rabbit

At my best friend's birthday party, I drank tainted wine and passed out. When I woke up, I heard the doctor say it could cause severe nerve damage. I teased my fiancé Cayden Hewitt, asking who I was and where I was. He hesitated, staring at me, then called my rival Liam Hewitt. "You're Julia. He's your fiancé. You're getting married soon." I froze, thinking he was joking too. My best friend, Vivian Green, slipped her arm through Cayden's, looking every bit like a couple in love. Eventually, I was about to marry Liam. But Cayden, with eyes red from emotion, stood in front of the car to stop it, pleading, "Julia, don't marry him. I've realized I can't let you go."

For ten years I planned our dream wedding-over and over-while my CEO fiancé Kody Morgan found ways to miss every single one. Ever since Tonya Buckley, his childhood sweetheart, returned to the country, my wedding had become a ticking time bomb. She caused a scene on the eve of my wedding, and Kody always stood me up. This last time, Tonya cut her finger, and a few drops of blood spilled dramatically. Kody anxiously ran red lights, risking everything to rush her to the ER, insisting the doctor check her carefully. Meanwhile, I faced the guests' derisive stares and received only Kody's dismissive excuse. "Does it have to be today? We've canceled the wedding so many times already, let's reschedule for next weekend. Tonya passes out at the sight of blood, so I need to stay with her. I really hope you understand." He reminisces about their childhood bond, granting Tonya every request, while neglecting me. Actually, I didn't have to marry him. When his absence became a pattern, I chose a man who'd actually appear.

My fiancé, Richard Ahmed, had been unfaithful. His mistress, Eva Marsh, sent me a provocative video. In the video, Richard and Eva were passionately kissing, while his friends cheered loudly, "You two are perfect for each other. You should get married." Richard's parents were holding Eva's hand, saying, "You're the only one we see as part of the family." I let out a cold laugh and dialed the number of my father, the head of a criminal syndicate. "Get in touch with a team for me. I have a live stream event planned." "Alright. The condition is that you return to Zlomont and become the new head of the Brooks Group."

On our seventh anniversary, I inadvertently stumbled upon a hidden confession in Liam's public Facebook post. It was his unrequited love for Destinee. I realized then that the initials letters on our wedding rings were never meant to stand for Liam and Divya, but for his unwavering longing for Destinee. He was eager to marry me on a holiday, not out of love, but because Destinee was also getting married to someone else that day. "Divya, what is the fuss again?" Liam asked, standing at the door. I turned to face him calmly and said, "Liam, let's break up." He furrowed his brows slightly, trying to snatch the phone from my hand as he entered the room, only to find that I had already saved a screenshot. "Why are you so upset about an old post?"

Three days before the wedding, Eliana discovered that her boyfriend of three years had been secretly planning a wedding with his childhood sweetheart. "Erin has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Her greatest wish is to be my wife while she can still remember. We'll cancel our wedding. Once she forgets me completely, I'll come back and marry you." Upon learning the truth, Eliana remained composed, refusing to shed tears or cause a commotion. She dialed a number she hadn't contacted in three years. "Brother, I agree to the arranged marriage with the Barton family, to wed that emotionally distant heir. In three days, make sure he appear in the wedding."

In the fifth year of marriage, Nora Yates stumbled upon scandalous headlines linking her husband to another woman. His friend teased him. "Stefan, you're ruthless. Just because Nora stole Izabella's boyfriend, you married her, pampered her, and fed her those pills until she's practically a fool." Stefan Gordon, cradling a pregnant Izabella Stewart, spoke coldly. "She made Izzie unhappy. She has to pay the price." Outside the private room, Nora, battling severe depression, nearly collapsed. Her trembling hands dialed a number. "Tell that company I'll join." For five years, Nora had been a housewife, confined to her sickbed. Everyone forgot she was once a legendary hacker, feared by every major corporation.

In the third year of their marriage, Lachlan Begum became infatuated with his new secretary, Cassie Quinn She was open and bold. Her personal motto was "Fortune favors the bold." In bed, she knew countless different positions, and outside of it, she accompanied Lachlan in various thrilling activities. While he went out with Cassie, he maintained the facade of a devoted husband by fabricating where he had been to Nicola Hayes. "I'm not coming home tonight. I was drunk, so I'm sleeping at the office." Cassie chuckled beside him. She said with a hint of teasing provocation, "When are you going to divorce that boring old woman?" The call ended abruptly. Unbeknownst to them, Nicola was sitting in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department and staring at the pregnancy report at her fingertips. She had been pregnant for six weeks. After she left the hospital, she called her brother, Jerold Hayes, who was a lawyer. "Jerold, I need you to make a divorce agreement for me." Jerold paused briefly and then asked, "Are you sure about this?" Nicola replied calmly, "Yes. I'm pregnant. I plan to keep the baby myself."

The day I saw Jared Stanley's interview, I filed for divorce and moved out of the perfectly maintained home I'd shared with him for three years. In that interview, Jared said his biggest regret in life was that, in a life-or-death situation, he instinctively protected what he called his most "precious national asset." The "asset" he protected wasn't me, his wife. It was his "fragile" colleague, Bailee Brooks. Two days later, at the global press conference for the G20 summit. The same renowned war correspondent asked me the same question. "Ms. Quinn, as a top-tier simultaneous interpreter, what would you say is the professional principle you are most proud of?" I looked directly at Jared sitting in the front row. "True professionalism is knowing that my husband risked his life to protect his mistress, and still being able to calmly, as the lead interpreter, accurately convey the commands that would ultimately save him."

I stepped into my bar to start my shift. The manager hurried over to report. "Miss, your boyfriend Mr. Fowler booked the most luxurious private room." Shock hit me hard. Lucas was broke. How could he afford such an expensive room? I told the manager to keep watching and pulled up the room's surveillance feed. "Man, I heard you lost a bet and had to date a poor girl. Is it fun?" "Don't even start. She costs me five hundred bucks a month. Just a greedy gold-digger!" Lucas Fowler's face twisted with disgust. He turned and kissed the two women draped over his arms, his expression softening. "These are the kind of girls I like. I bought designer watches. One for each of you." I let out a bitter laugh. Calling me poor and a gold-digger? This bar was my own business! When my identity came out, I stood over a kneeling Lucas, grabbed a thick stack of cash, and slapped it across his face. "Swallow every last bill."

Ellen Saunders woke up reborn, finding herself back at twenty-five. At that time, she had a pair of twins and was married to Samuel Howard, a man whose wealth rivaled nations, a figure so feared that countless factions trembled at his name, the formidable boss of the underground world. Everyone called her the ultimate winner in life. But the first thing she did after her rebirth was to take divorce papers to meet Samuel's mistress.

Rosalyn Wright, the heir to a top-tier wealthy family, had been a lovesick fool for seven years. She finally decided to get a divorce. The next day, Rosalyn called her father. "Dad, you were right back then. Forbidden love doesn't bring happiness. I'm ready to divorce and come home to take over the family business." Her father paused for several seconds before responding. "Rosalyn, you cut ties with me to marry your foster brother Saul. Why the sudden change of heart?" Rosalyn's heart ached faintly. A bitter smirk crossed her lips. "Because he got furious I broke his stuff. He doesn't love me. All these years, I was just fooling myself. Once the divorcement is done, I'll come home."

On Valentine's Day, I was diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer, with less than a month left to live. As I was engulfed in confusion and panic, Sebastian Nash knelt before me with a pained expression, saying, "I'm sorry, Betsy. I've fallen in love with another woman." He then promised me seriously, "I haven't cheated on you. What I share with her is a deep emotional bond. We won't have sex, and my feelings and commitment to you remain unchanged. I will continue to fulfill my duties as your husband." Clutching the diagnosis report tightly, I managed to force out a few words, "Okay. I will let you be together." Sebastian was both surprised and worried as he embraced me, saying, "Betsy, don't leave me. I love her, but I love you more. Please don't be angry or make trouble with me." I gave a bitter smile, "I won't." As a dying person, there was nothing worth crying or fussing over.

Selena Menezwa had been with Caius Capone, the illegitimate son of the mafia family, for ten years. Yet, on the day he took power, the family called someone else the "Godmother". Caius, his hands still stained with blood and gripping a gun, held Charlotte Wodehurst, a pure-looking beauty in his arms. "Selena, don't blame me. You never had a proper education, and you're too unrestrained. You're not fit to be the Godmother. Charlotte is different. She was born into nobility and is the second violinist in the orchestra. You can stick around without a ring, but she can't." Selena didn't argue; she simply turned and left. What Caius didn't know was that she was the princess of the powerful Menezwa family and the concertmaster of the very orchestra where Charlotte played. The Menezwa family, well aware of Selena's reckless streak, had already prepared a man for her. The arms dealer Caius was desperate to win over was already eager to become her fiancé.

Josie Watson asked for a divorce for the ninety-ninth time, but Laurence Andrews took a call from his first love and told her to get out of the car. "Go home and think it over. I hope this is the last time you make a fuss," he said. For Rosalie Harris, he abandoned Josie repeatedly, humiliating her. Laurence believed Josie couldn't survive without him. He didn't know Rosalie's brother was secretly encouraging Josie to divorce and leave the country.

The once-disgraced imposter, who was cast out, had transformed into the rightful heir of an elite family. She returned with a powerful force, delivering a decisive and overwhelming defeat to her ex-fiancé and the true heiress who had usurped her place.

Alpha Carl's scalpel pierced my flesh, ready to begin the surgery. His phone in his pocket vibrated wildly, and he couldn't resist answering it. "Carl, before I die, I just want to see you one more time," Bianca, his adopted sister, said, her voice trembling. She had attempted suicide. I lay on the operating table, my abdomen already sliced open, when I heard the news. Carl dropped the scalpel and turned to Alpha Arthur. "My Luna's surgery is in your hands now," he said. With that, he turned and left. As I watched Carl's retreating figure, my heart felt gripped by an invisible hand, the pain unbearable. Tears slipped from my eyes before I could stop them. In the next moment, a cold scalpel pierced my skin again. Alpha Arthur spoke coldly, "Why are you crying? With me here, you won't die."

My boyfriend, Cayson Morris, had a car accident and lost his memory. I kept vigil by his side, always thinking he would come to remember me. But later, Lydia George, his first love, came back from abroad, and he finally "regained" his memory. He said to me, "I never lost my memory. I just used you as a stand-in, and now I'm tired of it." On the same day he broke up with me, I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. When I opened my eyes again, I was in his hospital room after his car accident. He looked at me, confused. "Who are you?" I gave him a professional smile and said, "I'm your caregiver, sir. I'll go get the doctor."

I had thalassophobia, a condition rooted in an incident ten years ago when I saved Alec Johnson from a dangerous undertow. He once held my shivering body and swore he would never let me near the ocean again. Later, his first love, Rosalyn Martin, known as the "Mermaid Dancer," injured herself before a crucial underwater documentary shoot. Unable to find a stand-in, he turned to me. He locked me in a swaying cabin, his eyes bloodshot as he pleaded, "Maeve, your build is the closest to hers. Please, finish this last underwater ballet scene for her. This is her lifelong dream. I'm begging you." They forced me into a diving suit and pushed me into the dark, icy depths that had nearly claimed my life once before. When I surfaced, driven by sheer survival instinct, I saw him cradling a tearful Rosalyn, soothing her gently. "Rosalyn, don't cry. Your dream is complete." No one noticed I had nearly died down there. He didn't know that every investment in his thriving company came from me. What he was about to destroy wasn't just my love but his entire future.

I was Ava Hudson, the future daughter-in-law of a prominent councilman in the city of Windhaven. My fiancé, Leo Kennedy, was a celebrated rising star in politics, admired by all. But deep in his heart, he harbored a love for a woman named Isabella Fuller, his untouchable ideal. Now, the notorious crime lord Alessandro Marcello had declared his intent to marry Isabella. I overheard Leo's chilling voice from outside the study. Send Ava to him. No matter how ruthless he is, would he dare touch the councilman's future daughter-in-law?" I followed his plan and married into the Marcello family. Later, it was Leo who lost his mind.

I once believed that after enduring hardships, we would finally savor the sweetness of life once my husband, Rhett, completed his PhD. However, on the day of his graduation, he shocked me by filing for divorce, accusing me of deceiving him into marriage by hiding a family illness. What shattered my heart even more was that my best friend, Emeline, who was also my lawyer, "mistakenly" presented crucial evidence in court, leading to my defeat and leaving me completely penniless and homeless. Wandering the streets with nothing, I sought out Emeline, only to overhear an earth-shattering truth outside her door. It turned out they had been together all along and even had a child. They had conspired to accuse me of being the sick one to completely discard me. Seven years of dedication and friendship were all lies, leaving only cold fury in my heart. Quietly, I gathered solid proof to prove my innocence and returned to the courtroom. This time, I was determined to hold them accountable for their deceit!

On our wedding anniversary, I was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I only had three months to live. I planned to tell my husband, Tobias Wright, but I accidentally heard a conversation between him and his mother, Joanna Wright, when I was outside the study. "Mom, she's finally going to die. I've been waiting for that day for five years." "Don't rush, Tobias. Once she's gone, her heart can be given to Jolie." So I realized that they had an evil plan when Tobias decided to marry me. They had just wanted my healthy heart. I laughed. Then I decided that I would give them a taste of their own medicine for their five years of 'anticipation.'

I had just used a secret ritual to confirm that I carried the heir of my Alpha husband. I brimmed with joy and prepared to share this wonderful news with him. But that very evening, through the mate bond between us, I sensed his utter bliss. That bliss did not belong to me. A sultry female voice drifted through the link, laced with gasps and mockery. "Your Luna? Does she serve you as well as I do, Alpha?"

Allison Palmer had just wrapped up her world tour when the media announced her pregnancy. Paparazzi snapped photos of her husband Braydon Saunders heading to the hospital for a prenatal checkup with some mysterious woman. Everyone assumed that woman was Allison. After all, Braydon's love for her was common knowledge. The heir to Eldoria's elite circle had pursued this figure skater for three full years. He remained chaste and showed unwavering devotion until he finally married her. No one could imagine such deep affection leading to infidelity. But Allison knew better than anyone that she was not pregnant at all. She figured it was just fake news and brushed it off as she headed to the Saunders residence for the planned dinner. Right outside the door, she overheard Braydon's voice. "I already had someone pull the trending topic. We can't let Allison get suspicious." His mother, Madison Saunders, just gave a cold laugh. "It might be good if she finds out. She's too focused on her career to have kids. Plenty of women would step up to carry on the Saunders line." "Mom, Allison is the only one in my heart. Kathleen and I was just a mistake. Once the baby is born, we'll cut ties completely. Please stop meddling."

In a marriage of three years that existed in name only, Eva gave her heart fully. Just as Jake was finally starting to be moved by her sincerity, his first love, Ryann, returned. Without hesitation, Jake chose Ryann. Eva, devastated and feeling as if all hope was lost, made the tough decision to divorce him and went abroad to further her studies alone. However, once she left, Jake came to a startling realization of his deep feelings for her that had been buried in his heart and also saw through Ryann's true deceitful nature. Filled with regret, he wanted to win Eva back but underestimated the unyielding resolve and formidable determination of a woman. This time, Eva was determined to move forward without looking back.

Everyone said Xander Fuller loved me deeply. If it had been a day earlier, I would have believed it too. But then I saw him through the hospital window, holding a sobbing woman tightly in his arms. "Don't overthink it! She's just your stand-in. If I didn't play the part, what if my enemies went after you? Thank goodness the explosion didn't hurt you, or I'd regret it forever!" I looked down at my scarred hands and gave a bitter smile. When my life hung by a thread, Xander saved me and gave me a love that felt one-of-a-kind. Back then, I naively thought I had found happiness. But when enemies kidnapped and tortured me to threaten him, he acted indifferent, even showing a hint of relief in his eyes. I didn't understand why back then, but now it all made sense. I touched my mother's portrait and dialed a number I hadn't called in ages. That night, bodyguards surrounded the hospital entrance, bowing respectfully to me. "Welcome back, Miss!"

In my past life, I gave up my chance to become a top surgeon to support my husband Kyson Mason's career. I willingly stood in his shadow as his devoted wife. After he achieved fame and success, he draped his arm around a younger colleague and said to me, "You're no longer good enough for me." Divorced and left with nothing, my skills rusted, and I succumbed to depression, dying alone. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day Kyson first urged me to quit my job. He held my hand, his eyes brimming with affection. "Once I become department head, I'll make sure you live a good life." I smiled and gently pulled my hand away. "No need, Dr. Mason. Also, let's get divorced." My scalpel was itching to see the light of day again.

I was there with my husband when we started from scratch, moving from a rundown shack to a massive mansion. On the day the company went public, he showed up at the celebration with a young woman on his arm. He introduced her to the crowd, "This is my love, Ms. Barrett." Someone asked, "What about your wife?" He just smiled. "That old ball and chain at home? She doesn't belong at an event like this." I stood quietly at the back of the crowd, holding a glass of champagne. Then the screen behind him lit up, starting a video about the company's history. At the end of the video, a chart of the company's ownership structure appeared. My name and photo were clearly under the "Largest Shareholder" section, with a 51% stake. A clip started playing. A younger version of my husband, looking shy, said, "Everything I have, I owe to my wife. Without her, none of this would exist."

She was a girl from humble beginnings, while he was the heir to a billion-dollar fortune. What started as a spiteful pursuit soon entangled them in a web of interests. To him, she was merely a companion for his whims; to her, he was a stepping stone, a partner in their charade. He discarded her for his idealized first love, even allowing others to humiliate her in public, unaware she was already carrying his child. Despite the abuse, insults, and online harassment, she appeared fragile and tearful, all the while secretly gathering evidence and discreetly reallocating assets. When he got engaged to his idealized first love, she, pregnant and determined, disappeared overnight, leaving behind a box of shocking revelations. By the time he realized his mistakes, he was left drained of his value, left physically and emotionally devastated by an accident, and deserted by those he once trusted. In the end, she returned with their son, armed with a paternity test, and made a triumphant return to the company, a smile lighting up her face.

Five years into their marriage, Tobias Stevens faced bankruptcy and was burdened with huge debt. He was in poor health and worked odd jobs at an old warehouse. His earnings were barely enough to cover the rent. To support the family, Dorothy worked by day and collected bottles from roadside bins to sell for money in the evenings, often taking her daughter, Margaret Stevens, with her. On Dorothy's birthday, Margaret surprised Dorothy with a cheap cupcake bought with coins she had saved for half a year. Dorothy was deeply moved. After saving diligently for months, she finally gathered enough money to buy tickets and take Margaret to the amusement park she had always dreamed of visiting. As they reached the entrance, they unexpectedly saw Tobias there. One of his arms was around the waist of his first love, Liza Briggs. His other arm was holding Liza's daughter, Sandra Briggs. They were heading towards the rides. "Daddy..." Margaret called out loudly to Tobias's back. A staff member of the amusement park immediately turned around and stopped Dorothy and Margaret. "Sorry, but the amusement park is closed for a private event hosted by Mr. Stevens today. You'll have to come back another day."

I thought my husband cheating on me was the biggest joke of my life. Until he brought his mistress home, and my father-in-law, who was over fifty, furiously pounced on him. "Try laying a finger on her, I dare you!" Julio James snarled at his own son. Father and son brawled on the spot over a woman, and I became the most awkward audience in this rich family's farce. The next day, the headline "Father and Son Share a Mistress" went viral. Overnight, I, Mrs. James, became the city's favorite pity case and its biggest joke.

My husband buried me in the sand, shaping me into a mermaid. Then he turned his back and walked away-off to comfort his stepsister, who had stubbed her foot. I watched his figure retreating, helpless, as the tide crept higher. Despair swallowed me whole. In the very last second before I lost consciousness, a single thought flashed through my mind.

To test my fiancé Ethan Wilson, I always pretended to be an ordinary office worker. He firmly believed my best friend Noreen Fowler, who loved wearing designer brands, was the long-lost heiress of the Palmer Group. He constantly manipulated me. "Julissa, can't you learn from Noreen's confidence? Stop acting so cheap." Meanwhile, he secretly texted Noreen. "Babe, just hang in there. Once I secure the Palmer Group, I'll dump her." At the Palmer Group's anniversary gala, he thought his moment had arrived. In front of all the guests and media, he got down on one knee and aimed a diamond ring at Noreen. "Noreen, I know you've been using your friend's identity to test me, but I love your soul! Marry me, and let's run the Palmer Group together!"

In the five years of our marriage, my husband Isaac Saunders's favorite mantra was, "Even close brothers keep clear accounts, and even intimate couples should maintain equality." We strictly split everything down the middle, calculating utility bills to the last cent and even taking turns paying for groceries. But that day, when my younger sister Aileen Howe was urgently hospitalized, I asked to borrow three hundred dollars from him. He immediately pulled out a calculator and said, "According to our prenuptial agreement, interest-free loans are capped at two hundred dollars. Any amount exceeding that accrues interest at a daily rate of five percent and requires collateral." Watching him state this so earnestly, I felt the situation was utterly absurd. I signed the agreement silently and took the money. He didn't know that the house he was using as collateral for his interest calculation was legally in my name. Nor did he know that the investments he was so proud of were profitable thanks to insider information my father had provided me. Isaac, you love calculating so much, let's see who's really good at playing the numbers game. I'll show you what it truly means to lose everything.

I was the little princess cherished by my brother Derek Walton, the most well-behaved girl in our family. The boldest thing I ever did was hide my identity and date Lucas Morrison, my brother's sworn enemy, in secret for three years. Over those three years, I let him record countless sex videos. In the backseat of a sports car, I sat on his lap, completely bare, my waist gripped tightly in his hands.

I died on the night of my wedding to Carlos Fowler, the duke's second son. He left me to be killed by kidnappers while he saved the woman he truly cared about. Before I took my last breath, I saw Vincent Fowler, Carlos's crippled older brother, storm in like a madman to avenge me. Reborn, I stood before the priest and canceled the wedding in front of everyone. I turned and walked toward Vincent, who sat in his wheelchair in the corner, under the stunned gazes of the crowd. "Vincent, I want to marry you." Carlos thought I was just trying to get his attention. But he would soon realize he had lost everything.

My Oliver Group went bankrupt, my father jumped from the building, and my fiancé, Connor Dale, sent me to the psychiatric hospital. He came to see me with a wedding invitation. He was getting married to my step-sister, Madeline Oliver. He said with a smile, "Brenna, everything your family has, including your business achievement, belongs to us now." I died with hatred on that cold hospital bed. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back before all the tragedies had happened. When Madeline came to recognize her identity to me, I slapped her across the face and said, "Get lost!" When Connor, the scumbag, proposed to me, I tore up the engagement contract in front of everyone. "Who do you think you are?" This time, I proactively walked up to Jacob Harrison, who was said to be cold-hearted and ruthless and controlled the entire business empire. Everyone feared him, but only I knew that he held my gravestone for a whole night after I died in a fire in my previous life.

I had been married to George Norris for ten years. To everyone, we were a perfect couple. But everything changed after my beloved Timothy, Timothy Mills, suddenly passed away after he underwent a successful surgery. I was sad, but at the same time, I realized something was amiss. To quell my suspicion, I reviewed the hospital room's surveillance footage the night he passed away. In the footage, Timothy had rung the bell for help three times, but George ignored it. Instead, he made out with an intern nurse in the treatment room. He said to the nurse, "Don't worry, he won't survive tonight." In that moment, my decade-long love and trust were shattered completely. I wiped away my tears and dialed my grandfather's number, which I hadn't called in ten years. "Karl, ten years have passed, and it's time to end our agreement."

In my previous life, on the day my sister and I were selecting mates from the snake tribe, I saved a dragon prince in distress. In gratitude, the dragon prince returned to his tribe and immediately took me as his wife. A year later, I hatched a golden egg and gave birth to a child with the spirit and power of a dragon. The prince was overjoyed, and on the day he became king, he proclaimed me as the dragon queen, earning me the admiration and respect of all communities. Meanwhile, my sister chose to marry a strong wild bear, only to become one of his least favored concubines. Her jealousy of me drove her to madness, and during a snake tribe festival, she pushed me off a cliff, causing my untimely death. When I opened my eyes again, it was the day of the mate selection, and I saw my sister running towards the direction where the dragon prince would encounter misfortune. I realized she had been reborn as well. However, she didn't know that while saving the dragon prince might be easy, giving birth to a child with the spirit and power of a dragon was an almost impossible challenge.

On our wedding anniversary, my husband ditched me once again for his buddies. I decided to surprise him with some fine wine and gourmet food, only to find a woman in a bikini sitting on his lap. His hand was resting gently on her waist, caressing it. Suddenly, I heard the woman say, "We're all men here, honestly, I can't stand women who constantly nag about anniversaries. Darin always leaves his wife to join us on holidays. Let's raise a glass to him!" "To Darin!" they all cheered. With a smile, I pushed the door open and said, "What a coincidence, darling, I'll toast to you too."

In my previous life, my sister and I discovered two eggs. From one, my sister hatched an ice serpent, while I brought forth a fiery phoenix. My sister, however, took away the phoenix I had nurtured, not foreseeing the impending catastrophic heatwave apocalypse. As fate would have it, she was consumed by the relentless heat. Before her demise, she manipulated my ice serpent husband into murdering me. Unexpectedly, we were both reborn on the day the two eggs were to hatch. This time, my sister claimed the ice serpent for herself, believing it would comfortably carry her through the heat apocalypse. Little did she know, the ice serpent needed fresh blood every day to maintain its strength.