to sell yourself, everyone will see your photos and come to you for business. You’ll get rich, no need to thank me!” Dustin laughed, doubling over, quite pleased with his masterpiece. His lackeys even started singing a crude song. My hands were tied behind my back, and I lay prone on the ground. I seized the opportunity, kicking Dustin’s calf. He lost his balance, falling backward with a loud thud as his head hit the floor. Dustin shrieked in pain, clutching the back of his head. “You dare kick me? I could kill you today, and no one would care!” He struggled to his feet, picking up a dining fork and lunging for my carotid artery. Just as the tines pricked my skin, drawing a bead of blood, Mr. Hayes frantically shouted to Dustin. “Trouble! Ms. Calloway is here! She says she’s looking for the Patriarch!” They had no idea the Patriarch they sought was being tortured by them, still dreaming of marrying into the Calloway fortune. “Quick, clean up! We can’t ruin your ‘dutiful’ image in front of them! If the Patriarch gets upset, our dream of joining the family will be shattered!” Dustin snapped back to reality, dropping the fork, nodding furiously. “Right, right! Getting the Patriarch’s approval is crucial. We can deal with him later.” The butler pointed to the backyard. “There’s a dog kennel in the shed out back. Put him in there.” I was dragged to the backyard, while the others frantically cleaned up the scene. Muffin’s lifeless body was tossed into the trash. Olivia entered, holding a bag of cat treats. When she saw Dustin, she seemed surprised. “What are you doing here? I wasn’t supposed to pick you up yet?” Dustin inclined his head slightly, his eyes full of feigned affection. “I just missed you, darling. Couldn’t wait to see you and the Patriarch.” Olivia fell for it every time. She playfully tapped his nose. “Oh, you. Always so thoughtful.” She glanced around, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. “Why isn’t the Patriarch here yet?” Dustin, eager to impress, grabbed a cup of tea and knelt before the main seat. “I’ll just wait here. The moment the Patriarch arrives, he can accept my tea.” Everyone waited respectfully. As dusk fell, the crowd grew anxious. Dustin’s forehead was slick with sweat, his legs trembling from prolonged kneeling. But the Patriarch’s seat remained stubbornly empty. A servant rushed in, breathless. “We’ve searched the entire mansion! The Patriarch is nowhere to be found! Could he be… missing?” Marcus Calloway, Olivia’s father, was drenched in sweat. “Search! Turn this place upside down if you have to! We must find the Patriarch!” “Without him, my daughter’s engagement party can’t continue, and the family head position will be jeopardized!” Everyone was like ants on a hot skillet. Olivia, seeing Dustin’s distress, quickly went to help him up. “Maybe you should get up for a bit.” Dustin’s eyes were red-rimmed, but he stubbornly shook his head. “Is there something I’ve done wrong? Has Grand-Uncle disapproved? Then I’ll stay here on my knees, begging for his forgiveness.” Olivia sighed. As she lifted her hand, she noticed it was covered in white fur. Her face drained of color. She’d cared for Muffin for so long; she recognized that fur instantly. Her gaze snapped to the remaining bloodstains on the floor, following them to the trash can. She flipped it over like a madwoman. A headless cat’s body tumbled out. Olivia’s shoulders trembled uncontrollably, her face contorted in horror as she cradled Muffin. “What the hell is this?” Dustin had never seen Olivia so distraught. He looked bewildered. “What’s wrong, darling?” The next second, Olivia buried her face in Muffin’s lifeless body, sobbing as if her own parents had died. Dustin’s expression turned to panic. He shakily stood up. “It’s just an animal. Why are you so worked up?” Olivia’s head snapped up, two lines of tears streaking her face, her eyes wide with terror. “An animal? This was more important than my own life!” Her furious roar made Dustin flinch. His eyes darted around, completely flustered. He couldn’t grasp why this cat held such importance for Olivia, so he instinctively blamed me. “It was my classmate!” Dustin dropped to his knees with a thud, his voice choked with tears. “I’m so sorry! It was my unsophisticated classmate, he didn’t know any better and hurt it!” Olivia’s fists clenched, her teeth grinding audibly. “Where is he? I’ll kill him with my own hands!” Dustin, oblivious to his impending doom, only heard Olivia say she’d kill me. A look of perverse joy spread across his face as he pointed to the backyard. “He’s locked in the shed out back! I’ll bring him in right now!”

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1 My fiancée always had an excellent memory, almost photographic, but when I proposed, she forgot to extend her hand for the diamond ring. When we went to get our marriage license, she forgot her ID. On our wedding day, she didn’t even show up. She was busy saving her childhood sweetheart’s wedding in the venue next door. This scene caused my mom to have a heart attack on the spot. I begged my fiancée to come to her bedside to explain, but she gently held the hand of her childhood sweetheart’s mother, called her “Mom,” and then claimed I was a persistent stalker. Later, I arranged my mother’s funeral alone and applied for an overseas assignment. When I got home to pack my bags, my fiancée, Scarlett, who had just returned from her honeymoon with her childhood sweetheart, Ethan, looked content and asked with a smile: “John, is your mother feeling better? We can pick another good day to have our wedding and make her happy.” She didn’t know that ever since my mom passed away, it was already over between us. I was folding winter clothes one by one into my suitcase. Suddenly, the front door was pushed open, and someone tiptoed in. A pair of cold hands covered my eyes from behind. “Guess who I am?” she asked playfully, intentionally lowering her voice, just like she used to tease me every time I returned from a business trip. In the past, I would have smiled and said, “Of course, my dearest darling,” and then tenderly warmed her hands. But now, only cold indifference remained in my heart; I had no mood to play along. I pulled her hands away directly and continued folding clothes. Scarlett paused, her fingers tightening slightly, then she cooed, “John, what’s wrong? Isn’t a month of silent treatment enough? Last time you suddenly burst into the wedding, it made everyone so awkward; I had to explain for ages.” I sneered. A month ago, I became the laughingstock in everyone’s eyes. My bride married someone else in front of everyone. My mom had a heart attack because of it, and I was disgracefully chased out of the venue by Scarlett, like a beggar. Until the day my mother was buried, the townsfolk were still pointing fingers at me, full of sarcasm: “That’s him, the guy whose wife ran off with someone on his wedding day? And he was supposed to be a straight-A student, thirty years old and can’t even find a partner!” “How embarrassing. I heard his mom’s passing was hastened by the stress. If I had a son like that, I’d just want to disappear!” That damp, oppressive feeling from the funeral surged back into my heart. Coming back to my senses, I calmly said: “It’s not silent treatment…” We’re breaking up. Before I could finish, Scarlett dragged out an “oh” sound and said with a smile, “Not silent treatment, you’re just mad at me, right? Alright, didn’t I send you a message explaining? Ethan’s fiancée ran off, and our families are old friends; helping out wouldn’t cost us a limb.” She flopped onto the sofa, picked up a black and gray sweater casually, and while folding it, she frowned and muttered, “This sweater is so ugly, why don’t we just throw it away!” I didn’t speak, just stared at the shining diamond ring on her ring finger, realizing only then what the cold touch that had covered my eyes was. Scarlett followed my gaze, quickly pulled off the ring and stuffed it into her pocket, sticking out her tongue and laughing, “We have to play the part fully, you know; I forgot to take it off. John, you big jealous baby, aren’t you mad again?” Actually, I wasn’t angry at all. I just suddenly remembered that when I proposed to her, kneeling on one knee and pulling out the custom-designed diamond ring, she didn’t extend her hand. She said she didn’t like the feeling of being restrained by a ring and would wear it during the ring exchange at the wedding. But in the end, she first wore the ring Ethan gave her, and couldn’t even bear to take it off. Angry? Never again. For the past month, I had masochistically watched news reports of Scarlett and Ethan on their honeymoon, traveling the world, and my heart had long gone numb. I looked away, not answering, just taking the sweater back from her hand and saying flatly, “This is a wool sweater my mom knitted for me herself.” Scarlett’s hand froze in mid-air. She looked somewhat displeased, pursed her lips, but still suppressed her anger and said gently, “Oh, by the way, how’s your mom? She should be much better after a month of rest, right?” She added with a smile, “Actually, I always felt our wedding venue was too small and simple. Let’s take this opportunity to pick a new date and have a luxurious wedding, that’ll make your mom happy!” I knew Scarlett was in a good mood today and had given me many chances to back down. If I didn’t take them, she would definitely blow up. But she forgot, on the day we were supposed to get our marriage license, she claimed she forgot her ID and went to the Registrar’s Office, but then turned around and accompanied Ethan, whose fiancée had absconded, to try on wedding dresses. We never even got the license, and we didn’t need any wedding. Coming back to my senses, I just gave a desolate laugh: “No need.” After being cold-shouldered by me several times, Scarlett’s face immediately darkened. She was about to speak when her phone suddenly rang. Seeing Ethan’s name on the screen, her brows relaxed, and she said sweetly, “I just got home, why are you calling?” I don’t know what was said on the other end, but she cradled the phone between her neck and shoulder, picked up the camel wool coat from the coat rack, and laughed, “Ethan, you’re annoying! Your girlfriend’s still trying to soothe her boyfriend! This is the last time, alright!” I watched her skillfully put the ring back on, checked her makeup and the hem of her coat in the full-length mirror, and picked up her bag, ready to leave. When her hand was on the doorknob, she seemed to remember my existence. So she hastily turned back, stood on tiptoe, ruffled my hair, and said in a clingy voice, “Alright, John, stop sulking. I bought you a little gift; I’ll bring it to you tonight.” I watched her leave, then turned to the floor-to-ceiling window. Through the glass, I saw a bright yellow sports car parked downstairs, its chassis so low it looked like it was hugging the ground. Ethan was leaning against the car door, a lit cigarette flickering between his fingers. And Scarlett, who was always a clean freak, skillfully took the cigarette from Ethan’s hand, bit the filter, and turned to sit in the passenger seat. I looked away, pulling the curtains shut. Turning, I picked up the overseas assignment application form on my desk, which I had already filled out. 2 Fingering the sharp edge of the application form, I left the house without hesitation and hailed a cab to the company. After a day of packing, it was already evening. I had applied for the overseas assignment in the system two days ago, and it had been approved; now I just needed to submit the paper information for filing. At the company, everyone looked at me and whispered. “Isn’t that the guy from the video who caused a scene at CEO Ma’s wedding? Oh, wasn’t he on bereavement leave a while ago? How dare he show up again?” “I bet he’s here to resign. He’s been working for the company for ten years, and he’s still just a team leader. They say he’s applied for promotion five times and never got approved. What a loser.” These harsh comments, which once made me feel depressed, now left me unfazed. After all, during the time I was arranging my mother’s funeral, I had heard too many similar taunts. I walked straight ahead, knocked on my superior, Mr. Davis’s office door. “Come in.” Mr. Davis looked at the form in my hand, nodded, and said with satisfaction, “John, I didn’t believe you the other day when you said you wanted to go overseas. Before, when I suggested it, you said you wanted to stay with your girlfriend and didn’t want a long-distance relationship. This time you’re quite decisive.” “Tomorrow, people from headquarters will come to inspect the overseas assignment situation. You just need to show up at the company again tomorrow, and then you can leave.” “Speaking of which, we were interns at the same time. You were more capable than me and helped me a lot. Now you’ve finally come to your senses… That’s good.” I lowered my gaze. Yes, perhaps it was bad luck; all my fellow interns became executives, while I remained stagnant. Walking out of the company, I looked back at the skyscraper I had worked in for ten years. For these ten years, Scarlett’s family company grew stronger and stronger, even their branch office building reached new heights. But why did my relationship with Scarlett collapse so spectacularly? My meeting with Scarlett was a classic rich girl meets poor student story. My father passed away early, and my mother raised me alone. At that time, besides classes, I practically squeezed out every minute to work part-time, helping people with tutoring. Until a thug not only owed me tutoring fees but also brought his buddies, wanting me to hand over all my money. I was full of despair; it was Scarlett who came with bodyguards and saved me, pulled me up from the ground, and even offered to treat me to dinner. She said her grades weren’t good, and she was afraid of failing, so she asked me to help her cram for finals. Actually, I knew her grades were excellent; this was just her way of helping me. I was attracted by her kindness and outgoing personality, and we gradually got together. On the day I confessed my feelings, she held my hand and declared to everyone on campus: “This is my smart, handsome boyfriend!” When I graduated, I gave up a government-sponsored overseas scholarship. When I started working, I gave up a high-paying executive job at a major international company. I just wanted to stay with Scarlett, hoping simply to marry her, have children, and grow old together. Everything changed a year ago, on the day Scarlett’s childhood sweetheart, Ethan, returned from overseas. That day, Scarlett left me, sick, for the first time, just to pick up Ethan at the airport. That night, she got completely drunk at the welcome party, lay in Ethan’s arms, whining that she wouldn’t come back with me, crying and asking, “Ethan, why did you take so long to come back!” From then on, I constantly argued with her because of Ethan. I wanted her to have boundaries, but she accused me of being too controlling, not allowing her to have any friends. She even said sarcastically that, considering Ethan and she had known each other since childhood, I was the latecomer. Until two months ago, on the day Ethan sent her a wedding invitation, she, who had refused my 99 marriage proposals, suddenly leaned into my arms and muttered, “John, maybe we should get married too?” Shaking my head, I shook off the memories, my silhouette stretched long in the setting sun, a solitary figure. In this world, I no longer had any family. After a few steps, the sky turned completely dark. I was just about to pull out my phone to call a cab home. Then, I heard a familiar laugh nearby, speaking intimately: “Ethan, put me down quickly, if you drop me, you’re dead!” Turning my head, I saw the entrance of a bustling bar, bathed in neon lights. Ethan was carrying Scarlett in a princess carry and spinning her around. Scarlett’s long arms were tightly wrapped around Ethan, laughing heartily. A crowd had gathered around them, egging them on. “Alright, three more rounds! Go, Ethan, don’t forget to drink an interlocked arms toast with your wife when you stop!” “That’s some serious boyfriend strength! No wonder Princess Scarlett can’t forget our Prince Ethan!” After Ethan stopped, Scarlett, a bit dizzy, jumped down and then, with Ethan, skillfully took the wine glasses handed to them by the people nearby and drank a toast with interlocked arms. Instantly, the cheering around them grew louder, clapping and shouting: “Kiss! Kiss!” Scarlett seemed a bit dazed and didn’t move. Ethan laughed, defending Scarlett: “Alright, you guys. You just got back from your honeymoon and you’re already trying to make up for some post-wedding shenanigans. My wife has been playing along all day, from noon to afternoon; it’s time for everyone to go home!” But the next second, Scarlett grabbed Ethan’s tie, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him directly. Her eyes were open, her gaze clear and tender. The next second, she looked away, slowly released Ethan’s tie, and covered her head, pretending to be drunk: “I want to go home… My head hurts so bad…” I took in Scarlett’s attentiveness, her careful love for Ethan. And I watched as she shakily pulled out her phone and made a call. Then, my phone rang. From several meters away. Scarlett heard the ringtone and, the moment our eyes met, she straightened up. 3 Everyone looked at us, bewildered, as we stared at each other, and asked Scarlett, “Scarlett, who is this?” Scarlett’s eyes flickered, and she mumbled, “He’s our family driver. My mom asked me to go home for dinner with her today.” Ethan’s eyes were full of triumph; he deliberately enunciated each word: “Oh, so he’s the driver. Well, you’d better take good care of your young lady.” If it were the old me, I would have grabbed Ethan by the collar and started a fight. Now, I just felt bored; I didn’t even spare a glance, turning to get into the ride-share I had called earlier. Back home, I hadn’t eaten all afternoon, and my stomach was cramping, so I cooked myself some plain noodles. I had barely taken two bites when I heard the click-clack of high heels outside. The next second, Scarlett kicked the door open. Seeing me eating, she flew into a rage, turning and hitting my back with her purse: “John, why did you just turn and leave earlier? Do you have any idea how much face that made me lose!” What surprised me even more was that Ethan had followed her. He put a concerned arm around Scarlett’s shoulder from behind, saying gently, “Scarlett, how can you hit John? Didn’t I say we should talk nicely?” He turned to me with a smile, masking the triumph in his eyes. “John, please don’t get angry. I just followed along to explain because I was afraid you two would argue, but you also have a point. Scarlett’s a girl; how could you leave her alone on the street?” Another chopstickful of noodles went into my mouth; I answered Scarlett without lifting my head: “Scarlett, with your husband Ethan there, what are you afraid of?” Scarlett’s face turned ashen; she was so angry her chest heaved continuously: “What husband? John, you need to have a limit to your jealousy, alright? Those are just some acquaintances in our circle, and Ethan and I were just putting on a show! Do you think I like drinking? I did it all for you!” I found it absurd. She was clearly enjoying being lovey-dovey with Ethan, and now she’s acting all aggrieved? Looking at Scarlett, I put down my chopsticks and countered, “For me?” Scarlett said matter-of-factly: “For you! Ethan’s family and mine are merging, and my mom only agreed to give me the heir position if I married him! Only then can I be with you, and only then can I transfer you to headquarters as a VP. Isn’t all of this for you and your career!” Ethan subtly frowned, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes, but he superficially agreed: “Scarlett’s right, you don’t know this, do you? To protect you, she deliberately rejected all your promotion applications over the years. She put so much thought into you!” I froze. Suddenly, a chill ran down to the top of my head. So all the cold treatment I received over the years was orchestrated by Scarlett herself. Then what were all those late nights working overtime on proposals, the contracts I signed only after drinking until my stomach bled, the lack of holidays that meant I rarely saw my mother? What did all that count for? I asked Scarlett, “Is that true?” Scarlett didn’t feel guilty at all; instead, she nodded as if seeking praise: “Yes, not only to protect you, but also to temper your will, so you can take on great responsibilities! It’s just a little salary; now that you’re my husband, you’ll have everything you want in the future.” I found it ridiculous. Scarlett always insisted on not making our relationship public. Even for our wedding, she only wanted me to invite my closest relatives and friends, not to make a big deal of it. Practically no one knew about our relationship; her so-called ‘protection’ of me was just an empty excuse. Everything was just to satisfy her controlling desire to belittle and suppress me, making me revolve around her. Now I realized that what I once believed to be sweetness and sincerity was never pure. I shook my head, finally speaking the words in my heart: “Scarlett, let’s break up!” Scarlett’s eyes widened; she looked at me in disbelief. Her lips trembled; she couldn’t even utter a single word. A gleam of joy flashed in Ethan’s eyes, and he quickly reprimanded, “John, you can’t break up with Scarlett just because she’s close with me! Scarlett really loves you; when she was on her honeymoon, the first thing she thought about when she saw unique souvenirs was sending them to you!” With someone backing her up, Scarlett regained her composure and became even angrier, putting her hands on her hips and scoffing, “John, are you getting more and more carried away? Do you think you have me wrapped around your finger? Break up? Do you even have the right to break up with me? For the past ten years, you’ve eaten my food, used my things, I found you your job, what more do you want?” She spoke in a long, unbroken stream, as if she had prepared it in advance. So she was so dissatisfied with me, thinking she was the one who paid the most. If it were the old me, I might have argued with her, debating who had sacrificed more. But now, looking at her in a rage. I suddenly laughed. “Thank you.” Instantly, Scarlett’s anger subsided a lot; she looked confused: “Thank you for what?” My lips were still curled upwards as I calmly said, “Thank you for letting me know that in your heart, I’m just a useless leech.” After speaking, I took the finished dishes and chopsticks into the kitchen, turned on the faucet, and washed them clean. When I came out again, Scarlett was still standing there, motionless. Ethan handed her a glass of honey water, whispering, “Scarlett, drink some honey water to sober up, you used to love it.” For the first time, Scarlett placed the glass absentmindedly on the table. Her face flushed; after a long moment, she softly said to me, “I didn’t mean that…” I ignored her, turned around, picked up my already packed suitcase, and walked out. As I walked out the door, behind me, a glass was violently smashed against the doorframe, breaking into pieces. Sticky honey water splattered all over me. Then, another box was thrown to the ground. Inside, two clay rings spilled out. 4 I looked at the clay rings at my feet, a bit puzzled. Behind me, Scarlett shrieked, full of grievance: “These are the rings I specifically made for you overseas! I was always thinking of you, John! Why are you so inconsiderate, running away from home!” I only found it laughable. I don’t know what she was thinking. The initials of Scarlett and Ethan were engraved on the inside of the rings, clearly their couple’s rings. Yet she had the nerve to say they were specially made for me. My steps no longer faltered; I pulled my suitcase and found a random hotel to rest for the night. Anyway, I was leaving this city tomorrow. The next morning, I finished washing up and went to the company. But I didn’t expect to hear a chorus of praise as soon as I entered the company. “Wow, CEO Scarlett and CEO Ethan, you two are so perfect together! And you’re even wearing matching outfits, you guys are couple goals!” “CEO Scarlett, CEO Ethan, I’m also a fan of your ship! Can you let me take a picture?” I saw Scarlett and Ethan standing hand-in-hand in the center of the company, accepting everyone’s adoration, while Mr. Davis was bowing and smiling apologetically. Turns out they were the so-called “headquarters people.” Seeing me, Mr. Davis introduced, “John, these are CEO Scarlett and VP Ethan from headquarters. They’re here to check on the overseas assignment situation.” Scarlett deliberately turned her head away from me, her previously upturned lips flattening, and she just asked coldly, “Who are the people going on overseas assignment this time?” Mr. Davis found my name and two others, and smiled, “These three.” Instantly, Scarlett’s expression froze, her eyes clouded with dark emotions. Ethan immediately jumped in, his face filled with shock, and he reprimanded, “How are you conducting your work? Don’t you know our company strictly prohibits married employees from overseas assignments! Both the applicant and the approver will be penalized!” Mr. Davis looked bewildered and blurted out, “There are no married people here.” Scarlett’s delicate brows furrowed slightly; she pointed at me, her red lips curving into a cold sneer: “Didn’t this person take marriage leave a while ago?” Mr. Davis honestly replied, “He initially took marriage leave, but I guess he applied for the wrong one. It was later changed to bereavement leave; his mother passed away.” Upon hearing this, Scarlett’s face instantly turned pale, her outstretched finger stiff, looking at me in disbelief. As if realizing something, her eyes flickered, and she quietly asked, “Why didn’t you tell me… about your mother’s passing…” I found it ridiculous. My mother had always cherished Scarlett as a daughter-in-law, saying I was incredibly lucky to marry her, and always looked forward to the day Scarlett would call her “Mom.” But what my mother received was Scarlett marrying someone else and affectionately calling their mother “Mom.” I said calmly, “No need, Ms. Ma. Does headquarters even manage the personal affairs of regular employees?” Scarlett felt something gradually slipping out of control; she gritted her teeth, and her anger flared up: “How is it unnecessary! I’m still her daughter-in-law, after all!” “Whose daughter-in-law are you?” While everyone looked astonished, the company’s main door was pushed open. An elderly woman walked in, the fine lines around her eyes revealing a sharp demeanor. Scarlett’s mother, Ms. Henderson, the chairwoman of Henderson Corp. Everyone reacted, collectively calling out: “Good morning, Chairwoman Henderson!” Chairwoman Henderson nodded; she turned her head and asked Ethan with a smile, “Ethan, I asked you two young spouses to show your faces at the branch offices, but it seems you’ve run into some trouble?” Remembering Scarlett’s earlier statement, everyone present remained silent, not daring to breathe. Ethan’s face turned green, then white, then he forced a smile: “Scarlett’s best friend is John’s wife, and now that John is going overseas, Scarlett just wants to stand up for her friend.” Hearing this, Scarlett bit her lip and remained silent, her head bowed in conflicted thought. Chairwoman Henderson’s brows deepened further; she said sternly, “Is someone daring to violate company policy? I want to see who’s so bold!” I spoke calmly, “Chairwoman Henderson, they’ve misunderstood. I’m not married, and my ex-girlfriend and I broke up peacefully a long time ago.” Chairwoman Henderson raised an eyebrow slightly, looked me up and down, then asked Scarlett, “I’ve seen John’s file; he is indeed unmarried. Are you mistaken? He needs to catch his flight today; don’t delay him.” “Catch his flight?” Scarlett’s pupils suddenly contracted. Turning, she saw my calm expression, and Scarlett’s heart skipped a beat. She suddenly showed a panicked expression and blurted out, “Mom! It’s not a best friend, it’s me! I’m John’s wife! How could I be mistaken? The marriage license date was November 3rd; he must be lying! I personally got the license with him that day!” Everyone present swallowed hard, never expecting to witness such a scene of family drama. Scarlett’s expression relaxed a little, thinking this would stop me from going overseas. But Chairwoman Henderson’s brows deepened further; she looked between me and Scarlett, and after a moment, made her judgment: “What nonsense are you talking about? Even if he’s your ex-boyfriend, your ID has always been safely locked away with me. What would you have used to get a marriage license with him?”

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1 The day the internship results were announced, I scrolled past a post: “How devastating can a ghost of the past truly be?” The top-voted answer, recently published, read: “Let me tell you my story. He had a crush on me in high school. The other day, I ran into him while job hunting.” “Even if my qualifications weren’t the best, he’d make sure I was the one in a million chosen.” Accompanying the text was their high school graduation photo – the girl in a white dress, her slender back exuding quiet innocence; the boy looking earnestly at her, his clean profile strikingly familiar. Just then, my phone vibrated with the notification: internship rejected. A sudden, chilling realization hit me: she was Liam Hollister’s ‘ghost of the past,’ and what was being crushed, was my future. I could accept a disastrous love life, but my career, my freedom, my entire life, could not suffer the slightest setback. The comments beneath the post instantly ignited a firestorm of discussion: “Seriously? Paving the way for your own kids is one thing, but for a past crush?” “Spill more tea, Miss Ghost-of-the-Past, otherwise the internet detectives will find you!” “Old enough to pull strings like this, so probably already married, right? Is the OP using the ‘ghost of the past’ excuse to be a mistress?” “Another cockroach basking in the sunlight! Do you roaches even differentiate between ‘ghost of the past’ and ‘scarlet letter’ types?” The OP, far from flustered, replied with a hint of smugness: “I know you’re all unrefined and unappealing, struggling to even make ends meet in real life, so you can only lash out online.” “I’m just lucky. Divorced with a kid, and still treated like a princess. It’s perfectly fine if it infuriates you! He’s even celebrating with me after work.” This was the latest reply, two minutes ago. I tapped my phone. Liam Hollister was still my pinned contact. Two hours earlier, he’d told me he was attending a high school reunion dinner tonight, and, as always, sent me his location: “Reach out anytime if you need me.” For five years, he had always proactively reported his schedule: overtime, dinners, sudden business trips… Even a single, brief message was enough to put my mind at ease. That’s why I had never considered seeing how he acted in front of others. But today, I suddenly wanted to see for myself. Outside, the wind howled, whipping up snow, and the road bled with the angry red glow of taillights. The restaurant was near my lab, easy to find. Perhaps due to the weather, few people were dining. I quickly located their private room. Inside, the conversation was lively: “Among all of us, Mark’s made the most of himself. That whole Chloe Harlan situation, it wasn’t minor, was it? Yet, you handled it so effortlessly…” “You used to say she was just a bookworm, and look at her now! I hear Liam’s quite respected at work.” Liam’s tone was detached, as if discussing the weather: “It was nothing, just a favor. I’m hosting tonight, so help yourselves to anything.” More flattery ensued. “Chloe, you’re set for life now. To put it bluntly, with Liam backing you, even if you don’t go to work, no one would dare say anything.” The girl, called Chloe, scoffed. “You make it sound like I’m entirely dependent on Liam. I’ve researched this position thoroughly. I was fully confident in my ability to handle it before I even submitted my resume.” “Fully confident? This is one of Riverbend City’s top two labs! In previous years, they only accepted Riverbend University PhDs. What’s your degree…” “Chloe fully met the admission requirements this time.” Liam raised his voice slightly, easily coming to Chloe’s defense. His college roommate – the only person there I vaguely knew – spoke up: “Liam, aren’t you worried about your girlfriend finding out about this?” Liam’s voice suddenly darkened. “What’s there to fuss about? Just helping an old classmate. And we’re getting married soon. Even if she doesn’t work, I can still feed her.” Everyone echoed his sentiments, making it hard to discern their sincerity: “Honestly, her marrying you is a blessing from her ancestors.” “If it were me, I’d spoil my man rotten, not cause trouble.” “Chloe, did you misjudge him back then? If you’d just said yes to Liam, you’d be living the good life right now!” A well-known secret was thrown out, and the private room fell silent. Chloe’s voice, tinged with a feigned grievance, mumbled: “With someone to take care of you, what’s there to fuss about? I truly envy her now. If I didn’t have Daisy, who would be willing to go out and work like a dog?” Someone asked Liam, “I hear your girlfriend isn’t from around here, and your parents agreed to it?” Liam clearly didn’t want to continue the topic, merely grunting, “…Mm.” Chloe was about to say more, but Liam cut her off: “There aren’t that many ‘what ifs’ in this world… Right now, I’m her only support in this city. And she’s from a single-parent family. Girls from such families… you wouldn’t understand.” I pulled my winter coat tighter around me. The hallway was stiflingly warm, thick with heat, yet a shiver traced its way down my spine. In that single moment, I felt like saying nothing. My heart hollowed out, emotion a raw knot in my throat, impossible to swallow, impossible to purge. It made me sick. So this was Liam Hollister in front of others. He would casually make my private life a joke, degrading me into something utterly worthless. 2 I walked aimlessly down the street, my face stinging. I knew it wasn’t my fault, but I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. Every fleeting moment of the past five years played out in my mind. Liam was five years older than me. In my first year of grad school, he returned as an outstanding alumnus to give a lecture. Learning he was working at the lab I dreamed of, I quickly scanned the QR code on the screen. Initially, I just wanted to learn more about the latest recruitment news. But whether by chance or fate, we always seemed to run into each other in public places. Sometimes at a professor’s lecture, sometimes at an academic symposium… Gradually, our interactions became more frequent. He was as composed and rational as the rumors said. His exceptional looks were merely his least remarkable quality. When I was crying hysterically in the lab over complex data, he happened to be returning from a school event and decided, on a whim, to visit the lab building furthest from campus. When my roommate and I got into an argument with the next table at a restaurant, he and his friends happened to be in the adjacent place, and he effortlessly helped us out. When I was alone at the hospital for a check-up, holding an ambiguous report, afraid to approach the doctor, he appeared, silhouetted against the light at the end of the hallway… On Christmas Eve, he asked me out for dinner and, with remarkable naturalness, confessed his feelings. I felt like I’d been struck by a lucky charm, standing there stunned. He took a small step back, creating a distance that felt safe. “It’s okay if you say no. Your wishes are what matter most.” “Just tell me when you’re ready for a relationship, and I’ll be right there, closest to you, not going anywhere.” I quickly shook my head, felt something was wrong, then just as quickly nodded. … After we got together, even pulling all-nighters in the lab felt fun. There was always a stream of texts from him on my phone. [Iris Hayes, I ordered you seafood congee. Remember to eat it while it’s hot.] [Iris Hayes, you’re hopeless! The data in your paper is clearly missing a decimal point!] [Iris Hayes, don’t overwork yourself. It breaks my heart.] He would kiss me carefully, and every time we parted, he’d whisper “I love you” into my ear. He was no longer as reserved as when we first met. He’d even get jealous if I looked at an opposing player for too long during a basketball game he was playing in. He made me discover a better version of myself during my most stagnant and hopeless moments. But all these seemingly beautiful memories were now tainted with the bitter hue of doubt. My phone suddenly vibrated. It was Sarah, my senior research fellow. She was also involved in the lab’s recruitment. “Iris, did you… did you and Liam have a fight?” I lowered my gaze, trying to sound calm. “No, why?” Sarah clearly paused, then stammered, “Our university usually has a 100% acceptance rate every year; it’s practically an unwritten rule. This year, the other two got in, but only you…” “But the girl who was accepted, while she technically met the qualifications, her resume and interview were clearly not as good as yours…” Only me. Only I was rejected. But I had been preparing to get into the Riverbend University Lab since high school. With a civilian’s hellish dedication, I had emerged victorious from that arduous battle, completing my bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate at Riverbend University. My dream was within reach today. Yet, Liam had brazenly taken my decade-long efforts and offered them as a bridal gown for his ‘ghost of the past.’ 3 Back home, I sank into the sofa, scrolling through Chloe Harlan’s profile. She loved answering questions. And she loved adding “Hollister’s invite” before her replies. [How are you doing now that you’re married?] [Hollister’s invite.] [My original family background is excellent, upper-middle class or above, I suppose. For the first thirty years of my life, I rejected many boys, including some very, very outstanding ones. My ex-husband and I met abroad. It was his second marriage, my first. His conditions were far better than mine. His family was very pleased with me, finding me pure and innocent, so I was willing to take a leave of absence from school to have his child. I’m doing quite well after the divorce too. One marriage, but it clarified two people. My ex-husband harbored a princess in his heart, and I also have a knight loyal to me. Neither of us lost.] A knight loyal to her… I tugged at the corner of my mouth, scrolling further down. [If you could turn back time, what year would you go back to?] [Hollister’s invite.] [Probably the year he confessed to me in high school. If I had another chance, I would definitely say yes. I was abroad for five years and have been back for almost two months. That day, he returned from a business trip, and we ran into each other at the airport. He helped me find a place to live and a school for my child. Even when I was hospitalized, he took care of me while also picking up and dropping off my child. After I was discharged last month, I said I wanted to visit a temple, and he didn’t hesitate to accompany me to South Peak. It was raining that day, and the mountain path was difficult, but I felt incredibly safe.] Countless details flashed in my mind like a rapid slideshow, each one fitting perfectly. I clutched my chest, a sharp, precise pain seeping from between my ribs. Last month, it only rained for one day. That day, I was driving my professor’s car to pick up materials when I was rear-ended. The driver was aggressive, slamming his hand against my car window the moment he got out. I quickly called Liam, but all I got was a busy signal. When the traffic police arrived, the rain was coming down even harder; my umbrella offered no protection. I stood shivering by the roadside, my teeth chattering. Finally, Liam answered. He kept his voice low, telling me he was busy and would call me back later. At the time, I thought I heard a faint, distant bell chiming, believing it to be a hallucination. While I stood in the rain, terrified and alone, he was kneeling devoutly before a Buddha, praying only for his ‘ghost of the past’ to be healthy and safe. The latest Q&A: [Do you believe in broken mirrors mending?] [Hollister’s invite.] [Working on it… He’s currently choosing to stay with his current girlfriend out of a sense of responsibility. So I don’t see myself as a mistress. A man’s love fluctuates between two women, and the one who came later is the mistress. But I was clearly the first, and I can feel his love is all for me. Just finished dinner. He called a ride-share to take me home. The car still smelled of my favorite jasmine scent. He’d had too much to drink and suddenly looked at me, saying A can only be A, and B can be anyone. I’m pretending not to understand, because I know I am A. I’m planning to buy two bottles of wine and talk to him all night, truly, just talk. Our high school classmates all know that his current girlfriend is lazy and relies on him completely. Compared to a woman like that, I’m certainly right to be confident, aren’t I? Who knows, maybe after talking, he’ll give up his sense of responsibility and choose true love.] Perhaps due to the “ghost of the past” effect, this post had an unusual number of comments. [I want to call the police so bad. There’s a powerless feeling of not being able to reach through the screen.] [Who is B?! Save B! Save my sanity!!] [This is giving ‘backdoor’ sister confidence! Find that B! I need to tell them loudly!] [And the poor soul whose spot she took! Notify them too!] [Did she specialize in digging up graves in her past life? In this life, she’s digging up people’s jobs AND their partners?] [If I see another post like this, my stocks and gold will surge.] …How unfortunate. The “poor soul” was me. “B” was also me. I realized with chilling clarity. It wasn’t that Liam had suddenly stopped loving me. It was that Liam had never loved me at all. Because his heart belonged to a lost love from his youth. And I had always been competing with a phantom.

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The day Nova’s company teetered on the brink of collapse, she finally agreed to be my girlfriend. For five years, I secretly leveraged my family’s resources, helping her company climb step by painful step. On the eve of its IPO, Nova at last promised to marry me, swearing I would be the happiest man alive. But then, I stumbled upon a chat log on her computer, a conversation with her best friend— “My marriage to Finn is just to spite Julian.” “I know Julian won’t just stand by and watch me marry someone else.” “The moment he comes back from abroad for me, I’ll dump Finn, my backup.” Reading those words, I immediately ordered my family to withdraw all investments. Fine, let them be a star-crossed couple, sharing hardship. “Dad, pull out all investments from Nova’s company in a few days.” With the company on the verge of going public, withdrawing funds would be a death blow to her. My father, who had seen my capabilities firsthand over the years in Nova’s company, was furious. “That woman dared to cheat on you? I’m going to confront her!” “Dad, I’ll handle this myself,” I replied, my voice hoarse. My father, knowing my deeply loyal nature, sighed and told me to proceed as I saw fit before hanging up. My gaze, however, remained fixed on the screen, those chat logs piercing me like needles. Nova was my junior in college. At freshman orientation, I saw her in the crowd, and my heart skipped a beat. Later, she was harassed by some thugs, and I fought them, getting a bloody nose, just to protect her, finally bridging the distance between us. But she always had a long-distance boyfriend in college, and no matter how hard I pursued her, she remained cold. Now, looking back, I realize I was foolish—it was precisely her aloofness that made me want to conquer her even more, my possessiveness swelling with each passing day. Then, the year she graduated, Julian suddenly sought me out for drinks. She drank heavily, sobbing as she drank, saying her boyfriend had betrayed her and moved abroad. By the lake, she cursed every man on earth. Finally, she cried against my shoulder for a long time. It was from that day on that I wanted to prove, through my actions, that there was a man in this world who truly loved her. After graduation, she started a cosmetics company, but it went bankrupt after just a year, leaving her millions in debt. In her darkest days, I stayed by her side, and slowly, she emerged from the shadows, finally agreeing to be my girlfriend. I convinced my father to use our family resources, silently helping her company get back on track. Five full years, and the company was finally going public. On the day the IPO was approved, I proposed to her while she was still elated. She considered it for a day, and then actually said yes. I was so excited I stayed up all night, believing we would finally achieve our happy ending, only to find out it was all just a scheme to spite her ‘ghost of the past’—the very man who had once abandoned her! And I? I was nothing but a pawn. Nova hurried out that afternoon, leaving in such a rush that she forgot to log out of her computer’s messaging app. Even though the chat logs suffocated me with pain, I clicked on her social media profile—I had never looked before, and she seemed to never post anything, not even sweet moments from our travels. But now I realized she did post; she had just always blocked me. Soon, I found a photo of a man on her profile. Though only his arm was visible, the expensive IWC watch on his wrist glared conspicuously—I had seen that watch in her bag recently. I had thought it was a surprise for me. It turned out she had already given it to someone else. She wasn’t incapable of romance; she just refused to waste it on me. Just then, my phone rang. “Finn, hurry! Nova’s arguing with someone, I’m worried she’ll get hurt!” Her angry shouts faintly echoed through the phone: “You have to apologize to my boyfriend!” My heart plummeted—I wasn’t there, so the “boyfriend” she spoke of clearly wasn’t me. I wanted to understand what was happening. I put on my jacket and walked to the shoe rack, where I saw the pearl necklace I had given her lying on the floor, several pearls cracked, one even crushed by a high heel. That necklace… I had dived into the river repeatedly to retrieve freshwater mussels, picking out each pearl one by one. The day I finished, I was utterly exhausted, yet she had shown no care for it. I bent down, picked up the pearl necklace, and expressionlessly tossed it into the trash can. Then, I hailed a taxi and went to the bar where Nova was arguing. But as soon as I arrived, I saw a man tightly embracing her. On his wrist, was that expensive IWC watch. “Those guys accidentally spilled a drink on Nova’s friend, so Nova got into an argument with them.” “Nova drank a lot today, I’m worried she’ll cause trouble.” Nova’s friend quickly rushed to my side, explaining. Learning the reason, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. I remembered accompanying her to a client dinner once. The deal wasn’t going well, and the client deliberately spilled wine on my face. She hadn’t gotten angry like this then. Instead, she blamed me for not knowing table etiquette, claiming I had ruined the partnership. Seeing Nova about to confront the other party again, her friend quickly rushed up and stopped them. “Nova! Okay, okay! You’re getting married soon, don’t cause any trouble!” Unexpectedly, Nova shoved her friend away. “Who says I’m getting married?!” “This jerk spilled a drink on my boyfriend! Do you think this can just be brushed aside?!” “No apology, no one leaves!” Nova’s eyes were hazy from drink, her steps unsteady. Her words caused some of her friends present, who knew me, to look awkward. Their gazes involuntarily shifted to me. I gave a cold smile, then stepped forward, swung my arm, and slapped the man confronting Nova across the face. My slap silenced the entire bar. “You bastard! You dare hit me!” After a moment of stunned silence, the man exploded in fury, lunging at me. And I? I just wanted to see Nova’s reaction. She was so enraged for her so-called boyfriend, but what about me, her fiancé? Instead, Nova violently pushed me in the chest, roaring, “What are you doing here?! Aren’t I causing enough trouble already today?!” “You’re useless! You only make things worse!” Nova’s words chilled me to the core. She even looked at the other man with a defiant righteousness. “Now we’re even! Get lost!” The other man, surprisingly, remained rational. Especially seeing my grim expression, he didn’t dare to continue the argument. He eventually left, muttering curses under his breath. After he left, Nova collapsed onto the sofa. Nova’s friend awkwardly explained to me, “Finn, don’t overthink it. Nova drank too much and spoke without thinking. This is Julian, Nova’s high school classmate. He just got back from abroad today.” I casually glanced at Julian, noticing a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips. His gaze, when it met mine, was filled with disdain and triumph. “Julian, this is Nova’s fiancé, Finn…” Before her friend could finish the introduction, Nova suddenly sat up from the sofa. “Colleague! What fiancé?!” This sudden verbal blow made my body tremble. The atmosphere instantly became incredibly awkward. After a long silence, Nova’s friend quickly tried to smooth things over, offering me a drink. “Brother, I’ll toast you.” Unexpectedly, Nova, who had just slumped down, sat up again, glaring furiously at her friend, snapping, “Don’t you know your ‘brother’ is allergic to alcohol?!” Indeed, I was allergic to alcohol. She knew that. But what I hadn’t expected was Julian’s reaction. “Nova, you’re drunk. Sarah is toasting Finn, not me.” Only then did Nova ease up. “Oh. Well, he can drink! He can drink a lot!” “In the entire company, he’s the one who can drink the most!” Hearing her words, I felt something in my chest shatter. My heart fragmented, bleeding profusely. I remembered an event a few years ago. Before going, I told her I was allergic to alcohol. But when we arrived, she immediately told me to toast the clients, one by one. She said that at a social gathering, it was uncouth for a man not to drink. That day, I ended up in the hospital. She even blamed me for being useless, collapsing after just a little alcohol. Yet, even with such a profound lesson, she still didn’t remember my alcohol allergy. I could only conclude that she truly had never cared for me. Coming here, I had held onto a last sliver of hope. But now, it was utterly crushed. Just then, Julian stood up and said to me, “Since you’re here, you can take Nova home. I just got back from overseas, and I can’t look after her tonight.” “Oh, and tomorrow, when she wakes up, remember to make her a ginger honey tea. She loves it. And if she doesn’t drink it, she’ll have a headache all day.” “Don’t forget to cover her with a blanket at night. She has a terrible sleeping posture when she’s had too much to drink.” Julian’s words, every single one, told me that he knew Nova better than I did. Today, he was simply dumping this mess onto me. I stared at Julian’s smug eyes for a long time, truly wanting to punch him. But in the end, I held back. I wanted to see how long this play of theirs would go on. On the way back, my eyes felt terribly sore. But as a man, I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t want to appear so vulnerable. Five years of dating, if you count the four years I pursued her. I had loved this woman for nine years. But all I got in return was this. This also brought back the chat logs I had seen earlier. If Julian was willing to return from abroad for her, she would dump me, her backup, and marry Julian. So, I had always been just a backup. Today, her goal had been achieved. No wonder she rushed out so frantically this afternoon. She must have been going to the airport to pick up Julian. Just then, Nova’s phone vibrated. I opened it and saw a message from Julian. But my gaze immediately focused on Julian’s profile picture. The two of them had changed to matching couple avatars, probably at that party earlier. I remembered last year, I found a famous cartoonist and had them draw exquisite avatars for Nova and me. I excitedly told Nova to switch to the new avatar. But she immediately snapped at me, calling me childish and telling me to focus on my work. Yet now, she had changed to an even more childish one with Julian. Just then, I felt a small box in Nova’s bag. I carefully took it out. And when I saw the “DR” logo, my breathing suddenly became uncontrollably rapid. My hands trembled violently. The rapid breathing made me lightheaded, and my vision began to spin. Finally, I mustered the courage to open the box. Inside was indeed a DR diamond ring. Engraved on the back were the letters “JX,” Julian’s initials. I had pleaded with her countless times to choose a DR ring for our wedding. After all, each man can only customize one in his lifetime. But she never agreed, saying it was just a gimmick. Instead, she had been waiting for Julian all along, intending to engrave Julian’s name on this most important ring. I tried to breathe deeply, to calm myself. Then, while Nova was sound asleep, I used her fingerprint to unlock her phone and open Julian’s message. “Sweetheart, don’t forget tomorrow, we’re going wedding dress shopping. I’ll pick you up.” Boom! Seeing that message, my head buzzed. The wedding dress. I had brought it up to her so many times. She just told me to pick one out for her. “Whatever you like, darling,” she’d said. She even claimed that with her figure, she could pull off any wedding dress. In truth, she simply didn’t care what I bought. And she never intended to appear at my wedding, wearing the most beautiful gown. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to furiously punch the car window! But seeing the driver still in front, I could only clench my fists, forcing myself to hold back. Men don’t cry! My fingernails dug deep into my flesh. I could only let the physical pain replace the agony in my heart. Struggling to let go of this love I had clung to for nine long years. The next morning, I still made her ginger honey tea, just as Julian had instructed. But she took one sip, then spit it out. “What is this concoction? Why did you add ginger?!” “Don’t you know I hate the smell of ginger?!” But I distinctly remembered Julian saying she loved the taste of ginger honey tea. Quickly, I understood. She didn’t like the taste of ginger honey tea; she liked Julian’s taste. She liked the taste of her ‘ghost of the past.’ Even if that ‘ghost of the past’ had once abandoned her and moved abroad. However, I hadn’t slept all night and had thought a lot about this relationship. Looking at her now, surprisingly, I felt no anger. Instead, I poured the entire bowl of ginger honey tea into the trash. Nova, after putting on her shoes, said coldly, “The company’s going public soon. I have a lot on my plate. Don’t cause me any more trouble.” With that, she turned, slammed the door, and left. I knew she was meeting Julian to go wedding dress shopping. I quickly sent someone to find out which store Nova was going to. It wasn’t hard to guess. Without any surprise, Nova chose the most expensive and exclusive wedding dress shop in the city. The same shop I had visited four or five times already. Three days ago, I had ordered the most expensive wedding dress in the country there, intending to surprise her. Today, it was supposed to arrive. Instead, when I reached the wedding dress shop entrance, I saw Nova trying on that very dress, twirling in front of Julian. Julian was talking to the store manager about something. “Julian, I really love this dress. I just have to have this one,” Nova cooed, clinging to Julian’s arm, acting utterly spoiled. She had never been like that with me! It was as if she had transformed into a different person! Then, Nova diligently began negotiating with the manager. “Call that other customer. Tell them I’m willing to pay an extra hundred thousand dollars, plus another hundred thousand in compensation, if they’ll let me have this dress.” Hearing her words, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. So, for her ‘ghost of the past,’ she was truly willing to give him anything. The money for this wedding dress was her own, just to be with this ‘ghost of the past.’ But did she ever consider how she earned that money? The manager, seemingly swayed by the price Nova offered, turned and went into the back room, saying she’d call me. I slowly walked up behind Nova. Julian was the first to see me. His face immediately fell, then he took Nova’s hand in front of me, subtly signaling with his eyes that I was behind her. Only then did Nova turn around, and seeing me, she instinctively frowned. “The company has so much going on. Why aren’t you there? What are you doing here?!” Instead of any embarrassment, she immediately launched into a barrage of accusations. I quietly watched her, not wanting to argue. Last night, my heart had died to her. Grieving for her now was utterly pointless. Seeing my silence, Nova ran a hand through her hair, then finally spoke again. “Finn, you’ve seen it. The person I truly love is Julian.” “Don’t make a scene. I’ll give you a sum of money. I hope you can leave with dignity.” My gaze remained fixed on her eyes. Coming here, I only wanted to ask her one last question. “Nova, I just want to know, all these years, did you ever truly love me?” Nova, upon hearing this, allowed a sneer to curl her lips. “Finn, I know you love me to death.” “But today, in front of Julian, I have to tell you honestly: I never loved you.” “I just felt sorry for you, pursuing me for so many years, so I agreed to be with you.” “My heart has always been with Julian.” Though it was the answer I expected, Nova’s words were even more heartless than I had imagined. Good. Since she could be so cruel, why couldn’t I? Just then, the manager emerged from the back room. “Miss Reed, I’m so sorry…” But before she could finish, she saw me, looking surprised. “Oh, Mr. Evans, you’re here! This lady, she…” Before she could continue, I interrupted. “It’s fine. Give her the wedding dress.” “I hope they can be happy.” With that, I turned and left the wedding dress shop, dialing my father’s number. “Dad, the withdrawal of investment. Announce it on Nova’s wedding day.”

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The moment I learned my domineering older brother, Daniel, was acting like a “simp” for the leading lady, I curled up at the villain’s door, clutching my little blanket. When he intended to send me back, his gaze fell upon the faint marks on my wrist. “Did your brother abuse you?!” I nodded, my eyes still heavy with sleep. It wasn’t until Daniel was dumped by the leading lady yet again that he suddenly remembered the little “ancestor” he had neglected back home. By then, the villain had already attended my kindergarten parent-teacher conference in his stead. Daniel’s vision instantly went black. “I was only gone for a month! I wasn’t dead! Why won’t you acknowledge me anymore?” The villain, meanwhile, offered me a lollipop. “Good girl~ How about a new brother, huh?” 1 When I was three, I had a dream. In it, I learned my brother was just one of the leading lady’s many “simps.” He’d endlessly debase himself for her—running errands, obsessing, getting beaten to a pulp for her. And in the end, he’d willingly give her his entire family fortune as a wedding gift. He and I, left with nothing, would be crammed into a cramped, thirty-square-foot apartment, listening to the bitter, daily arguments of the couple next door. To change this outcome, I used my limited childlike cunning to try a series of efforts: for instance, when the leading lady called late at night saying she was scared, I’d deliberately wail loudly to try and keep him home; when the leading lady had her period and complained of stomach cramps, I’d feign spitting up to make him change my clothes; during the leading lady’s graduation performance, I hummed “Brother is the Best in the World” to try and awaken his conscience… But I overlooked a crucial fact: our house had a nanny, while the leading lady was a helpless orphan. My brother always left me with the nanny and ran off to comfort the leading lady. Seeing him descend further into “love-struck idiocy,” I made a solemn decision: I needed a new brother. Ultimately, I chose a boy from the neighboring villa complex—he was the villain, and also my brother’s sworn enemy, notorious for tripping up the leading lady’s “simp squad.” He was gloomy and cunning, a true dog trainer in human form! And he indeed owned a Border Collie. One time, my brother went to buy fruit for the leading lady and forgot me at the fruit stand. The villain happened to be there too. I reached for an apple on the shelf and offered it to his Border Collie. In return, he had his dog “fetch” me back home. I wanted him to “discipline” my brother. Yesterday was my third birthday. The nanny specially dressed me in a princess dress, waiting for my brother to come home. But he was off watching a movie with the leading lady. The nanny tried to soothe me, “Once Clara becomes your sister-in-law, two people will love you, sweetie.” But I knew she wouldn’t become my sister-in-law—the leading lady was destined for the male protagonist! So, I decided to “run away” and put some pressure on my “simp” brother. Late at night, I successfully dodged the nanny, who was busy gossiping on the phone in the bathroom, and squeezed through the dog hole in the fence. I hugged my little blanket and, barefoot, walked towards the neighboring villa complex. Twenty minutes later, I stood at Alex’s doorstep. This villa was even grander than mine, but its dim lights gave off a cold, aloof aura. I took a deep breath, spread my little blanket on the doorstep, and curled up, lying down. Just as I was drifting to sleep, I heard dog barks and footsteps from inside. The door creaked open, and a slipper almost landed on my face. “What in the world?!” Alex’s voice abruptly stopped. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, meeting a pair of eyes wide with surprise. In the moonlight, his tall figure loomed over me. He wore a bathrobe, slightly open at the collar, revealing his sculpted collarbone. “What are you doing here?” Alex asked, a frown on his face. Before he finished speaking, a black and white blur shot from beside his legs, enthusiastically pouncing on me—it was Snowball, its wet nose rubbing against my face, its tail wagging like a tiny motor. “Snowball!” Alex snapped, “She’s not a kitten! You can’t keep her!” Snowball whimpered indignantly but stubbornly rested its front paws on my shoulders, “washing” my face with its tongue. I giggled, seizing the opportunity to climb up and hug Alex’s leg. “Big Brother, hug!” He stiffened, as if a pause button had been pressed. Snowball, seizing its chance, clamped its teeth on the back of my collar and began dragging me inside. “Hey! Stupid dog! Let go!” Alex tried to stop it, but Snowball had already dragged me into the foyer. I immediately let go of my collar and scrambled onto him, using both hands and feet. “Get down,” he commanded in a cold voice. I shook my head, burying my face in his neck. “Nanny is cold…” 2 Alex’s body tensed even further, but he didn’t forcefully pull me off. Snowball excitedly circled us, occasionally nudging my feet with its head, as if asking for praise. “Does Daniel know you’re here?” he asked. I pouted, and tears instantly welled up. “Brother doesn’t want Nanny anymore…” As I spoke, my sleeve slipped, revealing a bruise on my wrist. Alex’s eyes immediately changed. He grabbed my wrist. “How did this happen?” I cowered, shrinking my neck. “Nanny hurts… Brother is mean…” In truth, I had gotten it by hitting my arm on the table leg while reaching for a ball. My brother had indeed been angry when he came back, blaming the nanny for not watching me—she was busy scrolling through social media then. Alex’s face was so dark it looked like it could drip ink. “Did Daniel hit you?” I didn’t answer, just lowered my head, playing the part of a wronged child perfectly. Alex took a deep breath, as if forcing down his anger. Just then, Snowball trotted over, carrying its food bowl, and placed it in front of me, then looked at Alex with expectant eyes. Alex looked at his dog in exasperation. “It’s two in the morning.” Snowball stubbornly stood still. I rubbed my tummy. “Nanny’s hungry.” Snowball immediately picked up a piece of kibble, dropped it by our feet, and wagged its tail even more excitedly. Alex rubbed his temples. “I’ll go warm up some milk for you.” He pointed a warning finger at Snowball. “Don’t hide her in your dog bed.” Snowball tilted its head, a look of innocent confusion on its face, as if to say, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” Ten minutes later, Alex returned to the living room with two bowls of milk. Snowball immediately perked up its ears, its tail thumping a cheerful rhythm on the floor. “Sit,” he commanded. Snowball instantly sat ramrod straight, front paws together, like a disciplined soldier. I blinked, then mimicked Snowball’s expectant expression and, with a little “Woof,” sat up straight. Alex’s hand froze mid-air, the milk almost spilling. “What are you doing?” “Table manners!” I tilted my head, imitating Snowball’s excited look. “At home, Nanny Sarah taught me this.” Alex’s eyebrows knitted together. “She made you bark like a dog?” I nodded, recalling. “She said it was noble etiquette. Once, when I didn’t bark, she complained to my brother, saying I ate with my hands.” At this point, I suddenly grew sad. My brother was so angry that day. During dinner, he deliberately put down his chopsticks and picked up a chicken drumstick to feed me. He squeezed my cheek with his greasy hand. “My Nanny can eat however she wants.” My brother was good to me, but he never had time to get me a new nanny. Only because Clara said I was attached to this nanny, and that if he replaced her, I would feel abandoned. And later, he got busier and busier, never eating with me again. Alex placed the milk bowls in front of Snowball and me, his face terribly grim. “That nanny is still working for you?” “Yes.” I took a small sip of milk. “Auntie Sarah also taught me how to drink like a little horse. Do you want to see, Big Brother?” His thumb gently traced the bruise on my wrist, his voice almost inaudible. “Daniel, that scoundrel…” I finished my milk, then hesitantly looked up. “Big Brother, my brother doesn’t want me anymore. Can you take me in? I don’t eat much.” In my dream, Alex also had a younger sister, but she was born with a congenital heart defect and died young due to negligence. He never got to spoil her. After that, his parents divorced. Coincidentally, my parents also divorced. Theirs was a business marriage. After the divorce, neither wanted children and went their separate ways to find true love. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been left with my brother. 3 Alex’s brows furrowed. He looked down at me, clinging tightly to his leg, then at Snowball, excitedly circling. A vein pulsed faintly on his temple. “I’m very busy,” he rubbed his brow. “I don’t have time to look after a child.” I immediately held up three tiny fingers. “Nanny will be super good! I can eat by myself, sleep by myself, and play by myself!” Snowball seemed to understand our conversation. It suddenly rushed into the living room, grunting as it dragged its giant dog bed to my feet, then proudly let out a “Woof!” its tail wagging like a propeller. Alex looked at it expressionlessly. “She’s not a kitten. She can’t sleep with you. You’ll crush her.” Snowball whimpered indignantly, nudging my hand with its wet nose, as if to say, “No way, I wouldn’t.” Finally, he let out a long sigh. “…If you don’t cause trouble, I can reluctantly keep you for a few days.” “Thank you, Big Brother! Thank you, Snowball~” I hugged Snowball and gave it a big kiss. Snowball was even more excited than me, snatching my little blanket and running all over the house, until Alex’s stern gaze froze it in place. “Sleep,” Alex said, picking me up by the back of my collar, like carrying a kitten, and carrying me into the guest room. I obediently crawled into bed, watching him turn off the light and leave. The moment the door closed, the room plunged into darkness. The wall clock ticked. Outside, tree branches swayed, casting grotesque shadows on the wall. I clutched my blanket tightly, finally unable to resist climbing out of bed. At the end of the hallway, a sliver of light peeked from under Alex’s bedroom door. I gently pushed the door open, seeing Alex leaning against the headboard, reading documents, the bedside lamp casting a warm shadow on his chiseled profile. Snowball immediately noticed me, wagging its tail happily as it ran over. “Now what?” he asked without looking up. I fidgeted with the corner of my blanket, quietly saying, “…Nanny’s afraid of the dark.” Alex finally looked up, seeing me trembling at the doorway. His expression softened slightly in the lamplight, but his tone remained firm. “Three years old and still afraid of the dark?” “Auntie Sarah said if I don’t sleep, monsters will come and snatch me away at night!” I exclaimed in terror. Alex stared at me for a full ten seconds, then defeatedly closed his file. “Come here.” My eyes lit up, and I scurried over with my blanket. Snowball was even faster than me, already jumping onto the bed and claiming the best spot. “Not here,” Alex pointed to the long sofa in the corner. “You sleep over there.” I obediently climbed onto the sofa, wrapping myself into a cocoon with my blanket. Snowball whimpered in protest but jumped off the bed, lying down on the rug beside me to guard me. Alex turned off the main lights, leaving only a small night light. I wanted to put some pressure on my brother, hoping he’d start caring about me again. But I never imagined that after a day of being “away from home,” he still hadn’t noticed I was gone! He had gone on a business trip with Clara. Alex had sent someone to check, and when the nanny realized I was missing, her first reaction wasn’t to tell my brother. Instead, afraid of being held responsible, she fled! “Excellent,” he sneered. He looked exactly like a cartoon villain when he did that. “Is Sterling Corp currently negotiating the East River project?” James, his assistant, pushed up his glasses. “Signing tomorrow.” “Before midnight tonight, I want that project to belong to Sterling,” Alex said, tossing his broken pen into the trash. “I’ll pay double the penalty.” I was just counting on my fingers how much double the penalty would be, when he suddenly picked me up and placed me on his desk. 4 He braced his hands on either side of me, his eyes narrowed dangerously. “Little one, does your brother always treat you like this?” Snowball urgently pawed at the desk edge, barking. I seized the opportunity to use its paws as a railing. “Big Brother is just… busy?”

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I had loved Julian Sterling for a decade, clawing my way to marry him. I even ruthlessly drove away the idealized first love he cherished. Six years into our marriage, women around him changed like a revolving door, yet no matter how he hurt me, I never considered leaving. Until that day, pregnant, I saw him bring another woman home, twisting and turning on our marital bed. I broke down and questioned him, but he sneered, “Aurora Hayes, don’t forget what you said when we married—as long as you could marry me, you wouldn’t interfere with my private life.” “If you feel short-changed, you’re free to go find someone else.” He glanced at my swollen belly, his voice utterly contemptuous, “Remember to use protection. Don’t defile the Sterling bloodline.” I lunged forward, losing control, but he coldly pushed me away. I stumbled down the stairs, leading to the tragic loss of both mother and child. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I saw him bring that woman home. This time, I resolved to let go of a decade of obsession, to both fulfill Julian’s desires and reclaim my soul. 1 During my anomaly scan, I learned I was having a daughter. Overjoyed, I bought a heap of pink baby items from the store, eager to surprise Julian. The moment I stepped through the door, a faint, lingering scent of perfume tightened my chest—a smell I couldn’t bear during my pregnancy. I climbed the stairs, step by step, and saw scattered clothes in the hallway: men’s ties and trousers entwined with women’s lingerie and slip dresses, trailing all the way to the slightly ajar master bedroom door. Unbearable sounds drifted from within. My palms clenched, nails digging into my flesh. Looking down, the newly bought baby items had somehow slipped from my grasp, mixing with the clothes on the floor, a glaring sight. At this moment, I finally understood: I had been reborn. In my previous life, I had impulsively burst through that door, grappling with the couple inside, only to die consumed by hatred. This time, I merely leaned against the wall, slowly descending the stairs, and quietly sat on the sofa to wait. Time stretched on. Julian finally appeared at the top of the stairs, clad in a bathrobe, the nauseating scent of their recent intimacy clinging to him. He watched my dry retches with an impassive face. I wiped my mouth, my voice eerily calm: “You have a guest?” He nonchalantly nodded, slowly walking towards me. I clutched my belly, stepping back. “And this guest is in our room now?” He paused, likely surprised by my unusual composure. Just then, Chloe Peterson, a woman who could have walked off a movie screen, glided down the stairs, wrapped in my silk nightgown. Her chest was covered in red marks from their pleasure. She deliberately asked in a delicate voice, “Mr. Sterling, who is this…?” Julian squeezed her shoulder, his eyes full of provocative intent: “Her? Oh, she’s my wife—no, Mrs. Sterling, I should say.” Chloe gasped, her voice trembling artfully: “You’re so naughty! Why didn’t you tell me your wife would be back…?” Julian kissed her neck, then smiled at me: “Mrs. Sterling, didn’t we agree? This marriage is a mutual arrangement, no interference.” “You haven’t lost out these past six years. The Sterling family has been more than generous to the Hayes family.” He was right. Had it not been for the staggering sum from our prenuptial agreement, Hayes Industries would have long gone bankrupt, and my parents and brother wouldn’t be living in such luxury today. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “I understand. I apologize for interrupting.” I put on my shoes and pulled open the door. From behind me, Julian’s voice came, with a barely perceptible tremor: “Wait!” I didn’t look back. Julian, this time, I won’t wait for you. 2 Dragging my heavy body, I stepped out of the gated community and hailed a cab. Before opening the car door, I took one last look at that mansion—perhaps this was the best ending. At least it wouldn’t be like my previous life, where I sacrificed my life for someone who never loved me. Unable to go back to my parents’ house, I could only return to my small pre-marital apartment. I threw the sheets and duvet covers into the washing machine, then wiped down tables and mopped the floors, leaving no corner untouched. By the time everything was tidied, it was already late night. A cramping pain subtly radiated from my belly. I curled up in bed, clutching a pillow, suddenly feeling utterly exhausted. A cold, wet sensation on my face surprised me; it was tears. Ten years of bitter, unrequited love ending so abruptly. My heart ached. I wrestled with the decision of whether to keep the baby, tossing and turning through a sleepless night. But Julian, meanwhile, was lost in Chloe Peterson’s tender embrace, seemingly forgetting all else. The trending actress had been frequently flaunting her happiness on social media: candlelit dinners, expensive jewelry, designer handbags… The backgrounds of her photos and videos were all too familiar—my marital home. There was even one photo where the reflection of a tall, imposing man preparing a late-night snack in the kitchen was visible on the glass window. That particular photo had delighted her fans for a long time, and it had left me stunned for equally as long. The man who wouldn’t even pour me a glass of water when I had a high fever was now willing to cook for another woman. A week later, on a Monday, the day of Sterling Corp.’s board meeting, I took the opportunity to return to the mansion. I quickly packed my bags, grabbed my documents, and headed downstairs, only to run straight into Julian, who had rushed back. Seeing the items in my hand, he let out a cold laugh, snatched my luggage, and flung it aside. I frowned at him. “What are you doing?” “Aurora Hayes, I should be asking you what you’re doing!” “Are you so childish that you’re still playing the ‘running away from home’ game?” “What’s your next move? Are you going to threaten suicide again, like before?” Julian’s brows furrowed, his face filled with disgust as he chastised me. “Why would I kill myself?” I scoffed, gripping the stair railing tightly. The old me truly wasn’t clear-headed enough. To win him back, I repeatedly used my life as a threat. But after living through my previous life, I understood that living was the most important thing. I never wanted to experience the despair of hitting rock bottom again. Moreover, a cold-hearted, unfeeling man like Julian was simply not worth my lingering affection. Julian sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. “What new trick are you pulling? I’m busy. I don’t have time for your drama.” “Those tactics of yours, they might work once or twice, but too many times, it’s just crying wolf.” I looked directly at Julian, explaining: “You’re overthinking it. I’m here to pack my things and move out.” “Julian, let’s get a divorce.” Julian, uncharacteristically, froze for a moment, then looked at me with increased impatience. “Divorce? You’re carrying a Sterling heir, and you’re bringing up divorce now? Do you think you can use this child to flaunt your status?” I didn’t respond to him. I carefully walked downstairs, from my bag, I pulled out the divorce papers I had prepared in advance and handed them to him. “Yes, I want a divorce.” “I don’t want anything from the Sterling family. I just want to separate from you.” Julian and I had been married for six years, but during those years, aside from the routine maintenance of this villa, he hadn’t spent any significant money on me. To outsiders, I was the glamorous Mrs. Sterling, but only I knew that every penny I spent came from my freelance online writing. Since I hadn’t spent Julian’s money during our marriage, I certainly had no desire for financial entanglement with him in a divorce. Julian quickly scanned the document, his expression unreadable, and set it aside. A scoff escaped his throat, its cold echo like an ice pick piercing my heart: “Leave with nothing? Aurora Hayes, are you thirty years old and still so naive?” He casually tossed the divorce papers onto the coffee table, then suddenly rose, looming over me, his shadow completely engulfing me: “Without the mighty Sterling family, do you think your father and brother can stand firm in the business world?” “After the divorce, how will your family sustain your current extravagant lifestyle?” I leaned back, avoiding his approach, the emotions swirling beneath my eyelashes solidifying into frost. I stubbornly pressed my lips together. “Julian, even if you use my family as leverage, you can’t trap me anymore.” As if stunned by the resolve in my eyes, Julian stepped back, his expression growing colder and harder. “Reason?” He paused, then conceded: “Because I brought someone home and made you uncomfortable? I apologize. This time it was my fault. I promise I won’t let them appear in front of you again.” My nails dug into my palms. For the first time, I laughed openly and defiantly. “No need, Julian.” “For these past six years, I’ve had enough of your emotional torment and abuse. I’ve had enough of daily waiting for a man whose heart was never truly with me.” I suddenly pulled off the only string of beads he had given me. The round beads clattered onto the carpet. “Even if it means my entire family has to work as dishwashers or sweep streets, I will never be your puppet again.” 3 Julian, unable to suppress his rage, slammed the door and left. I thought, given his proud nature, it wouldn’t take more than a few days for him to contact me to finalize the divorce papers, eager to sweep me out. To my surprise, the first call I received was from my mother. Her voice on the phone bubbled with delight: “Aurora, your husband just sent me the new season’s clothes and bags from the top luxury brands! He got your brother a new supercar, and even let your father develop that piece of land in the Southside!” “Your father, he’s so happy he can’t stop smiling. He keeps saying how much easier you make things for him, how you know how to keep the Sterling family’s golden goose happy.” “Aurora, you truly are capable! When I go out with those wealthy ladies now, who doesn’t flatter me on my good fortune, having such a wonderful daughter like you marrying into the Sterling family?” A wave of sadness washed over me. It turned out that my value as a “good daughter” was merely to marry into a rich family and appease my unloving husband for my family’s benefit. Forcing down my anger, I told my mother, “Don’t accept anything from Julian Sterling anymore. We’re getting a divorce.” I couldn’t hide my grievance, telling my mother that Julian didn’t love me, that he still resented me for driving away his idealized first love, and that he had been retaliating with a string of affairs all these years. My mother, however, was dismissive. “Don’t throw a tantrum. Julian holds a high and powerful position; it’s normal for a man like that to have a few women around.” “Just be more generous. Holding onto your position as Mrs. Sterling is what matters most!” “Besides, you have a child now. If it’s a boy, who can shake your position in the Sterling family? If it’s a girl, then you just try harder and get pregnant again soon.” My mother’s words left me sobbing. I questioned her, heartbroken: “Mom, just for the Hayes family’s prosperity, you forced me to marry Julian. Now you want me to use my child as a patch for our marriage?” “But Mom, I loved Julian for ten years. I really can’t accept him constantly being with other women!” I hung up the phone and went straight to Julian’s company. Seeing me, he showed no surprise, leaning casually back in his leather office chair, twirling a pen between his fingers. His dark tie made his eyes appear even more refined and cold. “Come to admit your mistake?” “This time, considering you’re pregnant, I’ll forgive you. Don’t bring up divorce again. Just go home and be a good Mrs. Sterling.” He pulled out a card and pushed it towards me. “There’s five million in it. It’s your compensation.” I didn’t take his card. I just looked at him calmly. “Julian, you don’t love me, you even detest me. Wouldn’t it be better if I willingly vacated the position of Mrs. Sterling now?” Julian’s eyebrows furrowed into sharp angles, his jawline tense, signaling suppressed rage. “Aurora Hayes, is this your new tactic to play hard to get?” “You don’t need to compete with other women out there. I can tell you clearly: after Ivy and I broke up, I won’t fall in love with anyone else, and no one can shake your position.” “You should understand that a respectful, non-interfering partnership is the best outcome for you and me. You don’t need to hope for love from me.” “If you have any other demands, you can make them.” His feigned concern sickened me. He played the role of a deeply devoted man who couldn’t forget his first love, while simultaneously entangled with various women. Like a clumsy actor, playing a charade of deep affection for so many years. I looked at Julian coldly, stating calmly, “No, thank you, Julian. I only want a divorce.” “That is my only request.” The air in the entire office solidified into ice. Julian’s obsidian eyes swirled with a cold, oppressive intensity. After a long moment, he picked up the divorce papers and quickly signed them. “Fine, as you wish, we’re divorced.” A wave of relief washed over me. I carefully put away the agreement. I smiled at him genuinely. “Julian, thank you.” Thank you for making me understand that a heart full of fervent love will ultimately become a sharp blade piercing one’s chest. 4 Leaving Sterling Corp., I headed straight to the prenatal clinic to schedule an abortion. The doctor repeatedly confirmed with me, “The child is already six months old and very healthy. Are you sure you want to proceed with the procedure?” My heart felt as if it were being pricked by countless tiny needles. I clenched my fingers, knuckles white from the effort. How could I bear to part with this child? But I absolutely would not give birth to a child destined to be used as leverage. Better a quick, painful end than prolonged agony. I signed the consent form for the surgery. The next morning. I arrived alone at the private hospital for the procedure. I ran into Julian, carefully escorting Chloe Peterson, whose abdomen was still flat. Seeing me, Julian seemed momentarily awkward, but his expression quickly returned to calm. He casually told me, “Go straight home after your check-up. You’re far along; don’t run around.” With that, he averted his gaze and, shielding Chloe, prepared to leave. But Chloe suddenly spoke in a sweet, cooing voice: “Honey, I left the vitamins I need to take every day in the car. Could you please fetch them for me?” Julian, suspecting nothing, affectionately stroked her hair and turned to leave. Chloe chuckled, walking closer to me: “What a coincidence, you’re here for a prenatal check-up too?” The word ‘too’ was subtly used. No wonder Julian agreed to the divorce so readily; he wanted to legitimize his outside relationship. But now, I no longer cared. I walked past Chloe, not intending to engage with her. She blocked my path, continuing her provocation: “Judging by the baby items you prepared at home, your baby is a girl, right?” “I already got a blood test in Hong Kong; it’s a boy.” “Oh, and that nursery you decorated, Julian said it’s for our son. You don’t mind, do you?” “And all those little girl dresses you bought, they take up too much space. They were an eyesore, so I burned them yesterday. You probably won’t need them anyway—” Her sweet, cunning smile made my eyes sting. Before she could finish, my palm had already connected sharply with her meticulously made-up face. Chloe stumbled, leaning on the wall to steady herself, her malicious eyes instantly brimming with tears. The next second— “Are you insane?!” Julian yanked my wrist with immense force. I staggered backward, my back slamming against the fire hydrant on the wall. The metal edges dug into my spine, making it numb. Intense pain exploded in a flash of white light before my eyes. My knees buckled, and I collapsed to the ground, clutching my belly. Julian, however, didn’t spare a glance at my disheveled state. He carefully helped Chloe up, then turned to glare at me: “Aurora Hayes, you were the one who insisted on a divorce! What are you doing here now, competing for attention?” “Chloe is pregnant now. If anything happens to her, I’ll make your whole family pay!” “Julian.” I tried to stand, leaning on the wall, but the pain made my vision blur. “Control your trophy mistress—” Chloe suddenly began coughing violently, her pale fingertips clutching Julian’s sleeve: “Julian, I just wanted to ask about her health…” “You’ve been through too much,” Julian said, picking Chloe up. “Aurora Hayes, you’re free. Tomorrow morning at ten, we’ll finalize the paperwork at the registrar’s office.” His voice was cold as ice, not even sparing a glance for me, curled up against the wall. Just then, the piercing sound of the hospital’s public address system blared through the hallway: “Patient Aurora Hayes, Operating Room 2 is ready. Please proceed immediately for your procedure!” Julian naturally heard the announcement. He looked up at the name scrolling across the screen, his throat bobbed twice, his gaze instinctively flickered towards me. But in the end, he continued to carry Chloe away, fading into the distance. I got up, stumbling into the operating room, and signed the pre-surgical consent form. Lying on the operating table, the doctor confirmed with me again. “Ms. Hayes, the baby is already twenty-four weeks. It could survive if born now. Are you sure you want to terminate the pregnancy?” The fetus in my womb suddenly moved violently, as if protesting the impending separation. My nose ached, and tears finally fell uncontrollably, dripping onto the cold operating table. “I’m sure.” Just as the anesthetic was about to be injected into my veins, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from the corridor outside…

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