My husband could see everyone’s death countdown. As soon as he found out, he immediately told me I only had two years left, that I was going to die in two years. To ensure I’d have no regrets, he quit his lucrative corporate job, wanting to take me on a trip around the world. At first, I didn’t believe him. Not until my dad became the first person to die exactly as Arthur predicted. Then, when I died bungee jumping the following year, I understood. He hadn’t lied to me. But when I opened my eyes again, I found myself reborn. This time, I seemed to have the ability to foresee death too. Still, seeing “Eighty Years” above my own head made me pause, deep in thought. Wasn’t I supposed to live eighty years? So how did I end up dying in the second year? “Clara, let me spend these last two years really being there for you, okay?” “You’ve always wanted to travel the world, right? How about we leave tomorrow?” My husband, Arthur, looked at me with such intense affection, yet I could detect an unspeakable sorrow hidden deep in his eyes. I opened my mouth to reply, but my gaze was suddenly drawn to a line of red numbers floating above Arthur’s head. *Lifespan Remaining: Two Years* I froze, a wave of confusion washing over me. How could this be? In my previous life, hadn’t he lived to be a hundred, passing away peacefully with a smile? For a moment, I couldn’t process anything he was rambling about. I bolted from the couch and rushed into the bathroom. Through the mirror, I saw it: my own remaining lifespan was still eighty years. But last time, I had only lived for two years. What in the world was going on? And why was Arthur telling me I only had two years left? Seeing my strange behavior, Arthur followed me into the bathroom, trying to gently comfort me. “Clara, don’t you believe me?” “Didn’t your dad’s death prove it?” “I know it’s hard to accept right now, but this day was always going to come.” I took a deep breath, pushing down my growing confusion, and forced a smile, shaking my head. “No, I believe you.” I paused, then asked again, my voice laced with uncertainty. “But… do I really only have two years left?” A flicker of something—something quick—crossed Arthur’s eyes, but his voice remained firm. “Of course, Clara. I would never lie to you.” I masked the emotions in my eyes, then casually asked, “What about you? How many years do you have left?” Without a moment’s hesitation, he blurted out, “Three years.” Hearing that, I instantly knew he was lying to me. As if to make me believe him, he even added with a wry smile, “It must be that fate can’t bear for you to be alone down there. It’s arranged for me to take care of your affairs, then come join you.” His words were exactly the same as in my past life. But this time, it was different. Before, I had foolishly believed him. Now, it seemed my husband wasn’t as sincere as he appeared. Besides, there was one question I absolutely had to get to the bottom of. Why did I have an eighty-year lifespan, yet I truly died in the second year? And why did *he*, with only two years left on his life clock, live so many more years in my previous life? 2. Countless questions swirled, making my head spin. Arthur, on the other end, heard my faint “Mhm” and immediately went to discuss resigning from his job. As soon as he hung up, he started planning our trip. It wasn’t long before he had our first destination picked out. “Clara, how about we go surfing first? You’ve always wanted to go to the Maldives, right?” My brow furrowed at that. In my past life, I hadn’t noticed this issue. Someone who was always so careful with our money, almost stingy, was suddenly willing to splurge on surfing in the Maldives. That trip alone would easily cost hundreds of thousands. Noticing my lack of response, he started to explain. “Didn’t you always mention this place? A little expensive is fine, I just want you to be happy during your last days.” His words made me uncomfortable; I just found him incredibly hypocritical. Our combined income wasn’t low, we brought in a significant amount each year. Aside from family expenses, we had practically no financial stress. So, over the years of our marriage, we’d saved up a small fortune. Of course, one reason for that was his meticulous budgeting, which meant that money rarely got spent. But what was strange was that whenever I brought up these trips before, he always refused. Now that I was supposedly dying, he was suddenly so generous. A nameless irritation flared inside me; I couldn’t tell if he was feeling guilty or if he’d had a change of heart. The next day, he booked our tickets, and we were off to the Maldives. As soon as we landed, he was impatiently trying to drag me to go surfing. His behavior was far too strange. I pulled my hand out of his grip, my expression annoyed. “What’s the rush? We just arrived, can’t we rest for a bit?” He hadn’t been this eager in my previous life. Strange! An indescribable strangeness. He paused, then explained with a hint of grievance, “Clara, it’s not that I’m rushing. It’s a once-in-a-century tide, surfing now would be amazing! Don’t you love thrills?” He glanced at me, then continued, “If you don’t want to go now, that’s fine. We can go in a few days.” But after a moment’s hesitation, I agreed. I wanted to see what exactly he was up to. After dropping our luggage at the hotel, we headed straight for the surfing area. The waves were so massive they could almost engulf a person instantly. It was already evening when we arrived, and there were far fewer surfers. The ocean water was chilling. Arthur didn’t say a word, just pulled my hand and headed out, an undeniable urgency in his demeanor. His actions were incredibly odd, but to figure out the reason, I still got on the surfboard. Yet, nothing strange happened during the surfing. I couldn’t help but wonder if I had misjudged Arthur. It was while I was deep in thought that Arthur came over. Without a single wasted word, he got straight to the point. “Clara, we’ve had enough of surfing. How about we leave tomorrow?” “Didn’t you say you wanted to go bungee jumping before? Should we leave tomorrow? I’ll book the tickets now.” I remained silent, offering no response. Arthur was too hasty, so hasty that I couldn’t fathom what he was thinking. This was a completely different pace from my previous life. I exhaled, meeting his gaze directly, and casually asked, “We just got here, didn’t we? Only staying one night and then leaving?” It seemed Arthur only then realized we had just arrived today. After a moment of surprise, he quickly changed his plan, directly sidestepping my question. “Then let’s stay a couple more days. Since we’re here anyway, I’ll go downstairs and extend our room.” With that, he walked straight out the door. I was tired after a day of activities, so I had no energy to keep guessing. I lay down. The next day, I didn’t wake up until almost noon. His presence was already gone from the room. As I got up, preparing to splash some water on my face to wake myself up, I suddenly noticed that the numbers above my head in the mirror had changed. A full year had vanished. 3. My mind inexplicably flashed back to how eager he’d been to drag me surfing yesterday. A ludicrous idea instantly formed: He was exchanging lives. To test my theory, I frantically grabbed my phone and called Arthur. It wasn’t until my fifth call that he slowly picked up. But before I could even say a word, the call was disconnected. The next second, the room door was pushed open. It was Arthur. My eyes immediately locked onto the numbers above his head. It had turned to *Three*! Just as I suspected, there was no difference from what I’d imagined. You manipulative Arthur! No wonder you suddenly splurged on this Maldives trip. So, you really did have some unspeakable agenda. He stood at the doorway, holding up his phone, asking with a worried expression. He was breathing heavily as he spoke, looking like he’d just run back. The air carried a dusty scent that I couldn’t quite place. “Clara, why are you suddenly calling me so much? Is something wrong?” “I was just downstairs having fun, and I thought something might have happened to you, so I rushed back.” It dawned on me; I had indeed been too eager to verify the truth. Not wanting Arthur to notice anything amiss, I suppressed the anger churning inside me and responded with a fake smile. “Nothing, I just wanted to ask you where you planned for our next destination.” He eyed me, a hint of suspicion in his gaze. “Really? Asking about one destination is worth five phone calls?” Faced with his persistent questions, I felt an inexplicable irritation, and my tone wasn’t particularly pleasant when I spoke again. “What else? What could possibly be wrong with me?” That seemed to alleviate Arthur’s doubts. He gave a small, wry laugh, walked over, and ruffled my hair as he answered my question. “Alright, I was just asking. If there’s nothing, there’s nothing. My next destination was planned for bungee jumping in Switzerland. Since you’re so eager to know, how about we go tomorrow?” I scoffed inwardly. He was the one desperate to go, not me. What did it have to do with me? Didn’t he want to go so badly just to take my life? “Fine, go ahead and book the tickets.” I agreed readily, but I wasn’t going to my death again. I wouldn’t go bungee jumping, and I certainly wouldn’t go to Switzerland. The next morning, as soon as we arrived at the airport, I used the excuse that I’d left my ID at the hotel, wanting to turn back. But Arthur grabbed my arm. Without a word, he wanted to leave with me. But there was no way I’d let him have his way. I pried his hand off and took a step back. “Don’t come with me. You go on this flight, I’ll just buy a ticket for the next one.” “Changing two tickets isn’t cheap. I’ll be back quickly; the next flight isn’t much later.” I had to play the part convincingly. To avoid his suspicion, I even pulled out my phone and browsed recent flights. Arthur, of course, was reluctant to let his valuable asset leave; his expression was hesitant. I wasted no more words, making my decision firm. “This trip has already cost a lot. We should save where we can. I’ll leave by tomorrow at the latest.” Fearing he’d cling to me, I didn’t give him another chance to speak. I grabbed my suitcase and turned to leave. I had never lied to him before, so for the first time, he believed my lie and didn’t follow. He even sent me a message. “I’ll wait for you in Switzerland.” I didn’t reply. The same day, he flew to Switzerland, and I flew back home. The next day, I leisurely sent him a message, telling him I wasn’t so keen on Switzerland anymore and had gone home instead. Just as I expected, he called me, fuming, one call after another, demanding an explanation. I gave him a couple of vague answers, then put my phone on “do not disturb” and fell asleep. But when I woke up the next morning, I found that another year had been taken from my lifespan. 4. What was happening? I didn’t even go, did I? Why was my lifespan still decreasing? At the same time, Arthur sent me a message. “I expect an explanation!” All these confusing events were making my head ache. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why my lifespan was still dwindling. Not long after, Arthur pushed open the door, bringing a chill with him. His clothes carried a faint smell of something burnt. It was very similar to that smell in the Maldives. As he looked at me, I looked at him too. The lifespan above his head had indeed increased by a year. But what exactly was going on? The more I thought about it, the stranger it became, making it impossible to wrap my head around. What was I missing? “Clara, an explanation? Didn’t we agree to go to Switzerland together?” He cut me off, his gaze complex, tinged with suspicion. I let out an “Ah,” and continued to fob him off with my previous excuse. “I just didn’t want to go. There’s no big ‘why’.” “But you, why are you so desperate for me to go? What would happen if I didn’t?” He fell silent for a moment, realizing his emotions had gotten the better of him. He immediately changed his expression, reverting to his usual gentle demeanor, and responded with a smile. “Nothing would really happen if you didn’t go. I was just too hasty.” His words carried a double meaning, and I instantly understood what he implied. *Nothing would happen if I didn’t go*… Did that mean my lifespan would still decrease even if I stayed home? Was there truly no way to stop it? In just two short days, my lifespan had already decreased by two years. At this rate, wouldn’t I die in not two years, but just eighty days? But in my previous life, how did it take him two years to steal my lifespan? The more I tried to sort it out, the more tangled my thoughts became, the confusion almost driving me insane. Perhaps my initial assumption was wrong. This “extreme sport transfers lifespan” idea wasn’t it at all. Just as I was consumed by frustration, Arthur sent another message. “Clara, let’s put that aside for now. Your mom’s been hospitalized.” I pushed my chaotic thoughts away and, in a flurry, followed him to the hospital. My mom had suffered a sudden heart attack last night and had just come out of surgery. Arthur suddenly raised a hand and rested it on my shoulder, speaking softly into my ear. “Clara, I see your mom only has two months left to live.” “She might not be comfortable staying alone in the hospital. Why don’t you take her out for a bit?” Hearing that, I sharply looked up at him. He was lying again. My mom still had twenty years left to live. How could he still be deceiving me? But his tone was so absolutely certain that if he said two months, it must mean my mom would only live for two months. My eyes flickered, and I swallowed, my voice hoarse. “Really? Only two months left?” He didn’t rush to answer me, just looked at me. After a long moment, he slowly nodded, his voice resolute. “Really, Clara. You know I would never lie to you.” Those familiar words almost made me forget. When my dad passed away, he had said the same thing, and he had even suggested a trip then too. My brain started racing frantically, replaying everything that happened before and after my dad’s death like a slideshow. Then I thought of my own rapidly diminishing lifespan. A chilling connection clicked into place. I knew what was going on!

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My ex-fiancée, Jessica, used my mother’s last memento to force me to marry a comatose woman so she could run off with my uncle, Victor. I agreed. I let them go, wishing them a happy life abroad, while I married the comatose woman and got our marriage certificate. What I never expected was that the day after we registered our marriage, I became a billionaire. And my comatose wife slowly began to wake up. But the good times didn’t last long. My ex-fiancée and uncle had their fun. They came back for me, wanting to switch everything back: “Those assets were always meant for Victor, not a worthless piece of trash like you. What right do you have to them?” Victor was even more outrageous: “Letting you be a father to my son for free? You should be thanking me! If you don’t step aside and give Victor his place back, I’ll go to the police and accuse you of killing your wife.” Even the family members who forced me into that marriage called me a beast, plotting to kidnap me and have me trafficked to some godforsaken place. Yet, just as I was being secretly driven to the airport, bound and gagged. My wife, armed with a gun, almost killed everyone. “How dare you try to send my man away? Do you really think I’m dead?”

My ex-fiancée, Jessica, held my mother’s urn, threatening to destroy it if I didn’t marry Rhea in Victor’s place. “Victor and I are true love! You’re just a loser, you don’t deserve to marry me!” “Either take this fifty bucks and go marry her, or you and your deadbeat mom can get out of our family and rot on the streets!” I was furious, but also terrified. Under the immense pressure from my entire family, I still agreed to their demand. The very next day, I married Victor’s fiancée, Rhea Hayes. The Hayes family wasn’t thrilled about the last-minute switch. They even planned to pay me a huge sum annually, just to humiliate me. After all, I was just a placeholder groom, a formality. I never imagined that after only five days, their daughter would transform completely. Even the doctors said that because the patient had been receiving excellent daily massages, her muscles were getting proper training, and all signs of previous atrophy were gone. Facing my in-laws’ questions, I scratched my head, a little embarrassed. “Well, a girl needs to be clean, right? I wash her hair, do her skincare. I was worried her muscles would atrophy from not moving, and I happened to have learned massage techniques before, so I just used them.” They didn’t say much. That same day, they let me move into the Hayes’ mansion. And they even put me in Rhea’s room. I was surprised. Back at the Millers’, I could only live in a small storage room. My father’s new family had taken over all my things. As a kid with a cold father and a dead mother, if I dared to fight back, they’d just kick me out to sleep in the yard. The storage room was small, but at least it was sheltered from wind and rain. I didn’t touch Rhea’s belongings. I just cleared a small area for myself to sleep. I woke up promptly at five in the morning to prepare breakfast for the Hayes family. Bread, milk, and some jam. Once it was ready, I went to clean the house. When the Hayes family woke up, they saw steaming hot food on the table. They looked surprised. “Didn’t Mrs. Jenkins take the day off today? And there’s bread and milk…” I couldn’t quite read their tone. I thought maybe they were used to the housekeeper’s breakfast and didn’t like mine. After all, I’d made it according to the Hayes family’s usual preferences, so it was normal for others not to like it. I swallowed nervously, carefully answering, “If you don’t like this, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, I can make other things, like oatmeal, or even steak…” They looked me up and down, seemingly a little astonished. “Sit down and eat with us.” The real turning point was when Mr. Hayes had a heart attack and forgot his medication. Noticing it, I carried him on my back and ran two kilometers to the hospital. He called me ‘Alex’ for the first time. “From now on, this family will need your help to keep it strong.” I knew then that he recognized me as his son-in-law. That same year, Rhea woke up. She just smiled at me. “So this is my hubby, huh? You look so young.” “Just a little soft-tempered. I’ll have to protect him well from now on.” She handled outside matters, and I handled inside. I took care of the home, while she traveled for work, disappearing for days at a time, only to return with various gifts for me. Life was sweet and warm, until my ‘ex-fiancée’ and uncle came back.

“Those assets were always meant for Victor, not a worthless piece of trash like you. You’ll burn your hands holding onto them.” Jessica, my ex-fiancée, held a one-year-old child, looking at me with undisguised contempt. “Now that Rhea is awake, you should return Victor’s fiancée to him.” “I’ll reluctantly agree to marry you again. You’ll even get an extra child. Consider yourself lucky.” So they had a child together. And they wanted me to be a father for free? “Aren’t you going too far?” “You forced me to marry a comatose woman, and now you’ve had your fun and want me to take care of your child? What do you take me for?” Grandpa and Grandma Miller sat at opposite ends of the table. Hearing my words, they raised their canes to strike me. I dodged. When they missed, they swung again, snarling. As they struck, they glared at me with malice. “You beast, you stole Victor’s good life, and now you want to slander us? Today I’ll beat you to death!” “If we kill you, that Rhea woman will be single again! Then no one will want her, and she’ll have no choice but to marry our son!” My back was covered in welts, one after another, until the restaurant staff noticed something was wrong and came to intervene. “Sirs, ma’ams, this is a restaurant. If you want to fight, take it outside.” I didn’t want to get tangled up with them. In the brief pause given by the staff, I bolted outside. But at the door, a middle-aged man grabbed me firmly. “You brat! You got rich and now you don’t recognize your old man, huh?” “Today, I’m going to beat you to death!” It was my father and stepmother, Brenda. They flanked me, dragging me into a narrow alley. Brenda used to do farm work, and her grip was astonishingly strong. She pinned me down and told my father to whip me with his belt. “A son who forgets his father deserves a good beating. One good beating will make him remember everything!” The belt whistled through the air, each lash tearing into my back. Ever since I moved in with the Hayes family, I hadn’t been hit in ages. Living a pampered life, I had long forgotten what pain felt like. My father’s belt strikes were full of viciousness, making me scream out. “Stop! Stop, Dad!” “I’m hurting, Dad!” But after a few pleas, I stopped. I remembered. When Brenda used to falsely accuse me of things, I’d get whipped too. Back then, whenever I begged for mercy, they’d just hit me harder. The worst time, they broke two of my ribs. They were literally trying to kill me. I don’t know how many times they hit me before I completely passed out. My father pulled out my phone, using my thumbprint to unlock it. He saw a message from Rhea. “When are you coming home? I’m flying in tomorrow and have a gift for you.” My father sneered. “She’s really living the good life, bringing gifts back from business trips.” He replied simply and directly on my behalf. “Come straight to my parents’ place tomorrow. Time to meet the family.” Then he just dragged me into the trunk. Grandpa and Grandma Miller also got into the car, still grumbling. “Are we really taking him back?” Facing Grandpa and Grandma Miller, my father’s demeanor completely changed. He plastered on a fake smile, trying to butter them up. “Don’t we want Victor to get close to that Hayes woman? We need to get some information about her preferences from him.” “And the money he has? We can’t let him have all those good days for nothing, can we? His money is Victor’s money, isn’t it?”

Grandpa and Grandma Miller were satisfied with his explanation. They didn’t say anything else until we reached the house. The car stopped, and I was dragged into my father’s workshop yard. At night, it was deserted. He threw me onto the concrete, then dumped a bucket of saltwater straight over my head. Blood mixed with saltwater, stinging my entire body. “Wake up, you coward, are you awake?” “If you’re awake, hurry up and write down all of Rhea’s preferences for Victor.” “So when Rhea comes tomorrow, those two original fiancés can pick up where they left off.” I shivered uncontrollably, like a heap of broken meat, sprawled on the cold concrete. I trembled, my voice shaking as I refused. “Dad, I beg you, just this once. I finally found someone I can spend my life with.” “Don’t take her away and give her to Victor.” “Aren’t Victor and Jessica happy together? Why can’t you just leave me alone?” My father grew even angrier. He picked up a plastic ladle from the ground and smashed it against my head. “You piece of trash, you think you can bargain with me?” “Victor is the only one in our Miller family who went to college, he deserves the best. You, you just deserve his scraps.” I was locked in the factory’s chicken coop. Victor, toothpick in mouth, looked annoyed. “This useless guy is surprisingly tough.” He looked at my father, his voice full of complaint. “Big bro, if this worthless kid won’t budge, what if that bitch of a woman is set on him?” “It’s so annoying. I want my things back, why do I have to get this trash’s permission?” Grandpa and Grandma Miller hastened to comfort him, afraid Victor would get too upset. “It’s all yours, it’s all yours.” “Don’t be angry, my boy.” My father also tried to soothe his brother. “He’s tough-mouthed, but his body isn’t. “Later, I’ll contact someone to have him trafficked to the US by tomorrow. When that woman comes tomorrow, tell her directly that Alex Miller beat you up and stole your engagement, all for the Hayes family’s money.” “I heard the Hayes family hates liars more than anything.” His shamelessness shocked me. But I didn’t believe Rhea would change her mind about me just because of their words. The next day, Rhea returned from abroad. She came straight to the Millers’ house, carrying bags full of luxury items. She saw the living room packed with Miller family members, but I wasn’t there. Victor saw her and greeted her with a look of feigned delight. “Rhea, I finally see you again.”

“So you’re saying Alex Miller stole your engagement?” Victor’s face clouded with false sorrow. “I never imagined my nephew could be so twisted.” “He already had a fiancée, but he chose to go after someone wealthier.” I was tied up in the old storage room. Powerless, I listened to their slander. Rhea’s face was grim. “You’re saying he only cared for me for the money?” Victor nodded, continuing his lies. “Who knows if he genuinely cared for you, or just waited for you to die so he could inherit everything?” “He’s been rotten since childhood, always trying to steal my things.” “Even my spot in college — if I hadn’t fought tooth and nail to keep it, he would’ve stolen it long ago.” I whimpered in helpless indignation. That college spot was mine. I was the one who got in. Victor impersonated me. I tried to sneak away to attend college, but he and my father broke my leg. My father chimed in from the side. “This son of mine has been unfilial since childhood. He beat his grandparents, and even I, his father, got hit by him plenty. When he was a kid, I wouldn’t buy him candy, fearing he’d get cavities. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a carving knife to chase me.” When Victor was a kid, he loved candy, but his teeth couldn’t handle it. When my father, his older brother, stopped him from eating more, he grabbed a carving knife and chased him all over the yard. Beating his grandparents, harming people, torturing small animals – those were all things Victor did, but the Millers blamed them on me. And Victor, he was always blameless. Victor pulled up his sleeve, revealing a large bruise, his expression mournful. “My body had just barely recovered when I tried to come and reveal the truth to you, but he found out.” “He was afraid of losing this good life, so he beat me like this.” Rhea slammed her hand on the table, rising to her feet. “He lied to me to this extent!” She looked at Victor, a hint of pity in her eyes. “You’ve suffered all these years. I need to give you an explanation.” She pulled out her phone and called mine. But it wouldn’t connect. My father had it, and he’d turned it off early, fearing exposure. Rhea then opened my SnapChat and sent me a voice message. “Alex Miller, if you don’t come out and explain yourself, I’m divorcing you!” My heart sank like a stone. —She didn’t believe me. Victor shook his head, his eyes red. “It’s okay, I’m used to it.” With that one sentence, he painted himself as someone who had suffered for years. “You probably won’t reach him. He’s terrified of me, terrified of you getting to him. He’s probably long gone by now.” Rhea didn’t answer. She called Mr. and Mrs. Hayes. The call was on speaker, and I clearly heard my in-laws’ shocked anger. “He’s been lying to us all this time! We treated him like a son-in-law!” “We even thought about letting him inherit our fortune, but it turns out he was scheming for it from the start!” “We’ve blamed Victor all these years, Rhea! You must compensate Victor well! And when Alex gets back, I’m going to break his legs…” My three years with Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, from strangers to their heartfelt affection. I thought they had come to see me as their own son. When Rhea was still in a coma, I secretly vowed to care for them in their old age, to treat them like my own parents… but it turned out I had never truly entered their hearts. I lost my last bit of strength to struggle. My gaze was empty as I looked at the cobweb-filled storage room. It seemed that, from beginning to end, I was still alone. Victor left, a satisfied smile on his face, the check clutched in his hand, without even cashing it. The storage room door reopened. Victor patted my face, malicious glee in his eyes. “They’re here to pick you up. Don’t blame your uncle, blame yourself for holding onto what was his!”

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My husband, Mark Stone, got into a car crash while he was using the bathroom at home. He’d just finished hitting me and went to the toilet, his mistress, Lily, cozying up outside the door, laughing and badmouthing me with him. Suddenly, a deafening crash. A runaway semi-truck plowed through our yard, straight over my husband and his mistress. Doctors were sifting through the wreckage for his mangled body. From the corner, I spotted a small battery that had fallen out of his pocket and casually kicked it towards them. His face was ashen, eyes wide and filled with unspoken words, but he couldn’t scream. At the hospital, the doctor said: “His left leg is a comminuted fracture, not much hope of saving it. If we were to use—” “No money. Just cut it off.” During the time I was gathering evidence, my husband, Mark, who I’d worked hard with to become wealthy, brought his mistress to our home and beat me, all to force a divorce. I refused to sign, driven by a burning desire to avenge our lost child. He got tired of hitting me, went to take a dump, and then… the crash. Karma’s a bitch, and it came like a tornado. Twenty minutes later, traffic cops, insurance adjusters, doctors, nurses, and a swarm of reporters were snapping photos as he lay on the ground, butt-naked and moaning. For all our shared history as husband and wife, the ‘good thing’ the doctors couldn’t find for him, I kicked it over. That was his life-sustaining item, after all. As for his mistress, Lily Miller, besides a slightly soiled dress, she had no other injuries. When Mark used to hit me, he’d brag about her incredible flexibility as a dancer, claiming she could master any dance style. Now she was twisted up like a pretzel, so she should be just fine, right? At the hospital, the doctor asked for an upfront payment of $100,000. I pulled out my bank card. Balance: $10. “Doctor, just stitch him up for now. His mom knows a miracle doctor, she can save him for free.” “What miracle doctor? Where is he? Quick, call him!” “Church. God.” “…” The doctor sighed. “Let us try a little harder.” “Alright.” I then asked, “If I sign organ donation papers now, can it be deducted from the medical fees?” “No.” The doctor looked at his scans. “However, his left leg is a comminuted fracture. There’s little hope of saving it. If we use—” “No money. Just cut it off.” The young nurse beside me winced. “Put aside any grudges for now. Money can be earned again.” Fine. “Actually, we’re not really broke.” I patiently explained, “He transferred all his money to his mistress. If you could just wake her up and ask for her bank card password?” The nurse glanced at Lily. “Spinal fracture. She might never wake up.” I threw my hands up. “Doctor, please saw gently.” *** PAYWALL

When the accident report came out, other people’s faces were blurred out. My husband’s butt was censored. The doctors operated on him for five hours, finally pulling him back from the brink of death. The moment he woke up, I stopped his pain medication. “Just bear with it. Earning money isn’t easy, save wherever you can.” I’m sure he agreed with that. After all, those were his exact words to me once. The result? Amidst his screaming and yelling, he spilled the beans about all his hidden assets, holding nothing back. Unable to move, he pursed his lips and ordered me to get the money from his mistress. Honestly, it’s just a leg being sawed off. Why’s he being so dramatic? What’s a little suffering for love, right? Just as I submitted documents to the court, froze Lily’s bank accounts, and was about to retrieve the money, Mark died. It was early that morning. He’d been transferred to a regular ward, fully conscious, his eyes still able to move. The truck driver, the one who caused the accident, rushed into the room and knelt, sobbing, asking me: “Can I get a family letter of forgiveness?” “Sure,” I said, “how many do you need?” The bed suddenly shook. My husband, Mark Stone, let out a hoarse cry, a few strangled sounds, and with that, he was dead—furious at me. The emergency doctors rushed in, ushering me and the driver out. “Wait,” I stopped a doctor, pulling out my phone, “I need to record a video.” Documenting the beautiful moments of life. Outside the ward, the truck driver knelt, weeping. “I’m a sinner, I’ll pay, I’ll pay, but I only have two million dollars…” I quickly helped him up. “Get up, angel.” “He’s an unemployed bum, what’s he worth, two million?” I wasn’t trying to intentionally insult my deceased husband. But to force me to leave with nothing, he’d not only transferred all his assets but also made his mistress, Lily Miller, the official owner of his company. He’d declared himself unemployed, refusing to give me a single cent, and even demanded I transfer my meager remaining salary to him. Accident compensation is tied to the victim’s income. Hitting and killing a CEO is not the same as hitting and killing an unemployed bum.

Because I’d signed the organ donation papers in advance, after Mark took his last breath, the doctor gave his body a respectful bow. Then his corneas, heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys were all harvested. Originally, his body could have been preserved in formaldehyde as a teaching specimen. However, the accident damage was too severe. He was just medical waste, and I brought him to the crematorium, sending him into the furnace. Mark’s hair, fat, and oils, in the raging fire: Spinning, jumping, his eyes were closed; The compensation money he’d never know, while I got lost in counting the dough; Through snowy days and summer nights, I wouldn’t slow; All of it, his inheritance, a past I crushed and let go. I was so happy I wanted to jump and do a 360-degree spin right there, then land in a split on the truck driver’s head. A mortuary assistant called me back to reality as I was about to place a small flower. She said, “We have urns for $5,000, $6,000, $7,000.” When it was time for cremation, I ordered KFC delivery. I pulled out a KFC bucket with Colonel Sanders on it and shook it out. “Put it here.” The assistant rolled her eyes. “What grudge could be this deep? We have a plastic urn on discount for just $200.” “Revenge for my child. Is that enough?” The assistant paused, then said, “I’ll help you crush the ashes finer.” I picked up Mark’s ashes, opened my backpack, and put them next to the organ donation documents. For the first time, I felt that marriage had three great perks: pulling the plug, signing the papers, and a feast of inheritance. Just outside the crematorium, I got a call from the hospital. The mistress, Lily, had woken up. Lily Miller didn’t come from a wealthy background, but she loved to dance. Her parents went into debt to support her passion. But dancing isn’t just about love; it requires talent. Without reaching a top-tier level, graduation meant unemployment. So she latched onto Mark. Money, a company, love… and quadriplegia. I dangled the documents in front of her. “All the properties under your name have been seized. The $8.62 million Mark transferred to you? It’s already back in my account. No offense, just wanted to show off a little.” “I don’t believe you! I want to see Mark! Make him get his ass over here!” I placed Mark’s ashes on the pillow next to Lily. “With the bucket, it weighs about three pounds. He’ll never leave you now.” Truly, a pillow-person! Lily screamed hysterically in the hospital room. Oh, she screamed too soon. This was just the beginning. The real angels were still on their way.

“Please, save me! Don’t take all the money! I need surgery! I still want to dance!” Lily cried as she spoke. I tilted my head, a cold smile playing on my lips. “If my child hadn’t been tortured into a miscarriage by you two, she might have had a chance to dance too.” “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! But I don’t want to lie in bed for the rest of my life. Save me, please! I’ll atone for my sins for the rest of my life!” Lily, a quadriplegic, could only move her head. She wept and pleaded, helpless as snot streamed into her mouth. Sigh. Just days ago, she was a graceful swan, shining brightly on stage. “Don’t worry,” I consoled her. “Things aren’t entirely without hope.” Lily’s eyes suddenly lit up, looking at me with desperate expectation. I smiled. “I’ve notified your parents. About you being his mistress and everything. They’ll be here soon. Don’t worry, even if I don’t save you, they’d sell a kidney to save you.” Lily’s eyes widened, glaring at me with hatred. Then she screamed again: “Ava Stone, you’re not just killing me, you’re crushing my soul! You’ll die a horrible death! Hmph, *spit, spit*!” With only her head movable, Lily could only spit at me. Her aim wasn’t good enough. “Ava, please! I’m begging you!” Lily, like a madwoman, finished spitting and then burst into fresh tears. “Don’t let my parents see me like this! I’m begging you! Just kill me if you have to, but don’t let my parents come! Waaah!” I heard footsteps in the hallway. Lily froze, too scared to make a sound. *Bang!* The door opened. It wasn’t Lily’s parents. “Oh,” I remembered, “I also notified Mark’s family.” It was my ex-mother-in-law, Brenda, and a young woman, Carly, holding a six-month-old infant. I specifically pointed at the baby. “Allow me to introduce you. This is Mark’s child.” Lily looked at the baby, then burst into desperate sobs. “You animal! Mark Stone, you’re an absolute animal! You lied to me! I thought I was the mistress, but I was the fourth! You animal, you ruined me!” Carly rolled her eyes at me. Still holding the baby, she reached out and slapped Lily across the face. “What are you crying for? Where did you hide all of Mark’s money?” Lily scoffed, probably fueled by extreme hatred, and shouted defiantly: “Get lost! I’ll die before I tell you! Go dumpster diving with your child! You shameless mistress, *spit*!” After being spat on, Carly said nothing, but my ex-mother-in-law, Brenda, stepped forward. *Slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap!* She delivered ten resounding slaps to Lily’s face. Lily’s nose bled, her cheeks turned crimson, and she wailed in pain. “It’s… it’s with her,” Lily looked at me. I suddenly felt like testing Brenda. I spread my hands innocently. “I just asked her. Mark only transferred $100,000 to her. When we get it back, I’ll give you $50,000.” Lily’s eyes widened. She started to curse: “You bitch—Aaagh!” Just as Lily was about to insult me, Brenda grabbed her mouth, pulling her lips so hard they looked like they might reach her ears. I watched, feeling a phantom pain. It was truly brutal. “My son couldn’t have only $100,000!” Brenda began her interrogation. “His company makes millions a year, and he has a huge villa! Tell me now!” My heart turned cold. Mark had always told me his company was losing money. Turns out, everyone knew everything but me. Carly, holding her baby, kindly advised: “You might as well tell them. Mark and Ava have a marriage certificate. Mark and I have a child. You’re not going to get anything good out of this anyway.” Poor Lily was immobile, at their mercy. She cried out in pain, tears and snot streaming down her face.

*Bang!* The door opened again. “My daughter!” This time, it was Lily’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Miller. Seeing their daughter lying on the bed, being abused, the couple, both over fifty, immediately lost their minds. “You old hag, let go of her!” Mrs. Miller shoved Brenda away. Mr. Miller was furious. “You’ve harmed our daughter like this, we’re going to sue you!” Carly quickly placed the baby on the next bed, rolled up her sleeves, and shouted back at Mr. Miller: “Your daughter was mistress to my child’s father! What nerve do you have to sue? She deserves to be paralyzed! You couldn’t raise your child right in her first half of life, now you can change her diapers for fifty years in her second half! Just make sure you don’t die before her!” Those lines were toxic. But I heard them and wanted to jump up and applaud. Mr. Miller slapped Carly across the face, knocking her to the ground. “How dare you lay a hand on her? My old lady will fight you to the death!” Brenda retaliated, not to be outdone. But surprisingly, she didn’t hit Mr. Miller. Instead, she spun around and grabbed Lily’s neck. “I’ll strangle your daughter!” Lily: “…” Her eyes rolled back, and her tongue lolled out. Mrs. Miller rushed to pull Brenda off, but Brenda wouldn’t let go. Both women pulled with all their might. They dragged the quadriplegic Lily from the hospital bed onto the floor. Mr. Miller threw another punch, and Carly quickly got up to join the fray. The four of them erupted into a chaotic brawl in the hospital room. The baby, startled, began to cry. Lily, twisted on the floor like a crumpled painting, also wailed loudly. The four fought, cursed, and yelped in pain. What a spectacle. I felt like I owed them a movie ticket; these five actors were truly delivering a performance. My ex-mother-in-law, Brenda, was the worst. I don’t know if it was intentional. But during the pushing and shoving, she kept stepping on Lily’s hands, arms, and ribs. Quadriplegic Lily couldn’t feel the pain, but the damage was minor, and the humiliation was immense. That pretty face, which had once seduced men away from their homes, was now tear-streaked and as pitiful as a squashed tomato. I truly believe she genuinely regretted being Mark’s mistress.

You know, men just have more strength. My ex-mother-in-law, Brenda, was beaten black and blue, her head wrapped in bandages, lying in the hospital bed next to Lily. They lay shoulder to shoulder, both panting, but not a word between them. Lily’s parents were taken away by the police. Carly, needing to care for her baby, escaped unscathed. When she found me again, she was limping. “You’ve already retrieved Mark’s money, haven’t you?” “Yep.” “Then why did you lie earlier and get us all beaten up?” Carly’s left eye was swollen shut, looking like a bruised child’s butt on her face. I smiled. “I was just joking with the mistress. Why did you hit her?” “What right do you have to hit her?” “I was Mark’s wife. Who are you?” “What does Mark’s inheritance have to do with you?” I rattled off a string of questions, and Carly was speechless. Exactly. She kept claiming the child she held was Mark’s, but she and Mark had no direct legal relationship of inheritance. Carly was the product of my ex-mother-in-law’s wild youth, running off with some random guy. Brenda, unable to handle hardship, ran off again when Carly was five. She remarried later and then had my husband. It wasn’t until about a decade later that Brenda and Carly reconnected. Reluctantly, I guess she’s my ex-sister-in-law. “But the child I’m holding *is* Mark’s,” Carly said with a smug smile. “She and my mom both have inheritance rights.” Now this was a tricky problem. Carly inherited her mom’s excellent traditions. At a young age, she was messing around with a handsome hairdresser. When she got pregnant, they planned to get married. But as they planned, the hairdresser disappeared with his two big pairs of scissors. By then, Carly’s belly was big. Reputable doctors wouldn’t perform abortions on healthy fetuses in late-term pregnancies. She cried to Brenda, begging for money to get an abortion at a private clinic. Brenda, uncharacteristically, persuaded her to keep the baby, and demanded that the child be registered under Mark’s name. This way, the child would be saved, it wouldn’t hinder Carly from marrying a rich man later, and the child could even get official city status. Three birds with one stone? No, five birds. Brenda not only saved the abortion fee but also prevented me from getting Mark’s assets in the future. If I ever dared to stir up any trouble, she could extort child support from me again. Thinking about it, my ex-mother-in-law truly never loved either of her children; she just gave birth to two tools. At the time, I was consumed by the grief of my miscarriage. Mark tried every sweet talk to make me adopt this child. I refused point-blank. But when Carly gave birth, he secretly went to the hospital and registered the birth certificate, with “Mark Stone” written in the father’s column. A birth certificate for a child doesn’t require a marriage certificate, just the parents’ IDs. But to officially adopt the child and get them registered in our family record, that would need my approval. Mark argued and pleaded endlessly to register the child under his name. No matter how much I talked or fought, he wouldn’t budge. When the argument got heated, I blurted out: “You can take the kid and go on dates with your mistress! While you’re at it, teach her how to be a stepmom, see if she still brings you your milk!” Mark froze, then quickly pulled out his phone and called Brenda. “Mom, Ava said if this child enters our house, she’ll choke me to death! I have a meeting, goodbye!” A problem I’d argued and pleaded with him about for six months, he rejected in ten seconds, just because I mentioned the mistress. I truly never expected that one day, I’d benefit from the mistress’s presence. It was from that moment on that my heart grew cold. I started collecting all kinds of evidence of Mark’s illegal and immoral activities. Mark tried to force a divorce several times but failed, until he lost all patience, brought his mistress home to beat me up, and then got hit by a semi-truck while on the toilet.

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My wedding dress disappeared moments before the ceremony. Then I saw my mother-in-law walk out of the dressing room, wearing it. “You might be younger than me, but this dress fits my figure better. I’ll look more appropriate standing next to my son.” Her theatrics delayed our ceremony by thirty minutes. I gently pointed out how inappropriate this was, suggesting people might misunderstand their relationship. “Only dirty minds see dirt everywhere,” my mother-in-law sneered. My husband chimed in, “You’ll have children someday! Would loving your own child make you abnormal too?” Fine. Do whatever you want. I’m done playing this game. After the divorce, my ex-husband kept hounding me, begging me to come back. The wedding ceremony was set to begin at noon, but I couldn’t find my wedding dress anywhere. My cousin, Jessica, who was in charge of the gowns, was practically in tears. “I just went to the restroom for a few minutes, and it was gone!” I tried to calm her, saying maybe it was left in the wedding car or somewhere in the hotel. My mom got all our family who were there to help search. Finally, the dress was found in the dressing room. But it was on someone else. The person wearing the wedding dress was my mother-in-law, Brenda. Everyone present froze. Brenda was almost sixty this year, but she maintained a slender figure. In the wedding dress, she truly didn’t look sixty. If she had on bridal makeup, some might even mistake her for the bride. Seeing our stunned faces, Brenda twirled the skirt in front of the full-length mirror, a smug smile on her face. “I think this wedding dress suits me better. Look at this waistline, it fits me perfectly. Paired with Mark’s tailored suit, it’s an absolute match!” As she said this, her eyes in the mirror met mine. I don’t know if I was overthinking, but I saw a blatant challenge, a smirk in her eyes. My mom stepped forward, smiling. “Brenda, you really do keep yourself in great shape. But today is a big day for the kids, and the ceremony is about to start. We should let them get ready.” “Go on,” Brenda said grandly. “You don’t need to stay with me, go do what you need to do.” How could we go? The main wedding dress was still on her. It took a lot of pleading and cajoling to finally get her to take the dress off. She was clearly unhappy and her movements were rough. When the makeup artist and Jessica rushed to help me put on the dress, we found the underarm seam was ripped right open, a long, nasty tear. The scheduled ceremony time had already passed by half an hour. With no other option, we had to hastily pin it up. Just as I was about to walk down the aisle, we realized my veil was missing. There was no time to worry about it. The makeup artist quickly placed a tiara as a substitute. Ten minutes later, the stage lights dimmed, the music swelled, and I finally stood at one side of the stage with my husband, Mark. I thought the wedding dress disappearing before the ceremony was just a small hiccup. But I never imagined that in the middle of the ceremony, Brenda would pull another one of her stunts.

It was time for the parents’ speeches. The moment Brenda walked onto the stage, I gasped again. Though she wasn’t wearing a wedding dress, she had on a white cocktail dress, a semi-backless style. From afar, it absolutely looked like a bride’s outfit. And the veil I couldn’t find earlier? It was tied to her head. The entire room of guests froze, stunned into silence. But Mark was beaming at her, whispering to me, “My mom’s really showing off today, isn’t she?” I couldn’t help but frown. David, my father-in-law, began his congratulatory speech to us. Meanwhile, Brenda and Mark linked fingers, gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes. Brenda had a smile on her face, but her eyes were brimming with tears. She stared intently at Mark, even leaning her head on his shoulder. It didn’t look like the joy of a son finally getting married. It looked more like a mother heartbroken her son was about to jump into a fiery pit. Mark responded to Brenda’s gaze with a gentle expression, and when her tears slowly streamed down, he gently raised his hand to wipe them away. The mother and son were so engrossed in each other that they didn’t even notice David had finished speaking. Hundreds of guests in the ballroom wore expressions of utter disbelief, as if silently asking, “What did I just witness?” But those two were completely oblivious. I felt absolutely sick to my stomach. I knew Mark and his mom were close. Three SnapChat video calls a day were the bare minimum. Besides reminding Mark about his daily clothes, food, and travel, Brenda would specifically warn him against briefs, Coca-Cola, even tofu and celery, claiming they were “bad for a man’s… vitality.” But at the same time, she’d also lecture him to “stay strong, don’t let ‘loose’ girls corrupt his purity,” even if he had a girlfriend. When they video called at night, they’d even be barely dressed, fresh out of the shower. The first time I learned about their conversations, I was so shocked I couldn’t speak. There’s a saying: a daughter should avoid her father’s direct presence as she grows, and a son his mother’s. It’s about respecting boundaries. After I turned ten, my dad always knocked before entering my room. If he had something specific to tell me, he’d ask my mom to do it. He wouldn’t even walk around shirtless at home in the summer; if I was home, he’d at least wear a sleeveless undershirt. Was Mark and his mom’s relationship just too close? Yet, if his mom wasn’t involved, Mark was the perfect boyfriend, the ideal future husband. He’d take me to the doctor when I had a cold, instead of just saying “drink more hot water.” He’d make me ginger-brown sugar tea for period cramps and even took me to an acupuncturist. He was always so calm, never once got mad or upset with me, no matter what happened. Beyond that, he was hardworking and steadily advancing in his career. Everyone said I’d found a great man and could confidently marry him. Brenda and we didn’t live in the same city, so we didn’t see each other much before, and wouldn’t live together in the future. My concerns were minimal. But now, seeing Brenda’s actions and her interactions with Mark firsthand, I couldn’t deny it: a knot formed in my stomach.

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The first month of my marriage, a girl slid into my DMs claiming to be a victim. She flooded my inbox with the screenshots of her chats with my husband and intimate photos, advising me to dump the scumbag as soon as possible. Two weeks later, I found them both in our home. The girl was clutching his arm, acting like she was doing me a huge favor. “Don’t worry. I’m taking out the trash for you,” she announced. “You’re welcome.” … It was our one-month wedding anniversary. I carried a cake home, ready to surprise my husband Blake. I’d just finished setting up the candlelit dinner when my phone buzzed. A text from Blake, “Cassie, Mom took a fall. Heading over there now.” “But, do you know what day it is today?” I typed, but deleted it before sending. My intended accusatory tone changed to. “Is your mom okay? Do you need me to come and check on her?” “No need, just look after the store.” To play the part of a perfect, understanding wife, I ate the small cake alone and cleaned up the house. As I was getting ready for bed, my phone screen suddenly lit up. A strange girl was requesting to add me as a friend. Her profile picture was a serene, gentle-looking girl with long hair, holding a cat. “Who is this?” I asked first, not liking strangers in my contacts list. “I’m Blake Harrison’s girlfriend, and I have something to tell you.” How could Blake, a married man, possibly have a girlfriend? Curiosity piqued, I accepted her friend request. “I saw your contact info on Blake’s phone, and I’m adding you to tell you that you should get away from him as soon as possible. He’s been two-timing you behind your back, and I only just found out. I’ve been fooled by him too,” the girl got straight to the point. I tried to keep my voice steady. “What’s your name?” “Amber Jones. You’ve probably never heard of me, just like I never knew about you, or even that you two were married.” Her words instantly piqued my interest. So, she was his long-term girlfriend from his hometown? Amber then sent me a long chat history. Apparently, she knew that my husband had quit his job and started an escape room business. She also knew about his family background and members. She even knew his computer and phone passwords. … We kept cross-referencing information, and I realized Blake had been juggling his schedule to chat with her, sharing everything. I was sure Blake was hiding something from me, and this girl was no ordinary person either. Blake used to tell me he wanted to give each other private space after dating and marriage, claiming that trust was the foundation of a lasting relationship. So all along, it wasn’t about building trust for our marriage, was it? It was just to make it easier to contact his mistress! What a manipulative jerk! Before I could even process the existing information, Amber sent another intimate photo. She was nestled in Blake’s arm, just like the docile cat in her profile picture. The image on my phone flickered on and off, burning into my eyes, making them ache. My vision blurred, and tears streamed down my face. According to Amber, they had been together for many years. Could it be that I was the other woman? Blake came home the next afternoon. “You’re back so early? Is your mom okay?” I asked casually, pretending nothing had happened. His eyes darted to the right, a hint of guilt in his voice, “Yeah, it wasn’t serious, so I came back. The store just started making a profit, and now is a crucial time.” “Do you know Amber Jones?” I decided to lay it all out there. Blake paused, then chuckled, “Amber? No, I don’t think so. Why?” “Amber added me, and she said she’s your girlfriend.” I fiddled with the paintbrush in my hand, trying to keep my emotions in check. “Oh, her! I almost forgot. She’s my ex-girlfriend, yes. But we haven’t seen each other in ages. Why would she suddenly add you?” I didn’t answer, and Blake got anxious, adding. “She’s a bit intense and tends to exaggerate. I broke up with her ages ago, but she’s always clung to me. You have to believe me, Cassie. I’m a married man now.” He came over and put his arms around my waist, his breath warm on my neck, making me deeply uncomfortable. “I’ll play along for now. But if you’re playing games, you’ll regret it, Blake.” I turned to face him, staring into his eyes.

He must’ve had a guilty conscience because, after I agreed, Blake immediately went into the kitchen, fussing over the seafood he’d brought from his hometown, saying he’d make me a gourmet shrimp dish. I couldn’t just blurt out everything Amber told me. After all, I still couldn’t tell how much of her story was true or false, or how much truth this man in front of me was hiding. Chat logs could be faked, pictures could be Photoshopped. So, I decided to keep observing, to see how many more secrets Blake was keeping from me, and what they were truly up to. But in the following days, the more attentive and affectionate Blake became, the more uneasy I felt. After Amber intruded into my life, I often couldn’t sleep a wink. My mind replayed all the memories of how Blake and I first got together. During my senior year of college, I worked part-time as an NPC at the most popular escape room venue in town, often playing ugly ghost roles because they paid better. One time, I spent two hours on my makeup and put on a big red dress. A couple entered the game. After I dramatically appeared in the mirror, my job was to chase them to prevent them from completing their tasks. The girl was terrified and just sat on the floor, throwing a tantrum and refusing to play. Since my task wasn’t done, I continued to pretend to scare them. The boyfriend got angry, came up and slapped me across the face, glaring at me like he was avenging his girlfriend. That’s when Blake appeared. He stopped the player and even slapped the guy back. “If you can’t handle the game, don’t play. What kind of person bullies an NPC? Where are your manners?” After that, I added Blake on SnapChat, and we naturally became friends. He was five years older than me. After getting a job as a programmer at a major tech company, he was never satisfied with the status quo and always wanted to open his own escape room business. We talked about everything, and naturally, we became a couple. He used his savings and took out a bank loan to successfully open “The Labyrinth Escape.” To help Blake, I even considered going home and swallowing my pride to ask my parents for money, but he said having me brainstorm ideas and design things was enough. When I was applying for colleges, my parents secretly logged into my account and changed my design major to business administration, calling it “preparing me to run the family hotel someday.” Later, I pursued a double major in management and design in college but never took a dime from my family. I even snuck off to get married to Blake, taking my documents without their knowledge. Memories flashed through my mind, making it impossible to sleep. When I went to the living room for a glass of water, I saw Blake’s tablet on the table. I tried the password Amber had given me, and it unlocked easily. Once unlocked, I found Blake’s SnapChat still open. There was a pinned conversation, and the profile picture was identical to Amber’s. The SnapChat username was “Sweet Pea,” but Blake had saved her as “My Kitten.” Blake and Amber didn’t chat constantly, but he confided in her about all the major things. Juggling his wife and his girlfriend – turns out my own husband was a real time management guru. Learning of Blake’s lies, my hands clenched into fists.

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My fiancée’ s childhood best friend had tested me three times. The first time, when my fiancée Valerie was sick with a cold, he hid razor blades in my shoe. The blades cut deep into my soles, yet he made me deliver her medicine through the pain. He called it a test of whether my love could overcome any hardship. The second time, on our fifth anniversary, as I left work two hours early to cook, he sprinkled itching powder into my kitchen apron. By the time I finished dinner, I was covered in itchy welts. He laughed, claiming it was to prove my true intentions. Third time, when I returned exhausted from a two-week business trip, Valerie prepared a heartwarming bowl of noodles for me. Only he’d stirred two live earthworms into the broth. He smugly left a message, saying this was to test if I can swallow the bitterness of love without turning violent. Valerie always gently reminded me. “Derek used his college fund to cover my mom’ s surgery back then, which is why he couldn’t t study abroad.” “Even while we were living overseas these past few years, he was the one taking care of my mom in the nursing home.” “He made such a huge sacrifice for me, but in the end, I’ m marrying you. His heart is just broken. Please try to understand.” But what Valerie never knew was that the third test would turn her wedding into a funeral. …

“Caleb, what are these worms doing in the noodles Valerie cooked for you?” The earthworms floated on the surface of the soup. My mother-in-law, kneeling on the floor, gagged and asked, her voice laced with fury. Mom had quietly returned from the nursing home today, intending to surprise Valerie. But Valerie wasn’t home. On the table sat only a bowl of noodles, specially left for me. Mom was starving after her long journey and decided to eat something first. But with her first bite, she pulled out two slimy, half-cooked earthworms! Suddenly, Derek’s voice boomed from the living room’ s Bluetooth speaker. “Caleb, how do the worms taste?” “This is your third test.” “A little reminder that love has its bitter moments; it’s not always sweet!” Mom’ s body trembled with anger. “Derek put the worms in? What in the world is going on!” I forced a bitter smile. “Valerie said he paid for your surgery with his college fund and then took care of you.” “He loves Valerie, but she’s marrying me.” “So she allows him to vent his emotions like this.” Mom’ s voice hitched. “Nonsense!” “Derek gambled that money all away himself! What does that have to do with me!” “Caleb, call Valerie. Tell her to come home right now!” I called Valerie, but she never picked up. The atmosphere in the living room abruptly turned heavy. It was already late at night. Her being out so late was one thing. But now her phone was unreachable, as if she’d completely vanished. Mom’ s face was grim. Finally, after I’ d dialed her number ten times or so. A highly impatient voice answered from the other end. “Caleb, I let Derek put the worms in your noodles!” “Last time, he just came home to help me grab some clothes, and you beat him black and blue.” “This is a test, and it’s also a punishment!” I froze, disbelief washing over me. Last time, her childhood friend was clearly up to no good, installing a pinhole camera in my and Valerie’ s bedroom. I caught him. I couldn’t hold back anymore and taught him a lesson. But I certainly didn’t beat him black and blue. Before I could explain, Valerie rudely cut me off. “Enough! Are you going to say he was secretly filming again?” “Are you just slandering Derek because you’re jealous?!” “I’ve told you countless times, he’s been taking care of my mom, he’s done so much for us. So what if he tests you a few times?” “Do you really have to be so petty and hit him!” I’m an orphan. Mom had funded my education and taken great care of me in my past, she was like a second mother to me. So, whenever Valerie used Derek’ s ‘sacrifice’ as a reason to shut me down, I chose to endure it. But just now, Mom had told me the truth. Derek was a gambler! He never paid for Mom’s surgery. He gambled all his money away! I was about to tell Valerie the truth. But she didn’t give me any chance to speak, immediately hanging up the phone. Mom’s face beside me turned grim. “This is ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!”

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Eight months pregnant, my husband kicked me out of the house. My husband shamed me for quitting my career – the one I’d earned with my master’s degree – after I got pregnant. He accused me of doing nothing but lying around on my phone all day. “What kind of mother will you be if this is the example you set?” “I’m helping you get back to your career, helping you find your worth again.” Then he posted a photo of my retreating back, suitcase in hand. Caption, “Helping my wife get back into the workforce!” Comments poured in. “A husband who supports female independence is a good husband.” I tried to explain that severe anemia during pregnancy made it impossible to work. My doctor had ordered bed rest. But he posted a prenatal check-up report, showing everything was normal. Netizens called me “a lazy liar,” “a manipulative gold-digger.” No company dared to hire an eight-month pregnant woman. I could only find a temporary cleaning job, hoping to survive until my due date. Then one day, while mopping a restroom floor, my anemia finally took me. I collapsed headfirst against the toilet rim. Blood painted the tiles – two lives, gone in an instant. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the moment he locked me out. He smiled encouragingly, “Sera, as long as you work for a full month, I’ll immediately take you to a postpartum care center!” I smiled and nodded. As soon as he closed the door, I hailed a cab and went straight back to my parents’ place. You don’t want me to be a housewife? Then you, this gold-digging freeloader who’s been feeding from my family’s pocket all these years, won’t taste another crumb.

My eyes fluttered open again. Brandon was bending over, packing my suitcase. His sister, Chloe who graduated from college two years ago and was still freeloading off our family, was sitting on the imported Italian leather sofa I’d air-freighted myself, snapping gum and scrolling through her phone, utterly engrossed in the drama. Seeing me standing there frozen, Brandon frowned and said impatiently. “I’m just asking you to go out and work for a month, do you really have to be so dramatic?” “Didn’t you always say you were an independent woman? You even skipped my parents’ birthday dinner just to close a deal back then.” “Now I’m helping you get back into your career, and you’re giving me attitude?” Chloe chuckled, adding snidely. “Exactly, Sera, you’re a Master’s degree holder from a top-tier university. Yet you’re not even half as mature or independent as Bethany. All that education, wasted.” Bethany, the housekeeper, walked over, pregnant belly protruding, carrying a cup of coffee. She smiled sweetly, handing it to Brandon, and gently linked arms with him, Her voice as soft as honey. “How can I compare to Seraphina? Seraphina has been pampered and spoiled her whole life, and married a good husband like you. She’s destined for a life of luxury.” She lowered her head, sighing lightly. “Unlike me, growing up in the countryside, learned hardship young. How could I ever feel at ease enjoying a comfortable life?” “Look at me now, seven, eight months pregnant, and still working to make ends meet.” At this, she looked up again, a fake smile on her face. “Oh, Brandon, don’t push Seraphina too hard. If she doesn’t want to go to work, then so be it. After all-you’re earning all the money.” Bethany’s words only added fuel to the fire. Brandon’s face instantly darkened. He turned and pushed me, along with my luggage, out the door. “Just because I’m from the countryside, does that mean I should suffer and support a family my whole life?” “You’re my wife, you’re supposed to build a life with me, through thick and thin, not find a servant to work for you while you eat, drink, and have fun!” He roared furiously. “The baby’s coming soon, how will you set an example for them like this? I have to cure you of this dramatic behavior before the baby’s born!” With that, he rummaged through my purse, pulled out my bank card, and sneered. “If you want to be independent, then you can’t use my money. Use your own salary card to support yourself.” “Didn’t you used to earn a lot? The money in your card should be enough for a month’s living expenses, right?” “Don’t tell me your card’s empty, and you’ve blown it all.” I clutched the bank card he’d tossed at me, and a flash of my past life crossed my mind. Back then, I was so angry I burst into tears, threw the card back at him, and we had a huge fight. The savings in that card had already been moved by him to gather the wedding funds. It was already empty. But all I got in return was Brandon’s cold sneer. He snapped the bank card in half right in front of me and said coldly. “The wedding funds were for you, weren’t they? Didn’t you say you’re a modern, independent woman? The wedding funds were just a formality, to stay with our family?” “What, you can’t come up with any money now? As expected, you just took all my hard-earned money to spoil your parents!” The words fell, and with a “bang,” he slammed the door shut. “You want money? Go ask your parents for it!”

I dragged my suitcase, penniless, and I didn’t even have my phone. Gritting my teeth, I walked over ten miles, desperately stopping strangers to borrow a phone to call my parents. But everyone I met either thought I was a scammer or looked at me with contempt. “Your husband already posted a video, saying you quit your job after marriage and did nothing at home.” “He’s trying to help you regain independence, giving you money to work for a month.” “And you? Instead of looking for a job, you’re trying to run back to your parents to complain?” I froze, my heart turning to ice. Only then did I realize that as soon as I was kicked out, Brandon had already posted an update on a local social media platform. The title was. “Can’t bear to see my powerhouse career woman wife turn into an entitled gold-digger. I gave her all the wedding funds, just hoping she’d go out and find a job to learn independence.” Below was a photo. My back, holding a suitcase, walking out of the house. I quickly explained that he hadn’t given me any money, and I was penniless. I resigned because I was unwell, and the doctor required bed rest, otherwise, I’d miscarry. I begged netizens to help me clarify and contact my parents. But before I could reach my parents, Brandon beat me to it. He posted another “prenatal check-up report” online. It stated, “Healthy, doctor recommends ‘more exercise, avoid prolonged sitting at home’.” He even attached a video clip. In the footage, he handed me a bank card, smiling, and said. “Sera, all the wedding funds are right here.” I trembled with anger. That prenatal check-up report wasn’t mine at all, and that video- He secretly filmed it when he first asked me to help him raise money! He ended up taking that card back, saying he wanted to personally give it to my parents. I still wanted to explain, but the comments section was already completely biased. The internet was flooded with insults, calling me a liar, an entitled gold-digger, saying I was ungrateful. Netizens contemptuously pushed me away, walking off without a backward glance. With nowhere to turn for help, I could only grit my teeth and look for a job, Thinking I’d earn some money, at least for a place to stay. But no company would hire a woman eight months pregnant. Finally, I found a cleaning job at a hotel. But I didn’t last a day. While mopping the bathroom, due to severe anemia, I collapsed by the cold toilet. Blood flowed everywhere-Two lives, gone. But this time, I wouldn’t engage in any useless arguments with him. I calmly gathered all my documents and bank cards, and made sure my phone was in hand. Turning, I saw Chloe’s gloating expression. I sneered, pointing at her. “You think I need to be independent, so you want to kick me out to find a job? Fine.” “Then you, who’s been unemployed for two years, eating my food and drinking my drinks, should also get out and find a job.” As soon as my words fell, Chloe’s face instantly twisted. She immediately jumped up and shouted. “What does it have to do with me?! I spend my brother’s money, what business is it of yours? My brother hasn’t said anything, who are you to tell me what to do!” I spoke directly. “This house was bought by me before marriage; your brother’s name was only added after we got married.” “The money your brother spends on you is also community property. Every penny you spend, half of it is mine.” “Didn’t you say you wanted independence? I, an eight-month pregnant woman, am being forced to be independent, So why are you, a college graduate with hands and feet, still lying around at home?” “Now, get the hell out!”

Before I could finish, a sharp slap landed heavily on my face. I froze, looking disbelievingly at Brandon. He was panting heavily, gritting his teeth, and said. “Enough! How dare you kick my sister out?” “You’re married to me now! This house is mine!” “My house, my money, I can spend it on whoever I want!” “You’re just a useless freeloader, who are you to tell me what to do with my money?” He said, pushing me out the door. “Get out! I was originally planning to take you back in a month. But now I regret it! You can only come back when you apologize to my sister. Don’t you dare show your face until she’s forgiven you!” Bethany feigned concern behind him. “Oh Brandon, don’t be angry, Seraphina just doesn’t know any better.” “But her ideas are indeed too selfish. You need to teach her properly, Otherwise, she’ll take all your money to spoil her family later on.” Chloe, who had been furious, now saw the red slap mark on my face. A hint of triumph flashed in her eyes. She pulled out her phone and recorded a voice message. “LOL, my high-and-mighty sister-in-law wanted to lecture me?” “She needs to realize who calls the shots in this house. My brother slapped her and she immediately shut up. Indeed, a wife needs to be beaten into submission. Otherwise, she’ll never listen.” I stared back with ice in my gaze. Empty-handed, I pocketed only my phone and ID. Then I turned and walked away without a word. A few taps on my phone, and I’d taken out a quick cash loan. I booked the next flight home—one way, same-day departure. Before sunset, I was already in the air. Fine, you want me to be an independent woman? Then you won’t be a kept man who’s been living off my family, anymore.

I went to the hospital and got a medical report for the assault, just for the record. By the time I boarded the plane, it was already dark. After landing, I covered my bruises and knocked on my parents’ door. Mom opened the door. When she saw me, she was first surprised, Then asked with concern. “Why are you back so suddenly? Did Brandon bully you?” Dad hugged me, only saying in a deep voice, “Eat first.” In just half an hour, Mom, Dad, and the housekeeper prepared a table full of dishes. Every single one is a dish I’ve loved since I was a child. Seeing that table full of steaming food, my eyes stung. For a moment, I thought I might break down right there. I told them everything. When I finished, my father slammed his hand on the table, his voice shaking with anger. “Bullshit! We never asked him for any wedding funds!” “He claimed he had it all ready, and we even told him to keep it. We never even saw a glimpse of that bank card!” I stood there stunned. Because Brandon had clearly told me that he personally handed the wedding funds to my parents. And he even held me, looking desolate, saying that the money put a lot of pressure on his family, And his parents were exhausted, making him feel unfilial. I believed him then. To lessen his burden, I voluntarily worked overtime to secure a project bonus worth hundreds of thousands. And because of that, I missed his parents’ birthday dinner. At that time, I even specifically transferred him ten thousand dollars as a gift, just for his parents. I clenched my fists. Brandon, I will never let you off the hook again. Dad slammed the table again, gritting his teeth. “Eat first, rest tonight. Tomorrow, Dad will go there and get justice for you!” That night, I slept incredibly soundly. The long-lost relaxation and sense of security made me feel lighter. The next morning, my dad, with a convoy of cars and a team of bodyguards, headed straight for my house just as dawn broke. At the door, the password had been changed. Without a word, my dad had the bodyguards kick the door open. Chloe jumped up from the sofa, startled. When she saw my parents and me walk in, her face twisted, and she pointed at me, screaming obscenities. “You bitch! You think running to your parents will save you?!” “You’re married to my brother, you’re part of our family now.” ‘My brother can do whatever he wants to you! If he slaps you, you take it. If he beats you so bad you lose that baby, you had it coming!” At her words, my parents’ faces instantly darkened. Mom walked over, her eyes red, and tenderly touched my face. Her fingertips brushing the spot I’d covered with concealer, tears welling up. “My child, why didn’t you tell us?” Dad’s face turned completely grim, and he said coldly. “Go, invite our ‘master of the house’ kept man back here.” Chloe tried to say something else, but the bodyguards had already stepped forward, grabbing her and pinning her to the floor like a rag doll. Chloe’s face was pale, and she dared not make another sound. Just then, Bethany walked in, carrying several large bags of luxury goods. The moment she saw me, she froze. Our eyes met, and a trace of panic flashed across her face. She instinctively used her bags to shield the jewelry and accessories she’d taken from my safe. I was also stunned. In just one night, she had transformed from her simple self to being decked out in flashy, expensive clothes. I demanded angrily, “Who gave you permission to touch my things? Take them off immediately!” Hearing my words, the bodyguards immediately stepped forward. Bethany immediately clutched her belly and shrieked. “Don’t touch me! I’m pregnant!” She cried, looking at me and my parents, shouting hysterically. “Ms. Seraphina, what are you doing? What kind of woman brings her family to make a scene? Aren’t you ashamed?! Besides, all these things were bought for you by Brandon.” “He said I could use them if I wanted! Even if you’re jealous, you shouldn’t disregard Brandon’s wishes!” My parents were trembling with anger. Dad sneered, pointing at the luxury items on her. “Only a black card could buy these things! Brandon, a poor kid from the countryside, where would he get the money to buy these?” “Take them off her! If you don’t, I’ll call the police and accuse you of theft! Tens of millions of dollars’ worth of items, you’ll be facing a lifetime in prison!” Hearing this, Bethany was too scared to cry out anymore. She could only sob as the bodyguards took off the items one by one. Just then, Brandon was escorted in by the bodyguards. His face was pale, his clothes disheveled. Bethany rushed over, crying, and embraced him, pleading. “Brandon, say something! Seraphina misunderstood our relationship and insisted on calling her parents to make a scene… Those people snatched the jewelry and even tried to tear my clothes…” But Brandon completely ignored her. He forced a smile, fawning over my parents. “Mom, Dad, why are you here? Why didn’t you tell me in advance? I would have picked you up! Look, they even came to my company for me, and I couldn’t even sign my contract.” My dad snorted coldly, “Sign what contract? I’m pulling all future funding I promised you. Even if you sign the contract, you won’t have the money to push it forward.” Brandon’s face instantly changed. His voice trembled, “Dad, you can’t do that! If you pull the funding, my company will collapse! I have so many orders waiting for capital turnover!” “What does that have to do with me?” My dad’s voice was as cold as a knife. “If you could make my daughter happy, I would naturally support you. But now, you can’t even do that.” “Your company, whether it lives or dies, what does that have to do with us?” Brandon panicked, quickly rushed to my side, Grabbed my hand, his voice pleading. “Sera, I just wanted you to be more independent! Before we got married, you told me that even after marriage, you wouldn’t lose yourself.” “I didn’t want you to become that kind of entitled gold-digger, I was really doing it for your own good!”

My dad sneered, “Her health was poor during pregnancy; she needed rest, which is why she stopped working.” “Not only were you not grateful, but you also resented her for not being independent?” “Let me tell you, our family’s money will all be left to my daughter. She could not work her entire life, and I could still support her.” “Whether she’s independent or not is her own business; it’s not for you to decide!” “Didn’t you always say you wanted to be independent? Fine, then you be independent first!” “You call yourself self-made? Every ounce of success you have came from my family’s money. How dare you stand there and lecture me about independence?” “The funding stops now.” “You didn’t pay a single cent for this house. Now you, your freeloading sister and your precious little housekeeper, all of you get out!” As soon as his words fell, Brandon dropped to his knees in front of me, clutching my legs. Tears streaming down his face. “I was wrong… Wife, I was truly wrong…I was confused, I was just anxious and made such a terrible mistake. Please, for the sake of how good I used to be to you, please forgive me.” Brandon wasn’t wrong, he really was good to me in the past. Back then, he would pick me up and drop me off every day, worried it wasn’t safe for me to go home too late. Whenever we argued, he was always the first to back down and console me. On his birthday, he even made a wish, saying he would make me happy for his entire life. It was precisely because his love gave me such confidence that I plunged into it without hesitation, disregarding his family background and marrying him despite his humble origins. But then I thought of my past life, falling headfirst into a pool of blood, a searing pain in my belly, amniotic fluid gushing everywhere. I struggled to get up and call for help, only to bump into Brandon and a flashily dressed Bethany, coming to the hotel for dinner. I cried out to Brandon, “Brandon, save me, the baby’s coming.” Brandon frowned, his face filled with disgust, and said. “Who’s this dirty beggar? She peed all over the floor, how disgusting. Security, get her out of here!” They left me behind without a second glance. Bethany, still clinging to him, simpered, “You didn’t give Seraphina a single cent, and you just kicked her out. Aren’t you worried?” Brandon sneered. “Worried about her? She’s got a princess complex. If it weren’t for her rich family helping my business, I wouldn’t have stooped so low to woo her for so long. Now that she’s married to me, I need to teach her some manners, let her suffer a bit. That way, when I finally take her back, she’ll be obedient.” Now, seeing Brandon’s expression of feigned regret, I knew it was all an act. If I forgave him this time, he would just find other ways to torment me. I looked at him coldly, without a trace of hesitation in my heart. He knelt on the floor, tears streaming down his face, clutching my hand. “Sera, believe me, I really didn’t mean it, I just wanted you to be better.” Seeing that I remained silent, my dad nodded and said. “Get them out of here.” The bodyguards immediately stepped forward. Brandon panicked, desperately clutching my leg, his voice trembling. “Sera! Don’t make me leave, I really made a mistake, I’ll change, okay?!” I spoke up, “Wait a moment.” He immediately looked up, hope rekindling in his eyes. “Sera, I knew you still cared about me.” Just as his words fell, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face. Smack-the sound was crisp and loud. I used all my strength. Brandon froze, looking at me in shock. I pointed at him and said. “Delete everything you posted on that local social media platform immediately, and come with me to the divorce registry now!” “Otherwise, I’ll have my parents completely destroy your company!” Brandon stared at me, his lips trembling. “Sera, don’t do this, we still have a child…” I interrupted him coldly. “The child is mine. From now on, they have nothing to do with you.” My dad snorted. “What are you waiting for? Do as my daughter says!” Brandon had no choice but to follow me to get the divorce. Before leaving, he looked at me with a pained expression and said. “I know I made a mistake, and I will use time to prove that I’ve learned from it.” “I hope you’ll give me another chance to pursue you again.” “I looked at him, said nothing, and just turned to leave.” He truly seemed to have turned over a new leaf, realizing his problems, and even dragged Chloe to apologize to me. He also continuously sent many expensive gifts and flowers. But I had them all sent back; the flowers went straight into the trash. Brandon then constantly posted public declarations of love for me on the local social media platform, saying that he was too chauvinistic, hurting his wife, and that he wanted to win her back. But I couldn’t be bothered with him.

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The company was thrown into disarray because of that troublemaker, Chloe. My husband, Derek, not only stopped me from firing her but demanded I pay her compensation for emotional distress. “She already has mental health issues, and she’s a divorced single mom. Don’t add more pressure to her.” “If you ask me, give her three million as compensation, and a long vacation. It would really show your generosity as a leader.” I stared at Derek, utterly disbelieving. If Chloe hadn’t used a baby bottle to serve a client during a meeting, the company wouldn’t have been targeted and plunged into this crisis. Watching her hide behind Derek, I sneered, “Anyone would think she’s your wife, not your employee.” “Since you’re so keen on protecting her, then get out of my company, both of you!” “And sign the divorce papers in the cabinet on your way out. My company doesn’t need imbeciles like you two.” My words had barely left my lips. Derek stood up, aghast. “How can you be so heartless? I’m just being empathetic to an employee, and you want to divorce me?” “The company’s in trouble, and instead of figuring out a solution, you’re picking on an employee. Victoria, do you even act like a boss anymore?” Watching his self-righteous display, I found it both laughable and pathetic. “Derek, you’ve probably forgotten that everything you have now, I gave you.” “You’re protecting Chloe so fiercely. Could it be there’s something shady going on between you two?” I was raised from childhood to be an heiress. Derek was just a man my father brought into our family business to assist me as my husband. I’d made it clear from the start that I didn’t want Chloe hired. She had a knack for stirring up trouble. Others would be working overtime on proposals, and she’d accidentally unplug the server. When asked to submit a plan, she’d claim her baby had a “rumbling tummy” and needed her. What was even more infuriating was when she put sick cats and dogs in the communal food storage area, leading to the entire staff being rushed to the emergency room. There was no way I was keeping an employee like that. But last month, while I was on a business trip overseas, Derek bypassed HR and shoved her into the client relations department. And then that troublemaker used a baby bottle to entertain an important client, successfully bringing disaster down on the company. Derek not only refused to fire her but demanded I pay her a hefty compensation. He was truly insane. “Victoria, how could you say such a thing?” Derek’s face flushed crimson, his shouting voice growing weaker. “We’re husband and wife! This company is our shared effort…” “Shared effort?” I cut him off, a cold laugh escaping my lips. “Don’t flatter yourself. Without the Albrights, you, Derek, would probably be couch-surfing or struggling on the streets somewhere…” Before I could finish, Chloe, who was hiding behind Derek, suddenly burst into tears. “It’s all my fault! I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have caused trouble for the company, and I shouldn’t have made Mr. Johnson uncomfortable… Ms. Albright, Mr. Johnson is just too kind. Our relationship is completely innocent. Please don’t be angry, and please don’t argue with Mr. Johnson because of me…” As she spoke, she suddenly pushed Derek away and dashed towards the office’s floor-to-ceiling window. Chloe braced her hands on the windowsill, turning to look at us, her eyes bloodshot. “If my death can calm everything down, if it can help the company through this crisis, if it can make you two reconcile, then… then I’ll just die!” Derek’s face went ashen, and he exclaimed, “Chloe! Don’t do anything rash!” He rushed forward, pulled her down from the window ledge, and glared at me fiercely. “Victoria, Chloe just used a baby bottle to pour some water for a client, right? A baby bottle isn’t dirty. How hard is it for a divorced single mother with a child? Can’t you show some understanding?” “You’re not infertile yourself, are you, so you can’t stand to see anyone else doing well? Victoria, when did you become so vicious?” I raised an eyebrow, watching him flail desperately, my eyes full of scorn. “But I distinctly remember that it was *you* who got a vasectomy years ago. What do you mean *I* can’t have children?”

At my words, Derek’s arms, wrapped around Chloe, stiffened. The venomous look in his eyes instantly dissolved into panic. “Victoria! You… how could you bring up our private matters in front of everyone?! Are you insane?” I sneered, a chill seeping into my heart. He was the one who proposed it back then, to make me feel secure enough, that’s why he had the vasectomy. Watching his frantic rush to protect Chloe, I asked, “You didn’t tell her, did you? What, afraid she’d find out and wouldn’t like you anymore?” Chloe cried, stepping forward to grab my arm and explain, “Ms. Albright, I’ve already proven that Mr. Johnson and I have a completely innocent relationship. Why won’t you believe us?” “And how can you mock Mr. Johnson like that? Even if Mr. Johnson can’t have children, he’s still so decisive and efficient! If I were his wife, I’d never mock him like you do!” I shoved her away in disgust. I hadn’t used much force, but she tumbled to the ground. And she dragged me down with her. A sharp pain shot through my knee. I was about to demand an explanation when I saw Derek frantically shield Chloe’s stomach. Catching my gaze, Derek abruptly pulled his hand back. I gave a self-mocking laugh, staggering to my feet. He frowned as he watched me limp on my injured leg. The leg injury was from saving him. Back then, he was young, reckless, and always getting into trouble. I was kidnapped by his enemies, and the tendons in my leg were severed, leaving me paralyzed for a year. It was also because of that incident that he had the vasectomy. Derek reached out to help me, but I swatted his hand away. He looked displeased, then forcefully scooped me up and placed me on the sofa. “How long are you going to keep this up?” He pulled up my pant leg, looking at my seemingly uninjured leg, and sneered, “I knew it. I distinctly remember it healed ages ago, so how could it still hurt? Just stop pretending.” “Victoria, when did you become so petty and calculating?” Hearing his words, my heart completely died. Even if the skin on my leg showed no outward damage, inside it was riddled with scars. “Is Chloe’s child yours?” I asked directly what was on my mind. It wasn’t that I was being suspicious without cause. During the year I was recovering, Derek initially stayed by my side, consumed by guilt. But later, he started using the excuse of being busy with work to stay out all night. I looked at the pearl necklace around Chloe’s neck. Derek had paid a high price for it at an auction. I thought it was a holiday gift for me. But now it was on Chloe. Perhaps during that year I was recovering, he fell in love with Chloe and had a child with her. And the vasectomy was just a smokescreen. Derek looked at me, his face pale. “What nonsense are you talking about? Fine, I don’t have to keep her, I’ll just fire her…” Before he could finish, Chloe screamed, clutching her stomach. Seeing this, Derek scooped her up without another word and rushed out. I shook my head with a sarcastic smile and called my father. “Dad, Derek is tainted. Cancel all the company shares we were going to give him…” Before I could finish, I was suddenly struck from behind and everything went black.

When I woke up, I was tied up in an abandoned factory. The throbbing pain in the back of my head hadn’t subsided when one of the kidnappers inserted a needle into my finger. I wanted to scream from the pain, but my mouth was gagged. Just as the second needle was about to pierce my skin, a voice came from the shadows: “Stop.” I instantly looked up. Even though the person was masked and using a voice changer, I recognized him as Derek. He walked up to me, his exposed brows furrowing slightly when he saw the blood on my hand. But he quickly turned his back, clenching his fist as he spoke, “This is a small price for a boss with no empathy like you. Don’t forget where you came from.” So, he kidnapped me to get back at me for Chloe. Derek really had fallen for Chloe. But he forgot that everything he had was because of me. I pressed the emergency button on my wrist. In less than ten minutes, my exclusive security team would track my location. Just then, Derek’s phone rang. Chloe’s soft voice came through: “Derek, why does this bracelet you gave me keep beeping? It’s so annoying… Please come back, I’m scared…” Derek abruptly hung up, instinctively looking at me, then delivered a forceful blow, knocking me unconscious. My consciousness slowly faded. I never imagined Derek would secretly give my security bracelet to Chloe. When I woke up, I was back in the hospital. Derek sat by my bed, a solemn expression on his face as he held a bowl of porridge. The moment he saw my eyes open, he leaned closer. I turned my head, avoiding his hand, but he continued to scoop a spoonful to my lips. “Chloe had a miscarriage. The doctor said it was due to the stress you caused yesterday, combined with her hard work for the company…” Hearing his words, I slapped him across the face. He stared at me, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, which quickly darkened. “You can hit me or yell at me all you want, but Victoria, Chloe is so delicate. How could you unleash your nasty, overbearing side on her?” “Get out.” I gritted my teeth, hating him. Not exposing his kidnapping me immediately was a huge act of grace, yet he dared to blame me? He had no idea what he was doing. As Derek was about to say something more, my phone suddenly rang. He saw that it was my father calling and instinctively snatched the phone. “What are you complaining to Dad about now?” I sneered but didn’t stop him. Just as the call was about to connect, Derek’s phone in his pocket rang, and Chloe’s sweet voice came through. “Mr. Johnson, why aren’t you back yet? My stomach hurts so much…” Derek patiently soothed the person on the phone, then turned to me, his face full of reproach. “I’ll explain everything to Dad. You’re the one who was being stubborn and spiteful first, so don’t think you can play the victim.” With that, he hurriedly left the hospital room. I rolled my eyes and answered my father’s call. “My dear daughter, I’ve looked into everything. However, I’m still going to proceed with the press conference for the equity transfer.” I was confused and about to ask my father why, when he sent me a video. After watching the video, I immediately understood my father’s intention and nodded in agreement. As soon as I hung up with Dad, Chloe sent me provocative photos. One picture showed Derek intimately washing Chloe’s feet.

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I was ordered to attend a tutoring session while the fake daughter, Vanessa, was getting ready to head to a mountain spa resort with Mom and Dad. Vanessa pouted, “Chloe’s stuck studying, and I get to go out and have fun? What if she surpasses me in the next exam?” Mom and Dad immediately showered her with reassurances. They promised to find her top-tier private tutors when they got back, ensuring I’d never get a chance to outdo her. Watching the three of them walk off happily, a dark thought flickered in my mind: I wished they would just drop dead out there. I didn’t want a family like this. That evening, as I pushed open the front door, Mom and Dad stood in the living room, covered in mud. “There was a sudden flood in the mountains. We were accidentally swept away. Vanessa didn’t make it out.” The next moment, my phone vibrated. It was a message from Vanessa: “Mom and Dad and I were swept away by the flood. I was lucky enough to be rescued, but Mom and Dad drowned!” A shiver of dread ran down my spine. Because on my way home, I had received a call. A sudden flood in the mountains. Mom, Dad, and Vanessa were all dead, drowned in the deluge!

My phone was still vibrating. Vanessa was still sending me messages. “Rescue workers are trying to recover Mom and Dad’s bodies.” “You’d better come here.” Vanessa, who Mom and Dad said was dead, was asking me to go to the mountains. My throat felt dry. “Chloe, why are you just standing foolishly by the door?” Mom’s voice suddenly echoed above my head. She had walked up to me without me hearing a single sound. I jumped, startled, instinctively locking my phone screen. Mom grabbed my right hand, the one holding the phone, and stared intently at me. “Why did I just see Vanessa sending you messages?” “What did she say?” Her hand was impossibly cold, completely devoid of warmth. I remembered the call I’d received on the way home, telling me Mom, Dad, and Vanessa had all drowned in the flood. My eyes welled up with tears from fright. “Vanessa sent me a message, asking me to go into the mountains to find her.” “Mom, didn’t you say she was dead? How can she still be sending me messages?” My raw honesty seemed to soften Mom’s icy expression. “Someone must be pranking you with Vanessa’s phone.” “Don’t be scared, come inside. Look, your clothes are all wet.” Mom gently put her arm around my shoulder, guiding me into the house. I leaned into the cold comfort of her hug. Since they brought me back from the orphanage five years ago, she had never shown me such tender concern. All her affection and love had always been reserved for Vanessa. If Mom could always be this kind to me, then whether they were dead or alive didn’t matter. Just then, click. The front door closed, then locked. Dad reached out and snatched my phone, while Mom roughly pushed me away.

Before I could even steady myself, there was a loud bang. Dad violently smashed my phone against the wall. It instantly shattered into pieces. “Who said you could take your phone to tutoring?” “Tell me, were you even listening in class, or were you just playing on your phone the whole time?” Mom stood there, arms crossed, looking at me with undisguised disgust. This was the Mom and Dad I knew. So, the gentleness earlier was just a trick to get me inside. Swallowing down my bitter self-mockery, I obediently apologized, playing along with their accusations. “I’m sorry, I won’t play on my phone again.” “Dad, Mom, you must be hungry, right? I’ll go make dinner.” Years of verbal abuse and physical punishment had taught me that immediate surrender and apology was always the safest route. I had no leverage to stand up to them. I put down my backpack and hurried to the kitchen, moving through it with practiced ease to find ingredients. Mom and Dad’s eyes were dark and brooding, but seeing me dutifully cooking, they relaxed their watchful eyes on me, taking turns to change their clothes. Seizing the chance, I rolled up my sleeve and glanced at the smartwatch on my wrist. I had saved up money from odd jobs to buy it in secret. It could chat and make calls. I logged into my account, and Vanessa’s messages immediately popped up. “They still haven’t found Mom and Dad’s bodies. Don’t come over, I’m heading back.” “I heard that those who drown sometimes return home on a rainy night.” “You’d better not open the door for just anyone tonight.” I glanced at the drizzle outside the window, remembering Mom and Dad, covered in mud, when I opened the door earlier. A wave of icy dread shot through me. No, I had to get out of here, fast. However, I checked around and found that all the kitchen and living room windows were locked tight. I realized Mom and Dad were preventing me from escaping. I returned to the kitchen, my heart pounding harder and harder with each beat. Just as my heart was hammering in my chest, I suddenly caught the scent of burning incense. Mom placed an incense burner with three sticks of incense in the corner of the living room. “This is incense for warding off evil spirits and protecting our home.” “Vanessa drowned, there’s no telling if she’ll try to come home on a rainy night like this.” Dad comforted her, “Once tonight is over and we find her body, we can give her a proper burial.” They leaned on each other as they walked to the dining table. I noticed that their legs were stiff as they walked, moving as if they couldn’t bend. I swallowed hard. “Vanessa’s body hasn’t been found either?” “No, the flood was too big,” Dad paused, then asked, “Whose body hasn’t been found?” His gaze was filled with suspicion. A quiet alarm went off in my head, but I kept my face blank as I replied, “Just the other tourists who were in the mountains with you.” “I heard the flood was really bad this time, several people died.” Dad sighed, “Yes, it was.” After making dinner, while Mom and Dad ate, I continued to secretly check my smartwatch. Vanessa was still sending me messages, as expected. “I’m at the entrance of the complex.” “I can see our house.” “I didn’t bring my key, hurry and open the door for me!” The next moment, thump, the front door was knocked on.

Vanessa was back! I stared at the front door, my peripheral vision catching Mom and Dad eating. After a long moment, I took a deep breath and walked to the door, gripping the doorknob. Just as I was about to turn it, an impossibly cold hand suddenly clasped the back of my neck. I froze instantly. Mom’s face appeared from behind me, and as she spoke, a chilling breath brushed my face. “What are you doing?” My palms were sweating uncontrollably. “I heard someone knocking.” Mom’s voice was a hollow whisper, “Knocking in the rain, who knows if it’s a person or a ghost.” “Don’t open it!” She and Dad stared intently at the front door, their eyes glinting with a sinister coldness, as if preparing for a serious threat. After two more knocks, the outside fell silent. But Mom and Dad didn’t move. They just stood there stiffly by the door. Mom waved her hand. “Go back to your room.” I grabbed my backpack and ran. Back in my upstairs bedroom, I shut the door tightly, but still feeling uneasy, I reached to lock it from the inside. Just as I turned the latch, Dad’s low, menacing voice warned me. “Chloe, don’t you dare lock that door from the inside.” “Otherwise, I’ll take the door right off its hinges.” My breath hitched. I stared fixedly at the door. I could almost picture their pale faces, pressed tight against the door, listening for any sound from my room. When they sensed my intention to lock the door, they immediately gave their grim warning. I instinctively held my breath, not daring to move. It was a full ten minutes before I dared to open my door again. The lights downstairs were off. In the dim light of the hallway, I didn’t see Mom or Dad. They must have gone back to their room. I let out a soft breath, wiping the clammy sweat from my palms. I carefully closed the door again, locking it this time. Leaning against the door, I turned on my smartwatch screen. Vanessa’s message popped up right away. “Chloe, why aren’t you opening the door for me?” “It’s raining outside, I’m freezing to death.” “Hurry up and open the door, I have something important to tell you!” Was it really her knocking earlier? Could she still be waiting outside? I hesitated for a few seconds, then gritted my teeth, crept downstairs, and opened the door. Vanessa was really standing outside! Vanessa was soaked to the bone, her face deathly pale. Blood mixed with rain streamed down her cheeks, leaving streaks of crimson.

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The cable car hung suspended in mid-air. Over the intercom, a staff member’s voice crackled: “It’s past closing time for the park. You’re coming down this late, so you’ll have to pay me overtime.” “Let’s make it a flat fee of 7,000 bucks. That’s for the whole 7,320-meter cable car ride, I’ll even round it down for you.” “Transfer the money, and I’ll restart the cable car. If you don’t, you can all hang here in mid-air tonight!” I pleaded with the staff member to restart the cable car because two elderly people had suddenly collapsed from high blood pressure and were already unconscious. The staff member scoffed, “Then pay up for your lives, simple as that. No money? Then you deserve to die there!” Without warning, the cable car shuddered to a halt, leaving us dangling in the vast emptiness. The steel cables groaned and shrieked in the wind, a sound that grated on my teeth. Below, the valley plunged into an abyss, the twilight bleeding ink-black into the horizon, rapidly devouring the sky. Inside the cabin, our senior tour group of twenty elderly passengers, just starting to unwind from a day of sightseeing, were now plunged into the abyss of panic by this sudden stop. “What’s going on?” “Why did we stop? Is something wrong?” “Chloe, dear, is everything alright? This looks so scary…” My heart plummeted. I forced down my own rising anxiety, managing a reassuring smile. “Don’t panic, everyone. It might just be a temporary stop. I’ll ask what’s happening.” I immediately found the intercom button on the cabin wall and pressed it. “Hello? Control center? We’re passengers on the downhill cable car. Could you tell us why we’ve stopped?” After a brief static hiss, a young woman’s voice, laced with laziness and impatience, cut through. “Hello, hello, can you hear me? This is Amy from the mountain base control room. It’s already past closing time for the park, and you guys are coming down this late. That’s infringing on my private time, so you’ll have to pay me overtime!” Overtime? Everyone froze, stunned. The woman sneered, then slowly continued, “By the rules, it’s one buck per meter, and this cable car line is 7,320 meters long. I’ll round it down for you, let’s just make it 7,000 bucks. Transfer the money, and I’ll get the cable car moving again. There’s a QR code right next to the intercom, see it? Now, scan it and transfer the money, immediately!” “Money in my account, and I’ll send the cable car right down. If not…” Her voice suddenly turned chilling, “Heh, then you can all hang up here in mid-air and freeze your asses off tonight! The night wind up here can literally kill you!” The cabin erupted into chaos, the elderly passengers gasping in horror. “This… what kind of logic is this?” “This is robbery! It’s blackmail!” “This is outrageous!” “Are you and the park staff in on this together to scam us, tour guide?” I couldn’t help but frown. I’d led so many tours, been to this park thousands of times, and we usually descended around this time. This was the first time I’d ever encountered anything like this. I quickly calmed the seniors, suppressing my own anger, and tried to speak into the intercom in as steady a voice as possible: “Ma’am, what’s your name?” “Amy.” “Ms. Amy, I don’t know if you’re a new employee, but I’ve brought groups to this park so many times, I know your schedule by heart. We are not past closing time.” “Your demand is unreasonable and completely baseless. We’ve purchased valid entrance tickets and cable car tickets, and the park is obligated to transport us safely down the mountain. Please restart the cable car immediately. We can discuss any issues once we’re safely on the ground.” Amy instantly shrieked, “Discuss? Who’s discussing anything with you?!” “My time is money! Cut the crap, no money, no movement!” Just then, Margaret, an elderly woman from our group, tugged at my sleeve, whispering anxiously, “Chloe, dear, you need to look… Arthur and Eleanor… their faces aren’t right. Arthur looks… it’s making my heart race…” I turned back to look. Arthur was practically slumped in his seat, his face an unnatural, deathly gray, his lips a terrifying purplish-blue. One hand was clutched tightly to his chest, his breathing shallow and ragged, as if he might stop any second. His forehead was beaded with cold sweat. Eleanor gripped his other arm tightly, her aged face etched with immense fear and helplessness, her lips trembling. “Medicine… Arthur, where’s your blood pressure medicine? Your heart medicine?” Arthur shook his head slightly, with great difficulty, his eyes already unfocused, his voice barely a whisper. “Finished… last pill… forgot… to bring…” My heart plunged to rock bottom. Arthur suffered from severe high blood pressure and a coronary heart condition. This sudden fright and being suspended at this altitude were a fatal blow to him! I immediately rushed back to the intercom, yelling, “Ms. Amy, we have an elderly passenger in our group who has fallen critically ill because of your actions! He’s showing signs of oxygen deprivation and needs to be taken down the mountain for emergency medical attention immediately!” “You need to restart the cable car right now! Otherwise, if anything happens to this elderly man, you will be held fully liable in the eyes of the law! This is murder!”

Amy scoffed, full of contempt. “Legal liability? Murder? Who are you trying to scare? I don’t fall for that crap!” “Heart condition? Old man? So what? Just because they’re old and useless, they get to leech off society? A bunch of useless old folks just taking up space, they deserve to die! They die early, and they save the country some pension money!” “I’d actually be thrilled if my own in-laws, those two old farts, just had an accident and died! Save me the trouble of seeing their faces every day! Maybe their own family members think the same thing, just wishing they’d kick the bucket already!” Amy’s words instantly ignited the public’outrage among the seniors, who began to accuse her. “Who are you cursing to die?” “Exactly! Don’t you ever get old?!” “How can you be so vicious? What did your family elders ever do to you, that you curse them like that?” Just then, Eleanor, with trembling hands, pulled an old-fashioned flip phone from her pocket. “Chloe, dear, I… I’ll call my son. He… he might work at this park…” “He’s in security or something… he’ll definitely know what to do… he can definitely handle this person…” Her voice wasn’t loud, but the intercom was on speaker, and Amy clearly heard her words. Then, what answered us was just Amy’s sneering laughter echoing through the intercom, full of disdain. Eleanor clumsily used her shaking fingers, pressing one number after another, as if summoning all her strength, then hit the call button. The cabin instantly fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone held their breath, twenty pairs of eyes fixed on that small flip phone, hoping the sound of the call connecting would bring a miracle. The long waiting tone hammered like a heavy club on everyone’s heart. However, the hoped-for voice never came until the call automatically disconnected. “No… no one picked up…” Hope instantly dwindled by half. Margaret tried to comfort her. “Maybe he’s busy? What about your daughter-in-law? Call your daughter-in-law and ask.” Eleanor snapped back to reality and frantically picked up the flip phone to dial again. The phone rang a few times, then was answered. Eleanor excitedly said, “Amy! It’s me! Your dad and I are on the cable car going down the mountain, and it’s stopped, it’s not moving! Your dad’s having a heart attack, and he’s out of medicine. He can’t breathe, his face is turning purple!” “The staff member controlling the cable car is demanding money to restart it, 7,000 bucks, you…” The woman’s voice on the other end impatiently interrupted, “Mom, Daniel and I are busy making big money right now. Can we call you back when we’re done?” Before the call was cut off, everyone heard the other person mumble: “So annoying. Daniel is great in every way, except he’s blindly devoted to his parents. If I wasn’t afraid he’d argue with me, I would have gotten rid of those two old farts a long time ago.” Eleanor held the phone, dumbfounded. The cabin fell into a deeper silence again, broken only by Arthur’s heavy, gasping breaths. My brows furrowed sharply, and a chill snaked up my spine. That daughter-in-law’s voice on the phone… That sharp, arrogant, selfish tone… How could it be… so much like Amy’s voice on the intercom? They were practically identical! And Amy had just cursed her own two elderly in-laws… A wildly absurd, yet terrifying thought suddenly surfaced in my mind. Could this staff member, Amy, who was extorting us… Be Arthur and Eleanor’s daughter-in-law?! I forced down the stormy turmoil in my heart, knelt down, and gently held Eleanor’s cold, trembling hand. “Eleanor, please don’t fret. You just said… your son works at the park, so your daughter-in-law… is she… does she also work here?”

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