Li Zi Hai Shi Xing

The silence in our living room was heavy, broken only by my ragged breathing. On the coffee table, a single photograph lay between us: my wife, Chloe Davis, holding a child, a man I' d never seen before, Alex Reed, his arm possessively around them. The anonymous email was simple: "Everything you believe is a lie." I stared at Chloe, my wife of five years, the celebrity I had helped build, the woman I loved with every fiber of my being, as she calmly confessed. "His name is Alex Reed. And that' s our son, Noah." Their son. The son I was told I could never have. The pain I had carried for us, the infertility I had accepted as my truth, was nothing but a calculated cover story. Her mother, Eleanor, rushed to my side, not to comfort me, but to smooth things over, to sell me on a lifetime of complicity. "Ethan, you know you can' t have children. This has happened. What' s the point of making a scene? Be a father to the boy. It' s a blessing in disguise, really." The sheer audacity, the cold dismissal of my pain and betrayal, left me speechless. Chloe, the woman I thought I knew, looked at me with chilling pragmatism. "It' s the most practical solution, Ethan. We can keep Alex and Noah hidden. This can just be our secret." My entire marriage, a lie. My love, a tool. My supposed brokenness, a convenient cover for her betrayal. The devastation burned away all confusion, leaving behind a stark clarity. "No," I said, quiet but final. Chloe blinked, as if the concept was foreign. "I want a divorce." Then came the storm. Not from Chloe, but from a social media post crafted by Eleanor, turning me into the villain. "Some people can't handle a strong woman. Chloe deserves a man who can give her a real family." My fabricated infertility, their weapon. The woman I sacrificed everything for had joined her mother and her secret family to paint me as the inadequate, abusive monster. They thought I was weak. They were wrong. My fingers, no longer trembling, found my phone. "I need to file for divorce. And I want to be prepared for a fight."

The first thing I felt when I opened my eyes wasn' t relief, but a dull ache in my chest. This wasn't my body, but Ava's. And with it came the ghost of her memory-a life of betrayal, humiliation, and a desperate wish for justice. Just hours ago, she was destroyed in the very home I now found myself in. Downstairs, the low murmur of voices belonged to the perfect, grieving family: Chloe, Ava' s supposed sister, clinging to Mark, Ava' s fiancé, both displaying a tenderness Mark hadn't shown Ava in years. Beside them stood my father, a man of iron will, his hand on Chloe's shoulder, looking at her with a pained affection he never once bestowed upon his own biological daughter. The scene turned sickening when Mark declared his love for Chloe, emphasizing her "softness" that Ava, with her ambition, supposedly lacked. Then came my father' s final hammer blow: "This girl, Chloe, has more grace and kindness in her little finger than you have in your entire body. She is the daughter I always wished I had." Every word was aimed at Ava, shattering her spirit. This was the core of her pain, the reason she gave up. But for me, it was the spark. I smiled, a cold, unwavering smile. "Good," I said, my voice clear and steady. "Then you won\'t mind when I take back everything that is rightfully mine. Every last thing."

The glowing line of code on Sarah' s monitor signaled another crisis averted, a familiar satisfaction that quickly vanished, replaced by the dull ache of a life suffocating under the weight of her possessive fiancé, Mark, and his manipulative sister, Emily. "Just three more days," she whispered to the empty office-a countdown to her escape and a new life where she would finally be valued. But her carefully constructed countdown shattered the moment Emily, supposedly pregnant and fragile, staged a dramatic public collapse in Sarah' s office, openly accusing her. Mark, the supposed love of her life, didn' t hesitate; his immediate, furious accusation- "What did you do?" -echoed through the silent office, his eyes burning with pure hatred. The betrayal was swift and absolute. He accused her of attempting to kill Emily and, later, their unborn child (Emily's baby, not theirs). Her reputation, her career, and her very freedom evaporated under a deluge of his self-righteous rage and Emily' s calculated lies. The accusations hung heavy in the sterile hospital air, turning her into a monster in front of her colleagues and the police. How could the man who once adored her believe such monstrous lies without question? How could a bond forged in love warp into this toxic web of manipulation and deceit? The injustice was a cold, sharp blade, cutting deep into her soul. She was trapped, branded a villain, with no one but herself to fight the tide of his blind fury. Yet, a seed of hope remained. Just two more days, she reminded herself. Two more days until a clandestine agency pulled her from this nightmare, erasing her old life and giving her a chance to reclaim herself. It was a risk, a leap into the unknown, but it was her only way out.

A blinding headache kicks off the wildest day of my life. I' m Savannah Vance, a pastry chef, but suddenly I' m a villainess in some cheesy romance novel, hated by everyone, including Dr. Kael Blackwood, the handsome, cold hero. My new 'family,' who apparently swapped me at birth from a wealthy tech mogul father, instantly disowns me. Accusations fly-they parade my presumed low-class origins, and my adoptive mother' s misguided "love potion" gift to "secure a man's interest" only solidifies their disgust. No matter what I do, they just see the conniving gold-digger from the book. My supposed sister, Blair, frames me again and again, turning every family member against me, while Kael watches with chilling disdain. His own family, especially his mom, seems to be the only ones who see my truth. How am I supposed to survive in a world where everyone believes I'm the villain, especially when the hero despises me and my own family actively tries to sabotage me? This isn' t my story, but I' m living it. I will not be this villainess. I' ll use my real skills, my baking talent, and my anonymous blog, "Sugar & Spice," to carve out my own destiny, even if it means fighting alone against a pre-written ending.

For 15 years, Lena and I were Apex and Viper, Sentinel Group's best. We moved like ghosts, always got the job done. I thought our bond was iron, that nothing could break what we had. A lifetime together, quiet, away from it all – that was the future I saw. Then Julian Thorne, a tech billionaire's son, walked into our lives. I saw the shift in Lena's eyes, a flicker I hadn't wanted to acknowledge. Her laughter grew too loud, too often with him, and her subtle jabs at me turned sharper, more dismissive. She started calling him Julian, shared operational details she shouldn't have, and openly mocked my ruggedness, insisting Julian preferred 'polish.' My gut twisted when he tossed our custom-made challenge coin in the air – the symbol of our unbroken partnership, given to him like trash. But nothing hit harder than her cold laugh, "A future? With you? Don't be ridiculous, Alex. You think I' d ever be with someone like you?" Twenty years of belief, shattered in an instant. The woman I loved, my partner for fifteen years, saw me as nothing but a grunt, a relic, beneath her ambition. The pain was a physical blow, a cold, hard truth: this wasn't a partnership. To her, it was just a job, and Julian Thorne, a shiny, disposable perk. Watching her laugh with him, the knot in my gut tightened, then snapped. I pulled out my burner phone, the one I hadn't touched in years. "Grandfather," I said, my voice rough, "It's Alex. About that arrangement… is it still on the table?" It was time to leave everything behind, to find a peace she could never offer.

The scream died in my throat, a ghost of a sound from a life already lost. My eyes snapped open to weak autumn sunlight filtering through bedroom curtains. Michael, my husband, slept beside me, his breathing even. Down the hall, Lily, my five-year-old, would soon be stirring, ready for cartoons and pancakes. It was a normal morning, but the memories, the ice-cold dread, they weren't a dream. It was a terrifying premonition: a monstrous blizzard, Lily's small, still face, Michael's broken body in the snow. I saw the snarling faces of Frank, Brenda, Billy, and Jimmy, their greedy eyes scanning our home. And then, the ultimate betrayal: Jessie. My adopted daughter, Jessie, siding with them, facilitating their violence, celebrating their victory over our family. They had ransacked our home, murdered my husband and daughter, and left me to die in the freezing snow. My heart hammered with the visceral horror of that nightmare, the profound betrayal burning deeper than any wound. How could the daughter I loved, the one I raised, turn into such a monster and actively choose our destruction? This wasn't just a nightmare; it felt terrifyingly real, a chilling glimpse into an impending doom. "It had all happened. It was all going to happen. Today." A tremor went through me. Today was the day the blizzard warnings began, the day Jessie first whined about wanting to see her "real" family. I was back. Armed with the brutal wisdom of a life I'd already lost, I would rewrite every brutal chapter, protect my family, and ensure those who sought to harm us faced a fate far worse.

Ethan and I were a medical power couple, brilliant doctors at Mount Sinai West, building a life, a future. My world, however, shattered in a horrific car crash. My head throbbed, my vision blurred, and though my words were clear enough to convey a severe neurological emergency, the man I loved, Dr. Ethan Hayes, rushed past my trauma bay. He called me "dramatic," dismissing my critical state to focus on his stepsister, Brooke, who he believed had a 'shattered leg.' I watched, a helpless ghost, as my body flatlined, the monitor's unbroken tone signaling my death. He still didn't know, too preoccupied with fixing Brooke's "injuries," too blind to her manipulative tears and lies about the accident. The betrayal was colder than death itself. Five years, a future planned, all discarded for a carefully crafted pretense. My heart, or what was left of it, ached with an unbearable truth. The true horror, the one that would forever define his torment, was a secret I carried even into the afterlife: I was pregnant. With our child. The baby he unknowingly condemned with his catastrophic medical negligence. His world was about to unravel – spectacularly, brutally. And I, his silent, invisible companion, would be tethered to him, watching every agonizing moment as his brilliant career, his sanity, and his very soul disintegrated.

My name is Sarah Miller, and I gave up everything for the man I loved. When a scandal threatened my fiancé Ethan Vance's political ambitions, I sacrificed my family's ancestral land and treasured heirloom locket to the ruthless Arthur Sterling, clearing Ethan's massive debt. I then endured brutal months in Sterling's notorious sweatshop, working until my body broke, leaving me with a permanent limp and a jagged scar. But the day Ethan won his election, the news crushed me: he was engaged to Tori Sterling, Arthur Sterling's cruel daughter. I limped to his victory celebration, desperate for his promised future, only for him to look me dead in the eyes and publicly declare, "I don't know you." Tori sneered, branding me a "delusional ex," and amid their mocking laughter, Ethan had Sterling's enforcers banish me from town. How could the man I crippled myself for betray me so utterly, abandoning me for the very family who orchestrated my ruin? Cast out, every sacrifice seemingly for nothing, a searing injustice ignited a desperate fire within me. Limping away from everything I knew, I set my sights on whispered legends of a hidden community, The Hollow. I would seek refuge there, not to hide, but to forge a new destiny and, one day, demand the fierce justice I deserved.

The scream tore from my throat, but no sound came out. I was back. My hand flew to my belly—round, firm, eight months pregnant. Sunlight poured into my apartment. I was alive. But the memory was searing: that sterile hospital room, the monstrous pain of losing her, my baby girl ripped away. Mark’s family, their greedy faces, haunted my vision. They wanted my company, my money. They watched as my child and I died. Just three days. That's all I had before the loan sharks would come, the harbinger of my past life's ruin. They called my unborn daughter 'worthless' plotting my divorce and even grooming Mark's mistress to bear their 'heir.' They’d publicly shame me, all while seizing my assets. The burning injustice was a raw wound. To protect their name and inheritance, they’d sacrifice an innocent life. How could family be so cold, so utterly devoid of humanity, willing to let me and my child perish for their selfish desires? But not this time. Now, I knew their every cruel scheme. My shattered past had armed me with foresight. This time, my baby girl would live. This time, I was ready. And they would pay. They would pay for every tear, every life they tried to extinguish. Their downfall begins now.

Her wedding night was nothing but a nightmare for Della, where her newly-married husband left her alone without so much as a second glance, ignoring her cries for him to stay with her. Hopelessly drunk, she found herself losing her grip on reality and even mistook Mark for her husband. However, what was waiting for her was a brewing storm. Her scandalous photo of last night was on the headline. And her husband threw the divorce agreement and a check for five million dollars on her face. Six years later, she rose up like a phoenix and became her ex-husband’s opponent in the business world. However, Mark came to her life again. This time, she didn’t know how to get rid of this romantic trouble.

Elliana, the unfavored "ugly duckling" of her family, was humiliated by her stepsister, Paige, who everyone admired. Paige, engaged to the CEO Cole, was the perfect woman-until Cole married Elliana on the day of the wedding. Shocked, everyone wondered why he chose the "ugly" woman. As they waited for her to be cast aside, Elliana stunned everyone by revealing her true identity: a miracle healer, financial mogul, appraisal prodigy, and AI genius. When her mistreatment became known, Cole revealed Elliana's stunning, makeup-free photo, sending shockwaves through the media. "My wife doesn't need anyone's approval."

"Stella once savored Marc's devotion, yet his covert cruelty cut deep. She torched their wedding portrait at his feet while he sent flirty messages to his mistress. With her chest tight and eyes blazing, Stella delivered a sharp slap. Then she deleted her identity, signed onto a classified research mission, vanished without a trace, and left him a hidden bombshell. On launch day she vanished; that same dawn Marc's empire crumbled. All he unearthed was her death certificate, and he shattered. When they met again, a gala spotlighted Stella beside a tycoon. Marc begged. With a smirk, she said, ""Out of your league, darling."

For three quiet, patient years, Christina kept house, only to be coldly discarded by the man she once trusted. Instead, he paraded a new lover, making her the punchline of every town joke. Liberated, she honed her long-ignored gifts, astonishing the town with triumph after gleaming triumph. Upon discovering she'd been a treasure all along, her ex-husband's regret drove him to pursue her. "Honey, let's get back together!" With a cold smirk, Christina spat, "Fuck off." A silken-suited mogul slipped an arm around her waist. "She's married to me now. Guards, get him the hell out of here!"

After five years of playing the perfect daughter, Rylie was exposed as a stand-in. Her fiancé bolted, friends scattered, and her adoptive brothers shoved her out, telling her to grovel back to her real family. Done with humiliation, she swore to claw back what was hers. Shock followed: her birth family ruled the town's wealth. Overnight, she became their precious girl. The boardroom brother canceled meetings, the genius brother ditched his lab, the musician brother postponed a tour. As those who spurned her begged forgiveness, Admiral Brad Morgan calmly declared, "She's already taken."

Sunlit hours found their affection glimmering, while moonlit nights ignited reckless desire. But when Brandon learned his beloved might last only half a year, he coolly handed Millie divorce papers, murmuring, "This is all for appearances; we'll get married again once she's calmed down." Millie, spine straight and cheeks dry, felt her pulse go hollow. The sham split grew permanent; she quietly ended their unborn child and stepped into a new beginning. Brandon unraveled, his car tearing down the street, unwilling to let go of the woman he'd discarded, pleading for her to look back just once.

Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."

In their previous lives, Gracie married Theo. Outwardly, they were the perfect academic couple, but privately, she became nothing more than a stepping stone for his ambition, and met a tragic end. Her younger sister Ellie wed Brayden, only to be abandoned for his true love, left alone and disgraced. This time, both sisters were reborn. Ellie rushed to marry Theo, chasing the success Gracie once had-unaware she was repeating the same heartbreak. Gracie instead entered a contract marriage with Brayden. But when danger struck, he defended her fiercely. Could fate finally rewrite their tragic endings?

The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."

Maia grew up a pampered heiress-until the real daughter returned and framed her, sending Maia to prison with help from her fiancé and family. Four years later, free and married to Chris, a notorious outcast, everyone assumed Maia was finished. They soon discovered she was secretly a famed jeweler, elite hacker, celebrity chef, and top game designer. As her former family begged for help, Chris smiled calmly. "Honey, let's go home." Only then did Maia realize her "useless" husband was a legendary tycoon who'd adored her from the start.

Blinded in a crash, Cary was rejected by every socialite—except Evelina, who married him without hesitation. Three years later, he regained his sight and ended their marriage. "We’ve already lost so many years. I won’t let her waste another one on me." Evelina signed the divorce papers without a word. Everyone mocked her fall—until they discovered that the miracle doctor, jewelry mogul, stock genius, top hacker, and the President's true daughter… were all her. When Cary came crawling back, a ruthless tycoon had him kicked out. "She's my wife now. Get lost."