Author: Momo Chan

On our seventh wedding anniversary, my husband’s childhood friend posted a photo of a massive, canary-yellow diamond ring on her Instagram. The caption read: “Thank you to my favorite guy for the amazing promotion gift!” I stared at the sparkling yellow diamond in shock. It was identical to the family heirloom my grandmother had left me. Unable to contain myself, I left a single question mark in the comments. A second later, my phone rang. It was my husband, Ethan Carter. “Chloe, what is your problem?” Ethan snapped the moment I picked up. “I bought a little ring for my assistant as a promotion gift. Why are you being so passive-aggressive in her comments?” “Besides, that yellow diamond of yours has been gathering dust in the safe anyway. You never even wear it.” Through the receiver, I could hear soft, theatrical sniffling in the background. A few minutes later, another post popped up on my Instagram feed. Hailey Miller had posted another photo—this time, of a massive bouquet of 9,999 red roses. Ethan commented: *The flowers are beautiful, but you’re stunning.* Hailey replied: *Love makes a girl bloom.* Watching the two of them flirt shamelessly in public, I didn’t waste another tear. I opened my contacts and called the top divorce lawyer in the city. This time, I was going to strip Ethan Carter of every single penny he owned. 0

The moment Ethan walked through the door, his eyes fell on the cold dinner sitting on the dining table. Today was our seventh wedding anniversary. He had come home empty-handed, yet he had spent millions on a canary-yellow diamond for his female assistant. And just because I left a question mark on her post, he had called to scream at me for being unreasonable. When he had hung up earlier, I was so angry my stomach physically turned. Ethan kicked off his shoes, walked over to the table, and frowned. His voice was ice-cold. “What’s with the elaborate setup? What kind of day is it supposed to be?” “Chloe, it’s not easy for me to make money out there. Can you stop being so wasteful and dramatic?” He raised his voice, his face written with sheer annoyance. He could spend a fortune throwing birthday bashes and promotion parties for his assistant, but a home-cooked meal I made with my own hands was considered “wasteful”? Ethan seemed to have forgotten that he only had his current success because of me! Now that he had tasted a little bit of wealth, he thought he could step all over me. He really thought he was some kind of big shot. Seeing that I remained silent, he reached into his briefcase, pulled out a single, crumpled red rose, and tossed it toward me. “Hailey told me to give this to you. You terrified her today, yet she was still sweet enough to think of you.” “Call her right now and apologize.” The rose wasn’t even wrapped. A few of its outer leaves had already turned yellow and bruised from being crushed inside his bag. It was obvious he had just yanked it out from Hailey’s giant bouquet on his way home. I glanced at it and said quietly, “I don’t want it.” Ethan’s face instantly darkened. “Chloe, what the hell is wrong with you? She was literally crying because of you, yet she still wanted to bring you a gift. Would it kill you to just say you’re sorry?” Seeing that I was ignoring him, Ethan grabbed my arm and violently pulled me up from the sofa. He used so much force and lost his grip, causing me to stumble and crash heavily against the edge of the coffee table. The sharp wooden corner slammed right into my abdomen. In an instant, a sharp, nauseating pain shot through my entire body, making my skin go cold. “Stop playing dead. It was just a little bump—” Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes locked onto the dark red blood dripping down my leg. Panic finally broke through his arrogant expression. “I… I’ll take you to the hospital.” The pain was so agonizing that my lips turned white. I didn’t even have the strength to utter a word. Ethan hoisted me up and carried me to the car. But the moment he opened the passenger door, I spotted a pair of black sheer stockings lying on the floorboard. Ethan’s arms stiffened. I knew he saw them too. As he lowered me into the seat, he quickly muttered, “Hailey probably dropped them by accident. I’ll give them back to her next time.” With trembling hands, I buckled my seatbelt. I squeezed a single word through my gritted teeth. “Fine.” Ethan stared at me in disbelief. “That’s it? Just ‘fine’?” I kept my eyes down and stayed silent. If this were the past, I would have demanded answers and fought him to the death. But now that I was divorcing him, why should I care who he slept with? ### 0

“Just drive. I don’t feel good.” I didn’t know why, but the pain in my lower stomach felt terribly wrong this time. It felt as if something was tearing apart inside me. Ethan didn’t say another word and started the engine. Our house was only a short drive from the hospital—just two intersections away. But halfway through the first intersection, his phone blasted through the car speakers. The moment Ethan picked up, his voice softened into a gentle, caring tone. “Ethan, I just had a horrible nightmare. I’m so scared… Can you please come over and stay with me?” Hailey’s whimpering, babyish voice filled the car. I pressed a hand against my stomach, forcing down the rage, and turned my head toward the window. “Chloe, Hailey isn’t feeling well. I need to go to her,” Ethan said, already pulling the car over. “I’ll let you off here. You can walk the rest of the way.” I whipped my head around to stare at him, my eyes filled with cold disbelief. Hailey just had a nightmare—it wasn’t a medical emergency. And he was going to dump me on the side of the road for that? “I can’t walk,” I whispered. I could barely move my legs. How was I supposed to walk to the ER? Hearing this, Ethan’s temper flared instantly. “You just bumped your stomach! It’s not like your legs are broken. Why can’t you walk?” “The hospital is literally half a mile from here. When we were in school, we ran that distance in three minutes. Stop being so damn dramatic!” With that, he got out of the car, marched over to my side, opened the door, and aggressively dragged me out onto the pavement. “I’ll come back to get you later,” he snapped. As he got back into the driver’s seat, I heard him mutter “annoying bitch” before slamming the door and speeding off. I collapsed onto the concrete, curling into a ball. The pain between my legs felt like a hot iron. I couldn’t move a single inch. Using the last ounce of my strength, I dialed 911. The moment I managed to rasp out my location, my vision went black, and I passed out. When I woke up, it was already the middle of the night. The doctor told me I had suffered a ruptured ectopic pregnancy with severe internal bleeding. They had to perform an emergency surgery to remove one of my fallopian tubes. My chances of getting pregnant in the future were now significantly lower. Listening to his voice, I stared blankly at the hospital ceiling for half an hour. I felt completely hollowed out, as if all the blood had been drained from my body. I didn’t even have the tears to cry. Finally, the ringing of my phone broke the silence. It was Ethan. “Where the hell are you? I checked the house and it’s empty. Chloe, you’re really pushing it now. Are you seriously running away from home over a stupid argument?” His roaring voice nearly shattered my eardrum. If he had cared even a fraction of an percent, he would have checked the hospital admission records. But he had probably just breezed through the ER for two minutes before rushing back home. “I’m at the hospital. VIP Wing, Room 709,” I said, my voice dead. There was a long silence on the other end. “Chloe, do you think my money grows on trees? You got a little stomach ache and you checked yourself into a VIP hospital room? Do you have any idea that one night here costs more than your entire yearly allowance?” How hilarious. Every single cent Ethan owned came from my family’s resources. And he was accusing me of wasting *his* money? “I used my own money—” “Don’t make me laugh. You’re a housewife, Chloe. Where would you get that kind of cash unless you’ve been skimming from the joint account I set up for you? I don’t have time for this. Just wait there, I bought you some dinner.” A few minutes later, Ethan walked in. He tossed a plastic takeout box onto my bedside table. Inside were just scraps of leftovers—mostly oil, chili peppers, and green onions. Just minutes before he arrived, I had scrolled past Hailey’s latest Instagram story. She had posted a photo of Ethan cooking in a kitchen with the caption: *I’ve been eating his cooking since we were kids, and I’ll never get tired of it. He said he wants to cook for me for the rest of our lives. What should I do? He’s such a perfect man, I seriously want to have his babies!* Someone had commented: *Don’t just talk, go get your man and make it happen!* Hailey had replied with a blushing emoji. So, the food Ethan brought me was literally the scraps they didn’t finish. “It looks disgusting,” I said, looking away. “Take it and get out.” With those words, Ethan’s face turned livid. The rage in his eyes looked as if he wanted to strangle me. He stepped forward and violently grabbed my neck, pinning my head to the pillow. “Do you think because I’ve been nice to you lately, you can talk to me like this?” “Is this all because I gave your stupid yellow diamond to Hailey? How much is that trash even worth? I have taken care of you for seven years! You’re throwing a tantrum over a piece of rock? Who the hell do you think you are, Chloe?” ### 0

Having just come out of major surgery, I had zero strength to fight back. I was terrified Ethan would actually suffocate me to death for Hailey’s sake. I weakly grabbed his wrist. “No… I just wanted to… to know if that was the one from my personal safe.” Ethan slowly released his grip. I gasped for air like a drowning person suddenly pulled to the surface, coughing violently. “So what if it is? Hailey actually likes it. At least it has some value now!” “Every time I get close to another woman, you get so paranoid and passive-aggressive! Do you know what my business partners say about me? They say I’m henpecked! It’s humiliating!” In the past, I would have argued with him until we were both blue in the face. But now, with all the love drained from my heart, none of it mattered anymore. I would just get my things back, piece by piece, and watch them burn. Once Ethan finished his rant and fell silent, I looked at him calmly. “If you’re done, please turn off the light on your way out. I need to sleep.” His face flushed red with anger. He spat out, “Only dead people sleep in the dark,” before slamming the door and storming out. He was clearly infuriated by my complete lack of reaction. For the next few days, Ethan never showed his face at the hospital. The next time I saw him was on his friend Marcus’s Instagram story. They were at a private indoor pool party. In the photo, Ethan’s hand was wrapped snugly around Hailey’s bare waist. I went to scroll past it, but my finger accidentally tapped the screen, leaving a like. A second later, Ethan’s call came through. “Are you at home? I’ll pick you up in a bit. Come hang out with us.” When I didn’t answer, he added, “It’ll be good for you to relax. Stop moping around the house like some miserable hag.” “Okay,” I replied, keeping my voice level. My divorce was already in motion. There was no need to make a scene right now. If I angered him too early, he might try to hide his assets, and I would be the one losing out. Ethan arrived shortly after to pick me up. Surprisingly, Hailey wasn’t in the passenger seat. When we arrived at the venue, his friend Marcus walked over to greet me. “Chloe! Hey, about Hailey’s promotion party last week… I chose the venue and forgot to send you an invite. My bad. Let me buy you a drink to make up for it.” Marcus downed his shot. I just smiled and said nothing. But Marcus kept pushing, trying to act familiar. “By the way, I saw you at a cafe the other day chatting and laughing with the CEO of Bennett Enterprises. Are you guys close?” Ah. So that was why he was being so nice. He had an agenda. “The thing is, our company has been trying to land a contract with Bennett Enterprises lately. But a massive conglomerate like them won’t even give us the time of day. We can’t even get a meeting with their VP. If you have a connection, could you help a brother out?” “I always knew you were smart, Chloe. A top graduate from Wharton Business School must have a crazy network compared to us.” He was lowering his own status just to flatter me. But before I could speak, Ethan walked over. “Her? Know someone at Bennett Enterprises? She’s just a housewife who cooks and cleans, and she can’t even do that right. Honestly, mentioning Wharton and her in the same sentence is an insult to the school!” I turned my head to look at his mocking face. The air around us went dead silent. Marcus quickly tried to smooth things over. “Come on, Ethan, don’t say that. You can’t get into Wharton on luck alone. Chloe clearly has talent.” “Don’t ruin my chances here! I’m relying on your wife to help me make my fortune!” Ethan rolled his eyes and playfully kicked Marcus’s shin. “Get back to work!” They had rented an outdoor pool area with a private barbecue tent. Marcus quickly ran off to help with the grill, reminding me to keep his request in mind. Once he was gone, Ethan looked me up and down. “Do you really know the CEO of Bennett Enterprises?” I shook my head. “Marcus probably needs glasses. He got the wrong person. I have no idea what Bennett Enterprises is.” Ethan chuckled, relaxed. “Figures. If you knew someone like that, pigs would fly.” ### 0

“By the way,” Ethan said carelessly, “about that yellow diamond ring. Once Hailey gets tired of wearing it, she’ll give it back to you.” “She doesn’t even care about it that much, she’s just playing around with it. You’re the only one who treats it like some sacred treasure, locking it in a safe for seven years.” I simply nodded, keeping my thoughts to myself. A moment later, Hailey walked over. The moment I saw my grandmother’s yellow diamond sparkling on her index finger, my face went rigid. “Chloe! Ethan is over here! Come over to the pool!” one of the guys yelled out from across the deck, making the atmosphere even more awkward. Marcus immediately covered the guy’s mouth. “Shut up and get back inside.” “My stomach is feeling a bit off. Excuse me,” I said, standing up. I didn’t want to make a scene and ruin everyone’s night just yet. Ethan stared at me for a few seconds, but ultimately, he didn’t follow me. When I returned to the grill area, the table was fully packed. There was no seat left for me. Ethan and Hailey were sitting side by side. Hailey’s legs were draped over Ethan’s lap, and his hand was naturally resting on her waist. They looked like a passionately in-love couple. Meanwhile, I stood there like an unwanted ghost. Eventually, Marcus noticed me and dragged over an extra chair for me to sit on. “Alright, everyone is here! Let’s play a game,” Marcus announced, holding a glass bottle. “Spin the bottle. Whoever the neck points to has to choose Truth or Dare.” In the first round, the bottle pointed to Hailey. She chose Truth. The guy who had yelled earlier immediately smirked. “Ethan, you ask! Only someone who knows her intimately can tell if she’s lying!” Ethan didn’t refuse. He casually asked, “What’s the most exciting thing that happened to you recently?” Hailey lowered her head with a shy smile. “Well… I had a nightmare and woke up terrified in the middle of the night. Someone rushed over so fast to comfort me that his suit jacket was buttoned completely wrong.” It wasn’t a secret. She was clearly saying it just to humiliate me. Marcus glanced between us, looking terrified of offending either side. He didn’t even know how to break the silence. The atmosphere froze again. “Let’s keep going,” I said with a light smile, breaking the ice. Marcus immediately jumped on it. “Yes, yes! Ethan, you spin this time!” As fate would have it, Ethan spun the bottle, and it landed directly on me. “Well, Ethan can’t ask again. That’s boring,” Hailey spoke up before anyone else could. “And Chloe just chose Truth earlier. Doing Truth every time is so boring. Chloe, why don’t we play for real this time?” I stared at her, amused. I knew whatever came out of her mouth next wouldn’t be good. “Isn’t it up to the player to choose? I choose Truth,” I said. Hailey’s eyes darted down to my abdomen, glinting with malice. “Oh, come on, Truth is so boring! We’re the only two girls here. Are you really afraid these guys will tease you?” “Since we’re all in swimwear anyway, and this is a pool party, why don’t you show us a routine in the pool?” “Ethan told me you were a varsity synchronized swimmer in college and won a national championship. I’ve only ever seen synchronized swimming on TV. I’d love to see it in real life. Can you show us, Chloe?” To coax me into the water, she had even dropped her usual smug attitude. But I wasn’t going to play her game. “Synchronized swimming requires intense preparation, and I haven’t touched the water in years. No, thank you.” Seeing me decline so quickly, Hailey’s eyes instantly welled with tears. “Ethan…” she whimpered. Ethan’s face darkened immediately. “Chloe, stop being so arrogant. It’s just a quick swim. It’s not going to kill you.” Before I could react, he grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the deep end of the pool. “Ethan Carter! I said no! I’m not doing a Dare, and I’m not swimming!” I yelled, struggling against his grip. Hailey didn’t want to see a performance. She wanted to treat me like a circus animal for her amusement! “Chloe, who do you think you are? Asking you to swim is a compliment to your skills. Don’t be so ungrateful!” “Didn’t you say you haven’t touched the water in years? Let me help you get reacquainted!” With a cruel smirk, Ethan grabbed my hair and slammed my head down into the water. Immediately, the stinging smell of chlorine rushed up my nose. I gasped, swallowing a mouthful of cold water. It felt like ice in my lungs. I thrashed violently, splashing the water to find something to hold onto. But Ethan didn’t give me a chance. He clamped his hands around both of my wrists, pinning them behind my back. Just when I thought I was going to drown, Ethan suddenly let go. I plunged deep into the pool. Water filled my eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt like it was exploding. Relying on sheer muscle memory, I fought to kick my way back to the surface. As I grabbed the edge of the pool, gasping for air, I heard Ethan’s tender voice speaking to Hailey on the deck. “Alright, sweetie, it was just a little show. If you want to see it again, I’ll make her jump back in, okay?” “Come on, smile for me. Don’t be sad.” Seeing Hailey still pouting, he turned back to me, crouching down at the edge of the pool. “Get back to the center and do a routine. You don’t come out until Hailey is happy.” “Ethan Carter!” My eyes were bloodshot. This was the first time I had yelled at him since I checked out emotionally. Even if he loved Hailey, he had no right to trample on my dignity and treat me like a toy to please his mistress! “My lawyers have already drafted the papers. I am divorcing you!” The moment the words left my mouth, Ethan burst into laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. “Divorce me? With what? You’re a penniless housewife who relies on me for everything. You think you’re qualified to divorce me?” “Who else would want a used-up second-hand trash like you once I dump you?” He looked down at me with absolute disgust, then placed his foot on my shoulder and shoved me violently back into the deep end. My foot slipped on the wet tile. I fell backward, my body sinking like a stone. I couldn’t move. As my body sank into the dark abyss of the pool, my senses began to fade. But right before I lost consciousness entirely, I heard someone on the deck scream in terror: “Blood! The pool water is turning red!” “Call 911! Oh my god, there’s blood everywhere!”

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My boyfriend’s family friend wanted to crash at my place for a few days. I didn’t think it was a good idea. Just as I was about to politely decline, my boyfriend, Austin, looked at me with puppy-dog eyes. “If you say no, my mom is going to force her to stay at my place. But Chloe, babe, I don’t want any woman other than you in my apartment…” Seeing that he had decent boundaries, I felt a little better. Thinking she would only stay for a couple of days, I sighed and nodded. But the day Austin dropped her off, King—the stray tabby cat I always fed—didn’t go near his food like he usually did. Instead, he paced anxiously around my feet, letting out sharp, urgent meows. The moment I understood what the cat was saying, I froze. [Meow! Two-legs! Dumb two-legs, don’t trust him! The male two-legs and the new female two-legs are plotting to steal your big nest!] [Meow! They said your drawings can buy lots of fish! Once they trick you, they’re going to throw you out!] [Watch out for that female! Inside her bag, there’s a weird little bottle! Danger! High danger!]

“Chloe, babe, can we talk about something?” Austin’s voice came through the speaker, dripping with an overly sweet, apologetic tone. He rarely talked to me like this. My stylus paused on my drawing tablet, leaving an unnatural dark smudge on the cat whiskers I was sketching. “Sure, what’s up?” I tried to keep my voice casual, but an alarm bell rang in my head. Austin had been incredibly busy lately. We hadn’t had a proper date in over a week. “So, you remember Mia? My mom’s friend’s daughter. Her college dorm is undergoing some emergency maintenance, and she wants to visit the city for a few days… and, well, she needs a place to crash.” He paused, clearly trying to gauge my reaction. My heart sank. Mia. I remembered her. She was the girl Austin’s mom basically treated like a daughter. I’d met her twice. She looked sweet, but whenever she smiled at me, the warmth never reached her eyes. “For how long?” I asked, my voice turning a bit cold. “Like… a week? Maybe less,” Austin said vaguely. “She’s just a young girl in a big city. Hotels aren’t safe, and my mom…” I stayed silent. My apartment wasn’t big. It was a one-bedroom place, my sanctuary where I lived and worked as a freelance illustrator. I loved my solitude. My slight social anxiety made me instinctively reject the idea of a stranger invading my personal space. Especially someone I barely knew, like Mia. I was about to reject the request—I could offer to pay for her Airbnb or recommend a safe hotel. “Chloe…” Austin’s voice suddenly turned incredibly whiny, almost pleading. “I know you hate being disturbed. But… if you don’t agree, my mom will definitely make her stay with me. You know my apartment only has one bed. I really don’t want another girl staying at my place, not even for a few days.” His words were like a sweet treat, perfectly soothing my insecurities. The boundaries he showed made me feel like I was his “one and only.” The slight annoyance and suspicion I felt were instantly washed away by his sweet words. Maybe I was just overthinking? It was just helping out a family friend for a few days. I sighed and gave in. “Fine. But she can’t disturb my work.” “You’re the best, Chloe! I knew you’d understand!” Austin’s voice instantly cheered up. “I’ll bring her over tomorrow! I promise she’ll be on her best behavior and won’t bother you!” After hanging up, I looked at the half-finished cat on my screen. The anxiety I thought had gone away started creeping back up. Was it really… just about crashing for a few days?

The next afternoon, the doorbell rang. Looking through the peephole, I saw Austin standing outside, with a beaming Mia next to him. She was wearing a designer dress and pulling a massive suitcase. That did not look like she was staying for “just a few days.” I took a deep breath and opened the door. “Chloe! Thank you so much for having me!” Mia’s voice was sickeningly sweet. She walked right in as if she owned the place, looking around curiously. “Wow, your apartment is so cute and cozy! Did you paint all of these? They’re amazing!” Austin followed her in, smiling at me. His eyes practically said, *See? Told you she’s sweet.* He rolled Mia’s suitcase into the hallway. “I’ll leave Mia in your hands then.” I forced a smile. “Sure. Come on in, take a seat.” I turned to get them some water, but felt a frantic scratch at my ankle, followed by an anxious “meow.” It was King, the old stray tabby I always fed. He must have sneaked in when the door opened. Normally, at this hour, he’d be sunbathing in the courtyard or waiting for his dinner. But right now, he wasn’t rubbing against my leg for food. He was pacing around me in tight, frantic circles. His tail was puffed up, his fur standing on end, and he was letting out sharp, panicked cries. [Meow! Two-legs! Dumb two-legs! Don’t trust him!] I froze. This ability… it was happening again. I could understand animals. It started after an accident years ago. But usually, I just treated it as random cat gossip or complaining. I never took it too seriously. [Meow! The male two-legs! And this new female two-legs! They smell completely wrong!] King’s meows became even more frantic. Austin and Mia looked over, confused. Mia even took a dramatic step back, hiding behind Austin. “Oh, a cat! Chloe, you have a cat? It looks so mean.” “He’s just a stray from the neighborhood. We’re close,” I explained, though my mind was reeling from King’s words. King didn’t care. He kept screaming at me, his round green eyes full of panic and urgency. [Meow! They are planning! Planning to steal your big nest! This warm nest made of stone!] [Meow! They said! They said your drawings can buy lots of green paper with the old man’s face! So much green paper! Once they get it, they’ll kick you out!] [Watch out! Watch out for the female! In her bag! In that square thing! There’s a weird little bottle! Danger! Very danger!] My blood ran cold. A chill crept up my spine. Steal my apartment? My art? A weird bottle? Kicking me out? I stood there like a statue, the fake smile frozen on my face. Austin seemed to notice something was off. “Chloe? What’s wrong? You look so pale. Are you feeling okay?” Mia chimed in, sounding innocent. “Chloe, did we come at a bad time? Are we bothering you? Maybe I should just…” “No, I’m… I’m fine,” I interrupted quickly, my voice raspy. “Just a bit dizzy. Low blood sugar, probably. You guys sit down. I’ll… I’ll go down to the convenience store to grab some drinks.” I needed space to think. I needed to verify King’s words! I practically stumbled out of my own apartment, forgetting even my purse. As the elevator went down, my heart was hammering against my ribs. King’s warnings screamed in my head like a siren. Stepping out of the lobby, I saw Tubby, a chubby ginger cat I also fed, napping on the flower bed. Seeing me, he let out a lazy “meow” in greeting. I knelt down, my voice shaking as I whispered, “Tubby… do you know those two people who just went up? The new girl and the guy who always comes over?” Tubby tilted his head and licked his paw. [Meow~ I know them. They smell gross~] He purred lazily. [While you were gone, they sneaked into your room. They touched your blue folder—the one in the tall wooden box~ Meow~ They also tried to open your glowing flat box (laptop), but couldn’t~] The blue folder? My property deed! I kept it in my home office drawer! The tall wooden box was my desk! They were actually searching my things! Tubby added, [Meow~ The male two-legs said they have to hurry. Otherwise, the dumb two-legs—that’s you—will find out… find out what again? Meow~ I forgot~] The last shred of hope in my heart shattered. King and Tubby’s stories matched perfectly. Austin and Mia were definitely planning something terrible. A wave of shock and betrayal washed over me. Austin, the man who said he loved me, the man who pretended to have boundaries just to make me feel safe, was plotting to steal my apartment and my hard work? And that sweet, innocent-looking Mia—what kind of dangerous stuff was she hiding in her bag? Fear gripped me, but a strong survival instinct kicked in. I couldn’t panic. I couldn’t let them know that I knew. I lingered in the convenience store for a while, bought some drinks, took several deep breaths, and forced myself to look calm before heading back up.

When I opened the door again, I had a tired but natural smile back on my face. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Got some drinks.” Austin and Mia were sitting on the couch, looking completely normal. Austin took the drinks, looking concerned. “You feel better? Do you need to lie down?” “Much better.” I shook my head, my eyes casually drifting toward my home office. The desk drawer wasn’t fully closed. It was slightly off from how I always left it. My heart grew colder. I walked into the office under the pretense of grabbing something and quickly checked the drawer. The documents had clearly been shifted. The blue folder was out of place. I touched my laptop. It was asleep, but the bottom was still warm. The evidence was undeniable. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. Rage and terror battled in my chest, but I had to play dumb. I walked back to the living room and looked at Mia’s designer handbag sitting in the corner. I smiled and tried to sound casual. “Mia, you must be tired from the trip. Do you have toiletries in your bag? I have brand-new ones here, so you don’t have to unpack your things if you don’t want to.” As I spoke, I reached out, pretending to help her with her bag. “I’m good!” Mia’s reaction was incredibly fast. She practically lunged forward to snatch the bag into her arms, her face instantly twisting into a look of fear and hurt. “I… I brought everything! I don’t want to bother you, Chloe!” Austin immediately stood up, placing himself between me and Mia. There was a flicker of tension in his voice. “Chloe, Mia can handle her own stuff. Girls have private things in their bags.” He paused, looking at me with a hint of accusation. “What’s wrong with you today anyway? Why are you suddenly so interested in her bag?” Right on cue, Mia’s eyes turned red, and she began to sob quietly. “Chloe… do you hate me? Do you think I stole something? I didn’t… I really just came here to stay. I didn’t mean to make trouble…” They played off each other perfectly, making me look like the paranoid, hostile bully. Looking at how Austin protected her, and watching Mia’s flawless performance, the last bit of warmth in my heart died. It was all true. The cats were right. Their conspiracy was real. “Of course not,” I forced a stiff smile. “I was just asking in case you forgot something. Don’t worry about it, sit down.” I turned my back to them, feeling completely frozen. The world had suddenly become a terrifying, hostile place.

For the next two days, I felt like I was walking on a tightrope. Suppressing my disgust and fear, I played the part of the clueless host. Mia kept calling me sweet names, offering to do chores, and showing a creepy amount of interest in my digital art, constantly asking how much my illustrations sold for. Austin visited even more often, acting like the perfect boyfriend. But I didn’t miss the greed and calculation flashing in his eyes. Using work as an excuse, I locked myself in my office most of the time, frantically trying to figure out a plan. I checked all my valuables. I quietly moved my property deeds, ID, tax forms, and bank cards to a highly secure, hidden spot. I set up SOS emergency contacts on my phone and started secretly recording audio clips on Snapchat whenever they whispered. Even though their hushed conversations were vague, they were still suspicious. During those days, I “ran into” King and Tubby a few more times. They kept feeding me information: [Meow~ The male two-legs owes a lot of green paper with the old man’s face. Bad guys are chasing him~] [Meow! The bottle in the female’s bag smells like sleep! Makes the head dizzy!] [They are planning! Planning to take you to eat food, then you will sleep! Meow! Bad!] Drugging me? They were going to drug me? Where were they going to take me? My heart was in my throat. The terror grew every day. I knew they were going to make their move soon. My solo art exhibition—something I had prepared for months—was opening tomorrow at an art center in the suburbs. Both Austin and Mia insisted on going to support me. It was the perfect, secluded location, far away from the busy city center. On the day of the exhibition, everything seemed to go smoothly. My art got great feedback. Austin and Mia stayed by my side the entire time, smiling and showering me with compliments. But I knew this was just the calm before the storm. By the time the exhibition ended, it was already evening. The art center was in a remote area, and the streets were practically empty. “Chloe, today was a massive success! We have to celebrate!” Austin wrapped an arm around my shoulder, his voice filled with excitement. “I know this private tasting-menu restaurant nearby. It’s super exclusive, great vibe. I already booked a table.” Mia grabbed my other arm, acting close. “Yes, Chloe! You worked so hard, you have to pamper yourself!” Here it was. They were making their move. Cold sweat broke out across my back. I couldn’t go. I absolutely could not go! But how could I refuse? It was hard to get an Uber out here. I had nowhere to run, and I couldn’t just walk away. “I’m… I’m really tired. I think I just want to go home,” I tried to protest. “No way!” Austin immediately shot back, his tone carrying a sudden, unquestionable firmness. “We have to celebrate! Plus, the reservation is locked in. It’s a waste not to go. Come on, the car is over there.” He pointed toward the parking lot. Mia pulled my arm tighter. “Come on, Chloe, don’t be a party pooper~” They were incredibly insistent, practically dragging me toward the parking lot. My heart was racing, my brain working in overdrive. When we reached my SUV, Austin said, “Let’s take your car. I might have a drink, and Mia doesn’t drive.” I froze for a second, then took the keys and unlocked the doors, pretending to agree. “Okay. You guys get in first. I think I left something in the exhibition hall. I’ll be right back!” Without waiting for their reply, I turned and walked quickly back toward the art center. Once I got about fifty feet away, I darted into the shadows of the building, my chest heaving. I saw Austin and Mia exchanging confused glances. Mia looked like she wanted to follow me, but Austin grabbed her arm, nodding toward the hall, signaling her to wait. Now! Using their blind spot, I bent low and ran as fast as I could back to the parking lot. I slipped quietly to the back of my SUV. Trembling, I opened the trunk. Fortunately, there was still some display trash from the exhibition inside. I climbed in, curled my body up tightly, and pulled the trunk door down, leaving just a tiny crack for air. In the dark, cramped space, all I could hear was the deafening thud of my heart and my ragged breathing. A few minutes later, I heard footsteps approaching. “Where is Chloe? What’s taking her so long?” Mia’s voice was sharp with impatience. “No idea. Let me call her.” Austin said. My phone started buzzing in my pocket, the screen glowing in the dark. I immediately rejected the call and put it on silent. “She hung up?” Austin’s voice dropped. “What the hell is she doing?” “Do you think she figured it out?” Mia sounded panicked. “No way! She’s too stupid, and she trusts me blindly.” Austin was confident, but then his voice grew frantic. “Search the area! We have to find her! We need this done tonight! The loan sharks are breathing down my neck!” I heard their footsteps scatter as they called my name, their voices fading into the distance. Fear made me shudder violently. Cold sweat soaked my clothes. The air in the trunk was getting thin, and I was starting to feel dizzy. Suddenly, I heard a familiar, soft meow right outside the car. [Meow! Dumb two-legs! Hide well! Don’t make a sound!] It was King! He had actually followed me here? [Meow! They said they are taking you somewhere far away! That male has weird candy in his pocket!] Weird candy… My mind flashed to countless news stories of girls being drugged and assaulted. The terror hit me like a tidal wave. With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone, started recording, and slipped it into the seatback pocket of the row in front of me. The camera was pointed right out the window. “Fucking bitch!” Outside, Austin finally lost his temper, unable to find the keys to open the car. He swore loudly. “Who does she think she is? Did she actually find out?” “Impossible,” Mia’s voice was venomous and cruel. “We were perfect. She’s probably just throwing a tantrum. Austin, what now? The drugs are ready. We just need to get her to sign the papers at the cabin, and then…” “Shut up!” Austin cut her off angrily. “Search the car! See if she left a spare key somewhere!” Their conversation was recorded perfectly by my phone. Hiding in the pitch black, my muscles were so tense they ached. I could barely breathe. What should I do? Call the cops? But they were just outside the car. I hadn’t been physically harmed yet. What would I tell the dispatchers? That my cat told me they were bad guys? Who would believe me? In my desperation, a name flashed in my mind. Marcus Miller. My next-door neighbor. A serious-looking defense attorney. Two weeks ago, I ran into him in the lobby. He had glanced at Austin, who was with me, and said in a very cautious tone, “Chloe, when you make friends, you should really look into their backgrounds. Some people look nice on the surface, but aren’t.” At the time, I thought he was just being nosy and felt a bit annoyed. But looking back, he was trying to warn me! He definitely knew something! He was my only hope. While Austin and Mia were searching the other side of the car, I unlocked my phone with shaking fingers and found Marcus on Snapchat. What could I even say? My fingers hovered over the screen. In pure panic, I typed just a few words. [Marcus, please help me. Danger.] Then, I sent him the one-minute audio recording I had just made, along with my live location.

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Austin was supposed to be the perfect, doting husband. We had been married for seven years. To give him a child, I endured over a hundred hormone injections and went through hell. Today was our final embryo transfer. Before I went into the operating room, he kissed my forehead and promised he wouldn’t leave my side. But when I was wheeled out, fighting through the pain, the hallway was completely empty. The nurse looked at me with pity. She said my husband had taken a phone call and rushed off in a hurry. I lay on that freezing hospital bed for six long hours. As the anesthesia wore off, the pain made me break out in a cold sweat. He didn’t reply to a single Snapchat message. At dusk, dragging my weak, aching body down to the parking garage, I finally found him. He was in his car. He was holding Ashley, his childhood friend who suffered from depression, comforting her in his arms. Ashley leaned against his chest and looked at me with tear-filled eyes. “Clara, I’m so sorry. My divorce was finalized today, and Austin was just worried I’d do something reckless.” Austin’s face turned grim. He shot me a glare full of blame. “You just had surgery. Why are you running around? Ashley is highly unstable right now. Can’t you be more understanding for once?” I stared at the bracelet on his wrist. “Do you even remember what I just went through in that operating room today?” He froze. But Ashley gripped his hem even tighter, sobbing, “Clara, you can always try for another baby. But if Austin hadn’t been here today, I would’ve lost my life.” Austin didn’t hesitate for a second. Right in front of me, he yanked the pendant from my necklace and placed it around Ashley’s neck. It turned out his devotion was never meant for me alone.

Austin started the car without saying a word. The suffocating silence in the car was quickly filled with the sickly sweet scent of Ashley’s perfume. I leaned against the window, unable to utter a single word. When we got home, the motion-sensor light in the hallway flickered on. On the dining table sat the cold coffee I had made for him before leaving this morning. Next to it was a handwritten note outlining my post-surgery care instructions. “Go get some rest,” Austin said as he took off his coat. His voice was completely devoid of emotion. “How is Ashley?” I asked, gripping the wall for support. My voice was dry and raspy. He immediately defended her. “She just got divorced. She’s extremely unstable and almost did something crazy. I couldn’t just abandon a sick woman.” He said it so righteously. Then, he walked into the kitchen and noticed the urgent legal documents from my father’s company on the table. My father’s business was on the brink of bankruptcy, and as our retained attorney, Austin was supposed to review these. I had placed them in the most obvious spot to remind him to read them tonight. He picked up the files, flipped through a few pages, and frowned. “This is a mess. Tell your dad’s assistant to reorganize it and send it to me tomorrow.” “If you had spared just thirty minutes last night, you would have finished reading it,” I said, staring at him. “Instead, you spent hours editing Ashley’s divorce settlement line by line.” Austin paused, his face darkening. “That was just a quick favor.” He sighed impatiently. “Ashley is a woman who doesn’t understand legal terms. Clara, do you have to make everything so complicated?” “Complicated?” I almost laughed out loud. “I just got off the operating table. I sent you over twenty Snapchat messages, and you didn’t reply to one. Why couldn’t you do me a ‘quick favor’ and text me back?” Silenced by my question, he resorted to the same excuse he had used for the last seven years. “Ashley’s parents passed away early. Before her father died, he trusted me to look after her. I promised them I would.” “So, your promise to them means you can delay my father’s bankruptcy case, even when his entire life’s work is on the line?” My knuckles turned white as I gripped the table. A look of exhaustion crossed Austin’s eyes. “I told you, this lawsuit isn’t that easy to lose.” “Then tell me, what is?” He slammed the documents onto the table. The sound was deafening. “Ashley’s case is about helping a depressed woman escape her trauma and start over! Your father’s company is just a commercial dispute!” Suddenly, a violent spasm ripped through my lower abdomen. Cold sweat instantly drenched my back. I doubled over in pain, clutching the edge of the table. A flash of instinctual panic crossed Austin’s eyes. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something. But right then, his phone rang with that specific, custom ringtone reserved only for Ashley. He answered it instantly. “Hey, Ashley? Don’t be scared, I’m still here…” The harsh voice he had just used to yell at me instantly softened into a tenderness I had never heard before. Without giving me another glance, he walked straight into the study, gently whispering comforts to Ashley on the phone. “Hey, I’ll stay on the line with you. I’ll talk to you until you fall asleep…” Thud. The study door closed, shutting me out of his world entirely. Listening to the muffled, tender whispers from behind the door, the physical pain inside me suddenly felt numb. Slowly, I stood up and swept all the dishes I had painstakingly prepared straight into the trash.

The next day, I carried the heavy stack of evidence files to Austin’s law firm. The receptionist looked at me with an awkward, apologetic expression. “Mrs. Vance, I’m so sorry. Mr. Vance took an emergency leave of absence today.” “Where did he go?” “He… he took Ms. Miller to her therapy session.” My heart sank to the very bottom. Standing in the lobby, I felt like the biggest joke in the world. Not far away in the breakroom, two young associates were gossiping, their voices carrying over clearly. “Mr. Vance really goes above and beyond for his childhood friend, Ashley.” “Tell me about it. I heard he even canceled his settlement meeting with the opposing counsel this afternoon just to be with her.” I clutched the folder tighter, my nails digging into the cardboard. “Mrs. Vance, why don’t you wait for him in the VIP conference room?” the receptionist suggested, breaking the awkward silence. I nodded numbly. While waiting, my father called. His voice was laced with anxiety. “Clara, how is it going? Has Austin reviewed the final files?” “Dad, I’m still waiting.” The line went quiet for a moment. Then, my father tried to comfort me instead. “Don’t rush him. Austin carries a lot of pressure, too. Let him take his time.” My throat tightened. “How… how are you feeling after yesterday’s surgery?” my father asked softly. My fingers trembled. I lied. “I’m doing great, Dad. Don’t worry.” Hanging up, I felt a heavy weight pressing down on my chest. At four in the afternoon, Austin finally returned, accompanied by Ashley, whose eyes were red and puffy. When Ashley saw me, she flinched and looked down, playing the fragile victim. “Clara, I’m so sorry. I took up Austin’s time again.” I didn’t even look at her. I pushed the evidence files in front of Austin. “The submission deadline is in exactly one hour.” A flash of guilt appeared on Austin’s face. He explained, “Ashley saw her therapist today, and she had a bit of a breakdown.” Ashley immediately grabbed his sleeve, her voice dripping with artificial innocence. “It’s all my fault… Seeing all those legal files just reminds me of how my ex-husband manipulated me. It terrifies me…” Austin gently patted the back of her hand. “It’s okay. It’s all in the past.” Looking at those hands, hands that were supposed to defend justice in court, now being used to soothe another woman’s self-inflicted drama, I felt a wave of pure disgust. “Austin, review the files,” I urged. He picked up his pen. But before he could start, Ashley suddenly clutched her head and let out a painful groan. “Oh… I feel so dizzy…” Her face went pale, looking like a physical manifestation of a panic attack. Austin stopped instantly, turning to support her. “Ashley, what’s wrong?” Right then, my phone rang. It was my father calling again, anxious for an update. But Ashley chose that exact moment to sob softly, “Clara, I’m sorry… Whenever I see you, I’m reminded of my own failed marriage. It hurts so much… That’s why my symptoms are getting worse…” Austin slammed the files shut, abandoning the review entirely. “Clara, double-check them yourself. I have to take Ashley home to rest.” I stared at him in utter disbelief. “You promised me you would personally review every single document!” His expression hardened instantly, looking at me with deep disappointment and accusation. “You are one of the top conference interpreters in the country, Clara. Are you telling me you can’t even handle a simple document review?” With that, he supported the trembling Ashley and walked out. As Ashley passed by me, she paused. In a voice only I could hear, she whispered playfully: “You’re so lucky, Clara. You still have a dad to save.” “But me? I have absolutely nothing left.” I stood frozen, feeling all the strength drain from my body. I picked up the pen and signed my name heavily on the document submission sheet.

The night before the final trial, I received a call from Austin’s assistant, Zach. He told me that Austin had suddenly withdrawn our key anonymous witness from the court petition. I couldn’t believe my ears. To protect Ashley’s reputation, he was willing to sacrifice my father’s entire case! Clutching the witness files, I drove to Austin’s office like a madwoman. I threw the door open. Ashley was sitting peacefully on the couch. Under the desk lamp, Austin was leaning over, patiently explaining how the opposing counsel might attack her in court. The scene was so warm, yet so blindingly painful. “Austin!” I slammed the files onto his desk. “Why did you withdraw our witness?” He took off his gold-rimmed glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose, and spoke nonchalantly. “That witness is too risky. His testimony could expose some of Ashley’s past financial disputes, which would hurt her case.” He sounded so incredibly justified. “But that witness is my dad’s only hope of winning!” I screamed. Austin looked at me with the smug confidence of a senior partner. “Clara, you need to trust my professional expertise. Even without one risky witness, I have other ways to win this case.” Ashley stood up from the couch, her eyes red, putting on her usual helpless act. “Clara, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt your father’s case…” She paused, then added, “But you have the money to hire a top lawyer like Austin. Me? I only have Austin.” I stared at her coldly. “Ashley, look me in the eye and tell me: who is hurting whom here?” Ashley froze. Austin immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her. He glared at me. “Clara, stop being so vicious!” “Ashley has severe depression. Any negative press could push her over the edge. Protecting her is a matter of basic humanity!” He used his grand moral high ground to justify his bias. “As a lawyer, I have to calculate all risks.” “Really?” I took a deep breath, forcing him to meet my gaze. “So my father’s risk of losing his company and reputation is less important than Ashley’s risk of facing public scrutiny?” Once again, faced with a choice between me and Ashley, he chose to protect her without a single doubt. Ashley stepped out from behind him, holding out a blessed guardian angel charm to me as a fake peace offering. “Clara, please don’t pressure Austin so much. He’s already exhausted. Take this, it will bring your father good luck.” I slapped the charm out of her hand. “Get lost!” Austin’s face turned ice-cold. “Ashley already apologized to you! What more do you want?” He announced authoritatively, “The witness decision is final! I am the lawyer here. Stop trying to micro-manage my case!” Looking at him, I suddenly lost all desire to fight. I simply nodded, turned around, and walked out. Behind me, I could hear Ashley’s soft, victimized whimpering, and Austin’s voice instantly switching back to that tender, comforting tone. I leaned against the wall at the end of the corridor. My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was my father. I answered it, blinking back my tears, trying to sound cheerful as I told him everything was going perfectly. At the other end of the hall, the elevator doors opened. I saw Austin personally escorting Ashley out. Through the car window, I saw the pendant around Ashley’s neck, the one that belonged to me, gleaming sharply under the garage lights.

The day of the final verdict. Before court convened, Austin gently reassured my nervous father. “Relax, Harold. I’ve got this.” He turned to me, placing his hand on my shoulder for a brief second. “Go sit in the gallery. Don’t be afraid.” That fleeting moment of tenderness made a tiny crack in my frozen heart. Maybe he really could win. Maybe there was still hope. But just as the bailiff announced for everyone to rise, Austin’s phone buzzed violently three times. He answered it, and his expression crumbled. It was Ashley. She said she was standing on the downtown bridge, ready to jump. Austin turned and made a dash for the exit. Instinctively, I grabbed his briefcase, holding on for dear life. “Austin! The court is about to start! This is the final trial!” My voice was shaking. “Ashley is on a bridge, Clara! A life is at stake!” He violently threw off my hand and barked at Zach. “Hold the fort! I’ll get her down and be back in thirty minutes max!” At the defense table, my frail father spoke up, his voice trembling. “Austin… go. Save her first. Don’t let anything happen to her.” Austin seized the excuse immediately, commanding me, “Did you hear that, Clara? Think of the bigger picture!” The bigger picture. I watched his retreating back, finding even disappointment to be a luxury. An hour and a half passed. Austin did not return. Without a lead attorney, our defense crumbled under the opposing counsel’s relentless attacks. My father’s face grew paler by the minute. Unable to sit still, I ran out of the courtroom and dialed Austin’s number repeatedly. First call, no answer. Second call, he finally picked up. Through the receiver, I could hear the howling wind and Ashley’s post-rescue whimpering. “Austin, I was so scared…” I pressed my back hard against the freezing wall, using every ounce of strength to keep my hands steady. “Austin, get back here right now! We have a crucial piece of supplemental evidence that only you can submit!” But on the other end, he was still whispering comforts to Ashley. “Ashley is too unstable right now. I can’t leave her.” He even turned it around on me. “If you had extra evidence, why didn’t you give it to me earlier?” At that moment, I laughed. I laughed so hard tears streamed down my face. He had never once realized that every minute I spent waiting here felt like sitting on a bed of nails. I silently hung up the phone. At five in the afternoon, the final verdict was delivered. My father lost. The company was ordered into immediate bankruptcy, and he was personally saddled with millions in debt. As the judge slammed the gavel, my father looked at me, his lips trembling. Before he could speak a word, he collapsed straight backward. “Dad!” He suffered an acute stroke right there. It was seven in the evening when Austin finally showed up at the hospital with Ashley. When he learned my father was in the ICU fighting for his life, his usually composed face finally lost all color. “Clara, I…” Without a word, I pulled the pre-signed divorce papers from my bag and slapped them hard against his chest. “We are done, Austin.” “As soon as my dad wakes up, I will sue you for malpractice and everything else you’ve done.” Ashley stood nearby, still trying to play the innocent party. “Clara, don’t blame Austin, it’s all my fault…” I didn’t even want to look at them. I turned toward the closed ICU doors. Just as Austin reached out to stop me, his phone rang on speaker. It was Zach. Zach’s voice came through, filled with shock and anger. “Mr. Vance, we have a major problem! I just heard that the opposing counsel got drunk at their victory dinner… They let it slip.” “They said they only won because Ashley Miller leaked our key defense strategy to them.”

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My best friend’s illegal pit bull went wild and brutally mauled a passerby. The police officer told us the owner was looking at three years in prison. Seeing Serena about to be handcuffed and taken away, my boyfriend suddenly pushed me forward. “The dog belongs to my girlfriend, Chloe. If you’re going to arrest anyone, arrest her.” I froze, staring at Derek in utter disbelief. He gripped my hand tightly, not even having the courage to look me in the eye. “Serena has a congenital heart condition, Chloe. If she goes to prison for three years, she won’t survive. But you’re different. You’re strong and healthy.” I couldn’t say a single word. My throat was tight with unshed tears. I didn’t tell Derek that my doctor had already given me a terminal diagnosis. I only had three years left to live. In the final second before the police cruiser’s window rolled up, Derek finally looked up at me. “Three years from today, I’ll be waiting right here to propose to you.” One thousand and ninety-five days of agony left me nothing but skin and bones. I dragged my frail, trembling body out of the prison gates. A figure in the distance waved at me. There were no romantic flowers, no applause, and no warm hugs. There was only the howling, freezing wind, and Derek standing there with a little boy clutching his hand, and Serena standing right beside him.

The little boy kept tugging at Derek’s hand, his face twisted in annoyance. “Daddy, you promised we were going to the theme park. I don’t want to be here. When can we leave?” Derek stared straight at me, completely ignoring the complaining child. His eyes were flat and cold, as if he were looking at a complete stranger who had just been released from prison. At that moment, he didn’t say a word, but I understood everything. I pulled my oversized, worn-out coat tighter around myself and took a few staggered steps forward. Just as I got within a yard of Derek, an elderly, silver-haired woman suddenly rushed in front of me. Without warning, she shoved me hard, her shrill curses raining down on me like the freezing snow. “You bitch! I’ve finally waited until the day you got out! Look at what you did to my grandson!” “He can never live a normal life because of you! Even if you rot in hell forever, it won’t make up for what you did!” I remembered her. She was Mrs. Higgins, the grandmother of the boy who was attacked. Three years ago, Serena was walking her banned pit bull in the neighborhood without a leash. The dog suddenly lost control and pounced on the little boy playing by the curb. I had no idea it would be so severe. At that time, Serena completely panicked and hid behind Derek. When the police arrived, Derek calmly answered their questions. But when asked who registered the dog, Derek pointed at me without a single second of hesitation. At that moment, I began to doubt if Derek had ever loved me during our five years together. My mind was filled with nothing but shock and despair. Before I could even process what was happening, Mrs. Higgins grabbed my hair and slammed me to the ground. I didn’t fight back, nor did I explain. I just lay there quietly, listening to Derek talking to the police, claiming I was the owner. Even when the handcuffs were put on me, I didn’t tell Derek about my terminal illness. My mind was trapped in the moment his finger pointed at me, lost in disbelief, lost in total heartbreak. I kept quiet because I didn’t want him to grieve for me. But looking at him now, my worries were nothing but a joke. I had foolishly clung to a shred of hope, fantasizing that there would actually be a romantic proposal waiting for me when I got out. But seeing the child in Derek’s hand, and Serena’s visibly swollen belly, I realized just how incredibly naive I had been for the past three years. My mind snapped back to the cold reality. Derek stood there, watching me with the same cold indifference he had three years ago. I clenched my teeth, my lips trembling as I finally spoke. “That dog wasn’t mine. It was hers.” I pointed my finger directly at Serena. Her eyes widened in shock. Feigning distress, she quickly covered her lower abdomen with her hands, looking like she was about to faint. “Chloe, what are you talking about? That dog was yours.” “I know you suffered in there for three years, but you can’t just project your anger onto me. What did I do wrong?” I let out a weak sigh, staring at her perfectly tearful eyes. “When did you and Derek get together? Before I went to prison, or after?” Serena clearly didn’t expect me to ask this. She glanced at Derek beside her, then quickly looked away. “Chloe, do you really want me to expose you in front of all these people?” “You know exactly who the third wheel is. Derek and I were childhood sweethearts. It’s only natural for us to get married and have children.” From the moment they framed me for the dog attack, I should have known how easily Serena could twist the truth. To make sure the onlookers believed her, Serena gently tugged at Derek’s sleeve. “Tell everyone, Derek. Hasn’t Chloe always been obsessed with you?” I stared intently at Derek, watching his eyes flicker with guilt. If he had shook his head, if he had even hesitated, I might have believed he still held a shred of affection for me. “Yes. She was just someone who pursued me. And the dog belonged to her,” Derek said loudly, his voice echoing in the chilly air. My mouth opened, but I couldn’t make a sound. The crowd’s insults grew harsher. They called me shameless, saying I deserved to be beaten to death just like that dog. My weak body couldn’t hold up anymore. I collapsed onto my knees in the snow. Serena rushed over to me, grabbing my wrist tightly, pretending to help me up. She leaned in close, her warm breath brushing against my ear. “You really have a tough life, Chloe. I thought you would’ve died in that cell.” “Why are you still alive?”

Derek’s voice woke me from my nightmare. When I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital bed. Derek was wiping the cold sweat from my forehead with a towel. For once, I saw a trace of genuine guilt in his eyes. “Chloe… I can explain about the kid.” “After you went to prison, Serena cried every single day, saying she ruined your life. The doctor said her heart couldn’t take the stress. I had to stay with her day and night to keep her from doing something reckless.” “One night, I got drunk… and things happened. That’s how we had Adam.” Derek sounded incredibly defensive, but I listened quietly. I was no longer a naive girl who would fall for such a ridiculous excuse. I pushed his hand away and turned my head to look at him. “And the one in her belly right now? Was that another ‘accident’?” Derek rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Adam kept asking for a little sister, so…” I let out a dry, bitter laugh. “Derek, do you even believe your own words?” He suddenly stood up, his gaze turning intense. “Chloe, I promise you, once Serena gives birth, I will cut all ties with her.” “I will marry you. I will fulfill the promise I made three years ago.” “Please believe me, this is just temporary.” “Three years ago, I didn’t mean to push you to take the fall. And today, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to help you. It’s just that Serena is too fragile to handle any shock. But you’re different, Chloe. You’re strong. Words can’t hurt you.” I would never believe him again, nor did I have the time to. Three years ago, Derek pushed me into prison without hesitation. Three years later, he would do the same. In Derek’s heart, Serena was the irreplaceable one. They were the childhood sweethearts, and I was just the outsider who interrupted their story. The hospital door pushed open, and Serena walked in with a sweet smile on her face. “The doctor said Chloe is just severely malnourished. She’s fine.” While I was unconscious, I had already heard what the doctor whispered to my brother. I had ten days left at most. I didn’t bother to expose Serena’s lie. I just stared quietly out the window. Derek let out a long sigh of relief. “I knew it. Chloe’s body is made of steel. She could easily do another ten years in there.” When I was discharged, the doctor prescribed a mountain of medication. While Derek went to get the car from the garage, Serena grabbed the bags of medicine and threw them straight into the trash can. “Chloe, let’s not waste time with these pills. They won’t save you anyway.” “I’ll discard them for you.” “Stop dreaming about Derek coming back to you. We already have two kids together.” “Don’t worry. Once you die, I’ll buy you a decent grave.”

Three years had changed everything. When I returned to the apartment I used to share with Derek, I couldn’t find a single trace of myself. In the hallway, I opened the shoe cabinet out of habit, only to find it packed with Serena’s high heels and children’s sneakers. And on the living room wall, my large framed art portrait had been replaced by a happy family photo of Derek, Serena, and Adam. The suffocating atmosphere made it hard for me to breathe. I leaned against the wall, slowly walking toward the master bedroom. But Serena suddenly stopped me. “Oh, Chloe, I’m so sorry, but you’ll have to sleep in the guest room. I’m pregnant, and the small bed in the guest room isn’t comfortable for me.” I turned around to look at Serena and Derek standing by the door. They looked so perfect together, their features even holding a strange resemblance. Derek gently helped Serena onto the sofa, then walked over to open the guest room door for me. “It’s just a room, Chloe. It doesn’t matter where you sleep.” “Just bear with it for a little while. Once Serena gives birth, you can move back to the master bedroom.” In the final days of my life, I didn’t care about any of this anymore. I rubbed my aching chest and looked up at him. “Derek, can we really go back to the way things were?” He froze. How could we ever go back? He and Serena already had a child, a lifelong bond that couldn’t be erased by a simple breakup. “I told you, I will marry you,” Derek muttered. “I already explained about Serena. We are only suited to be friends, not partners. If I wanted to marry her, I would have done it before I met you.” I cut him off. “Derek, marrying me is just a burden of a promise you feel obligated to keep. You don’t have to force yourself.” “If you truly loved me, you wouldn’t have kept me hidden for five years without giving me a ring. You wouldn’t have sent me to prison three years ago. And you definitely wouldn’t have gotten Serena pregnant over and over again while I was locked away.” “I can overlook your coldness, your lack of care about how I survived the last three years, or my failing health. But I cannot overlook your blatant betrayal.” “That is cheating, Derek. Not ‘taking care of a friend,’ and definitely not an ‘accident.’” By the time I finished speaking, I was barely standing. A sharp, violent pain stabbed my chest. I fought hard to swallow the metallic taste of blood rising in my throat. Derek kept trying to explain behind me, but I tuned him out. I went into the guest room, desperate to find anything from my past. After searching for a long time, I finally found a dusty wooden box, the only keepsake my late mother had left me. But when I opened it, the emerald bracelet inside was gone. Serena’s voice came from the doorway. “Are you looking for that green bracelet, Chloe? Don’t bother. My son dropped it and shattered it a long time ago.” I stared at the empty box. Tears finally broke through my defenses, streaming down my face. That was the only piece of my mother I had left, and now it was gone. That night, Serena insisted on having a heavy, greasy steakhouse dinner. I knew she did it on purpose, knowing my stomach couldn’t handle rich food anymore. Derek cut a piece of prime rib, put it on my plate, and poured me a glass of red wine, urging me to eat more. But just looking at the grease made my stomach turn. Through the steam of the hot food, Serena looked at me with a fake, sweet smile. “Oh, I forgot. Prison food must have been so simple. You’ll just have to deal with this for tonight, Chloe.” “Eat up. If you don’t eat now, I’m afraid you might never get the chance to eat such good food again.” I stared at the glistening steak on my plate. I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I lunged toward the trash can and threw up violently. Serena looked into the trash can. Shock flashed across her face, followed by a mocking smirk. “Chloe, I didn’t see you drink any wine. How did you throw up so much red liquid?” Derek didn’t notice anything wrong. He shrugged. “She must have snuck a sip when we weren’t looking.” I had only come back to get my mother’s keepsake. And now, I had nothing left to hold onto. I leaned against the table, my eyes watery from the intense acid reflux. “Derek, let’s break up.” He froze completely. “Chloe, what is wrong with you? Why are you throwing a tantrum out of nowhere?” “I’ve been so patient with you. I explained everything. Why can’t you just bear with it a little longer?” Seeing the tension, Serena quickly put on a pitiful, victimized look. “I’m so sorry, Chloe. This is all my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have gone to prison. I’ll leave right now. I won’t ruin your life with Derek anymore.” “Please, don’t fight with him.” With that, Serena ran to the kid’s room, grabbed Adam, and rushed out the front door. The door slammed shut with a loud bang. Derek glared at me with pure hatred before running out after her.

It was two days later when Derek finally returned. I was in the middle of packing my few belongings. However, seeing another man in the apartment made Derek blow up instantly. He stormed over and grabbed Luke by his collar. “Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my apartment?” “What’s your relationship with Chloe?” Luke grit his teeth and shoved Derek back with force. “My relationship with Chloe is none of your business!” I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. I had been with Derek for five years. I had asked him countless times to meet my family. But he always had excuses, corporate meetings, business trips, or taking Serena for her medical checkups. As a result, he didn’t even recognize my own younger brother. Hearing that I was released, Luke had booked a flight to see me immediately. When he found out about Derek’s betrayal, he was livid. But I still didn’t tell him that I had spent the last three years taking the blame for someone else. Derek turned his furious gaze back to me. “Chloe, you’re sleeping around, aren’t you?” I kept my head down, folding my coat. “I should be asking you that question.” Derek punched the wall, his eyes narrowing into cold slits. “How many times do I have to tell you? Serena and I are just friends! We aren’t compatible!” I didn’t get angry. I just looked up calmly. “I’ve never heard of ‘just friends’ sleeping together and raising multiple kids.” Seeing Derek’s rage escalate, Luke clenched his fists, reaching into my bag to pull out my medical reports. “Derek, do you have any idea how sick Chloe is…” Before Luke could finish, the front door swung open. Serena stood there, clutching her stomach, her face pale with pain. “Derek… my stomach hurts so bad. Please, take me to the hospital…” …… Luke took me back to Seattle. I visited my mother’s grave, and then we went to the beach, a place I had always wanted to see one last time. By the time Derek tracked Luke down, Luke was just walking out of the local police station. “Where is Chloe? I need to speak with her.” Luke looked exhausted, his voice devoid of any energy. “What do you want? Tell me directly.” Derek’s tone was filled with icy disgust. “Serena almost had a miscarriage. The doctor said she took abortion pills.” “She said Chloe slipped something into her water cup. I need to ask Chloe face-to-face why she did something so sick.” Luke remained calm, asking quietly, “When did Serena say she saw Chloe do it?” Derek thought for a moment and said confidently, “Two days ago, in the afternoon.” “She has nothing to deny.” Luke suddenly let out a broken laugh, tears streaming down his face. “But Chloe was buried three days ago.”

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Another pair of lace panties fell out of my husband’s pants pocket while I was doing the laundry. Before I could even confront him, he calmly handed me a plastic vase. “Go ahead. Smash it.” It seemed that over our seven years of marriage, he had figured out my entire routine. Whenever I found out he was cheating, I would go crazy, smash things, cry my eyes out, and then continue living with him. So, he had replaced every breakable item in our home with plastic or stainless steel. He thought our marriage was just like those plastic things. No matter how hard I tried, I could never break it. But this time, I calmly put the vase back in its place. “Let’s get a divorce.” Hearing those words, Ethan Hayes froze for a second, and then he laughed. “What? You realized throwing tantrums doesn’t work anymore, so you’re trying a new tactic?” “Who gave you this idea? Your bestie?” He was so sure that I would never leave him. So sure that when I mentioned divorce, he didn’t believe a single word. Seeing my silence, Ethan massaged his temples, stood up lazily, and lit a cigarette. “Fine. When do you want to do it?” In the brightly lit living room, his tall figure leaned against the wall, gradually fading into the rising white smoke. His cold eyes stared blankly at the plastic vase. I hated smoking, so Ethan rarely smoked indoors. I knew he was doing it on purpose. On purpose to provoke me. Maybe he was more used to the way I used to handle his cheating, throwing everything in the house onto the floor in a wild rage. Once I let my anger out, everything seemed to magically go back to normal. For the past seven years, that was how I handled my emotions. And that was how he handled me. But tonight, I suddenly realized that just because a wound looks healed on the surface doesn’t mean the flesh underneath isn’t rotting. My heart was already black and blue, yet I was still trying my best to maintain this marriage that Ethan thought was unbreakable. Was it really worth it? No marriage is unbreakable. I calmly threw the lace panties into the trash can and took all the clothes out of the washing machine. The lipstick stain on Ethan’s white shirt hadn’t even been fully washed out. I clenched my fists, turned to look at him, and said, “Today. Let’s do it today.” For a rare moment, Ethan’s face stiffened. But quickly, he flicked the ash off his cigarette, his voice turning cold. “Fine. Let me change my clothes first.” As he turned around, he didn’t forget to order me. “Make sure you put my clothes in the dryer. You know I can’t stand even a bit of dampness on my shirts.” To him, divorce was as trivial as doing the laundry. He didn’t care at all. Before we could even leave, Ethan took a phone call and had to rush out. He only left me with one sentence. “30 days should be enough for you to cool down, right?” I didn’t say anything. After he left, I dried all the clothes. Then, I packed my own clothes, piece by piece. I turned around and walked out of this “home” forever. Ethan didn’t know that I didn’t need a month. I was perfectly calm right now.

Everyone in our circle knew that I was madly in love with Ethan. Since we were kids, I would cry and scream that I wanted to be his only bride. I even went to our parents, crying and throwing tantrums so they would force him to play with me. When we grew up, I became the most unreasonable “bodyguard” around Ethan. Every love letter sent to him had to go through me first. Later, Ethan fell in love with a girl. But because of my constant presence, she rejected his confession. I still remembered the look on Ethan’s face when he saw her holding hands with another man. He was heartbroken. It was a level of pain I had never seen on his face before. That was also the first time Ethan ever lost his temper with me. I had cautiously approached him, grabbing his arm, trying to comfort him. “Ethan, you still have me. I’ll always be with you.” But he violently shoved my hand away. “Chloe, aren’t you sick of this? Can you stop stalking me?” His shove sent me stumbling backward. The back of my head hit a tree trunk hard, leaving a deep gash that bled profusely. That was the first time I saw Ethan look so terrified. “Chloe! Are you okay? Does it hurt?” I showed him a bloody grin, pulling my hand away from the back of my head, covered in blood. But I still said, “Ethan, don’t worry. I’m fine.” Ethan stared at my bloody hand in horror. I forced a smile. “You… you’re not sad anymore, right?” Ethan froze completely. He gripped my hand tightly, a mix of complex emotions flooding his face. He looked like he wanted to say something. But before he could speak, I fainted. I had a phobia of blood. From that day on, Ethan wasn’t as cold to me as before. He gradually got used to having me follow him around like a little shadow. Later, the Hayes family’s business hit a major crisis. I practically threatened my parents until they agreed to inject nearly ten million dollars in cash to save Ethan’s company. During those dark days, when everyone else avoided the Hayes family like the plague, I was the only one who stayed firmly by his side. Once, to secure a crucial project, Ethan drank until his stomach bled. I stepped in and drank for him. In the VIP lounge, the smell of smoke and alcohol mixed together. Those middle-aged businessmen with beer bellies mocked me. “Miss Miller, if you want to drink for Mr. Hayes, that’s fine. But you have to drink double.” I downed two large glasses of whiskey without blinking. Ethan grabbed my hand. “Don’t.” The whole room burst into laughter. “Miss Miller is indeed a pathetic simp.” “How about this? You don’t have to drink anymore. Just spend the night with us, and I’ll give this project to Mr. Hayes. What do you think?” “Aren’t you willing to do anything for Mr. Hayes?” Before the bald man, Vance, could finish his sentence, Ethan, who had been slouched on the floor, jumped up and punched him square in the nose. One, two, three… I counted carefully. Ethan punched him sixteen times for me! At that moment, Ethan looked like a guardian angel who had come to protect me. Now, I couldn’t really remember all the pathetic things I did when I loved him. But I would always remember those sixteen punches. That night, Ethan and I were taken to the police station together. Squatting in the corner, his face covered in blood, he suddenly said, “Chloe, let’s get married.” Back then, his tone was so certain. Just like now, when he was certain that I would never divorce him. He believed that as long as he asked, I would never say no. And back then, that was the absolute truth.

I went back to my parents’ house. My mom, Sarah, opened the door with sleepy eyes. Seeing me, she was completely shocked. “Chloe? It’s so late. What are you doing here?” I pushed my suitcase through the door and acted spoiled. “Mom, aren’t you happy to see me?” My mom glared at me. “No…” “Ever since you married Ethan, you’ve never spent a single night away from him.” “On my last birthday, I wanted you to stay over so we could chat. But what did you say? You said you had to run back to draw Ethan’s bathwater! You didn’t want him to wait.” “And another time, when Ethan was on a business trip, you accidentally broke your leg. I told you to stay in the hospital, but you insisted on limping back home because you were afraid Ethan would worry if he found out you weren’t there!” “And…” I couldn’t listen anymore and cut her off. “Mom, stop.” My mom rolled her eyes and poked my forehead. “You can’t even listen to it? Have you forgotten how many humiliating things you’ve done over the years?” “You’ve been like a lost puppy since you were a kid, wishing you could be glued to him 24/7!” I squatted down in shame and opened my suitcase. My mom seemed to notice the suitcase just now, her eyes widening in shock. “Don’t tell me you ran away from home?” “Yeah.” I nodded and dropped a bomb casually. “Ethan and I…” “We’re getting a divorce.” My mom froze on the spot, completely speechless. Just as I pulled out my pajamas to change, my mom’s phone rang. It was Ethan. “Sarah? Is something wrong?” Ethan’s voice sounded raspy, with a hint of impatience. My mom quickly said, “Ethan, Chloe is here with me.” My face changed. I jumped up to grab her phone, but she was already rushing to speak. “Did you two have a fight?” “She loves you so much, how could she really want a divorce? Just come over and comfort her, and this will all blow over!” My mom quickly handed me the phone. “Chloe, speak to him.” On the other end of the line, I suddenly heard a soft, satisfied female sigh, followed by the rustling of bedsheets. My heart sank into a freezing abyss. My hand froze in midair, refusing to take the phone. Having shared a bed with Ethan for seven years, I knew exactly what that sound meant. Ethan probably thought I had taken the phone. His voice came through the speaker, arrogant and lazy. “Chloe, did you regret it already?” He let out a low scoff. The speaker was loud enough for his voice to echo in every corner of the villa. “I really underestimated you. You couldn’t even make it through a single night.” “I can’t come right now. I’m on a business trip out of town. Take a cab back yourself.” The sound of a lighter clicked. Ethan was lighting a cigarette. I could easily picture his face right now. He must look extremely smug, looking down on me. When he spoke, it sounded like he was giving me charity. “Wait for me at home quietly. I’ll consider withdrawing the divorce application as soon as I get back.”

Ethan hung up the phone. He didn’t even wait for my response. Under the dim light, my mom quickly turned around, her shoulders shaking violently. Seeing her cry, all my rising anger instantly dissolved. I walked over and hugged her. “Mom, why did you call him?” My mom couldn’t help but sob. She grabbed my arms and spoke with a trembling voice. “I did it for you!” “Every time you have a big fight with him, you’re the one who can’t eat or sleep! You lost so much weight last time. You were so distracted that you got hit by a car and broke your leg!” “The doctor said if you were any luckier, it wouldn’t have been just a broken leg, it could have been…” My mom turned around and hugged me tightly. “Chloe, since you can’t leave Ethan, your father and I had to accept it.” “We just want to find ways to make sure you get hurt less. We wanted to be the glue between you two.” My mom wiped her tears and pushed me toward the door. “Alright, stop throwing a fit and go back.” “Once Ethan gets back from his trip, everything will be fine.” She stood in the corner, her face half-hidden in the shadow. I could clearly see the complicated expressions on her face. The years of enduring Ethan’s coldness on my behalf. The anger she had to suppress. Her frustration with my helplessness. And… her deep love and worry for me. At this moment, I suddenly realized something. In this obsessive love of mine for Ethan, I wasn’t the only one bleeding. My parents, the people who loved me most in the world, were bleeding with me. I was such an idiot. Wasting so many years of my youth on a man who wasn’t worth it. I gripped my mom’s hand tightly and said with absolute certainty, “Mom, I am really divorcing Ethan this time.” I knew my mom didn’t believe me. After all, I had loved Ethan so fiercely for so many years. No one would believe I was letting go so suddenly. But my mom still supported my decision. When I said I wanted to join the family company to learn the business, she had my dad arrange a job for me. But because they were worried I would make a mess, they didn’t put me in the core project team. Instead, they put me in the admin department. I knew I needed time to adjust, so I didn’t complain and quietly settled into my role. In the blink of an eye, ten days passed. Ethan was back from his trip. But the place where we met again was at my father’s company. He had brought his team to negotiate a business deal. I was asked to serve coffee. When I pushed the door open, the first person I saw sitting next to Ethan was her. With red lips, dark hair, and a crescent-moon smile. As she spoke, she leaned so close to Ethan that she was almost in his lap. I would never forget that face, even if it turned to ash. It was Mia Crawford. The girl Ethan almost ended up with. So, the woman who accompanied him on his business trip was her. As I calmly set the coffee cups down, Mia reached out to take one. The hot coffee spilled right onto the back of her hand. She let out a sharp shriek. Ethan violently shoved me aside, the veins on his forehead bulging. “Chloe, are you stalking me?” I gripped the empty tray. “I’m not. You forgot this is my family’s…” Ethan frowned deeply and interrupted me. “Don’t lie to me! The moment I get back, you show up here. If that’s not stalking, what is?” “I already told you, if you just wait for me at home, I’ll withdraw the divorce paper within a month.” “Is there any need to play these cheap tricks?” Looking at Ethan’s self-righteous face, I suddenly felt too exhausted to argue. Letting out a sigh, I shook my head slowly. “Think whatever you want.” I didn’t care about the cozy vibe between them anymore and turned to leave. But Ethan called out to me, “Chloe, stop embarrassing yourself here. Go home.” “I had my assistant send my dirty laundry back. Go home and wash it.” “That’s what you’re supposed to do, and that’s what you’re good at!” In front of everyone in the room, his cold eyes stared at me, leaving me with no dignity whatsoever. Since he didn’t care about my pride, I didn’t need to care about his either. A sarcastic smile crossed my lips. “Ethan, this is my family’s company. I work here. How is that stalking?” “You say I’m good at washing clothes. Then what are you good at? Cheating? Sleeping with your assistant? Flirting with college girls?” Ethan’s eyes widened in disbelief. He pointed a finger at me. “You…” I slapped his hand away. “We are getting divorced. You should let your mistress by your side wash your dirty laundry.”

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On the day of my son’s preschool graduation, the principal stood in front of all the parents and praised my wife’s ex-boyfriend for being an amazing father. “Mr. Brooks is such a responsible, loving dad.” “Over the past five years, he picked up Leo one thousand and ninety-seven times, and only missed three out of thirty-six family events.” My wife, Chloe, smiled and chimed in. “He really worked harder than me to make sure our boy grew up safe and happy.” I froze. Chloe had always told me that Julian Brooks was just a family friend who occasionally helped out when we were busy. But in the graduation memory book, Julian appeared in four hundred and sixty-two out of the four hundred and eighty-seven photos. For five years, I worked late every single night and handed every penny of my paycheck over to Chloe. I did it because I felt guilty for not spending enough time with her and Leo. In that exact moment, the truth slapped me in the face. This family had never lacked a father. Seeing me stare at the page without moving, Chloe reached over and snapped the album shut. “You’re always working overtime. Of course you weren’t in the photos,” she said, her voice laced with impatience. “There will be plenty of chances in the future.” Right then, my phone buzzed. It was my project manager on WhatsApp, asking if I was willing to be relocated to our overseas branch for three years. I looked at the “happy family of three” smiling back at me from the cover of the album. I typed two words: “I’ll go.” Chloe didn’t know. This time, there would be no “future” for us.

My manager replied almost instantly. “Ethan, does your family want to come along? We can arrange corporate housing for them.” I wrote back: “No need. Just me.” “Ethan, why are you just standing there?” Chloe called out, her voice sharp with irritation. It was time for the graduation family photo. The photographer signaled for us to squeeze closer together. But Chloe was already holding Leo’s hand, and Julian was standing right next to them on the other side. The only spot left for me was on the very edge of the frame. The photographer stared at us for five seconds, looking thoroughly confused. “Sorry, who is the dad?” Julian took a polite step back. “Oh, I’m not.” But Leo grabbed Julian’s hand tightly. “Julian is my dad!” The surrounding parents erupted into soft giggles. Some whispered about how sweet it was that the boy was so close to Julian. Chloe didn’t bother to correct him. She just patted Leo’s head with a soft smile. “Stop messing around, Leo.” She said the words, but there wasn’t a hint of disapproval in her eyes. I walked over. Leo immediately hid behind Julian’s legs. “Mom, I don’t want Mr. Miller in the photo.” “Every time he comes home, he just checks my homework. He doesn’t even know how to smile.” Chloe frowned at me. “Did you hear that?” “You’ve let your own son become a stranger to you. You really need to think about your behavior.” I looked her in the eyes. “Why do you think I work overtime every single day, Chloe? Do you really not know?” “Oh, here we go again,” she whispered, rolling her eyes. “Today is Leo’s graduation. Do you have to bring up money right now?” Julian quickly stepped in to play the peacemaker. “Chloe, let it go.” “Ethan is only doing what he thinks is best for the family.” He stepped aside, offering me his spot. “Ethan, you stand here. I’ll take the photo for you guys.” And so, my wife and the boy remained in the frame. I stepped behind the camera. Just like I had done for the last five years. After the shoot, the principal handed out the memory books, asking parents to write a blessing on the final page. Just as I picked up the pen, Leo snatched it out of my hand. “You can’t write in it!” “I want Julian to write it.” I looked at Chloe. She avoided my gaze, but her voice was smooth and dismissive. “Julian spent so much time with him at school events. It’s natural that Leo wants him to write it.” “You’re an adult, Ethan. Don’t pick a fight with a kid.” I let go of the pen. “Fine.” Chloe blinked in surprise. She probably didn’t expect me to give up so easily. Julian took the pen and wrote in the book: May you grow up strong and happy, Leo. Daddy will always love you. No one in the room seemed to think the word “Daddy” was out of place. I lowered my head and opened the relocation contract on my phone. Duration: Three years. Departure date: Seven days from now. I digitally signed my name.

After the ceremony, Chloe suggested we all grab dinner. I assumed “all” included me. But when we arrived at the restaurant, I realized she had only booked a table for three. The host had to drag an extra chair and squeeze it into the cramped aisle. Chloe glanced at me. “Didn’t you say you had to go back to work tonight?” “I took the night off.” “Well, you should have told me earlier,” she grumbled under her breath. “I already ordered. Julian doesn’t eat spicy food, and Leo is allergic to seafood. We can’t really add anything new to the order.” We had been married for seven years. I had a sensitive stomach, but she didn’t even bother to ask if there was anything I could eat. Julian handed me the menu. “Ethan, order whatever you want. It’s on me tonight.” Chloe immediately pushed the menu down. “Julian, your startup is just getting off the ground. Save your money.” She turned to me. “We’re all family anyway. It doesn’t matter who pays.” In the end, I paid. It came out to $280. While Julian took Leo to the restroom, Chloe took the opportunity to speak to me. “Don’t take what happened earlier to heart.” “Leo is still young. He’s naturally going to be closer to whoever spends more time with him.” “Julian doesn’t have a wife or kids.” “Letting Leo call him dad is just a little comfort for him.” I looked down at the receipt. “What about me?” She paused. “What about you?” “Nothing.” I put my phone face down on the table. There was no point in explaining. She would never get it. To her, I was just being jealous again. When Julian brought Leo back, the boy was clutching a brand-new toy car. Leo was jumping with joy. “Julian is the best!” Chloe smiled. “How much was it? Let me PayPal you.” “Oh, it was only five hundred dollars. Don’t worry about it.” “No way, I can’t let you pay for that.” She immediately sent him $800 on PayPal. I stared at her, remembering last month when Leo was hospitalized with a high fever. Chloe had begged me to pull consecutive all-nighters at the office to secure our quarterly project bonus. She told me the family was completely broke. That night, I worked nineteen hours straight until my stomach bled, and my coworkers had to rush me to the ER. I was hospitalized for three days. She visited me exactly once. She stayed for less than thirty minutes before Julian called, saying Leo was crying to go to Disney World. She grabbed her purse and ran. Before she left, she even blamed me: “It’s not like you had major surgery. Stop being so dramatic.” After dinner, Chloe told me to drive Julian home. “He had a few drinks tonight.” “So did I.” “You only had half a glass of wine.” She looked at me with deep irritation. “Julian has a weak stomach. Why are you comparing yourself to him?” I pulled out my phone and opened Uber. “One car can’t fit four people anyway.” “You guys go ahead.” Chloe looked at me like I was a throwing a childish tantrum. “Ethan, what is wrong with you today?” “Just because you weren’t in a few photos, you’re going to act like this all night?” Julian sighed. “Forget it. I’ll just call a cab.” Leo immediately wrapped his arms around Julian’s leg. “No!” “I want to go with Julian!” Chloe rushed over to soothe the boy. Nobody cared about me. My phone buzzed with an email from HR, asking me to fill out my emergency contact info for the relocation. I stared at the “Emergency Contact” box for a long time. In the past, I always wrote Chloe’s name. But on the day of my endoscopy, the hospital had called her eleven times. She hadn’t picked up once. I deleted her name. I typed in my coworker, Zach. I hesitated for a second before clicking submit.

The next day, Chloe texted me to pick up the graduation albums from the photo studio. The receptionist checked the order and brought out three massive boxes. “Mrs. Miller ordered five family albums, two large canvas prints, and a hundred individual prints.” “The total is $2,200. You just need to settle the remaining balance of $1,800.” The sample photos were laid out on the counter. Chloe, Julian, and Leo were all wearing matching white shirts. The three of them were holding hands on the beach, hugging on the grass, and kissing the boy’s cheeks. If I didn’t know the truth, I would have thought they were the perfect family. I asked the receptionist, “When were these taken?” “Last month,” she said, flipping through her records. “They spent two full days shooting. Mr. Brooks was incredibly cooperative.” Last month. Chloe had told me Leo had a highly contagious flu. She made me stay at a cheap motel so I wouldn’t bring the virus back to the office. I lived in that motel for nine days. Every evening, I drove by the house just to leave fresh fruit, groceries, and medicine on the porch. As it turned out, they weren’t sick at all. They just didn’t want me in their family photos. The receptionist pulled up the digital gallery. Out of two thousand six hundred and forty-one photos, Julian appeared in one thousand and ninety-three of them. I was in exactly seven. Five of them were just my blurry reflection in a mirror. One was of me carrying a heavy refrigerator during our move. The last one was a shot of me crouching down in the rain, changing a flat tire on Julian’s car. The receptionist noticed my pale face and asked quietly, “Sir? Are you still paying?” “No.” “Tell the person who placed the order to pay for it.” Less than three minutes after I walked out of the studio, Chloe called. “Ethan, what the hell is your problem?” “The albums are Leo’s graduation gift! You can’t even spare a little money for your own son?” “You placed the order, Chloe.” “But you’re his dad!” The moment the words left her mouth, the line went dead silent. She probably remembered who the principal had praised as the “good dad” yesterday. I didn’t call her out on it. “Yeah. Anything else?” Her voice softened slightly. “Come home early tonight.” “I made beef stew. Let’s talk.” For seven years, every time she needed me to pay for something or clean up Julian’s mess, she would make beef stew. When I got home that night, the table was set with beef stew covered in cilantro. She always remembered that Julian loved cilantro. She never remembered that even the smell of cilantro made me physically ill. Julian was sitting on our couch. In front of him was a stack of business loan documents. “Ethan, I’m really sorry about this,” Julian said, looking sheepish. “My startup needs to renew its business credit line, and the bank requires a guarantor with a stable, high-income job.” Chloe slid a pen across the table toward me. “It’s only a hundred thousand dollars.” “Julian’s business is doing great. He’ll pay it back in no time.” I looked at the cosigning agreement. “What about the fifty thousand I lent him last year? Has he paid that back?” Chloe’s expression tightened. “Why are you keeping score? We’re family.” “Julian isn’t an outsider.” I looked up at her. “Then who is?” Chloe completely lost her patience. “Ethan. Are you seriously throwing a tantrum just because of what Leo called him yesterday?” “Is it really worth acting like this?” I pushed the contract back. “I’m not signing.” This was the first time in seven years I had ever said no to her. Julian quickly stood up. “Chloe, don’t force Ethan.” “He works hard for his money. It’s only natural that he’s wary of me.” Hearing this, Chloe got even angrier. “Look at him! Even Julian is trying to understand you, and look at how you’re acting!” I stood up and went to the bedroom. Before I closed the door, I heard her whispering to Julian. “Don’t worry.” “He’s just throwing a little fit. He’ll sign it in a couple of days.” I opened the closet. I only took my passport, my work ID, and an old photo of my late mother. Nothing else in this house was worth taking.

With only three days left before my departure, HR asked me to finalize my dependent benefits. The apartment we lived in was a corporate-subsidized unit. Since I was going overseas, my family either had to take over the lease at the full market rate within thirty days or vacate the property. Leo’s premium private health insurance, his preschool tuition subsidy, and Chloe’s parents’ health coverage were all tied to my corporate benefits account. The HR rep asked, “Do you want to keep these active for your dependents?” I remembered when Chloe’s father Robert had heart surgery, and I paid $40,000 out of pocket. When he was discharged, her parents held Julian’s hand and cried. “Julian is such a good boy. He’s been running around helping us, he’s better than a real son.” In reality, Julian had only stopped by once to drop off a basket of apples. I was the one who handled the admission paperwork, booked the top specialists, and paid the bills. “Cancel all of them,” I said. The HR rep looked surprised. “Even for your wife and son?” “Yes. Follow standard procedure.” When I left the office, Chloe sent me a flurry of messages on Snapchat. “Don’t work late tonight.” “Leo wants you to make those garlic parmesan chicken wings he likes.” “By the way, I left Julian’s loan paperwork on your desk.” The last sentence was the only one that mattered. I didn’t reply. When I stepped out of the office building, I saw Chloe’s SUV parked by the curb. It was rare for her to pick me up from work. But Julian was sitting in the passenger seat. Leo was in the back, waving at me through the window. “Hey, Mr. Miller! Get in!” A flash of embarrassment crossed Chloe’s face. “The kid just can’t change his habits overnight.” “Don’t give him a hard time.” I opened the back door. The backseat was piled high with Julian’s suitcases. Chloe quickly explained, “Julian’s landlord suddenly decided to sell the house.” “I told him he could stay with us for a few months.” “Since your home office is usually empty anyway.” That home office was where I slept every night after working until 2 AM so I wouldn’t wake her and the kid. And now, she was giving that away too. “Sure,” I said. I shut the car door. “I’ll go back to the office and pack my things.” She let out a massive sigh of relief. “I knew you wouldn’t be petty about this.” “Oh, by the way, we changed our graduation trip. We’re going to Hawaii instead of the lake house.” “Julian is a great swimmer, so he can watch Leo.” “You’ve been so busy with work anyway, so you don’t have to come.” I looked at them. “When are you leaving?” “The day after tomorrow.” The day after tomorrow was also the day I was leaving for the airport. Chloe paused, as if remembering something else. “Can you transfer me $3,000 for the trip? Things are a bit tight this month.” Julian made a half-hearted attempt to stop her. “No, Chloe, let me pay for it.” Chloe immediately snapped back. “Your company needs every dollar right now.” “Ethan makes a great salary. Three grand is nothing to him.” I nodded slowly. “Got it.” They thought I was agreeing to send the money. In reality, I had finally realized just how far this marriage had devolved into a complete farce. The next morning, the corporate relocation shuttle pulled up to my building. I only had one suitcase. The driver helped me load it into the trunk and asked casually, “No family here to say goodbye?” I checked my phone. Chloe had posted on Instagram at 5 AM. It was a photo of her, Julian, and Leo waiting at the airport gate. The caption read: Our little family of three, off to Hawaii! I locked my phone. It wasn’t that they didn’t know what “family of three” meant. And it wasn’t that they forgot about me. They just truly believed that no matter how many times they threw me away, I would always be waiting right where they left me. The driver shut my door. As the car started to roll, Chloe’s call flashed on my screen. The moment I picked up, she demanded, “Ethan, why hasn’t that $3,000 cleared yet?” “And Julian’s loan documents, he needs them signed today.” “Where the hell are you anyway?”

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Five years ago, when the doctor diagnosed my two-and-a-half-year-old son with autism. My husband squeezed my hand tightly. “Don’t worry, honey! Even if I have to sell everything we own, I’ll be right here with you and our boy.” Over the next five years, I emptied my entire trust fund to pay for his therapy. But this spring, I was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. Late at night, right after I barely survived my third round of chemotherapy, my husband pushed open the door to my hospital room. He threw a set of divorce papers right onto my pillow. He didn’t even glance at our son, who was seizing with a high fever on the cot next to me. His voice was filled with nothing but impatience. “I can’t carry this weight anymore. Your broken, expensive body plus a brain-dead kid? You’re going to drag me to hell with you.” “I’ve already drafted the agreement. I keep the house and the car. You and that useless kid get nothing. Sign it, or I stop paying for your chemo tomorrow.” Staring at the bright red lipstick stain on the collar of his white dress shirt, I didn’t even have the strength to scream at him. In absolute despair, I signed my name. My husband sneered, grabbed the papers, and walked out. I pulled my shaking son into my arms and sobbed hysterically. Suddenly, a small, warm hand reached up and covered my mouth. His seizures had stopped. He snapped his eyes open, and his gaze was shockingly sharp and fierce. This boy, who hadn’t called me “Mom” once in the last five years, spoke with perfect, crystal-clear pronunciation. “Mom, don’t be scared.” “In our last life, he abandoned us and let you die in agonizing pain in a damp, rented basement.” “In this life, I am going to make him wish he was dead.”

My whole body was shaking. I couldn’t tell if it was the brutal side effects of the chemo, or something else entirely. My son, Leo, sat up on the hospital bed, crossing his legs. He looked like an entirely different person. The empty, lifeless eyes he had carried for five years were now burning so bright I could barely look at him. “Mom, listen to me. We still have time.” His voice was raspy from the high fever, but every single word was sharp. There was none of the slurring or repetition typical of autistic children. “That divorce agreement isn’t legally binding yet. To finalize it, both of you have to sign the final notary papers with the lawyers at the courthouse. He’s coming to pick you up tomorrow morning.” “Do not go.” I opened my mouth, but my lips were so dry they cracked and bled. I couldn’t make a sound. “I don’t know how long I can stay clear-headed like this, so you must remember three things.” He reached out and squeezed my finger. His hand was burning hot. “First, when he registered his company, Apex Bio-Tech, back in March 2019, you were the co-founder with a forty percent stake. He made you sign a stack of papers, telling you it was just standard procedure. One of them was the operating agreement. Six months later, he forged your signature and removed your name from the registry.” I remembered that stack of papers. Shortly after Leo was diagnosed, Logan said he wanted to start a medical device company. He piled those documents on the dining table, and I just signed wherever his finger pointed. “Second, the money Grandma left you—all eight hundred and twenty thousand dollars. On March 12, 2019, it was transferred from your personal account directly to Apex Bio-Tech’s corporate account. He claimed it was a loan, but he never mentioned it again.” Eight hundred and twenty thousand dollars. That was everything my mother had left me when she passed away. “Third, there’s a firm downtown called Cole & Associates. The lawyer’s name is Marcus Cole. He specializes in corporate equity disputes and high-net-worth divorces.” “How… how do you know about him?” I gasped. He fell silent for a few seconds. “In my past life, I was dumped into a terrible state orphanage. When I was nineteen, I saw him on TV. He won a case almost identical to yours. That woman was luckier than you—she survived.” As he spoke, his eyelids began to flutter heavily. His little body went limp, sliding back down onto the pillow. Drool began to pool at the corner of his mouth, and his fingers started twitching rhythmically against the blanket. He was back to the Leo I had known for five years. He had slipped away again. The heart monitor beeped steadily. Down the hallway, a metal cart rattled past. I sat in the dark until four in the morning, then grabbed my phone and searched: *Marcus Cole, Cole & Associates.* The top search result popped up immediately: *Marcus Cole, Senior Partner. Areas of expertise: Corporate equity disputes, marital asset division.* I called. It went straight to voicemail. “Mr. Cole, my name is Chloe Vance. I’m currently undergoing chemotherapy, and my husband is trying to force me into a divorce with zero assets. But I believe I own forty percent of his company’s shares… Please call me back.” After hanging up, I stared at the ceiling, wondering if the cancer had finally crawled into my brain and made me lose my mind. At 5:03 AM, the door to my room was pushed open. It wasn’t a nurse. A young woman in a tailored designer suit stood at the door, clutching a leather folder. She glanced at Leo curled up on the bed, her brows furrowing in disgust. “Mrs. Carter, Logan sent me to collect two things. The copy of the signed divorce agreement, and your health insurance card.” She checked her gold watch. “He needs them by eight at the latest.”

I leaned back against the pillows, the IV line still taped to the back of my left hand. “I can’t find them.” The woman clearly didn’t believe me, her eyes scanning the nightstand. “Mrs. Carter, Logan was very clear. If you don’t cooperate…” She paused, choosing a much crueler tone. “Your medical insurance policy will be terminated starting today. All your hospital bills will bounce.” My heart squeezed violently. That threat hit me right where it hurt most. “I just finished chemo. My brain is foggy, and I can’t remember where I put anything,” I said, making my voice sound as weak as possible—which didn’t require much acting. “Tell Logan to come here and ask me himself.” She opened her mouth to snap back, but suddenly, Leo sat bolt upright. It wasn’t a normal, peaceful movement. He began to scream at the top of his lungs. He thrashed, banging his hands against the metal bedrails, slamming his forehead against the bars, and letting out piercing, screeching noises. This kind of sensory meltdown was common for kids on the spectrum. I had dealt with it for five years. The woman took a sharp step back, her impatient expression instantly melting into sheer panic. “I’ll… I’ll come back another time.” The moment the door slammed shut, Leo collapsed back onto his pillow. He closed his eyes, chest heaving as he breathed heavily. Was he acting? I wasn’t sure. And I didn’t dare ask. At 9:00 AM, my phone rang. “Mrs. Vance? This is Marcus Cole. I got your voicemail. Do you have a moment to walk me through the details?” His voice was incredibly calm and grounding. I explained my situation as briefly as I could. He asked three direct questions: the exact legal name of the company, the year of registration, and the bank account used for the transfer. After I answered, he said, “I’ll go to the Secretary of State’s office myself today to pull the original corporate filings. I should have the results by tomorrow at the latest. Until then, do not sign a single paper, do not go to the courthouse, and do not meet with your husband alone.” That afternoon, he came to the hospital. He was in his early forties, wore wire-rimmed glasses, and carried a slightly worn leather briefcase. His eyes were incredibly calm—the kind of calm that made you feel like you didn’t need to hide anything from him. He sat on the folding chair beside my bed, flipping through the screenshots of my bank statements and my marriage certificate. He didn’t ask how I knew about the hidden shares. Perhaps he figured that a late-stage cancer patient calling him at four in the morning was explanation enough. Less than an hour after he left, the door opened again. It was Amber Stone. She was wearing a pastel pink maternity dress, her makeup flawless, her tiny baby bump slightly showing. But what caught my eye was the bracelet on her wrist. It was a brilliant, translucent green jade bracelet. A natural, dark vein ran through it, winding gracefully from one side to the other. My brain went completely numb. That bracelet belonged to my mother. It was my heirloom. I had brought it with me when I got married, and it had always been kept in the jewelry box on my vanity. After we moved, I couldn’t find it. I thought I had lost it during the packing. Amber noticed me staring at her wrist. She smirked, offering no explanation whatsoever. She slapped a document onto my nightstand. “An emergency petition for sole custody. Logan’s lawyers already have it ready. They’re filing it next week. With your medical condition—and the kid’s issues—no judge in their right mind would give him to you.” She adjusted her designer handbag, smoothing down her dress as she stood up. “Save yourself the embarrassment and don’t fight it. It’s actually better for the kid anyway.” As she reached the door, she stopped and looked back, her tone breezy. “Oh, by the way, Logan is hosting a massive charity gala next Saturday. It’s a benefit for autism awareness. A major PR campaign for the company.” She smiled like a viper. “The main photo wall has a huge picture of your son on it. Quite a beautiful shot.” As soon as the door closed, the sharp click-clack of her stilettos faded down the hall. At 9:00 PM, Marcus sent me a text: “I pulled the original corporate records. Registered March 10, 2019. Two shareholders listed: Logan Carter 60%, Chloe Vance 40%. On September 14 of the same year, a share transfer was filed, removing you. The signature on that transfer is a blatant forgery—it looks nothing like your handwriting. Did you ever sign that transfer?” I texted back two words: *Never did.* His reply came almost instantly: “Then we have them.”

The next morning, I woke up to find my name plastered all over the local news. *“CEO of Apex Bio-Tech’s Ex-Wife Demands Exorbitant Divorce Settlement; Sources Claim Chemotherapy Has Left Her Mentally Unstable.”* The article featured a blurry screenshot of the hospital hallway security camera. My face was pixelated, but Leo’s back was clearly visible as he was pushed in a wheelchair. The comment section was vile. *“If you have cancer, just accept your fate. Don’t ruin your husband’s life.”* *“A mentally unstable mother is a danger to her own child. Good thing the dad is stepping up.”* I shut off my phone and pressed a hand to my chest. It wasn’t just anger—my heart was racing from the chemo-induced palpitations. At 9:30 AM, the hospital billing clerk walked in. “Mrs. Vance, there is an outstanding balance of ninety-four thousand dollars on your account. Mr. Carter has terminated his authorization for all payments. If this isn’t cleared in three days, we will have to discharge you.” She paused, lowering her voice. “I’m so sorry. We aren’t trying to be cruel, but the administration got a call from high up.” At 11:00 AM, a middle-aged woman walked in. She introduced herself as a social worker from Child Protective Services (CPS). “We received an anonymous tip that the patient in Room 305 might have self-harm tendencies and pose a threat to her child. We need to conduct an safety assessment.” I sat on the edge of the bed, watching her check off boxes on her clipboard. Leo lay face down on his pillow, making low, incoherent noises. After the social worker left, I stared at the ceiling, wanting nothing more than to pull the covers over my head and disappear. Logan was blocking every single exit. The press, the hospital, the state—he was squeezing me from every angle, trying to crush my spirit until I couldn’t even stand. When the room fell dead silent, Leo’s voice suddenly rang out. “Mom.” I spun around. His eyes were clear, though I could tell he was struggling to hold onto his consciousness. “The more desperate he gets, the sloppier his moves will be. Those news articles are clear defamation. Tell Marcus to preserve all the digital evidence.” After saying that, his eyes drifted shut, and his fingers began to twitch rhythmically against the sheets again. In the afternoon, Marcus called me. “I got the bank records. On March 12, 2019, exactly eight hundred and twenty thousand dollars was transferred from your account to Apex Bio-Tech’s corporate account, marked as ‘Investment.’ Furthermore…” I heard the rustle of papers over the line. “Your house. The deed is solely in your name. The down payment of one point forty-six million dollars came entirely from your personal account. The mortgage was paid jointly. Yet, in this divorce agreement, he gets the entire property. How is that fair?” It wasn’t. It never was. But when I signed those papers, my hands were shaking so hard I couldn’t even read the text. Even if I had, I was too physically exhausted to fight. “I’ve already filed an emergency motion with the family court to freeze all marital assets. My argument is that you signed the agreement under the influence of heavy chemotherapeutic drugs,” Marcus said. He paused. “At the same time, I’ve filed a lawsuit to restore your shareholder status. Once the forensic analyst proves your signature was forged, your forty percent ownership is legally bulletproof.” After we hung up, my nurse, Sarah, came in to change my IV. When the room was clear, she quickly slipped an envelope from her pocket under my pillow. “Someone asked me to pass this to the patient in 305,” she whispered. Inside was a heavy, gold-embossed invitation: *Apex Bio-Tech Charity Gala. This Saturday, Century Hotel Grand Ballroom.* I flipped it over. On the back, a sticky note was attached. No signature. Just four words: *You should be here.* At the bottom of the invitation, the theme of the gala was printed: *Shielded by Love: The Autism Family Support Initiative.* Keynote Speaker: *Logan Carter, CEO of Apex Bio-Tech.* Speech Topic: *A Father’s Sacrifice.*

By 6:00 PM on Saturday, the driveway of the Century Hotel was jammed with luxury cars. I was wearing my only clean knit cardigan over my hospital gown, which I hadn’t had time to change out of. My wig was slightly crooked, and I had to pin it three times just to keep it secure. Leo held my hand, his steps dragging, his eyes unfocused. The plastic hospital band was still secured around his tiny wrist. No one stopped us. The invitation had a VIP table number. There were about two hundred people in the grand ballroom—investors, tech journalists, medical executives, and about twenty actual families of autistic children. In the center of the main stage, a massive LED screen was looping Apex Bio-Tech’s promotional video. A photo of Leo when he was three flashed on the screen, right next to the corporate logo. I took a seat in the very back row, in the darkest corner. Leo sat beside me, humming softly under his breath, his little fingers nervously twisting the hem of his shirt. The house lights dimmed. Logan stepped up to the podium. He looked impeccable in a charcoal grey custom suit, his diamond cufflinks catching the light, his hair perfectly styled. He stood before the giant screen, right in front of the massive projection of his son’s face. “Five years ago, when the doctor told me my son was autistic…” His voice trembled slightly. He stopped, looking down at the podium as if trying to compose himself. “I felt like my world had collapsed. But I told myself, as a father, I had to be strong. I had to build a shield for him.” Several people in the front rows began to nod. Amber sat right in the center of the VIP section, her hand resting gently on her stomach, wiping her tears with a silk tissue. The emerald-green jade bracelet on her wrist gleamed under the spotlights. “And now, though my marriage has sadly come to an end due to irreconcilable differences, my duty as a father has never wavered. Tonight, I am proud to announce that Apex Bio-Tech is donating five million dollars—” The sharp screech of a chair dragging against the marble floor cut him off. I stood up. Over two hundred heads whipped around to look at me. I took Leo’s hand and began walking down the center aisle. He dragged his feet, his body swaying slightly, his fingers still clutching his shirt. His white plastic hospital wristband stood out glaringly under the chandelier lights. Logan saw me. His hands froze on the edge of the podium. “Chloe? What are you—” The security guards hesitated, unsure if they should intervene. Amber bolted upright, stepping into the aisle to block me. “Security—” I walked right past her. I marched straight to the AV control booth near the stage and slammed a USB drive onto the console. The tech guy stared at me, his hand hovering over the mouse, terrified to cut me off in front of all these cameras. I reached over and hit the spacebar. Logan’s beautifully designed PowerPoint slide vanished. In its place, two massive documents filled the giant LED screen. On the left: The original corporate registry of Apex Bio-Tech, dated March 10, 2019. Under the shareholder section, in bold black and white: *Logan Carter – 60%, Chloe Vance – 40%.* On the right: The share transfer document filed six months later. My name was crossed out, and the signature at the bottom was a messy, forged scrawl—completely different from my actual signature on the left. The two documents were blown up side-by-side on the fifteen-foot screen. The entire ballroom went dead silent. Then, the camera shutters started clicking like rapid gunfire. Logan’s face turned an ashen white under the spotlights. “This is a fake! She’s mentally unstable! Don’t listen to her—” I pulled a digital voice recorder from my pocket and held it up to the microphone. “This is what the woman he sent to my hospital room told me. And this is what Amber Stone said to me.” I pressed play. Amber’s voice blasted through the state-of-the-art sound system, echoing off the high ceilings: *”You’re going to sign those papers whether you like it or not. You really think a dying cancer patient can fight him? He doesn’t even care if you live or die, let alone that brain-dead son of yours.”* The recording kept playing, and every single person in the room hung onto every word. And then, Leo, who had been dragging his feet and swaying beside me, suddenly went completely still. He let go of my hand. He lifted his head. Two hundred pairs of eyes locked onto the seven-year-old boy. He looked straight at Logan on the stage. His eyes were clear, focused, and absolutely sharp. He opened his mouth.

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My wife was having an affair with a rich heir. When I caught them in the act, instead of feeling guilty, they flew into a rage. They forced alcohol down my throat, dragged me to the edge of a high-rise balcony, and threw me off, framing my death as a tragic, drunken accident. But they didn’t know one thing. I didn’t die. My soul was reborn into the body of that rich heir’s billionaire father. From that moment on, my wife’s lover became my son, and his gorgeous, seductive mother became my wife! With my new identity as the patriarch of the family, my game of absolute revenge officially began. “Arthur, what are you just standing there for? Come to bed.” The voice was soft and silky. I looked over and saw a stunningly beautiful woman lying gracefully on the bed. She had a smoking-hot body with curves that could drive any man insane. I had actually reincarnated. And of all people, I had become Arthur Carter—the billionaire father of Vance Carter, the man who ruined my life. The woman in front of me was Madeline Carter, Vance’s mother. It seemed even God couldn’t stand the injustice of my death, giving me the perfect identity to exact my revenge on that toxic couple. My real name was Leo Henderson. I was twenty-six years old. I used to have a beautiful, seemingly gentle wife named Chloe Bennett. We walked down the aisle right after graduating from college. To provide her with a luxurious life, I worked day and night. On my days off, I even delivered food, braving the scorching sun and freezing rain. I didn’t care how hard it was, as long as Chloe was happy. But I never expected that while I treated her like my entire world, she treated me like absolute garbage. On her twenty-fifth birthday, I wanted to give her a surprise. But when I unlocked the bedroom door, I caught her and another man tangled in the sheets, locked in a passionate embrace. At that moment, my blood ran cold, and my entire body shook with rage. “Chloe! Why?!” With bloodshot eyes, I rushed forward, dragged Chloe off the bed, and slapped her hard across the face. Then, I dragged her lover off the mattress and beat him with everything I had, letting out all my built-up fury. Holding her bruised cheek, Chloe screamed, “Leo! How dare you lay a hand on me! I’ll kill you!” She grabbed a heavy wooden folding tray from the bedside table and slammed it hard against the back of my head. My vision instantly blurred. A sharp, excruciating pain flared through my skull, and the world began to spin. Before I knew it, darkness consumed me, and I collapsed onto the floor. When I finally woke up, a bucket of ice-cold water was splashed onto my face. The freezing sensation made my lungs seize. Seeing Chloe clinging tightly to Vance, my chest throbbed as if pierced by a thousand needles. “Why? Why did you betray me? Haven’t I given you everything these past few years?” Chloe let out a cold laugh, as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world. “You did all that because you wanted to, Leo. I never forced you to be good to me.” “And betrayal? I never loved you in the first place. How can it be betrayal? The only man I’ve ever loved is Vance, not you.” My heart shattered. “Never loved me? Then why did you marry me?!” Vance, the wealthy heir, smiled mockingly. “Why marry you? Because I love the thrill of taking what belongs to other men. I didn’t just want to sleep with your wife; I wanted you to work yourself to death raising my kid while I laughed behind your back! I just didn’t expect you to find out so soon.” My heart bled. All these years, I had been nothing but a toy for their sick amusement—a tool to satisfy Vance’s twisted fantasies. She had never felt a single ounce of affection for me. They began to mock and insult me, even trying to perform their disgusting acts right in front of my face. But when they saw the sheer, murderous hatred in my eyes, they panicked. They forced a bottle of whiskey down my throat, dragged me to the balcony of the twentieth floor, and pushed me over, making it look like a tragic accident. I fell, smashing into a bloody pulp on the pavement below.

I thought I would never get my revenge. But the heavens gave me a second chance. I was reborn as Vance’s father. This new identity was almost too perfect. I swore to myself that I would make those two monsters pay in blood. Bringing my mind back to the present, I looked at the woman lying on the bed. Madeline Carter. Arthur’s wife, and Vance’s biological mother. She was in her early forties, but because of her immense wealth, she spent a fortune on skincare and wellness. Her skin was as smooth as a baby’s. If someone told me she was in her late twenties, I would have believed them. A dark, vengeful idea sparked in my mind. With a cold, unreadable expression, I walked straight toward the bed. “Arthur, what are you doing?” “What do you think?” A slow smirk crept onto my face, my eyes burning with a wild desire for revenge. “Arthur, you have an early meeting tomorrow. Don’t push yourself!” “Don’t call me Arthur. Call me ‘hubby’.” *Vance, you took everything from me. It’s time I collect some interest from your mother first.* That night, I unleashed all my bottled-up hatred and fury onto Vance’s mother. The next morning, Madeline gently shook me awake. “Honey, time to get up. You have an executive board meeting to attend.” I opened my eyes groppily to see her gorgeous face, glowing with a radiant blush. Her voice was dripping with tenderness. From Arthur’s memories, I knew this old bastard had cared about nothing but his business and sleeping with his secretaries. He hadn’t touched his wife in years. Last night had been like rain after a decade-long drought for Madeline. She was absolutely thrilled. Hearing the word “meeting,” I yawned. My first instinct was to get dressed and go to the office, but then I remembered—I wasn’t actually Arthur. Why should I care about some stupid corporate meeting? Arthur had built a business empire worth billions, and now, all of it belonged to me. This was a level of wealth I couldn’t even dream of in my past life. In my last life, I lived like a dog. In this life, with so much money, why shouldn’t I just lie back and enjoy it? Besides, I had a cheating wife and a murderous stepson to torture. I didn’t have time to deal with spreadsheets. Without a second thought, I pulled Madeline back into my arms and lied smoothly, “Sweetheart, all these years, I poured my soul into the company and neglected this home. I neglected you. So, I’ve decided to take a long break. I want to focus all my energy on you…” Madeline froze, looking at me in utter disbelief. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Honey… do you really mean that?” Though Madeline had all the luxury in the world, she had been incredibly lonely, both emotionally and physically. This promise was the greatest gift she could ever receive. She still couldn’t quite believe it, but when I called my assistant and cancelled all my meetings indefinitely, her doubts vanished. Overwhelmed with joy, she pulled me down and rewarded me passionately. I had to admit, Vance… you had a wonderful mother. Because of Madeline’s enthusiasm, breakfast was out of the question. We didn’t get out of bed until two in the afternoon. Madeline went downstairs to cook lunch. It was just the two of us. My useless “son,” Vance, wasn’t home. As a spoiled trust-fund brat, he got hundreds of thousands of dollars in allowance every month. He spent his days partying, getting drunk, and staying out all night. He lived like a king. I pulled out my phone and did the first order of business: I froze every single one of his credit cards. He wasn’t getting another dime from me. Not even ten minutes later, my phone rang. It was Vance, his voice frantic and panicked. “Dad! Why is my card declined? You need to unfreeze it right now! I just had lunch with my girlfriend, and the bill is twenty thousand dollars. They won’t let me leave without paying!” Hearing my mortal enemy call me “Dad” sent a rush of pure, vengeful ecstasy through my veins. I sneered into the phone. “What are you crying about? I froze your cards on purpose.” Silence fell over the line for a few seconds before Vance completely lost his mind. “What?! Dad, why would you do that?!” Adopting the persona of a stern, angry father, I roared into the receiver, “You ungrateful little piece of garbage! You dare ask me why? Do you think I don’t know about the disgusting things you’ve been doing?” “I am not unfreezing your cards. Figure out how to pay the bill yourself. If you can’t, sell one of your kidneys on the black market. That should cover it!” Without waiting for a reply, I slammed the phone down. Visualizing Vance’s humiliated, panicked face on the other end of the line made me shudder with pure joy. *You piece of trash, you’re finally in my hands. The road is long, and I’m going to make your life a living hell. Good son, daddy has so many special shows prepared for you.*

Madeline spoiled her only son rotten, granting his every whim. To make sure she wouldn’t ruin my plans, I decided to brainwash her early. I played the role of a loving patriarch, telling her that Vance was the future heir to our family empire and needed tough love. If we kept spoiling him, he would end up ruined. As the master of the house—especially after my performance in bed—Madeline agreed with everything I said without a single doubt. About three hours later, Vance, who hadn’t set foot in the house for over a week, burst through the front door, looking completely disheveled and enraged. “Dad! Have you lost your mind?! Am I even your son? Why the hell did you cut off my cards for no reason? My girlfriend had to pay for the bill in the end! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was for me?!” He paced around the living room, shouting and complaining. I didn’t say a word. I stood up, walked over, and slapped him across the face as hard as I could. *SLAP!* The sound was incredibly loud and satisfying. *Don’t mention it, son. This one’s on me!* “Ah!” Vance screamed, stumbling backward and almost falling to the floor. The slap was brutal. His cheek instantly swelled up, turning a bright, angry red, and blood began to gush from his nose. Still unsatisfied, I raised my foot and kicked him squarely in the stomach. Vance collapsed onto the floor, curling up like a boiled shrimp, groaning and clutching his abdomen in agony. Crying and trembling, he looked up at me with sheer terror and confusion. “Dad… why?” “No reason. I just felt like using you as a punching bag. I am your father. If I tell you to eat dirt, you swallow it and ask for seconds!” Vance was utterly stunned by my brutality. Even Madeline stood frozen in shock. She never expected me to lay such a violent hand on our son. Seeing her son bleeding and groaning on the floor, tears welled up in Madeline’s eyes. She instinctively rushed forward to help him up. “Don’t touch him! Let him get up on his own!” I barked, my voice cold and commanding. “The little brat is just acting to get your pity. Trust me, he’s not going to die!” I pulled Madeline back. Madeline opened her mouth to beg for mercy, but seeing my absolute, uncompromising expression, she swallowed her words and stepped back. Remembering what I had told her earlier about “tough love,” she clenched her fists and turned her eyes away. *A father disciplining his son must be doing it for his own good. I cannot let my foolish indulgence ruin my husband’s plans.* I looked down at Vance, watching his pathetic, agonizing state, feeling a wave of absolute triumph. *Vance Carter, you could never in a million years guess that the man beating you isn’t your father, but Leo Henderson—the man you and Chloe murdered.* *But did you think a single slap and a kick would be enough? No. Not even close!* *I’m going to make you wish you were dead. And Chloe, that toxic snake… neither of you will escape!* “Get up! I’m going to count to ten. If you’re still on the floor, I’ll kick you again!” Enduring the pain, Vance scrambled to his feet, trembling like a leaf. The moment he stood up, I slapped his other cheek with equal force. Vance clutched his face, tears streaming down his cheeks. He cried out in pure misery, “Dad! I got up! Why did you slap me again?!” I looked at him innocently. “I didn’t kick you, did I? I used my hand this time!” Vance looked like he was about to have a mental breakdown. He finally realized his father was out for blood today, and no matter what he did, he was going to get beaten. What could he do? Nothing. A father disciplining his son was the law of nature in this house. He just had to take it until I got tired. He comforted himself with this thought. I looked down at him, pretending to be disappointed, and yelled, “What? Are you trying to protest with silent defiance?!” “I’ve been too busy with work and neglected your upbringing. I let you run wild, and now you’ve become a complete parasite! If I don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll either end up dead on the streets or rotting in a prison cell, throwing our family name into the mud!” Without another word, I whipped off my leather belt and began striking him ruthlessly. I ripped his expensive clothes to shreds, leaving angry red welts all over his back and arms. The living room filled with his pig-like squeals. “Ah! Ah! Dad! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Vance shrieked, begging for mercy. If I were his real father, I might have softened. But I wasn’t. The louder he screamed, the happier I felt. *This is called karma, you piece of trash. Did you think about this day when you stole my wife and pushed me off that building?* Seeing that I was actually flaying him alive, Madeline panicked. She threw herself over Vance, begging me to stop. But I was fueled by ten lifetimes of rage. Besides, she wasn’t my real wife, so why would I care about her tears? I roughly pulled Madeline away and continued to swing the belt, raining blows down on Vance. *Crack! Crack! Crack!* What a beautiful sound. “Tell me! What did you do wrong?!” “Dad, Dad, I was wrong! I really was!” “I shouldn’t have slept with other men’s wives! I shouldn’t have beaten people up and threatened them! I shouldn’t have…” Under the paralyzing fear of being beaten to death, Vance assumed I had found out about his dark secrets. His psychological defense crumbled completely, and he began spilling all his sins. Stealing married women, ruining widows, blackmailing female teachers, breaking a college student’s legs and threatening his entire family to keep them quiet… I knew he was a bad egg, but I didn’t realize he was a literal monster. Even Madeline stared at him in horror. In her mind, her son was just a spoiled playboy, but she never imagined he had committed actual crimes behind her back. She felt a wave of profound disappointment and almost fainted from shock. “Madeline, go to the kitchen and grab a knife,” I roared. “I’m going to castrate this beast myself today!”

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My boyfriend’s startup failed. He couldn’t even afford rent anymore. When he came to beg me for help, he saw my luxury penthouse. His eyes lit up with greed, and he immediately called his entire family to move in. His parents rushed over from their rural town. The whole family lived off me, ate my food, and spent my money. Instead of showing a single shred of gratitude, they blamed me for spending too much. Just because I bought a small gourmet cupcake, his parents locked me out of my own apartment, demanding I kneel in the hallway all night to “reflect on my mistakes.” “Your money? Even you belong to my son! If you don’t obey, we’ll beat you to death!” I fought back, but during the struggle, my boyfriend pushed me down the stairs. My head hit the marble floor, and I died in a pool of blood, my eyes wide with disbelief. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the exact moment my boyfriend’s mother slapped me over the cupcake. Seeing her smug, arrogant face, I didn’t hesitate. I dialed 911 on the spot, called my personal bodyguards, and had them kick every single one of them out. “Did you really think I was a pushover? You want to suck my blood?” “I’m giving you three days. You will spit out every single penny you stole from me!”

“Are you insane? Who told you to buy an eight-dollar cupcake? Do you know how many cartons of eggs eight dollars can buy?!” A piercing, screeching female voice echoed in my ears. My vision was still a bit blurry. The voice continued to screech, “You’re spending my son’s hard-earned money! You useless spendthrift, I’m going to teach you a lesson!” I blinked, my mind in a daze, only to realize I was back in my own apartment. Brenda Miller, my boyfriend’s mother, was glaring at me. Her fleshy face was twisted with rage, and her eyes looked like they wanted to burn me alive. My hand clenched around the bakery bag, crushing the cupcake inside. Seeing my reaction, Brenda got even angrier. She raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. “How dare you glare at me! You bitch, you need to learn some manners!” “Look at you, ruining a perfectly good cupcake! I’m going to beat some respect into you today!” Feeling the stinging burn on my cheek, the truth finally sank in. I had really been reborn. The humiliation and torture of my past life were still fresh in my mind. Looking at the arrogant Brenda in front of me, a dark, raging fire ignited in my chest. After dating for two years, my boyfriend, Justin Miller, and I graduated from college. I joined my family’s conglomerate to prepare to take over the business. Justin, on the other hand, wanted to start from scratch to build his own empire. During that time, I secretly funded him with hundreds of thousands of dollars, hoping he would succeed. Unfortunately, Justin was not business material. After six months of playing CEO, he blew through all the money. He was so broke he couldn’t even afford his rent. One evening after work, I saw Justin standing by the entrance of my building, dragging a suitcase, looking like a beaten dog. He looked at me with pitiful, begging eyes. “Chloe, you’re the only one who truly cares about me in this city.” He was handsome. Seeing him humble himself and beg me, I couldn’t bear to say no. So, I took him upstairs. How could I have known that the moment Justin stepped into my 3,000-square-foot luxury penthouse, his eyes would gleam with pure greed? He whipped out his phone and called his parents in their small hometown. “Mom, Dad! I got a massive penthouse in the city! Come over right now!” His parents moved fast. The very next day, they showed up at my door with massive bags, happily marching into my apartment. Without even asking, they took over my master bedroom. Justin moved into the guest room, while I—the actual owner of the apartment—was relegated to the tiny maid’s room. I told Justin this was completely inappropriate, but he just waved his hand impatiently. “My parents worked hard in the countryside their whole lives. What’s wrong with them wanting to enjoy a little luxury now?” “Chloe, you said you loved me and my family. Is this how you show it? My parents will be so heartbroken if they hear this.” ###

Hearing him say that, I didn’t want to seem difficult. I suppressed my discomfort and tried my best to take care of his family. During that time, they lived off me completely. His mother used my $500 La Mer cream as foot moisturizer. His father put out his cheap, smelly cigars right on my luxury leather sofa. They even forced me to kneel on the floor every night, wash Justin’s dirty gym socks by hand, and give him foot massages. They claimed it was “preparation” for me to become a good wife. I protested, but every time I raised my voice, Justin would shut me down with “family values” and “respecting elders.” I felt incredibly suffocated, but I didn’t know how to fight back against his guilt-tripping. I could only swallow my tears. On my way home one day, I saw a bakery selling delicious cupcakes and bought one. Life had been so bitter lately. I just wanted something sweet to cheer myself up. But the moment I reached my door, before I could even step inside, Brenda blocked my way, her hands on her hips. She poked my forehead with her thick, dirty finger, staring at the cupcake bag in my hand with sheer disgust. “Who allowed you to buy such expensive garbage? How much did this cost?!” “It wasn’t expensive. It was only eight dollars.” I was tired and didn’t want to argue in the hallway, so I answered quietly. But those words made Brenda explode. She lunged forward and slapped me three or four times across the face. She grabbed my hair with one hand and slammed my head against the wall with the other. As a woman who did manual labor in the countryside, she was incredibly strong. I couldn’t break free. My vision went black, and my ears were ringing. Then, Brenda kicked the back of my knees, forcing me to drop to the floor. “You worthless spendthrift! You’ll kneel out here tonight and think about what you did!” No matter how good-tempered I was, I couldn’t take her abuse anymore. I stood up and started screaming back at her. The noise brought Justin and his father out. After listening to Brenda’s twisted, exaggerated version of the story, they both looked at me with cold, dark faces. “The Miller family doesn’t need an disobedient woman like you. Kneel down right now!” I was going crazy. I looked at Justin, hoping he would say something reasonable. “Justin! Whose apartment is this?!” “Your entire family is living on my dime! I buy one cupcake and your mother acts like I committed a federal crime! Who is the one in the wrong here?!” But Justin just stepped forward, grabbed me by my collar, and said with disgusting arrogance, “Once you marry into my family, not only does your money belong to me, but you do too! If you don’t obey us, we’ll beat you to death.” I was utterly shocked by his toxic, brainwashed mindset. Once I snapped out of it, I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Go to hell! We are breaking up! I would never marry you!” “Chloe Henderson, how dare you!” In the heat of the argument, Justin lost his temper. He shoved me hard. I lost my balance and tumbled backward down the stairs. My head slammed violently against the concrete steps. Warm, crimson blood began to pool around me. Right before I lost consciousness, I struggled to look up at Justin. He was standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at me. There was no panic, no regret in his eyes—only coldness and a smug smirk. “An disobedient woman deserves to be taught a lesson.” Thinking back to that moment, I looked up at the smug Brenda, who had just slapped me. A cold smile crept onto my lips. In my past life, my kindness made me a victim, and it cost me my life. In this life, I am going to make you pay it all back with interest. I immediately sent a Snapchat message to my personal bodyguards, telling them to come upstairs. Then, under Brenda’s shocked gaze, I dialed 911. “Hi, I’d like to report a violent home invasion.” ###

My bodyguards were on duty 24/7. Within minutes of receiving my message, six massive, muscular men rushed up the stairs, completely surrounding Justin’s family. Looking back, I was so stupid in my past life. To protect Justin’s fragile male ego, I had dismissed the bodyguards my family hired for me. That mistake allowed him to push me to my death. Being blinded by love is truly a disease. Even a zombie would sniff my brain and walk away vomiting. The six bodyguards were all over six-foot-two. They stood there silently, radiating an intimidating aura. The sight immediately terrified Justin. His eyes widened in shock. He pointed a trembling finger at the guards, looking at me in disbelief. “Chloe, what is going on? Did you call these guys?!” His reaction was exactly as I expected. To protect his pathetic self-esteem, I had never told him about my family’s actual wealth. Under the cold glares of the bodyguards, Justin’s tough-guy attitude vanished. He stopped calling me names and instantly softened his voice. “Chloe…” Seeing him change his face so quickly was honestly hilarious. How did I waste two years of my life on such a pathetic, disgusting man? Since I didn’t answer, Justin cautiously took a step forward, trying to grab my sleeve. “Chloe, my mom was just giving you some advice. There’s no need to overreact.” “And I heard you calling the police about a home invasion… You weren’t talking about my family, right?” I smiled coldly and stepped back, letting my bodyguards block him. I made it crystal clear that I wanted nothing to do with him. “Who else would be the home invaders besides your parasite family?” “You live in my place, eat my food, and spend my money. I treated you guys like guests, and you turned out to be a pack of wild dogs!” “I’m giving you exactly thirty minutes. Pack your trash and get the hell out of my apartment!” My words turned Justin’s face bright red. He stared at me, his eyes full of disbelief. “Chloe Henderson! I am your boyfriend! How can you treat me like this?” “Do you want me to break up with you?!” Brenda finally snapped out of her shock. Hearing Justin’s words, she immediately stood tall, chin raised high, looking at me with absolute contempt. “Did you hear that? Apologize to me right now, or my son will dump you!” “So what if you have some money? You’re just a used, secondhand woman!” “Once my son dumps you, no man will ever want you!” I almost laughed out loud at Brenda’s sheer ignorance. I had money, a great career, and an incredibly powerful family. Did she honestly think Justin was some kind of prize? If Justin hadn’t begged and pleaded on his knees for months in college, I would have never even looked at him. Before Brenda could finish her rambling, I interrupted her impatiently. “Do you think your son is some kind of gold? In my eyes, he’s nothing but a pile of dog shit.” “Pack your bags and get out. I don’t have time to waste on you.” The moment I finished speaking, the six bodyguards took a step forward, towering over Justin’s family. Arthur Miller, who had been silent the entire time, tapped his cheap cigar and finally spoke in a low, gravelly voice. “Chloe, you and Justin have been together for two years. A young lady shouldn’t be this heartless.” “We will leave. But we can’t find a place to stay in this city overnight. Let us stay for just two more days.” As he spoke, I didn’t miss the cunning, calculating gleam in his eyes. You think you can play mind games with me? I smiled. “Sure. I’ll give you two days.” With that, I walked past them with my bodyguards and called a professional cleaning service to scrub down my master bedroom. Seeing their cheap clothes and shoes being thrown into the living room, Brenda stamped her feet in anger. “You miserable little bitch…” The moment she started cursing, six terrifying bodyguards glared down at her. She shut her mouth instantly. “Dirty woman, hanging around so many men. Disgusting,” she whispered under her breath, but her eyes couldn’t help but wander around my living room, eyeing the expensive designer decor. I saw her greedy little glances and sneered in my heart. Go ahead, keep playing. Let’s see what kind of grave you dig for yourselves. ###

The next morning, I purposely sent all my bodyguards away, leaving Justin’s family alone in the apartment while I went to work. When I returned in the evening and unlocked the door, I found the place completely trashed, looking like it had been cleared out by thieves. I glanced toward the hidden Ring camera I had installed. Pretending to be panicked, I ran through the rooms, checking what was missing. My bodyguards, who had received my message, rushed in to help me take inventory of the stolen items. By the time we totaled the losses, Justin and his family were nowhere to be found. I slammed my hand on the table, pretending to be furious. “It must be Justin! They stole everything!” Just as the words left my mouth, Justin and his parents walked in, looking completely nonchalant. Seeing the mess in the living room, a flash of smug satisfaction crossed Justin’s eyes. But he quickly forced a shocked expression onto his face. “Chloe! What happened? Did we get robbed?!” I nodded with a heavy face. “As you can see, thieves stole all the valuables.” Brenda let out a loud shriek and ran toward the guest room. She started screaming hysterically, then ran back to the living room, pointing a finger at me. “Chloe Henderson! You owe us money! Our stuff is gone too!” Even though I knew they had stolen everything themselves, seeing Brenda act so righteous made my blood boil. If I hadn’t watched the live feed on my phone earlier—seeing them carry my luxury goods out box by box—I might have actually been fooled by her acting. They were absolutely heartless! When Justin’s startup failed, I took him in out of kindness, only to bring a family of venomous snakes into my home. They tried guilt-tripping, they tried threatening, and they even tried violence. But once I brought in my bodyguards, all their little tricks failed. Since they couldn’t suck any more blood out of me, they decided to rob me blind and sell my belongings for cash. As the saying goes, “poor towns breed thieves.” I had finally witnessed the peak of human greed and malice. The loud commotion quickly drew the attention of the neighbors. People from the upper and lower floors started gathering in the hallway, whispering and peeking inside. Seeing a crowd forming, Brenda’s eyes spun with mischief. She sat flat on the floor, slapping her thighs, and began to wail at the top of her lungs. “What a tragedy! This is karma!” “We lived here peacefully and never had any issues. The moment she tries to kick us out, the place gets robbed!” “This is God punishing her for being so cruel to her future in-laws!” Her dramatic performance immediately sparked whispers among the neighbors. A well-dressed older woman stepped forward to ask what was going on. Brenda quickly pointed at me. “This terrible girl is throwing me and my husband out! She’s trying to dump my son!” “I only gave her some motherly advice, telling her not to waste money. But she threw a tantrum, screamed at my son, and even hired these thugs to beat us up!” After spitting out her lies, Brenda looked up, waiting for the neighbors to join in and condemn me. But the outrage she expected never came. Instead, the neighbors looked at her like she was an absolute idiot. Brenda froze, her voice stuttering. “Why… why aren’t you guys yelling at her?” “She doesn’t obey her man, and she respects no elders! How can a woman like this be allowed to run wild?!” Standing nearby, I let out a cold laugh. This was an ultra-luxury apartment complex. Anyone who could afford to live here was at least upper-middle class. In this wealthy neighborhood, most families only had one child. Girls here were raised like pampered princesses; their parents and grandparents treated them like precious gems. The internet even had a term for girls like us: *the spoiled trust-fund daughters*. Trying to bully a local wealthy only-daughter in front of these rich suburban neighbors? Brenda had just run straight into a brick wall.

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My fiancée had a “perfect crush” she had loved for three years. The day before our wedding, they hooked up and ruined her wedding dress. When I demanded to call off the wedding, she scoffed. “I just didn’t want my youth to end with regrets. After tomorrow, I’ll be yours forever. Can’t you just be the bigger man?” I turned around, prepared a massive “gift” for them, and wished them a lifetime of misery together. Later, she came crawling back, crying for my forgiveness. I flashed my wedding ring. “Sorry, babe. I’m married.” I was at the venue confirming the final details for tomorrow’s wedding when I received a video from an unknown number. I tapped it open. It was Chloe, wearing her wedding dress. A pair of large hands gripped her waist, turning her usually pale skin a flushed, deep pink. The voluminous layers of the gown tried to hide the heavy friction, but by the end of the video, the gorgeous, custom-made dress was ruined with messy stains. A text from the unknown number followed, dripping with malice: [So what if you’re marrying her? I’m the only one she truly loves.] My vision went black. My chest tightened as if wrapped in barbed wire, squeezing the air right out of my lungs. I couldn’t breathe for what felt like eternity. Seeing my pale face, the wedding coordinator asked cautiously, “Mr. Vance? Just to confirm, you want her to wear sneakers with the main gown for the reception, correct?” I snapped back to reality, feeling utterly pathetic. When we were planning the wedding, Chloe had whined to me, saying that wearing high heels all day would be absolute torture. To make things easier for her, I had spent a fortune customizing a pair of designer sneakers to match her gown. Just minutes ago, worried her feet might still ache, I was thinking about adding custom gel insoles to the shoes. And what was she doing? Under the guise of having a wild bachelorette party with her girls, she was wearing the custom gown I designed, screwing her long-time crush. That was a dress I spent months of salary on, tailored specifically for her! My heart throbbed with a dull, stabbing pain. I gave the coordinator a mindless nod and dragged my numb body back home. The apartment was decorated with festive lights. Our pre-wedding photoshoot hung on the wall behind the sofa. The bright red accents looked like fresh blood. I collapsed onto the sofa, my mind drifting to the man in the video. I knew him. His name was Tyler Brooks. He was Chloe’s college senior, the guy she had chased for three years—the untouchable “one that got away.” Chloe’s best friend had mentioned him to me before, but I didn’t care back then. It was college. Everyone had a past, right? Besides, Tyler was already married. He was supposed to be a closed chapter, someone who would never interfere with our lives again. I thought I held Chloe’s present and future. I thought we were building a bright, happy life together. But today, that video shattered my delusions completely. I wiped my face hard and dialed Chloe’s number. No answer. I guess she was still “busy.” I called Liam instead. He had gone to the same college as Chloe. He picked up almost instantly, joking, “Getting married tomorrow and the groom still has time to call me?” I got straight to the point. “Liam, do me a favor. Dig up everything you can on Chloe and Tyler Brooks. The more details, the better. I need it now.” Sensing the coldness in my voice, Liam’s tone grew serious. “Ethan, did something happen?” I didn’t answer. I just hung up, feeling completely drained. Two hours later, Liam sent dozens of texts, ending with messages of concern. I ignored his worried questions and focused on one specific link he sent—a secret Snapchat account Chloe had kept from me. An account I never knew existed. She posted on it constantly. Almost every story and post was about Tyler. It was basically a digital diary of her secret affair. On Tyler’s birthday, she had ordered a high-end mechanical keyboard. Her caption read: [A developer’s keyboard. Every line of code holds my secret love.] Tyler had replied in the comments: [Love received. Too bad the wife is watching closely, can’t come pick it up.] Chloe replied: [Crying. Need a hug.] I stared at the picture of that sleek, metallic keyboard. Right now, that exact keyboard was sitting on my study desk. Chloe had given it to me as a Christmas present. I wasn’t a programmer, but my job required heavy typing. When Chloe gave it to me, I was so touched I nearly cried. But it turned out I was just getting Tyler’s leftovers. I stood up, walked to my desk, and peeled off the custom sticker she had placed on the corner of the keyboard. Underneath, a faint “T” was engraved. T for Tyler. I kept scrolling through her secret posts, my heart turning completely to ice. Liam texted: [Is the wedding still on?] I pinched the bridge of my nose, staring into the dark apartment, lost.

At 9:00 PM, Chloe finally called. Her voice was sweet and whiny. “Ethan, babe, something happened.” My voice was flat. “What is it?” “I was trying on the dress earlier and accidentally got it dirty,” she said casually. “Can you arrange another one for tomorrow morning?” My chest tightened. My fist clenched so hard my knuckles popped. She had just finished getting wild with Tyler, and now she was calmly asking me to clean up her mess. She knew how much that dress meant to me. She knew I designed it myself. She just didn’t care. She had absolutely no heart. I took a deep breath. “Sure. I’ll handle it.” Chloe giggled. “I knew you were the best! After the wedding, let’s fly straight to Iceland for our honeymoon.” Going to Iceland to see the Northern Lights was a wish Chloe had made on our second anniversary. They said couples who saw the aurora together would never part. Because I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, I worked myself to the bone, pulling endless overtime just to save up enough vacation days and money for the trip. But she always made excuses to postpone it. Later, when she finally wanted to go, I was tied up with a massive project at work and couldn’t leave. She had thrown a massive fit, saying she was going to go with her girls instead and would block me. I felt so guilty back then that I transferred $8,000 to her account for travel expenses. She was thrilled, sending me endless heart emojis. But now, looking at her secret Snapchat archive from those exact dates, I saw the truth. She hadn’t gone with her girlfriends. She had gone with Tyler. In the photos, their fingers were tightly locked under the glowing green aurora. On their last night there, she had posted a picture of a messy hotel bed with used wrappers on the floor. Her caption: [Finally caught my moon.] A wave of nausea hit me. Chloe’s voice chirped through the receiver. “Anyway, the girls are throwing me a last-minute bachelorette party tonight, so I won’t be checking my phone. Love you!” A bachelorette party? Or another round with Tyler? I sneered inwardly and said deliberately, “Have fun. Coincidentally, my ex just reached out. She wants to meet up tonight for some closure.” Chloe immediately exploded. “Your ex? At this hour? What kind of ex asks to meet up the night before your wedding? What are you guys going to do in the dark?” I countered calmly, “Well, if Tyler asked to meet you tonight, would you go? Would anything happen?” Chloe’s voice pitched higher, laced with panic. “That’s a completely different story! That hypothetical doesn’t even make sense!” “And even if it did… it would just be for closure. I just didn’t want my youth to end with regrets. After tomorrow, I’ll be yours forever. Can’t you just be the bigger man?” She wanted me to be the bigger man while she handed me a green hat. I almost laughed out loud. Chloe threw her ultimate tantrum. “If you dare step out of the house tonight, the wedding is off!” Over our four years together, she had always used this weapon. “If you don’t buy me this bag, we’re breaking up.” “If you touch my phone again, we’re breaking up.” “If you aren’t nice to my family, we’re breaking up.” Because I loved her, I had always yielded. I complied with her every whim, coddling her like a princess. She honestly believed I was so hopelessly in love that I would never leave. But she was dead wrong. Love isn’t everything. I was a realist. When I loved her, I could tolerate anything. But the moment she proved unworthy, I could take all my affection back in an instant. The call ended. Chloe sent a barrage of texts ordering me not to take a single step outside tonight. If I hadn’t seen the video and the secret posts, I would have thought she was just incredibly possessive of me. Now I knew it was all a sick show. I didn’t reply. Just then, a frantic knocking came from my front door. I opened it to find Liam and three of my groomsmen standing there. I tried to keep a straight face. “What are you guys doing here?” Liam sighed, stepping inside. “Stop pretending, man. We know.” With that one sentence, my defenses crumbled. A sudden sting rushed to my eyes. Four years of devotion. How could it not hurt? She had been my emotional anchor, the reason I worked so hard. I had practically sworn before God to love her with everything I had. Yet, her betrayal was so cheap, making my pure love look like a total joke. Liam patted my shoulder. “We’re here for you. Just say the word, and we’ll beat that bastard Tyler into the ground.” I covered my face and ran into the bathroom. I splashed freezing water on my face, slowly forcing myself to calm down. When I walked back into the living room, my phone buzzed. Another text from the unknown number. [Great venue you booked. Her flexibility is amazing.] Attached was a photo of the hotel bathroom. My couch was small, and the groomsmen were sitting close. They all saw the screen. These were my closest friends. They stood up instantly, furious, ready to murder Tyler. I held them back, my heart feeling cold and dead. “Don’t dirty your hands on trash. I have a better plan.” I had wanted a clean, dignified exit. But they clearly didn’t want me to have one. All night long, my phone buzzed incessantly. First from the unknown number, then directly from Chloe’s Snapchat. Explicit photos, degrading clips. They would send them and then quickly delete them, followed by lazy texts: [Oops, wrong meme, sorry babe!] Staring at the screen filled with “This message was deleted” notifications, my heart was completely torn to shreds. What did they take me for? A toy in their sick game? I gripped my phone, the very last ounce of affection draining from my soul. Since they chose to play dirty, I had no reason to spare their dignity.

I didn’t sleep a wink. I downloaded every single video and photo the unknown number had sent, combined them with screenshots from Chloe’s secret Snapchat, and edited them into a seamless video. Then, I pulled Tyler’s wife’s phone number from the records Liam found and called her, formally inviting her to the wedding. Lastly, I contacted a local agency and paid them to live-stream my wedding on TikTok. By the time I finished, the sun was rising. I drove to the venue. When I arrived, Chloe was in the middle of getting her makeup done. She looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes. Seeing me walk in, her face immediately soured. “Why are you just getting here? Do you have any idea how much sleep I lost last night because of you?” Because of me? I stayed silent. I didn’t even have the energy to call out her lie. Sensing my strange coldness, her attitude softened slightly. “What’s with the silent treatment? I was just stressed. It’s my first time getting married, okay? I’m nervous.” I curled my lips into a hollow smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t bother you anymore.” Chloe froze, then stood up from her chair, glaring at me. “What is that supposed to mean? I just complained a little. You’re the one who practically begged me to marry you.” She was blaming me. Blaming me for “forcing” her into this marriage. Yet she was the one who used to paint pictures of our future home. Now, she acted like I was her captor. And she had allowed another man to mock me repeatedly. Did she really think I was so pathetic that I would never walk away? Too bad for her. The only reason I was still standing here was to make sure she paid the price for what she did. I was not her dog. Chloe sneered. “What, now that you’re finally getting me, you don’t value me anymore?” I looked at her calmly and handed over a large garment bag. “Here’s your dress.” Chloe’s expression softened slightly. “At least you’re useful.” But when she unzipped the bag, her face fell. “Why is it the same dress?” “It was too late to find a replacement.” Chloe remained quiet for a moment, then shrugged. “Whatever. It’s your wedding anyway. If you don’t mind looking cheap, why should I care?” The ceremony began shortly after. Soft, romantic music echoed through the hall under the glittering chandeliers. I stood at the altar, watching Chloe walk down the aisle. I had envisioned this moment a thousand times. In my dreams, just thinking about her marrying me would fill me with overwhelming happiness. But now, looking at her, I felt nothing but intense disgust. Chloe’s father placed her hand in mine. “Our Chloe is a sweet, smart girl. You’re a lucky man, Ethan. Take good care of her.” He went on and on with a long, tearful speech. Chloe looked at me, her eyes glistening with tears. She was a brilliant actress. Anyone watching would think she was deeply in love. It reminded me of when we used to talk about this day. I had said, “I’ll probably cry like a baby at the altar.” Chloe had smirked. “Well, marrying me is the best thing that’ll ever happen to you, so crying makes sense. But I’ll tease you about it forever.” But Chloe, today, I won’t shed a single tear. I just hope you can say the same in a few minutes. We stood hand-in-hand before the officiant. The officiant smiled and spoke into the microphone, “Ethan Vance, do you take Chloe Bennett to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, as long as you both shall live?” I didn’t speak. Chloe nudged me, her eyes flashing with irritation. “Say it. Are we doing this or not?” I looked at her, smiled, and let go of her hand. I took the microphone from the officiant and spoke clearly into it. “I do not.”

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