Author: Momo Chan

The night before my wedding, Ben informed me he was child-free. “Summer, if you can accept this, we’ll go ahead. If not… better to walk away now.” His words hit me like a bolt of lightning. But the house was full of family and friends, celebrating our joy, and I was already halfway down the aisle. How could I walk away now? I could only choose to leap for love, resolutely marrying him. Then, on our fifth wedding anniversary, Ben suddenly changed his mind. “Summer, let’s try for a kid through IVF. Consider it my gift to you.” 1. “Are you serious?” “Ben, are you really willing to have a baby with me?” I was so excited when I heard Ben say that, I grabbed his hand. Then, remembering his obsessive cleanliness, I quickly let go. My heart was pounding, waiting for his answer. “Of course.” “Summer, I’ve been neglecting you these past few years. With a child, you won’t be so lonely…” The weight lifted from my chest, and I exhaled deeply. For five years, Ben had been consumed by work, and we rarely spent quality time together. Our home, already small, felt even emptier. I had longed for a child more than anything. Now, my wish was finally coming true. As for IVF… I learned after our wedding that Ben’s “child-free” stance had another layer to it. He had severe germaphobia. He couldn’t even hold my hand or give me a hug, let alone share a bed and be intimate. Our marriage was a piece of paper and nothing more. If Ben hadn’t stepped in and proposed when my fiancé and sister betrayed me, I don’t know if I would have ever believed he truly loved me. *But now, the “child-free” Ben is willing to have a baby with me. He must love me.* Lost in my fantasies, I was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace. Startled, I realized it was Ben. He had broken through his germaphobia to hold me for the first time. This anniversary was raining miracles down on me, making me giddy. Just as I was about to hug him back, he stepped back, a look of concern on his face. “Summer, I’ve put you through so much these past few years. I promise to make it up to you, twice over.” Even after washing up and getting into bed, I kept replaying Ben’s words in my head. Although everything he’d done was something I had always wanted, it felt too easy. Once the initial excitement wore off, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. So, I got up to get a glass of water. The moment I opened the door, I heard the sound of running water and Ben’s voice, laced with disgust. “If it weren’t to trick Summer into having a kid, I would never have forced myself to hug her.” “She’s so dirty, so dirty. No matter how much I scrub, I can still smell her.” My hand fell from the doorknob. The unease I felt became a grim reality. I didn’t know how to react, my mind consumed by the words *Ben is disgusted by me.* Forcing myself to calm down, I heard his long-time assistant, Leo, say, “You didn’t seem repulsed when you hugged her tonight.” “Boss, could it be… your subconscious is finally accepting Mrs. Stone?” The question was tentative, but Ben exploded. “Impossible!” “How could I ever like her? I only love Ashley. If it weren’t for this damn phobia keeping me from making her happy, I never would have married Summer, that fake!” He called me a fake. The Ashley he was talking about must be Ashley Stone, the real heiress the Stone family had found a few years ago. Also my dear sister, and the woman my fiancé cheated on me with. Ben married me because he couldn’t give Ashley happiness, so he settled for me. A way to smooth the road for her. If I wasn’t the one being used, I might have applauded his ‘deep affection’. 2. In a daze, I heard Ben order Leo in a cold voice, “Keep an eye on her, and don’t let her find out.” “Once Ashley and I have a viable embryo, take Summer to the clinic and implant it.” “Ashley’s health is fragile, and she can’t endure the pain of pregnancy and childbirth. Her dear sister can help her out.” “And she’ll get a free kid who calls her ‘Mom.’ Consider it a favor.” A favor… Marrying the man Ashley didn’t want, carrying Ashley and my husband’s child. In Ben’s eyes, it was like a charity, and I should be grateful! My sudden happiness was like a fleeting flower, quickly withering. The blood in my veins turned to ice, and my disappointment slowly solidified. When Ben suddenly came over, I froze and quickly hid under the covers. I heard him sit on the edge of the bed, speaking softly. “Summer, you’ll understand, right?” For a moment, my scalp tingled, thinking Ben had seen through my act. But after he finished speaking, he left without hesitation. He even tucked the blanket around me. “You treat Mrs. Stone so well, why hurt her for Ashley?” “You two are one now. Are you not afraid of what would happen if she found out…” Ben’s footsteps faded. Along with them was the rest of Leo’s unfinished question. Unfortunately, I knew I’d probably never hear the answer. Staring blankly at the ceiling, I replayed my memories of how Ben and I met while tears soaked the pillow. At dawn, Ben brought me breakfast as usual. “Summer, I’m off to work. Remember to eat.” “Call Leo if you need anything.” A glass of milk, an omelet. Ever since my stomach ached after our wedding, Ben had been making me breakfast by hand, day after day. The same words every morning, never missing a beat. I couldn’t reconcile the man before me with the Ben from last night. Until about two weeks later, when Ben stopped me as we were about to enter the clinic to retrieve my eggs. “Summer, maybe we should forget about this. It’s a painful process.” The words sounded kind. But for some reason, I instinctively remembered what Ben had said that night. *Once Ashley and I have a viable embryo, we’ll have Summer carry it.* How could someone who could do something so cruel have me give up halfway because the process was painful? “I can’t. I really want my own child.” *As for who the father is, it doesn’t matter, actually.* I swallowed the last half of the sentence, keeping it to myself. For that reason, Ben seemed even more touched, taking my hand and leading me to the operating room door. “Don’t worry, Summer. I’ll be waiting for you right here.” I nodded in response. My eyes fell on our hands clasped together. Ever since that hug, he had been touching me more and more. Did this mean he was slowly accepting me? Maybe… maybe Ben would change his mind and not hurt me for Ashley… 3. Sharp pain interrupted my thoughts. My mind went blank. I finally finished having my eggs retrieved. When I walked out of the operating room, my body trembling, I found only Leo waiting at the door. “Where’s Ben?” He said he would be waiting for me right here. The pain heightened my distress and escaped without me realizing it. I asked the question with a sob I didn’t even know I had. Hearing this, Leo panicked. “Mrs. Stone, something suddenly came up at the office. Mr. Stone… he had to rush back to handle it. He asked me to wait and take you home.” A perfect excuse, leaving no room for anger. I stood in the clinic hallway for a while, then got up with Leo and left. We had driven quite a distance, but something made me look back suddenly. It was fleeting, and I only saw his back, but I clearly recognized Ben. He hadn’t left at all! He was guarding another woman! Ben used a clumsy excuse to negate his promise, and my self-deception became a joke. A bitter smile spread across my lips, and I said to Leo, “Let’s go.” He kept looking at me in the rearview mirror all the way. But I was exhausted, and even saying a word took a lot of effort, so I simply closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. I fell into a fitful sleep, and when I woke up, it was already dark. I had dozens of unread messages on my phone. I opened them one by one, seeing messages from Ben, and… my mom. When Ashley came to the door claiming to be the Stone family’s true heiress, my mother, who had raised me since I was a child, said she would treat us equally. In reality, she scolded me without looking into things after Ashley framed me countless times. I had learned my lesson and gradually distanced myself from her. I immediately moved out and rented a house as soon as I started earning money. It had been eight years since I had last heard from her. But today, she suddenly asked me to ‘come home for dinner’. Something was definitely wrong. I knew this, but I couldn’t ignore the kindness she had shown me by raising me. Little did I know, when I walked in braving the snow, I saw the person I least wanted to see: Ashley. She was sitting by the fireplace, warming herself. When she saw me, she welcomed me, uncharacteristically. “Sis, you’re back. Come sit down.” She wanted to be a mediator. Utterly disappointed, I turned to leave. But a familiar voice from my memories suddenly snapped, “Kneel!” My mother slowly walked down the stairs. “Summer Stone, I raised you. Is this how you repay me?” “If your sister hadn’t suggested this dinner today, I wouldn’t have known you were married and planning to have children!” When she mentioned having children, I realized that Ashley wanted to use my mother against me. So that she could steal the child in my womb fairly in the future. She seemed so sure I would carry her and Ben’s child. I was upset, but my words dripped with sarcasm. “You really are talented, Ashley. I didn’t even know I was having a child, but you did.” “Do you sleep under my husband and my sister’s bed or something?” 4. Ashley didn’t say anything, but tears started flowing. Seeing this, my mom pointed at me, full of rage. “Summer Stone!” But for some reason, she eventually put her hand down. “Apologize to your sister. Apologize and then we’ll eat.” “You’ve been away from home for so long. She’s been the one keeping me company and taking care of me…” She probably thought I was a fool who was being played. That was why she felt sorry for me. But Ashley framing me at my wedding and Ashley interfering with my family and making me carry her child for her… all these things added up. The hatred grew like wildfire, and I couldn’t help but raise my hand to slap her. But Ben pushed me away at the critical moment. “Summer, Ashley is trying to help you mend your relationship with the family.” “Can you not be so unreasonable?” I didn’t know when he had arrived, but he looked exhausted, having come to protect Ashley. I was extremely sarcastic. I was about to tear down his façade, but Ben suddenly calmed down, his stern face softening. “Summer, apologize to Ashley.” My heart sank. Incredulously, I stared at Ben and asked. “You want me to apologize to her?” They were the ones plotting and scheming against me, but he wanted me to apologize to my abuser. His bias was obvious. I didn’t want to watch the two of them flirt, so I snorted and left. Ben chased after me a short while later, pulling me into his arms and coaxing me, “Don’t be angry, Summer.” “I’m afraid you’ll completely break up with them, and it’ll hurt your reputation.” He knew the real reason. I didn’t want to say much, so I warned Ben with the last of my goodwill. “Don’t you have germaphobia? Why are you holding me?” Hopefully, this reminder would bring him to his senses. If he didn’t love me, at least… at least he would see what he really wanted. Ben froze, staring intently at me, lost in thought. I thought my words had an effect. The faint joy hadn’t even risen when I plunged into the endless darkness. “Summer, let’s go to the clinic tomorrow. The doctor said the IVF was successful.” The IVF was successful… No wonder Ashley wanted to see me today. They had already decided to make their move. I had been struggling like a clown. “Ben, is this your choice?” I took a deep breath to suppress the bitterness in my eyes and asked through gritted teeth. Ben frowned, confused. “Isn’t this what we agreed on? Summer, what’s wrong with you?” His technique of putting the blame on me was excellent. But I saw the guilt in his eyes. When I got home, I made up an excuse that I wasn’t feeling well and contacted the doctor I had left my number with during the egg retrieval. The next day, when I went to the clinic with Ben, she gave me a subtle nod. I sighed in relief and walked into the operating room without hesitation. Ben suddenly grabbed me, his lips moving hesitantly. “Summer… maybe… maybe we should forget about this…” Forget about this? “Why should we?”

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Just before my wedding, the scholarship student my dad was sponsoring caught the eye of a notorious playboy from a wealthy family. My fiancé, unable to bear the thought of his darling falling into a living hell, intervened. That very night, they swore their eternal love in a hotel room. The whole town was waiting for me and the Hayes family to become a laughingstock. But there I was, pinned against the wall by the Hayes’ youngest, his fingers tilting my chin up. “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Ethan stole my wife-to-be. It’s only fair I take yours, right?” I nodded. “Sounds fair.” … First thing that morning, I was hit with the headline: “Young Master Young of Young Enterprises Spends the Night with Aspiring Actress at the Four Seasons Hotel…” It was enough to make me sick. So, when Caleb made his proposal, my mouth reacted faster than my brain. “I do.” He clearly wasn’t expecting me to agree to something so outrageous. Caleb stood there gaping for a good minute, before stammering, “You…you, you said that.” “Three days from now, I’ll come and marry you. No take-backs.” He said it like he was afraid I’d change my mind. The six-foot-tall guy turned and ran, almost tripping over a tree root in his haste. I chuckled at the sight, realizing he wasn’t as bad as the internet made him out to be. Not long after Caleb left, Ethan showed up. My face instantly fell. “Mr. Golden Boy was having a great time last night. Shouldn’t you be with your darling, instead of bothering me?” Ethan couldn’t stand being given the cold shoulder. His face darkened as he tossed a bag at me. “Riley, I came to tell you that what happened with Sarah won’t affect our wedding. I’ll be there in three days to take you to the altar.” “I got this for you from Cloud Bakery. Your favorite strawberry shortcake.” The squashed cake inside the bag stung my eyes. After ten years, he still couldn’t remember my favorite treat. I looked up at him, a bitter smile on my face. “Ethan, I’m genuinely curious. Our wedding is still on? Does your precious Sarah approve?” He ignored the question in my eyes and continued. “Don’t worry. Sarah’s okay with it. I bought her a house out in the suburbs. She’ll live there and won’t bother us.” His shamelessness left me speechless. Ten years of friendship had only earned me a massive joke. It was time to end this. “Go home, Ethan. I’ll tell my parents tomorrow that the wedding is off.” Ethan frowned, grabbing my hand. “Riley, stop it. I told you, Sarah won’t affect our engagement.” He was treating me like a fool. I pulled my hand away, stepping back and glaring at him. “Ethan, who gave you the audacity to want to have it all?” “I, Riley Thompson, will only marry someone who has eyes only for me. You don’t deserve me.” Seeing my rejection, Ethan got angry. “Riley, I gave you an explanation about Sarah. What more do you want?” He dared to ask me what I wanted? I almost laughed hysterically. He was the one who went to steal another man’s bride before their wedding, the one who spent the night with her. He was the one who made me and the Hayes family the laughingstock of the internet. And he had the nerve to ask me what I wanted! I looked at him with disdain and repeated, “I, Riley Thompson, will never marry you. Get over it.” My repeated rejection angered Ethan. “Riley, everyone in our circle knows that you’ve been chasing after me since you were a little girl, always saying you wanted to marry me. Well, let me tell you, everyone thinks you’re used goods. I doubt anyone will dare marry you if I don’t.” With that, he sped off. I was shaking with rage, a deep sadness washing over me. I knew that the Ethan I had known and who had protected me since childhood was gone. The only one he cared about now was Sarah. The moment he trampled on my heart for Sarah, we should have ended things. But I was bitter. Over a decade of friendship couldn’t compare to their brief year together. Turns out I was wrong. 2 Caleb didn’t give me time to regret it. The next day, he arrived at my door with dozens of wedding dresses and half the shares in his company. My parents disapproved of Caleb, urging me to reconsider. But my mind was made up. Gotta stand up for yourself. The world keeps turning whether you’re there or not. While Caleb was a notorious womanizer, I had heard that he secretly protected the women he was involved with. My mother knew my personality and stopped arguing, telling the family to start making arrangements. Ethan arrived as I was coming downstairs in a bright red phoenix-embroidered gown to show my parents. Seeing me, he seemed to misunderstand. I saw a flash of surprise in his eyes. Then he raised his chin, sporting an “I knew it” expression. Sarah, who had just stepped into the doorway, couldn’t hide the jealousy in her eyes. “Riley, that dress is gorgeous. Are you going to wear it to marry Ethan?” I frowned and denied it. “No.” Ethan scoffed. “Don’t pretend, Riley. You were talking about calling off the wedding yesterday, and now you’re trying on dresses. Could you be any less composed?” Sarah pretended to be magnanimous, trying to smooth things over. “Yeah, Riley, Ethan and I both know you were just saying that in the heat of the moment. You didn’t mean it.” “Ethan, didn’t you get Riley a gift to apologize? Go on, give it to her!” Sarah urged, tugging at him. She wore a white dress, and as she moved, a flash of color caught my eye. I recognized it instantly. It was Ethan’s most treasured pin, one he’d shown me as a child. He said it was the only thing his mother had left him, and he’d said countless times that he would give it to his future wife. I’d been in love with him and had hinted at it many times. He always brushed it off and wouldn’t give it to me. Now it was on Sarah’s chest. Sarah seemed to notice my gaze and deliberately turned her body, her eyes filled with pride. Reminded by Sarah, Ethan reluctantly tossed a wooden box at me. Inside was a pin with peeling paint. He gave it to me like I’d won the lottery. “Here. It’s for you.” Looking at this junk he must have picked up from a trash can, I was furious. He was so generous with Sarah, so stingy with me. I resisted the urge to hit him and handed the box back. “No, thanks. Mr. Hayes, you can keep this for your dear sister.” Ethan’s face turned dark. Angered and embarrassed, he grabbed the box and threw it in the trash. “Have it your way.” At this, Sarah squeezed out a few tears and started rummaging through the trash. “Waaah, Riley, Ethan and I carefully picked this out for you! How can you reject our good intentions?” Ethan pulled her up, and they embraced, oblivious to everyone else. I rolled my eyes, finally realizing Sarah was here to mark her territory, and to see if I’d agree. “I’m saying again, I’m not marrying your Ethan. We’re done.” They clearly didn’t take me seriously. Sarah, feeling smug, shoved the box into my hand. “Riley, don’t be mad at Ethan. He was just trying to help me. He still loves you the most. Please don’t be angry with him, okay?” I stood on the stairs, my hand aching from her grip, and shook her off. “Get away from me. Don’t touch me.” I didn’t use much force, but she fell backwards, rolling down the stairs and landing on the floor, tears quickly welling up in her eyes. “Waaah, I’m sorry, Riley. I just wanted you to accept Ethan’s gift. I didn’t mean anything by it!” Ethan glared at me. “Riley, you’re impossible! Sarah spent the day with me buying you gifts to make you happy, respecting you. And this is how you treat her?” “Who would marry a venomous woman like you?” He scooped up Sarah and left. Sarah looked back, a smug smile on her face. It reminded me of the first time I met her. 3 Sarah was the scholarship student my dad sponsored. I first met her when Ethan was visiting. She was crying and begging my dad to pay for her to go to college. She was a skinny, pale girl, curled up and looking pitiful. Ethan, who was always kind-hearted, offered to help. Sarah later went to Hollywood and became a starlet, with Ethan acting as her protector. I was always jealous. He always explained, “I just feel sorry for Sarah. It’s hard for a girl like her in the industry without money or connections. We have to help her.” At first, I thought he was just sympathetic. Then he heard Sarah was going to marry Hayes, he dropped everything and ran to steal her away from the alter. The couple rushed straight to a hotel, acting like they hadn’t eaten in days. That’s when I realized that the weed on the hill had become Ethan’s most beautiful flower. The day before the wedding was Valentine’s Day, a day I used to look forward to. I always dreamed that Ethan would confess his love to me. Every year, I would drag him from one end of Main Street to the other. This year was the first time I came alone. As I walked down the street, crowds of people looked towards the town square. Curious, I overheard two people gossiping. “Wow, how romantic! The Young Enterprises heir moved all the roses in the market to the town square just to make his darling happy. Every color!” “Right? If I were that girl, I’d die of happiness.” “And that’s not all. Didn’t you see the posts online? He’s risking his relationships to be with her. If I could find a man like that, I’d die happy.” I rolled my eyes. His company was almost bankrupt, and he still had time for this. Just as I was about to leave, I heard a familiar voice. “Riley.” I turned to see Ethan and Sarah standing in the town square, surrounded by roses. She held a bouquet of blue roses and came towards me, their fragrance filling the air. “Riley, are you out celebrating the holiday?” Ethan was still angry from the day before and glared at me. Sarah handed me the flowers. “Riley, don’t get me wrong. It’s my birthday today, and Ethan’s keeping me company. I hope you’re not angry. Consider these flowers an apology.” “No, thanks.” Learning from the previous day, I stepped back, fearing she’d try to frame me again. Besides, I had no desire to steal anything, people or objects. Hearing this, Ethan’s face darkened. “Sarah, Miss Thompson doesn’t want our stuff. Let’s go shopping. You can have anything you want today.” With that, he pulled Sarah into the crowd. As soon as they left, a masked man shoved a bouquet of sunflowers, my favorite, into my arms. He looked familiar as he ran away. I looked down at the card attached to the flowers. “Turn towards the sun, you will be born again”. Even Ethan didn’t know that my favorite flower was sunflowers. A warmth flowed through me as I took them home. The next day, the maids dragged me out of bed and handed me over to the makeup artists. It finally hit me that I was getting married today. Not to Ethan, my childhood sweetheart, but to Caleb, a playboy I barely knew. I was nervous. Taking a deep breath, I decided to go through with it. No matter what happened in the future, I would be strong. As I finished getting ready, the wedding cars pulled up. But it wasn’t Caleb. It was Ethan. Looking at the black cars and Ethan’s disdainful face, I was incredulous. I thought I had made it clear, and I had returned his family’s dowry. What was he doing now? Seeing me in my wedding gown, Ethan impatiently urged me. “Riley, you’re finally out. I’ve been waiting forever. Get in the car.” I lost my temper at his rude attitude. “Ethan, are you crazy? Didn’t I tell you our engagement was off? I’m marrying someone else today.” “My fiancé will be here soon. Get your car out of here.” Ethan looked around and scoffed. “Alright, Riley, the cameras are rolling. Don’t overact, or I’ll really leave. Don’t come crawling back to me, begging me to marry you. You’ll lose face.” “Fine, since it’s our wedding day, I’ll cut you some slack.” I looked to where he was pointing and saw a man with a camera filming us. Before I could say anything, the sound of horns blared from a distance. Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Is there another wedding today?” His eyes widened. “Riley, does your dad have an illegitimate daughter?” I rolled my eyes. Before I could speak, Caleb hurried forward. Seeing Ethan and his wedding cars, Caleb raised his eyebrows. “What’s up? Mr. Hayes has a fetish for stealing other people’s brides?”

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The day my twin brother was tortured to death by a criminal, he called my sister-in-law, a homicide detective, countless times. She didn’t answer any of them. His voice was barely a whisper when he finally got through to me. “Bro, can you take care of Sarah and the kid for me? If I’m not there for them, they won’t make it…” He didn’t breathe his last until I nodded my head, promising him. What he didn’t know was that I’d been secretly in love with Sarah for ten years myself. For a while, I thought I could finally be with her openly, even if it was under the pretense of being my brother. But even when our nephew, little Mikey, was kidnapped and tortured to death by the same criminal, she was out on the streets helping her old flame find his lost dog. That’s when I realized it: Sarah had never loved my brother, never loved me, and probably didn’t even care about her own son. The only person she ever cared about was that old flame. Eventually, I just gave up. I left the truth on her nightstand and took my brother and nephew’s ashes far away from her… And she went completely nuts, searching the world for us, begging for forgiveness. … My five-year-old nephew was kidnapped by Sarah’s old enemies, just to get her to show her face. “We’re giving you two hours! Get Sarah down here! Or you can start planning a funeral!” Hearing the news that Mikey had been snatched felt like getting hit by a freight train. My brother’s dying wish echoed in my ears. Mikey couldn’t die. He just couldn’t. I went into a frenzy trying to find Sarah, but all I saw was her post on social media about a lost dog. “Huge reward for my baby, Buster! If you find him, I’ll make it worth your while!” The picture showed her snuggled up close with her old boyfriend, Rick, hugging a little dog like they were one big happy family. My blood boiled. I finally got through to her on the phone with two hours to spare. “Sarah, where are you? Mikey’s been kidnapped! They want you to come, can you send the police to rescue him? He’s only five years old…” She cut me off before I could even finish. Her voice was ice cold. “Is he dead yet? If not, don’t bother me!” “He went to kindergarten! What could have happened? You think you can threaten me with my own kid?” “Buster is Rick’s therapy dog, you know. If he can’t find Buster, he’ll be depressed! Can you just stop being so selfish?” My fingernails dug into my palms, but the pain wasn’t a fraction of the pain in my heart. A living, breathing child meant less than a dog?! In the kidnapper’s video, Mikey was crying his heart out. Even with his tendons cut, his little face still held a glimmer of hope. “Mom is a homicide detective! Mom will come save me…” But she never showed up. Instead, she told her colleagues to ignore me. I went to the police station, begging them to go after him, but they just laughed. “Tsk, guess the Captain was right. Lying right here at the station! You know it’s against the law to make a false police report?!” I cried, desperate, bowing to them over and over again to try and get them to help. “Please… please, he’s really been kidnapped! I’ll do anything. Please, just help…” I was bleeding from the head when the officer in charge finally looked at me. “Enough! Stop with the theatrics. I don’t mind telling you, the Captain took the whole squad out to find that dog…” “Rick is the most important person in her life, everyone else can just wait.” I was at the end of my rope. I did the only thing I could, I posted about it online, asking for anyone to help. But I was too late. By the time I arrived at the scene, the kidnappers were gone, leaving Mikey dying on the ground. The ground was covered in blood. His little body was broken and battered… He had over a dozen stab wounds, and his tendons had been sliced. He was only five! How could anyone do that to him?! His eyes were already glazed over, but he refused to close them… He opened his mouth, his voice so faint I could barely hear him. “Why…? Why didn’t Mom come save me…?” “Am I really worth less than Uncle Rick’s dog?” I just shook my head. A metallic taste filled my mouth. The grief was so overwhelming I couldn’t speak. “Dad… I’m sorry. I can’t play soccer with you anymore…” Every word he spoke cut me deeper. “No, you’re not my dad. I knew you were my uncle all along… But I love you, too. Maybe we can be real father and son next time, okay…” Mikey’s hand went limp. I stared at him, tears streaming down my face. He knew? But he still treated me with such pure love. It was my fault. I failed to protect him… I held him close and ran outside, desperate. My phone accidentally turned on the video in my social media feed. I heard Sarah’s happy, excited voice, “Thank you, everyone! My dog is home!” “Woof woof!” “Buster, stop licking me, you tickle! Haha.” My grief and Sarah’s joy collided, twisting into something grotesque. 2 I don’t know how I made it home… I remembered that every time I opened the door, Mikey would run to me, hug me, and call me Dad. But now, even when I held him tight, trying to warm him up, he just got colder and colder, until he was completely lifeless. My hands shook as I washed his body, putting him in his favorite clothes to send him on his final journey. When my brother died, Mikey was barely two years old. Sarah was always at the station, never home. I had to raise him myself. A clueless kid playing dad and mom. But that little baby would cry whenever I held him. I always thought I was just clumsy. Now I knew, from the very first day, he knew I wasn’t his real father. My brother was gone. But he didn’t call me out. Instead, he slowly grew to depend on me, calling me “Dad…” My phone buzzed in my pocket. I choked back my grief and opened it… I was flooded with messages from strangers: “Did you find him? We’re all worried! Hope to hear good news!” “Praying for the little guy!” “Need any help? I’m big and strong! I’ll help get your kid back…” I mechanically scrolled through the hundreds of messages, searching for one familiar name. Why? Why couldn’t I find a single word from her? Why was the child’s own mother so cold? I trembled, posting a funeral announcement online. Just a few lines, but they drained all the strength from my body. 3 I held Mikey all night. At dawn, I took him to the funeral home alone and made the arrangements. A vibrant, happy little boy was now just a small box. I was barely back home when Sarah and Rick showed up, glaring at me. As soon as I came inside, she stormed over, her face contorted with rage. Smack! A stinging slap across my face. “You son of a bitch! You posted a death notice online just to get me to come back!” I touched my burning cheek and glared back at the two of them. “Mikey is dead, Sarah.” “Liar!” Sarah’s eyes were wide with fury. “He’s fine! You just hid him somewhere! Where is he, huh? Give him back now!” “I’m telling you, he’s dead!” I roared, grief and anger exploding inside me. “He was kidnapped and tortured while you were out looking for Rick’s dog! Happy now?!” Sarah froze, considering my words. Rick stepped forward and gently put his arm around her shoulder. “Hey, man, it’s not like police work doesn’t matter what it is. My dog is important to me, and Sarah was just trying to help. You don’t have to threaten her like that.” Rick even started to cry. “If you don’t like me, I’ll leave. Just bring Mikey back. Please…” Hearing Rick’s fake tears and phony words, Sarah’s anger flared again. She pointed at me, screaming, “How many times are you going to pull this crap?! Three years ago, I picked up Rick from the airport, and you did the same thing.” “You said you were going to die, you were being held hostage! But look at you! You’re standing right in front of me! You think you can trick me with these lies?! You should have died!” “What… what did you say?” I stared at her, stunned. “I said, YOU – THREE YEARS AGO – SHOULD HAVE DIED!” “I told you, Rick and I are just friends. He has depression, he’s not very healthy, can’t you understand?! And you make a big deal out of it every time!” A wave of pain washed over me… My mind went blank. All I could hear were my brother’s last words. “Bro, can you take care of Sarah and the kid for me? If I’m not there for them, they won’t make it…” I started to laugh. It was like hearing a bad joke. My brother, you were such a fool. Three years ago, you were being tortured, your life a living hell. You had a gun to your head, but you wouldn’t say a word about Sarah. Sarah was holding Rick’s hand, celebrating his return to the country. Every phone call you made, every ounce of energy you expended to get through to her, she ignored. We loved her with all our hearts, but this woman trampled our love under her feet… “Hahahaha…” I laughed and fell to my knees, laughter turning into sobs. Tears streamed down my face. She stared at me, a flicker of shock crossing her face before it hardened again. “What’s wrong with you?!” “Haha, you drove me crazy! And you got what you wanted, I died! Three years ago! I’m his brother, Alex! He begged me to take care of you and Mikey! What did you do?!” I looked up, my eyes bloodshot, staring at Sarah and Rick. “You got Mikey killed!” Rick glared at me, then put on a hurt expression. “Hey, man, why you blaming me for? If I hadn’t been feeling down because I couldn’t find Buster, then Sarah wouldn’t have ignored you, so blame me, not her, okay? You don’t want her to be sad, so you shouldn’t say things that hurt her!” Before, I would have given way. But not this time. I jumped to my feet, grabbed Rick by the throat. He gasped and choked, struggling to breathe. “Sarah, you let this scumbag get your husband and son killed! How can you live with yourself?!” 4 Before I could tighten my grip, Sarah was behind me. She drew her gun and pressed it to my head, her voice cold and sharp. “You’re Jacob! What are you pretending for?!” “Try to hurt Rick, and I’ll pull the trigger!” I froze. The cold metal against my skull filled me with despair. This was the woman my brother and I had spent thirteen years protecting… I didn’t resist. I just turned my head, looked into Sarah’s cold eyes, and gave her a bitter smile. “Go ahead! Do it!” I grabbed the gun, pressed it against my temple. “You’ve already killed two people who loved you. What’s one more?” Sarah’s body shook. Her eyes widened, and she lost her composure… Her hand trembled. “I know that face! Tell me where Mikey is…” I took a deep breath and pulled the urn out of my pocket. “Mikey’s right here!” Sarah let go of Rick and grabbed the urn, looking at me like she couldn’t believe what was happening. Then she gave it to Rick. Without me realizing it, Rick opened the urn and stared at the dust inside, laughing. “Hey, man, Jacob is putting on a show! He got an urn with something, look! You can see the Optimus Prime, he probably got it from that blind box! This is flour, hahaha…” He was going to empty the urn out! “You monster! You won’t leave the kid’s ashes alone!” I lunged at him, grabbing the urn, wanting to tear him apart. “Enough!” Sarah pulled me back. “You’re delusional!” “How can you not tell the difference, Sarah? Stop lying!” Sarah threw the urn to the ground, Mikey’s ashes scattering everywhere. My blood froze, replaced by emptiness and despair. Behind Sarah, Rick smiled, saying in a silent voice, “Even in death, you’re nothing compared to me…” I looked at him and gave a sad smile. No. I give up… I started picking up the ashes, carefully placing them back in the urn. I touched the necklace I wore, made from my brother’s ashes. My eyes were empty, filled with despair. “Let’s get a divorce, Sarah. It doesn’t matter if I’m Jacob, it doesn’t matter if Mikey is dead…” “Let’s get a divorce.” Sarah shook. “What do you mean,” Sarah asked pulling out the necklace. “Let’s go to the station and test your DNA…”

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Ten years ago, Michael Davis’s kidneys failed, and I was the only match in the country. His socialite sister, Ashley Davis, contacted me about donating, and it was love at first sight – for her, at least. She basically strong-armed me into giving up a kidney and marrying her. After our baby died, I filed for divorce. She went ballistic, ran me out of town. I ended up in some small-town dump, opening a diner just to survive. A few peaceful years went by, and then Michael’s kidneys went south again. Ashley calls the diner, demanding I give up my last kidney to save her darling Michael. She said scum like me didn’t matter; her precious Michael had to live. My diner partner, Sarah, answered the phone, shocked and helpless. “But, Ashley, you know John’s got kidney disease himself. He’s in the hospital, not doing well. He can’t donate a kidney!” “Where’s John? Get him on the phone!” Ashley’s voice was shrill and nasty. Her stilettos clicked on the pavement. She didn’t believe I was sick, so she came looking for me. Sarah stood in the diner doorway, her pretty face etched with worry. “Ashley, he’s really not here…” “Not here? He’s hiding!” Ashley sneered, her eyes like poisoned darts. “Get that coward out here! Michael needs a kidney! He owes me his life, and it’s time to pay up!” Sarah bit her lip, her voice low but firm. “He can’t donate! His kidneys are failing. They’re damaged!” “He’s just saying that because he doesn’t want to donate!” Ashley scoffed. She waved her hand, and the goons she brought with her started trashing the diner. Tables overturned, dishes shattered, and our cozy little place turned into a disaster zone in seconds. Sarah’s eyes filled with tears, but she couldn’t do anything to stop them. She pulled out her phone and started a video call to me. “John…” Sarah’s voice cracked. On the screen, I could see the carnage. “Ashley’s here… she wants you to give Michael a kidney. And she’s wrecking the place…” I watched in silence for a minute, then said in a hoarse voice, “Put Ashley on.” Ashley’s face filled the screen. It was the first time we’d seen each other since she ran me out of DC. For a split second, I saw a flash of something complicated in her eyes, but then it was gone, replaced by pure rage. Her beautiful face was twisted with anger. The familiarity was gone. My heart clenched. Back when she was chasing after me, that face was always smiling. “Ashley, leave Sarah alone,” I said. My voice was quiet, but firm. “John?!” Ashley shrieked, her voice piercing. “You finally showed your face! What, you gonna play dead now? Let me tell you something, you ARE going to donate a kidney to Michael! Right now! Immediately!” I took a breath, my voice weak. “I’ve got kidney disease, remember? I’m in the hospital. I can’t donate. And… I want to live a little longer, spend time with Lily.” I turned the camera to show my pale face, the messy hair, the hospital room, the machines. Ashley didn’t care. She just laughed. “Oh, please! What movie set are you filming this on? You think I’m stupid? You just want to keep screwing around with Sarah. You don’t need to drag Lily into this, you little…” I winced at her language, but I held my tongue. “If you don’t agree to donate, I swear to God, this isn’t over,” Ashley snarled, and then she turned and walked out. I watched her disappear from the screen, feeling sick with dread. I told Sarah to be careful, and maybe even close up shop for a while. Sarah looked worried, but she tried to reassure me. “Don’t worry. It’s broad daylight. She wouldn’t do anything crazy.” 2 Ashley’s revenge was even crazier than I thought. Less than an hour later, Lily’s teacher sent me a video, her voice frantic. “Mr. Smith, someone’s handing out flyers at the school. They’re saying awful things about Lily…” “Lily Smith! Your dad’s a cheater! Your mom’s a whore! You’re a bastard!” Kids chanting, like some kind of twisted chorus. Even over the phone, it made my skin crawl. Outside the elementary school, a crowd of people held up flyers with pictures of me and Sarah, and a big photo of Lily, along with the nastiest words you could imagine. My daughter was only nine years old! How could Ashley be so heartless? “Ashley! Stop it!” I yelled into the phone, my voice cracking. “Come after me! Leave Lily out of this!” “Can’t take the heat?” Ashley’s voice dripped with satisfaction. “You think you’re so high and mighty, screwing around with that tramp while you’re still married? Now you know how it feels! Should’ve thought about that before.” “Ashley, what happened back then…” I started to explain, but the words caught in my throat. I’d sworn I wouldn’t reveal the truth. “Shut up!” Ashley screamed. “Don’t you dare try to weasel your way out of this! John, if you pull any more stunts, I’ll ruin your daughter! She won’t be able to show her face in this city, in this country!” “You’re going too far! I can call the cops!” My voice was weak. “Call the cops? Hahahaha…” Ashley laughed like a maniac. “John, have you learned nothing since you left me? You call them! See who gives a damn!” I dropped the phone, completely drained. Ashley wasn’t bluffing. She could do it. I called Sarah, my voice trembling. “Get to the school! Pick up Lily! Now!” Sarah got there after the crowd had dispersed, but the damage was done. As they arrived back at the apartment we rented, I was talking to my daughter on video chat. The little girl was a mess, tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, chaos erupted on the other end of the line. “Shameless slut! Living in our neighborhood with your bastard kid!” “Get out! We don’t want you here!” “Kill the home-wrecker! Kill the bastard!” I watched helplessly as a mob surrounded Sarah and Lily, pointing fingers, yelling, even throwing things. Sarah hugged Lily tight, trying to shield her with her body. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “It’s okay, Lily. I’m here…” Sarah’s voice trembled, but she tried to stay calm. “Mom… I’m scared…” Lily clung to Sarah’s neck, shaking like a leaf. My heart was breaking. I wanted to be there, to protect them. I could barely keep myself from screaming. She’d even stirred up the homeowners’ association, spreading lies about me and Sarah, calling Lily illegitimate. This woman was completely out of her mind! I was racking my brain, trying to think of a way to clear Sarah and Lily’s names, when Ashley struck again. She had people fake food poisoning at the diner! A group of them started clutching their stomachs and writhing on the floor, claiming they were dying. They even threw up everywhere. The other customers freaked out and ran for the exits. I had to pay out a ton of money to make it go away. But it didn’t end there. She hired some internet troll to spread rumors about dirty food at the diner, using those videos of the “sick” customers to back it up. Overnight, my reputation was ruined, and business dried up. With no income, I had to check out of the hospital. That made Ashley even happier. She was convinced I’d been faking the whole time. She showed up at my apartment with a crew, and they completely wrecked the place. Splattered red paint all over the walls, broke furniture, even ripped up Lily’s favorite doll. 3 “So, not sick anymore?!” Ashley stood amidst the wreckage, looking smug. Looking at her, all I felt was disappointment. “Ashley, we were married. Why do you have to be like this?” Ashley laughed. “Because you wouldn’t listen to reason! Michael needs your kidney, and you refuse to give it to him!” “I’m telling you, my kidneys are shot. They wouldn’t do him any good!” I said, carefully. “Give me a break!” Ashley didn’t believe a word of it. “John, if you don’t agree to donate, I swear I’ll make you regret it!” “Ashley, are you trying to kill me?” I closed my eyes, exhausted. “Kill you? Hahahaha…” Ashley’s laugh was manic. “John, I want you to suffer more than death!” The look on her face sent a chill down my spine. “John, if you still refuse to donate, don’t blame me for what happens to your precious daughter!” Ashley glared at Lily, who was hiding in a corner, her voice dripping with menace. My fists clenched. “Ashley, come after me, not her! She’s just a kid!” “That little brat deserves everything she gets!” Ashley’s voice was sharp. She stepped closer. “You, her, and your little mistress, you all deserve to die!” A surge of heat rushed to my head, and my vision blurred. I knew Ashley hated me, hated me for “betraying” her all those years ago, for “killing” her child. But Lily was innocent! “Ashley, what happened back then isn’t what you think…” I tried to explain, but she cut me off. “Shut up! I don’t want to hear your lies! You owe me a life, and it’s time to pay up!” “You…” I trembled with rage. “John, last chance. Donate or don’t?” Ashley’s voice was like a snake. Looking at her, I felt a surge of despair. I couldn’t let anything happen to Lily, but if I agreed, I’d die. What would happen to Lily then? “I won’t donate!” I bit out the words, drawing a line in the sand. “Fine! Fine! Fine!” Ashley laughed, her eyes blazing. “John, you asked for this!” She waved her hand, and a couple of thugs grabbed Lily, who started to scream. “Daddy, help me!” Her scream tore at my heart. “Lily!” My chest tightened, and I lurched forward, but the thugs grabbed me and held me back. “John, let’s see how you like it when someone you care about gets hurt!” Ashley said, her voice cold. “I’m going to send her to a club and let them do whatever they want with her!” “No!” I screamed, helpless. “Daddy… help me…” Lily’s cries faded as she was dragged toward the door. My heart turned to ash. “Ashley, let her go! Please!” I gave up on pride and got down on my knees, begging. Ashley watched without emotion. “Take her away!” She ordered, her voice hard as ice. The thugs dragged Lily away, and her cries echoed through the room. “Ashley! Stop! My baby died, Lily is your daughter!” Sarah shouted as she rushed in, her face pale with a mix of anger and terror. “Daughter?” Ashley scoffed, her voice like ice. “Don’t think I’m stupid enough to believe that little brat is your little bastard. You and John rented those doors, what was I supposed to think?” “She robbed my baby of her heart, she should have died!” Sarah wept openly. “Ashley, she really is your daughter! Back then…” “I don’t want to hear any more of your lies!” Ashley shrieked, pointing at Lily and yelling at the thugs, “Take her away! Send her to the club, and tell those guys to get really rough with her!” “No! Leave my daughter alone!” I struggled, but they held me down. “Daddy… help me…” Lily’s cries faded, and my heart shattered. A mouthful of blood came pouring out of my mouth, and I collapsed. 4 “Dad! Dad, what’s wrong?!” Lily wailed, terrified. She struggled to get free, but the thugs held her tight. “Let me go! I have to help my dad!” “John! John!” Sarah threw herself beside me, her tears falling like rain. I was on the floor, but Ashley just laughed, assuming I was faking it. She glared down at me, hatred burning in her eyes. “John, don’t think you can get out of this by playing dead! I swear, even if you die, I won’t let your daughter go!” Lily was dragged away, her cries ripping through the air. Michael hid where I couldn’t see him. He spoke into the phone, low and fast. “Take care of the girl, rough her up.” In the club basement, a few heavily tattooed guys grinned. Michael pulled them out of jail. They tortured people, and they’re waiting for the next victim. Ashley smirked. Lily begged for forgiveness. “I’m scared,” she said. “Shut up,” Ashley said. “You stole my daughter’s heart.” One of the men asked, “Miss Davis, this girl looks like you, is she your daughter?” “She can’t be.” Michael lied, “It is your daughter’s heart, which is why she looks like you.” “Torture her,” Ashley said. Ashley left. “Torture her! Beat her! Make sure you record it!” Lily was tortured to death. “I got revenge on my daughter.”

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The night before our wedding, my fiancée’s high school sweetheart, Chad, slammed into me while driving drunk. He stalled on calling for help, and by the time they got me to the hospital, the doctor said I was in a coma, maybe never coming back. My bride-to-be, Brittany, wearing her wedding dress, became my wife in front of a courthouse clerk, vowing to get to the bottom of everything and make sure I got justice. They all told me the driver, Chad, was brain-dead in the next room, and I believed them. Until I accidentally heard Chad and Brittany getting it on in the next room. “Thank God for you, or the Baker family would never have let a nobody like me take your place.” “He’ll never know he was the real Baker all along, and our kid will inherit everything. Mom and Dad even helped things along during the surgery to make sure he stayed out of it! The Baker and Sullivan fortunes will be all ours.” Brittany finished with a sloppy kiss. The marriage I thought would save me was a joke from the start. I don’t want this kind of toxic “love.” 1. Daylight broke before the rustling from next door finally stopped. “How was it? Better than that pretty boy, Shawn, right?” “Stop it!” Their teasing cut me like knives, suffocating. The sounds of their “good time” had gone on all night. I bit down so hard I cracked a tooth, blood filling my mouth. Pain shot through me. The wife who promised justice was in another bed, pleasuring the guy who put me here. And the parents I’d called “Mom and Dad” for 25 years? Part of the con. They messed with my surgery to put me in this coma and tricked their own daughter into marrying me. That way, when I died, she and her bastard kid could take everything. A carefully planned death trap. Nice work. The door creaked open, light footsteps coming in – Brittany. “I told you not to worry. He’s in a coma, he can’t hear anything.” Chad said, doubt in his voice. “It’s weird, I could have sworn I heard something in here.” The room went quiet, but I knew they were still there. Then, a jolt of pain exploded in my leg. I bit my tongue to keep from screaming. Brittany stabbed my leg three times with scissors. “Now do you believe me?” Chad pulled Brittany onto the bed next to mine, whispering. “I feel better now that I tried it.” “Are you crazy? Shawn’s right there!” Her voice was a mix of fear and excitement. Chad chuckled. “He’s just a vegetable. Don’t you think having him so close adds to the excitement?” Brittany lost it. Heavy breathing. The bed started to creak, a steady rhythm. The sound of their sloppy kisses and the hospital monitors beeping created a sick contrast. Shock and hate choked me. They were doing this right next to me… My mom burst in, then left immediately. “Seriously, couldn’t you find somewhere with more privacy?” She said with a hint of amusement in her voice. My nails dug into my palms, the pain keeping me sane. My mom barged in again, telling them to get to the doctor’s office in a panic. Once they were gone, she picked up the scissors, still dripping with blood. She shoved them deep into my thigh. Brittany and Chad returned, sounding casual. “We just tested it, Mom.” My mom asked, “Did you notice anything unusual?” Her hand didn’t stop moving, repeatedly yanking the IV in and out of my vein. My veins were a mess of scar tissue. I wanted to scream, “Why?” Had the last 25 years been a lie? But I knew it was pointless. “The doctor said his brain activity is high. Maybe it’s a last surge, maybe he’ll wake up.” I tensed. My mom said, cold as ice, “We can’t let that happen.” “Get the doctor to give him something to knock him out. He’s resistant to anesthesia.” “We’ll see if he’s faking or really in a coma.” She’d always spoken to me with such tenderness, now she was my enemy. I laughed inwardly. The doctor slowly injected the drug, the coldness snapping me even more awake. I gripped the sheets, knuckles white, heart racing. Then, my mom and the doctor’s conversation came through clearly. 2. “Our hospital doesn’t have the latest tech. I recommend a hospital in Switzerland. They have new treatments for comatose patients.” My mom cut him off. “Don’t give me that. I want to know if his brain waves are still active. Is he a vegetable or not?” I could feel the doctor’s eyes scanning me, and every hair on my body stood up. “He’s definitely in a coma. I guarantee it.” I didn’t know why he was lying, but he was saving my life. “You interfered during the surgery, which caused this. Now you want him dead. That’s…” My mom slapped him. “Don’t forget what happened 25 years ago. You were part of that.” The doctor apologized. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. I’m just saying he’s in a coma. He’s not a threat.” “That’s not your problem. Your job is to make sure he never wakes up, and preferably meets the grim reaper soon.” “This has been in the works for 25 years. Time to cash out. If you mess this up, I’ll make your whole family suffer.” My wife, who’d sworn to protect me, wanted me dead. The doctor agreed, bowing as he walked them out. I lay in bed, gasping for air like a drowning fish. Good patience. This started 25 years ago. Meaning, 25 years ago this doctor switched me and Brittany’s identities. They’d waited 25 years. They’d even sacrifice their daughter for money, pretend to love me for 25 years. Wolves in sheep’s clothing. I felt like I was falling into a glacier, my muscles shaking uncontrollably. They didn’t know I wasn’t really in a coma. I was a medical miracle when I left the hospital, shocking everyone, including the doctor who helped them. Without giving him a chance to warn anyone, I took a cab back to the house I’d lived in for 25 years. Brittany stared, pulling at her shirt collar, trying to hide the hickeys. I ignored it, opening my arms. I hugged Brittany as she cried, glancing at Chad hanging onto the window sill outside. “Okay, okay, I’m back.” Brittany punched my chest, wincing as she touched me. “I feel bad, we got married but didn’t get a honeymoon.” I pushed her onto the bed, ignoring the fear in her eyes. “Bang.” I stood up, walking to the window. “Did something fall?” Brittany wrapped around me, trying to stop me from opening the window. Then, my mom walked in, eyes red. Brittany rushed to her, asking what was wrong. My mom looked at me with hate, “It’s nothing. I’m fine.” Right, that height would break every bone in his body. They felt bad. Unbelievable. Brittany grabbed my hand, “Mom’s just thinking about Chad. After raising him for 25 years, she must miss him.” “Chad messed up, but he’s being punished. You’re awake, but he’s still in a coma. He loves my sister and thought you were marrying her, so he lost it. Good people don’t deserve to die.” “Mom and Dad want to send him to Switzerland. They say the tech is good. We’ll deal with him when he wakes up.” Brittany stared, worried I’d disagree. Switzerland. “You’ve raised him for so long, I don’t want to see him die in bed. Do whatever you want.” Brittany smiled, kissing me. “Mom, I told you. Shawn doesn’t want Chad to suffer. After all, they’re brothers.” Mom said I was understanding, she was proud. I didn’t react. Inside, I burned with hate. Both raised for 25 years, but they saw Chad as a son, and me as a walking bank account. Before bed, Brittany brought me milk. She hovered until I drank it, then snuggled into my arms. “Honey, I’m sorry you suffered. I’ll make it up to you.” I patted her back, realizing she’d always been nice to me. She brought me soup and medicine in the rain, crying, looking like a cute, helpless bunny. She always surprised me on my birthday, her eyes always full of me. Now I knew she’d never loved Shawn. Only the Baker fortune. She wanted money and power, not me. “Shawn? Shawn?” When she was sure I was asleep, Brittany snuck out. I opened my eyes, throwing off the wet sheets and following her to Chad’s room. A toddler ran up, hugging Brittany, calling her “Mommy.” Chad was in a wheelchair, kissing her hand. “Eww, Daddy kissed Mommy, eww.” My eyes burned, tears welling up. Finally, I understood. They were a family. And I, the outsider, was their stepping stone. “I didn’t know he’d wake up.” “He cries for his mother every day. What was I supposed to do?” “I’m working on it. I can kill him a second time. I told Mom and Dad to take the kid to Switzerland.” Brittany soothed Chad. “When you get back in a month, after the wedding, let them both die.” A month after the wedding of Chad and Brittany’s sister, Bailey. They’d planned this for a while. They wanted the Bakers to lose both kids, so they’d be vulnerable. Then, they’d swoop in and take everything. I stumbled back to my room. I called a number. “Lucas, I’m joining your team.” Lucas shouted, “Good. Shawn, you figured it out. You’re going to take us to the top!” “Don’t exaggerate. Give me a week. I’ll be there.” The next day, Brittany saw my job application and freakeded

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“Gavin Reynolds, I want a divorce.” Gavin and I were practically raised together. Our grandpas were obsessed with the idea of marrying us off, but both families only had sons, so they pinned their hopes on Gavin and me. We went through school together. I watched him fall head-over-heels for Tiffany Wilson, then watched her dump him to jet off to Europe. I crushed on him from the time I was sixteen until we finally got together at nineteen, got secretly hitched at twenty-four, and had our daughter at twenty-six. Now our little girl’s five – that’s fifteen years total. Through those fifteen years, from a stupid cold to the moment my water broke and I was rushing to the hospital to give birth, I never dared to bother him. He was a big star, and we were in a hush-hush marriage, so I walked on eggshells, afraid of screwing up his image or his career. And now, after all this time, the one time I ever humbled myself and asked him for a favor, he turned a deaf ear and blew me off. Fifteen years. I poured my best years into this. Fifteen years. I was naive enough to think he’d gotten over Tiffany Wilson. Fifteen years. I thought if I just kept at it, things would eventually work out. But I was wrong. So, so wrong. Because of my sappy, pathetic delusions, my daughter lost her life. She has every right to hate me. To hate having a mother like me. “Divorce? Summer, you can’t be serious. You’d give up on us? If you’re thinking about leaving, you’re not getting custody of our daughter!” The sneer on his face, the nasty glint in his eyes. Hearing him say “daughter” just twisted the knife. “Just play nice, okay? I’ve already found a specialist who thinks they can help her.” I blocked him out. My daughter deserves better than to be anywhere near him. 2. I spun around, marched back into the house, grabbed our marriage license and my driver’s license, and stormed back out. “Today. We’re doing this today. We’re getting divorced.” He scowled at the documents in my hand. “You’re really doing this?” I looked right at him, my throat tight. “Gavin, in all these years, have I ever hassled you about anything stupid or petty?” Gavin’s expression flickered. “No.” I tried to smile, but my eyes started to burn. “This is the only time… the only damn time…” “Were you even going to meet with those investors?” Maybe he finally felt a twinge of guilt. He was silent for a long, long time before admitting, “I messed up, okay? If you need anything from now on, you just ask. I promise I won’t let you down.” “Gavin, fifteen years. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard you say you’re sorry. But I can never forgive you. Never.” He started to say something, but his phone rang. He snatched it up and hurried away, without another glance back at me. No sooner had he left than my phone rang. It was the cemetery. “Ms. Summers, we’ve got a situation here. Some crazy woman came to the cemetery and dug up your daughter’s grave. We’ve called the cops.” I was shaking so hard I could barely breathe. I jumped in a cab and told the driver to step on it. Cemetery staff were waiting for me at the entrance and were full of apologies. “We are so sorry, Ms. Summers. We screwed up. She said she wanted to buy a plot and wanted to look around. We never thought she’d just go and dig it up! We’re so sorry!” “Where is she?” “Still out at the gravesite. The cops are there, waiting for you to sort things out.” I followed the staff at a dead run. I could see them in the distance – Tiffany Wilson sobbing and Gavin Reynolds patting her back. The cops and the cemetery workers looked like they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. “Ms. Summers, that’s her.” I was trembling from head to toe. I clenched my fists and charged right in, slapping Tiffany Wilson across the face, hard. I went to hit her again, but a cop grabbed my arm. Tiffany Wilson was dazed by the blow. Before she could even open her mouth, Gavin Reynolds was in my face. 3. “Summer, were you stalking me?” “Have you lost your damn mind? You can’t just go around hitting people!” Tiffany Wilson, whimpering, clung to Gavin Reynolds. “Summer, you’ve got it all wrong. I just got back from overseas, and our ‘baby’ was really sick. So I asked Gavin to come say goodbye.” “Today, I was trying to find a nice spot for ‘baby’, but they wouldn’t let me have the one I wanted. These lunatics even tried to attack me, so I had to call Gavin.” I knew exactly who “baby” was. It was their dog. The dog they raised together. It hit me like a ton of bricks. He could make time to see a dying dog, but he couldn’t make time for his own daughter. The cops, figuring we knew each other, let me go. I stared at the torn-up earth, at the little garden I’d made for my daughter, now a complete disaster. My daughter loved flowers, but you couldn’t find anything decent this time of year. I’d flown all the way to New York City to get her a wreath made of dozens of different kinds of flowers. She would have loved it. And now it was all gone. I glared at Gavin Reynolds, clenched my jaw, and – my hand practically buzzing – slapped him across the face as hard as I could. “Gavin Reynolds, you are a piece of garbage.” The cops grabbed me again, trying to calm me down. “Let’s all just take a breath, okay? Mrs. Summers, let’s talk about how you want to handle this.” Hearing the cop, Gavin Reynolds asked, his voice tight, “You bought this plot?” I didn’t answer. The cemetery worker said, “Yes, sir. Ms. Summers bought this plot. You know her?” Gavin Reynolds looked at the cop. “I’m sorry for the trouble, Officer. This is my wife.” 4. The police and cemetery staff looked back and forth between us. “Actually, we’re still married, technically. But I don’t know this woman. I want her to get down on her knees and apologize.” “Summer, don’t be ridiculous.” I laughed, a cold, empty sound. Gavin Reynolds’ brow furrowed. “What did you buy this plot for? And why decorate it like this? Who is this for? For our daughter? Summer, how could you be so messed up as to be planning her funeral?” “My daughter, my Gavin Reynolds’ daughter, even if she was knocking on death’s door, I could pull her back. She doesn’t need a gravesite. In fact, it’d be perfect for ‘baby’.” I listened to his grandstanding and started to laugh, a shaky, hysterical laugh. Tears streamed down my face. I hadn’t finished decorating her gravesite. I’d designed the lettering on the headstone myself, but I hadn’t had it engraved yet. The picture wasn’t up either, so the headstone was still blank. “Officer, we can handle this ourselves. Sorry for the trouble.” The cop started to object, but I cut him off. “I know my limits.” After the cops left, Gavin Reynolds thought I was backing down. His tone softened. “Look, I’m already working on getting that top-notch surgical team to work on her. They’ll be here in a few days.” I didn’t say a word. I bent down and picked up my daughter’s urn, cradling it in my arms. I used my sleeve to carefully wipe off the dust. “Ms. Summers, we’ll give you double what you paid. We’d really appreciate you letting us have the space for ‘baby’.” I raised an eyebrow at Tiffany Wilson. “Who said I agreed? You could offer me the Empire State Building, and it still wouldn’t be yours.” “Oh, and I almost forgot. Gavin and I aren’t divorced yet. You’re not Mrs. Reynolds.” I looked at Gavin, spitting out every cruel word I could think of. “Gavin Reynolds, you’re worse than a dog. At least Tiffany took that dog with her when she left, and she brought it back. Unlike you. I took you in for fifteen years. “But starting today, I don’t want you anymore either.” 5. “Tiffany Wilson, take your stray dog and get out of here. You’re an eyesore.” Gavin Reynolds was beet red. His eyes blazed like he wanted to kill me. He grabbed the urn from Tiffany Wilson and stalked over to me, intending to put it back in the ground. “Summer, you’re really pushing it. Everything you have, everything you’ve ever spent, came from me. I paid for this gravesite. Get out of here!” I wasn’t expecting it. He shoved me hard, and I went sprawling. The lid flew off the urn, and ashes spilled onto the snow, mixing with the ground. I lay there, numb, desperately trying to scoop the scattered ashes back into the urn. But a gust of wind blew through, and the powdery remains swirled together with the snowflakes. They were gone… Gavin Reynolds’ assistant called him. “Mr. Reynolds, I just spoke with the doctor. He said she passed away ten days ago.” “I checked, and it was Ms. Summers who made all the arrangements. She had her buried at the Hemsley Cemetery.” “What are you talking about?” “That’s impossible! She would have called me! She wouldn’t do this without me knowing!” The voice on the other end was quiet for a moment. “She did call you. The night she died, she called you, like, a million times. I checked the records. She got through once, but you were with Ms. Wilson. I guess Ms. Wilson answered.” I kept scooping up the ashes, one piece at a time, like a robot. Gavin Reynolds went white as a ghost. He stumbled over to me and grabbed my arm. “Summer, let me do it.” I jerked my arm away. “You don’t deserve to touch her, Gavin!” I screamed, my eyes bloodshot. Gavin Reynolds hugged me tight, his voice shaking. “I’m sorry, Summer. I didn’t know… I didn’t know…” “Get off me!” He wouldn’t let go. I couldn’t get free. I leaned down and bit him as hard as I could on the hand. He finally released me, scrambling to gather up my daughter’s ashes. “Don’t touch her! Don’t you dare contaminate her, Gavin!” 6. Gavin Reynolds seemed to realize he’d just been holding the dog’s urn. He crouched down and started frantically scrubbing his hands in the snow. He kept saying, “I messed up, Summer, I messed up… I didn’t know.” I gathered up the remaining ashes, looked up at him. “Tell her to get down here and kneel. Forty-nine times.” Gavin Reynolds froze. Tiffany Wilson dropped to her knees, but before she could even bow her head, Gavin Reynolds pulled her up. “Get up. You have bad legs. It’s too cold out here. This isn’t your fault. You should go home.” I watched Gavin Reynolds send Tiffany Wilson away. I felt nothing. I carefully put the urn back in its place, shoveling soil back over it, carefully rearranging the wreath. When I got home, Gavin Reynolds’ parents, his brother and sister-in-law, his sister and her husband were all there. His dad walked up to Gavin and slapped him twice across the face. “You animal!” Gavin didn’t say a word. Everyone looked at me with pity. I knew I was a mess, but nothing compared to my daughter out there in the snow. His mom walked over, took my hand, and pulled me close. “Honey, why didn’t you tell us about this? He’s an idiot, but we’re here for you. You shouldn’t have to go through this alone!” I didn’t say anything. My mind was blank. The snow on my hands melted, mixing with the dirt. His mom saw my hands, covered in mud. “What were you doing out there?” I looked at her, my voice flat. “Tiffany Wilson dug up Annie’s grave. Gavin wanted me to let her bury her dog there. I was just taking care of things.” His mom stopped cold. His brother and sister-in-law, his sister and her husband exchanged stunned looks at Gavin. I didn’t care what anyone thought. I turned back to Gavin. “Let’s go. The county clerk’s office isn’t closed yet. Gavin, we’re getting a divorce.” I had to get away. And they were going to pay for what they did.

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For the tenth time, my fiancée got a call right before the wedding, and for the tenth time, she ran off with her childhood best friend. I stood alone at the altar, once again a complete laughingstock. Swallowing my pride, I tried to contact her, begging her to come back and finish the ceremony. But she wouldn’t even pick up her phone! Her so-called “friend,” Chad, smugly sent me a picture of the two of them in bed together, boasting, “I win!” My heart turned to ice. We’d planned this wedding ten times, and each time, it was postponed. The officiant looked at me with pity. “Do you… do you want to continue the ceremony?” I forced a smile. “Yes! We’re doing this!” I sent a text to my next-door neighbor, Sarah, and after getting her affirmative response, I breathed a sigh of relief and told the officiant to wait a few more minutes. This was my tenth attempt at getting married, and I wasn’t letting it fall apart again. Sarah arrived quickly, her confident and powerful presence immediately drawing attention. She strode towards the center of the stage, standing beside me, her smile sweet. “Changed your mind, huh, Ricky?” I nodded. It was just a marriage to appease the families, and anyone could fill the role. Besides… Grandma’s health couldn’t wait any longer. Her condition had been rapidly deteriorating for the past six months. Every time I visited her, she would murmur about wanting to see me married before she died. She was the closest person to me my entire life, and her only wish was to see me find someone I could rely on. That way, after she passed, I wouldn’t be alone and taken advantage of. Watching her grow weaker by the day, I couldn’t bear the thought of her leaving with that regret, so I started to take the whole marriage thing seriously. My fiancée, Tiffany, had promised me she’d marry me. But through ten weddings, she’d been a no-show every single time. Leaving me to be ridiculed across the entire city, again and again. And her excuses all involved her childhood best friend, Chad. Chad never had anything going on, except on my wedding days. Then he was either in a bad mood, having a depressive episode, or freaking out over a horror movie and needing someone to hold his hand. The most ridiculous one was when he impulsively decided he wanted to do a wedding photoshoot, and called Tiffany to be his stand-in bride. I wasn’t allowed to express the slightest bit of frustration with these ridiculous reasons. If I sent a text message asking questions, I would be met with a barrage of angry texts. “Ricky, can’t you be understanding for once? Chad is my best friend; he needs me right now. We can have the wedding any day! Stop being so petty, okay?” But ten times… ten times of abandonment and betrayal, finally exhausted my patience. This time, I wasn’t going to wait around. After finally letting go, I realized my heart didn’t hurt so much. Maybe I was just numb. Or maybe Grandma’s words gave me strength. “Our Ricky is such a good boy. I hope that after I’m gone, you find someone who loves you, someone who will protect you and won’t let you get hurt.” The image of Grandma’s wrinkled face flashed in my mind, giving me the courage I needed. I couldn’t let the people who loved me down. So I took Sarah’s hand, and together we walked down the aisle, her already changed into a wedding gown. I had to put on the best show possible, so that Grandma would be happy when she watched the recording. As we exchanged rings, my phone pinged. It was Tiffany. She hadn’t realized her mistake and was still talking to me like nothing had happened. [Ricky, be a dear and buy some pain relievers and bring them over. Don’t make me angry.] The address was for a well-known couple’s retreat on the coast. Then another ping. It was a picture of two people in bed. The sender was Chad. And my fiancée was one of the protagonists. [I win again!] More than the pain of being betrayed, I felt disgust. On my wedding day, my bride was at a romantic getaway with another man. I involuntarily clenched my fist, digging my nails into my palm. 2 Eventually, I went to the retreat. This relationship was over for me. I didn’t want to have anything to do with Tiffany after this. So, I wanted to break up with Tiffany in person, and to get the house keys back. After all, she was living in a house that I had paid for in full! When I arrived, Tiffany saw that I was empty-handed. Immediately, she blew up. “Ricky, what’s wrong with you? Where are the pain pills I asked for?” Chad sat on the edge of the bed, looking pathetic. “Tiffany, don’t be mad. Ricky’s been planning the wedding all day; he’s probably tired.” He knew that the bride had been called away by him, but he still managed to say it as if nothing had happened. Even though my heart was already shattered, being mocked like this still made it ache. My fingers slowly clenched, nearly drawing blood. Disappointed to this level, I didn’t even have the desire to be angry anymore. The room in the couple’s retreat was cramped and suggestive, almost suffocating me. Tiffany and I had been together since college. At first, she pursued me so passionately and intensely that I gradually fell for her. Once we were together, she remembered every little holiday and always had a gift or surprise. Even when I was being a jerk, she would always take the blame, patiently coaxing me. My friends always said how lucky I was to have such a great girlfriend. I thought the same thing, which is why I decided to marry her after graduation. But everything changed the day Tiffany’s childhood friend, Chad, came back to the States. After that, Tiffany’s heart was completely lost to an outsider. Between Chad and me, I was always the one left behind. Tiffany playfully ruffled Chad’s hair. “Aw, you’re the best.” Then she came closer to me, frowning at me in disapproval. “Why didn’t you answer my messages?” My repeated concessions had only led to Tiffany becoming more demanding. It was she who abandoned the wedding and me, yet she started by blaming me. I tried to calm myself, my voice cold. “I forgot.” Tiffany paused, seemingly shocked by my tone. I coldly looked up at Tiffany. “Tiffany, you’ve bailed again today.” Hearing this, a guilty expression flashed in her eyes, and she angrily tried to defend herself. “It wasn’t on purpose! Chad wasn’t feeling well, I couldn’t just leave him, could I?” “We can have the wedding another day, right? Ricky, stop being so unreasonable, okay?” She was clearly in the wrong, yet she was trying to put the blame on me. I didn’t want to argue anymore, and, suppressing my disgust, coldly uttered one sentence. “I don’t want to wait for you anymore. Let’s break up!” With that, I turned and walked away. “Ricky, what the hell did you just say?!” Tiffany yelled, immediately chasing after me. Just then, Chad “oohed” in pain. Then the sound of something shattering cut through the air. Confused, I stopped and turned around, and my eyes widened in shock. The shattered jade pendant on the ground was the one Grandma had gotten for me, praying for my safety, one step and one bow at a time! I was completely stunned, overwhelmed with anger. I pushed Tiffany aside and rushed over, carefully picking up the pieces of the pendant. “Why do you have my pendant?!” I stared at Chad, asking loudly. Tiffany came over, pouting in annoyance. “Ricky, what’s wrong with you? You’re scaring Chad.” I stared at Tiffany in disbelief. She knew how important this pendant was to me, but she could still say something like that. In an instant, a wave of helplessness washed over me. I dug my nails into my palms, drawing blood. It was always the same with Chad. I had to give in. But this time, it involved Grandma, and I wasn’t going to back down. I raised my hand and slapped Tiffany hard across the face. “If you’re blind, go to the doctor!” “He stole my grandma’s pendant without my permission, and he broke it! What right do you have to forgive him for me?” The room fell silent. No matter how angry I was, I had never raised a hand to her. Now it was Tiffany’s turn to be stunned. “You hit me? Ricky, I’m your fiancée, how dare you hit me?!” She lunged at me, grabbing my throat, squeezing so hard that I could barely breathe. She glared at me, her eyes filled with malice and hatred, as if she were looking at an enemy. I couldn’t help but wonder when the person who once looked at me with so much love had changed. I remembered when we weren’t even together yet, and I had posted a picture on social media of a cut less than two millimeters deep. Tiffany had waited outside my dorm at four in the morning, just to give me a box of bandages. Her eyes were bright and full of concern. It was at that moment that I was moved by her sincerity and agreed to date her. But only six months later, she was cursing at me for another man. Now I understood… That true love can change in an instant. 3 After completely losing all love for her, there was no point in arguing anymore. The sharp pain in my neck reminded me of how ridiculous my efforts had been. I just curled my lips into a self-deprecating smile. Chad peeked out from behind Tiffany. I unexpectedly met his eyes, which were full of mockery. My heart ached as if someone had stabbed it with a needle. The next second, his eyes turned red, and he said to me in a slightly resentful tone, “Ricky, don’t be mad. I just found the pendant, I was just going to return it to you.” He ruffled Tiffany’s hair. “Tiffany, don’t blame Ricky.” Tiffany calmed down and barely loosened her grip. “You’re the best, Chad.” “Ricky, can’t you be more like him?!” The pain of nearly suffocating made me tremble. Chad faked a comforting gesture, reaching out to me. “Ricky, will you forgive me?” His tone was almost flattering, but I clearly saw the challenge and ridicule in his eyes. As if he was saying arrogantly, “Yeah, I stole it and I broke it. What are you going to do about it?” I felt a chill and recoiled from his touch. Chad took the opportunity to scream and fall backward. “Ah!” He clutched his wrist, looking at me in terror. “Ricky, I just wanted to apologize…” I hadn’t even touched him, and I was already the villain who abused him. When Tiffany saw Chad fall, she immediately rushed to his side, helping him up, and then scolding me. “Ricky, didn’t you hear Chad say he found the pendant? Why are you taking it out on an innocent person?” I almost laughed at his words. I always cherished Grandma’s pendant. I kept it safely stored in a drawer in my bedroom. Found it? Did Chad somehow get into my house, then into my bedroom, and then found the pendant in my bedside table? I didn’t bother to expose his ridiculous lie, and sarcastically curled my lips. “Okay, I’ll call the police and have them investigate how Chad found my pendant!” “And I’ll hold you responsible for assaulting me today!” Chad panicked and immediately clutched his chest. “Tiffany, my heart hurts…” Hearing this, Tiffany didn’t care about anything anymore and helped Chad to the hospital. “Don’t worry, Chad, I won’t let anything happen to you!” As she passed by me, she glared at me with gritted teeth. “Ricky, you wait! If anything happens to Chad, I’m not letting you off the hook!” She intentionally bumped into my shoulder. Caught off guard, the force caused me to fall to the ground. But Tiffany didn’t even look at me, scoffing and leaving. 4 After they left, I was still sitting on the floor. That familiar face had become distorted, foreign, and terrifying. My throat became dry. Tears fell uncontrollably. Just as my emotions began to calm down, my phone rang. It was a call from the hospital. I answered without hesitation. Grandma’s condition had worsened, and she had been taken to the operating room. I didn’t care about anything, I staggered to my feet and ran out. I ran right into Sarah as I left the retreat. The girl had an aloof and refined air about her. She propped her hand on the car door, and her eyes lit up when she saw me. It was as if she had shown up just to wait for me. I didn’t have time to think about why she was here, so I got into the car and asked her to take me to the hospital. When I got to the hospital, Grandma had already been rescued by the doctors. I was relieved and stayed with her from the operating room to the ward. Because Sarah was with me, I decided to tell Grandma about our marriage to make her happy. Grandma looked through the pictures from our wedding on my phone album and smiled from the bottom of her heart. “Good, good! My Ricky has finally found a good woman!” Sarah sat nearby, answering whatever Grandma asked, very politely and without a hint of impatience. It wasn’t until the nurse reminded Grandma that it was time to rest that I got up and left with Sarah. Before leaving, Grandma whispered in my ear. “Sarah is a hundred times better than that Chad! I’m glad my grandson knows how to pick a wife!” My cheeks flushed red. I just mumbled a couple of words and fled the ward. Then I ran straight into Sarah. Sarah’s height was just below my chin, and the girl’s cool breath touched my skin. It made my heart skip a beat. “Did you hurt yourself?” I didn’t dare to look her in the eyes, so I asked dryly. “No…” Sarah seemed a little flustered, too. She took the payment slip from my hand to pay the bill, and my heart was still beating fast. I couldn’t help but accuse myself of being pathetic. I had only met her three times, and she was just my fake wife. How could I have feelings for her? I took a few deep breaths and finally calmed down. But I never expected to run into Tiffany and Chad as I was walking around the corner of the hallway! The two of them quickly separated when they saw me, and each of their faces flashed with a hint of guilt. I just glanced at them indifferently, without any emotional fluctuations, and wanted to leave. Tiffany quickly rushed over and grabbed my hand. “Ricky, it’s not what you think, don’t misunderstand!” I raised my eyes calmly. “You don’t need to explain to me, we’re not together anymore.” Perhaps unnerved by my gaze, Tiffany scratched her head in annoyance. “Tsk, is there any point in you saying these things? Chad wasn’t feeling well, so I hugged him to comfort him.” As she said this, she leaned closer to my ear and said in a voice that only the two of us could hear: “I promise you, we’ll have the wedding next week, okay?” “But Chad isn’t feeling well, I’m afraid he’ll be upset, so don’t tell him for now.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. If even a wedding had to be kept a secret, what was the point? I curled my lips into a cold smile, shaking my head: “No need.” I’m already married. I didn’t say the last half of the sentence. Because the woman in front of me wasn’t worth me wasting any more effort on. But my cold attitude made Tiffany anxious. She stopped me from leaving, her tone aggressive: “What do you mean, no need?” “Ricky, haven’t you always said you wanted to have a wedding and get married? Why no need?” The next second, a cool and familiar fruity scent enveloped me again. Sarah wrapped her arm around my arm, declaring her claim. “Because we’re already married!” “He’s mine now, some trash better leave!”

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I was grabbing breakfast with my roommates. All because I ordered a bowl of savory tofu pudding, one of them went ballistic on me in front of everyone. She kept a snake in our dorm despite everyone’s objections, and even stole stuff. The others were willing to put up with it, but not me. No way! 1. At the start of the semester, to bond with my roommates, we did everything together. Today, when we all went for breakfast, I ordered a bowl of savory tofu pudding. It came out steaming, spicy broth mixed with soft tofu, and smelled amazing. I was about to dig in when one of my roommates, Brittany, suddenly shrieked, pointing at me, looking like she’d seen a ghost. “Yulie, what the heck are you eating?” I was a little confused. “Tofu pudding.” She looked horrified. “That gross stuff is tofu pudding? The only tofu pudding I’ve ever had is sweet.” Being told my food was disgusting killed my appetite, and I frowned. But I tried to be patient. “It’s a regional thing. Some people eat it sweet, some eat it savory. It’s not that weird. Even if you don’t like it, you should respect other people’s preferences.” Brittany just stared at me with a sour look on her face. She made no attempt to hide her disgust. The other roommates noticed the tension and tried to smooth things over. “Hey, we eat it savory back home, and nobody calls it gross.” “We usually have the sweet stuff here, but I think savory tofu pudding sounds good. Live and let live, right? What’s the big deal?” But Brittany did something no one expected. She stood up and started yelling at me, right there in the crowded cafeteria. “Tofu pudding is supposed to be sweet! You hick, take your savory garbage and get outta here!” 2. Truth was, this wasn’t the first time Brittany had done something totally off the wall. On move-in day, she gathered the four of us together and, all smiles, announced she wanted to keep a snake in the dorm. “Hey, I wanted to get your thoughts on something… Would it be okay if I kept a snake here?” One of our roommates, Sarah, was a typical Southern girl, super sweet and gentle. She immediately voiced her opinion. “I’m sorry, but I’m terrified of snakes.” I and the other roommate also voted no. People either loved or hated snakes. The ones who loved them couldn’t get enough, but the ones who hated them would freak out at the sight of one. It wasn’t that I was afraid of snakes, but the school clearly stated no pets allowed. It would be a huge hassle. Brittany insisted. “It’s no big deal, the snake’s super cute, non-venomous, and doesn’t bite. You’ll love it.” “I’ll keep it in a tank. I promise it won’t get out.” We still looked unconvinced. She muttered, “I can’t believe you’re all being so difficult.” Then, right in front of us, she pulled a snake out of her backpack. “Too bad, I already brought it. I’m keeping it.” Sarah burst into tears when she saw the snake’s flashy pattern and its tongue flicking at us. I frowned, annoyed by her “ask for forgiveness, not permission” attitude. This wasn’t a discussion, it was a heads-up. Brittany, holding the snake, declared, “It’s not just your dorm, you know? I have a right to have a pet.” It was a done deal. She swore up and down the snake wouldn’t get out of the tank, so we had to agree. Chapter 2: Under the Radar 3. After the tofu pudding incident, Brittany apologized to me privately. She grabbed my hand, all fake sweetness. “Yulie, I’m so sorry. I just say what’s on my mind, no filter. You’re not mad, right?” I accepted her apology for the sake of peace, but I wasn’t going to be as friendly as before. I started distancing myself from Brittany. I wasn’t about to get close to someone who could go off like that at any moment. One day, I got back to the dorm, and Brittany was on my chair, holding her snake, flipping through my photo albums on the bookshelf. She didn’t even offer to get up when she saw me. Instead, she started cackling. “Yulie, you were such an ugly kid! Total country bumpkin.” I rushed over, snatched the album away, and snapped, “Who said you could go through my stuff? Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?” Brittany shrugged. “Relax, it’s not like it’s valuable. What’s the harm in looking?” She clearly didn’t think she’d done anything wrong. Then, her eyes lit up, and she stared at the bag I was carrying. “Oh my god, Yulie, that bag looks so fake!” “That design just came out! It’s not even in stores yet.” I subtly moved the bag behind me. Brittany took that as a sign I was ashamed of getting called out. She grinned, playing along. “So, you’re into designer stuff, huh?” “But young people need to be realistic. Don’t go chasing after labels. Carrying a fake won’t turn you into a princess.” “If you like them, I have tons of real bags you can borrow. No need to carry knockoffs. People will laugh at you.” I politely declined. “No thanks. I don’t want to catch anything.” I saw a crack appear in Brittany’s perfect smile. The bag wasn’t actually mine. Luxury brands sent me the latest designs as soon as they came out. This bag was the cheapest one in my closet. My parents always said to be low-key. That’s why I picked it. Now someone was calling it a fake. I’d seen Brittany’s “real” bags. They were heavily discounted designer brands, used so much the leather was peeling. She wasn’t exactly clean. She sometimes tossed used tissues into her bags. I really did worry about catching something. I wasn’t trying to be snide. Brittany was the weirdest person in the dorm. When it was time to pay the water bill, she’d argue she barely used any water. When it was time to pay the electric bill, she’d calculate exactly how many hours she was in the dorm and only pay for those hours. When we went out for hot pot, she’d say she was on a diet and only eat greens, so she should only pay for the greens. Then, when we were done, she’d scarf down all the leftover meat, saying we couldn’t waste it. That was who she was, and now she was trying to act generous. Hilarious. Brittany’s face turned red. “Fine, be that way. I wouldn’t want you to get my bag dirty.” Chapter 3: Fake Rich 4. Brittany was a “beauty” influencer with a million followers. She streamed live every night from the dorm, sometimes doing crazy live chats with fans. The rest of us usually went to bed at a decent hour, but Ms. Brittany had to mess that up. Her streams were a nightmare. She’d suddenly scream when everyone was quiet or blast music and shout at her game in the middle of the night. My roommates were all on the verge of a breakdown. “Brittany, could you stream earlier? We need to sleep. We can’t with you being so loud.” Brittany always agreed. “Sure, no problem.” Then, the next night, she’d do it all over again, and apologize. “Sorry, but my fans can only watch me at night. I can’t let them down, you know?” Then she’d start on us. “If you can’t sleep, that’s your problem. Some people can sleep anywhere. I guess you guys are just princesses.” I had never met someone so shameless. I wanted to smack her. Why couldn’t she be quiet at night? Sarah stopped me. “Just ignore it, okay? Less drama.” I decided to check out Brittany’s stream to see what it was like. Her username was “LittleB_SoCute!” I barely recognized her. The person on screen was nothing like the girl in our dorm. Brittany had dark skin, her eyes were tiny, and she was short and skinny. But on screen, she was a big-eyed, fair-skinned, curvy babe! The magic of filters, I guess. The comments were going wild. [LittleB is so hot!] [What kind of guy could land LittleB?!] [So glad LittleB is at State U! Lucky us!] Then, one comment popped up. [I go to State U too! Never seen you around.] Other fans jumped in. [You can’t just see LittleB anytime!] [It’s a blessing to see her. Beauty is rare.] Brittany tossed her hair and smiled. “I’m a homebody. I only go out for class. Hope to see you around!” The comments exploded. [Hot and a homebody! I love it!] [LittleB is one of us!] 5. “Yulie, look!” Brittany spun around in front of me, showing off a fancy Hermès bag, grinning from ear to ear. She wanted me to ask about it. I glanced at it and said, “Nice.” Brittany was not happy I didn’t seem jealous. She cornered me and told me all about the bag. “It’s Hermès! You’ve probably never seen one before.” “Guess who gave it to me? My top donor! I can’t believe he splurged.” “He hasn’t even met me in person. He’s just obsessed with me.” Brittany giggled. I smiled, thinking my grandma wouldn’t even let the dog wear that to carry sausages. Brittany said generously, “I can let you borrow it when I’m done with it.” I declined. “No thanks. I have enough bags.” Brittany laughed. “Yulie, you’re not fooling anyone.” She looked down at me, all high and mighty. “You dress so plain. You could never afford something like this.” I said, “Yep.” 6. I saw Brittany had just updated her social media. The photo was her in a skimpy dress, posing for the camera. The picture was heavily edited, but… Was that my Prada bag? I thought back. I’d been doing an experiment with my professor that day. I hadn’t been back to the dorm all day. Brittany had snuck out my bag while I was gone! She hated fakes, right? What was she doing? [LittleB’s bag is so cute! Link, please!] Brittany replied, [Sorry, cutie. It’s Prada, but it hasn’t come out yet. You can’t buy it yet.] [Wow, getting it before release! What’s your deal?] Someone replied, [Brands send the latest stuff to their partners first. Get it?] Brittany sent a blushing emoji. Everyone knew. [You’re not just a pretty face! You’re rich!] [Marry me!] She’d built a “rich” persona online. I grinned. How could I let that happen?

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The latest It Girl actress had a major scandal break – caught cheating. Career: imploding. But my mother? She was trying to pressure me into taking the fall. “You’re the older sister. You have to help your little sister out.” I agreed. On one condition: we cut ties. Officially. Done. The day my reputation was trashed and I left Hollywood, my dear sister hired someone to run me down. I ended up a vegetable. Later, my own mother pulled my oxygen plug. “Only the dead can keep secrets forever,” she whispered. Somehow, miraculously, I survived. Now, I’m back. My oh-so-precious baby sister is bragging to me about landing an audition for a movie by the hot new screenwriter. “Candace,” she sneered, “you’ll never be better than me.” I smiled, reached over to the judges’ table, and flipped my nameplate forward. “Hi,” I said. “I’m the screenwriter. Candace Shaw. You might know me as Ashwood.” 1 “Your sister is getting absolutely roasted online, and you actually have the nerve to sit here eating?” I stared blankly from the living room couch as my mother paced, radiating pure, impotent rage. “She’s her, I’m me. Why should I care if she’s getting dragged?” I calmly reached for another potato chip. The crunch seemed to hit a nerve. She lunged, slapping the entire bag out of my hand, scattering chips everywhere. “Stop eating!” I watched her, cold-eyed, as she frantically paced back and forth. “Candace, you have to think of something!” “Like what?” She brought this on herself. I managed to bite back the last part. My phone buzzed twice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zoey Vance’s name flash on the caller ID. My mother snatched the phone, exchanged a few brief, hushed words, and quickly hung up. She looked at me, hesitation warring with desperation on her face. “Candace, maybe… maybe you could cover for your sister? “Just say… say you were the one meeting that guy!” Her eyes lit up, like a predator spotting easy prey. My first reaction was numbness – I was used to this. Then, I almost laughed out loud from the sheer audacity. No doubt Zoey had called, crying her eyes out, and then “casually” mentioned how her big sister could save the day. She’d pulled this stunt before. “No way.” My mother got frantic, pulling me up from the couch. “You’re her older sister! Sisters are supposed to help each other!” I scoffed. “Let me ask you something. Do you even realize she was messing with someone else’s relationship? If I take the fall, I’ll be labeled a homewrecker.” Her eyes darted away. Of course, she knew. She just didn’t care what happened to me. I closed my eyes. “Oh, right. I forgot. You don’t think ‘homewrecker’ is such a disgusting label.” A humorless smile stretched across my face. “After all, you divorced Dad, and three years later, my ‘half-sister’ was born… somehow only a year younger than me…” My mother flushed, unable to meet my gaze. “You did it, she did it. Guess it runs in the family!” I added, emphasizing every word. SLAP. The sting on my cheek was painfully familiar. “Shut your mouth!” Mom shrieked. “You’re going to help her, whether you want to or not!” I touched the red mark blooming on my face. No surprise there. You get hit enough, your skin thickens up. Did she really think I was still that little kid who’d cave under pressure? Her shadow couldn’t block my light anymore. We stood in a tense stalemate. Finally, Mom fumbled with her phone, her fingers trembling. “Candace, look at what they’re saying online, the things they’re calling her… it’s disgusting. Don’t you feel sorry for her? Remember when you were little…” “Stop! Just stop!” I threw open the front door. “I’m tired, Mom. You should go home. As for Zoey, her agency has a whole PR team to handle this mess.” “Candace!” I turned back. My mother crumpled to the floor, right there on the doorstep. “Please, Mom’s begging you… just save her one more time…” “I said, GET OUT!” I remained unmoved. She actually started crawling towards me, grabbing at my pants leg. “If Zoey makes it big, she won’t forget you, her sister.” “And your husband,” she added desperately, “he’ll remember what you did, too.” I let out a sharp laugh. “Do you actually believe that?” It was morning rush hour. People were walking by, glancing curiously at the unfolding drama on my doorstep. I looked down. This was what I hated most about her. She never left me an escape route when she schemed. Trying to play the sympathy card while simultaneously laying on the guilt trip. She wanted to test my loyalty, my affection for her. But when you test how hard glass is, you’re destined to shatter it. “Candace, you’re not as famous as Zoey. This won’t really hurt you,” my own mother murmured, trying to lure me into the abyss. “Fine,” I said softly. “I’ll do it.” Mom scrambled up from the floor instantly. I pulled out a document. “Sign this. It says I’m severing all ties with you and your family. Then I’ll cover for Zoey.” She snatched the pen and signed immediately, terrified I’d change my mind. I knew this “agreement” wouldn’t hold up legally. But watching her sign it so eagerly, that was the moment the last thread connecting us finally snapped inside me. From the second I saw Zoey’s scandal break, I knew Mom would try to use me. And this document, finally, could come out. I picked up the dropped bag of chips from the floor and sighed. “Well,” I muttered to the crushed chips, “at least you died for a cause.” 2 Zoey Vance’s scandal magically transformed overnight. Suddenly, Candace Shaw was the name splashed across the headlines. The story’s heat started to die down. Only her hardcore fans kept relentlessly attacking me on Twitter, blaming me for “making their queen take the fall.” They even got #CandaceShawGetOut trending for a hot minute. Of course, since I wasn’t nearly as famous, it dropped off pretty quickly. Sigh. Me,(That’s “me, lighting a cigarette melancholically,” for the uninitiated). Good thing I never really liked acting anyway. Getting flamed online? Whatever. I used the bad press and the “favor” I’d done Zoey to pressure her family into paying out my contract termination fees. Finally, I was getting out. I really wanted to reply to those trolls: “I’m getting out! I’m getting out! Stop rushing me!” I thought I was just quitting Hollywood. I didn’t realize Zoey wanted me to quit breathing altogether. 3 Zoey Vance hired someone to hit me with a car. I ended up in a coma, a vegetable. For six long months, I lay in that hospital bed. Not a single visitor. My world was a blank, silent void. Mom not showing up? Didn’t surprise me. Zoey not showing up? Wow, kid’s got patience, I’ll give her that. Until one day, I felt a presence, heard a voice near my ear. It was Mom. “Candace, don’t blame Mom! Lying here like this… it’s costing so much money…” She had dismissed the nurses, her hand gripping mine. I knew what was coming. “Don’t blame Zoey,” she continued, her voice low. “She just lost her head for a moment.” Right. Right. “Zoey says she’ll never feel safe as long as you’re alive,” Mom muttered, almost to herself. She pulled off my oxygen mask. A few crocodile tears splashed onto the sheets. Then, she turned and walked away. If no one came in, I was dead. As my consciousness faded, the last image wasn’t of my childhood, my parents holding my hands walking through autumn leaves. It was the acceptance notification on my phone from six months ago, right before I logged off Twitter for good. My admission to the USC screenwriting program. What a shame… 4 “Star Potential,” the hottest reality talent show, announced its second season. Rumors swirled about two heavyweight judges joining the panel. The show was also pioneering a live-stream format, promising transparency, letting viewers directly choose the next big acting talents. Backstage, I carefully reapplied my lipstick. “I heard Zoey Vance is joining as a judge this season! It’s gonna be epic!” “OMG, really? Zoey just won that big Best Actress award! And she’s still willing to mentor newcomers? She’s amazing!” Amazing? I met my reflection in the mirror, a slow smile spreading across my lips. Too washed up for indie darlings, not bankable enough for blockbusters. Of course, she had to rely on reality TV to stay relevant. I wondered if she’d received the audition script I’d had the director pass along… My screenwriting career had taken off overseas these past few years. The moment I hinted at returning stateside, the “Star Potential” director practically begged me to join. Initially, I just wanted to focus on my writing, stay behind the scenes. But then I saw Zoey Vance’s name on the roster. Some debts just have to be paid. So, I came back.

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After a big family get-together, I got into a car crash and was inexplicably kidnapped, dumped somewhere out in the sticks. When they found me, my hand was shattered, my legs were mangled messes, bone sticking out. Chloe and Olivia, the two girls I grew up with, were furious. They swore they’d bring those guys to justice. They cried, gripping my hands tight, promising they’d take me traveling all over the world someday. But while I was out cold after surgery, I heard Chloe’s panicked voice. “What do we do? I know Ethan supposedly stole Julian’s breakthrough research data, but doing this to him… isn’t it too much?” Olivia wiped her tears, glanced coldly at me, and said dismissively, “He brought this on himself. Ethan had it all, spoiled by the Reed family for over twenty years, while Julian suffered all that time. And Ethan still wasn’t satisfied—he had to steal Julian’s research?” “So he’s disabled now. Big deal. We can just be extra nice to him from now on to make up for it.” Tears streamed down my face in despair. Could any amount of ‘making up for it’ give me back my legs? Childhood friends like these? They weren’t worth anything I’d ever given them. I squeezed my eyes shut, my arms trembling as I clenched my fists, gripping the bedsheet underneath me. Just then, the attending physician in charge of my case came into the room. He spoke earnestly. “Miss,” he started, looking at them, “Mr. Reed’s legs are severely injured, but not necessarily beyond saving. We just need one more surgery to repair the torn ligaments and tendons. With intensive physical therapy afterward, there’s a good chance he could walk again.” At that moment, Olivia impatiently turned up the volume on her phone, shot the doctor an annoyed look, and cut him off nonchalantly. “We’re Ethan’s friends. Everything we decide is for his own good. If we say amputate, you amputate. What’s with all the talk?” The doctor just shook his head, sighed, and left the room, defeated. Chloe, also annoyed by the doctor’s interruption, stormed over to me. Thinking I was still unconscious, she slapped me right across the face. “Only if Ethan is crippled will Julian become the sole heir of the Reed family. He deserves this. Losing his legs is just him paying Julian back. He should be grateful it’s only that.” “Exactly,” Olivia chimed in. “After all the years we were supposedly friends with him? Turns out Ethan is just disgusting.” Hearing them, my heart sank completely. And I used to think they were the closest people to me. Olivia had crushed on me since we were kids. I was actually planning to tell her how I felt after this family trip. But instead, twenty-plus years of pouring my heart out to them got me betrayal. To get rid of me, the obstacle in Julian’s way, they plotted to have me brutally injured, maybe even killed. They heard Julian’s side of the story and immediately decided to punish me for him, maybe even eliminate me. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart. Pain washed over me, and I struggled to hold back my emotions, feeling like I was about to break. My parents rushed back from overseas when they heard I was injured. As they were prepping me for the second surgery, my mother held my hand, tears streaming down her face. “Ethan, honey, don’t worry. Mom’s taken care of everything. It won’t hurt. Even if you lose your legs, you’re still my son. Mommy will always love you.” I looked despairingly at her kind face, but couldn’t feel any comfort. Just moments before, no matter how much I fought it, she had personally pushed the needle of the sedative into my arm. “Ethan, you have to be strong. Julian is your brother. He’ll take care of you later on.” 2 Chloe and Olivia dabbed at their eyes, holding my hand and trying to cheer me on. “Ethan, don’t worry,” Chloe said. “Olivia and I won’t let the people who hurt you get away with it. They took your legs, we’ll make them regret ever being born.” Olivia leaned down and kissed my cheek, her face flushed, offering shy words of comfort. “Ethan, we’ll always be here for you. Even if you can never stand again, we won’t abandon you.” I stared hopelessly at the phony performance put on by the four people closest to me, my heart dead inside. I had a fraternal twin brother, born at the same time as me, but he went missing when I was three. Three years ago, Julian showed up with the family heirloom gold locket my brother had worn. The moment my parents saw that locket, they hugged him, sobbing uncontrollably. When I suggested a DNA test, my father slapped me hard and made me kneel in the living room for a day and a night. And my two childhood friends gradually drifted away from me, showering the suddenly appeared Julian with attention instead. These four people, they pushed me into hell with their own hands, all while flashing fake smiles and claiming it was for my own good. All for Julian, who soaked up their affection, this supposed brother whose identity was never even confirmed. Tears blurred my vision. I was their biological son too, but they ignored me, condemned me based solely on Julian’s one-sided story. Several doctors approached with surgical tools, ready to begin the amputation on my already anesthetized body. The agonizing pain when the anesthesia wore off finally woke me. I opened my eyes blearily, staring at my missing lower legs. My mind went blank, then tears started flowing uncontrollably. I glared at my parents and my two former friends standing there. My voice was so choked I could barely speak, but I made one last desperate attempt to explain. “I didn’t steal Julian’s research data! Why won’t you believe me?!” Seeing me so agitated, trembling all over, Olivia rushed forward to hold me. “It’s all in the past now,” she said softly. “We don’t blame you. What’s important now is your health. We just want you to be okay.” Chloe quickly grabbed my hand, her eyes filled with pity. “Luckily, you’re strong, Ethan. The most important thing now is to recover. Even without your lower legs, you can get prosthetics. We’ll all be by your side.” Chloe finished, looking at me with slightly reddened eyes. My parents, who’d raised me my whole life, wiped away their own tears. “Ethan, just focus on getting better,” my mother said. “Dad and Julian are handling the company, so don’t worry about it.” I gripped the sheets painfully, they just didn’t believe me. Tears streamed down my face as I lowered my head, silent. Later, as I was wheeling myself back to my room after getting some sun, I heard an angry voice from inside. It was my mother. “He’s still our son! How can you let Julian marry Olivia? How devastated will Ethan be when he finds out? He likes Olivia too, you know.” “Mrs. Reed,” Olivia’s voice cut in, “love is between two people. Julian and I love each other. Chloe and I grew up with Ethan, sure, but when it comes to character and talent, Julian is leagues ahead. I don’t want to be friends with that plagiarizing lowlife.” 3 After Olivia said that, she deliberately brought up the plagiarism accusation again. My father slammed his hand on the table and declared, “Ethan Reed is just useless. Always causing trouble since he was a kid. Now, stealing Julian’s research data… I think he needs to learn his lesson!” “You know, we don’t need to spend a lot on his prosthetics. Honestly, maybe just let him stay bedridden for life. It’d be less hassle for us.” Chloe eagerly agreed, sucking up to my dad. “Don’t worry, Mr. Reed. About Ethan stealing Julian’s research data—I already told everyone on my live stream. His professor is going to make a public announcement at the university too. If we let him off easy now, it’ll just encourage him.” “Good point,” my father said. “Then let’s postpone the surgery on his hand tomorrow. Let him suffer a bit; maybe he’ll learn something.” I looked down at my bandaged hand, already oozing blood slightly. Tears welled up again. My chest felt crushed by a giant stone, making it hard to breathe. The day I was discharged, Julian and my two former friends took me straight to the university awards ceremony. The moment I appeared, students all over the auditorium were craning their necks to stare at me. After handing out awards, my professor looked at me, his eyes filled with disappointment and disgust. “Research is the lifeblood of a scholar. Stealing someone else’s hard work is despicable. Let’s have Ethan Reed come up on stage.” Julian pushed my wheelchair onto the stage. My face was deathly pale as I listened to my professor start tearing into me in front of the entire university. “Ethan Reed, today I’m giving you a chance. Tell us, what was going through your mind when you stole Julian Reed’s work? Now, facing ridicule from people in our field, online, your family, and even your fellow students, do you regret it?” Just then, a student in the audience, bolder than the rest, shouted angrily. “You guys probably don’t know, but Julian is Ethan’s brother who was missing for over twenty years! Ethan Reed has no shame, stealing his own brother’s research! Just trying to grab the family inheritance, probably. Using dirty tricks against his own brother—disgusting!” The student shouting was Julian’s roommate. His words stunned the entire auditorium. Then came the wave of accusations and curses directed at me. Sitting in my wheelchair, I listened helplessly to the vile insults, experiencing the shame of public humiliation. My eyes reddened, my lips trembled as I tried to speak. “I didn’t…” Hearing me deny it, the professor’s chest heaved with fury and disappointment. He grabbed the microphone again. “Stealing someone else’s work and still refusing to admit it! Still lying! A student like this is a disgrace to this university! Let this be a warning to everyone—never become an academic thief!” As soon as the professor finished, Julian stepped in front of me, facing the crowd. His eyes were red. “My brother has already paid a price for this,” he said to everyone. “He made a mistake in a moment of weakness, stealing my research, but he’s my brother. We were separated for over twenty years before we found each other again. I don’t want him to hate me because of this.” 4 Saying this, he slowly knelt in front of me. “Brother,” he said, looking up at me, “if you wanted my research, I would have given it to you. Just acknowledge me as your real brother, that’s all I ask. Please don’t resent Mom and Dad, or Olivia and Chloe.” “It was my sudden appearance that took away the love that was solely yours for over twenty years. I didn’t want that, but I missed you all so much. Before I found my family, I never had enough to eat or warm clothes, sometimes I slept in barns… It was so cold.” “Brother, here, take my award today. I’m begging you, please don’t do anything foolish, okay?” Tears streamed down Julian’s face. He bowed his head slightly, looking like a bullied child. Olivia and Chloe immediately went onto the stage, helping the kneeling Julian up with concerned looks. Then they glared fiercely at me. I trembled with rage, tasting blood in my mouth. I let out a strangled cry. “That research data on the cure—it was mine!” Olivia turned and slapped me hard across the face. “Ethan!” she spat, full of disappointment. “All we want is an honest guy who takes responsibility, not someone full of lies! You’ve disappointed us so much!” Chloe echoed her, her eyes also filled with disappointment. “Yeah, Ethan. Even now, you’re still making excuses. Everyone saw what happened. Acting like this just makes us lose even more respect for you.” “Brother, why are you still so stubborn?” Julian cried, his voice rising, acting like he was completely devoted to protecting me. “The professor said if you keep this up, he’ll have to show the security footage! I don’t want everyone laughing at you! If that video comes out, your life will be ruined!” Julian sobbed uncontrollably. “It seems Mr. Reed still won’t admit it,” the professor said gravely. “As your advisor, I truly regret mentoring a student like you. Julian, show everyone the video. From today on, this behavior will also be reported online. You brought this upon yourself, Ethan.” Julian slowly stood up, took out his phone, and connected it to the large screen on the stage. When I saw the video playing on the screen, I was completely dumbfounded. The person in the video wore my usual clothes, but with a baseball cap and face mask obscuring their face. During the lunch break, this person snuck into the research lab and stole Julian’s data report. But at that exact time that day, I was feeding stray cats behind the campus buildings during my lunch break. I had no alibi. My eyes widened in panic as I tried to explain, but my injured hand couldn’t support me. “That person isn’t me!” “If it’s not you, who is it?” Olivia shot back. “Chloe and I grew up with you! You think we don’t recognize that jade bracelet on your wrist?” In the security footage, the person wore a jade bracelet identical to mine. I stared at the screen in despair. A deep sense of helplessness washed over me, and tears streamed down my face. The accusations from the crowd, the disappointment in everyone’s eyes—it all crashed down on me, suffocating me. Like a bottomless abyss swallowing all my hope. Just when I felt like I couldn’t breathe, like I might actually die, Julian quickly wheeled me off the stage. My mother rushed over just then. Seeing my vacant eyes, looking like a broken, soulless doll, she stroked my face, her eyes filled with pain. “My poor child,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have pushed you like this to admit your mistake. It’s Mom’s fault. Even if you made a mistake, it’s my failure as a parent. No matter what, you’re my child. Your brother won’t blame you for taking his work. We’re all family.” Hearing this, I passed out. When I woke up again, my phone was gone. My mother brought a bowl of broth, trying to feed me. I turned my head away in silent protest. “I took your phone,” she said. “Your hand isn’t healed yet, you can’t use it. When you’re better, I’ll give it back.” I remained silent, mechanically drinking the broth. After my mother left, Chloe and Olivia came to see me. They could barely hide their excitement as they showed me a live stream on their phone. “It’s Julian’s press conference for his research findings!” Chloe exclaimed. “From today on, he’s the hero who found the cure! Helping thousands of people suffering from this terrible disease. And he’s filed for a patent! Now no one can steal his research.” “Julian is amazing,” Olivia added. “Remember that time Chloe and I drank those spiked drinks at the bar and passed out? Luckily, he showed up just in time. I hate to think what might have happened otherwise.” “Ethan,” Chloe said, turning to me, “just apologize to Julian, and this whole thing can be over.” I scoffed silently in despair, my eyes burning. I didn’t say a word. Seeing the adoration in Chloe’s and Olivia’s eyes, I felt a complex mix of emotions. “He’s quite the actor,” I thought bitterly. “Apologize to him? Never.” I had nothing to apologize for. And I was the one who saved them that night. While they were chatting, my old, spare phone, hidden under the pillow, started vibrating wildly. Chloe grabbed it first, her eyes widening in disbelief as she looked at the screen displaying an international call.

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