My cousin always had my back. He married my wealthy fiancée, telling me that rich women were twisted predators who would suck a man dry, and that he would walk through fire for me. He sold her spare villa, claiming I was using it to house my mistress. He maxed out her credit card, saying it was to pay off my gambling debts. He had an affair with her pregnant best friend, causing her to hemorrhage, and then said I had sexually assaulted her, causing the miscarriage. In the end, his wife had me shipped off to a forced labor camp in Southeast Asia to atone for my sins. To tie up loose ends, he hired someone to cut out my kidneys and torture me to death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the affair, the day of the miscarriage. 1 Every time my cousin, Zander, went on a date with his mistress, he told his wife, Scarlett, that he was with me. The excuses varied: I was having an affair with a married woman and got beaten up, so I needed his support; I was being chased by loan sharks over gambling debts and needed help; I even supposedly needed him to accompany me to the hospital for treatment for an STD. If Scarlett hadn't shown up at my door in a rage last time, listing off my supposed crimes, I would have never known my life was so damn colorful. Right now, Scarlett’s calls were blowing up my phone again. The second I answered, her sharp voice exploded in my ear. “Caleb, it’s so late! What are you keeping Zander at your place for again?” “I’ve had enough of you! Zander is your cousin, not your father! You’re a grown man, can you stop leeching off of him?” “Zander and I are trying for a baby. Could you have some shame and stop bothering him with your problems every single day? Do you have any idea how annoying you are?” “Is it because I dumped you before? Are you holding a grudge and deliberately trying to ruin my family? Zander is a simple man. If you keep using him like this, don’t blame me for getting rough! Send him back to me, now!” Scarlett sounded like she was at her breaking point, her voice a barrage of accusations that made my ears ache. Back when Scarlett and I were dating, I thought she was a gentle and considerate girl, without any of the arrogance of a rich heiress. But Zander always said that the sweeter a woman seemed on the surface, the more twisted she was underneath. Every time Scarlett was kind to me, he’d insist she must have been with another man, and was just putting on a show to make up for it. Then, during a rough patch between Scarlett and me, he swooped in, becoming her caring confidant. While defending her, he would casually weave elaborate tales about my supposed misdeeds. With Zander stirring the pot, Scarlett and I drifted further and further apart. If I hadn’t accidentally found a pair of Zander’s underwear at her place, I might still be congratulating myself on having such a world-wise cousin who helped me see through a manipulative woman. Not long after, he and Scarlett got married. Since then, I’d had the good sense to keep my distance. But Scarlett didn’t see it that way. Every few days, she’d call me with a new interrogation. My life, outside of work, became a constant cycle of explaining Zander’s whereabouts. The truth was, I had no idea what Zander was doing. I could only repeat the excuses he fed me, enduring her wrath and brushing her off. Until the day Scarlett stormed into my apartment, lectured me furiously, and then had her men stuff me in a sack and ship me off to a labor camp. Only then did I realize I’d been his scapegoat, his fall guy. Thinking back on Scarlett’s revenge in my past life, and Zander’s methods of silencing me, a fire started burning in my gut. Scarlett, tonight, you’re going to see with your own eyes what kind of man your ‘simple, good’ husband really is. A cold smile touched my lips. “Zander’s busy clearing out some pipes right now,” I said into the phone. “He can’t come back just yet.” Then, my expression turned to ice. I hung up and turned off my phone. I wasn’t going to waste another word on her. But soon, there was a knock at the door. The moment I turned the lock, the door burst open with tremendous force, sending me stumbling backward. Before I could react, several bodyguards pinned me to the ground. Scarlett strode in, her high heels clicking on the floor, and began to search frantically for Zander. She tore my two-bedroom apartment apart. But she found nothing. “Didn’t you say Zander was clearing out pipes? Where is he?” She stormed up to me, her face a mask of fury. Seeing her rage, a dark sense of satisfaction began to bloom inside me. I raised an eyebrow. “I only said he was clearing out pipes,” I said slowly. “I never said it was at my place. Maybe he’s clearing out the pipes at your best friend’s place. Why don’t you go check?” Scarlett’s brow furrowed. She lunged forward and grabbed me by the collar. “Don’t play games with me,” she hissed. “I’ll ask you one last time. Where are you hiding Zander?” 2 Zander’s movements were always a secret. I was just his scapegoat; how would I know where he was? “He’s a grown man with two feet,” I said flatly. “How could I control where he goes? I’m not his father!” Not getting the answer she wanted, Scarlett’s eyes turned cold. She slapped me hard across the face. Her long nails raked across my skin, leaving several deep, bleeding scratches. Rage flared inside me. But so did anticipation. Is that all it takes to make you angry? The real fury is yet to come. Seeing my defiant expression, Scarlett began to rhythmically slap my face with the back of her hand, her teeth gritted. “You think you can just clam up and I can’t do anything to you?” She pulled my phone from my pocket, turned it on, used my face to unlock it, and started scrolling through my contacts. When she saw my emergency contact, a cold smile played on her lips. She dialed the number. “Honey, what’s wrong?” My wife Amelia’s gentle voice came through the phone. I tried to speak, but one of the bodyguards clamped a hand over my mouth, silencing me. “Are you Caleb’s wife?” Scarlett asked coldly, her voice dripping with contempt. “Who is this?” Hearing a strange woman’s voice on my phone, Amelia’s tone sharpened with alarm. Scarlett looked directly at me, her expression taunting. “I’m Caleb’s ex. But don’t worry, I’m married now. I have zero interest in him.” Amelia was silent for a few seconds before asking, “Then why are you calling me from his phone?” “No reason. Just thought you should know a few things about your wonderful husband.” “His personal life is a complete mess. When we were together, he was constantly cheating on me.” “I was disgusted, so I broke up with him.” “For all these years, he’s been living off my husband, using our villa to house his mistresses, and gambling away his money, making my husband max out my credit card to pay his debts.” “You probably don’t know this, but your husband also got another woman pregnant.” “A while ago, he even went to the hospital for treatment for an STD. I suggest you get yourself checked out too.” “Aren’t you ashamed to be married to such a filthy man?” “It’s truly pathetic for a woman to live like you, treasuring a rotten piece of trash. It makes me sick just thinking about it. If I were you, I would have killed myself by now.” Scarlett’s words rained down, burying me in filth. On the other end of the line, Amelia fell into a long silence. Amelia and I had a great marriage. She was kind, generous, and gentle. For years, no matter how big our fights, she was always willing to talk things out patiently, never giving me the cold shoulder or losing her temper. But this time, it seemed Scarlett’s words had angered her so much that she didn’t want to say another word. Scarlett hung up, looking at me with triumph. “Well? Still not going to tell me where Zander is?” The bodyguard released his hand from my mouth. “You broke into my home, restrained me, assaulted me, and slandered me. These are all illegal,” I spat, glaring at Scarlett, wishing I could tear this stupid woman to shreds. Seeing my continued defiance, Scarlett’s anger grew. “Illegal? I’ll show you what’s really illegal!” She turned to her other bodyguards. “Trash this place!” On her command, the men began to furiously destroy my apartment. In minutes, my once neat and clean home was a complete wreck. Not a single thing was left intact. “Scarlett,” I said through gritted teeth, “are you not afraid of the law, acting so recklessly?” Scarlett sneered, her face full of disdain. “The law is for punishing morally corrupt, filthy men like you. Cheating is one thing, but how much money have you extorted from Zander over the years? Don’t you know? Everything in this apartment was bought with his money. I’m just breaking my own things. What’s the problem?” Scarlett’s words were forceful and self-righteous. As if she wasn’t committing a crime, but punishing a deserving sinner. I glanced at the time. It was less than half an hour until her best friend’s miscarriage. The real show was about to begin. I suppressed my anger and said playfully, “Why don’t you wait a little longer? Your husband will be contacting you soon.” Seeing my nonchalant attitude, Scarlett became even more furious. “Still talking back? Today, I’m going to completely ruin you!” “Take him away!” Several bodyguards grabbed me and dragged me to the entrance of the apartment complex. The commotion quickly attracted the attention of passersby. Seeing a crowd gathering, Scarlett seized the opportunity to publicly proclaim my ‘sins.’ In no time, a crowd had surrounded me, pointing and whispering. “This is too much! He’s a grown man, still leeching off his cousin like this. He’s just ruining his life! His cousin must be a saint to put up with him. If it were me, I would have kicked him to the curb long ago!” “He’s a classic parasite relative. He’s jealous when you’re poor and resents you when you’re rich, but he’s too lazy and greedy to do anything himself. He just takes and takes. My husband’s cousin scammed him into a mountain of debt, and he ended up jumping off a building. Now he’s paralyzed.” “Men like this are vampires. They latch onto one person and suck them dry. Whoever gets involved with him is cursed!” “And he’s filthy! Cheating on his wife with all sorts of women. I feel disgusted just living in the same complex as him.” The crowd spat their insults, all of them convinced I was a monster. Scarlett looked down at me, her expression triumphant. “Well? Still want to be stubborn?” She thought she had me cornered, that I was about to break. I just laughed coldly. “Your methods are too weak. What good is a small crowd of people in this complex going to do? I can just move and it will all be over. You should have called some online streamers to broadcast this to the whole world. That’s how you really ruin someone.” Scarlett’s face darkened. “Fine,” she hissed. “I’ll grant your wish!” She pulled out her phone and made another call. My anticipation grew. Go on. Make a scene. The bigger, the better. Let the whole world see what your wonderful husband is really like. 3 Scarlett’s influence was impressive. In no time, a horde of online streamers arrived, each holding up their phone and broadcasting me live. “Folks, I’ve got some major tea for you! See this guy right here? He may look all clean-cut on the outside, but inside, he’s completely rotten!” “For years, he’s been living by sucking his cousin dry. Whenever he needs money, he just asks his cousin. His cousin is married, with a wife at home trying to get pregnant, but this guy treats him like a servant, making him run errands, buy him things, drink with him, and even take care of him when he’s blackout drunk in the middle of the night.” “His cousin treats him so well, but not only is he ungrateful, he spends money like water, making his cousin pay for everything. He even used his cousin’s wife’s spare villa to pretend to be a tycoon and house his mistresses, tricking countless young women.” “And get this, his personal life is a disaster. He’s married, but he cheats constantly. He has women in the villa, and he’s got more on the side. He never stops. He even had an affair with a married woman and got beaten up by her husband. The list of his exploits is endless!” “I heard he even has STDs. He had no choice but to go to the hospital for treatment, but he didn’t dare tell anyone, so he made his cousin go with him. Who knows how many women he’s infected.” “I’m telling you all, remember this face. If you see him and you’re strong enough, give him a good beating. If not, just stay away. You don’t want to catch what he has.” The streamers embellished the false accusations, spinning a tale of my supposed depravity. In an instant, all the live streams were flooded with curses and insults directed at me. “Wow, his cousin and his wife are so unlucky to be stuck with such a disgusting, vile person!” “I’m so angry! This guy is a walking plague!” “Yeah, people like him are a menace to society!” The public opinion spread like wildfire. My photo was soon trending online. Labels like “Vampire,” “Toxic Cousin,” and “Syphilis Man” became my new identity. Fueled by the streamers, the crowd’s anger boiled over. They started throwing eggs and rotten vegetables at me. Some people who were eating nearby even started throwing their beer bottles at my feet. I stood there like a criminal awaiting execution, surrounded by garbage, enduring the insults. Just then, Amelia emerged from the crowd and walked towards me. Seeing her familiar face, my cold heart felt a flicker of warmth, as if bathed in sudden sunlight. Amelia was the sun in my life. She loved me, trusted me. No matter what, she was always there to comfort me with gentle patience. She was my lover, my warmest sanctuary. In that moment, all I wanted was her embrace. Without hesitation, I dropped all my defenses and opened my arms to her. But the moment I touched her, she shoved me away. Caught off guard, I lost my balance and fell backward onto the ground. Shards of broken glass from the bottles dug deep into my palms and legs. A sharp, searing pain shot through me, but the pain in my heart was deeper, sharper. Even Amelia doesn’t believe me? “Caleb, I can’t believe you’re this kind of person.” Amelia’s eyes were red as she spoke, her voice filled with disappointment and hurt. “For all these years, I trusted you unconditionally. I took care of you, never once losing my temper.” “I knew your work was hard, so when I was sick, I endured it myself. When I was in pain, I suffered in silence, just so I wouldn’t add to your stress or make you worry.” “I knew you had a sensitive stomach, so I learned how to cook special meals for you, doing everything I could to nurse you back to health.” “But you? Your so-called hard work was just leeching off your cousin!” “Your so-called fighting for our family was just supporting other women on the side!” “The body I worked so hard to nurse back to health, you desecrated in your filthy affairs!” “Caleb, you’re not just disrespecting yourself, you’re trampling on our marriage!” Amelia, who was always as gentle as water, had never been so out of control. She screamed at me, every word laced with a profound disappointment. Seeing her like this, my heart ached. I gritted my teeth against the pain and tried to stand, to explain. “Amelia, I…” Before I could finish, she slapped me across the face. “Shut up!” she spat. “Don’t say my name. You don’t deserve to!” She ripped off her wedding ring and threw it in my face. “I want a divorce!” Amelia’s words pierced my heart. Her slap shattered the last of my resolve. I stood there, stunned, as if my soul had been ripped from my body. Scarlett seized the moment to mock me. “Caleb, now you know what it feels like to be completely ruined. A greedy, morally bankrupt scumbag like you doesn’t deserve anyone’s love, and you certainly don’t deserve Zander being so good to you.” “I’m so glad I saw through you and got away from a parasitic monster like you. The thought of ever having dated you makes me sick.” “The only good thing you ever did in your life was bring Zander to me. From now on, you can just be a rat scurrying in the streets, despised by everyone. I won’t let Zander have anything to do with you anymore. Let’s see how you survive without him.” Scarlett’s speech was delivered with dramatic flair, and it resonated with the crowd. Instantly, the live comments, the onlookers, and the streamers all unleashed a fresh torrent of abuse. The weight of a thousand accusations is terrifying. Even though I had prepared myself, I couldn’t help but feel myself starting to break. Just then, Scarlett’s phone rang. The caller was Zander. The moment she answered, Zander’s trembling, panicked voice came through. “Honey, your… your best friend had a miscarriage.” Hearing this, Scarlett’s brow furrowed in alarm. “What happened?” Zander stammered, “It was Caleb. He tried to force himself on her. When she resisted, he beat her and caused the miscarriage!” Zander’s words, in the middle of this swirling vortex of hate, brought me a sharp sense of relief. Finally, it’s all coming to an end.
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