Author: Momo Chan

“Ma’am, perhaps it’s best if you don’t finalize this today…” We were at City Hall, about to get our marriage license, when Ethan’s phone buzzed. A picture of a pregnancy test report from his precious ‘mentee,’ Ella, flashed onto the screen. Without a shred of hesitation, he ditched me right there, rushing off to take her home so she could “rest and take care of the pregnancy.” Not long after, a cozy photo of them appeared on social media. The familiar background? Our bedroom—the one that was supposed to be ours. Then, Ethan’s message popped up: “I had too much to drink at the success party that night. Ella’s pregnant, and I need to be there for her. She wanted to keep it from me, have the baby, and raise it alone, but she’s so young, with a future as a top cardiothoracic surgeon… I can’t ruin her, and I can’t abandon an innocent life.” When I didn’t reply, he added: “Didn’t you want a baby soon? After she gives birth, I’ll send her abroad for advanced studies. You can raise the child. It will only ever know you as its mother.” He even remembered to say: “About the license, we’ll probably have to reschedule after Ella has the baby.” I stared at my phone, my eyes burning, but a laugh escaped me. Did he really think that I, Sarah Sterling, the only daughter of the Northwood Sterlings, couldn’t live without him? Without a second thought, I dialed Jason Jiang’s number. “Marriage license. You in?” … When Jason showed up at City Hall, cursing under his breath, I knew I’d really put him out this time. I heard he was at the airport, about to fly to Italy for a crucial business conference, only to be dragged here by my call. Seeing him grind his teeth, a wave of guilt washed over me. “Sarah Sterling, what in God’s name did I do to deserve you? I chase you for eight damn years, you barely give me the time of day, and now you suddenly want to get married, just like that?” I glanced at the time. “They’re about to close. Are you in or out?” He deflated instantly. “In! I’ve got my papers, rescheduled my flight, and my parents already know. Might as well, right?” Ethan must have finally noticed my silence because he called, his voice tight with an urgency he couldn’t hide. “Sarah, don’t overthink this. You’re the only one for me. What I feel for Ella is just admiration, pure and simple. That night was a genuine accident.” “Mm, I get it,” I said, my voice as flat and lifeless as a stagnant pond. “Men, you know? These things happen.” Silence on his end. After a moment, I heard him take a sharp breath. “Where are you? I’ll send a driver. Ella’s having some morning sickness, and I really can’t leave her…” I cut him off. “Don’t bother.” His tone chilled instantly. “Sarah, are you throwing a tantrum? I’ve explained everything. Ella will leave after the baby is born. What more do you want from me?” A dull ache spread through my chest. I instinctively clutched the brand-new marriage certificate in my hand, forcing myself to stay calm. “Ethan, let’s break up.” He was stunned for a second, then let out a cold, sarcastic laugh. “You know damn well how I’ve treated you all these years, don’t you? Yes, I made a mistake, but what man doesn’t? I’m already trying to make up for it. Do you have to be so aggressive?” I bit my lip, saying nothing. My continued silence made him lose his patience completely. “Fine! Have it your way! Break up then! You’ll come crying back to me in less than half an hour!” The call ended abruptly, leaving only a harsh dial tone ringing in my ear. I took a cab back to our—my former—home. Not to reconcile, but to pack my things and leave for good. The scene that greeted me as I opened the door was a stab to the eyes: Ethan, wearing an apron, a table laden with exquisite dishes. He and Ella were sitting across from each other, laughing and talking. He gently placed food on her plate, even carefully feeding her a bite. That adoring expression, I once thought, was reserved only for me. I remembered how, when I used to cook for him, he’d always hug me from behind, whispering in my ear, “My poor baby, working so hard.” But in five years, he hadn’t so much as poured me a glass of hot water. His excuse was always, “A surgeon’s hands are for operating; they must be protected.” Even holding hands was a careful affair. Now, he was willing to roll up his sleeves and cook for Ella. When Ethan saw me, he shot me a disdainful look that screamed, “See? I knew it.” Ella, on the other hand, greeted me with a sickeningly sweet smile, “Oh, Sarah, you’re back! Want to join us for dinner?” I walked straight past her, heading for the bedroom. “Stop!” Ethan shot up, his face dark. “Ella’s talking to you. Have the decency to respond. Have you lost all your manners?” I turned slowly, a cold laugh escaping me. “How do you want me to respond? Thank her for eagerly volunteering to have my fiancé’s baby so I can be a mother douleur-free? Or should I march over there, slap her, and call her a cheap homewrecker?” “You!” Veins pulsed on Ethan’s temples, he was so angry. Just then, Ella suddenly covered her mouth, gagging, tears welling in her eyes. Ethan immediately rushed to her side. “Ella, what’s wrong? Are you feeling awful?” “Ethan, darling, I’m okay…” She clutched his sleeve, her voice trembling, but directed her tearful accusation at me. “Sarah, it’s all my fault. I didn’t want to live in your house either, but I truly have nowhere else to go. I… I’ll leave as soon as the baby is born. I’ll never bother you and Ethan again…” Then, stroking her belly, she sobbed, “Baby, I’m so sorry. Mommy doesn’t want to leave you, but Mommy did something bad, so she has to accept the punishment… I’m sorry…” She started gagging violently again, collapsing into Ethan’s arms. The look Ethan gave me was filled with loathing, as if I’d committed some heinous crime. “Are you satisfied now?” I scoffed and turned to leave. My attitude completely enraged Ethan. He snatched a glass from the table and hurled it at me. A sharp pain exploded in the back of my head, followed by the sound of shattering glass. I stumbled and fell hard onto the stairs. The piercing pain brought a cold sweat to my brow; for a moment, I couldn’t even get up. “Stop faking it! Get up!” Ethan barked impatiently from behind me. Ella approached, feigning concern. “Sarah, you… you should be okay, right? I think the glass just grazed your shoulder…” “Shut up!” I bit out, gritting my teeth and forcing myself to stand. Seeing me treat Ella so harshly, Ethan’s eyes turned icy. “Ella’s lost her appetite. Go make her your specialty, that fish soup with tofu. And remember, no onions. She doesn’t like them.” “I’m not doing it,” I refused without hesitation. “That’s an order!” Ethan’s face was terrifyingly dark. “Sarah, do you think you have a choice?” I clenched my fists, looking him straight in the eye. “I’m just not doing it. What are you going to do about it?” A dangerous glint flashed in Ethan’s eyes. He strode forward, roughly grabbed my arm, and shoved me hard into the kitchen. Slam! The door was slammed shut. “Don’t even think about coming out until that soup is made!” “Ethan, you’re insane!” I pounded on the door, screaming “Let me out!” at the top of my lungs, but was met only with dead silence. My palms were red and throbbing. Finally, I slid down, defeated, leaning against the cold door. Through the door, I could hear their voices clearly. Ella, in a soft, gentle voice: “Ethan, darling, isn’t this a bit too harsh on Sarah? If she doesn’t want to make it, then don’t force her. I’m fine without the soup.” Ethan sighed. “Ella, she’s just been spoiled by the Sterlings all these years. I have to break her of that princess attitude. If she’s going to marry into the Miller family, she has to follow Miller family rules. Otherwise, how will she be a good mother to our child?” “The Millers are a medical family; we’ve always valued kindness and good relations. But she’s too blunt… My mom never really liked her.” Ella asked, puzzled, “Ethan, honey, then why don’t you just break up with her?” Silence fell outside. I held my breath, motionless, leaning against the door. Yes, if I was so unbearable in his eyes, why did he put up with me? The silence stretched on for a long time. Ella prompted cautiously, “Ethan?” Ethan’s calm voice, like a knife, pierced my heart: “The Sterling family’s influence in Northwood is second to none. They’ve been a huge help to my career over the years…” I clutched my chest, tears finally breaking free. So that was it. All these years, he’d valued the Sterling family, not me. In a daze, I remembered the year my grandfather had a sudden heart attack. It was Ethan’s bold surgical plan that saved his life. I was instantly smitten with this young, accomplished, and skilled doctor. I only sent a commendation plaque to express my gratitude, never expecting him to start pursuing me so intensely. He never actively asked for the Sterling family’s help; all those behind-the-scenes maneuvers were arranged by me, without his knowledge. How laughable. I’d even worried he’d refuse it if he found out. The kitchen door opened. Ethan was visibly startled when he saw me, then frowned. “You cry this much just making soup? Get out, you’re annoying to look at!” I fought back a wave of dizziness and stood up, stumbling towards the bedroom. The moment I pushed open the door, a chill ran down my spine. The bedsheets had been changed to a pink lace set I detested. My photo on the nightstand was replaced with a picture of an unfamiliar baby. In the closet, not a single piece of my clothing remained. Ethan’s voice came from behind me: “The guest room is too small. It’s inconvenient for Ella with her big belly. She needs to stay in the master bedroom for now.” Ella added timidly, “Sarah, you… you wouldn’t mind, would you? Don’t worry, as soon as the baby is born, I’ll…” “Oh,” I cut her off. “Where are my things?” Ethan looked away. “I had the maid move them to the storage room. The nearest guest room is being converted into a nursery. You can pick another guest room.” I was silent for a long moment, then nodded. “Fine.” In the storage room, my couture gowns were carelessly tossed on the floor. My jewelry was scattered in a grimy corner, like unwanted trash. I took a deep breath and looked sarcastically at Ella, who had followed me in. “Couldn’t wait, could you? Couldn’t even wait for me to leave?” A flicker of embarrassment crossed her face before she put on an innocent expression. “Sarah, what are you talking about? Ethan asked the maid to pack these. I didn’t do anything.” I scoffed, pointing at a shoe print on one of my gowns. “Did the maid do this too?” “So what if I did?” She suddenly lowered her voice, a venomous glint in her eyes, yet she feigned fear and backed away. “Sarah, I’m begging you, please let me go!” With that, she let out a sudden shriek and pretended to fall backward. Ethan rushed in just in time to catch her. Ella immediately clutched her stomach, sobbing. “Ethan, darling, I didn’t do anything! Why would Sarah push me… Thank goodness you came, otherwise the baby…” “I didn’t push her!” My throat tightened, and I explained instinctively. Rage flared in Ethan’s eyes. He grabbed my neck, slamming me against the wall. “You think I’ll believe you? That Ella would use her child to frame you? When did you become so vicious!” His grip was terrifyingly strong. I could barely breathe, desperately struggling to force out a few words. “I really… didn’t…” “Enough! I don’t want to hear your excuses!” He laughed, a chilling, furious sound, then shoved me to the floor. “Go back to the Sterlings and be your precious little princess! Don’t come back until you’ve learned your lesson!” I stumbled to my feet, looking at him in disbelief. Eleven o’clock at night, and he was kicking me out? I remembered how, in the past, he would insist on accompanying me even if I just wanted to take a walk at night. But now, his chin was high, and he wouldn’t even spare me a glance. My nose suddenly stung. How many times had he lost his temper with me today because of Ella? No matter what I said or did, in his eyes, I was wrong. And today… today was supposed to be our wedding day. I closed my eyes, didn’t even grab any clothes, and fled that suffocating place without a backward glance. … I had just gotten back to the Sterling mansion when my phone vibrated. It was a video from Ella. I knew I shouldn’t open it, but my finger pressed play uncontrollably. In the video, Ethan was gently holding Ella, his eyes closed as he softly kissed her forehead, his face a mask of bliss and tenderness. His voice carried a hint of regret: “Ella, if I had met you sooner, I wouldn’t have ended up with Sarah. You’re so talented in medicine, so pure and driven. And her? She just throws her weight around because of the Sterling family’s backing, doing nothing productive all day.” “The Miller family has been in medicine for generations. If I really married her, our reputation would be ruined sooner or later.” Every word was like a poisoned needle, precisely striking my most vulnerable spots. Ella, using her family’s connections in the medical field, had easily become his personally mentored student, his ‘little sister.’ That was his definition of “talented.” And I, who had given up family resources to start from the bottom and climb my way up to Director of Investments at Sterling Corp… In his eyes, I was “doing nothing productive.” So, in his heart, I had always been worthless. How could he have ever genuinely loved me? I put down my phone, tears soaking my pillow. I tossed and turned all night. Just as dawn was breaking, Jason called. “Morning, wifey. Sleep well?” His voice was practically buzzing with unconcealed joy. “Just landed in Milan. I was too excited to sleep a wink on the plane—that was over ten hours. I still can’t believe you actually married me.” His tone suddenly softened. “Wifey, I’m already missing you. Do you miss me?” Wifey? The word jolted me awake. Only then did I remember: yesterday, in a fit of anger, I had married Jason Jiang. “Wifey? Why aren’t you saying anything? You… you don’t regret it, do you?” His voice was filled with a mountain of hurt. “No,” I answered softly. Jason and I had grown up together. While I wasn’t sure if he truly loved me, at least we knew each other inside out. The Jiang family was a good match for mine; he was indeed a suitable husband. He audibly sighed in relief on the other end, his energy returning. “I’ll be back tomorrow! We’re going to pick out wedding rings! Even though getting the license was rushed, the proposal, the wedding ceremony—we’re not skipping a single thing!” “You just focus on being the most beautiful bride. Leave everything else to me.” I couldn’t help but chuckle softly, agreeing to his plans. That was Jason. With him, he’d arrange everything. I only ever needed to follow. And Ethan… My memories were always of his retreating back. Even getting married was something I had to bring up. At the time, he’d frowned and said, “It’s only been five years. Isn’t it too soon to get married?” The difference between being loved and not being loved… it was so painfully clear. For an entire day, there was no word from Ethan. His mother, however, eagerly called, her tone dripping with condescending superiority: “You know about Ethan and Ella, don’t you? Now that Ella is carrying the Miller family’s first grandchild, we certainly won’t let her be wronged. We’ll make sure Ethan marries her. It’s a good thing Ethan didn’t get the license with you yesterday. This is fate!” “I told you long ago you two weren’t suitable. The Sterlings have been in business for three generations, while the Millers have been doctors for generations. Our family legacies simply don’t match, don’t you agree?” I let out a cold laugh. “Mrs. Miller, Ethan and I have already broken up. In the future, please don’t contact me unless it’s something important.” She was clearly stunned, probably not expecting me, usually so docile, to talk back like that. Just as she was about to fly into a rage, I decisively hung up. She immediately called back several times. I blocked her number without hesitation, then proceeded to block all of Ethan’s contact methods as well. I deleted all our photos together. Five years of love dissipated along with them. The next day, while I was at a jewelry store picking out wedding rings, I unexpectedly ran into Ethan and Ella. He was excitedly helping Ella pick out an expensive set of jewelry and had even ordered a custom baby charm for their unborn child. Seeing me trying on rings, Ethan’s face instantly darkened. “Sarah! I told you to go home and reflect on your actions, and instead, you’re out buying wedding rings? You think I’ll still marry you with this attitude?” He roughly grabbed my hand, forcibly took off the ring, and handed it back to the salesclerk. “We’re not buying this ring, thank you.” The edge of the diamond scratched my finger, and blood welled up immediately. The clerk hurried to tend to my wound, but Ethan stopped her coldly. “It’s just a scratch, don’t bother.” I ignored him. Wiping away the blood, I told the clerk, “Please get me that other ring.” Ethan seized my wrist, roaring, “Didn’t I make myself clear? You’re not buying any rings today!” Customers around us started whispering: “That pregnant woman must be his wife, right? This other woman is pretty brazen, daring to pick out wedding rings so openly.” “Shameless. Being the other woman and still wanting a title. See, her man just shut her down.” Seeing this, Ella feigned conciliation. “Sarah, please stop making a scene. It’s embarrassing with so many people watching. How about I give you the ring Ethan just bought me? See if you like it?” The salesclerk also chimed in, “Ma’am, if you keep this up, we can’t do business.” Ethan’s grip tightened, and he was about to drag me away forcefully. I wrenched my hand free. “Ethan, what business is it of yours if I buy a wedding ring? Please mind your own damn business!” “None of my business? Fine! I’m officially calling off our engagement! You’ll never need to buy a wedding ring now!” With that, he shoved me hard. Just as I stumbled and was about to fall, a pair of strong hands caught me. Jason’s voice sounded by my ear, “Honey, sorry I’m late.”

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My sister Eliza’s most treasured cat passed away. I went to great lengths to find a little ginger kitten that looked almost identical, hoping to give her a wonderful surprise. But just as I was about to present this heartfelt gift, I stumbled upon my stepbrother, Leo, scissors in hand, snipping the kitten’s ears until they were a bloody mess. He even used a lighter to scorch its tail. I lunged forward, my heart pounding in panic, but he suddenly threw himself into the icy swimming pool. Eliza, who witnessed the scene, didn’t hesitate. She locked me inside the sterilization cabinet, ignoring my agonized screams as the temperature soared. She even ordered the bodyguards to secure the door with a heavy chain, as thick as a man’s wrist. Seven days later, my flesh and blood had fused with the cabinet’s inner walls, impossible to separate. And Eliza, at first, actually thought that horrifying, putrid mess was just another one of my elaborate pranks… 1 After Eliza locked me in the sterilization cabinet, she took Leo on an outing. When she returned a week later, a bodyguard spoke with a flustered expression, “Miss Sterling, Mr. Thompson… I think he’s still locked in there.” Eliza’s fingers, flicking through her phone, froze. A flicker of unease crossed her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by cold indifference. “He’s a boy. A little hardship will do him good.” The bodyguard’s face stiffened. He hesitated, then tried again, “There hasn’t been any sound from inside for a while. Don’t you want to open it and check?” Eliza shot him a cold glare. “I said no! He’s just trying to get attention. If I go look, he’ll just start playing the victim again.” The bodyguard swallowed the words he was about to say. Just then, Leo ran in from outside, affectionately linking his arm with Eliza’s. “Eliza, you’re the best.” Eliza smiled, ruffling his curly hair. “You silly boy. You’re my favorite little brother.” Leo blinked his innocent, wide eyes. “I’ll grow up fast, and then I’ll protect you, Eliza.” “Good boy. You’re worth spoiling.” Leo suddenly sighed. “It’s all my fault. Ethan must think I’ve stolen your affection, that’s why he hates me so much…” Eliza patted his shoulder. “He’s just petty. It has nothing to do with you.” “Eliza, it’s been a week. Maybe we should let Ethan out. He must have learned his lesson by now.” If this were before, hearing those insincere words, I would have rushed to expose his true colors, only to be met with Eliza’s reprimand. But now, my heart was like dead ashes—because at this moment, I had already become a lost soul, drifting aimlessly in the room. In the final moments of being scorched by the high heat, my soul finally broke free from that mangled, bloody body. I watched as my skin inside the sterilization cabinet blistered and rotted in large patches, the flesh gradually charring and curling, while outside the cabinet door, layers of chains were tightly wound, the heavy lock glinting coldly. At first, I frantically slammed against the cabinet door. When I realized it was futile, I could only curl up in a corner, trying to escape the intense heat. But the UV rays inside the sterilization cabinet were inescapable, and my skin soon began to ulcerate and peel. The excruciating pain nearly drove me to collapse. I screamed and begged for mercy, my voice hoarse, “Eliza! I really didn’t do anything!” But Eliza’s icy voice came from outside, “Can’t take it anymore? Leo jumped into the pool because you bullied him! He had a high fever and almost died! Today, I have to teach you a lesson!” I could only keep apologizing, even for those baseless accusations, just begging her to open the door. Until my flesh melted in the high heat, sliding down the inner walls of the cabinet, my arm exposing stark white bone. Before my consciousness faded, I heard her viciously command the bodyguard, “Tighten the chains! No one opens it without my order!” 2 “Go let Ethan Lin out,” Eliza instructed casually. “Tell him to come apologize to Leo and stop messing around.” The bodyguard looked like he wanted to say something but ultimately turned and left. Leo swung Eliza’s arm, saying “thoughtfully,” “Eliza, once Ethan apologizes, let’s just put this behind us. If he really leaves, you’ll only have me left as family…” A flicker of contempt crossed Eliza’s eyes, but she still gently stroked his head. “It’d be better if he left. Someone with such a foul mouth and no manners doesn’t deserve to be my brother. If he hadn’t bullied you, you wouldn’t have gotten so sick.” Rage flared in her eyes, but it instantly softened when she looked at Leo. I thought death would mean no more pain, but seeing this, tears still streamed uncontrollably down my face. A week ago, on Eliza’s birthday, I came home full of joy with the little ginger kitten, only to see Leo sadistically burning the kitten’s tail with a lighter… He taunted me, “Don’t think buying a cat that looks like her old one will steal Eliza away from me!” Furious, I stood in front of the kitten and yelled at Leo. Eliza happened to overhear. He immediately turned and jumped into the fountain behind him. It was the dead of winter, and he had deliberately worn water-absorbent cotton clothes, sinking deep to the bottom of the pool. When he was pulled out, his face was pale, and he was barely breathing. He whispered, his voice a thread: “Eliza, since Ethan can’t accept my presence, if he wants me to die, then I’ll go.” “It’s just a shame I won’t get to protect you in this life. Eliza, you have to take care of yourself. I want to be your brother in the next life too.” That day. Eliza put all her work on hold. She carried Leo all the way to the hospital, not even bothering with an umbrella. The rain soaked her clothes, and she shivered from the cold. In the end, Leo was diagnosed with an acute cold. I stood at the door of the hospital room. Watching her hold Leo’s hand, begging him over and over: “Leo, please, get better quickly.” “Please don’t leave your sister all alone…” I found it ridiculous. My own sister, related by blood. A powerhouse in the business world. Yet, because of a simple cold, she was holding a stranger’s hand, enacting a life-and-death drama. But when Eliza grabbed my neck. And shoved me into the sterilization cabinet. I finally understood that in her heart, Leo was her only brother, and I— I was nothing. “How could I have such a foul-mouthed, ill-mannered brother like you!” “Leo almost developed pneumonia! Even if he recovers, he’ll be weak for a long time.” “Ethan Lin, let me tell you, don’t think just because we share the same blood, you can do whatever you want!” “You’ll stay in there for every day Leo isn’t well, until you admit you’re wrong!” To teach me a profound lesson, she ordered the bodyguards to use a heavy lock. And now. Leo was in a better mood, so she magnanimously decided to let me out. She didn’t know. I couldn’t come out anymore. “Miss Sterling! Miss Sterling, it’s terrible!” “Mr. Ethan… he’s… he’s fused with the sterilization cabinet! We can’t open it!” Eliza froze. I drifted closer to her, wanting to see her reaction to the news. But I was disappointed again. She just chuckled coldly: “The sterilization cabinet uses UV light, there’s no fire. How could he fuse with it?” “If it won’t open, he must be holding the door from the inside, just being stubborn.” “Give the order: throw the cabinet in the junkyard. If he likes being in there so much, he can stay there forever!” The bodyguard stood there, uneasy, not responding for a long time. The silence stretched. Eliza snorted, her tone patronizing: “Go tell him, if he keeps this up, it won’t be just simple sterilization next time. If he doesn’t want a severe punishment, he should know when to quit.” The bodyguard didn’t move. Eliza completely lost her patience. “What are you standing there for? Go!” Turning to Leo, her voice softened. “Leo, when Ethan comes over later, don’t believe anything he says.” “I plan to make him kneel for three hours. Let’s see if he’s truly learned his lesson this time.” “This is a test for him. You can’t be soft-hearted and tell him.” Leo gently massaged Eliza’s shoulders, looking obedient and sensible. “I’ll listen to whatever you say, Eliza…” I suddenly felt exhausted, not wanting to stay any longer. But my soul seemed to be shackled by blood ties, unable to leave Eliza’s side. I could only watch, as if torturing myself, as she cherished Leo and trampled me into the mud. 3 Eliza is eight years older than me. When I was born, she was already the leader of the neighborhood kids, doting on me and protecting me alongside our parents. She even gave me my name, Ethan. Because her name, Eliza, held a certain grace, she hoped we siblings could always be close, like “E and E,” always together. Our parents died suddenly in a car accident, and shareholders coveted the family assets they left behind. Eliza, facing a crisis, took over Lin Industries. She forgot, she was only twenty at the time. I often thought she was cold and heartless, and I said many harsh things. Until one argument, I accidentally missed a step and tumbled down the stairs, falling into a coma. When I woke up, I saw her red, swollen eyes. She held my hand tightly, her voice trembling as she asked: “Ethan, Mom and Dad are gone. Are you going to leave your sister too?” Suddenly, I understood. Eliza wasn’t incapable of sadness; the burden on her shoulders was too heavy, not allowing her to be vulnerable. From then on, I learned to grow up. I stopped being a picky eater, exercised regularly, and studied finance diligently, all to one day help share her burden. Later, she was too busy with work and worried I’d be lonely, so she brought a boy back from a children’s home to keep me company. At first, I treated Leo like a real brother. He said he’d never had peanut butter fudge, so I braved a downpour to buy some for him, even scraping my leg badly in the process. But after eating it, he had an allergic reaction and had to be rushed to the hospital for an IV drip, completely exhausted. Because of that, Eliza yelled at me for the first time. After that. Similar incidents happened frequently. The way she looked at me grew colder and colder. All the warmth and care she once had for me were now directed at someone else. Strange. My heart wasn’t even beating anymore, so why did I still feel such pain? It was as if I had died all over again in my memories. Time ticked by, and Eliza’s expression grew so dark it looked like it could drip water. “It’s been five minutes, and he still won’t come out!” “Ethan Lin, it looks like you’re determined to defy me to the end.” The speed at which she fiddled with her bracelet increased, her brow furrowed, a strong sense of unease already spreading within her. “Leo, Ethan is being too ungrateful.” “The bodyguards don’t dare lay a hand on him. I’ll go myself! You sit here quietly and wait for me to bring him to kneel and apologize to you.” Eliza stood up and left, her strides large. She looked somewhat flustered. As soon as she reached the kitchen, she saw the trembling bodyguard and said, displeased, “What are you shaking for?” “Miss Sterling, I… I…” The bodyguard couldn’t utter a complete sentence, his clothes soaked with cold sweat. I stood to the side, unsure how to feel about this scene. Perhaps the pain was too great, I couldn’t remember what my own corpse looked like, but it certainly wasn’t pretty. Eliza impatiently pushed the bodyguard aside and approached the sterilization cabinet. The chain, thick as a bowl, lay discarded to the side, the cabinet’s power cord unplugged. A corner of the cabinet door was pried open. Some red liquid trickled from the edge. Eliza frowned in disgust, her voice cold: “Ethan Lin, the door’s open. Why aren’t you out yet? Do you like it in there that much?” I gave a bitter smile. The burning pain inside, the flesh splitting open, how could anyone like it? But I had tried so hard to get out, to escape that agonizing prison. It was my own sister who locked the door. Now. My body had melted, stuck to the cabinet, unable to ever come out. “Are you done with your tantrum! Do you really think I’ll indulge you like before?” She pulled at the cabinet door, meeting some resistance. Then she kicked it angrily. “If you’re not dead, then get out!” Perhaps out of extreme anger, she kicked the cabinet so hard it toppled over. With a loud bang, the reactive force flung the door open. Exposing everything inside.

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Five years together, and my CEO girlfriend, Sarah, was “away on business” again for our anniversary. Then I saw it on her childhood best friend Leo’s social media feed: Sarah, in a wedding dress, getting engaged to him, her assistant. The caption read: “The parents adore their new daughter-in-law. Acceptance gift of eleven thousand.” A cold laugh escaped me. I coolly liked it and commented, “Congrats on the happy union!” Sarah called, frantic, immediately launching into accusations: “What’s the meaning of that comment? The whole company’s seen it! How is Leo supposed to face anyone now!” “Leo’s parents are old; they just wanted a ceremony. You, with no parents, how could you understand!” “Delete the comment, quick. I’ll deal with you when I’m less busy.” Hearing her dismissive, cold words, I scoffed, “No need.” This relationship was already rotten. I should have left long ago. The moment Sarah hung up, Leo specifically @mentioned me in the work group chat. A string of mocking emojis accompanied a completely insincere voice message apology: “Alex, my bad, man. Just a joke, don’t take it to heart!” He even added a laugh-cry emoji at the end. How could Sarah not see through such blatant sarcasm and provocation? She was just taking his side, obviously. “Why apologize? Mr. Leo and Ms. CEO’s bond is beyond us mere mortals.” “Grow up, man. Such a big deal over nothing, and you call yourself a man.” “Alex, be the bigger person. Why make a mountain out of a molehill?” The group chat flooded with jeers. Colleagues who used to be friendly with me had all turned into suck-ups, ever since Leo, the CEO’s childhood pal, parachuted in. He’d been with the company for half a year, and Sarah had already handed him all the key projects. The core team I’d personally mentored was pushed out. Sarah chimed in coldly in the group: “So petty, jumping to conclusions. Ridiculous.” That fanned the flames, and everyone piled on with veiled insults. I had no interest in watching. I drove home and pulled out the property settlement agreement I’d already signed. I remembered last month— When she signed the papers before her trip with Leo, I still had a sliver of hope she’d realize the truth and ask me to stay. But she just flipped to the last page, signed it, and casually said, “What could be so important? Just another sales contract.” We built the company from scratch. Once it was on its feet, she sidelined me. When I questioned her, all I got was: “It’s for your own good. Isn’t it nice to have less to do?” With a deep sigh, I started packing. The door burst open. Sarah stood there, her face grim. “Why didn’t you delete the comment? Do you know how embarrassing it was for Leo? Apologize now, or don’t expect me to forgive you!” I looked at her calmly. “What did I do wrong?” She glanced at my luggage and sneered, “Playing the ‘running away from home’ card? Quite the tough guy. If you walk out that door today, don’t ever come back.” “The engagement? Off. Indefinitely.” She always knew how much I wanted to get married and used it to make me back down. In our past arguments, it was always my fault. Six months ago, I found Leo in my pajamas, on my bed. After the ensuing fight, she gave me the silent treatment. When I had a perforated ulcer during a meeting, she coldly threatened, “Apologize, then I’ll call an ambulance.” Remembering this, I managed a tearful, bitter smile. “Fine, I’ll go.” Her voice was icy. “Really? You’d rather spite Leo and take it this far?” “It’s not about spite.” Before I could finish, Leo’s smooth voice drifted in. “Alex, bro, where are you off to so late? We’re family, why get so worked up?” Family? How could this twisted triangle be called a family? Sarah crossed her arms, looking down her nose at me. “If you leave today, you forfeit this month’s salary, and don’t even think about getting a dime of allowance!” I clenched my fists. Ever since the company got on track, she’d told finance they didn’t need to pay me a salary. But the money coming into the company never landed in my hands either. Every month, she only gave me a basic thousand bucks. And I had to practically beg for that every time. She’d say, “Men turn bad with money.” Yet, she could buy Leo a luxury car and book out all the city’s drones for his birthday celebration. While I was away on business, Sarah flaunted her relationship with Leo, with poolside PDA and intimate photoshoots. When I got back, she even turned it around on me, complaining I wasn’t capable enough at work and that no one was there to take care of her while I was gone for so many days. I grabbed my suitcase, ready to leave. Sarah frowned. “Do you even realize you’re wrong?” “Yeah, I was wrong. Dead wrong.” Wrong about who I trusted, wrong to spend five years groveling for love, only to end up scarred before finally letting go. Hearing me say that, a smile spread across Sarah’s face. “Good that you know. Tomorrow, Leo and I are visiting his hometown. Make sure you handle his projects.” I smiled. “Got it.” For the past six months, I’d cleaned up countless messes Leo made. He was supposedly a top graduate from a prestigious overseas university. Truth was, he hadn’t gotten into college here, so he went abroad to get a gilded resume. His family wasn’t well-off; most of the money for his overseas studies was borrowed. This time, I wasn’t going to do such meaningless, thankless work anymore. I walked out of the apartment complex. In one more week, she and I would be completely done. The next morning, I went to the company to hand in my resignation. HR glanced at me and said flatly, “You never even signed an employment contract with the company. What resignation are you talking about?” It hit me then. Right. How ironically laughable. I never signed an employment contract. I nodded. “Understood.” Back at my desk, I started packing my things. Beside my computer was a photo of Sarah looking up at me. It was from our early startup days, the day we made our relationship official. She looked at me with such love and joy, telling me about her four-year crush that had finally blossomed. The early days of the company were tough, but our relationship grew stronger, incredibly sweet. This photo was my most cherished, and Sarah’s favorite too. We had two copies printed, framed them, and each kept one on our desk. Whenever we were tired, a glance at it would give us strength. But now, while my photo was still there, Sarah’s desk already featured a picture of her and Leo. I tossed the photo into the trash. After packing up, I was ready to leave. HR saw me moving quickly and said with a smirk, “Mr. Alex, if you walk out that door, it won’t be so easy to come back.” “Yeah, I don’t plan on coming back.” Colleagues gathered around, seeing me prepare to leave, and started talking loudly. “Alex, isn’t this ‘playing hard to get’ charade a bit much?” “You know the CEO is with Leo visiting his hometown today. You just want her to drop everything and come running after you, don’t you?” “So pathetic. As a man, you should be more magnanimous.” I’d never bothered with their comments before, always pretending not to hear them. But today, I said mockingly, “Oh really? Well, I hope you all find a girlfriend like Sarah, complete with a devoted childhood friend.” One colleague couldn’t take it anymore and picked up a water cup to throw at my face. Thankfully, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. I dodged it and, grabbing a nearby cup, splashed him right back in the face. The water was a bit hot. I heard pig-like squeals and curses behind me, but I ignored them all. These people disrespected me because they were watching Sarah’s cues. I used to put up with it. Not anymore. The next morning, I received an email from a company in the next city over: I’d passed the first interview. Three months ago, I’d already prepared to resign and started sending out resumes. This company was the one I’d dreamed of joining when I was younger. Thinking back to when we started our business, funds were tight. It was my loans and round-the-clock work that stabilized the company. But it was all just to pave the way for someone else. Sarah even bought Leo a house this year. When I found out, she just said, “Renting is definitely not comfortable, and his parents are old. What’s wrong with me helping him out?” I really couldn’t understand it. We had a huge fight, but it ended without any resolution. On the third day, I flew to the next city for the interview. It went very smoothly. I was set to start in a week, with a salary of $120,000 a year. The company had independent dorms, and after a year, I could apply for housing assistance. I didn’t rush back. I spent two days familiarizing myself with the city before heading home. During this time, Sarah hadn’t sent me a single message. Leo’s social media, however, was updated frequently. They took wedding photos in his hometown. Sarah, usually so proud, was even kneeling on a dirty floor, shyly calling out, “Mom, Dad.” To prop Leo up and teach a lesson to the neighbors who looked down on them, she’d generously thrown a three-day feast for the whole village. After landing, I remembered I still had some things at that apartment. Since I’d decided to leave, I needed to clear everything out. I thought Sarah wouldn’t be home, but just as I stepped out of the elevator, I heard her cheerful laughter. “Mom, Dad, have some tea. I had a friend bring this back specially.” Sarah’s parents had passed away long ago. The “Mom and Dad” she was referring to were Leo’s parents. An old woman’s voice chimed in, “Oh, such a wonderful daughter-in-law, you can’t find one like her even if you search high and low! Leo is so lucky.” “Yes, if we could hold a grandchild before we close our eyes, that would be just perfect.” So, these old folks had no idea their son was the homewrecker. They also didn’t know that Sarah actually had me, her boyfriend. Or maybe they did know and were just playing dumb. A chill went down my spine. It turned out I was the one who couldn’t be seen in public. Leo’s mom’s voice came again, “When are you two planning to get married? When are you having kids?” Sarah said shyly, “We’re not in a hurry yet, let’s wait a bit.” The woman I could never warm up to is now ready to have kids with another man. Hilarious. Back then, I put in the money and effort, even gave Sarah the whole company, elevating her to her current position. I never would have imagined this outcome. I didn’t linger. I pushed the door open. The three people sitting on the sofa all turned their gazes to me. A flicker of guilt crossed Sarah’s face, then she feigned composure. “It’s working hours. What are you doing home instead of at the company? And why is there still no news on the project I assigned you?” I said mockingly, “I’m not an employee of the company anymore. I’ve already left.” She’d been busy with her engagement, hardly having time to think about me. If she’d paid even a little attention, how could she not know my situation? If Leo so much as sneezed, she’d notice immediately. I’d been gone for five days, and she was completely unaware. Leo’s mom asked in surprise, “Who’s this?” Sarah hesitated, then said, “An employee from our company, currently having a bit of a tantrum with me.” Leo’s dad stubbed out his cigarette, looking at me disdainfully. “Daughter-in-law, you’re a CEO, for crying out loud. How can you let an employee push you around like this? Just kick this type of person out.” I ignored them and looked at Sarah. Just as she was about to speak, Leo walked out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel. “Alex, bro, why’d you suddenly quit?” Seeing him half-naked, so at ease in the apartment, I didn’t even feel angry anymore. The outcome was already obvious. Sarah said guiltily, “Leo’s old place was rather small, and his parents are elderly; they should live somewhere more comfortable.” Leo shot me a provocative look. “Yeah, we’re all family now.” “Oh, by the way, before my parents came, they packed some local specialties. Take some home and try them.” I looked at the bag of what were clearly leftovers and actually laughed out of anger. “What, your leftovers for me?” Sarah immediately yelled at me, “What nonsense are you talking about? Auntie Shi made this food specially! Don’t you have any respect for elders at all?” “This is Leo’s kind gesture.” Leo lowered his head, looking aggrieved. “Sarah, it’s okay. We’re just country folk. It’s normal for Alex to look down on us.” Leo’s mom shrieked curses at me, “You’re just an employee! What right do you have to talk to my son like that? Leo is your boss’s future husband!” Leo’s dad stared at me fiercely, his face cold. “You barge in here like this and try to bully our family? I’m calling the police right now!” I’d never met people who could turn things upside down, twist black into white, and still say it with such confidence. I walked into the bedroom, grabbed my remaining things, and prepared to leave. Leo’s mom blocked my way, looking like a shrew. “What did you take from the room? Don’t you have any manners?” “Sarah, aren’t you going to do something about him?” She walked up to me, took a deep breath. “Alex, apologize to Leo first. Then, find somewhere else to stay for a bit. I’ll talk to you about these things later.” I frowned, cutting her off before she could continue. “Sarah, in what capacity are you speaking to me?”

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I was pinching the small of my athletic younger brother’s back, trying to get a new sweater on him. His grunt coincided with my phone ringing. “It’s too small, I can’t get it on.” “No way! I bought it according to your measurements.” “It’s stuck! Easy, ouch, ouch, ouch.” “Okay, okay, I’m helping, aren’t I?” I gave it a good tug and cooed, “There you go, sweetie. All better now, let your big sis see.” “You sure?” Later, I heard that the boss took a mysterious call during a meeting, his face growing darker by the second. He didn’t say a word, just reamed out 28 department heads until they were teary-eyed. 1 My brother pointed at my phone. Only then did I realize I was on a call, the screen clearly displaying the name [Ethan Vance]. I picked up the phone, about to explain, but only heard the dial tone. He’d hung up. Not long after, a message came through: [If you’re recovered then get your ass back to work you’re not the CEO’s wife yet to be acting all high and mighty.] Two lines, no punctuation, which my brain automatically converted into his calm, cold tone. He must have heard me talking to my brother, full of energy, and figured I was recovered and just slacking off at home. Damn capitalist. I quickly replied: [Understood, Mr. Vance. I’ll be back tomorrow.] The “typing” indicator appeared on his end but nothing came through. He probably wanted to chew me out but held back. That mouth of his, never held back when he wanted to criticize someone. But I’d been with him for four years and this was my first time off, and it was sick leave. The next day, my colleague, Deb, saw me and immediately warned me to be careful. “He’s been in a foul mood. Yelled at all the VPs until they cried in yesterday’s meeting.” I timed it perfectly, made a cup of coffee, and knocked on his office door, bringing him the day’s schedule to review. “Mr. Vance, good morning. Here’s today’s agenda. “Two regular meetings during the day, and a dinner with the Sterling Group tonight.” He didn’t touch the coffee. His long fingers rested casually on the desk, his voice icy. “Have the new girl, Isabelle, join me for dinner tonight. You don’t need to go.” “Wh— Alright, Mr. Vance. I’ll let her know to prepare.” I swallowed my questions and quietly exited his office. He disliked subordinates questioning his decisions, and hated people prying even more. I smoothed over my irritation and walked over to Isabelle Reid. Upon hearing the news, Isabelle covered her mouth dramatically, her eyes glistening with tears. “Really, Sophia? I’m sorry, I’m just so excited…” Deb, never one to miss a chance to stir the pot, leaned in. “Isabelle, you’re really something. Only been filling in for a few days and you’re already aiming to take your mentor’s spot.” “Not at all! I still have so much to learn from Sophia. But Mr. Vance is so sweet, isn’t he?” Sweet? I turned my head and met Deb’s equally puzzled gaze. 2 I hired Isabelle a month ago, after my surgery date was confirmed. Although Deb offered to cover for me during my leave, I declined her kindness. I had my own plans. Four years ago, right after college, fate threw me at Ethan Vance’s side. Back then, he’d just left Vance Holdings to start his own company. In just four short years, he built it into an industry leader. I was by his side, benefiting from his success, but also living in his shadow. Now, everyone in the company respectfully called me Sophia, but only because I stood next to him. In reality, the doubts never ceased. Even in Ethan’s mind, I was just someone easily replaceable. Only by leaving him could I prove that I’d lasted this long by his side because of my own abilities. Besides, I’d heard when I first joined the company. He took one look at me and decided to hire me. All because I bore a resemblance to his old flame who lived abroad. I hadn’t quite believed it. Until the day Isabelle came for her interview. Ethan looked up, a flicker of recognition in his eyes, as if seeing an old acquaintance. Only then did I start to believe the rumors were true. Except this time, when people joked, they no longer mentioned that “one that got away.” “Isabelle looks a bit like Sophia, doesn’t she?” “Looks like Mr. Vance has a type.” Late at night, staring at a photo on my phone, I gradually understood. Isabelle didn’t just look like me; she looked even more like his old flame. The photo on my phone was a picture of a palm-sized photograph. One day, about a year ago, the cleaner found a photo in the trash after tidying the office and brought it to me. “Ms. Bell, Mr. Vance threw this photo in the bin. I don’t know if he still wants it.” “Give it to me, I’ll ask him.” I took the photo. Ethan had a boyish smile, looking about seventeen or eighteen. Next to him stood a girl, pretty, with a radiant smile. They stood together like a golden couple, exuding the same air of privilege, a perfect match. On a whim, I secretly took a picture of the photo with my phone. When I placed the original photo on Ethan’s desk to return it, he glanced at it. His outstretched hand paused mid-air, then retracted. “I threw it out.” “She got married.” I silently cursed myself for being nosy. “Then I’ll shred it before throwing it away, just to be safe.” “Forget it, give it to me.” My fingers had just touched the photo when his hand landed almost simultaneously on top of mine, covering the back of my hand. The moment he looked up, I pulled my hand back, my throat tight. “Okay, Mr. Vance.” The electric warmth that had coursed through me replayed in my mind. Ethan had surely forgotten it long ago. 3 After briefing Isabelle on the dinner etiquette and procedures, Deb pulled me aside. “The days you were out, she was wearing low-cut dresses with slits practically up to her navel.” “You hold back a little. Don’t tell her everything.” I appreciated her concern and chuckled. “Mr. Vance didn’t scold her, so he must like it.” “Besides, I don’t plan on sticking with Ethan Vance forever.” I turned to make coffee. The spoon stirred my thoughts, which gradually settled. Before leaving work, I placed a bottle of milk on Ethan’s desk, as usual. He had his legs lazily propped on the edge of the desk, his silhouette long and lean. “Mr. Vance, I’ve briefed Isabelle on all matters related to tonight’s dinner.” “Remember to drink the milk before you have any alcohol.” He glanced sideways. Looked at the milk bottle, then his gaze landed on my face. “You’ve lost weight.” Then, his tone shifted. “Am I not paying you enough?” “Huh?” I was slightly taken aback, then immediately understood. It had only been an afternoon, and what I’d let slip to Deb had already reached his ears. A bit fast, but not unexpected. I said seriously, “Mr. Vance, I was originally planning to tender my resignation once Isabelle was fully up to speed.” “Thank you for your guidance these past few years…” “What are they offering?” He frowned slightly, as if discussing a difficult business deal. As if I were an item in a shop window. Anyone could buy me, as long as the price was high enough. I shook my head firmly but gently. “It’s not about the money.” “Then what is it? Because I asked Isabelle to accompany me to dinner, or because you haven’t rested enough from your illness?” “If something is making you unhappy or uncomfortable, you can tell me.” His tone actually had a hint of coaxing. The golden evening sun slanted in, a ray landing right on his Adam’s apple as it bobbed. His chiseled face was in shadow, as beautiful as a sculpture. Seeing I wasn’t speaking, he reached up, loosened his tie, and undid two shirt buttons, revealing a sliver of skin on his chest. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. 4 In that instant, an air of desire seemed to bloom in the room. I looked away. In front of employees, he was always impeccably dressed, never giving anyone reason for inappropriate thoughts. Could it be… Isabelle’s flirting had opened up a new world for him? His voice pulled me back to reality. “If it’s because of Isabelle, I can understand. If you mind…” “No, it’s not that,” I quickly explained. “Isabelle is very smart, a very suitable replacement for me.” He adjusted his cuffs, stood up, and undid another shirt button. A hint of lean, firm pectoral muscle was visible. His broad shoulders tapered sharply to a narrow waist, enough to make one blush. I fanned myself with my hand. “Spring weather is so strange. It was so cold yesterday, and so hot today.” “My matter isn’t urgent. I’ll talk to you in detail later.” “Mr. Vance, you should get ready to leave.” “I’ve already told the driver; if you drink too much tonight, he’ll take you directly back to the Vance estate.” He looked at me, his tone cool, his eyes holding a predatory glint. “Don’t worry. If I drink too much, Isabelle can take care of me.” “She can take me back to my place, where I live alone.” “Of course, she could stay the night, if I wanted.” “After all, I’m pretty big—”

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Just because I wore Victoria’s Secret when we were intimate, my husband, Ethan, flew into a rage. “You tramp! Who told you to wear Chloe’s favorite brand? You think that’ll seduce me?” “Since you’ve forgotten the rules, I’ll teach you a lesson!” He ordered his men to rip my clothes off. He viciously carved “SLUT SUB” into my face. He even forced me to pay him a hundred million dollars as a “physical service fee.” To pay off the debt, I worked ten part-time jobs day and night, coughing up blood from exhaustion, but I didn’t dare stop. Ethan, however, found me disgraceful and had me suspended in a scalding steam cabinet day and night to repent. My critically ill mother cried her heart out, and in desperation, to save me, she unauthorizedly opened the steam cabinet. Unexpectedly, Ethan severed the tendons in her hands and feet and whipped her until she was covered in wounds. “That’ll teach you, you meddling old hag! If you can’t control your hands, then they’re useless!” Looking at my mother, a bloody mess, my heart shattered. I struggled to kowtow to him, apologizing, begging him for some money for medical expenses. Instead, he threw a massive claim for seven hundred million dollars at me: “You owe me seven hundred million, and you still dare to ask for more money! Absolutely shameless!” “That old hag’s life is worthless! Losing her hands and feet is her own damn fault!” “If I don’t get this money in 24 hours, I’ll send you and that old hag to hell together!” My heart felt like dead wood. By the time I crawled to the hospital with the money I got from selling a kidney, My mother was already lying in the cold, sterile morgue. At the same time, news of Ethan lavishly spending five billion dollars to set up a foundation for his mistress, Chloe, caused a nationwide sensation. I clutched my mother’s ashes tightly, tears streaming down my face. The pain of losing my mother couldn’t suppress the overwhelming, bone-deep hatred! 1 My hand trembled as I reached out, trying to touch my mother’s face. Horrifying, twisted scars crawled all over her face, making even her features difficult to recognize. The eyes that once gazed at me with love were now wide and empty, devoid of life. I collapsed to the floor, my hoarse cries mixed with the smell of blood. My heart felt like it had been ground into dust. The sound of the TV was particularly jarring. A few nurses gasped, their voices trembling with excitement: “A domineering CEO spending lavishly to win a smile from his beauty! What kind of epic love story is this!” “Handsome man, beautiful woman, childhood sweethearts – they’re a match made in heaven!” “A five-billion-dollar foundation! The romance of the rich is truly extravagant!” I clutched the crumpled bills in my pocket. This paltry sum couldn’t even buy the cheapest urn. In a suffocating despair, I shakily dialed Ethan’s number. After a long wait, his vicious curses erupted from the receiver: “Sarah, I told you to pay your debt, and you’re out there gallivanting? You’ve utterly disgraced me, and you dare to call me!” “I’m being generous by not having my bodyguards string you up and whip you! Don’t push your luck!” “You owe me seven hundred million! Transfer it immediately! Otherwise, I’ll make sure that old hag doesn’t live to see another night!” He always twisted things like this. Eight years of marriage, and I had long grown numb to such humiliation. But to give my mother a dignified farewell, I could only trample on my pride and beg humbly: “Ethan, just one last time, can you lend me a few thousand? My mom’s funer—” “Get lost!” He cut me off coldly: “Why don’t you just die, you pathetic mommy’s girl! An old whore gives birth to a little whore, always spreading your legs begging for money!” “One last time… This is my last warning to you: if you don’t pay up, it’ll be much worse than just broken bones and severed tendons!” The call was brutally disconnected. Gently closing my mother’s eyes, I slumped to the floor, completely breaking down in tears. Nearby, the nurses were still chattering excitedly. Through my tear-blurred vision, I saw Ethan and Chloe passionately kissing on the red carpet. In that moment, my heart turned completely cold! 2 I handed over the few hundred dollars I had left to the funeral home. I kowtowed until my skin was broken and raw, my knees ulcerated. Only then did they reluctantly agree to cremate my mother. But there was still no urn. Finally, a sympathetic staff member found me a battered cardboard box. The flames roared, incinerating everything to ash. Along with my last shred of attachment, it turned to dust. When I returned home with my mother’s ashes, dawn was breaking. The debauched atmosphere in the villa had not yet dissipated. Scattered, snagged stockings and lace bras hung over my wedding photo with Ethan. The lingering, filthy water stains seemed to mock my cowardice. The pain was so intense I almost suffocated, struggling to suppress the urge to wail. I stumbled into the study and found a yellowed old box. Inside, a jade pendant lay quietly. It was my mother’s only dowry. Now, it was her only remaining memento. When I got married, my mother gave the jade pendant to Ethan. But he despised it, finding the jade coarse and looking at it with disdain. I smiled sadly, pressing the wooden box and the ashes tightly to my chest. As if I were holding my mother. Just as I was about to leave, a sharp, familiar voice suddenly rang out. “What are you stealing? Hand it over, now!” Chloe, wearing a loose silk nightgown, was eyeing me with contempt. A fresh, glaringly red hickey adorned her collarbone. My gaze froze, my voice unconsciously hardening: “What’s it to you?” Chloe sneered: “Every blade of grass, every brick in this villa belongs to me. The cars, the money, even your CEO husband – he only wants to serve me!” “If I were you, I would have died of shame long ago!” Her tone was arrogant, filled with provocation and disdain. In the past, I would have gone mad, confronting Ethan. But now, I just wanted to lay my mother to rest properly. I numbly walked past her, towards the door. But Chloe suddenly lunged, kicking me hard in the lower back. She grabbed my hair, violently snatching the box away. She kicked the box, and it flew open. “You dead bitch, you think you’re worthy of touching my things!” The moment the lid popped open, the grayish-white ashes spewed out like a blizzard. “No!!” I let out a heart-wrenching scream, scrambling and crawling to gather the ashes. But a leather shoe stomped hard on my fingers. “Sarah, you look absolutely disgusting groveling like that!” Ethan’s undisguised disgust echoed from above me. My blood ran cold. I trembled with pain, but couldn’t make a sound. In front of me, Chloe clung to Ethan, complaining pitifully: “I was just worried sis took the wrong thing. I didn’t expect her to be so fierce with me.” “It’s my fault for speaking out of turn. After all, sis is the lady of this house. It’s only right for her to hit me…” Ethan snorted, picking up the scratched jade pendant from the box, his voice dripping with contempt: “Only a worthless piece of trash like you would go to such lengths to steal this garbage.” The next second. He smiled cruelly and slammed the jade pendant onto the floor. “Don’t!” My eyes were bloodshot as I screamed in despair. The jade pendant shattered into pieces, the fragments hitting me and drawing countless bloody scratches. I didn’t even feel it, frantically trying to pick up the broken pieces. Ethan grabbed my hair, forcing me to look at him: “Is a broken piece of jade worth risking your life for?” “This was mine to begin with!” I gritted my teeth, the hatred in my eyes almost burning through Ethan. “This is the last memento my mom left me! What right do you have to destroy it!” A flicker of surprise crossed Ethan’s eyes: “Memento?” I pushed his arm away, gathering the ashes and jade fragments together. I smiled miserably: “Thanks to you, my mom is dead!” 3 In the dead silence, I thought I would see a flicker of remorse or sadness on Ethan’s face. Even a tiny bit. Instead, he prodded the ashes on the floor with the toe of his shoe and sneered: “That old bitch is dead? What great news!” “Should I set off some fireworks to celebrate?” His mocking laughter was like a sharp knife, cutting my heart into a thousand pieces. My blood instantly surged backward, and my ears buzzed. Ethan, however, continued his baseless, cruel speculations: “That old bitch loved to put on a show when she was alive. She isn’t faking her death, is she?” “Where’s the body? Get a medical examiner to cut her open and see, just in case she comes back as a zombie!” A massive roar exploded in my head. My teeth chattered violently. The last glimmer of light in my heart finally extinguished completely. The man I had shared a bed with for eight years. Turned out to be such a venomous, despicable wolf! My mother was dead, and not only did he feel no guilt, he was even gloating about it. I lunged at him like a madwoman, grabbing his wrist, my voice so hoarse it was barely human: “My mom looked after you for eight whole years! For eight years, she treated you like her own son!” “What did she do wrong for you to insult her like this?!” “Ethan, you’re worse than an animal!” Before I could finish, a heavy slap landed on my face. “Shut up! Your mom’s biggest mistake was giving birth to a seductive slut like you!” “You and your mother ate my food, used my things! Even if she knelt and served me, it was what she deserved!” I clutched my bleeding lip, my cheek swollen and red. Beside us, Chloe, having enjoyed the show, finally offered a hypocritical apology: “Sorry, sis, I really didn’t know Auntie had passed.” “But she’s gone now. Cheap stuff like this is just trash if you keep it around!” With that, she suddenly snatched the remaining ashes from my arms. I burned with rage, lunging at her like a maniac. But Ethan kicked me hard in the stomach, making me vomit a mouthful of blood. The blood splattered on the white floor, a stark, tragic sight. Ethan, however, was busy shielding Chloe, his voice seething with anger: “Get away from her! You worthless slut!” “You dare bully Chloe? I think you’re looking to die!” I writhed on the floor, my vision completely blurring: “Ethan, let’s get a divorce!” “You want a divorce without paying your debt? You think you’re worthy?” Hearing this, Ethan’s lips curled into a smirk, looking at me as if I were a ridiculous clown: “Until you’ve paid off your debt, don’t even think about leaving the Blackwood estate!” I trembled, clutching my wounds, and with all my strength, reached for the fruit knife on the table. Ethan looked down at me, his eyes like he was looking at a pile of stinking mud. His gaze was laced with ice, so unfamiliar it made me shiver. I suddenly remembered that rainy night eight years ago. We were huddled in a damp basement, his eyes shining: “When we have money, I’ll buy you a big house, and let your mom live comfortably.” In the steam of instant ramen, his smile was so warm. How ridiculous. Just ten minutes ago, I actually still fantasized. That he would, for the sake of those eight years, feel some remorse for me and my mother. “Fine, I’ll pay you back right now!” I gripped the fruit knife tightly and, with savage force, plunged it into my abdomen. The sharp blade tore through flesh with a sickening thud. But it was nothing compared to the agonizing despair in my heart. Ten bleeding gashes bloomed open, and I staggered, collapsing to the floor. A sticky pool of blood spread beneath me, staining the floor red. I pulled back my bloodstained lips, smiling at him: “Is this enough?” Ethan’s pupils constricted, his voice trembling with disbelief: “Are you insane?!” “Don’t think this kind of self-pity act will make me forgive you!” The intense pain burned through my organs like wildfire, yet it couldn’t match the despair of my shattered heart. I slowly tightened my grip on the knife, my knuckles white from the force, and raised my hand again. My voice was calm, yet pierced with bone-chilling sorrow: “Not enough? Then I’ll pay you back with my life too!” Before the words left my mouth, I thrust the tip of the knife violently towards my neck! 4 Ethan lunged forward, snatching the knife from me and throwing it hard onto the floor. “Trying to pay your debt with death? I wouldn’t even look at your worthless life!” “Seven hundred million, not a penny less! Don’t you dare try to threaten me with your pathetic life!” Blood trickled down from his palm. Combined with his grim, furious expression, it was terrifying. Chloe cowered behind him, timidly tugging at his sleeve. Ethan quickly turned, comforting her softly. When he turned back to me, He suddenly kicked me hard in the shoulder, his voice vicious: “If you’re going to die, die far away! Don’t scare Chloe!” “Get out!” Blood soaked through my clothes. My face was deathly pale as I gathered the last of the ashes into the wooden box. Clutching my bleeding abdomen, I stumbled out the door: “I will pay back the money, and then we will divorce.” But Ethan reacted as if he’d heard the funniest joke in the world: “You think you can survive without me?” “A worthless tramp who couldn’t even protect her own mother? You could lie naked on the street, and no one would want you! I’ll be waiting for you to come crawling back, begging me!” I didn’t respond, nor did I look back. Clutching the small box to my chest, I endured the excruciating pain and left this prison-like villa. As I closed the door, I heard Chloe’s feigned concern: “Will sis be okay?” Ethan scoffed, his tone disdainful: “Don’t worry. That kind of life-clinging, cowardly bitch values her life more than anything.” The cold wind whipped into my collar but couldn’t dispel the piercing laughter ringing in my ears. I bit down hard on my teeth until my mouth filled with the taste of rust. “I’m sorry, Mom… It’s all my fault for being useless…” I stumbled along. Finally, I reached my destination—the organ transplant center. The cold light of the operating table stung my eyes. I clutched the ashes in my arms, my consciousness slowly fading. Mom, I’m sorry I couldn’t take care of you. Let me use this broken body to send you on your final journey. … A few days later. The five-billion-dollar foundation finally officially began operations. As Ethan was showing Chloe around, a sharp pain suddenly exploded in his chest. He instinctively clutched his chest, his face turning deathly white. Chloe quickly grasped his cold hand, concerned: “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” Ethan, rubbing his inexplicably tight chest, forced a smile: “It’s nothing, just had a nightmare, didn’t sleep well…” Before he could finish, last night’s nightmare flashed before his eyes. Sarah, covered in blood, raising a knife, her eyes staring at him, fierce and desperate. Ding— His phone notification sounded abruptly. Ethan’s heart leaped, his fingertips trembling as he pulled out his phone. A seven-hundred-million-dollar transfer notification lay silently on the screen.

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The Hospital Director’s wife had taken a particular liking to the new male intern. She even had him, completely unqualified, assist me in an emergency surgery. Midway through the heart surgery, I suddenly realized he’d pocketed a scalpel. Faced with my questioning, the intern just smirked contemptuously. “They say Dr. Stone is a titan in the medical field. I just wanted to learn a thing or two. Surely you can’t operate if you’re short one scalpel?” Suppressing my fury, I called my wife. “How could you stick this hack in here? If something happens to the patient, how will we handle it!” She, however, defended him: “Can’t manage with one less scalpel? Why give him such a hard time! What’s wrong with a young man eager to learn!” The surgery ultimately failed. A vibrant life was extinguished before my eyes. But the Director was out shopping lavishly with the male intern, even threatening to kick me out of the hospital. “Causing a fatal incident and you still have the nerve to hang around the hospital!” Little did she know, the patient who died on the operating table was her own father, who’d suffered a sudden heart attack. 1 Crouched in the hallway, I chain-smoked an entire pack, but the inferno in my chest still raged. Pulling out my phone, I dialed Emily Young’s number. “Fire that intern immediately. I’m only saying this once.” The other end of the line was noisy and chaotic. After a long pause, her lazy voice came through: “Enough, David Stone! Don’t try to shift the blame. The lead surgeon’s failure has nothing to do with Leo Vance!” “Instead of this, you should be figuring out how to console the family. If there’s a complaint, you’ll handle it yourself!” My hand, still holding the phone, trembled from sixteen straight hours of wielding a scalpel, all to compensate for Leo Vance’s transgression of hiding equipment. And now I was supposed to take all the blame? “If he hadn’t hidden the scalpel, how could it have failed!” My roar echoed through the hallway. “This was a life-saving surgery! What was his motive for hiding the scalpel? Emily Young, how can you be so clueless, bringing this kind of disaster into the hospital? Are you trying to ruin the hospital’s reputation!” “Besides, do you even know who was on that table—” “Dr. Stone,” Leo suddenly cut in on the call. His voice dripped with feigned grievance: “It’s all my fault, I’m just an intern. I shouldn’t have let my admiration for you, the master cardiac surgeon, cause you to slip up. Scold me, hit me, I’ll take whatever you dish out!” Even a fool could hear the thinly veiled sarcasm. This exceptionally hired Leo certainly had a way about him. With just his pretty boy face, he had the usually elusive Director Emily practically living at the hospital. It wasn’t that I hadn’t been suspicious, but Emily always had an excuse: “I just see him as a younger brother. Who doesn’t like handsome young men? We’ve been married for five years, don’t you have that much trust in me?” Plus, the hospital was genuinely short-staffed. Even if I was unhappy, I had to bear it, hoping he could at least pull some weight. I never expected him to be such a menace. My anger flared hotter. I decided to reveal the truth: “Do you realize you personally sent your own father to his grave!” My free hand clenched the hem of my shirt, knuckles white. It had happened so suddenly. I only realized when I entered the OR that this critical patient, suffering a massive heart attack, was my father-in-law. With every second counting, I had planned to tell her after the surgery. Who knew… I could have saved his life. The line went silent for a long moment, then Emily snatched the phone back and cursed venomously: “Have you lost your mind, David Stone! Just because you couldn’t save him, you’re cursing my dad? He’s perfectly healthy back in the countryside. Some son-in-law you are!” “You are fully responsible for this incident. Effective immediately, you are banned from the operating room. Reinstatement pending review.” “Additionally, six months’ salary will be docked, and a hospital-wide critique will be issued. You will be required to make a public apology!” Beside her, Leo feigned conciliation: “Dr. Stone, don’t take your anger out on me. I was just following orders. If I’ve offended you, I hope you can forgive me.” I almost vomited blood. Did this foolish woman even remember that the hospital’s current renown was entirely due to my unparalleled skills in the medical field? “Alright, David. I’m going with Leo to pick out a watch. Instead of this pointless chatter, you should be working on your apology letter.” With that, the call abruptly ended. The rage in my heart blazed. I violently pushed open a door, right into the bewildered Head Nurse. “Dr. Stone,” She looked troubled. “The patient’s family… we can’t reach them.” 2 My brow furrowed deeply, momentarily at a loss. Emily lost her mother young and was raised solely by her father. After our marriage, my father-in-law lived alone in the countryside, cutting off ties with relatives. Only I knew of his death. “Follow standard procedure for now. I’ll handle the rest.” Tossing off my surgical cap, I slumped into a chair. The cool air hit my face, slightly quelling the burning anger in my heart. I opened my phone. Emily had actually updated her social media feed: “Feeling young again, it’s wonderful.” The accompanying picture showed Leo, beaming, surrounded by piles of luxury gift boxes. I stared at the screen, a cold laugh escaping my throat. She really doesn’t see me as her husband anymore, does she? Although Emily and I met through a setup, genuine feelings had developed, which led us to the altar. Emily moved here for me, founded the hospital. And to support her, I turned down high-paying offers from other hospitals to become a doctor under her name, making this hospital increasingly famous in the city. I once thought it was a mutual effort. But now, because of Leo, things had diverged. And now, this divergence was becoming a real eyesore. The next day, I put on my white coat and went to the clinic, looking at patient charts while waiting. But after a long wait, not a single patient came in. This wasn’t right. Usually, my clinic appointments were snatched up. By noon, still no patients. As I prepared to leave, the door was suddenly knocked on several times, hard. I opened it to an angry face. “Dr. Stone, you’re at the hospital! Why did you cancel our appointment after I booked it?! I waited a month for this slot, and you just decide not to see patients?!” I frowned, trying to calm him down first. “Tell me what happened. I didn’t receive any notification about not seeing patients.” The patient angrily pushed me aside. “Stop pretending! If you didn’t want to see patients, don’t offer appointments. Do you get a kick out of messing with ordinary people like us?! I bet other hospitals can treat this!” With that, he spat viciously in my direction and stormed off. Realizing something was wrong, I quickly called the nurse in charge. She sounded surprised. “Wasn’t it you who notified us? That today’s appointments, no, actually, all appointments for the next week, were canceled. I thought you weren’t feeling well…” My pent-up anger surged. I demanded loudly, “Who notified you!” “It was Leo… He said it was your instruction…” Him again! The fire completely uncontrollable, I stormed into the intern’s lounge where Leo was, only to find Emily there too. “Leo!” I grabbed the nearest book and hurled it at him. “Who told you to cancel my patients without authorization? Don’t you know how hard it is for some people to get an appointment! What are you trying to do, let them die!” The man, caught off guard by my attack, immediately covered his head and squatted down. Seeing this, Emily became protective. “Leo was acting on my orders. Hitting him is like slapping my face, you know that!” My heart sank. I could hardly believe it. “Why, Emily, why would you do this? These patients have been waiting desperately for me to see them.” But the woman just rolled her eyes impatiently. “You had a major medical incident, and you still want to see patients in the clinic? If anything else goes wrong, the hospital can’t take responsibility.” “I’ll reassign your patients to other doctors. We have more than just you here, and Leo will help out too. For now, just stay away from the hospital.” My hands clenched into fists, veins popping on the back of them. This was like throwing me under the bus after I’d done all the work. The cardiology department, built on my reputation, yet I was being made to bear this undeserved disaster because of Leo’s mistake. I really was too good-natured, too patient. “In that case, I resign.” 3 Hearing this, Emily finally showed a flicker of nervousness. “What did you say?” Her eyes widened in disbelief, all her accusations caught in her throat. Seeing my calm expression, she visibly panicked. “No, David, please don’t get agitated, okay?” “This was indeed my oversight. I shouldn’t have canceled your patients without discussing it with you. How about this, starting tomorrow, everything goes back to normal, you can see your patients as usual.” “I’ll transfer Leo to another department. I promise you two will have no contact. Are you satisfied with that? Please don’t talk about resigning anymore, okay?” I took a deep breath and, after a long pause, nodded. “No need to transfer him to another department.” Emily brightened, about to say something. “Fire him outright.” Her smile froze on her lips. She blurted out, “No way!” I let out a cold laugh, leaning my hands on the table, staring at her. “Emily, I’m not discussing this with you.” The woman stared hard at me, finally relenting. “Fine, I’ll fire him…” Just then, Leo suddenly spoke, his eyes full of resentful. “Dr. Stone, I apologize. The previous surgery was my fault. But I really want to learn at the hospital. Please don’t kick me out, even if it means I have to be a janitor!” “Please, as long as I can stay at the hospital, I’ll do anything!” As he spoke, he actually knelt on the ground and kowtowed to me. He looked for all the world like I was some unforgivable villain. Startled, I was about to stop him when Emily quickly helped him up, her gaze towards me now tinged with resentment. “Alright, David Stone, I’ve made a concession too. Let Leo stay at the hospital. If it’s really an issue, I’ll transfer him to the morgue, how about that.” My heart clenched. I was about to speak when Leo kowtowed several more times. “Thank you, Director Young! I’m willing to work in the morgue. As long as I can stay at the hospital, I’ll do anything!” Emily’s eyes were full of pity as she pulled him to a seat. “It’s okay. As long as I’m here, no one in this hospital can kick you out.” After saying that, she shot me a fierce glare. I clenched my fists, thinking that as long as he was far away from me, it would be fine, so I said nothing more. Just then, the Head Nurse suddenly sent me a text message. “Dr. Stone, I can’t find you. The deceased’s family still isn’t answering their phone. I had no choice but to place him in the hospital morgue, but he can’t stay there indefinitely, can he?” I pinched the bridge of my nose and said gravely, “It’s okay, I’ll talk to the family.” Hanging up, I walked over to Emily and said in a low voice, “The Head Nurse has probably called you many times these past two days. It’s not right for Father-in-law’s body to remain in the morgue. Although it’s hard to accept, I’ll be with you through this difficult time.” Emily’s eyes widened suddenly, and after a moment, a deeply sarcastic smile formed on her lips. “Are you serious, David Stone? I’ve already compromised, what more do you want? Cursing my dad over and over, what are you playing at!” “I’m warning you, this hospital can function without you! If you dare do this again, watch out, I’ll tell my dad!” I almost laughed out of sheer anger. Even now, she refused to believe me, thinking I was just jealous of Leo. “Emily Young, do you have a brain? If he hadn’t secretly hidden that scalpel, how would your father have died!” A sharp “smack” sound. My head was knocked to the side, and a metallic taste of blood instantly filled my mouth. “David Stone, haven’t you had enough! If you dare say that again, believe it or not, I’ll divorce you!” A fleeting, imperceptible glint of triumph flashed in Leo’s eyes, then he adopted a different tone, looking at me. “Dr. Stone, even if you hate me that much, you shouldn’t use Director Young’s father’s death to deceive her. This is a human life, it’s no joking matter.” I covered my face, taking a long moment to recover, then said angrily, “Fine, you don’t believe me, right? Then call your dad right now and see if he picks up!” “I’ll call him!” Emily shot me a fierce glare and immediately pulled out her phone. It rang for a few seconds, then the call connected. 4 “Hello, is this the family of Samuel Young? This is the hospital. Your father’s heart surgery was unsuccessful…” The words Emily was about to say froze on her lips. She looked at the phone number in disbelief; it was indeed her father’s. “Who are you?” Unconsciously, her voice had begun to tremble. It was on speakerphone, loud enough for me to recognize the voice too. “I’m the Head Nurse of Cardiology at Union General Hospital…” Emily’s face changed drastically. She immediately hung up and ran out. I followed her, watching her run to the nurses’ station. The Head Nurse was still holding her phone and was about to speak when Emily reached her. “You’ve got some nerve, colluding with David Stone to deceive me! How dare you curse my father to death!” A sudden slap caught the Head Nurse completely off guard. She covered her face, explaining softly, “No… I wasn’t lying, Director. That really was the deceased’s phone—” “Still talking? Do you have a death wish or something!” Emily delivered several more slaps, her face flushed red. “You always listen only to David Stone and disregard me, the Director. Now you’re completely lawless, aren’t you!” “I’m announcing it now, you’re fired.” Tears welled up in the Head Nurse’s eyes. She looked at me pleadingly. “Dr. Stone, please help me explain, I wasn’t lying!” Suppressing my anger, I pulled Emily away. “Have you made enough of a scene! Are you under Leo’s spell or something!” She struggled hard, glaring at me with a face full of resentment. “I should be asking you, what exactly are your intentions! If you don’t want to take responsibility, just say so. Why drag others into your lies!” “Let me tell you, this hospital doesn’t revolve around you. Even if you leave, it won’t collapse!” Seeing the hatred welling up in her eyes, I suddenly felt that the person before me was a complete stranger. When had she stopped believing even a word I said? “Fine…” I regained my composure. “Then I’ll resign.” This time, Emily didn’t hesitate, her face flashing with impatience. “Same threat, I won’t fall for it twice. If you want to go, then go!” Then she took Leo’s hand. “Let’s go! It seems the cardiology department needs a good shake-up too.” And Leo, being pulled by her, cast a sarcastic smile in my direction. He was saying, he had won. Unfortunately, I no longer wanted to participate in this game. Walking out of the hospital, I looked at this institution I had poured my heart and soul into, feeling utterly exhausted for the first time. Standing there for a long time, I took out my phone and dialed an unfamiliar number. “Director Hughes, about your previous offer to invite me to your hospital, is it still valid?” The person on the other end was delighted. “That’s great! As long as you want to come, I’ll have an offer sent to you immediately!” “No rush…” I looked into the distance, my voice heavy. “Wait until I’ve dealt with everything.” My father-in-law’s body, the resignation procedures, and… My marriage to Emily. When I got home, Emily didn’t even spare me a glance. I knew this was her usual cold shoulder tactic. In the past, I was always the one to compromise first; after all, in her eyes, any mistake should be my responsibility. But since that surgery, it felt like I could see everything clearly. “David Stone, I truly misjudged you.” Seeing my silence, she looked at me with deep disappointment. “Even if you’re jealous, even if you’re trying to make excuses for yourself, you can’t keep joking about my dad!” “You must apologize to Leo, or I will never forgive you!” I scoffed, pointing to my phone. “No need to forgive me. I’ve already submitted my resignation. You just need to approve it.” Unexpectedly, since I didn’t back down at all, Emily gritted her teeth and nodded. “Fine, as you wish!” Seeing the “resigned” status, a wave of relief washed over me. Thank goodness, it would soon be over. The next morning, I went to the hospital morgue early, planning to take his body to the funeral home. At the very least, I should give him a dignified farewell. Who knew that as soon as I opened the door, Leo blocked my way. “Dr. Stone, what are you doing? Trying to destroy the evidence to deny your mistake?!” I was almost amused by his nonsensical accusations. “Get lost. Don’t make me curse you out.” As I said this and tried to enter, Emily also walked over. Seeing me, her face instantly darkened. “You’ve been fired, what right do you have to still be here!” I couldn’t be bothered with her; the people from the funeral home were about to arrive anyway. Just as I was preparing to wheel the body out, Leo stubbornly blocked me. “What are you doing!” In the struggle, the white sheet covering the body suddenly fell off. Emily’s face instantly turned completely white.

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The day I was a perfect match for my father, who was in the terminal stage of leukemia, I ran away. Mom searched everywhere for me, but in the end, she had to say goodbye to Dad without me. Later, Mom dedicated herself to leukemia research and achieved remarkable success. She also adopted a sweet, obedient daughter. We met again at a leukemia symposium Mom was hosting. Mom looked down at me, lying on the demonstration table, her expression cold. “Summer Lin, this isn’t the place for your games.” “Get up and get out, now!” Hearing this, the host beside her was stunned. “Dr. Lin, you know this donor?” Mom scoffed. “How much did she pay you to play along with this charade?” The host was flustered. “Dr. Lin, Miss Summer Lin passed away three days ago…” … Mom frowned. “I thought today was for serious discussion, not some April Fools’ prank.” “Summer’s special effects makeup is incredibly lifelike; I almost believed it.” As she spoke, her gaze unintentionally swept over my face, a flicker of panic in her eyes. She forced a stiff smile. “So, is this whole charade supposed to be a surprise or a shock?” The host shot a pleading look at a reporter nearby. The reporter stepped onto the stage and took the microphone. “Hello everyone, I’m Sarah Miller, a journalist and one of the organizers of this event.” “Next, we’ll play a message from our donor.” The large screen on stage began to play a video. In the video, I was sitting on a beach, looking at the camera. “Hi everyone, I’m Summer Lin. I love the sun, the sky, and the sea. So, look, isn’t the ocean behind me magnificent? I always dreamed of coming to the beach with Mom and Dad.” “But that’s become an impossible dream. It’s okay, though. I brought a photo of Mom and Dad, so it’s like they’re here with me.” I carefully took a photo from my bag and showed it to the camera. “Oh, and my mom is an absolutely incredible woman, and also…” Before I could finish, I suddenly collapsed backward. The camera shook violently, and screams came from off-screen. “She’s unconscious! Quick, get her to a hospital!” “I told you not to let her come! You still let her!” The next moment, I reappeared on camera, making a silly face. “Haha, fooled ya!” As I laughed, my eyes reddened. “Mom, I love you. So, so much.” The video froze on the image of me crying. Mom’s expression remained indifferent. “Ms. Miller, this is an academic symposium, not some family reunion show.” The audience immediately started murmuring. “Isn’t that Dr. Lin’s daughter? I heard Summer was a match for her dad. If she’d just donated marrow, he wouldn’t have died.” “She’s heartless. Wouldn’t even save her own father.” “What’s she trying to pull, showing up at a symposium like this?” “Probably saw Dr. Lin getting famous and wants a piece of the pie.” “This donor… it can’t really be Summer Lin, can it?” “If she’s dead, she had it coming. That’s karma for not saving her dad.” But it wasn’t that I didn’t want to donate marrow to Dad; I just couldn’t. If I could, I would have gladly traded my life for his health. But I couldn’t even save myself… Hearing the whispers from the audience, Mom’s face changed drastically. She was about to reach out and touch me when Sarah quickly stopped her. “Dr. Lin, please watch the documentary first.” “We hope that through Miss Summer Lin’s cancer journey documentary, everyone can truly understand the world of a leukemia patient.” The screen changed, and loud music instantly filled the air. It was a noisy bar. I was carrying a tray full of drinks, weaving through the dancing crowd. Even heavy makeup couldn’t hide my pale complexion. Suddenly, I grabbed a drink and splashed it at the camera, annoyed. “Can you stop bothering me while I’m working?” “You’re Summer Lin, right? Hi, I’m Sarah Miller. I’m a journalist with a cancer advocacy group, and we want to film a documentary about leukemia patients.” “If you agree to be filmed, we can cover all your treatment costs.” Her voice was gentle and sincere. I stared into the camera and asked, “If I cooperate with your filming, can you give me the treatment money in cash instead?” Silence from the other side of the camera. I gave a wry smile, picked up my tray, and went back to work. Until 2 AM, I dragged my exhausted body out of the bar. The woman approached me again. “Summer, do you urgently need money? Are you in some kind of trouble? I can try my best to help.” The moment I looked up, blood suddenly gushed from my nose. Gasps came from off-camera. “Summer!” [Filming Log: June 2, 2024] “Summer, are you working yourself to death to pay for your father’s treatment?” I had a popsicle in my mouth, looking displeased. “You’ve been investigating me behind my back?” Sarah patiently answered, “You’re the subject of our documentary. We naturally need to understand your basic situation beforehand.” “But are you sure you don’t want to tell your parents you’re sick?” I shook my head firmly. “No.” “Why not?” Sarah’s gaze was hesitant. I opened the notes app on my phone and showed it to her. 4:00 AM – 7:30 AM: Diner prep cook 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM: Sales office 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM: Tutoring at after-school center 8:20 PM – 9:30 PM: Private tutoring 10:00 PM – 2:00 AM: Late-night food truck I suppressed the turmoil inside me and said bitterly, “That’s my mom’s schedule. Five jobs a day, to earn money for Dad’s treatment.” “If she knew I was sick too, what would she do?” Sarah’s eyes welled up a bit. I sniffled. “The only two hours of rest she gets each day would disappear.” “She’ll work herself to death!” Talking about Mom, I couldn’t hold back my tears. “My mom was supposed to be a doctor, saving lives. But she gave up her dream, carrying our whole family on her small shoulders.” “Dad was diagnosed with leukemia my senior year of high school. To not be a burden on Mom and me, he snuck out one night and tried to drown himself in the river.” “Mom and I cried and begged him, and only then did he give up…” Sarah handed me a tissue. “Summer…” I took the tissue and roughly wiped my tears. “If Dad knew I was sick too… what choice would he make?” “There’s already one cancer patient in the family. There can’t be a second.” Sarah patted my shoulder, wanting to hug me. I shook my head at her. “The day the match results came in, I was diagnosed with leukemia at another hospital.” “I was so scared Dad would find out, I just ran.” “Dad thought I didn’t want to save him. He didn’t blame me; instead, he cried and begged me to stay. He said it was okay, as long as I was happy, that’s all he wanted.” “My check-ups were always fine before, but it just had to be that day.” “Just a little bit more… and I could have saved him…” I covered my face with my hands and broke down crying. [Filming Log: June 10, 2024] I was rushing around on my e-bike, delivering food, the camera always behind me. After finishing the last delivery, I sighed at the camera. “I told you, I don’t have time to film with you.” “Summer, wait.” Sarah stepped in front of my bike, pulled out her phone, and showed me the screen. “Look, we contacted a charity. They’ve already raised the money for your dad’s medical expenses and will donate it.” “Summer, please believe us. We genuinely want to help you.” “So please, don’t give up on yourself. Come to the hospital with us and get treatment, okay?” The screen went silent for a moment. When I looked up again, tears were streaming down my face. “I’ll do the filming.” “Consider it my way of repaying you for saving my dad.” [Filming Log: June 11, 2024] Looking at the words “Body Donation” on the contract. I suddenly looked at the camera. “Where will these videos be shown? I don’t want Mom and Dad to see them.” “They can never know. Not ever.” Sarah immediately cut me off. “Summer, you’re not going to die.” “The videos will only be used as internal records. Don’t worry, they won’t find out.” For the first time, I smiled on camera. “Thank you, Sarah.” [Filming Log: July 1, 2024] My face was gaunt, cheeks hollowed, the hospital gown hanging loosely on me. Looking at the camera, I forced myself to sit up. “Can I stop chemo now?” Sarah held my hand and shook her head firmly. “Summer, I know chemo is painful, but you have to believe you can beat this. Let’s just try a little harder, okay?” The recurring fevers and vomiting tormented me to the breaking point. That night, I lost control, threw my food on the floor, and drove everyone away with harsh words. Afterwards, I hid under the covers and cried. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.” Sarah hugged me through the blanket. “Summer, it’s okay.” My voice trembled. “I never knew chemo was this horrible. Dad endured all this for us.” “Sarah, I miss Mom and Dad so much…” [Filming Log: September 1, 2024] “Summer, it’s your birthday today. Do you have any birthday wishes?” The camera focused on the hospital room door. The next moment, I opened the door and walked out. I was wearing a pale yellow long-sleeved dress and a brown curly wig. “Sarah, let’s go to the amusement park today!” Before we left, I secretly took some painkillers. Sarah saw but didn’t stop me, just turned away and quietly wiped her eyes. I sat on the carousel, making a peace sign at the camera. Sarah held up her phone, taking pictures of me. “Summer, look here! Smile! Yes, that’s it, so pretty.” When I got off the carousel, my legs suddenly gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. The painkillers had worn off. Back at the hospital, the doctor immediately gave me an injection. That evening, I used the photos Sarah took to make a social media post. The camera focused on my phone screen. A minute later, Dad liked my post and commented, “Happy birthday, sweetie. You’ve lost weight. Make sure you eat well.” Two minutes later, Mom sent me $500 via a money transfer app. Double what she sent last month. Tears fell onto the phone screen, one after another. I wiped them away, blew out the candles on my cake, and made a wish: “I wish Mom and Dad will always be healthy and happy.” [Filming Log: October 6, 2024] “Summer!” Sarah rushed into the room, her voice urgent. I was completely wrapped in my blanket, shaking violently, my choked sobs filling the air. Sarah reached out and gently touched where my head was under the blanket. “Summer, are you okay?” After what felt like an eternity, I slowly emerged from under the covers. My eyes were red and swollen from crying, my face streaked with tears. “Sarah… my dad passed away.” Sarah looked at me with concern. “Summer…” I wiped my tears and struggled to get out of bed. “Sarah, I want to go see Dad one last time.” The scene changed to a funeral home. Sarah had someone distract Mom, and I went to Dad’s viewing room, holding a bouquet of white lilies. I bowed deeply three times before his casket and paid my respects. No one had noticed me yet. But as I left the viewing room and was about to get into the car, Mom suddenly called my name. “Summer?” I didn’t dare turn around. I urged the driver to go, fleeing in panic. I looked in the right-hand rearview mirror. Mom ran after the car for a few steps, then stopped, stunned, watching me leave with an expression full of disappointment. Then my phone rang. It was Mom. My hand trembled as I pressed the reject button. I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall, whispering, “Mom, I’m so sorry.” [Filming Log: December 10, 2024] After the third round of chemo, I was even worse. Sarah sat beside me, reading a list of leukemia survivors from the hospital. I interrupted her. “Sarah, take a picture of me.” Sarah was stunned. “What?” “While I still look somewhat human, let’s take my funeral portrait.” Sarah’s voice choked. “Don’t say things like that.” I smiled faintly. “You have to make me look beautiful.” And just like that, we started. I got up, put on my wig, and changed into new clothes. Such simple actions took me a whole hour. Sitting in front of a white wall. I gave a big smile to the camera. Sarah’s eyes were red, her hand holding the camera shaking so much that ten shots in a row were blurry. I shook my head in mock disgust. “Sarah, you’re making me look awful.” Sarah sniffled. “You promised me you’d keep fighting. Otherwise, I’ll use these ugly pictures for you.” I burst out laughing. “Alright, alright, as long as you make me look good.” Just then, a flock of birds flew past the window, chirping. Sarah aimed the camera at my face. Click. My smile was forever captured in the camera. “Doctor!” “Someone, quick!” Chaotic shouts erupted around me. Sarah dropped the camera and rushed towards me. I stared at the spinning ceiling and slowly closed my eyes. “Mom, I’m sorry.” “Dad, I’m coming to find you.”

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The day my wife gave birth, my mother and I accidentally overheard her conversation with her assistant outside the delivery room: “Jason, I had twins with different fathers. The one with the birthmark on his hand is your son. The other one is my husband’s.” “Vivian, really? That’s… shocking!” Jason Clark looked utterly incredulous. “It’s true! That night, after I was intimate with Liam, I was also with you. I wasn’t sure… so I had a DNA test done immediately. The results showed they’re heteropaternal superfecundation twins!” Hearing this, Jason was ecstatic. He took his child and showered Vivian Hayes with passionate kisses. Witnessing this, my mother couldn’t bear the shock. She collapsed and never woke up. As I knelt before my mother’s cold body, weeping uncontrollably, Vivian sent me a text. “Honey, I’ve decided to go to a postpartum recovery center. I’m only taking one of the babies. You can take care of the other one. Let you experience what it’s like to be a father!” The double blow made me want to die. I coughed up a mouthful of blood! … 1 I don’t know how to describe the rage and grief churning inside me. My lover’s infidelity, my mother’s death, and the fact that one of the sons wasn’t mine—all these humiliations felt like an invisible demonic hand, clutching my heart so tightly I could barely breathe. Looking at my mother’s lifeless body, my guilt intensified. But there was no time to wallow in sorrow; a nurse soon approached me, holding a baby. “Mr. Miller, please hold your baby! He’s been crying non-stop ever since your wife left with his brother.” “It’s like he knows his mom abandoned him.” I raised my bloodshot eyes and slowly turned my head towards the baby in the nurse’s arms. I reached out with trembling hands and took the child. In that moment, my heart was in turmoil. I prayed that Vivian had taken my child, not that other man’s. But when I saw that the baby’s tiny hands had no birthmark, it was like I’d been punched in the gut. I collapsed to the floor. She had chosen to leave my child behind, taking only Jason Clark’s son to live their so-called happy family life. My heart ached unbearably. Just then, Jason Clark texted me: “Liam, buddy, I’ll take good care of Vivian and the little guy, don’t you worry! I’ll even be his godfather.” Right after, he posted on social media. Two photos. One showed his hand intertwined with a delicate, fair hand wearing a wedding ring. I knew that hand too well. On her ring finger was the wedding ring I had personally designed and given her. The other photo was of him holding their son in one arm, his other arm around Vivian’s back as she snuggled her head on his shoulder. “Grateful for the two most important people in my life: my son and the woman I love most.” “Even during her recovery, she wants to be with me and our son.” Colleagues who knew us, though confused, liked and congratulated them. Only I stood frozen, clutching my phone, my eyes red and trembling. What a shameless pair. What a stolen family. She claimed she left my son with me so I could learn to be a father, supposedly to spare Jason’s feelings. In reality, she just didn’t want my child to get in their way. The baby was so young, just born, and already abandoned by his own mother. I silently took off my wedding ring and threw it out the window. Seven years of deep affection had ended in mockery and betrayal. What should have been a joyous occasion had turned into planning a funeral. I swallowed all my bitterness alone, arranging my mother’s funeral. Vivian never called me, not even a single text, since that day. She didn’t even ask about our young son. 2 That night, I contacted a lawyer to draft divorce papers. I’d serve them to her when she returned. Since the baby was so young, I hired a nanny to help care for him. Life had to go on. Work couldn’t stop. I returned to the office. As soon as I walked in, I heard colleagues whispering. When I walked past, they all looked at me, their eyes filled with mockery, pity, and sympathy. “Did you guys hear? CEO Hayes actually had twins with different fathers. One of them is Assistant Clark’s.” “Whoa! You can’t just say things like that.” “I’m not making it up, it’s true. The day CEO Hayes gave birth, I happened to be passing by and accidentally overheard the doctor talking to her.” “Look, Assistant Clark even posted about it on social media, saying something about being a godfather. He’s actually the biological father.” “Oh my god, that’s insane!” “Director Miller is so pitiful. He doesn’t know anything. CEO Hayes not only cheated on him but also left him with his child…” All sorts of humiliating words reached my ears, making them burn. Everyone knew Vivian had cheated on me. I don’t know how I made it to my office; my chest ached as if it were bleeding. Before I could even compose myself, a colleague came in to tell me there was a meeting. “Director Miller, CEO Hayes just called. She wants everyone in the conference room for a meeting.” When I entered the conference room, it was already full. I looked up at the projector. Vivian was on screen, holding Jason Clark’s child, announcing something to everyone. “During my recovery period, I’ve decided to let Assistant Clark temporarily take over as acting CEO. That project we were working on needs to be pushed forward. Whoever can land the contract will receive a very generous bonus from the company.” As soon as she finished, everyone turned to look at me again. “I thought CEO Hayes would let Director Miller manage things, since he’s her husband.” “Alright, keep it down.” I ignored the whispers and focused on winning that project. After all, I’d be divorcing Vivian soon and resigning. I needed to earn some money for the baby before I left. From then on, I was constantly running between the company and home, trying to soothe a baby to sleep while also working late on the project. After several sleepless days and nights, my body started to give out. By the time I finished the project, I was exhausted. When I took the initiative to contact the client with my project proposal, they were very satisfied with it. As soon as I got back to my office, I collapsed from exhaustion. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a hospital. I was anxious to be discharged because the client was coming to sign the contract today. Unexpectedly, when I walked into the conference room, I saw Vivian with Jason Clark, signing the contract with the client. “I never expected Assistant Clark to be so talented. This project is actually his work.” “I thought it was Director Miller’s.” “How could it be? I’ve been in charge of this project all along. I put a lot of hard work into it.” Standing at the door, I couldn’t hold back any longer and rushed in. I finally understood. Jason Clark had stolen my project while I was unconscious and claimed it as his own. 3 “Jason Clark, the project I worked tirelessly on, staying up all night—when did it become yours?” I looked at this despicable scumbag, wanting nothing more than to punch him. He saw the fury in my eyes and, flustered, hid behind Vivian. “CEO Hayes, this project is indeed mine. Director Miller must be addled from taking care of the baby if he’s trying to steal credit.” Hearing this, Vivian glared at me, then politely addressed the confused client. “Don’t listen to him. I announced a big reward for anyone who could produce an outstanding project, so naturally, everyone wants a piece of the pie.” “I believe this project was done by my assistant, Jason Clark.” The client, enlightened, looked at me with disdain. “I can’t believe there are people in this world who would stoop to such sneaky things for money.” His words made everyone present mock me as a thief. “I never knew Director Miller was that kind of person!” “You can know a person’s face, but not their heart!” “Could it be retaliation? Because of that…” “Shh, don’t talk!” I stood there like a clown, utterly humiliated. I couldn’t take it anymore. I punched Jason Clark in the face. “This is my project! How dare you just take it?” Vivian’s face immediately darkened. She had an employee escort the client out, not wanting them to witness a company dispute. Once they left, Vivian slapped me across the face. After she hit me, her body trembled violently, and she quickly pulled her hand back. Since we married, we had always been loving and had never fought. Now, because of Jason Clark, Vivian had truly lost it with me for the first time. “Are you done making a scene? Do you have to embarrass me in front of everyone? If you want money, I can give it to you.” “The client was just here, and you act childishly, trying to steal a project like a thief.” She didn’t even offer me an explanation. Even if I continued to insist the project was mine, no one would believe me. Jason Clark hypocritically rushed to Vivian’s side. “CEO Hayes, don’t blame Director Miller. Don’t let my affairs cause you two to argue.” But our marriage had already fractured because of him. He’d even fathered a child with her. I laughed self-deprecatingly, tears of utter disappointment welling in my eyes. Seeing me like this, Vivian’s heart fluttered. She wanted to say something, but I had already taken off my work badge and thrown it on the floor. “Vivian Hayes, I’ll send you the divorce papers and my resignation letter later.” With that, I disappeared through the doorway. Vivian was stunned. She hadn’t expected me to bring up divorce. Just as she was about to chase after me, Jason Clark quickly stopped her. “Vivian, let’s go home quickly!” “Mom just called, said the baby’s been crying non-stop.” “I think he misses his mommy.” Hearing this, Vivian lost all inclination to look for me and hurriedly left with Jason Clark. I watched her retreating figure, so decisive. It never occurred to her that she had another child at home waiting for her, also longing for his mother’s embrace. Son, we don’t want a mother like that. 4 As soon as I got home, I heard my son crying. At that moment, an endless wave of sorrow washed over me. His mother was on the other side, taking care of someone else’s child, never once asking about him. I picked him up, cooed softly, and lulled him to sleep. Just as he finally drifted off, my phone buzzed with a video call from Jason Clark. My finger accidentally swiped and answered. The just-asleep baby instantly started crying again. But I stared transfixed at the video, at the naked man and woman passionately kissing, clinging to each other. “Jason, be careful, I just finished my postpartum recovery.” “Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.” “Let’s just indulge one last time. After tomorrow, I have to go home.” “I’ve neglected him for so long because of you. When I think of the disappointed look in his eyes, I get so scared I’ll lose him.” “And you, why did you have to steal his project? You made me frame him.” Vivian playfully tapped Jason’s chest, but after a few taps, she slowly melted into his tender embrace. My eyes were bloodshot. I screamed at the shameless couple in the video like a madman, but they didn’t seem to hear. Only I was left, like a fool, to endure the torment. So, Vivian knew the project was mine, but she chose to frame me for Jason Clark’s sake. My heart died in that instant. Finally, I smashed my phone against the wall. My heart truly ached, so cold. There was no need to stay in this house anymore; it was Vivian’s pre-nuptial property. The day I married her, many of her friends had secretly called me ungrateful, mocking me as a poor loser unworthy of Vivian. For her, I had endured it all. That’s why I worked so hard on the project. In the end, I had only paved the way for someone else. The next day, I woke up early, packed my things, and signed the divorce papers, leaving them on the coffee table before I left. I took my son and left without a shred of reluctance. Unexpectedly, just as I opened the door, Vivian returned with Jason Clark’s spawn. The moment she saw me, she leaned into my arms. “Liam, I’m back!” “I know you and our son must have missed us, right?” Missed them? Ha! I emotionlessly pushed Vivian away. Thinking of her betrayal and her indulgence of Jason Clark, I wished I never had to see her again in this lifetime. “Liam? You… what’s wrong?” “Are you still angry about the project?” I said nothing, just watched her with extreme coldness, waiting to see how she would explain herself. Just then, Jason Clark’s child started crying. Vivian’s eyes lit up. She handed the baby to me. “Liam, you haven’t seen little Jake yet. Quick, hold him.” I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. She’d been back for so long and hadn’t asked a single question about the child in our home, yet she wanted me to hold Jason Clark’s spawn. “Vivian Hayes, can you stop pretending?” “This child is clearly one of the heteropaternal twins you carried, Jason Clark’s spawn. Why should I hold my wife’s lover’s child?” Vivian’s eyes widened, and she stood there stunned for a long time. “You… you knew?” “The truth always comes out.” I threw the divorce papers in her face. “Since it’s come to this, let’s just get divorced. I’ll let you two tragic lovers be together.” Just as I was about to leave, Vivian tearfully hugged me from behind. “No, let’s not get divorced.” “I’ll change. To make up for my mistake, I’ve decided to hold a one-month celebration for the baby tomorrow and announce that I’ll transfer all my assets to our child, okay?” Seeing I was unmoved, Vivian snatched my son from my arms, her eyes red with tears. The moment the child saw his mother, he smiled. I hesitated. So, I waited. For my son, I would give her one more chance. That night, Vivian dressed very provocatively and came into my room to sleep with me, but I kicked her out. She didn’t get angry. She was about to try again when she received a call from Jason Clark. Soon after, she looked distraught, unhesitatingly changed her clothes, and hurried out. Until the next day, at the baby’s one-month celebration party. Vivian had already instructed her new assistant to seat my son and me at the main table. Soon, she appeared, holding Jason Clark’s child in one arm and Jason Clark himself on the other. She chatted and laughed with numerous distinguished guests, completely forgetting about my son and me. Everyone was watching me, making a fool of myself. When it came to the announcement, Vivian looked conflicted, her eyes avoiding ours. “Taking advantage of my child’s one-month celebration today, I have a joyous announcement to make.” “That is, I’ve decided to transfer my company assets to the child in my arms as his inheritance.” At that moment, everyone cheered. Only I picked up my son and left the venue, dejected. Vivian, oh Vivian, if you couldn’t do it, why did you promise? You gave us hope again and again, only to crush us with despair in the end. This time, I was completely heartbroken. I took my son and left this sorrowful city directly. And when Vivian couldn’t find my son and me anywhere at the banquet, her heart trembled with panic. Just then, her assistant ran over, flustered. “CEO Hayes, bad news!” “The client just called. They said the project design proposal wasn’t the final version, just an unfinished draft.” “They’re demanding the final version now, or they’ll terminate the contract and sue us for fraud.”

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It was a festive day in early June, and my husband had finally agreed to take our fraternal twins to the newly opened amusement park to ride the Ferris wheel. But then his old flame called, needing help for sudden appendicitis. He abandoned our young children at the park in a torrential downpour, saying it was to “toughen them up.” I was on my knees outside the security office, desperately pleading for them to check the surveillance footage, while he was accompanying his ex to a spa treatment. His voice came through the phone, casual and unconcerned: “What’s so dangerous about a Ferris wheel? Boys need to learn to be strong.” Three hours later, clutching our son’s tattered teddy bear jacket, I found our daughter curled up in a corner, tightly gripping her own stuffed animal. That night, Ethan Vance set off a city-wide fireworks display to celebrate his old flame’s pregnancy. 1. I sat numbly outside the ER, the sharp smell of antiseptic stinging my nostrils. Waiting anxiously for news about my daughter, my mind replayed the horrific, fragmented images of my son. My fingers fumbled for the phone in my pocket. Seventeen missed calls, all from Ethan Vance’s secretary. The latest text read: “Mr. Vance will not be returning tonight. Please handle the arrangements yourself, Madam.” Arrangements? For what? For the mangled remains of my son? In a daze, I thought I heard Ellie’s piercing scream again. What excruciating pain must Leo have endured when he was pulled into those gears? The thought tore through me, a visceral agony. A heart-wrenching wail came from the direction of the morgue. I turned stiffly to see my mother-in-law, Mrs. Jiang, stumbling towards me, clutching a blood-stained death certificate. “Ellie… my Ellie!” she collapsed to her knees, her withered hands reaching for my empty arms. “Where’s my grandson?” My lips moved, but no sound came out. My throat was a block of ice. Hours ago, when they found what was left of Leo, the bloody, mangled pieces couldn’t even be pieced together into a recognizable human form. “Where is Ethan Vance?” Mrs. Jiang suddenly grabbed my shoulders, her voice a raw shriek. “His own son is obliterated, and he’s still with that viper?” I stared at the red light of the ER, a bitter laugh escaping me. How ironic. Right now, Ethan was surely holding Sarah Ramsey, watching the fireworks, while my son… my son was gone, not even a body left to mourn. Seeing Mrs. Jiang’s devastation, I finally steeled myself. Childhood betrothals, lifelong friendships… all of it could be discarded. My mother-in-law trembled, about to speak, when the ER doors burst open. A doctor removed his mask. “Mrs. Vance, your daughter is suffering from trauma-induced mutism. She needs to be transferred immediately.” Mrs. Jiang’s cries ceased abruptly. She stumbled and knelt, hugging my legs. “The Vance family has brought this upon you! Chloe, my dear, I should never have let Ethan marry you. That… that creature is worse than an animal…” The little girl who always clung to me, calling “Mommy” in her sweet voice, could no longer speak. I leaned back against the cold white wall, slumping like a boneless doll. I bit into the flesh of my hand, the metallic taste of blood the only thing keeping me conscious. “The family can handle the transfer procedures.” The doctor handed me a form. I reached for it, my five fingers trembling like autumn leaves in the wind. Mrs. Jiang tried to take it. “Let me…” “No need,” my voice was chillingly cold. “You stay with Ellie.” On the way to the billing office, my phone buzzed again. A text from Ethan: “Did you pick up the kids? Sarah’s shaken up. Not coming home tonight.” I stared at the glaring words, a sharp, hysterical laugh tearing from my throat. The hallway window reflected my contorted smile, the image of a madwoman. So what if I was mad? Leo was dead. Ellie couldn’t speak. And Ethan Vance was celebrating his old flame’s new baby. How utterly absurd! The billing nurse looked at me, alarmed. “Are you… alright, ma’am?” I looked down and saw my blood-stained fingertips counting out the cash, the edges of the bills soaked dark red. Just like the park ticket Leo had clutched so tightly before he died. He’d wanted to ride that Ferris wheel so badly, the ticket was soaked through with his sweat. When I returned to the room, Ellie was awake, curled up in the corner of the bed, hugging her stuffed animal. Seeing me, her lips trembled violently, but no sound emerged. Tears streamed down her face. I wrapped my arms around her small, thin body, smelling the faint metallic, rusty scent in her hair. “M… M…” Ellie managed a breathy sound, her small hands clutching my clothes desperately. “B-bro… bro…” Finally, the dam inside me broke. I buried my face in my little girl’s thin shoulder, biting my own wrist to stifle the sobs that wracked my body. The pain of my teeth sinking into flesh was nothing—Leo, torn apart by gears, must have suffered a thousand times more. Outside, fireworks suddenly bloomed, painting the hospital room in flashes of light and shadow. A news alert popped up on my phone: “Vance Heir Spends Millions on Celebration for Fiancée.” The accompanying photo showed Ethan with his arm around Sarah Ramsey on a balcony, holding champagne flutes, smiling tenderly. I gently stroked Ellie’s trembling back, humming Leo’s favorite lullaby. The glass reflected our ghostly figures, mother and daughter, like shattered souls. My phone vibrated in my pocket. Ethan’s voice, harsh and grating: “Chloe Shang, you’re so damn poisonous! You’d even lie about Mom to trick me into coming home? You can’t even look after a mute kid, and now you dare curse my child with death?” “How dangerous can a Ferris wheel be? That thing moves slower than a turtle. If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable.” “Isn’t having one autistic son bad enough? Now you’re using a dead kid to threaten me? If something really happened, just tell the hospital to cremate him directly. Don’t think you can use the kids as bargaining chips to keep me.” These words fell precisely on my mother-in-law’s ears as she walked in with some food. She almost fainted, her breath catching in her throat. Her face turned ashen. She snatched the phone from my hand and roared into it. “Ethan Vance, you heartless, ungrateful bastard! Even a vicious tiger doesn’t eat its own cubs! You’re lower than an animal! That bitch Sarah Ramsey—why didn’t she just die abroad when she took the money and left? Now she comes back and gets my grandson killed! You two despicable dogs deserve to burn in the deepest level of hell!” She was shaking with rage. She turned and kicked viciously at the Vance Corporation logo on a nearby plaque in the hallway. “I’m calling a board meeting right now to have you removed! From now on, you won’t get a single cent!” With that, she slammed the phone onto the floor. It shattered into pieces. Mrs. Jiang stumbled back to me, hugging me tightly, her tears soaking my shoulder. “Chloe, my dear… it’s the Vance family that has wronged you… Don’t worry, even if it means bankrupting the family, I’ll make sure Ellie gets the best treatment. That heartless piece of trash doesn’t deserve to be a father, much less a Vance!” I looked at the new white hairs estrésaking my mother-in-law’s head. Only a few hours had passed, but the formidable businesswoman, a titan in her field for over a decade, had aged years, looking as withered as decaying wood. Years ago, my own mother, desperate to secure a powerful connection for me, had shamelessly brought up a jesting childhood engagement promise made with Mrs. Jiang. Instead of being angry, Mrs. Jiang had honored it. Then, my mother had thrown herself into the sea. I had lived with the Vances since I was ten. All these years, Mrs. Jiang had treated me like her own daughter. And Julian… he had always been good to me too. To repay her kindness, I married Ethan Vance without a second thought. I’ve diligently managed the household all these years, hoping to clear that debt of gratitude. 2. That night, white mourning drapes were hung in the Vance home. I was alone in the makeshift memorial hall. Ellie couldn’t be brought back here; she was at the old family estate. White candles flickered in the draft, and the ashes of burnt offerings drifted onto Leo’s photograph. In the photo, he looked as shy as a little girl, trying to force a stiff smile. I stared into the flames, murmuring, “Leo, in your next life… will you be Mommy’s boy again?” It wasn’t until late at night that Ethan Vance stumbled in, reeking of alcohol, with Sarah Ramsey trailing behind him. He glanced at the memorial, sneered, and kicked over the basket of offerings. “Quite the performance, Chloe. Who are you trying to impress? Besides, one useless autistic kid dies, so what? Is it really worth all this fuss?” My eyes blazed red. I roared at Ethan, “I won’t let you insult my son!” Sarah simpered, tugging at Ethan’s sleeve. “Ethan, don’t be like this… Chloe is already so heartbroken.” “Heartbroken?” He laughed coldly. “Her son is dead, and she hasn’t shed more than a few tears. You call that heartbroken?” Sarah shot me a look of feigned pity. “Chloe, my condolences… If one child is gone, you can always have another. Maybe Leo was even reincarnated in me, ah…” A scream tore through the memorial hall. I lunged, brandishing the fire tongs I’d just pulled from the brazier, and brought them down hard on her flailing hands. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air instantly. Several of her meticulously manicured nails flew off. “Chloe, are you insane?” Ethan roared, kicking me viciously in the stomach. “You think you can touch Sarah’s hands?” He grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the hardwood offering table. The sharp edge gashed my forehead, and blood instantly blurred my vision. Ethan’s contorted face was like a demon’s, finally completely separate from Julian’s shadow… Wave after wave of searing pain shot through me as the hot tongs pried off my fingernails, one by one. “Why aren’t you screaming? You gave birth to a freak, and now you have the audacity to act crazy?” Sarah clutched her hand, crying a river of tears. “Ethan, it hurts so much…” Ethan immediately kicked me aside to console Sarah. Sarah’s eyes were red from crying, looking like a frightened rabbit. Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and kissed her deeply. “Don’t… Chloe’s still here.” “So what if she hears? What can she do?” I bit down hard on the inside of my lip, wishing I could tear them both limb from limb. Sarah clung to Ethan’s neck, giggling. “Isn’t this a bit too… stimulating, in here?” Ethan pushed her down onto the offering table. “You still have the mind for other things? Looks like I haven’t been working hard enough…” “Ethan, I’m scared of that little freak’s eyes…” Hearing this, Ethan turned, snatched Leo’s memorial photo, and smashed it on the ground. “Damn unlucky thing, spoiling my fun.” Leo’s photo flew into the embers and caught fire, the flames instantly engulfing the mourning banner. In the thick smoke, Ethan’s curses mingled with the crackling of burning wood. My eyelids twitched. I couldn’t hold on any longer. I fainted… When I woke up, Mrs. Jiang was sitting by my bed. Her face was haggard, with dark circles under her eyes. “Chloe, you’re awake?” I opened my mouth, but my throat was too dry and cracked to make a sound. Mrs. Jiang immediately handed me a glass of warm water. “The board is in an emergency meeting. We might not have a result for three days. I didn’t expect that man to have a contingency plan even after death, requiring a unanimous vote from the board to protect Ethan.” Mrs. Jiang held my hand, her voice hoarse. “But don’t worry, the ultimate power is still in my hands. Even if…” “Mom…” I interrupted suddenly. “Where’s Ellie?” Mrs. Jiang forced a reassuring smile. “I’ve already arranged for Ellie. She’s been sent to the best child psychology treatment center abroad. The doctor is a family friend. Ethan won’t find her.” The tension coiling in my nerves finally snapped. Tears streamed down my face. Mrs. Jiang was silent for a moment. Last night’s incident was known to everyone. She had just come out of the meeting room when she received an alert from the remote surveillance. She watched the entire recording. As soon as dawn broke, she had someone draft a document. Mrs. Jiang looked at me with guilt. “These are divorce papers. Sign them. Take Ellie… and never come back.” I pushed the papers away and shook my head. I might be free, but what about my Leo and Ellie? Who would avenge them? I wouldn’t let Ethan get away with just being dismissed and kicked out of the Vance family. I stared at my bandaged hands. “Mom, I still remember what Father-in-law said to me when he was alive… The Vance family motto: ‘Vance women are widowed, never divorced.’” Mrs. Jiang looked into my dead, lifeless eyes and suddenly covered her face, sobbing. “If only Julian were still alive… If only that child had made it through that winter…” I turned to look out the window. A dandelion seed floated in, twirling, and landed on my hand. Late that night, I climbed onto the slippery deck of the pirate ship ride in the deserted amusement park. The cartoon-painted ship swayed in the wind. “Leo’s not afraid…” I whispered, cradling the small porcelain urn that held a shard of his bone ash. “Mommy’s taking you… on the pirate ship…” The wind wasn’t strong, just enough to rock the pirate ship like a gentle swing. Leo and I both loved swings. Ethan was abroad for most of the year. I knew he hated me. If I hadn’t insisted on marrying him against everyone’s advice, Sarah would be the one by his side now. That year Ethan returned from studying abroad, he didn’t seem to like me. Especially after hearing my mother had killed herself over a non-existent marriage pact, forcing me into the Vance family, his eyes were always filled with disdain. He, on the other hand, favored Sarah, whom he’d met at university. I remembered six years ago, Mrs. Jiang had originally wanted to adopt me as her daughter. For so many years, I was supposedly her daughter-in-law-to-be, but it was more like being an adopted daughter. She gave me almost everything I asked for. She doted on me, cherished me, protected me. She always said my mother was her childhood savior, and even though they eventually went their separate ways, she wished her well. The moment I saw Ethan Vance’s face, I asked Mrs. Jiang for something for the first time. That day, Ethan smashed everything he could in the house, until Mrs. Jiang slapped him. “If you don’t marry Chloe Shang, you are no son of mine.” Ethan left home in silence. But after his accounts were frozen for a few days, he relented. Does a rich boy born with a silver spoon know where to go without money? Just like now, does Ethan Vance know that what he has was never truly his? At three in the morning, #VanceHeirAbandonsKidsForTryst exploded on social media. Surveillance footage showed Ethan taking a call and suddenly leaving his children in line. Shortly after, hotel security footage showed Ethan holding Sarah Ramsey as they entered an elevator… Before dawn, Mrs. Jiang froze all of Ethan Vance’s assets. 3. “Mr. Vance, bad news! Mrs. Vance is gone!” The assistant rushed in to report. GPS showed my last known location was the hospital, then I had vanished without a trace. Ethan sneered. “Where could she go? Ellie is still recovering. Don’t bother reporting such clumsy lies in the future.” The assistant lowered his head, speaking softly, “Mr. Vance, Miss Ellie is also gone.” Hearing this, Ethan froze, his body swaying. His phone suddenly vibrated. Ethan clicked it open, his expression growing darker. Sarah looked up. “Ethan, what’s wrong?” “My mother froze all my assets.” He gritted his teeth and quickly grabbed his things. “I have to go back to the old house.” Sarah immediately clutched his sleeve. “I’ll go with you. Auntie must have misunderstood.” “Shut up!” Ethan shake off her hand, but seeing her aggrieved expression, his tone softened. “Sarah, you’re pregnant now. Don’t get agitated.” Thirty minutes later, Ethan pushed open the gates of the old Vance family estate. “Mom, why did you freeze all my accounts?” In the family shrine, Mrs. Jiang stood with her back to him, gently wiping Leo’s memorial photo. “You still have the nerve to come back?” Mrs. Jiang’s voice was ice-cold, her fingers gently caressing the photo frame. “Leo is dead, Ellie can’t speak, Chloe is gone. Are you satisfied?” A look of dawning comprehension spread across Ethan’s face. “What game is Chloe playing now? Isn’t she just trying to force me home? Did she really need you and the assistant to play along with her act?” Sarah clung to his arm, cooing in agreement. “Exactly, Auntie. Chloe always likes to make a big fuss. Maybe the children weren’t even in any real trouble?” Mrs. Jiang backhanded him across the face, her hand striking with furous. She then ordered her men to hold Sarah and slap her. “Mom! What are you doing!” Ethan frowned and ordered everyone to stand down. Mrs. Jiang pointed at his face, her voice scathing. “You killed your own son for this woman, and now you’re blaming Chloe.” “The Vance family doesn’t have a descendant like you, who kills his son and abuses his wife!” Sarah’s mind raced. She immediately fell to her knees before Mrs. Jiang, her face a mask of tearful sorrow. “Auntie, please don’t blame Ethan. It’s all my fault.” “I know Chloe hates me, but Ethan and I are truly in love… If I had been the one to marry him back then, maybe the children wouldn’t have been harmed…” Her pitiful appearance made Ethan’s heart soften. “Sarah, it was never your fault. It was me…” “Silence!” Mrs. Jiang cut him off sharply, her eyes like daggers. “Sarah Ramsey, I gave you fifty million dollars back then to get out of the country. You promised you would never appear before Ethan again for the rest of your life!” Sarah’s face paled. She shrank back into Ethan’s embrace, whimpering, “Ethan, how can Auntie say such things about me…” Ethan rubbed his temples, irritated. “Mom, Sarah is pregnant with my child now. Can you please stop targeting her?” “Chloe, how long is she going to keep up this act? Conspiring with you to stage this grand drama of a dead son. Mom, you’re going along with this nonsense too.” “If it weren’t for those two little brats insisting on going to the amusement park on Memorial Day, would I have missed Sarah’s surgery? Now someone’s dead, and it’s suddenly my fault?” Mrs. Jiang trembled with rage. She raised her hand to slap him, but he caught her wrist sharply. “Mom, are you senile? Why did Leo die?” He turned to stare at the empty memorial hall, as if questioning the child who was no longer there. “He was five years old and still afraid to go to the bathroom by himself. Isn’t that because Chloe didn’t teach him properly?” A sudden flash of lightning outside illuminated his twisted face. “I told them to wait in line for their mother. I was training their courage. Boys should be brave. But Chloe…” His teeth ground together. “She couldn’t even look after one autistic freak. Does she even deserve to be a mother?” “Ethan Vance, are you even human?” Mrs. Jiang exploded, slapping him hard across the face. The force was so great that Ethan’s head snapped to the side, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. She was shaking all over, her aged fingers almost poking him in the eye. “Leo was only five! Ellie is only five! When that storm hit, where could they possibly hide? You told them to wait? Wait to die?” Ethan wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, a cold smirk on his face. “Mom, don’t let Chloe fool you. She…” “Shut up!” Mrs. Jiang grabbed a teacup from the offering table and hurled it at him. It shattered at his feet, splashing hot water on his pants, making him jump back. “Chloe has managed this household for years, taken care of the children. Are you blind? What have you ever done besides drink and party? Who stayed up for three days and nights to care for you when you were seriously ill? Who abased herself, begging for help when your company was in trouble? Ethan Vance, has your conscience been eaten by a dog?!” Ethan’s face was livid, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles cracked. “She did all that, wasn’t it for the Vance family money?” “Money?” “Back then, I cherished Chloe like my own daughter. If not doted on and pampered, she was still someone I raised in the palm of my hand! Why would she need to marry you for money? Ethan Vance, do you know your son is dead? When he died, you were still with that woman getting beauty treatments!” These words made Ethan’s face change drastically. The flush of anger instantly drained away, leaving him pale and deflated. “My son… is dead?” Mrs. Jiang pressed a button on the remote. A projection screen slowly descended, and the surveillance footage played clearly: The amusement park in the pouring rain. Leo standing alone under the Ferris wheel. A strangely dressed person, completely covered, silently approached him and suddenly pushed him into the moving gears! Ethan’s pupils contracted violently. His heart felt as if it were being crushed by an invisible hand. “No… impossible…” He stumbled backward, his voice trembling. “Leo… it was an accident…” “Accident? Then listen to this!”

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My daughter was on her way home from a late study group when she was dragged into an alley and brutally assaulted. My wife, Sarah, a lawyer, knew I wasn’t there, yet she provided a false testimony, framing me as a monster who would even harm his own daughter. I wanted to confront her, but then I accidentally heard a conversation between her and an old flame on the dashcam. “I’ve paid off all the witnesses from that night. Don’t expect me to clean up your messes if you pull something like this again!” The man laughed dismissively. “It’s her own damn fault for stumbling on us. Besides, this is the perfect way to send Ethan to prison. Then we can finally be together, out in the open!” I was shaking with rage. Sarah was so sure I couldn’t clear my name that she was already gallivanting with her old lover, taking over all my projects. Little did they know, just as their plane took off, my daughter, who had been unconscious, woke up and identified the real attacker. … I’d known for a long time that Mark Jensen, from that rival company, was the old love Sarah could never forget. But I never imagined she’d know Mark was the one who left our daughter critically injured, yet still cover for him, trying to pin everything on me. I parked outside Sarah’s law office. The lights were on. I dragged myself to the door. She was slumped on the sofa, frowning, her handbag stuffed with cash. “Use this money to get everyone who saw Mark that night out of the country. Not a whisper can get out.” Her friend, after taking the money, reminded her. “Are you really not going to pay Lily’s medical bills? The hospital called; if we don’t pay by tomorrow morning, they might stop treatment. She’s your own flesh and blood. What if something happens?” Hearing this, Sarah’s eyes lit up. She scoffed, her tone much lighter. “I’m doing this for Lily’s own good. She’s so badly hurt, even if she hangs on, it’s just suffering. Better to let her go peacefully.” “Besides, who knows if she actually got a good look at Mark’s face that night? I can’t have any loose ends threatening him.” “If she’s lucky enough to hold on until Ethan confesses and is locked up, then I’ll get her treatment again. Consider it compensation.” Sarah’s coldness was as if the person fighting for her life in the hospital was a complete stranger. Even her friend couldn’t help but frown. “But once Ethan confesses, he’ll be in jail for life. You two have been married for so many years…” Sarah cut her friend off, her face grim, and slammed the family photo frame from her desk onto the floor. The frame shattered. She carefully picked up an old photo from between the layers, her eyes filled with longing as she stared at the younger versions of herself and Mark. “If Ethan hadn’t drugged me back then, getting me pregnant while I was out of it, why would I have ever left Mark? He owes us this.” “I don’t know how many times I’ve leaked Ethan’s confidential information to Mark over the years, and his company still hasn’t gone under! This time, there’s no way he’s getting away!” The car keys snapped in my grip. The pink crystal bracelet Sarah had given me fell into the grass, stained with blood and dirt. Sarah and I practically grew up together, though we were separated for many years. We reconnected at a hotel. She was a legal intern then, unconscious, being dragged into a hotel room by two sleazy, middle-aged men. I saved her. As I was about to leave, she suddenly woke up, clinging to me, begging me to save her. After that night, I proposed to Sarah, and she happily accepted. Throughout our marriage, no matter what difficulties I faced in my career or personal life, she stood by me, unwavering. I always thought she was the most virtuous wife in the world. But I never expected she always believed I was the one who drugged her back then, and all the setbacks I’d experienced over the years were orchestrated by her! Thinking of my poor daughter lying in the hospital, my heart felt like it was being roasted over coals, an unbearable pain. To pay Lily’s medical bills in time, I suppressed the urge to rush in and confront Sarah, got in my car, and left. My accounts were frozen, so I had to go home to get the cash I’d stashed away. Just as I grabbed the money and was about to head to the hospital, a harsh car horn blared outside, followed by a group of people cornering me in my house. “Ethan! You did that to Lily, and she’s still fighting for her life! Not only do you show no remorse, but you’re actually trying to run away!” 2 “If I’d known you’d do something so evil, I should have aborted her when I got pregnant after you drugged me. It would have saved her from suffering in this world.” “Sarah, you know damn well who really hurt Lily!” My eyes bloodshot, I lunged at Mark, grabbing his collar and punching him repeatedly in the face. Soon, blood was streaming from his nose and mouth. “Mark, you animal, you subhuman scum! I’ll make you pay for what you did to my daughter!” “Sarah, Lily is your own daughter! How could you help this monster hide the truth? Are you even human?!” Four police officers had to restrain me to pull Mark away. Sarah rushed over to help him up, her eyes filled with pain as she looked at his bruised face. That sight stabbed me in the eyes. Mark had a few superficial injuries, and she was that distressed. But our daughter? When she was brought to the hospital, she was covered in wounds, her breathing so faint it was barely perceptible. Seeing Sarah lower her gaze, I spoke in an almost pleading tone, “Whatever it is, can’t it wait until after we pay for Lily’s medical bills? She’s waiting for that money to save her life.” But ultimately, I was disappointed. Sarah didn’t hesitate to slap me across the face. “You just want to get close to Lily to kill her and cover up your crime! I can afford any amount of medical expenses; how could I possibly let her go without treatment?” With that, she looked tearfully at the police and walked directly to the entrance of our basement, opening the door. “He’s been after Lily for a long time. All this stuff in here, these are clothes he bought for her. He has the purchase records on his phone.” When the crowd saw the state of the basement, their angry glares could have skinned me alive. After Lily started elementary school, I had turned the basement into her secret hideout. And those strange-looking clothes were her anime cosplay outfits. Because Lily was sensible, I fully supported her hobby. Sarah knew all of this and had always approved. But now, these things had become the “evidence” she used to slander me. No matter how much I explained, no one would believe me. Some neighbor picked up a rock and threw it at me, gashing my forehead, and blood streamed down. “What a monster! No wonder I always saw him with his daughter. I thought he was a responsible father, but he’s this disgusting!” “We can’t let him off just because he’s the victim’s father! This kind of person deserves the death penalty!” The crowd’s spittle nearly drowned me. Seeing my explanations were useless, Sarah seized the opportunity to continue. “The last time I worked late, you made a move on Lily. If Mark hadn’t come over to consult me on a legal matter and happened to walk in, you would have succeeded.” “I wanted to give you a chance, but I never thought it would lead to Lily’s death. It’s my failure as a mother. I deserve to die!” Sarah cried, collapsing to her knees, looking every bit the devoted mother. Seeing this, I remembered the recording on the dashcam and quickly said. “Officers, the dashcam has a recording of their conversation afterward. It’s enough to prove Mark Jensen is involved in what happened to my daughter!” “As far as I know, Mark Jensen has no alibi for that night.” Mark’s eyes flickered for a moment, then quickly returned to normal. He smiled at me, mockingly. “You’re really desperate to clear your name, aren’t you? If I remember correctly, you did voice-over work in college. Faking a conversation in my voice should be easy for you.” Before I could say anything, Sarah stood up and shielded Mark, her eyes so cold they could pierce me. “Who says Mark doesn’t have an alibi? I can vouch for him. At the time of the incident, he was at my office discussing business with me. I have the security footage from then.” 3 “Ethan, what do you have to say now? If you confess honestly, when Lily wakes up, I won’t tell her who the real culprit is. We’ll just say you, her father, died in an accident.” Impossible! The one who hurt my daughter was Mark! But why did Sarah have security footage of him at her office? What the hell was going on? “That poor child, how will she ever get over this trauma? Arrest him quickly, before the child wakes up and can’t bear to see him!” “I’ve seen this Mr. Jensen. He’s always been very good to Sarah and the child. He definitely doesn’t seem like the type to do something like this. He probably came to the house often to warn Ethan.” “If you didn’t do it, why would your wife help an outsider point the finger at you? If the person closest to you says it, how can it be false?” After I was handcuffed, Sarah quietly approached me. “If you don’t want Lily to suffer more, then confess obediently. As long as the culprit isn’t caught, I can’t calm down enough to go to the hospital and take care of her.” “In your dreams! I will make the person who hurt Lily pay!” I said, looking at Mark with pure hatred. I would make him pay for my daughter’s life with his own! Sarah frowned unhappily, but seeing the police approaching, she said no more. The same night I was taken to the holding cell, I was released. Just when I thought the truth was out, I saw Sarah standing outside the gate. “Lily is fading fast. So I specially came to bail you out, so you can see her one last time.” My ears were ringing, Sarah’s words echoing in my mind. Days of worry and running around had finally taken their toll. Her words were the last straw, and I fainted. When I woke up again, I found myself tied up in the abandoned alley where my daughter had been attacked. Half my clothes had been stripped off, yet my body was filled with an indescribable, burning heat. Sarah, wearing gloves, approached me with a look of disgust. “What are you doing? Where’s Lily? I need to see her!” As soon as I spoke, I realized my mouth was terribly dry, and my head was spinning. “Sarah!” Watching her approach step by step, I nearly bit my teeth to pieces. “We’ve been married for so many years, no need to be shy. Blame yourself for not confessing. I can only… complete the evidence chain by getting some of your DNA, so you have no chance of turning this around.” Just as Sarah’s hand was about to touch me, I kicked out with all my strength, sending her flying. She clutched her hand in pain, letting out a low cry. Soon, another figure emerged from the shadows. “I told you he wouldn’t give in so easily. Blood works just as well. You go wait outside, don’t want this mad dog hurting you.” Mark took out a two-inch needle and plunged it entirely into my finger. The excruciating pain made my veins pop, and my teeth ground together. Sarah merely glanced over, then quickly went out to keep watch. Seeing my agony, Mark’s face twisted into a cruel grin. “Ethan, I really didn’t expect Sarah to end up in your bed. I should have enjoyed her myself sooner.” “But it’s not too late now. Your daughter not only looks a lot like her, but she’s even more tender than Sarah was when she was with me back then, tsk tsk tsk…” “It’s just that you raised her too delicately. I barely touched her, and she almost stopped breathing.” “But older ginger is spicier. These past few days, I’ve found that an older woman like Sarah has more charm. She’s very accommodating to me, very obedient.” As he spoke, he deliberately leaned down to show me the red marks beneath his collar. But my gaze fell on a half-visible tattoo on his chest, where his shirt didn’t cover it. Why did that tattoo look so familiar? 4 Before I could recall, Mark abruptly pulled out the needle, dripping my blood in a hidden corner of the alley. After finishing, he looked at me smugly. “I was originally going to wait until your daughter was an adult to come for her. But who asked you to suddenly release that new game a while back, stealing my company’s market share?” “That useless Sarah couldn’t even steal a source code. I had to teach you a lesson myself. She told me you have several unfinished game designs. I’ll complete them all and release them through my company.” “Oh, and to help you and your daughter reunite подземлей sooner, I’ll have Sarah give up on your daughter’s treatment.” Hearing Mark was going to let my daughter die, I found strength from somewhere, broke free from the ropes, and lunged at him, choking him. “Mark Jensen, go to hell!” I straddled him, my hands clamped tightly around his neck. As Mark struggled, his shirt came open, allowing me to see the tattoo on his body more clearly. Just as I was distracted, I was hit hard on the head. A warm stream flowed from my forehead, and my vision turned blood red. Sarah threw down the brick, helped Mark up, her eyes burning with anger. “Ethan, if you hadn’t been so despicable and drugged me back then, how could you have stolen me from Mark? You’ve owed Mark for all these years; you should have paid him back long ago.” “And that filthy child who carries your blood, there’s indeed no need to save her!” Hearing her bring up the past, I finally remembered where I’d seen that tattoo. The person who had handed the unconscious Sarah over to those two middle-aged men—though I hadn’t seen his face, I’d seen the tattoo on his chest. It was Mark who drugged her and gave her to those two men! Just as I was about to tell Sarah the truth, Mark leaned close to my ear and whispered. “Actually, Sarah knew all along I was coming for your daughter. That’s why she arranged for someone who looks like me to be filmed for an alibi beforehand.” “In her eyes, your lives, father and daughter, are worth less than a dog’s.” After saying that, he suddenly cried out in alarm. Sarah, without asking why, rushed over and kicked me away. “Ethan, you really are stubborn! How dare you hurt Mark! I’ll transfer all your assets to Mark’s name as compensation to him.” Watching the two of them walk away, my vision went black, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up again, I found myself in a hospital, with a few police officers guarding my bed. Thinking of my critically ill daughter, I quickly jumped out of bed and knelt before them. “Please, let me pay my daughter’s medical bills first. Her condition is critical, I beg you!” But before the police could speak, a doctor hurriedly called them away. I was handcuffed to the bed, unable to leave the room. Thinking of my daughter lying alone in her hospital room, my body and heart grew colder and colder, my eyes filled with despair. Could I really only watch helplessly as my daughter died? A huge sense of dread almost overwhelmed me. And just at that moment, Sarah sent me photos of two plane tickets. Then, a call came through. Mark’s smug voice came first. “I hear you spent years painstakingly building your company in Bridgewater. Well, it’ll be mine soon.” Sarah’s cold voice followed. “I have to accompany Mark to take over the company, so I won’t be back for a few days. I’ve already arranged for someone to handle Lily’s funeral arrangements. If she doesn’t make it, have the hospital contact this person. Don’t bother me.” My eyes instantly turned bloodshot. Just as I was about to speak, two police officers rushed in. “Ethan, your daughter’s awake!”

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