37. Missing My Wife, Playing the Victim

Tara had no interest in prying into others' privacy, so she stopped paying attention and walked to the cabinet to grab a hairdryer before heading to the vanity to dry her hair.

Meanwhile, Dorothy, noticing that she had already come out of the bathroom, hung up the phone and quietly gazed at Tara's slender back.

Some people seemed to be born as the darlings of heaven.

Aside from her absolute beauty, Tara had a fantastic figure—porcelain-white, smooth skin that was so delicate it seemed to have no pores.

Beneath her long, jet-black hair was a graceful, slender waist, yet her hips were rounded and full, leading down to a pair of fair legs that were both long and straight.

And this was only a partial view glimpsed while she was wrapped in a bath towel.

Such a body would not only be loved by men, but even a woman like Dorothy couldn't suppress a mix of attraction and jealousy.

It was no wonder she could seduce a "high mountain flower" like the school hunk.

Any man, even if he didn't like her mentally, would find it physically impossible to refuse such a stunning creature, right?

Her eyes grew dark. After a moment, she no longer hesitated and took a photo of Tara's back with her phone. After a bit of editing, she sent it to [Ming].

Only a few seconds after the photo was sent:

Ming: [!!!]

Ming: [Babe, is this also you?]

Dorothy curled her lips.

Sticky Sweet Rice Ball: [Of course, a roommate took this of me.]

Hearing this, Ming was predictably ecstatic, unable to stop himself from saying a long string of things about how much he liked her.

He even...

[Ming has transferred to you: 2,000.00]

Seeing the system notification, Dorothy was stunned.

Two thousand?

That was already equivalent to her living expenses for an entire month!

She was ecstatic internally and immediately clicked to accept the transfer.

Sticky Sweet Rice Ball: [Wow, thank you, brother! You're so generous!]

Ming: [It's nothing, just a small amount. Buy yourself some snacks, babe.]

After saying that, he immediately sent several expectant and lewd emojis, then continued: [Babe, you’re really beautiful. I think I’m getting addicted to you, what should I do?]

Dorothy sneered.

As expected, he was hooked.

If she had known that photos of that "white lotus" were this effective, she should have used them sooner; she might have saved up a fortune by now.

With that money, she could undergo more beauty procedures—why should she ever feel anxious or inferior about her appearance again?

Thinking about it now, she used to have too much of a conscience.

Since that little white lotus looked down on her anyway, why should she be polite?

With that thought, she continued: [Does brother want to see more then?]

Ming: [Yes, yes, yes, of course I do!]

[Ming has transferred to you: 10,000.00]

Ming: [Wife, can I see your legs too? Your legs are truly beautiful #Shy #Sultry]

Dorothy was completely shocked when she saw the ten-thousand-dollar transfer.

...

The sound of the hairdryer stopped abruptly.

After combing her long hair until it was seventy percent dry, Tara returned to the dorm room, planning to change into her pajamas and catch up on some sleep.

But just as she unfastened the bath towel from her chest, Dorothy suddenly rushed over and grabbed her wrist. "Tara!"

Startled, Tara immediately clutched the loosening towel tightly against her chest and looked at her in confusion.

"What is it, Dorothy?"

Dorothy’s gaze swept almost imperceptibly over the full, white curve of her chest, her tone betraying nothing.

"Tara, could you help me try on a dress?"

Tara was puzzled. "Try it on for you?"

Dorothy nodded. "Yes, I bought a dress online a few days ago, but when I took it home to wash and try it on, I realized the size was too small and it doesn't fit me."

She looked dejected. "Now the shop won't let me return it, and it’s a waste to throw it away, so I'm planning to send it to my cousin."

"My cousin’s figure looks similar to yours," she looked at Tara expectantly. "So Tara, just help me try it on, okay?"

Tara blinked. "I see..."

Seeing her hopeful expression, Tara couldn't bear to refuse. Suppressing her sleepiness, she said, "Alright, bring it over."

Dorothy was overjoyed. "Coming right up!"

A moment later, Tara looked at herself in the mirror with a complicated expression.

It was a red dress designed to be very sexy.

The neckline was terrifyingly low, the hem barely covered the tops of her thighs, and the waist was so tight it felt like it was trying to strangle her.

She kept her legs pressed tightly together in discomfort, her hands shielding her chest.

"Dorothy, maybe you shouldn't give this dress to..."

"So beautiful!"

Dorothy interrupted her, her gaze filled with wonder and excitement.

Without a second thought, she pulled out her phone and immediately snapped a photo of her.

Tara was stunned by her action and frowned slightly. "Dorothy, what are you doing?"

Dorothy chuckled. "I’m just sending a photo of how it looks on a person to my cousin. Don't worry, I'll delete it as soon as she sees it."

After speaking, she immediately saved the photo to the cloud, then hypocritically deleted it in front of Tara's face.

"Are you relieved now?"

She leaned in, gently hooking an arm around Tara's shoulder, and said sincerely, "Thank you, Tara. The dress fits perfectly; my cousin will definitely love it."

Seeing this, although Tara felt a bit uneasy, she didn't pursue it further.

"Fine. I'm really tired, so I'm going to sleep now, Dorothy."

She immediately took off the dress and changed into her own pajamas.

"Mhm, goodnight, Tara."

As she watched Tara climb into bed and close the curtains, the smile on Dorothy's face faded bit by bit. She stared darkly at the photo saved in the cloud.

Tara slept very deeply. When she woke up and looked through the dorm balcony, the sun was already setting.

There were several unread messages on WeChat, several of which were from Killian.

12:10

Killian: [Did you have lunch?]

13:00

Killian: [Are you painting?]

15:00

Killian: [You should rest.]

16:00

Killian: [Image, Image, Image... Which of these pillows do you like?]

17:00

Killian: [My hand hurts... #Pout]

Seeing the words "My hand hurts" at the end—a message that, for the first time, included an emoji—Tara felt like her world was ending.

Her hand did indeed hurt, as did her head.

This proved Killian wasn't lying; he really was in pain.

[Killian, I'll come see you at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon.]

The promise from yesterday resurfaced in her mind, and Tara felt incredibly guilty.

She had broken her word.

Why didn't the two-hour countdown alarm she set go off?

Without further delay, she immediately got up to get ready.

Forty minutes later, Starry Nebula Residence.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Tara was about to knock while carrying the fresh ingredients she had just bought when she was suddenly choked by a sharp, smoky sensation.

Tears involuntarily pooled in the corners of her eyes.

Unable to bear it, she quickly entered her fingerprint, opened the door, and walked in.

The twilight afterglow poured through the clean, bright panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, coating the entire room in a dreamlike golden-red hue.

In front of the window directly facing the sunset, the young man sat lazily on the soft white carpet with his long legs slightly bent. He held a cigarette between his slender fingers, quietly looking out the window.

It was a scene with an incredible atmosphere, like an exquisite oil painting.

The usually noble and elegant young man looked unexpectedly decadent and lonely amidst the swirling smoke.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice her entering.

Tara covered her nose and called out muffledly, "Killian."

Hearing the soft, sweet voice, Killian’s stagnant gaze flickered as he turned his head.