LOGIN“Oh, really? Because that’s not exactly what he said back then. He told me he only wanted to be with the two of you, and that I was the villain. I simply granted his wish so the three of you could live happily ever after. How can you blame me for being heartless now?”My retort left the father and son utterly speechless. They opened their mouths, completely at a loss for words. David wanted to keep crying, but Lily made a sharp silencing gesture at him, and he ultimately didn’t dare to make another sound.In the end, Avery had to scoop David up and carry him back to their own table, though the boy’s eyes remained fiercely glued to me.Halfway through our dinner, a group of police officers suddenly entered the restaurant and marched straight up to Avery.“Hello. Are you Ms. Avery? Our investigation indicates that you are a prime suspect in a murder-for-hire plot. Please come with us to the station.”Avery stared at the officers in absolute terror before throwing a desperate, pleadi
The moment I stepped onto the podium, a brilliant light ignited in Edmund’s eyes. He could scarcely believe his own sight. The very Victoria he had spent three agonizing years searching for was standing on that stage right now, commanding the room as a leading researcher.She looked so utterly confident, so blindingly radiant as she delivered her speech, that Edmund’s gaze remained fiercely locked onto her. A rare, tangled look of complexity washed over his features.It was a mixture of sheer ecstasy at finding what he had lost, combined with a profound, newfound admiration for the woman she had become.“That concludes our research findings,” I announced, wrapping up the presentation. “Thank you all for your time.”The auditorium fell into a momentary, breathless silence before erupting into a deafening roar of applause. Only then did I finally let out a long, deep breath of relief.As I walked down the steps of the stage, Julian appeared out of nowhere, holding a magnificent bouq
Avery called her mother, pouring out every ounce of grievance she had suffered over the past few days. Ann felt her heart break for her daughter.“Avery, my darling girl, don’t you worry. Mom will absolutely get revenge for you. That wretched old woman actually dared to humiliate you in public—I will make sure she pays a terrible price.”After comforting Avery, Ann dialed a mysterious number.“Handle something for me,” she commanded coldly. “Do it just like last time. Leave no survivors.”Meanwhile, Edmund was searching for me like a madman. However, my information had long been classified and locked down by the research institute, making it utterly impossible for anyone to track me down.Over those weeks, I received countless messages from Edmund.“Victoria, where are you? Can you please stop making a scene? As long as you apologize to Avery, I promise I won’t press this matter any further.”“Victoria, what happened before was my fault. Please come back. David misses you terrib
Edmund suddenly remembered how he had carelessly knocked me to the ground that day. He hadn’t expected it to be so severe, and a faint prickle of guilt stirred in his chest, prompting him to pick up his phone and call me.However, his calls failed to go through several times in a row. Meanwhile, I was deep inside the research institute, engrossed in one grueling data calculation after another.Edmund found it somewhat hard to believe that I had actually stayed true to my word and completely cut off contact this time. An inexplicable wave of panic suddenly washed over him; looking back on our history, such a thing had never happened before.His office desk still routinely held the framed photograph of our family of three. Edmund stared at the photo, completely mesmerized.He didn’t even notice Avery walk in until she called out his name, snapping him back to reality.Avery followed his gaze right to the family portrait. Jealousy made her grind her teeth, but she managed to maintain
After a grueling flight of over a dozen hours, Professor Robert and I finally arrived at the research institute. To my complete surprise, the person greeting us was a senior colleague I hadn’t seen in ages.“Julian?”“It’s been a long time, Victoria. When Robert told me you were coming, I was absolutely thrilled. You’re incredibly talented, and it would have been a tragedy if you had given up on scientific research.”Julian was just as gentle and thoughtful as always. He took me on a tour to get familiar with the institute, patiently breaking down the project details and our current progress.“It’s wonderful. So much time has passed, yet you haven’t changed a bit.”Julian suddenly tilted his head and offered me a warm smile, bringing out the faint dimples at the corners of his mouth.I froze for a split second, feeling a wave of awkward self-consciousness. Fortunately, Professor Robert called us over right then and assigned everyone their respective tasks.From that moment on, w
I looked at the three people standing across from me. They looked exactly like a real family, while I was left playing the villain.“I’m losing my mind, Edmund? Aren’t you two the ones who drove me to this?“You swore before God that you would love me and only me for the rest of your life. You knew perfectly well that my mother died because of my father’s infidelity. You knew an unfaithful husband was the one thing I loathe above all else.“Yet, you betrayed me over and over again. Aren’t you the sole reason for the mess we’re in right now?“You pushed me to the edge step by step, and now you have the nerve to blame me for breaking? Don’t you find all of this completely pathetic?”Confronted by my questions, Edmund stood speechless. He lowered his head, a flicker of guilt crossing his features.But right then, Avery stepped forward. She dropped down to her knees before me in a display of absolute humility, her voice thick with grievance.“I’m sorry, Victoria. It’s all my fault.







