Author: Momo Chan

The world shattered the moment I found out about my husband and my sister. “It was never you, Clara. It was always her.” Liam’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice a blade. “You were the one who got in the way.” Each word was a hammer blow to my heart. The blood drained from my face. A tremor wracked my body—a toxic cocktail of pain, fury, and humiliation. “I was in the way?” My voice was a sharp, desperate whisper. “You knelt on the floor and begged me to marry you, Liam. And now you’re telling me it was always Ava?” A raw, hysterical laugh tore from my throat. It dissolved into a flood of tears that streamed down my face, hot and relentless. Seeing me so utterly broken seemed to jolt him from his cold rage. Panic flickered in his eyes. He reached for me, then snatched his hand back as if burned. His lips trembled, unable to form a coherent sentence. “Clara, that’s not what I meant… You… let me explain…” But I was already gone. I walked out the door like a ghost, an empty shell propelled by a pain so vast it had hollowed me out completely. I stumbled onto the street, oblivious, a zombie navigating a world that had lost all color. A blinding light sliced through the fog. The moment the truck hit me, my last coherent thought was, This still doesn’t hurt as much as my heart. 1 The sterile scent of antiseptic filled my nose. I forced my eyes open, squinting against the harsh sunlight piercing through the blinds. “Miss Hayes? You’re awake.” A young nurse came in, her voice soft. “You’ll be fine. You’re just a bit weak. We need to get your strength back up.” I stared at her, uncomprehending. The phantom agony of betrayal still echoed in my nerves, my mind a disoriented haze. This scene… I knew this scene. This was the hospital room from when I was twenty, after I collapsed by the pool. It was all coming back. Three days ago, I had won the National Dance Championship. My parents, ecstatic, had insisted on throwing a celebration at the Grandview Hotel. My younger sister, Ava, had recently failed her audition for the summer intensive. Though she pretended it didn’t bother her and my parents told her it was nothing, I knew how sensitive she was. I’d spent the whole party keeping an eye on her. When she disappeared, I went looking. I found her outside by the pool. A moment of distraction, a child running past, and I was knocked into the icy water, the shock pulling me into darkness. Before I could fully process the impossible reality of my return, the door to my hospital room opened again. Liam stood there, holding a bouquet of flowers. Behind him, her face a carefully constructed mask of concern, was Ava. “How are you feeling?” Liam walked to my bedside, his hand reaching for my forehead. “The fever’s broken. You just need to rest.” Instinctively, I recoiled from his touch. My expression was a complicated storm of emotions I couldn’t yet name. “I’m fine. Thank you.” Ava rushed forward. “Clara, it’s all my fault. If it wasn’t for me, you never would have ended up in here.” Her face was stained with tears, her voice trembling, her eyes brimming with guilt. Liam immediately wrapped an arm around her, his touch gentle as he guided her to a chair. “It’s not your fault, Ava. It was an accident.” His voice held a tenderness he had never used with me. Ava leaned into him, a subtle shift of weight, a silent claim. She looked up at him, her eyes a mix of gratitude, sorrow, and something else—a flicker of dependence I’d never seen before. I watched them, a cold, bitter clarity dawning in my heart. The intimacy, the unspoken language between them… it was so obvious. How had I been so blind my entire life? Sensing my glacial stare, Liam’s face flushed. He cleared his throat. “Ava and I are here to take you home.” Back at the house, my mother led me to the dining table. “Ava had Maria make all your favorites,” she said, placing a piece of short rib on my plate. “She cried all night, saying she wished it had been her who fell in the water…” I listened to my mother’s chatter, my stomach churning as I looked at the greasy piece of meat. I had lost my appetite. “Mom, I think I’m just going to go to my room.” She paused. “Alright, honey.” She helped me from my chair. “We’ll keep it warm for you, in case you get hungry later.” Lying in my bed, I replayed my previous life with Liam. Countless details, once dismissed as insignificant, now surfaced, each one a small, sharp piece of the devastating truth. He said I was the one in the way. Fine. This time, I would give them exactly what they wanted. I would step aside and let them have each other. This time, I would not be an obstacle. The next day, I began packing a suitcase for the dorms. “Clara, why are you moving out?” my mother asked, bewildered. “The campus isn’t far. Michael can drive you every day.” I placed my hairdryer into the suitcase. “Finals are coming up. I need to focus.” “Don’t go, Clara, please.” Ava grabbed my sleeve, her voice a soft, childish whine. “I’ll miss you if I can’t see you.” It was her signature move—the pouting, the wide eyes, the saccharine tone that always made me give in. I gently pulled my sleeve from her grasp. “I’ll be back after my exams are over.” That evening, Liam came to see me. “You’re moving into the dorm?” He held out a small box of strawberry tarts. “Can’t you stay? Ava’s really upset.” I didn’t take the box. My favorite was blueberry. He always got it wrong. I used to think he just couldn’t tell the difference. Now I knew the truth: he just didn’t care enough to remember. He never once mixed up Ava’s favorite, peach. “If you need a tutor, I can help you study. You don’t have to move out,” he said earnestly, placing the box on my desk. “No, thank you,” I replied, my voice cool and distant. “I just want to focus on my studies without any distractions.” “Alright then. But if you need anything, I’m always here for you.” He gazed at me, his expression full of the same deep concern that had fooled me for a decade. The same look that had made me believe I was the center of his world. If I hadn’t lived and died by his lies already, I might have fallen for it all over again. “I was never in love with you. You misunderstood. Our parents misunderstood.” His words from the end of my last life echoed in my head—the self-righteous justification that had shattered my reality, turning a decade of devotion into a pathetic, one-sided joke. 2 Living in the dorm was a breath of fresh air. The quiet solitude was a balm on my wounded soul, allowing me to pour all my energy into my studies and, more importantly, my dance. In my past life, I had been offered a scholarship to study abroad with a world-renowned company in London. I turned it down for Liam. This time, I wouldn’t make the same mistake. It was ten o’clock when I left the dance studio, muscles aching with a satisfying burn. “Clara, there’s someone downstairs for you,” my roommate, Jess, said, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. “Is that your boyfriend? He’s gorgeous.” I glanced out the window. A tall, familiar figure stood under the sprawling oak tree, a small box in his hand, his eyes fixed on the dormitory entrance. “No,” I said flatly, ignoring her teasing. I didn’t go down. Instead, I pulled out my phone and sent Liam a text. “Did you need something?” If I was going to cut ties, I had to be decisive. No more face-to-face meetings. My phone buzzed with an incoming call. I hesitated for a second before answering. “Clara, I brought you something to eat,” Liam’s smooth voice said through the phone. “Why don’t you come down and get it?” “Thank you, but I don’t need it.” I hung up without another word, my heart a calm, steady rhythm in my chest. Liam stood frozen, staring at his phone. He hadn’t expected such a cold dismissal. Something was different. Something had changed. When he got back to his car, Ava was waiting in the passenger seat. “Liam, did you see Clara?” she asked, her big, watery eyes full of faux concern. “No,” he said, his tone clipped. He was still reeling from my rejection. “She wouldn’t come down.” “Oh, it’s all my fault. My ankle is twisted, otherwise I could have brought it up to her dorm myself,” Ava lamented, her lower lip trembling. “She hasn’t been home in so long. I hope she’s okay.” Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over. Liam’s focus snapped back to her. A wave of protectiveness washed over him. “Hey, hey, don’t cry. I know you’re worried about her, but she’ll be fine.” He gently brushed a tear from her cheek, his finger lightly tapping the tip of her nose. “You’re the one we need to worry about. You’re too thin. You need to eat more.” Later that night, Liam found himself staring at my name in his contacts. Before my curt text earlier, the last message from me was from the day of the banquet. I had asked if he could arrive a little early; I wanted to wear the necklace he was getting me. It was a new design by Mr. Chloe, a piece I had been dreaming of for months. He had planned to surprise me with it. But Ava, in her infinite helpfulness, had told me the moment he’d secured the purchase. I had been so happy, my eyes sparkling like crushed starlight. A faint smile touched Liam’s lips at the memory. He typed out a message: “Are you asleep? Want to get lunch tomorrow?” He waited. A long time passed, but the screen remained blank. A flicker of disappointment crossed his face. She’s probably just asleep, he told himself. She didn’t see it. Lying in my dorm bed, I saw his message and scoffed. Was this a date, or was he just following Ava’s instructions? Every time we’d planned to be alone in the past, Ava would miraculously appear. “Ava’s by herself, let’s just have her join us,” he would always say. And I never questioned it. Liam and I had known each other since we were kids. We grew up together. He’d sit for hours while I practiced, we’d study together, share our secrets. Our friends, our parents—everyone assumed we were destined to be together. An inseparable pair. I had believed it, too. How naive I’d been. Ava was five years younger, a little shadow who was always trailing behind us. While I excelled, she was… average. Quiet, timid, a fragile little thing wrapped in a cocoon of insecurity. My parents never pushed her, their only wish for her was to be happy. I, in turn, felt a natural, sisterly duty to protect her. It never occurred to me that she and Liam were tangled together. My husband, the love of my life, and my sister, my own flesh and blood. The two people I trusted most, conspiring to push me into an abyss. Looking back now, I was a fool. Utterly, completely blind. I remember one Valentine’s Day. Liam and I were going to walk across Lovers’ Bridge. And then, suddenly, there was Ava, turning our twosome into a clumsy threesome. I had gently tried to hint, “Doesn’t Mom need you at home?” Tears immediately welled in her eyes. “Clara… am I bothering you and Liam?” she whimpered, stumbling back a step. “I’ll… I’ll go home right now.” Her trembling shoulders and the sight of her retreating back, racked with sobs, was enough for Liam to turn on me. “Clara, she’s your sister! How could you say that to her?” I felt a hot flush of shame, instantly regretting my words. “Liam, don’t yell at Clara,” Ava cried, running back to grab my hand. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have intruded…” Liam rushed to her side, pulling her into a protective embrace. “It’s not your fault. Your sister was out of line.” And I, the fool, saw nothing wrong with that picture. I just stood there, drowning in guilt. 3 The next morning, I finally replied to Liam. “No, thank you. I have to study.” Then I put him out of my mind and dove headfirst into my work. That evening, I got a call from my dad. “Clara, Liam’s grandfather is back from his trip. We’re all having dinner at their estate tomorrow night.” In my past life, Mr. Sterling had always been incredibly kind to me. As much as I wanted to avoid Liam, I couldn’t be disrespectful. I had to go. I ignored the designer dress my parents had laid out for me and opted for simple jeans and a white shirt. When we arrived, I could see Liam and Ava in the garden, laughing together. I handed my gift to the old man. “Mr. Sterling, it’s so good to see you. I hope you’re well.” “Clara, my dear girl, come sit by me,” he said with a warm smile. He then called over to Liam. “Liam, get Clara a glass of iced tea. It’s a warm evening.” A nearby housekeeper chuckled. “The moment Miss Hayes arrives, our young Mr. Sterling steals our jobs.” “It’s what the boy should be doing,” his grandfather laughed along. I took the glass from Liam, my thanks cool and distant. Sensing the chill between us, Mr. Sterling deliberately seated us next to each other at dinner. “Clara, can I sit next to you?” Ava appeared, her eyes wide and pleading. “I’ve missed you so much. We haven’t eaten together in ages.” Before I could answer, Liam had already moved, pulling Ava into the seat between us. He then proceeded to fill her plate with all of her favorite dishes. “Liam, Clara loves this dish. You should give her some,” Ava said, pointing to a platter. “I don’t like it anymore,” I said calmly, before he could move. “Oh, Clara, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know…” Her eyes reddened, a tear trembling on her lashes. I looked up at her, my gaze knowing and direct. My stare must have struck a nerve. She flinched, her hand knocking over a wine glass in a clatter of panicked movement. “Clara, you’re scaring her,” Liam chided, his tone sharp with accusation. “She’s just trying to be nice.” I simply glanced at him before returning to my meal. His grandfather, sensing the strange tension, asked Liam to drive me home after dinner. “Clara, I wasn’t trying to blame you earlier,” he said, taking my hand as we walked to the car. “It’s just… Ava is fragile. You have to be more patient with her.” I pulled my hand free. “Okay.” “I got this for you,” he said, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket. “I saw it and immediately thought of you.” He opened it to reveal a delicate jade bracelet. “It’s warming jade. Your circulation is poor, this should help.” He moved to put it on my wrist. In my past life, he claimed he never loved me. Yet every gesture, every touch, every thoughtful gift was a lie that made me believe we were meant to be. As I got out of the car, I discreetly slipped the bracelet off and tucked it into the small compartment by the rearview mirror. If I was truly done, I couldn’t accept his gifts. Mid-week, I went home to gather a few things and took the opportunity to box up every gift Liam had ever given me. There was the pinwheel from our childhood, sand art from a beach trip, and countless pieces of jewelry. The box was surprisingly large and heavy. I taped it shut and shoved it into the deepest corner of my closet. There was no need to return it, but I would never open it again. My talent in dance had caught the attention of Professor Finch, the head of the department. He called me into his office. “Clara, there’s an opportunity to study under the legendary Alistair Finch in London. He was very impressed with your competition tape. They have resources there that could change your life. You need to take this seriously.” In my past life, Professor Finch had said the same thing. The first person I had told was Liam. “Clara, that’s wonderful,” he had said, though his smile didn’t reach his eyes. “But a young woman like you, all alone, thousands of miles from home… what if something happens? What if you get hurt?” He looked at me, his voice soft and laced with concern. “I would be worried sick.” Back then, I thought he truly couldn’t bear to be without me. I had held his arm and told my professor, “I have everything I need right here.” The memory was so absurd it was almost funny. “Professor,” I said, my voice firm with conviction. “I will take this opportunity.” “Good. Talk to your family. If there are no objections, you leave in a week.”

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In the fifth year of my marriage to Julian, after eight failed rounds of IVF, I finally conceived twins. But four months into the pregnancy, the woman he’d always loved, his high school sweetheart, came back to the country. She had kidney failure and needed a transplant. From that day on, my husband stopped coming home after work. Instead, he went to the hospital. The parenting books on our nightstand were replaced with medical journals. One day, Julian, whom I hadn’t seen in ages, came home and wrapped his arms around me, his voice ecstatic. “Scarlett, you’re my lucky star! Tens of thousands of people were tested, but you’re the only one who’s a match for Thea.” “If you give her one of your kidneys, she’ll be saved.” For a moment, I thought I was hearing things. “You mean,” I asked, my voice barely a whisper, “you want me to terminate our pregnancy… to donate a kidney to Thea?” Julian, lost in his joy, didn’t seem to notice my shock. “We can always have more children, Scarlett. Thea’s health is what’s most important right now.” I stared at him, at the cruel excitement in his eyes, and wondered if he had any idea what he was saying. 1. He didn’t seem to register the horror on my face. “With your kidney,” he continued, beaming, “Thea will make a full recovery.” My head was spinning. I looked him straight in the eye, needing to hear it again. “You want me to donate my kidney to Thea?” He tapped my nose playfully, a gesture that once felt endearing. “My wife is so smart. And so kind. Thea was worried you wouldn’t agree because of the babies.” When had I ever said I would agree? My voice trembled with rage. “You want me to get rid of the babies I fought so hard to conceive… to give a kidney to Thea?!” A flicker of impatience crossed Julian’s face. “Don’t be so dramatic, Scarlett. We haven’t even seen what these babies look like. But Thea… she’s been a part of my life for over twenty years. You expect me to just stand by and watch her die?” Horror, disappointment, helplessness—a tidal wave of emotions washed over me, and my legs gave out. I collapsed onto the sofa. But there was no concern in his eyes, only a frantic urgency as he yanked me back to my feet. “Don’t just sit there. We need to get to the hospital. There are a lot of tests to run.” He pulled me up so abruptly I stumbled, my thin nightgown offering no protection from the sudden chill in the room. As we reached the door, I grabbed the frame, my knuckles white. “You’re going to make me go out in my pajamas?” “Oh,” he said, as if just noticing. He quickly grabbed a coat from the rack and threw it over my shoulders. “You’re four months along, Scarlett. You’re huge. It doesn’t matter what you wear.” He flashed the smile that had once captivated me. “Besides, it’s not like I’m embarrassed by you.” But I saw the flicker of disdain in his eyes. How could he say that? On the wall, our wedding photo seemed to mock me. I was once a beautiful, slender bride, full of hope. It was the years of fertility drugs that had stolen my figure. 2. The car sped through the city streets. Soon, we arrived at Thea’s hospital. Nurses, doctors, even other patients, greeted Julian by name. He was, after all, the hospital’s biggest benefactor. They knew me, too—as the woman who had undergone more failed IVF cycles than anyone else. We went to Dr. Mason’s office. He was a good friend. Julian didn’t waste any time. “Scarlett is a match for Thea,” he announced. “Schedule the surgery as soon as possible.” Mason, who had just taken a sip of water, choked, spraying it across his desk. “Julian, do you have any idea what you’re saying?” A look of disgust crossed Julian’s handsome face. “Are you deaf as well as stupid?” he sneered. “I said, schedule an abortion for Scarlett. She’s donating a kidney to Thea.” Mason’s jaw dropped. I knew why he was so shocked. He had been with me through all eight rounds of IVF, through the endless, agonizing egg retrievals. He knew what this pregnancy meant to me. “Does Scarlett even agree to this?” Mason pressed, his voice strained. “She doesn’t have a choice,” Julian replied coldly. His words sent my heart plummeting back into the abyss. Five years of my understanding, my unconditional support, had led him to believe my opinion didn’t matter. I stumbled out of the office and sank onto a bench in the hallway, leaning against the cold wall. A pair of elegant heels appeared in front of me. I knew, without looking up, that it was Thea. Even in the hospital, she was dressed in a beautiful designer dress, her makeup flawless. Julian had arranged a VIP suite for her, of course. I thought back to my own hospital stays during the IVF treatments. I had once asked if I could wear my own pajamas instead of the scratchy hospital gown. Julian had accused me of being an attention-seeker. The signs were always there, weren’t they? I had just been lying to myself. I looked up. Thea was staring at me, her lip curled in a sneer. “Scarlett, you look pathetic. You’re embarrassing Julian, showing up here like this. He owns this hospital, for God’s sake. Have some respect.” She flicked her hair back. “But I have to admit, you’re smarter than I gave you credit for. You know what matters to him. Donating your kidney is the only way you’re going to keep him.” Just then, I felt a flutter. A tiny kick. For the first time, I felt my babies move. My hands flew to my belly, a protective instinct surging through me. Seeing my silence, Thea shoved me. “Are you deaf? Who do you think you are, clutching your stomach like that? You should be grateful for the opportunity to save me.” “Besides,” she hissed, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper, “those two little bastards should never have been born in the first place. Julian promised me…” I shot to my feet and slapped her, hard. “I don’t want your charity, and I will not harm my children for a viper like you. You want my kidney? Dream on.” The color drained from her already pale face. She stared at me, stunned. Then, she let out a piercing shriek. “Scarlett, how dare you hit me! You stole five years of my life with Julian! You owe me this!” She raised her hand to strike me, but I was ready. I shoved her, and she went sprawling to the floor. “I don’t owe you anything,” I said, my voice shaking with a lifetime of suppressed rage. “I’ve known women like you my whole life. The homewreckers who play the victim. You don’t deserve to live.” When I was a child, my father had an affair. His mistress, pregnant and triumphant, moved into our home. I watched my parents fight, listened to the screams that shattered our once-happy family. My mother, heartbroken, wasted away and died. That’s why I married Julian. He had sworn he would only ever love me. That’s why I had endured so much to have our children, to build the perfect, unbreakable family I’d always craved. Thea’s cries brought Julian running. He saw her on the floor and, without a second thought, shoved me aside, rushing to her aid. “Thea, what happened? Are you okay?” He glared at me, his eyes blazing. Thea clutched his arm, her face streaked with tears. “Julian, what am I going to do? I made Scarlett angry. She won’t give me her kidney. I don’t want to die, Julian. I don’t want to leave you.” Then, to my astonishment, she knelt before me. “Scarlett, I’m begging you. Please, save my life.” Julian immediately pulled her into his arms. “Shh, Thea, it’s okay. I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” I couldn’t watch this pathetic melodrama a second longer. I turned to leave, but Julian grabbed my arm. “Where do you think you’re going? You’re not leaving until you apologize to Thea.” 3. I raised an eyebrow, a cold smile playing on my lips. “My husband is holding another woman in his arms, and I’m the one who has to apologize? Have you no shame, Julian?” His jaw tightened, a vein throbbing in his temple. Five years together had taught me to recognize this look. He was furious. Thea struggled to her feet, clinging to him. “Julian, it’s okay. As long as Scarlett agrees to the donation, a little humiliation is nothing.” And just like that, with a single word from her, the rage vanished from his face. He didn’t even glance at me as he scooped her into his arms and carried her back to her room. My own legs felt like they were made of cotton as I somehow managed to walk out of the hospital. I assumed Julian would stay with Thea that night. But just as I was about to fall asleep, he came home. He tiptoed into the room, his cold hand slipping under my nightgown, his fingers tracing my waist as if nothing had happened. “Why were you so childish at the hospital today?” he murmured, his voice soft and familiar. “Getting jealous like a little girl. Thea and I are just friends.” I no longer cared what they were. All that mattered was protecting my babies. He leaned in to kiss my forehead. I fought back a wave of nausea and took his hand, placing it on my belly. “Julian,” I whispered, “the babies moved today. They kicked me. They’re already…” “Enough!” He snatched his hand back as if he’d been burned. “I know you’re attached to them, Scarlett. But are you really going to watch Thea die?” As a mother, my children would always come first. They had been inside me for four months. I had waited for them for five years. I decided to try one last time. “Julian, I’ll do it,” I said, my voice pleading. “I’ll give Thea my kidney. But please, let’s wait until after the babies are born. Then I’ll do whatever you want.” He stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then his voice turned to ice. “Thea can’t wait. This disease is destroying her, body and soul. She lives in constant fear. Get some rest. We’ll have other children.” He left the room, slamming the door behind him. The sound echoed the shattering of my heart, and the tears I’d been holding back finally fell. 4. Hours later, my tears finally ran dry. I picked up my phone and saw something that plunged me even deeper into despair. Julian had canceled all the orders for the baby supplies we’d picked out together. The crib, the stroller, the tiny clothes. The reason for return on every single item was the same: “Pregnancy terminated. No longer needed.” He had even returned the pair of tiny pink socks he’d been so excited about. I remembered the way his eyes had lit up when he saw them. “My daughter has to have these,” he’d said. Now, he didn’t care. I wiped my eyes and got out of bed. I started to pack. I didn’t have much. In my single-minded pursuit of pregnancy, I hadn’t bought new clothes in years. I gathered the essentials, then started searching the house for anything of value. If I was going to do this alone, I would need money. Bank cards, cash, jewelry—I took everything I could find. I looked around the home I had shared with Julian for five years. There was a pang of sadness, but it was overshadowed by a gnawing anxiety for the future. But I would not let anyone hurt my children. I boarded a plane and flew to a city where no one knew me. I thought I had bought myself some time. I was wrong. On the third day, he found me. I was fast asleep. The babies had been particularly active the past few nights, and I was exhausted. A sharp, insistent knocking woke me. Thinking it was room service with my breakfast, I stumbled to the door. When I opened it, the face I never wanted to see again was staring back at me. Julian. His eyes were blazing with fury. “You’ve got some nerve, Scarlett. Running away with my money.” He pulled a wad of cash and a credit card from his pocket and threw them in my face. “You love money so much? Here. Is this enough to buy your kidney? If not, I can add more.” Tears blurred my vision. The man I had loved for five years felt no sadness, no regret at my absence. All he saw was a walking organ donation. Before I could react, he grabbed me. “It doesn’t matter where you run, Scarlett. I will always find you. Donating your kidney to Thea is your only way out.” He dragged me onto a plane and back to the hospital. He threw me into a private room and posted four guards at my door. Despair was a physical weight, crushing the air from my lungs. The babies, sensing my terror, kicked and tumbled inside me. Suddenly, I felt a warm gush between my legs. I looked down and saw blood. I curled into a ball on the bed, crying out his name. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want my babies to die. Julian, fresh from Thea’s room, stormed in and berated me in front of the guards. “She’s a pathological liar. She’ll do anything to get out of this. Just watch her. Make sure she doesn’t leave. The rest doesn’t matter. The babies will be gone soon enough anyway.” His words were a physical blow. I started to tremble uncontrollably as I felt my life, and the lives of my children, draining away with the warm blood. Just as my eyes fluttered shut, a figure burst into the room.

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Everyone in our circle knew I loved Seraphina Winer to the point of madness. For years, I had quietly given her everything. When her mother fell ill, I secretly brought in the country’s top specialists to treat her. When she launched her company, I poured a fortune into clearing her path to success. Whenever I found something beautiful or rare, my first instinct was to lay it at her feet. After twelve years of marriage, I held onto the belief that my devotion would one day win her heart. I never imagined she was sleeping with her male secretary behind my back. The sonogram, the endless, blindingly intimate photos he sent me—they were enough to turn my heart to ash. I didn’t scream or break things. I calmly called a meeting of the board and had Seraphina removed from her position as CEO. I would make her understand. Without me, she was nothing. 1. On my birthday, I treated myself to a prime-grade steak and my favorite matcha mousse cake. I sat in the cavernous living room, savoring the solitude. Seraphina walked in after settling a filthy stray dog she’d brought home, her expression grim. “Why isn’t dinner made?” she demanded, her gaze sweeping over my plate. “You know I don’t eat steak, and I can’t stand matcha. What am I supposed to eat?” I didn’t look up. “There’s instant ramen in the cabinet. Just add hot water.” Her face tightened with anger. “I flew back from out of town specifically to celebrate your birthday, and this is the attitude I get?” she snapped. “So I was delayed by work, so what? I even brought you a gift. What more could you possibly want?” “Was it really my birthday you came back for?” I countered, my voice sharp, finally meeting her gaze. A small, cold smile touched my lips. “I saw the pictures. You and Leo Archer, taking a leisurely stroll in the park this afternoon.” While I was at home, my heart filled with anticipation, planning a surprise for us, she was basking in the afternoon sun with her secretary, looking for all the world like a pair of lovers. It would have been a beautiful picture, if she weren’t already married to me. And my birthday “gift”? The dirty stray dog she’d impulsively rescued during her little walk with Leo. Seraphina’s face went rigid before her brows furrowed in annoyance. “Yes, I got back this morning. Leo was having a rough day, so I took him to the park to clear his head. As his boss, isn’t it my job to care about my employees’ well-being?” She sat beside me, her tone still devoid of any warmth or guilt. “Eddy, I know what this is really about. Don’t take your obsession with having a baby out on Leo.” “I told you before, I’m just starting to build my empire. My work takes all my energy. I simply don’t have time for a child.” “You’re thirty-five,” she added coolly. “Do you really think you’re still young enough to have a healthy child?” I may be thirty-five now, but I was in my early twenties when I married her. For twelve long years, I’d yearned for a child, and for twelve years, she’d put me off with the excuse of her career. I had always supported her, respected her, acting as the silent, unshakeable foundation she stood on. Her pride was immense. To help her conquer the business world, I secretly leveraged my family’s resources, paving every inch of her road to success. I had given everything to walk this path with her. And now that she was a titan of industry, a celebrated name, she had the audacity to tell me I was too old, unworthy of fathering her child. Sensing the shift in my mood, Seraphina moved to embrace me, her voice softening into a placating purr. “Darling, I really don’t have the time. And you don’t have the energy to raise a child alone. I’m thinking of you.” She gestured toward the dog. “This little guy might not be perfect, but all creatures have a soul. We can raise him as our child, okay?” I caught the faint, cloying scent of another man’s cologne on her, and a wave of nausea washed over me. I pulled away from her, my face a mask of indifference. “If all creatures have a soul, why didn’t you give the dog to Leo? What, is it not as good as the limited-edition sports car you bought him this afternoon? He gets a priceless car, and I get a stray dog?” Her expression soured instantly. “Did the paparazzi snap that too? Eddy Cole, are you investigating me? How can we be a couple if there’s no privacy or trust between us!” She scrambled for an excuse. “I bought him the car because he’s been with me for years, from obscurity to success. Don’t I owe him a thank you?” I stared at her, a bitter taste filling my mouth. It felt like a hand was squeezing my throat, like I’d been slapped across the face. “Seraphina,” I said, my voice strained, “he’s been your secretary for three years. I’ve been your husband for twelve. And you used our money to buy him a priceless car as a ‘thank you’?” Twelve years, and she still didn’t understand. It wasn’t about the dog, or the car. It was about her contempt for me. Her face flushed with rage. “Why have you become so petty? A little money and you’ve completely lost your head. You’re a house husband. What would you do with a sports car, drive it to the grocery store?” She waved a dismissive hand. “I can’t be bothered to argue with you. Keep up this nonsense and this marriage is over!” Just then, her phone rang. The anger vanished from her face, replaced by a gentle concern as she answered. “Leo? What’s wrong? Don’t worry, I’m home. I’ll be over as soon as I’m done here.” Leo’s shaky voice crackled through the phone. “Sera… I was in an accident. I think my leg is hurt…” “Okay, just wait for me, I’m on my way!” Seraphina’s face was pale with worry. Without another word or a single glance back at me, she bolted out the door. A moment later, a text from an unknown number buzzed on my phone. It was a sonogram report. Seraphina Winer, three months pregnant. Below it, a neatly typed message. “This is our first child. To celebrate, Seraphina bought me a sports car and a new villa.” “Tonight, she’s all mine, Eddy. Happy birthday. Enjoy the dog.” 2. My world tilted. My eyes were glued to the sonogram, a blade twisting in my chest. The strength drained from my body, and I collapsed onto the floor. Soon after, a text from Seraphina arrived. “Something came up at the office, meeting a partner. Won’t be home tonight. I owe you for your birthday, I’ll make it up to you with a gift at the business event tomorrow.” She added one last line. “Don’t be angry. Get some sleep.” I stared at the two messages, a bitter, hollow laugh escaping my lips. Seraphina and I met in college. It was love at first sight for me; she couldn’t have been less interested. She was raised by a single mother who was later diagnosed with a severe brain tumor. They were desperate for money to cover the treatment. I couldn’t bear to see her suffer. I paid for everything, anonymously, and arranged for the nation’s top neurosurgeon to perform the operation. The surgery was a success. To protect her pride, I told her the money came from a charity fund. She was at her lowest point, but her pride was unyielding. “Eddy Cole,” she had demanded, “what do you want from me?” I laid my heart bare. “I love you.” She was silent for a long moment. “You want to be my boyfriend,” she said, her brow furrowed, “but my career is just starting. We’d have to keep it a secret. Wouldn’t that hurt you? Eddy, you’re a good man, but I have nothing to give you…” The love of a young man is pure and fearless. “I’ll endure anything, as long as I can be with you,” I promised her. “Seraphina, I will help you achieve your dreams, and I will wait for you to love me back. Please, just give me a chance.” The sun was setting that day, painting the sky in shades of rose. The young woman stood on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to the young man’s cheek. “Okay.” And so we began. To open the doors of the business world for her, I used my family’s influence behind her back, smoothing her path. She became an overnight sensation, a rising star lauded for a brilliant investment. In the beginning, even if our love wasn’t deep, she treated me with respect, understanding, and care. As she fought her way up, I was always by her side. I took drinks for her at networking events until I was vomiting in the streets, once so violently I ended up in the hospital with a bleeding stomach. She held my hand then, her voice full of pain. “Eddy, let’s get married. I will make something of myself. And even if I can never truly love you, I swear I will never, ever hurt you.” Twelve years had passed. We saw each other less and less. Now, when she looked at me, all I saw was irritation. Her endless stream of cruel words had become a thousand tiny cuts. The sonogram was the final, fatal blow, plunging straight through my scarred and broken heart. Tears streamed down my face as I smiled. I typed back a single message. “Seraphina, let’s get a divorce.” The next morning, there was still no reply. I suspected she hadn’t even bothered to read my message. But Leo Archer’s Instagram had been updated. A new post showed him with perfectly styled hair revealing the elegant line of his neck. He wore a custom-tailored black suit, and on his wrist, an emerald watch caught the light with a cold, green fire. I knew that watch. It was my mother’s only legacy, my most precious treasure. My heart plummeted. I rushed to the safe. The watch was gone. An icy dread washed over me. Besides me, only one other person knew the combination. Seraphina. I grabbed my keys and sped to the location of that night’s business gala. When I arrived, Seraphina was in her element, laughing with a group of industry titans. She didn’t even notice me. But Leo did. He sauntered over, deliberately flashing the watch. “Well, well, Eddy. You really came dressed like that? A bit pathetic, don’t you think?” His voice dripped with contempt. “The only reason you married her is because you met her a few years before I did. Dumb luck. But look at you now. Just an old man, wasting away. You don’t belong in a place like this. You should leave before you embarrass yourself further.” Rage, white-hot and uncontrollable, surged through me. Seeing him treat my mother’s memory so flippantly, I snapped. I swung my hand, slapping him hard across the face. “Give. Me. My. Watch.” “Ah!” Leo cried out, clutching his face and stumbling theatrically to the ground. Seraphina cut through the crowd, her eyes wide. Seeing Leo on the floor, she rushed to his side, shielding him with her body. Her glare was glacial. “Eddy, are you insane?!” “Who gave you permission to touch him?” she hissed. “He provoked me,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “He had it coming. Seraphina, why is my mother’s watch on his wrist?” Leo feigned innocence. “It’s all my fault. I couldn’t find the right accessory for this suit. I heard Eddy had an emerald watch, and Sera said it would look perfect on me, so she let me borrow it…” I stared at Seraphina, the pain so intense I could barely breathe. “You gave him my mother’s legacy to curry his favor?” Even after learning of her affair, of their child, I never thought she could be this cruel. I had once confided in her, against my grandmother’s advice not to reveal my family background, that my mother had died protecting me, and that this watch was the only thing I had left of her. How could she give it away so carelessly? Seraphina shielded Leo, her voice trembling with fury. “Is this watch that valuable? Once it’s in our house, it’s our property. I can give it to whomever I please. Do I need your permission?” “Eddy, the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the roof over your head—I gave you all of it! How dare you question me?” Before she could finish, I raised my hand again. This time, the slap was for her. She didn’t flinch, taking the full force of the blow. Leo shrieked, rushing to her side. “Are you crazy? You hit her over a watch? She’s a giant of the industry! Do you have any idea who she is?” “Enough! Stop embarrassing yourselves!” Seraphina roared. She ripped the emerald watch from Leo’s wrist and hurled it at me. “Take it! Take the piece of junk your pathetic, dead mother left you! I wouldn’t have even touched it if Leo didn’t like it!” “Now take your watch and get out!” she screamed. The watch hit the marble floor with a sickening crack. The emeralds skittered across the floor, the watch face cracked—a perfect mirror of our broken marriage. Something inside me finally shattered. I grabbed a wine bottle from a nearby table and threw it in her direction. “Seraphina,” I yelled, my voice breaking, “you are the biggest disappointment of my life!” Security guards quickly subdued me. Seraphina’s face was contorted with rage. “Eddy, I am powerful now! I am influential! I am still offering you the position of my husband, so don’t be so ungrateful!” How laughable. Everything she was, I had built. I stared at her, my voice cold and steady. “I don’t need your pity. We’re getting a divorce. And I will show you what it means to have nothing.”

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When my benefactor went bankrupt and wanted to die, I played dumb. “Baby, your birthday’s next month,” I purred, tracing circles on his chest. “I saw this watch that would be just perfect for you. It’s a steal, really, only five million dollars. Too bad I’m a little short.” Tears welled in his eyes, his voice thick with emotion. “You… you remembered?” He then proceeded to haul bricks, deliver food, and sell off his properties until he scraped together the five million. I took the money, and without a second glance, spent it all. Then I pouted. “But the new collection of handbags is just gorgeous. I want one so badly…” Any thought of dying evaporated from his mind. Now, the moment his eyes opened each morning, his only thought was making more money. 1 It was the third year of being Tedd Vance’s pretty little canary when the whispers started: he was broke. Tedd was still away on a business trip when the staff began to vanish, one by one. The house grew quieter, emptier. Anna, the head housekeeper who’d always had a soft spot for me, pulled me aside, her face etched with concern. “Miss Cecilia, you should pack up whatever you can grab and get out of here while there’s still something left to take.” Did she think I didn’t want to run? The problem was, after three years as Tedd’s canary, I’d been completely ruined for a normal life. I was spoiled rotten. He was the perfect benefactor—stupidly rich, ridiculously easygoing, and utterly devoted. I hadn’t suffered a single day; I’d only known luxury. Where else would I find a fool who’d shower me with money and cater to my every whim? Besides, maybe the rumors were just that—rumors. I was willing to bet on one last chance. 2 The day the bankruptcy became official, Tedd came home. His designer suit was a mess of wrinkles, and dark circles bruised the skin under his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. He bypassed the plush sofa and sank to the floor, leaning against its base, a small, gleaming blade in his hand. His expression was unnervingly calm, his eyes as still and deep as a well. He toyed with the blade, spinning it between his fingers, its edge glinting as he positioned it over his wrist. The house was dark. With the staff gone, no one had bothered with the lights. I fumbled along the wall, my fingers searching for the switch. Click. The sudden flood of light made Tedd flinch. He turned his head, his eyes widening slightly when he saw me. “Cece,” he murmured, his voice hoarse. “You… you’re still here?” I feigned ignorance, pretending I didn’t see the blade in his hand or understand the gravity in his tone. I threw myself at him with all the practiced drama I could muster, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Baby, you’re finally back! I missed you so much.” My hands, moving on instinct, immediately began patting down his pockets. Empty. Not a single gift box, not even a trinket. It seemed the rumors were true. There was really nothing left. Usually, Tedd returned from a trip laden with extravagant gifts for me. He knew exactly what I was searching for. A shadow of despair crossed his face. “Cece, I’m so sorry, I…” I cut him off, settling into his lap and taking his hand in mine, my voice a delicate, regretful sigh. “Baby, your birthday’s next month. I saw this watch, it would look perfect on you. Such a shame it’s five million dollars, and I’m a little short.” My interruption threw him off. He blinked, the words he was about to say forgotten. Then, what I’d said registered. His eyes went red with emotion. “My birthday… you still remember?” I shot him a playful, reproachful look. “Of course I remember. How could I ever forget your birthday?” He looked deeply moved, his hand trembling in mine. “Five million… that’s nothing. I’ll transfer it to you right now…” He trailed off, the reality of his situation crashing back down on him. I just watched him, my eyes wide and expectant. Tedd rubbed his eyes, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “There’s… there’s a bit of a cash flow problem right now. Just give me a couple of days, and I’ll get it to you.” He tried to stand. “I should go. I need to take care of this now.” I tightened my grip, pulling him back down. “And another thing. While you were gone, the staff just up and left. There’s no one here to even make dinner.” A flicker of raw pain crossed Tedd’s face. He clenched his fists, then slowly forced them to relax. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.” He shrugged off his jacket and walked toward the kitchen. “I’ll cook.” There were still some groceries in the fridge. Tedd tied on an apron and got to work. He’d slimmed down over the past couple of weeks, but his body was still solid. A broad chest, a great ass. After being spoiled by a man who looked like that, how could I ever settle for anyone else? Damn it all. I was in deep. 3 Tedd had learned to cook during his university days abroad. He wasn’t a master chef, but he wasn’t terrible either. Thankfully, I wasn’t a picky eater. The main course, after all, was still to come. After dinner, he tried to leave again. I dragged him straight to the bedroom. “Baby, you’ve been acting so strange since you got back,” I murmured, pinning him to the bed. “Did something happen?” His eyes flickered. His attempt to push me away softened. “No, it’s nothing. I just need to sort out the funding issue as soon as possible.” My fingers traced lazy patterns across his chest, my voice dripping with manufactured sorrow. “Always work, work, work. Haven’t you missed me at all?” I hooked my leg over his hip. His Adam’s apple bobbed. I didn’t give him a chance to answer, silencing him with a kiss. He could sort out his business later. First, he was going to take care of mine. Halfway through, Tedd clung to me, his voice cracking with a vulnerability I’d never heard before. “Cece… you’re so good to me.” I quickly pressed my fingers to his lips. Shhh. Don’t say another word. Any more of that, and my guilt might actually kick in. 4 When I woke up, Tedd was already gone. Out looking for work, I presumed. I took my time getting up, showering, and finding the breakfast he’d left for me on the table. After eating, I felt a little full, so I took a walk around the small garden to aid my digestion. That’s when my best friend, Betty, blew up my phone. Betty: I THINK I’M STILL DREAMING BUT DID YOUR MAN JUST DELIVER MY LUNCH???? Attached was a ridiculously blurry candid shot. I zoomed in and couldn’t help but roll my eyes. The photo made him look five-foot-five, but even in that distorted mess, I recognized Tedd instantly. To think, he was a CEO just a few weeks ago. How had he fallen so far, so fast? I made a few calls to some well-connected friends and got the scoop. Someone had deliberately set him up, sabotaging him so thoroughly that no reputable company would touch him. His resume was being tossed in the trash before it even landed on a desk. Damn them. My heart ached for him. The truth was, I wasn’t penniless. Tedd had been incredibly generous over the years, and being the money-lover I am, I’d converted most of his lavish gifts into cold, hard cash. Fine. If the world was against him, we could just switch roles. I’d support him. This was just cruel. When Tedd came home that evening, I stopped him at the door. “Baby, what if we just moved back to my hometown? We could start over there.” I saw the tension visibly drain from his shoulders. He nodded, a look of profound relief on his face. “Okay.” With his agreement, I started packing. Clothes, shoes—all essential. This handbag was two hundred thousand, that one was half a million—they were all assets, they had to come. The jewelry Tedd bought me was priceless, absolutely essential. I ended up with several massive suitcases packed to the brim. As I stared at the mountain of luggage, I realized Tedd had been far too quiet for far too long. I went to find him. He was sitting on the sofa, perfectly still. Something felt wrong. “Why aren’t you packing?” He stirred, as if waking from a trance. “I don’t have much. Just some toiletries will do.” He casually tossed a few items into a duffel bag. That night, Tedd fell asleep early. Curled up under the covers, his face was peaceful, his brow smooth. He looked so serene it made my heart melt. At least, it did until I saw the unsent text message he’d drafted on his phone. “I’ve liquidated all my assets. It came out to exactly five million. Cece, take the money and live a good life.” And then I saw the bottle of sleeping pills tucked away in the back of his nightstand drawer. 5 The next morning, Tedd slept in for once. He seemed in high spirits, dressing in a crisp suit as if preparing for a long trip. “Baby, I’ve transferred the five million to your card.” He straightened his tie. “I have to go on a business trip. I might be gone for a month. You head back to your hometown first, and I’ll come find you when I get back.” Just as he was about to walk out the door, I, feigning surprise, glanced at my phone. Then, without batting an eye, I spent every last cent. Tedd froze in the doorway, the color draining from his face as he watched it all unfold. I set my phone down, my expression a mask of innocence. “Baby, what’s wrong? You look so pale.” I let a little pout form on my lips. “Are you really leaving? You know, the new handbag collection just dropped, and I want one so, so badly…” You want to die on me? Not until you’ve earned me a cool hundred million, you don’t.

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To clear the way for his mistress, my husband faked his own infertility and demanded a divorce. “It’s for the best,” he said, his voice thick with fake sincerity. “You don’t have to worry. I could never remarry after this. The guilt would be too much.” I cried, my sobs so violent it was hard to breathe. But the second I turned my back, I let out a sigh of relief and tossed the shredded remains of his real test results into the trash. I had been worried he wouldn’t be able to handle the truth. Turns out, I worried for nothing. Oh, we were getting a divorce, all right. And I was going to make sure he left with nothing but the clothes on his back. When I silently agreed, he was overjoyed, already planning to welcome his pregnant mistress into our home. What my husband didn’t know was that the paternity test he was holding was a fake. And the infertility report I’d just thrown away? That was the real one. 1 Holding Tyler’s medical report, my heart had been a lead weight in my chest for days. I walked in from work one evening to find his entire family sitting in our living room. The moment I stepped through the door, every head turned in unison to stare at me. Their faces were grim, their eyes a mixture of pity and judgment. For a terrifying second, I thought they knew. My heart clenched, but I forced a smile. “Mom, Dad, you’re here! You should have called. I just bought some fresh seafood. Have a seat, dinner will be ready in a bit.” I started to roll up my sleeves and head for the kitchen, but my mother-in-law’s voice stopped me. “Phoebe, wait. We need to talk to you about something.” My husband, Tyler, looked at me, his face a blank mask. “Phoebe, let’s get a divorce.” “What did you say?” I whispered, my eyes wide with disbelief. He held out a piece of paper. “A few weeks ago… Mom had us both get check-ups, remember? The results came in. I’m infertile. And it’s irreversible.” How could he have a report? I was the one holding it. It clicked. The whole family was in on it. This was a setup. My mind reeling, I took the paper from his hand, my heart pounding with suspicion. Suddenly, I remembered what a friend had told me two weeks ago. “Phoebe, I saw your husband at the OB-GYN clinic today. He was with some young woman, and she was very obviously pregnant.” “And I heard them calling each other ‘honey’ and ‘babe’!” She’d even sent me a photo. I recognized the woman instantly. She was an intern from Tyler’s office. He had told me she’d quit months ago. I had been about to call Tyler and demand an explanation when the hospital called me. They said he had left an important document at the reception desk. It was his real report. The conclusion was written in cold, clinical print: Tyler would never be able to have children. But Tyler didn’t know that. And neither did his mistress. Pushing down the storm of emotions inside me, I put on my best performance. “Honey, it doesn’t matter,” I said, my voice choked with fake tears. “I don’t care if you can’t have kids. I love you. We can adopt if we want to.” For a moment, I saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but it was quickly extinguished. “No,” he said, his voice firm. “I can’t handle the pressure, the pitying looks from your family. Let’s get a divorce. It’s the last act of love I can give you.” He looked at me, his eyes shining with false nobility. “I can’t be so selfish as to take away your chance to be a mother. I love you, Phoebe, but I want you to be happy more.” 2 “No! I won’t do it! Plenty of people in the world can’t have children, and they make it work. Why can’t we?” I cried, clinging to his arm. “We can try Eastern medicine, alternative treatments… there are options!” Tyler immediately shot down the idea. “I’m a man, Phoebe! How am I supposed to hold my head up if people know? My life would be over! If you really love me, you’ll keep this a secret.” I broke down completely. The tears of heartbreak were fake, but the sense of betrayal was agonizingly real. I had been a devoted wife for years, and this is how he repaid me? By faking a medical condition to push me out for another woman? He was going to learn that playing with people’s hearts has consequences. In a last-ditch, staged effort, I turned to his parents. Tyler was their eldest, the golden child. “Mom, Dad, please, talk to him! We can’t just give up. People will talk!” My father-in-law took a long drag from his cigarette and shook his head. “Phoebe, this kind of condition… it’s a lost cause. Dragging it out will only ruin his reputation. You have to understand a man’s pride.” I looked at his younger brother, Caleb. “Caleb, please. You know how good your brother has been to you. Talk to him. We can get through this.” A muscle twitched in Caleb’s jaw. “Phoebe, this divorce is a relief for him. Just let him go. It’s different for a man. The gossip… it’s like being flayed alive.” His wife just looked down at her hands, silent. Their united front was all the confirmation I needed. A wave of triumphant joy washed over me, but I let the tears flow freely. Tyler pulled me into an embrace. “Phoebe, it’s my fault. I’m a broken man; I don’t deserve you. I’ll make sure you’re compensated, of course. You deserve that much.” Gasping between sobs, I finally gave in. “I know you’ve always been a good man. Okay… I respect your decision.” 3 I excused myself to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. My hand tightened around the real report tucked inside my purse. The doctor’s words echoed in my mind: “With a sperm survival rate of less than one-tenth of one percent… there’s no hope for a natural pregnancy.” For the past two weeks, my biggest problem had been how to break the news to him gently. I never imagined he’d hand me the solution on a silver platter. His report was a forgery, but his condition was real. For years, his family had assumed I was the reason we were childless. Now that another woman was pregnant, their suspicions were confirmed. Just then, a text came through from my friend. “He’s taken her to three different clinics and even sent a blood sample to a specialty lab in another country. It’s confirmed: it’s a boy!” And there it was. The Chen family, with their old-fashioned obsession with a male heir, had found their excuse to get rid of me. If he was so eager to play the proud papa to another man’s kid, who was I to stop him? Let them bask in the joyful anticipation of their new arrival. 4 I dried my eyes, stormed out of the house, and slammed the door for good measure. The divorce was happening, but not yet. I needed to drag this out. I made a show of calling all his friends, begging them to intervene. I cornered his best friend, Mark, in the street, putting on a spectacular display. “Mark, how can he be so sensitive?” I wailed, loud enough for the neighbors to hear. “As long as I don’t mind, what does he have to worry about? Why does he have to divorce me? Please, talk to him! A man needs a family, even without kids!” Mark looked deeply uncomfortable. He obviously knew the real story. “Phoebe, please, keep your voice down. This is… a private matter. If he thinks this is for the best, maybe you should just let him go.” The neighborhood gossip mill was already churning. “What a wonderful woman. Her husband can’t have kids, and she still wants to stand by him.” “Yeah, if the roles were reversed, you can bet he’d be long gone.” He was worried about his reputation, but I wasn’t. I started an online diary. I wrote about my husband’s tragic infertility and his selfless decision to divorce me so I could have the chance to be a mother. I posted screenshots of his family’s cold texts and my friend’s well-meaning warnings. I even included a tearful video of myself. The internet ate it up. Our story was hailed as the ultimate tragic romance, the peak of “Bad End” love. One commenter wrote: “He sacrificed his own happiness for yours, never knowing that all you ever wanted was him.” I read it and cried, my tears of gratitude very real. Of course, I publicly begged everyone to respect our privacy. “This is a very sensitive issue for a man. Please, don’t try to find him or disturb his life.” Everyone thought I was a lovelorn fool. Some even tried to talk sense into me. “While being child-free is a valid choice, having your own child is a beautiful thing. Maybe your ex-husband really is doing what’s best for you.” On the day we were supposed to sign the papers, I hesitated again. “Maybe we should just try one more time. I really don’t want to do this.” Tyler’s patience was wearing thin. “What is your problem? Do you want the whole world to know I’m sterile so they can point and laugh at me?” he snapped. “I told you, I’m never getting married again! I won’t be a burden to anyone!” I knew he was getting antsy. His little intern was pushing to make things official, and he was terrified I’d find out the truth. He thought I couldn’t live without him. He had no idea I was just squeezing the last drops of value out of him. I took his hand, my eyes full of sorrow. “We were husband and wife. Before we say goodbye, let’s make one last beautiful memory together.” I’d seen influencers making “breakup countdown” videos. I always thought it was a sweet idea. Tyler had called it pathetic. But now, consumed by guilt, he couldn’t refuse. “Just… as a formal farewell,” I whispered, the very picture of a heartbroken woman. He looked at me, a flicker of something soft in his eyes, and finally nodded. 5 We drove to his hometown. Tyler had always been close to his grandparents. After his grandfather passed, his grandmother lived alone in the old house. She took my hand the moment we arrived. “When are you two going to give me a great-grandchild?” she asked, her eyes twinkling. “Don’t follow those modern trends. A child is a continuation of your life, a symbol of your love. It’s what makes a life complete.” I felt a pang of nostalgia for the woman I used to be, the woman who truly believed that love was enough. Now, I just couldn’t wait to see the look on their faces when the truth came out. Tyler watched me clean the entire house from top to bottom, a look of genuine appreciation on his face. “Phoebe, thank you.” “It’s nothing,” I said, resisting the urge to slap him. “I know how much your grandmother means to you. It’s just a shame I won’t be able to visit anymore. A divorced woman… life will be hard. But don’t worry, I’ll work hard. I won’t let anyone say your ex-wife is a failure.” “I’ll make sure everyone knows you were a man with the best taste in the world.” That did it. “Phoebe,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Besides our shared assets, I have about half a million saved from before we were married. It’s yours.” “I couldn’t possibly. You’ll be all alone; you’ll need it.” I pretended to refuse, but I knew he’d insist. He was a hypocrite who needed to buy a clear conscience. With his six-figure salary and rising career, half a million was a small price to pay for peace of mind. Sure enough, he pulled out his phone and initiated the wire transfer. Moments later, my phone pinged with the notification. What he didn’t know was that his new boss, a staunch traditionalist, had a strict policy against promoting divorced employees. Tears of “gratitude” streamed down my face as I leaned against his shoulder. “Let’s take a picture,” I sobbed. “It might be our last chance.” He smiled and agreed. I posted the screenshot of the bank transfer to my online diary. The praise came flooding in. 6 The divorce would have to wait a little longer. We still had a list of things we’d always promised to do together. We hiked a mountain to see the sunrise. We rowed a boat on a serene lake. He cooked me breakfast. We watched an old classic, Titanic, at a revival theater. The moments were genuinely beautiful, which made my online posts all the more poignant. My followers were heartbroken for us. “Why does fate have to be so cruel to such a perfect couple?” “Please don’t separate! Adopt a child! Your family can still be complete!” I could see it was getting to him. It’s hard to reject a beautiful, kind, successful woman who is willing to stand by you even after learning you’re infertile. He was wavering. But he had no way out. The intern wasn’t going to let him go that easily. That night, after he thought I was asleep, Tyler opened my purse. He saw the report.

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For ten years, my mission was Jerry Ewing, the city’s top business magnate. And for ten years, I failed. I once threw myself in front of a car to save him—costing me the hearing in my left ear. I thought that would finally complete my mission. That he’d marry me. Instead, his voice turned icy: “Marry into the Ewings? With a heart as toxic as yours, Julia? You tried to kill Lila. Get your head fixed first.” His sentence: “Letters of contrition. Ten thousand words a day. Write until you understand your depravity.” To complete the mission, I obeyed. He sent me to his private retreat for “treatment.” A year later, I returned broken. He greeted me coldly: “A year. Have you learned your lesson?” I nodded, hand resting on my slightly swollen belly as I knelt on the frozen ground. “Julia Vance knows her place now,” I whispered. “I will never presume to be worthy of the Ewings.” The moment I spoke, a cold voice echoed in my mind: [Host has abandoned the mission. Annihilation in eight days.] 1 After a year of being locked away in that remote retreat, he had finally decided to bring me home. “Hurry up. Don’t keep the master waiting.” The butler, Mr. Henderson, found me in a damp, dark room in the furthest corner of the facility, clad in rags. The air around me was thick with the stench of antiseptic and stale sweat. He waved a hand in front of his nose, his face twisting in disgust. “Really, Miss Vance. It’s only been a year. How could you let yourself fall into such a state?” he sneered. “You knew we were coming for you today. Or is this pathetic display meant to win the master’s pity?” I fought against a sharp, stabbing pain in my lower abdomen, struggling to my feet. I tugged at the tattered remnants of my dress, trying to cover my exposed skin. “You’re right, Mr. Henderson,” I mumbled, my head bowed. “I am a disgrace to the master.” I curled my swollen, frostbitten toes into my worn-out shoes and shuffled obediently behind him. The path was slick with snow and ice. The frozen ground tore open the half-healed sores on my feet, and I stumbled, a fresh wave of pain making me slow my pace. Mr. Henderson shot me a look of pure contempt. He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging in like claws. “Stop the act, or you can stay here and rot forever!” he hissed. “Don’t think I don’t know. The master provided you with a private therapist, gourmet meals, and luxury accommodations. This whole drama queen routine is because you heard you were coming home. It won’t work.” I bit my lip to stifle a cry and forced myself onward until I stood before Jerry Ewing. Through my one good eye, I took him in. He was exactly as I remembered: impossibly handsome, with an air of cold arrogance that kept the world at arm’s length. His gaze swept over my thin rags and bare feet standing in the snow, and his brow furrowed. He shot a questioning look at Mr. Henderson. The butler leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Jerry’s expression hardened into one of pure disgust. “So, she’s still the same manipulative creature,” he said, his voice dripping with scorn. “Does she really think this pathetic act will move me?” Everyone in the city knew the story: the heiress of the Vance family, obsessively in love with the great Jerry Ewing for a decade. I had spent a fortune, poured all my energy into becoming his wife. But they didn’t know the truth. It was all for the mission. And even with all my efforts, Jerry had never once acknowledged me as his fiancée. He was convinced I had used my family’s influence to pressure his parents, forcing him into an engagement he never wanted. I once believed my devotion could melt his frozen heart. But he never truly saw me. His eyes were always looking for someone else. I remember the tenderness in his gaze when he looked at Lila Gray. A warmth he had never, not once, shown me. I had been willing to die for him, yet his heart belonged completely to another woman. The irony was a bitter pill to swallow. After a year apart, there were a million things I wanted to say, but the words died in my throat. Jerry sighed, a sound of weary impatience. “Julia. Do you finally understand what you did wrong?” His voice was quiet, but each word was a shard of ice piercing my heart. The world started to spin, and my legs gave out from under me. For months, I had survived on scraps at the retreat. My body was a fragile wreck; I could barely stand for more than a few minutes. “Still with the theatrics?” He took an involuntary step toward me, his hand outstretched as if to help, but then he froze, a sneer twisting his lips. “You have a talent for drama. It’s a shame you’re not an actress. If it weren’t for Lila insisting I bring you back for our wedding, I wouldn’t even want to look at you.” A year ago. His beloved Lila had been in her perfume workshop when she’d accused me of knocking over a vial of volatile chemicals. She claimed the fumes had sent her to the ICU. Jerry’s face had been a storm cloud of fury. “Your heart is so toxic, Julia. How could you ever be fit to join my family? If you want to marry me, you’ll first do a stint at my private retreat in the countryside. They’ll help you reflect on what a monster you’ve become.” I was a Tasker. Ten years ago, a car accident had left me in a coma, a vegetable. A system chose me, transporting my consciousness into this world. My only way back to my real life, to my family, was to complete the mission: make Jerry Ewing agree to marry me. Now, after a year of torture, he was marrying his one true love. All my sacrifices, all my pain—it was all for nothing. In that moment, something inside me broke. Why should I keep fighting in this world that wasn’t mine? I looked up at the cold, untouchable man before me and let out a soft, defeated sigh. “Julia Vance knows her place now. I will never again presume to be worthy of the Ewing family.” [Host has voluntarily abandoned the mission. All traces of Host in both worlds will be annihilated in eight days.] Even though I’d expected this, a sharp pain lanced through my heart. I forced a brittle smile to my lips. “Congratulations, Mr. Ewing. To you and Miss Gray. May you have a long and happy life together.” He stiffened, clearly thrown by my words. The old me would have screamed, raged, and thrown the tantrum of a lifetime. But that girl was gone. Nothing mattered anymore. He stared at me, his eyes narrowed in disbelief. “Since you love to perform so much,” he said coldly, “I have another stage for you.” At his command, his men dragged me roughly to the private garden. They shoved me toward the grand fountain, ignoring my struggles as they doused me with freezing water. Someone grabbed my hair, forcing me to my knees on the icy marble. The laughter of the staff echoed around me. I felt the collar of my dress being pulled tighter, the sensation of choking, of drowning. My last defense shattered. A wild, broken laugh escaped my lips. I surged to my feet, wrenching myself from their grasp, and staggered into the center of the fountain. I tore off my sodden, clinging rags. I grabbed the decorative watercolors left by the edge and, in a frenzy, smeared the vibrant pigments all over my skin. Naked and painted, I stood in the heart of the fountain, meeting their shocked stares. You want to humiliate me? You want to see me shamed? Here I am. I looked directly at a stunned Jerry Ewing and screamed, “Are you satisfied now?” My defiance must have enraged him. His next order was to have me thrown into an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. He wanted to break me, to force me to beg for his forgiveness. But I didn’t care anymore. I only had eight days left. The air in the factory was thick with the smell of damp and decay. Moss crawled up the crumbling walls, and the scuttling of rats was the only sound. I thought it was a fitting place to end this meaningless life. I drifted into a hazy sleep. My mind took me back to that first day, before he sent me away. “Julia. Do you know what you did wrong?” Back then, I was still naive enough to think I held some small place in his heart. My jealousy had made me reckless. “What did I do wrong? You’re just biased! You always take her side!” I had screamed. I hadn’t touched that vial. Lila had set me up. He didn’t listen. He slapped me, hard, across the face. “You’re a spoiled brat,” he’d said, turning his back on me. “Perhaps some time at my retreat will teach you some humility.” He didn’t know. He didn’t know that what awaited me wasn’t therapy. It was a pack of wolves in human clothing. They descended on me… Three months later, Jerry appeared before me again. I refused to answer his questions. His face contorted with rage. “A few months in here and you’ve decided to play deaf and dumb? Still so stubborn?” He didn’t know that after he’d left the first time, the torment had begun. Day and night. My screams lasted all night. Eventually, they tired of the noise. They slapped me, over and over, calling me the filthiest woman on earth, until blood poured from my ear. I wanted to give up. But the thought of my family, waiting for me in my own world, was the only thing that kept me going. They locked me in an empty room. Then they stopped giving me food. They said if I was too weak, I wouldn’t have the energy to make such annoying sounds. But the torment… it never stopped. When I woke up again, I was in a familiar room. My family’s city home. A system prompt floated in my mind: Annihilation in six days. I had been unconscious for two. A figure moved toward me from across the room. A jolt of pure terror shot through me. I tried to scramble away, but a hand pressed me back down onto the bed. “Don’t be scared, Julia,” a sweet voice chirped. “It’s me, Lila.” She sat on the edge of my bed, her face a mask of innocent concern. In her hand, she held a small jar of medicated balm. “Don’t be afraid, silly,” she cooed, but her other hand shot out, her fingers closing around my wrist like a vise. I remembered the perfume workshop. How she’d deliberately knocked over the vial as I walked by, then collapsed, pretending to be poisoned, pointing her finger at me. I knew she hated me. She wanted Jerry for herself. Yet she always played the part of my dearest friend. Her pity was more poisonous than any chemical. Seeing my body tremble, a smirk played on her lips. “How will your wounds ever heal if you don’t let me put some ointment on them, Julia?” “Ah!” With the last of my strength, I shoved her away. “Agh!” To my shock, Lila flew backward, as if propelled by a great force. My push had been feeble; there was no way it could have sent her flying like that. The door burst open and Jerry rushed in, catching Lila just as she was about to fall. He looked at her with such tender concern, but when his eyes landed on me, they were filled with venom. “Julia! I thought a year of reflection might have changed you, but you’re still the same monster. Lila comes here out of the goodness of her heart to bring you medicine, and you attack her? I should have left you to rot in that place!” Lila melted into his arms, her voice a soft sob. “Jerry, don’t say that. Julia’s been through so much. She’s probably just not feeling well.” “She brought this on herself,” Jerry snarled. “Crawling around in the snow like a madwoman. Why couldn’t she just walk back on her own?” A bitter laugh escaped my lips. A fifty-kilometer mountain road, in my condition? “She had the best food, the best care at that retreat! Is she so spoiled she can’t handle a single word of criticism?” “If it weren’t for your soft heart, she wouldn’t even be here. Ungrateful bitch.” The best food? The best care? “The master is right,” Mr. Henderson chimed in from the doorway. “When we went to pick her up, she said she had gotten used to the retreat and looked down on the Ewing estate. If we hadn’t begged her, she wouldn’t have come back at all.” “I think you’re too soft on her, Master. Look at her now. Does she look the least bit remorseful?” I stared daggers at the butler. We had no history of animosity, yet he stood there, weaving a web of lies. Someone had clearly coached him. Jerry’s face flushed with anger. He yanked me from the bed. The half-healed wounds on my body tore open again, and a low groan of pain escaped my lips. He gripped my arm, forcing me to stand, the agony twisting my features. He ignored my pain, his grip tightening. “Lila came to help you, and this is how you treat her? Was life at the retreat so comfortable that you’ve forgotten your place?” “If Lila hadn’t pleaded for you, you wouldn’t have the right to even stand in my presence! You’re not weak, you’re just an actress. How long are you going to keep up this charade?” “Lila is nothing but kind to you, and you repay her with this? Do you even have a heart?” He shoved me back onto the bed and stormed out of the room, pulling Lila with him. As she left, Lila glanced back over her shoulder, a triumphant, mocking smile on her face. I knew what she was flaunting. The man I had chased for a decade was now hers, effortlessly. Fine. She could have him. My time in this world was almost over anyway. My father, hearing I was back, rushed to see me. Seeing the silver in his hair, I couldn’t stop the tears. He wasn’t my father from my world, but his love for me was real. I was his only child, and he had always cherished me. Now, look what I had become. He wrapped me in a tight embrace, but as his hands brushed against the raw scars on my back, he recoiled. His eyes filled with anguish as he gently traced a long, deep wound. “Julia… your injuries! What in God’s name happened to you?” Through my tears, I managed a bitter smile. “It’s nothing, Dad. I brought it on myself.” My father’s face contorted with rage. He smashed his water glass on the floor and immediately took me to the hospital. Jerry and Lila, hearing the news, followed us there. When the test results came back, the doctor looked at us, his expression a mixture of shock and confusion. His next words sent a shockwave through the room. “Julia… she’s pregnant.”

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On Valentine’s Day, I accidentally opened my fiancée Seraphina’s package — inside was scandalous limited-edition lingerie. I canceled all meetings, rushed home, and waited excitedly. But she never returned. Then I saw a post from Leo, the college kid she sponsors. His caption read: “She says I’m like a book she can’t put down… one she just wants to fall into bed with.” The photo showed a woman in the same lingerie curled in his arms. Her face was blurred, but I knew her body. It was Seraphina. Furious, I called her. Leo answered, smug: “She’s not to be disturbed. Tonight she’s all mine.” “Tell her I’m her ex-fiancé,” I snarled. “She can collect her things tomorrow.” Then I called my assistant: “Wire the $100 million bailout for the Vances to Croft Enterprises instead. Tell Victoria Croft it’s a wedding gift.” 1 The phone on my desk had rung 108 times before I finally picked it up. Seraphina’s voice, frayed and frantic, exploded from the speaker. “Rico Thorne, where is the hundred million? The deadline is today! Without that capital, Vance Industries is finished!” she roared. “Wire the money now! If my family’s company takes even a small hit because of this, you can forget about marrying me, even if you offer a billion-dollar dowry!” I leaned back in my chair, scrawling my signature on the approval form for the hundred-million-dollar transfer to Croft Enterprises. Only then did I leisurely lift the phone to my ear. “Fine by me,” I said, my voice ice. “You!” Seraphina fell silent, stunned. I could almost hear her forcing the fury down, her voice shifting into something softer, something that was meant to sound like an explanation. “Rico, stop fooling around,” she cooed. “I was at Leo’s university yesterday, scouting for talent. I just let him hold my phone for a bit. He’s just a kid, he likes to play games. You’re not taking him seriously, are you?” I glanced down at the investigation file my assistant had just delivered. The cold, hard facts printed in black and white finally killed the last lingering piece of my heart. I let out a bitter laugh. “A misunderstanding?” “You’re obsessed with your privacy. You never even let me touch your phone, yet he can just answer your calls whenever he pleases?” “He’s a fresh graduate, Seraphina, yet you secretly installed him as a department manager in my company. You even threatened my staff to keep it from me.” My voice started to rise, fueled by the memory of the night before. “I opened your package by mistake yesterday. I waited all night for you, my heart full of hope, only to find you wearing that for him, in his bed.” “Tell me,” I spat, my voice cracking with rage, “what part of you is still worth a hundred million dollars?” She gasped, a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. It took her a long moment to piece together a defense. “He—he answered my phone without asking. I already scolded him for it, I promise it won’t happen again,” she stammered. “And Leo graduated top of his class from a prestigious university! He’s a rare talent. I put him in your company to help you secure him, to give him a chance to grow.” “As for the lingerie… that was a genuine misunderstanding. His school was having a graduation party last night. That photo was just a joke. I already made him delete the post,” she insisted. “You’re a man of status, Rico. Why would you get worked up over a college kid?” I glanced at my CFO, who was trembling in front of my desk, and a cold sneer twisted my lips. “Do you think I’m an idiot, Seraphina?” “You said it yourself, he just graduated. Yet he’s pulling a six-figure salary meant for a senior executive.” “And you siphoned millions from my corporate accounts—without my knowledge—to set up a private company for him. A company that’s now actively bidding against mine for contracts!” The anger I’d been suppressing erupted. I slammed my fist on the desk, the sound echoing through the office. “You have three days to return every last cent. Otherwise, I’ll see you in court!” Panic finally broke through her façade, her voice pitching high and thin. “Don’t say that! We’re about to be married, to be family! What’s yours is mine, isn’t it? I was just investing in a promising venture.” “If you’re really this upset, I’ll… I’ll find a way. I’ll make him sell the company. Whatever it takes to make you happy…” I couldn’t listen to another second of her lies. I ended the call. She hadn’t even stepped foot into my family home, yet she was already treating my assets like her personal piggy bank. She had crossed a line, a fatal one. No apology, no excuse could ever fix this. Late that night, I drove aimlessly through the city streets before finally turning toward the waterfront mansion at Azure Bay. The fifty-million-dollar villa I’d bought specifically for us, our marital home. Now, it was just a monument to her betrayal. There was no reason to keep it. I planned to take a few photos and list it for sale. But when I pushed open the front door, a scene unfolded that sent fresh flames of rage licking up my spine. 2 Silk stockings were strewn across the marble floor. A pair of stiletto heels lay abandoned by the sofa. The air was thick with the cloying, sickly-sweet scent of cheap perfume and sweat. I didn’t need to guess what had happened here. My fury simmered just beneath the surface, threatening to boil over as I stalked toward the master bedroom, the door slightly ajar. Through the crack, I saw him. Leo. Dressed in my wedding tuxedo. And holding him was Seraphina, radiant and beautiful in the wedding gown I had commissioned for her. The rage exploded. I kicked the door open with a deafening crash. “What the hell are you doing?” They sprang apart, flustered. Seraphina’s lipstick was smeared, her eyes wide with guilt as she avoided my gaze. But she was the first to recover, stepping forward to break the suffocating silence. “Rico! What are you doing here?” “Don’t misunderstand,” she said quickly. “Leo felt terrible about using your money for his company. He knows you’re busy, so he just offered to help me try on the wedding outfits to make sure they fit.” I said nothing. I just stared, my eyes burning holes into her. Seeing the storm brewing in my expression, she scrambled, turning to Leo and frantically tugging at the tuxedo jacket. “Take it off! Hurry, don’t get it dirty.” “Don’t bother,” I bit out. I called building security and had them take the tuxedo he’d worn. “Take this outside and burn it,” I ordered. I threw open the windows, letting a cool night breeze rush in to purge the tainted air. But it did nothing to cool the fire in my veins. My eyes, bloodshot and wild, fixed on her. “You brought him here?” I roared. “You brought him to our home, to our bed?” My shout made her flinch, and her face hardened. “What is that supposed to mean, Rico? I brought him here once. Just once! Stop being so paranoid, so suspicious. You’re making this sound so ugly.” “Besides,” she continued, her voice gaining a defiant edge, “you demanded he return the money, and we’re doing it. It just takes time to process. What more do you want from us?” Her entitled attitude was staggering. It was then that my eyes fell upon the nightstand. Our engagement photo, the one we’d placed there together, was gone. In its place was a picture of her and Leo, smiling in their wedding attire. My portrait had been cut out of the original frame, crudely colored in black and white, and tossed into a corner like a discarded death notice. “Seraphina,” I whispered, my voice dangerously low. “You’ve outdone yourself.” The veins in my temples throbbed. I snatched the heavy crystal ashtray from the nightstand and hurled it at their picture. The frame shattered, glass raining down onto the floor in a glittering cascade. Seraphina froze, shocked into silence. “Sera, look out!” Leo lunged forward, pulling her into his arms to shield her from the imaginary danger. Once he was sure she was “safe,” he turned to me, his face a mask of wounded innocence. “Mr. Thorne, I was really just helping try on the clothes. Please, don’t take it out on Sera. If you’re angry, direct it at me.” He then added, a smug little smirk playing on his lips, “As for the photos, it’s just a prank. A modern wedding tradition. You’re from a different generation, so it’s not surprising you don’t get it. There’s really no need to overreact.” My vision went red. In a flash, I lunged forward and drove my foot into his chest. He stumbled backward, crashing into the pile of broken glass. Shards sliced across his precious, pretty face, leaving angry red lines in their wake. “You son of a bitch,” I seethed. “Say one more word to me like that. I dare you.” He cowered, my fury finally breaking through his arrogance. He clutched his bleeding face, his eyes wide with terror as he looked to Seraphina. “Sera…” he whimpered. That broken sound was all it took. Tears welled in her eyes. She rushed to his side, helping him up. The sight of the blood on his face made her tremble with rage. She spun on me, her voice a hysterical shriek. “Rico, have you lost your mind?” “What did he ever do to you? Why are you so obsessed with hurting him? Was it a crime to help you try on a tuxedo?” “If you’re so unhappy, if you have a problem with me, then hit me! Don’t take your anger out on an innocent boy!” “You couldn’t even deliver the hundred-million-dollar payment on time, and I didn’t say a word about it! And now you have the audacity to be angry?” She shoved her face toward mine, challenging me, confident I would never lay a hand on her. I was stunned by her ability to twist reality. I reached out, my fingers curling under her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze. A humorless smile touched my lips. “Don’t worry. I don’t hit women,” I said softly. “But don’t push me. Even a cornered dog will bite.” My words seemed to finally break through her righteous anger. A flicker of fear crossed her face. Before she could respond, I pulled out my phone and dialed my assistant. “Davis,” I said, my eyes locked on hers. “Terminate all partnerships between Thorne Industries and the Vance family. Effective immediately.” “No!” Seraphina’s composure shattered. She began to tremble uncontrollably, her face draining of all color. She knew, better than anyone, that her family’s small company only survived because it was propped up by the Thorne empire. Without the hundred million, and now without my support, Vance Industries wouldn’t last the night. Every supplier, every partner they had, was only there because of me. The moment news broke that we were finished, they would descend on her family like vultures. But her fate was no longer my concern. As she stared at me, her eyes wide with terror, I turned my back on her and walked away without a second glance. If I was right, I’d be reading about the bankruptcy of Vance Industries by morning. However, I had underestimated her. The next evening came and went with no news. I was on my way to a gala at the Grand Hyatt to sign a major deal when a video from Davis popped up on my phone. It was a live feed from the gala. Seraphina and Leo were already there, holding court. “Please, everyone, don’t misunderstand,” Seraphina was saying to a circle of reporters, her voice confident and clear. “Rico and I are perfectly fine. In fact, he adores me.” “The contracts he cancelled were minor, insignificant projects. He has promised that on our wedding day next month, he will personally present me with a one-hundred-million-dollar cash gift and sign over the contract for the Westgate development project.” She beamed, pulling Leo forward. “And this is Leo, the department manager he values most. Please, make him feel welcome.” Her words worked like a charm. The partners who had been on the verge of pulling out were pacified. Even the clients waiting on that hundred-million-dollar order stopped pressing her. They were now fawning over her and her boy toy. I felt the rage clawing its way back up my throat. I slammed on the accelerator, racing towards the hotel. If we were done, I would not let her drag my name through the mud with her lies. 3 The moment I stepped into the ballroom, every head turned. A hush fell over the crowd. Leo, looking as if he’d been expecting me, strode over with a smug grin, a glass of champagne in his hand. Before I could speak, he raised his voice for all to hear. “Mr. Thorne, you’re finally here! I was just about to close the deal for tonight’s big order. I’ll bring the contract for your review once it’s done. Why don’t you go relax in the lounge area for a bit?” His words were perfectly crafted. He was banking on the fact that I wouldn’t make a scene at such a high-profile event. He was trying to paint himself as indispensable, as my trusted right hand. He miscalculated. Badly. I plucked a glass of red wine from a passing waiter’s tray and calmly emptied it over his head. The deep crimson liquid stained his brand-new white suit, dripping onto the pristine floor. “Who the hell do you think you are?” I asked, my voice dangerously quiet. “You think you have the authority to sign deals on my behalf? You’re nothing but a parasite who climbed into my company on Seraphina’s coattails. Don’t get confused and start thinking you can give me orders.” My sharp words hung in the stunned silence. A moment later, the room erupted in whispers. The same people who had been flattering him just minutes before were now pointing and sneering. “He was using Mr. Thorne’s name to network all night. I thought he was someone important, but he’s just Miss Vance’s boy toy.” “This is rich. First, she claims Mr. Thorne is madly in love with her, and now Thorne himself shows up to put her pet in his place. This is better than a movie.” The murmurs grew louder, more vicious. Seraphina’s face flushed with humiliation. She grabbed my arm and dragged me to a secluded corner. She poked a finger into my chest. “Rico, don’t be an ungrateful bastard,” she hissed. “Leo knew you were still upset, so he came here to handle things for you. You can’t just humiliate him like this because he’s an easy target!” “If you keep this up, I’ll—” Suddenly, her phone shrilled, cutting her off. Her expression shifted as she answered it, a wave of panic washing over her face. “Fine. Have it your way,” she muttered, shooting me a nervous glance. She grabbed Leo by the arm and they scurried out of the ballroom. Watching them flee, a knot of unease tightened in my stomach. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. A few minutes later, my phone rang. It was the groundskeeper from my family’s estate. “Mr. Thorne, something terrible has happened. You need to come to the cemetery. Now.” I raced to the family plot, my heart pounding. When I arrived, I was shocked to find Seraphina and Leo there, locked in a heated argument. The old groundskeeper ran to me, his face streaked with tears. “Sir, it’s your grandfather’s grave,” he choked out. “Miss Vance… she wanted this plot. She said it had good feng shui. She wanted to buy it to rebury Leo’s father. I told her no, but she… she bribed the funeral home. They dug up the master’s grave.” “I only found out tonight. By the time I got here, the master’s ashes…” He couldn’t finish, his voice breaking with a sob. He pointed a trembling finger. I followed his gaze, and my world tilted on its axis. My grandfather’s urn was shattered on the ground. His ashes—the last physical remnants of the man who raised me—were scattered in the mud, trampled and defiled. In that instant, something inside me snapped. All reason, all control, vanished. There was only a primal, killing rage. I lunged at Seraphina, my hands closing around her throat, squeezing. “Se-ra-phi-na,” I snarled, each syllable dripping with venom. “Those are my grandfather’s ashes.” She had never seen this side of me. Her face went deathly pale as she clawed at my hands, her eyes wide with terror. “No… it’s not like that… let me explain,” she wheezed. “I-I didn’t know it was your grandfather’s plot! You never told me he was buried here! The administrator only called me tonight…” The groundskeeper, seeing the life drain from her, rushed over and pulled at my arms. “Sir, calm down! She’s not worth going to prison for!” His words pierced through the red haze. I released her. Seraphina collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, the terror of near-death still etched on her face. She scrambled backward, away from me, until Leo helped her to her feet. Even then, her audacity was boundless. “Well, what’s done is done,” she said, her voice shaky but defiant. “Leo’s father is already buried here. It would be bad luck to disturb his spirit again. You should just let him have it.” “You’re rich, Rico. You can just find a better, more expensive plot for your grandfather. What’s the big…” SLAP! The sharp crack echoed through the silent cemetery. Seraphina stared at me, her hand flying to her cheek, her lips trembling in disbelief. “You… you hit me?” “You’re not even human,” I roared, my entire body shaking with a grief and fury so profound it threatened to tear me apart. “How could you say something like that?” It took every ounce of my willpower not to kill her right there. I turned away and knelt, my hands trembling as I tried to gather the soiled ashes from the dirt. “Mr. Thorne, I’m so sorry about this. Let me help you,” Leo said, his voice dripping with false sincerity. He stepped forward, and before I could react, he ground his heel into the earth, deliberately mashing my grandfather’s remains deeper into the mud, making them inseparable from the filth. “You’re dead.” The last thread of my sanity snapped. My eyes were blood-red. I grabbed a nearby shovel and swung it with all my might, straight at his head. “Rico, stop!” Seraphina screamed. She threw herself in front of him, blocking the blow. The confrontation had finally pushed her over the edge, igniting a deep-seated hatred for me. All pretense of civility was gone. “It’s just a dead man’s grave!” she shrieked. “Is that an excuse to murder Leo?” “I have had it with you! I have been patient, I have been tolerant, but you’ve worn away every last bit of my goodwill! What is this, do you not want to get married anymore?” I couldn’t believe the monstrous words coming out of her mouth. A bitter, chilling laugh escaped my lips. “You’re right,” I said, cutting her off. “We’re finished. Do you really think I’d pay a hundred million dollars to bring a monster like you into my family?” I ordered my men to exhume Leo’s father’s coffin and had my grandfather’s remains, dirt and all, reinterred. Leo clutched his father’s urn, his eyes red, refusing to let a single tear fall. Seeing his pain, Seraphina’s heart ached for him. Her face contorted with fury. As she left, she shot me a look of pure loathing. “You’ll regret this, Rico Thorne. You’ll regret disrespecting the dead. There will come a day when you’ll be on your knees, begging me!” I paid her words no mind. After repairing my grandfather’s tomb, I went home, emotionally and physically exhausted. I spent days in a daze, planning to settle the score with them once I’d regained my strength. But then Davis hammered on my door, his face pale with panic. “Mr. Thorne, it’s bad! Miss Vance used your credentials to log into your office computer. She didn’t just drain all of Thorne Industries’ liquid assets—she sold our entire portfolio of trade secrets to our biggest competitor. She’s trying to secure a new corporate partner!” “Our old partners are suing for breach of contract. We’re facing catastrophic penalties… We could lose everything. The company could go bankrupt.” Davis’s words struck me like a lightning bolt, shattering what was left of my composure. I staggered back, my heart splintering into a million pieces. For Leo, she had done this. She knew what Thorne Industries meant to me, to three generations of my family, and she had destroyed it without a second thought. I should never have trusted her. I should never have given her my password. Just then, my phone rang. It was Seraphina. “Rico,” she said, her voice smug and victorious. “Your three-day deadline passed, and you didn’t sue Leo. I knew it. You talk tough, but deep down, you still care about me.” “Consider this a small lesson. Take some time to reflect on your behavior. If you do, I might be willing to give you another chance.” “At the wedding next month, the entire city’s media will be there. I expect you to arrive with one hundred million dollars in cash. And you will bring your grandfather’s ashes with you.” “You will then get on your knees, holding those ashes, and apologize to Leo. You will keep bowing your head to the ground until he is satisfied. Only then will I agree to get in the wedding car.” I smashed the phone against the wall. So be it. She had left me no other choice.

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To win over the boy I’d loved my whole life, I took my yoga teacher’s advice. I got my braces off, had laser eye surgery, and threw myself into self-improvement. My yoga teacher, Jasmine, had an icy sort of beauty, but her love life was anything but. On a few urgent occasions, she even had me run errands for her—delivering condoms to her dates. I was finally ready to confess my feelings to him. Then, I got a call from Jasmine. “Sweetie, be a doll and bring me the morning-after pill.” Her voice was a husky, seductive purr. “I really hit the jackpot. Never met a virgin with this much stamina.” She hung up. My heart sank as I looked at the address she’d sent. The location pinged to the house of the one person everyone considered untouchable, the school’s ice prince— My childhood friend, Chaz. 1 I stood at Chaz Levine’s front door, but I couldn’t bring myself to knock. For years, this was my spot. Every morning, I’d wait here for him so we could walk to school together. Every evening, I’d stand here to bring him dinner. But this time, clutching the small paper bag with the pill inside, my hand wouldn’t move. As I hesitated, another message from Jasmine came through: 【Just hang the bag on the doorknob! Whatever you do, DO NOT KNOCK!】 Before I could even wonder why, a series of voice notes followed. I played the first one, my phone pressed tight against my ear. 【I take back everything I said about college guys. This one knows what he’s doing… or at least, he’s an enthusiastic learner.】 Jasmine was slightly breathless, a thrill humming in her voice. 【He might not have the technique of a more experienced guy, but damn, that raw strength… He’s wearing me out in the best way…】 Her words were cut off by a sudden rustling sound. The chat went silent. But through the thin wood of the door, I could hear it—Jasmine’s voice, a playful, purring plea for him to go easy on her. I fought back the acid rising in my throat. My fingers hovered over the keypad of the lock, the code a familiar rhythm under my skin. But I couldn’t do it. I hung the bag on the handle and sent a single word back to Jasmine: 【Done.】 Then I fled, like a deserter abandoning the battlefield. 2 I had imagined a hundred different ways Chaz might react to my confession. The worst-case scenario was a simple rejection. I never, ever imagined it would be like this, a suffocating, silent blow. I clutched the eight-hundred-word love letter I’d poured my soul into and hid in a quiet corner of the park, crying until I couldn’t cry anymore. By the time night fell, I walked home with two puffy, red-rimmed eyes. 3 When I got home, Dad poked his head out of the kitchen. “Annie, you’re back! Was it a long day?” I mumbled a noncommittal reply and was about to escape to my room when Mom grabbed my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?” Before I could answer, she tapped my arm playfully. “Annie, you’re such a scatterbrain. Did you really forget what today is?” I stared at her blankly. Before my mind could catch up, the front door opened with a familiar click, and Chaz walked in, carrying a bag of fresh fruit. Mom instantly let go of me, her face lighting up as she went to greet him. And then I remembered. It was Chaz’s birthday. That’s why I had chosen today to confess. But now, seeing him, I couldn’t find the courage to even look him in the eye. Chaz acted as if nothing was wrong, heading straight to the kitchen to help my dad. I used the moment to splash cold water on my face, trying to erase the evidence of my breakdown. When I came out, the table was set with dinner and a birthday cake. In the flickering candlelight, I watched the sharp, elegant line of his jaw and couldn’t stop picturing him with Jasmine, their bodies tangled together. Jasmine was adventurous. She loved to brag to us about the new tricks she tried with the men she slept with. … “Chaz, you and our Annie have known each other your whole lives.” After a few glasses of wine, my dad’s eyes were red with emotion. “It’s been so many years since your parents… well, your Aunt Sarah and I have always thought of you as our own son.” He paused, his voice thick. “You know that, right?” I snapped out of my thoughts, my head jerking up to look at my dad. I was about to say something, anything, to stop him. But under the table, my mom gently patted my hand, giving me a slight shake of her head. I heard my dad, usually so steady, his voice trembling with a rare uncertainty as he spoke to Chaz. “We’ve all seen how much Annie looks up to you… how much she likes you. You’re both adults now, you’ll be starting university together soon. Your uncle was hoping…” He trailed off, then downed another glass of wine as if for courage. “I’ve watched you grow up. We wouldn’t trust anyone else with her. You… you’ll take good care of our Annie, won’t you?” The air in the room froze. My parents stared at Chaz, their faces filled with hopeful expectation. I could feel my mom’s body trembling slightly next to me. But Chaz’s expression was as cool and unreadable as ever. His long, elegant fingers tapped a light, rhythmic pattern against his wine glass. Just as I was about to jump to my feet and break the unbearable tension, I heard him speak. A soft, simple, “Yeah.” He lifted his gaze to meet my father’s, his voice calm and even. “I will.” 4 I looked up, my eyes wide with disbelief. Chaz’s gaze met mine, and a faint smile touched his lips. “I’ll take good care of Annie. You and Aunt Sarah don’t have to worry.” Just as I was about to speak, my phone buzzed. It was a video from Jasmine, of her dancing with a male model at a club, followed by a voice note. Flustered, I quickly hit the voice-to-text option: 【Annie Song! Are you still hung up on that boring childhood friend of yours? Take a lesson from me, babe. It’s about the body, not the heart!】 【I was supposed to have a date with a rich heir tonight, but that college guy completely wrecked me today. I’m too sore for anything serious, so I just came out for some eye candy and to feel up some abs. ;)】 【But thanks for the help today! I’ll give you a free class tomorrow, good girl!】 I stared down at my phone like a student caught cheating in class. I typed back: 【Are you and that college guy… a couple?】 My question must have seemed to come out of nowhere. The “typing…” indicator blinked for a long time before she replied with a single “?” I glanced at Chaz across the table, a wave of guilt washing over me. Just as I was about to delete my message, her reply came through: 【Are you kidding? Me, tied down by him?】 【He’s lucky I’m even letting him be my friend with benefits. He wants a title? He’ll have to get in line behind the forty other handsome, rich guys who’ve tried!】 For some reason, a wave of relief washed over me. I shut off my phone, looked up at a slightly tipsy Chaz, and smiled at him. “Happy birthday.” 5 Maybe it was the alcohol, but my dad’s eyes welled up. “Good, good,” he said, repeating the word several times. He stood and clapped Chaz on the shoulder. “Good boy. I always knew you were a good boy.” His voice cracked. Realizing he was getting overly emotional, he stood up abruptly, wiping his face with his hand. “I’ll… I’ll go make you some longevity noodles.” I was feeling a little dizzy myself. I leaned against my mom and started counting on my fingers. “This is the… seventh birthday we’ve celebrated together…” Time really did fly. The timid, fragile little boy had grown into a tall, handsome young man. That year, he had lost both his parents overnight. He was left completely alone. The thought of raising a child, paying for his education, a car, a house, a wedding… it was enough to make all his other relatives avoid him like the plague, terrified of the responsibility. Only my parents, their hearts breaking for him, stepped up. To make sure he never felt like a charity case, our whole family went out of our way to give him the best of everything. And it had all been worth it. Everything had turned out so well. “Chaz’s had a bit too much to drink. Why don’t you walk him home?” Mom nudged me with her elbow. “Go on.” “Oh,” I said, looking up. My eyes met Chaz’s. They were dark, intense. He smiled, his voice a low, husky whisper that felt like a spell. “Annie. I’ll be in your care, then.” 6 Chaz’s apartment was just one building over from ours. For years, he’d spent nearly all his waking hours at our place. I’d never once thought the short walk between our homes was long. Until tonight. “Annie Song.” I was lost in thought when Chaz’s voice, soft and lazy, called my name. “Annie Song.” There was an intimacy in his tone I’d never heard before. Before I could ask, he had pulled me into his arms, pinning me against the cold metal wall of the elevator. I struggled for a moment, but froze when he suddenly leaned down. His eyebrow was arched, a smirk playing on his lips. Flushed with alcohol, he lowered his face to mine— I squeezed my fists, my heart hammering as I shut my eyes. After a few long, agonizing seconds, Chaz chuckled. “So you really are in love with me.” His beautiful, dark eyes stared directly into mine. “How did I never notice? How did I miss it?” A sense of dread washed over me. I blushed, my voice barely a whisper. “What?” “Why did you close your eyes?” he asked. “Did you think I was going to kiss you?” Just like that, his voice turned cold, back to the familiar, distant tone he always used. “Is this fun for you? What is this, some kind of guilt trip? Forcing me to repay your family’s kindness?” “I told you, once I start making money, I’ll pay your family back for everything, with interest. Why are you trying to force me into a relationship?” “I don’t get it! Am I your family’s… what? Indentured husband? Just because you took me in, I have to be with you? Tie myself to your family for the rest of my life?” His voice grew louder with every word. I had never seen him so out of control. In my shock, I forgot the one thing I should have said. “You know, you could have just said no.” 7 Chaz pulled a cigarette from his pocket. As I stared in shock, he let out a bitter laugh. “What? Going to run and tell on me?” He took a drag and blew a perfect smoke ring right in my face. “Go on. Tell them I smoke. Tell them I’m not the good guy you should spend your life with. Then… set me free.” I looked at him, and it was like seeing a complete stranger. After a long, heavy silence, I spoke, my voice soft. “I’ll talk to Mom and Dad.” I looked down, fighting to keep the tears from falling. My voice was choked. “You don’t have to do this.” 8 Chaz was always distant with everyone. He hated when people got too close. Except for me. Not only did he not push me away, but he’d secretly laugh when I did something silly. He’d carry me on his back to the clinic when I was sick with a fever. I always thought he liked me, too. That he was just naturally reserved and bad at expressing his feelings. So I told myself that if I could just become a little more beautiful, a little more confident, I would be the one to confess. I signed up for yoga classes to improve my posture. After I met Jasmine, she taught me how to be beautiful. How to… capture a man’s heart. Looking back now, I was such a fool. 9 The next morning, I went to my yoga class as scheduled. My plan was to act like nothing had happened, finish my remaining sessions, and then go on a long trip with my parents. I never expected to be slapped the moment I walked through the door. Jasmine stood there, her long neck held high, her voice dripping with contempt. “You look so innocent. Who knew you were such a shameless, backstabbing bitch?” My head was ringing from the blow. When I looked up, I saw that it wasn’t just the other students in the room. Chaz was there, too. “Writing love letters to my boyfriend? You have some nerve, don’t you?” Jasmine’s face was red with fury. Her long, manicured nails poked me hard in the chest. “What, you think because you’re young you can just seduce other people’s boyfriends? You want to be a homewrecker?” She stomped her foot dramatically and linked her arm through Chaz’s, her voice breaking into a sob. “Chaz, say something! This is the little tramp who’s trying to ruin our relationship! This is why you wanted to break up with me, isn’t it?!” 10 I didn’t even have time to process what she meant by “break up.” My hand flew up instinctively to strike back. But Chaz caught my wrist. “Have you caused enough trouble?” he snapped, his voice filled with irritation. “Isn’t this exactly what you wanted to see?” He started pulling me towards the door. He glanced back at Jasmine, his voice low and heavy. “This is my fault. I’m the one who’s sorry.” “Forget about me.” His grip on my wrist was painfully tight. The look he gave Jasmine was a mixture of resignation and something that looked like regret. “Once school starts, Annie and I will be at Kingston University. You… you won’t see me. It’ll be better that way.” Jasmine’s mouth fell open in disbelief. I knew her. She was proud, arrogant. A veteran of the dating scene who had never lost. Chaz was probably the first man to ever deal her such a blow. I never imagined she would get so angry that she would forward my love letter, along with intimate photos of her and Chaz, to the entire yoga class group chat. 【Everyone, meet my star student! Not only does she take my class, she also tries to steal my boyfriend!】 After sending it, she tagged my parents. 【Is this how you raised your daughter?】 I lunged for her phone like a madwoman, but Chaz held me back, whispering soothing words to Jasmine. “Let it out, it’s better this way. It’s already happened, I didn’t…” I laughed, a bitter, broken sound. Fine. I pulled out my phone and scrolled back through my chat history, finding all the records of my condom delivery runs for her. “Chaz,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “You don’t actually think your so-called girlfriend is some kind of innocent angel, do you?” 11 In the month I’d known Jasmine, I had delivered condoms for her fifteen times. “So many men, so little time,” she’d always say. “The new ones are always the most fun.” I’d once asked her if she was ever afraid of getting her heart broken. She just laughed. “Oh, you really are still just a little flower bud, aren’t you?” “Listen, sweetie—I’m always accepting boyfriend applications, but I’m never looking for a long-term commitment. I have no exes, you understand?” Back then, I had just blinked at her, confused. I had to admit, Jasmine was stunning. She had that bold, striking beauty that turned heads, and she always wore tight dresses that showed off her figure, adding to her allure. Sensing my gaze, she had tapped my forehead playfully. “Stick with me. In one month, I’ll turn you into the kind of woman men can’t resist. You’ll have your crush eating out of the palm of your hand. The only condition is, you have to be my errand girl. Because you… you’re fast.” A call from my dad pulled me from my thoughts. I looked at the screen, then hit decline. Without another thought, I forwarded my entire chat history with Jasmine, along with the receipts, to the group chat. Behind me, the other students staring at their phones gasped. “Holy crap, she’s wild!” “I knew she played around, but this is a whole other level! Damn. How does someone like that even become a teacher?” “So she’s that promiscuous, and she has the audacity to accuse someone else… Wait, so is Annie the other woman or not?” Their scorching gazes felt like they were burning holes in my skin. I tried to stay calm, pulling up the screenshot from last night where I had asked Jasmine if she and Chaz were a couple, ready to prove my innocence. “Jasmine is my girlfriend.” Chaz’s voice cut through the murmurs. His face was a dark mask. He stepped forward and put a protective arm around a stunned-looking Jasmine. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm. “I don’t care what she was like before. She is my girlfriend now, and I don’t want to see any of you prying into her private life and making a big deal out of it.” Jasmine’s head snapped up, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks. I stood frozen, feeling like I’d just been nailed to a cross for the whole world to see.

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My brother is a superstar. On a family reality show, the host asked us to share a funny story about him. Charlotte went first: “He once bought out a whole store of blind boxes just so I could get the one I wanted.” Felicity giggled: “He tried to send a pic to our group chat and accidentally sent a nude.” Leo turned beet red: “Shut up!” The audience laughed. The host turned to me: “And you, the middle sister, did you save it?” I shrugged: “Nope. I’m not in the group chat.” The cheerful mood froze. The host tried to recover: “I’m sure he’s bought you plenty of blind boxes too.” I smiled shyly: “No, but he did give me a four-leaf clover necklace once.” A sigh of envy went through the crowd. Money, glamour, generosity. I blinked. “It was originally for Charlotte,” I continued softly. “But he gave it to me so I’d agree to move out.” “When she saw it on me, she called me a thief.” “Dad threw me in the pool to ‘clear my head.’ Later we found out it was all a misunderstanding. Isn’t that funny?” I looked at the silent audience. “Huh? Why isn’t anyone laughing?” 1 The show was broadcasting live. On the massive screen behind us, the live chat was scrolling at lightning speed: 【I smell tea. THIS IS THE GOOD STUFF.】 【Rich family drama? Secret scandals? SIGN ME UP.】 【OMG, get in here, you guys! @AbsForDays @LegsForYears】 【Wait, didn’t Leo Vance say he only had one older and one younger sister? Where did this one come from?】 【Just checked his Wikipedia page. The family section is totally missing a middle sister. What is going on?】 【She doesn’t look adopted. She has their mom’s eyes.】 The online detectives were sharp. I am, technically, a Vance. A daughter born of their blood, but a stranger in their hearts. My parents had four children in total: one boy, three girls. I was the second youngest. We all used to live in a small, sleepy seaside town. Then my uncle struck it rich in the city and offered to bring my parents into his business. The catch was, he could only secure school placements for three children. After a brief discussion, my parents decided to leave me behind. They paid one of my dad’s old coworkers, a man I barely knew, a meager fee each month to look after me. I didn’t rejoin the Vance family until I finished middle school. By then, they were living in a sprawling mansion. I only lived at home for a single semester of high school before I opted to board at my new school. I rarely came home, maybe once a month if that. I was a ghost in their family photos. It was no wonder the public had never seen me. If the show’s producers hadn’t happened to call while I was home for a rare visit, no one would have ever known the Vance family had another daughter. 2 【OMG! I know her! She was a total brainiac at Westwood High, graduated this year. We all knew she was smart, but a secret heiress? Wild.】 【Westwood?? A Vance kid at Westwood High? You’ve got to be kidding. All the rich kids go to Northwood Academy.】 【It’s true. She actually transferred from Northwood.】 【What? Why would anyone trade a mansion for a dorm room? That’s insane.】 Seeing the speculation dig deeper, I smiled sweetly at the camera. “Please, don’t misunderstand,” I said. “After they realized the truth, everyone apologized to me.” “We have very strong family values. My dad is a big believer in character education; he just got a little rough out of concern for his daughter.” I paused, letting the lie settle. “You need high moral standards to run a successful company, right?” “And my brother only wanted me to go to boarding school to foster my independence. It came from a good place.” “Besides,” I added, “after the misunderstanding was cleared up, Dad transferred me a huge sum of money as compensation.” The host’s eyes lit up. “Can you give us a number? Let us live vicariously.” I turned to my father. “Dad, how much was it again?” His face was a mask of stone. “$200,000.” “Wow!” A wave of envious gasps swept the studio. My father continued, warming to the topic. “Our family believes in clear consequences. Rewards for good behavior, punishments for mistakes. No nonsense. It’s the same principle I apply to my business…” The doubt in the live chat evaporated, replaced by a flood of praise: 【That’s a true industry titan for you. A man of principle.】 【Mr. Vance, you can throw me in a pool and then give me $200k anytime.】 【Ugh, I wish I had a brother like that.】 Amid the chorus of adulation, the show wrapped up smoothly. My father, beaming with pride, even invited me to ride home in his car. I glanced at Felicity, who was pouting, her arm wrapped around her Doberman. “It’s okay,” I said. “Shadow should have the space. He doesn’t like me getting too close.” Shadow was Felicity’s dog, and he was vicious. A pale, jagged scar on my calf was permanent proof of his temperament. My mother shot Felicity a look of mild disapproval. “Felicity, you’re so spoiled. Make room for your sister.” Felicity just nuzzled the dog’s head, her eyes flashing a challenge at me. “I can make room. The question is, would she dare to sit here?” “Oh, you,” my mother sighed, as if helpless, then turned to me. “Well, Nina, I guess you can just grab a cab to Saffron’s.” They’d made reservations for a late supper after the show. I, of course, hadn’t been included in the original headcount. I looked at Charlotte and Felicity, whose faces had simultaneously soured at the thought of my presence. I smiled. “I’m a bit tired. I think I’ll just go home.” My mother let out a quiet sigh of relief, though her words were laced with complaint. “You’re just so distant. You never join in on family activities, and then you’ll turn around and say I play favorites.” “Mom, please stop,” Leo interrupted, walking over and taking my arm. “Come on,” he said gently. “I’ll drive you home.” 3 In stark contrast to her coldness towards me, Felicity leaned out the car window, calling after Leo. “Hurry back, big brother! We’ll wait for you!” I tried to pull my arm away from his grasp. “I can get a cab. You don’t have to.” Leo’s grip didn’t loosen. “You’re my sister. It’s not a bother.” I raised an eyebrow in surprise. So, the great Leo Vance did know how to act human. Then I caught a glimpse of the fans lingering nearby, phones raised, snapping pictures. Ah. I understood. I complied, getting into the car and staring silently out the window as the city lights blurred past. At a red light, Leo spoke suddenly. “I’m surprised you still remember that.” I kept my gaze fixed outside, a small smile playing on my lips. He sighed. “Either way, thank you for today.” That was a first. The proud, untouchable superstar, thanking me. I was about to make a sarcastic remark when my phone buzzed with a text. 【DEPOSIT NOTIFICATION: $200,000.00 has been transferred to your account.】 【From Dad: Good performance today. This is your reward.】 I cashed it in, then showed the screen to Leo. “So, brother,” I said, my voice dripping with manufactured sweetness. “About that ‘thank you’… I prefer something a little more tangible.” Leo agreed instantly. “I’ve already ordered you the newest four-leaf clover necklace from their collection. It should arrive tomorrow.” My smile widened. “Thanks, big brother.” Leo looked a little uncomfortable. “Don’t mention it. I should have gotten it for you a long time ago.” He wasn’t wrong. In tenth grade, he’d used that necklace to bribe me into moving out to the dorms. The problem was, he never told Charlotte. When she saw her promised gift around my neck, she immediately branded me a thief. The entire family sided with her. My father, without a second thought, kicked me into the deep end of the pool. I couldn’t swim. I remember the shock of the cold water, the burning in my lungs as I swallowed mouthful after mouthful, thrashing in a desperate panic. They just stood on the edge, watching me. Luckily, Leo got home in time to pull me out. Charlotte stood there, clutching the necklace, her expression arrogant. “I don’t care. It was promised to me, so it’s mine.” My father tossed a few bills at my feet. “It’s just a necklace. If your sister likes it, let her have it. Go buy yourself something else.” The money amounted to $200. It was the first and only allowance I ever received after returning to the Vance family. The streetlights flashed across my face, and I narrowed my eyes. “It’s fine,” I murmured. “Better late than never, I guess.” 4 During the short drive, Felicity called him at least three times. Leo dropped me at the front gate and sped off. I took a long bath, and just as I was getting comfortable in bed, my phone lit up with a series of notifications. Charlotte had added me to the family group chat. 【Charlotte: Welcome, Nina. My mistake, I can’t believe I forgot to add you sooner.】 【Felicity: (Yawning emoji) We don’t really use this chat much anyway, so it doesn’t matter if she’s in it or not lol (Clown emoji)】 【Charlotte: (Smiling emoji) (Smiling emoji) (Smiling emoji)】 【Leo: Nina, want me to bring you anything? (Image) (Image) (Image)】 A stream of lavish food photos buried the previous messages. I was about to decline but changed my mind. 【Anything is fine. Thanks, brother.】 Leo sent back an “OK” emoji, and the chat went silent. I switched to another conversation and transferred the $200,000. 【Mr. Miller, the hospital in the city is all set. You and Mrs. Miller should take Jason for the prosthetic eye surgery next week. I’ll join you afterward.】 The “typing…” indicator blinked for a long time. Finally, a short message appeared: 【Be careful. We’ll be waiting for you.】 A lump formed in my throat, and a tear rolled down my cheek. Soon. It won’t be long now. 5 The next morning, my mother called me down for breakfast. Felicity winked at me. “Oh, Nina, you missed out last night. The king crab at Saffron’s was to die for.” Charlotte nudged a sleepy-looking Leo. “Brother, didn’t you say you were going to bring something back for Nina?” Leo froze, a guilty look washing over his face. “Oh… right. I’m so sorry, I forgot.” Before I could say a word, my mother set her bowl down with a sharp clink. “What is there to apologize for? She had the chance to go and she didn’t. No one is obligated to bring her food. We don’t tolerate princesses in this house.” I sighed, exhausted. “Mom, you’re overthinking it. I wasn’t expecting anything.” “Maybe not now, but that doesn’t mean you won’t later. I’m teaching you a lesson. Now, tell me you understand.” She continued, her voice rising. “You must have picked up that habit of talking back from the Millers. It’s been almost three years, and you’re still so unpolished. How am I supposed to present you to society like this?” “I was planning to introduce you to the Fords’ son, to see if you two could build a connection…” “Mom!” Leo cut her off. “Nina just graduated. She’s going to college. Why are you setting her up on blind dates?” “Oh, right,” Mom said, as if just remembering. She fixed her gaze on me. “Nina, what did you score on your finals? What university did you get into?” I kept my expression neutral. “Nothing special, way worse than Charlotte’s scores. Just a 650. I’m going to Westwood University.” My mother seemed to let out a breath she’d been holding. “Are you sure?” she asked, needing confirmation. “The acceptance letter is on my desk. Mrs. Gable probably saw it when she was cleaning.” Mom turned to the housekeeper standing nearby. Mrs. Gable nodded. The tension in my mother’s face melted away, her tone softening. “Well, 650 isn’t as good as your sister’s score, but it’s respectable. Westwood is a good school, just a bit far from home.” She added, “But with travel being so convenient these days, you can come back anytime.” I murmured in agreement, and she finally smiled. “Let’s eat before everything gets cold.” As I reached for a sausage, Felicity’s fork shot out and snatched it, dropping it on the floor for her Doberman. “I could never bear to be so far from home,” she chirped. “When I graduate next year, I’m going to the same university as Charlotte.” Charlotte smiled. “Perfect. You can take over as president of the student council when I leave.” The conversation shifted back to them. Only then did I realize a cold sweat had broken out on my back. If I hadn’t figured out early on that my mother despised me being more successful than her other daughters—if I hadn’t intentionally tanked my scores on the exams—I would be the one facing that god-awful blind date right now. The Fords’ son was a notorious local playboy who openly bragged about wanting a harem of wives and mistresses. No family with any self-respect would marry their daughter to him. Yet my mother was ready to throw me to the wolves. A metallic taste filled my throat. I washed it down with a sip of oatmeal. Leo placed a sausage in my bowl. “I’ll drive you to campus when the semester starts.” “Okay. Thanks, brother.” Charlotte smiled. “Any plans today, Nina? Want to come to the spa with us?” I rubbed my hands together, feigning bashfulness. “Oh, I’d love to, but I already made plans with Ethan. I can’t just bail on him.” Charlotte’s eyebrows rose, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “Oh. Well, have fun.” Leo glanced at me, his brow furrowed as if he wanted to say something, but he held his tongue. 6 Ethan and I were both avid cyclists. We took a long ride along the coastal path, the salty wind whipping through our hair, before stopping for a break under a grove of palm trees. “Here,” Ethan said, handing me a milk tea. It was Jasmine Pearl, my favorite. The irony wasn’t lost on me. My own family had no idea what I liked, but my neighbor knew my order by heart. “Thanks.” I took a sip, my gaze drifting out towards the vast, shimmering ocean. He followed my line of sight. “You love the ocean, don’t you?” “Yeah. I grew up by the sea. The town was nothing like this place, not nearly as glamorous, but I loved it.” Because the people who truly loved me were there. Mr. and Mrs. Miller. And their son, my brother, Jason. Ethan smiled, but then his expression turned serious. “Nina, there’s something I don’t think I should hide from you.” He pulled out his phone and opened a group chat named “The Garden (No Ninas Allowed).” “Yesterday, right before Charlotte added you to the main chat, she created this new one. You should see it for yourself.” He helpfully scrolled back to yesterday’s messages. 【Felicity: New chat! We’ll talk here from now on.】 【Charlotte: Got it.】 【Dad: Thumbs up】 【Mom: Thumbs up】 【Leo: …】 【Charlotte: We should probably still say something in the other group chat occasionally, so she doesn’t get suspicious.】 【Felicity: Easy. Mom can just forward a bunch of those inspirational videos. It’s not like Nina’s gonna watch them and then @ us for a discussion.】 【Mom: No, what if she actually replies? I won’t know what to say.】 【Felicity: @Dad, you should forward a bunch of those dense financial articles. She won’t understand a word.】 【Dad: Unnecessary. Her performance today was satisfactory. She’s clearly trying to get on my good side. The carrot has been offered; engaging further will only make her bolder.】 【Leo: Fine, fine. I’ll post something. Happy?】 【Charlotte: Thanks, big bro.】 【Felicity: Thanks, big bro.】 … I handed the phone back before I finished reading. “So,” I asked, my voice dangerously calm, “what are you trying to achieve by showing me this?” Ethan faltered for a second. “I just… I don’t think they should be deceiving you like this. Or mocking you. You’re a Vance, too. You deserve the same love they get.” I squeezed the plastic cup in my hand and let out a soft laugh. “Ethan, if you knew this would hurt me, why didn’t you just keep it to yourself?” “It wouldn’t have mattered if you never told me.” “So why did you have to?” I turned to face the handsome, bewildered boy beside me. “It’s just like before my college entrance exams. My brother, Jason, got into a car accident and injured his eyes. He didn’t tell me because he didn’t want it to affect my tests.” “But you,” I said, my smile never wavering, “you just happened to drag me to the hospital for a check-up the day before my exams. And we just happened to run into Mr. and Mrs. Miller there.” “You wanted me to be in pain, to be terrified. But why? Aren’t you my friend?” Ethan’s expression grew complicated. “Nina…” “Haha!” I suddenly burst out laughing. “Why the long face? I’m just kidding! Did you actually believe me? You’re my only friend. I would never suspect you. Right?” He looked lost, his mouth slightly agape, before finally managing a strained, gentle smile. “Right. I’m your only friend.” 7 Ethan had no idea. There was a time I truly had feelings for him. The day after I first moved in with the Vances, I had to register at Northwood Academy. My mother told me to ride with them. But when we got to the car, Felicity refused to let me in. “No way! She smells like fish from that disgusting town. Shadow hates the smell of fish.” She let her Doberman sprawl across the back seat, leaving no room. “Besides, the car’s full.” Charlotte was in the passenger seat, and my mother sat next to Felicity. None of them said a word as I stood there, humiliated. That’s when Ethan appeared. He offered me a ride in his family’s car. He even tried to comfort me. “Someone else’s love is a bonus,” he’d said. “But if you don’t have it, it’s not the end of the world. Loving yourself is what matters most.” I wrote that sentence on the first page of my diary. After that, he insisted on driving me to and from school. I felt bad always relying on him, so I bought a bicycle. The next day, he showed up with one too, becoming my cycling partner. He listened to my problems, offered advice, and even stood up to the bullies who targeted me. He took me hiking and to the beach, telling me to follow my heart wherever my eyes led me. I felt so lucky to have met someone so wonderful during the loneliest time of my life. I was a complete fool. It all unraveled during winter break of my freshman year. My grades were so high that my teachers praised me as a “gifted student.” I thought my parents would be proud. But my father didn’t care about my grades at all. And my mother, when she found out, her face soured. “Oh,” she’d said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I see your precious Mr. Miller taught you well.” Without another word, she had me transferred to Westwood High, a school with a much poorer reputation. That’s when I understood. I could not be better than my sisters. My only path to a peaceful existence in that house was mediocrity. So I started controlling my scores. I couldn’t do better than Charlotte or Felicity, but I couldn’t do too poorly either, or I’d embarrass the family. It was an exhausting, soul-crushing balancing act. One day, I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided to tell Ethan my secret. I called him, but he said he was busy. I figured I’d wait. I wandered aimlessly through the neighborhood and ended up near a small park, where I heard his voice, and Charlotte’s. “Nina’s grades have dropped a lot this semester,” Charlotte was saying. “I have a feeling she’s doing it on purpose. Has she told you anything?” “No,” Ethan replied. “It seems normal to me. Westwood doesn’t have the same resources as Northwood.” “I’m still not convinced. Keep an eye on her for me. Make sure she doesn’t have too much time to study. If you have to, arrange for some people to cause a little trouble for her.” “Okay. I understand.” “And one more thing. If you dare to actually fall for her, I’ll make sure you never see me again.” “Charlotte, even if you don’t trust me, you should trust yourself. Nina… she’s not a thousandth of what you are.” I hid behind a tree, watching them embrace, then kiss. The blue sky, the golden sunset, the beautiful couple. A perfect picture. But in my eyes, the show was over. The sun was dying.

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I was transported into the school-themed level of a horror game. My designated role? The ditzy damsel. When the jock collapsed from heatstroke, I revived him with a mouth-to-mouth transfer of water until he woke up, flushed and flustered. When the class president was haunted by a succubus, I was the one who blocked its escape, my hands held firm. Afterwards, he led me to the sink and washed my hands for me, his gaze intense and silent. When my quiet, introverted deskmate was being bullied, I was the one who stood up for him, hiding him in a locker and comforting him until the danger passed. But when the final countdown began and the monsters started their massacre, the other players scattered in terror. I sought out the most ruthless player in the game. “H-hello,” I stammered, holding out the key. “Can… can you take me with you?” His expression was cold, arrogant, but his words were shockingly crude. “Sure. But you have to sleep with me.” 1 A cold, mechanical voice echoed in my ears. [Level loading… SSS-Rank Level: Redwood Boys’ Academy. Time limit: five days. Players must find the key to the school gate and escape to win.] [Friendly reminder: Players must adhere to all school rules. Violators will be eliminated by the level. The current rules are as follows…] [One: No tardiness or leaving early without a valid reason.] [Two: Strictly maintain classroom discipline.] [Three: No staying out late or overnight.] [Additionally, there are hidden rules within the level that players must discover for themselves. We wish all players a successful run.] The voice faded, and my eyes snapped open. The air was thick with the buzz of hushed whispers. Our homeroom teacher stood at the front, his face ashen, his lips tinged with blue. He brandished his pointer. “Quiet!” The classroom fell instantly, eerily silent. He scanned the room, a satisfied smirk twisting his lips. With new transfer students, he felt the need to re-emphasize the importance of the rules. I kept my head down, listening silently. The reason was simple: the room was filled with monsters. I could feel several pairs of excited, predatory eyes fixed on me. I pressed my lips together, terrified of making eye contact. When the bell finally rang, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. In my peripheral vision, I saw my introverted deskmate slumped over his desk, radiating an aura of complete detachment. My plan to gather clues from him was dead in the water. Before I could come up with a new strategy, a hand clamped down on my shoulder. My eyes flew open. I turned to see a male student I didn’t recognize draping his arm around me, his fingers tracing my collarbone. “Hey, pretty new thing,” he purred. “Help me out and turn in my homework for me.” I vaguely remembered him. He was the teacher’s pet, the class representative. I was about to refuse, but a thick stack of notebooks was thrust into my hands. After a moment of hesitation, I took them and left. As I stepped out of the classroom, I overheard a group of cocky NPC students in the corner, openly objectifying me. “Ha, he looks so dumb. Bet he’s easy.” “His skin is so pale and soft. He’d probably be fun to break.” I bit my lip and pretended not to hear. One line from the level’s description stood out in my mind: In a boys’ school overflowing with testosterone, the combination of young flesh and raw desire is tragically common. I took a deep breath, steeling my resolve to escape this place as quickly as possible. The next second, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from the end of the hall. “Murder! He’s killing people!” 2 Pus-filled tentacles burst through a tweed suit jacket. The mild-mannered teacher had shed his disguise, his face contorted into a grotesque, monstrous grin. For some unknown reason, he was attacking the players. Each thrust of a tentacle claimed a life. I watched in horror as one player sprinted toward me. A moment later, a sharp tentacle pierced through his chest. Warm blood splattered across my face. I stood frozen as the monster slithered closer. A drop of foul-smelling ichor landed between my eyebrows. The air whistled as a tentacle swung down. My heart seized, and I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the impact. Suddenly, a scream erupted from behind me. “Run!” Desperate cries echoed through the hallway. After what felt like an eternity, the corridor fell silent. My hands suddenly felt light. The class president, Cole, had taken the homework from me. He looked down at me, his voice laced with mockery. “Congratulations. You survived by being too stupid to run.” Before I could react, he walked away, the notebooks tucked under his arm. With the monster gone, players from other classes poked their heads out, whispering amongst themselves. I soon learned the reason for the creature’s rampage. A player from the next class had tried to cozy up to the NPC teacher, offering to be his new class representative. The monster agreed and told the player to come to his office after class. But the moment the player stepped inside, the teacher’s lips peeled back to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. “You’re late, student.” By the time the player realized they had never set a specific time, it was too late. Suddenly, an alarm blared from the system. [Warning! Warning! Do not make casual agreements with NPCs!] [Do not be late! Do not be late!] [Congratulations to player “Zane” for triggering a hidden rule…] [Rule Four: No running or roughhousing in the hallways between classes.] A wave of relief washed over me. No wonder the monster had been slaughtering all the players who had been sprinting down the hall. I looked down, chastising myself. Cole was right. Only a fool too stunned to even think of running could have survived that. I turned to go back to my classroom. Just then, the system’s voice announced in my mind: [Initial players: 30. Remaining players: 22.] 3 The curriculum at Redwood Boys’ Academy wasn’t exactly demanding. We had gym class on the very first afternoon. I changed into shorts and a t-shirt and warmed up in a corner by myself. As soon as the teacher announced free time, I made a beeline for the tuck shop, sticking close to the other players. While I was stretching, I had felt several pairs of eyes on me, and I’d overheard some disgusting comments. “His legs are so white and smooth. You think he’s a girl?” “Fuck, that’d be even better…” “We should go have some fun with him later.” I didn’t dare ask the other players for help directly, so I just tried to stay near them for safety. Suddenly, someone on the field shouted. “Help! The sports rep passed out from the heat!” I turned, my eyes wide with disbelief. A super-strong monster had fainted? Worried it might be related to the level’s objective, I reluctantly made my way to the center of the field. A circle of students had formed around the sports representative, a well-built boy with tan skin, who was lying unconscious on the ground. Several other players were there, but they were hesitant to act. I didn’t want to be the one to stick my neck out either, but I noticed the NPCs were starting to give us increasingly cold stares. Suddenly, a system notification popped up. [Congratulations, host. As the first to trigger a hidden rule, you have been awarded a small clue.] After a moment of hesitation, I asked, “What happens if we don’t save him?” [At midnight, the deceased sports representative will return as a vengeful spirit,] the system replied matter-of-factly. [All players who witnessed his plight and did nothing will suffer a gruesome fate.] My face paled. As the seconds ticked by, I clutched the half-empty water bottle in my hand, grit my teeth, and pushed my way through the crowd. It was a choice between death and social suicide. I knew which one to pick. I took a large gulp of water, held it in my mouth, and, steeling myself, pressed my lips to his. The moment our lips met, the crowd of students seemed to surge forward, forming a tight, impenetrable wall around us. The sound of the water transferring between our mouths was amplified, disgustingly loud. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, but I could hear whispers from above. “He smells so good.” “So soft and pink. Look, there’s a string of saliva.” He still wasn’t waking up. In a panic, I started blowing in his ear and tried to unbutton his shirt to cool him down. Suddenly, a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. The jock’s eyes fluttered open, his face and ears beet red. He cursed under his breath. “Idiot. Is that any way to save someone?” 4 I stood there, completely flustered, as he dragged me to a secluded corner of the field. “I know you. The new transfer student.” “You have a crush on me, don’t you?” I was stunned. “N-no,” I stammered. “I’d help anyone who fainted.” He paused, then said with utter conviction, “I don’t believe you. If it was a 300-pound guy with a face full of pimples, would you have done the same?” His question made me hesitate. “See?” he said triumphantly. “You like me.” After a moment, I managed a weak rebuttal. “I don’t even know your name.” He nodded. “So it’s my face you like.” I was speechless. He was handsome, with his sharp eyebrows and striking eyes, but his confidence was off the charts. He took my silence as an admission. “My name is Axel,” he said. “I can be your boyfriend.” Before I could refuse, he cupped my face in his hands. “Don’t get too close to any other guys, you hear me?” I pressed my lips together, at a complete loss for words. Axel leaned in, his gaze fixed on my lips, his ears bright red. “Babe, let’s kiss a little longer.” My eyes widened in shock, but his grip was like iron. A wave of raw, masculine energy washed over me as he pressed his lips to mine. He kept me hidden in that corner of the field and kissed me until the sun began to set. He kissed me until tears started to well up in my eyes. He held me close, whispering sweet nothings until I calmed down. When he finally walked me back to the dorms, he was reluctant to let me go. “Get some sleep tonight, babe,” he murmured. “And don’t go wandering around.” Remembering the third school rule, I lowered my eyes and mumbled my agreement. 5 After escaping back to my dorm, the last person I expected to see was my roommate, Cole. He glanced at me, his eyes lingering on my swollen lips. “Some people work fast,” he sneered. “Barely here a day and you’ve already hooked up with some brute.” I didn’t say anything. I kicked off my shoes and climbed into my bunk. The moment I pulled the covers over my head, a wave of self-pity washed over me. It was all Axel’s fault. I had missed dinner. I was starving. Tears started to stream down my face. Cole must have heard me sniffling, because he yanked my covers off. He froze for a second. “What’s wrong with you?” At that point, I just let it all out. “I’m hungry,” I sobbed. The atmosphere turned awkward. “I’ll go make you some instant noodles,” he said stiffly. The door opened and closed. A few minutes later, he returned with a steaming bowl. The familiar aroma made my eyes well up again. “Cole,” I said, my voice thick with emotion, “you’re a really good person.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Don’t mention it,” he said through gritted teeth. “Just stay away from certain… bad influences.” I slurped my noodles and nodded enthusiastically. He had a point. I needed to stay away from any man who made me miss a meal. 6 I slept soundly that night. The next morning, Cole woke me up. “Time for class.” Remembering the school rules, I shot out of bed. As I was leaving, I thanked him, but I noticed he looked pale. “Are you not feeling well?” I asked. He was silent for a moment, then said nonchalantly, “I’m fine. Just had a bit of sleep paralysis.” The hairs on my arms stood on end. As a native of this horror level, wasn’t Cole technically a monster himself? He could get sleep paralysis? Something was wrong. I made a mental note to keep an eye on him tonight. When I got to the classroom, all the other players were already there. They had spent the previous day trying to trigger all the hidden rules to avoid any unknown dangers while searching for the key. So far, no one had succeeded. The bell rang, and the teacher walked in, a sinister smile on his face. “Good morning, class. A new day has begun. The early bird gets the worm. Now, let’s check yesterday’s homework.” The players’ faces fell. The teacher hadn’t assigned any homework yesterday. But all the other students were pulling out their notebooks. The new players exchanged panicked glances. I sat by the door, which meant I would be the first to face the teacher’s wrath. My palms started to sweat. As if sensing my anxiety, the teacher pushed up his glasses and smiled. “Good students always do their homework. Let’s see yours.” 7 My heart pounded in my chest. Just as I was about to stammer out an explanation, the classroom door was kicked open. “Permission to enter!” Axel stood in the doorway, a cocky grin on his face. “Sir, the head of department asked me to pick up some books.” After a quick glance at the stamped permission slip, the teacher’s foul mood seemed to ease slightly. “Next time, manage your time better.” Axel strolled into the classroom. As he passed my desk, he subtly bumped into me. A notebook landed in my lap, along with a piece of paper folded into a heart. I quickly hid the note. The teacher was now standing in front of me, his presence suffocating. “Your homework, student?” The other players gave me looks of pity. I swallowed hard and pretended to search my desk. “Here it is, sir.” The teacher seemed surprised. He took the notebook and examined it closely. After a moment, he set it down, a hint of anger in his voice. “Very good. Since the new student has completed the assignment so well, we’ll just check his homework today to save time.” With that, he teleported to another player’s desk. “And yours?” he asked, his voice dripping with menace. The other players were going to hate me for this. But if it weren’t for Axel, I would have been done for. I secretly unfolded the note. I was hoping for a clue, but it was just an apology from Axel. [Babe must have been starving yesterday… I was worried you wouldn’t have the energy to do your homework, so I stayed up and did it for you. No need to thank me. See you on the roof at lunch. xoxo] I ignored the last sentence. My guilt vanished. This was just compensation, after all.

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