Author: Momo Chan

1 Three years into our marriage, my husband, Arthur, secretly became the sugar daddy to a college girl. I stared at the hotel receipts Arthur had racked up. He held his head in his hands and cried hysterically, claiming he had developed Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). “Serena, I didn’t cheat on you! The one who cheated is my other personality! “If I ever do anything to betray you again, I’ll kill myself.” Faced with his pathetic, desperate lie, I pretended to believe him completely. But when I turned around and picked out a handsome college boy for myself, Arthur was furious. “Serena, we aren’t even divorced yet! How could you cheat on me?!” I pulled out a medical report from the hospital, wiped my tears, and explained: “The doctor said I also developed DID. My other personality really needed some comfort.” When I finally held another man’s hand and finalized the divorce, Arthur regretted everything. 2 On our wedding anniversary, I booked an appointment with a top psychiatrist. Halfway through the consultation, I received a credit card alert for a hotel charge from Arthur, who was supposedly on a two-day business trip. I checked his phone’s location. He was at a couples’ boutique hotel not far from the hospital. Panic set in immediately. Ignoring the rest of my appointment, I ran to the hotel entrance and called him. “Honey, you must be working so hard on this business trip. I just got the alert for the $3,000 charge.” On the other end, Arthur lied smoothly and calmly: “Wife, I’ve been working so hard for the company these past two days. I’m exhausted. When I get back, you really need to reward me properly.” My eyes darkened, and I asked weakly: “Reward you with what?” “I’ve been traveling too much, it’s exhausting. I recently hired an assistant for the company.” Staring at his location dot on my phone, I sobbed softly and called out his lie: “The company is at its busiest right now, and you’re using company funds to go on a vacation. Whenever you run out of money, you always find some excuse to ask me for more, don’t you?” Arthur acted like he didn’t even hear me crying. He interrupted me impatiently. “Look, my decision is final. I’m hiring an assistant for myself. Why does a nagging old woman like you need to control everything?” “…” He hung up. I walked straight into the couples’ hotel. Using a photo of Arthur’s ID, I got the room number from the front desk and walked right up to the door. When I opened it, I saw Arthur sitting stiffly, fully dressed in his suit. And sitting across from him was a young woman in her early twenties. Arthur turned, his smile freezing instantly. His voice dropped low as he asked: “Wife, what are you doing here? Do you always have to check up on me? Isn’t it exhausting?” I stared at the woman next to him, pressing my lips together tightly before asking: “Is she the assistant you’re hiring?” Arthur’s eyes darted around shiftily, but his tone was incredibly self-righteous. “Yeah! Chloe is great with people and very capable. I just got back from my trip, so I asked her to come here for an interview. “Wife, you didn’t think I was cheating on you, did you?” Faced with his ridiculous excuses and the woman’s smug smile, my heart felt like it had been plunged into ice water. I clenched my fists, asking him through tears: “What kind of interview requires you to come to a couples’ love hotel? An interview for a mistress?” Before Arthur could defend himself, the woman smiled and introduced herself. “Hello, Mrs. Vance. My name is Chloe. I’m Mr. Vance’s newly hired assistant. “Please don’t misunderstand our relationship. We are completely innocent. Absolutely nothing happened.” Arthur quickly smiled and agreed: “Exactly. If we were actually doing something, you wouldn’t have caught us this easily. “Come on, wife, let’s go home.” I could see the desperate avoidance in Arthur’s eyes. I didn’t want this to turn into an ugly public spectacle that would affect the company’s market value. I swallowed the chaotic emotions churning inside me and finally compromised. “We can go home, but I do not agree to you hiring a female assistant.” Arthur was furious at my condition, raising his voice at me for the very first time. 3 “Serena, ever since the day I married into the Vance family, I’ve never dared to look at another woman! “Besides, finding a female assistant is for your benefit too, so you can have more time to rest. “Serena, can’t you be a little more understanding? It’s not easy for us men to be out there constantly hustling for business.” Chloe naturally reached out and patted Arthur’s back, looking at me with an expression that screamed ‘I’m doing this for your own good’. “Mrs. Vance, Mr. Vance is a man. You have to give him face when he’s outside. “I don’t have to be his assistant, but Mrs. Vance, you must understand how difficult it is for Mr. Vance as a man.” Watching their overly intimate actions, I played along with Chloe’s words, feigning calmness: “Fine, I understand him. So, can you get the hell out of here now?” Chloe’s hand, which had been rubbing Arthur’s back, froze. She bit her lip and looked at Arthur with teary eyes. “Mr. Vance, your wife is swearing. Even uneducated country girls like me know better than to use dirty words.” The look Arthur gave Chloe instantly softened. He coughed lightly and looked at me. “Chloe’s had a tough life, Serena. It wasn’t easy for her to get into college, and she has a lot of student loans. If we don’t help her, wouldn’t that make us the bad guys?” Watching the man in front of me defending another woman, I couldn’t help but remember how he used to defend me in front of my parents. We were childhood sweethearts, practically raised together. Our parents had arranged our marriage when we were kids. I had viewed Arthur as my future husband for as long as I could remember. Whenever my parents scolded me, Arthur would stand in front of me, taking the blame and protecting me from their wrath. Until the year Arthur graduated high school, and his family’s company went bankrupt overnight. Later, because of our childhood arrangement and reaching marriageable age, Arthur married into my family, essentially becoming a dependent. In our three years of marriage, I treated Arthur better than I treated my own parents. But now, for another woman, he was calling me the bad guy. The corners of my eyes reddened as I forced down the bitter ache in my chest. “If I don’t help her, I’m the bad guy? What about her? Seducing you right in front of my face—does that make her a saint?” A flash of hidden displeasure crossed Arthur’s eyes, and his voice grew even harsher. “Serena, Chloe is my assistant now, and that’s final. “I have business to handle at the company. I’m taking Chloe to the office first. I’ll come home when I’m done.” With that, Arthur grabbed Chloe’s hand and walked out right in front of me. Before leaving, Chloe shot me a provocative, triumphant look. Tears welled up in my red eyes. During our month-long cold war, Arthur, under the guise of “business trips,” took his little assistant traveling all over. Rumors were flying throughout the entire company that Arthur was going to divorce me. The first thing Arthur did when he returned from his trip was bring his assistant to work. As soon as I reached the door to Arthur’s office, I heard him bragging to someone inside. “Chloe, from now on, just avoid making eye contact with your sister-in-law. She’s incredibly petty. “I can barely tolerate her terrible temper at home. You’re so much better—young and obedient.” Chloe giggled out loud. “You’re a great guy, Mr. Vance! Handsome and rich. Marrying your wife… it’s like sticking a beautiful rose in a pile of cow dung. “Sorry, Mr. Vance, I’m just very straightforward. You don’t mind, do you?” 4 My brow furrowed. Just as I was about to open the door, I heard Arthur insulting and degrading me for another woman. “How could she ever compare to you? She’s fierce all day long, like an absolute harpy. “I’ve been married to her for three years, and she hasn’t even been able to give me a child. I’ve had enough of her for a long time.” I violently pushed the door open. Seeing the naked man and woman lying in the attached resting room, my eyes instantly turned red. My fingernails dug so hard into my palms that they bled, but it couldn’t mask the agonizing pain in my heart. Seeing me burst into the office, Arthur frantically scrambled to put his clothes back on. He ran up to me, crying and trying to explain: “Wife, it’s not what you think! I didn’t cheat!” My lips trembled slightly, and my breathing grew rapid. “Arthur, I caught you red-handed, and you still won’t admit you cheated?! How much longer are you going to play me for a fool?! “Are you not going to be satisfied until everyone in the entire world knows?!” I looked at Arthur, my heart completely dead. But he grabbed a fruit knife off his desk, held it to his own neck, and pleaded with me. “Wife, I didn’t cheat! I did this because I have Dissociative Identity Disorder! It was my other personality that cheated! “If I ever do anything to betray you again, I’ll kill myself.” “And physical cheating doesn’t count as real cheating! In my heart, there is only you. If you don’t believe me, we can go to the hospital and check!” Listening to Arthur’s insane explanation, I suddenly remembered my own medical report. I looked at the hickey on Arthur’s neck, tears swimming in my eyes. I pointed at Chloe, who had finished dressing, and demanded: “Fire Chloe right now, and I’ll believe you.” Arthur frowned, hesitated for a long time, and finally said: “Serena, if we fire her now, how is she supposed to find another job? “I don’t want our relationship problems to hurt someone else. Besides, I don’t have any feelings for her. You are the one I love.” Hearing Arthur desperately defend Chloe, the tears I had been fighting back finally fell. “So, your other personality cheating… means you didn’t actually cheat. Is that it?” Before Arthur could explain, Chloe chimed in, smiling as she defended him. “Mrs. Vance, you’re a good person. The doctor said Mr. Vance’s second personality is a complete, separate human being. Naturally, he has normal physiological needs. “Please, please don’t misunderstand my relationship with Mr. Vance.” I took a deep breath, my voice shaking with absolute fury. “Arthur, is this really what you think?” Under my intense stare, Arthur slowly nodded. My entire body trembled, and my head pounded with a splitting migraine. Seeing my distress, Arthur was just about to reach out to support me when he saw Chloe collapse to the floor nearby. She looked at him weakly: “Mr. Vance, I feel so sick.” Arthur boldly picked Chloe up right in front of everyone in the company and rushed her to the hospital. I lay weak and helpless on the floor, watching Arthur’s retreating back, entirely powerless. Right before I passed out, I saw the face of a strange man. When I woke up, I was lying in a bed in the company clinic. 5 I sat up, opened my eyes, and saw a tall man with sharp, handsome features sitting beside me. I looked at him, slightly confused: “Are you the new intern, Ethan? Did you bring me to the clinic?” Ethan nodded nervously. After leaving the clinic, I had someone investigate everything about Ethan. I discovered that not only was Ethan a former classmate of Chloe’s, but they also used to be engaged! However, Chloe thought Ethan’s family was too poor, and they had broken up a long time ago. Ever since the day Ethan saved me, I kept “accidentally” bumping into him everywhere. The coffee shop, the office, the gym—he was always there. Until one day, Ethan asked me out to dinner. I originally wasn’t going to accept. But then I saw Arthur’s phone, which he had left at home. It was full of messages arranging dates and dinners with Chloe. My throat tightened. A headache so severe it felt like it was ripping me apart hit me, and I smashed Arthur’s phone into a million pieces. After a long time, I stared coldly at the shattered phone on the floor. Then I sent Arthur a voice message from my phone. “Dinner. Now. Tell me where you are, I’m coming to pick you up.” Half an hour later, I proactively linked my arm through Ethan’s and walked into the high-end restaurant Arthur and I used to frequent before we got married. Back before Arthur’s family went bankrupt, he often brought me here to eat king crab. But since we got married, he hadn’t brought me back once. This restaurant had a unique tradition: they invited couples to take a commemorative polaroid photo before their meal. With my arm linked through Ethan’s, I turned the corner and immediately saw Arthur and Chloe standing together, getting their picture taken. I shot Arthur an ice-cold look and said mockingly: “Arthur, where is the client you were supposed to be meeting? Did your second personality chase them away?” Arthur turned around and saw me standing with a man he didn’t recognize. His face turned pitch black. Pointing at Ethan, his voice trembling with anger, Arthur demanded: “Serena, how could you cheat on me while we’re still married?!” I held onto Ethan’s arm and smiled sweetly. “Why are you the only one allowed to have fun, while I’m not even allowed to light a candle? “Come on, Ethan, let’s go take a picture too.” Right in front of Arthur and Chloe, Ethan and I took a photo together, making a heart shape with our hands. Chloe, standing off to the side, immediately started mocking Ethan: “Ethan, I never thought a grown man like you would end up as a kept boy for a housewife. “Mrs. Vance sure has an ‘unique’ taste, abandoning Mr. Vance’s massive wealth to become the sugar mommy of a poor, uneducated loser.” Ethan stood next to me, responding to Chloe coldly: “Aren’t you a kept woman yourself? What makes you so high and mighty? “Sister, they’re so mean. Let’s just go eat and ignore them.” Ethan and I had a wonderful, incredibly enjoyable dinner. Arthur and Chloe stared at us the entire time, barely tasting their food. That night, when we got home, Arthur saw the drastic change in my attitude towards him. He glared at me with dark, brooding eyes. “Serena, didn’t I tell you? Being with Chloe is just my second personality acting up! “Why did you deliberately pretend to be with another man just to make me angry?” I pulled a medical report out of the drawer and looked at him with icy eyes. “Arthur, let’s get a divorce.” Arthur glanced at the report in his hand, then threw it directly onto the floor. 6 He mocked me coldly: “I get diagnosed with DID, so you suddenly get diagnosed with DID too? Who do you think you’re fooling with this fake report?” I wiped away my tears, my voice choking: “Believe whatever you want. I’ll give you the divorce papers this month. You have no right to restrict my second personality from dating.” Arthur stared at me, his brow furrowed deeply. “Serena, you can’t just do whatever you want just because you know I love you.” Looking at his hypocritical face, I couldn’t help but ask: “What about you? When you hired Chloe to be your assistant, did you ever consider my feelings?” Arthur’s face turned livid. Faced with my question, he chose to remain silent. I didn’t say anything else about his attitude. I simply, quietly found a lawyer to help me draft the divorce agreement. As I spent more and more time with Ethan, I realized my “second personality” actually genuinely liked this sunny, cheerful boy. To compensate for the guilt I felt, every time we met, I would give him small gifts. You know, little things like a car, or a house. But he didn’t seem to like it when I gave him those things; he thought they were too expensive. I had no choice but to settle for the next best thing: I used my connections at the university to directly funnel money to Ethan. As I spent more time with Ethan, I felt my “illness” rapidly improving. But someone always had to show up and cause trouble. After spending so much time with Ethan, the doctor said my condition had improved significantly. “Your second personality was a vengeful persona created by your deep dissatisfaction with your reality. “Just be careful lately. Try to avoid emotional triggers. With medication to control it, you’re essentially no different from a normal person.” Hearing the doctor’s words, I let out a sigh of relief. As I walked into the hospital lobby, I saw Chloe walking towards me, looking incredibly pleased with herself. She put on a fake display of concern: “Serena, you don’t look so good. Did you make Mr. Vance mad? Men just need a little coaxing. Don’t be so stubborn.” I looked at her smug, triumphant face and sneered: “I’m so rich the only thing I have is money. If you like the worn-out shoes I threw away, be my guest. Take them.” Chloe’s face flushed bright red. She glanced down at the medical report in my hand and burst out laughing. “Serena, you haven’t been able to give Mr. Vance a child in three years. He’s been sick of you for a long time. And now… I’m pregnant with his child. “Serena, you really need to start planning for your future. How are you going to survive without Mr. Vance’s money?” Hearing her words, I looked slightly surprised. Not because she was pregnant. But because she thought I couldn’t survive without Arthur. Thinking about this, I couldn’t help but laugh coldly: “Is that so? What if one day Arthur decides he doesn’t want you anymore? Will you still keep the baby?” Chloe probably thought I was just trying to scare her. She proudly pushed out her still-flat stomach, her words filled with provocation. “Mr. Vance told me that as long as I give him a big, fat son, he’ll divorce you and make my future child the CEO of the company.” The corners of my mouth curled up slightly into a faint smile: “Then did your precious Mr. Vance ever tell you that he absolutely does not have the guts to divorce me?” Chloe crossed her arms, her face full of mockery and disbelief. “Impossible. Mr. Vance said he lost feelings for you a long time ago. He’s sick and tired of waking up next to you every day. “Mr. Vance loves me now. As soon as my baby is born, he’s definitely going to divorce you.” I looked at the incredibly impatient woman in front of me. After thinking for a moment, I gave her a suggestion. “Since your love is so grand and profound that you need a shotgun wedding, why don’t you go whisper in his ear and tell him to divorce me? “Then I can just take my little toyboy—your ex-fiancé, Ethan—and go live a free, happy life.” Chloe froze for a second, her peripheral vision catching a glimpse of my DID diagnosis report. I patted her shoulder and smiled sweetly: “I’ll be waiting for the day you make Arthur divorce me.” I walked out of the hospital, feeling a bit chaotic. 7 I was probably just thoroughly disgusted by Chloe. So, I went to a club and, purely out of revenge, ordered thirty male models to dance for me. I got drunk after just one drink. I called Ethan, my voice choked with tears. “Ethan, Venmo me 50 bucks, and I’ll tell you the story of my one-night stand with thirty male models…” I didn’t realize Ethan had me on speakerphone. Arthur’s voice suddenly blasted through the phone. “Serena, you’ve got some nerve! We aren’t even divorced yet, and not only are you keeping Ethan as your sugar baby, but you’re also going to clubs to order male models! Do you have any respect for me as your husband at all?!” The alcohol went straight to my head. I yelled into the phone: “Is that Arthur, that little bitch?!” Then I heard the sound of teeth grinding aggressively on the other end. I assumed it was Arthur. Only his teeth grinding sounded that awful. “Serena, where are you right now? Stop embarrassing me in public.” Hearing Arthur’s disgusted tone, I frowned. “Give the phone back to Ethan. I’m talking to Ethan. This is none of your business.” While watching the male models dance, I kept urging Ethan to come keep me company. Half an hour later, they arrived together. Watching them walk in unison, I asked curiously: “Why are you two together? Don’t tell me Arthur is jealous and deliberately picking a fight with Ethan? “Or are you, Ethan, upset that I haven’t divorced Arthur yet, and you want me to do it?” Arthur’s face was ashen. He answered before Ethan could: “I’m not jealous! Even if I was, it’s because we are husband and wife. As my wife, you are not allowed to stray! “Also, I didn’t cheat! You can’t blame me for the things my second personality did!” I never realized Arthur’s skin was this thick. Even now, he still refused to admit that he cheated. Using my liquid courage, I gave Arthur the middle finger and mocked him. “Tsk. What a classless, garbage man. Still refusing to admit it. You’re completely ruining my mood to watch these male models.” The moment I shifted my gaze back to the male models, Ethan stepped in front of me. He bit his lip, asking in a low voice: “Sister, are they better looking than me? You can’t even tear your eyes away.” I seriously re-evaluated Ethan’s impossibly handsome face, then glanced at the decent, but clearly heavily makeup-reliant faces of the male models. And finally, I glanced at Arthur’s dark, aged face. I seriously started wondering how I was ever blind enough to fall for someone as ugly and classless as Arthur. I thought for three seconds, then gave Ethan a huge thumbs up. “You’re definitely the best looking, Ethan. They can’t even compare to you.” I giggled and pinched Ethan’s handsome face, making Arthur so angry his face completely twisted. Furious, Arthur grabbed my arm and tried to drag me forward. The pain made me yell: “Arthur, let go of me! I’m not your dog that comes when called and leaves when dismissed! “If you don’t want to be with me anymore, just say it! We’ll get a divorce! “I, Serena, am not some desperate dog who can’t live without you, nor am I someone you can just pacify with a few sweet words!” Seeing this, Ethan forcefully separated us and pulled me behind him. The man who used to blush every time he saw me was now furiously criticizing Arthur. “Arthur, since you’re secretly with Chloe, why can’t you just let my beautiful, kind-hearted sister go?!” I chimed in: “Exactly! Arthur, you liar, you psycho! If you don’t let me go, I’m going to sue you!” Arthur raised an eyebrow lightly, thinking I was just playing hard to get. A cold smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

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My college roommate loved to label people. On the first day of school, she took one look at my designer outfit, rolled her eyes, and sneered, “Fake-brand freak.” To prove to everyone else that her “expert eye” was never wrong, she grabbed my handbag and took a pair of scissors directly to it. She laughed. “Real cowhide is soft and supple. This thing is stiff as a board. It’s obviously fake. Even if I cut up a hundred of these, I could easily afford to pay you back.” Just as the words left her mouth, my nanny pushed open the dorm room door. “You’re absolutely right, miss. It isn’t cowhide, because it’s crocodile skin.” She held up her phone, displaying a black digital wallet interface. “I am Mia’s nanny. You can transfer the funds directly to me. The total is $240,000.” 01 Freshmen were required to complete a month of basic training. To save me from getting sunburned, my mom arranged for me to arrive on campus on the very last day of training. She also insisted on sending Martha, the nanny who practically raised me, to live nearby and take care of my daily needs. And so, there we were in the dorm room. After Martha meticulously cleaned and made my bed, she carefully sorted the small welcome gifts she had prepared. She advised me, “Since you’re arriving late, Mia, giving these perfumes and face creams to your roommates is a good way to build goodwill and integrate faster.” I frowned. “Helena Rubinstein? Isn’t that a bit too cheap?” Martha quickly shook her head. “If you want to experience normal college life, you can’t give them anything too expensive.” I nodded, conceding the point. “Alright, you should go now. They’ll be back soon. You can come back when the room is empty.” 02 After Martha left, I excitedly inspected the dorm room. I had been pampered and sheltered by my parents since I was born. Driven everywhere by a chauffeur, constantly accompanied by a nanny at home. It was incredibly boring. So, for college, I insisted on living in the dorms to finally experience communal student life. But my excitement only lasted a few seconds before I noticed something. One of my roommates had several high-end knockoff designer bags sitting on her desk. Immediately after, the dorm door was pushed open. Two deeply tanned girls walked in. They looked exhausted, but their eyes lit up the moment they saw me. They asked excitedly, “Are you our last roommate, Mia Sterling?” One of them, a very skinny girl, looked me up and down. She gasped, “Oh my god, you look perfectly put together, like a rich heiress from a TV show!” The other chimed in, equally enthusiastic, “Yeah, exactly! Your skin is literally glowing.” She gently poked my arm. And squealed, “You’re so soft!” Seeing how cheerful and outgoing they were, I couldn’t help but laugh along. I handed them the gift bags Martha had prepared. “It’s an honor to be your roommate. I look forward to getting along with you all.” Just as the words left my mouth, the door banged open. A girl who had clearly been rigorous about her sun protection, looking quite glamorous, strutted into the room. She gave me a single, sweeping glance. Then drawled lazily, “Fake-brand freak.” She walked straight over to the desk with the knockoff bags and sat down. 03 The cheerful atmosphere instantly evaporated, replaced by suffocating awkwardness. The skinny roommate tugged my sleeve and whispered kindly, “Chloe Vance comes from a really rich family too. She just has a terrible temper. Try not to let her get to you.” She then peeked into the gift bag, pulling out the face cream, and gasped loudly. “Oh my god, Mia, are you actually a real-life heiress?! You’re giving us Helena Rubinstein ‘Black Bandage’ cream on the first day?! Holy crap!!!” The other roommate joined in the exaggerated gratitude. “Lord above, has the trope of ‘rich heiress’s loyal sidekick’ finally chosen me?!” She dramatically dropped to one knee. “My lady, I am your humble servant. Should you require anything in the future, please do not hesitate to command me.” Her comedic timing was perfect. The three of us burst into laughter. But Chloe, sitting off to the side, suddenly grabbed the gift bag I had placed on her desk and violently smashed it onto the floor. She snapped at the other two, “Are you two actually that broke? Someone throws a little fake garbage at you, and you drop to your knees acting like grateful dogs?” Her voice was shrill and grating. “I should just start calling you two broke little mutts. You’ll accept anyone as your master. If someone fed you shit, you’d probably wag your tails happily.” Furious at her absolute rudeness, I demanded, “What gives you the right to say these are fake?” Chloe didn’t even blink. “Because my mom has gone through over a hundred jars of that stuff! I can spot a fake a mile away!” As if she needed to prove a point, she grabbed the handbag sitting on my desk and held it up to the other two roommates. “Do you two even know what this logo means?” They shook their heads. She scoffed. “Hermès. I went shopping at their boutique with my mom right before the semester started, and they absolutely did not have this model.” She slammed the bag back onto the desk. “You desperate poser.” “I’ve seen millions of girls like you. You’re just trying to fake a wealthy persona so you can snag a sugar daddy!” “If you’re so rich, why the hell are you living in a dorm? Why didn’t your parents just buy you a penthouse near campus?” Seeing my face flush red, she looked incredibly smug. “What? Did I hit a nerve? Are you triggered?” To definitively prove her point, she dug a pair of scissors out of her desk. She grabbed my bag and drove the scissors right into it. With several forceful slashes, the bag was covered in jagged, deep cuts. Chloe panted slightly from the effort. “See?! Real Hermès bags are made of premium cowhide! They’re soft! This piece of garbage is stiff as a board. It’s obviously fake.” She glared at me triumphantly. “I’ve seen plenty of girls trying to fake it till they make it.” “Running into me is your worst nightmare!” She pulled out her phone, looking down at me with absolute arrogance. “Give me your Zelle or Venmo.” “For a fake piece of trash like this, even if I cut up a hundred of them, I could easily afford to pay you back.” Right at that moment, Martha, carrying a beautifully crafted insulated lunchbox, appeared in the doorway, her face dark as a thundercloud. I knew this was bad. That bag was my birthday present from Martha. She had saved up for over half a year to buy it for me. Her heart had to be breaking. I expected her to completely lose her temper. But she maintained her elegant, refined composure perfectly. “You’re absolutely right, miss. It isn’t cowhide, because it’s crocodile skin.” “And it makes perfect sense that you haven’t seen it, because it’s an unreleased model from next spring’s collection.” She pulled out her phone, displaying a black digital wallet interface indicating an ultra-high-tier account. “I am Mia’s nanny. You can transfer the funds directly to me. The total is $240,000.” Seeing Chloe freeze in shock, she added smoothly, “With how arrogant you’re acting, surely you wouldn’t have trouble producing such a trivial amount, right?” 04 Martha’s presence was incredibly intimidating. The black digital wallet interface instantly shattered Chloe’s arrogant facade. But she quickly recovered her composure, letting out a harsh scoff. “Wow, you scammers are getting bold, bringing your operations straight onto a college campus now?” “You carry a fake bag, hire some older woman to act as a prop, and have the audacity to try and extort me for $240,000?” She crossed her arms, glaring at me with absolute contempt. “You pathetic little sugar baby. The real reason you skipped basic training for a month was probably because you were recovering from an abortion…” She didn’t get to finish the sentence. A sharp, resounding slap echoed through the room, landing squarely on her face. Martha completely dropped her elegant, polite demeanor. She snapped sharply, “Who the hell do you think you are, spewing that kind of garbage in front of my lady?!” “Throwing around the term ‘sugar baby’—what, is that how your mother managed to birth you?!” Her tone was deadly serious. “Take a good look in the mirror at your own pathetic behavior. Your mother clearly couldn’t land a decent sugar daddy, which is why you turned out so completely classless!” After finishing her tirade, she pulled a wet wipe from her bag. And began methodically wiping her hand. “If I ever hear you spreading malicious rumors again, I will personally tear your mouth off.” 05 For a moment, you could hear a pin drop in the dorm room. My eyes widened in absolute shock. Growing up, Martha had always been the epitome of refined, gentle grace around me. I had no idea she could be this devastatingly brutal when angry. I gave her a massive thumbs-up. She really earned her title as the elite nanny who had successfully navigated the vicious infighting of my mother’s aristocratic family. Her combat effectiveness was off the charts. Meanwhile, Chloe, who had been completely stunned by the slap, absolutely exploded when she saw my thumbs-up. She never anticipated that Martha would actually hit her. And she definitely didn’t expect me to so blatantly cheer Martha on right in front of her face. She lunged forward, ready to retaliate. She shrieked, “Do you have any idea who I am?! How dare you hit me!” She threw all her weight into it, looking like she wanted to slap Martha into a bloody pulp. But I was honestly more worried for her safety than Martha’s. Because in her youth, Martha had been the national kickboxing champion four years in a row. And exactly as I predicted… The very next second, Martha easily caught Chloe’s wrist, raised her other hand, and delivered another brutal slap. This time, the force sent Chloe crashing to the floor. Martha commanded, “I don’t give a damn who you are. If you dare insult my lady, you are asking for a beating!” 06 The explosive argument quickly drew a crowd of students from neighboring dorms, who gathered around our open door. A few girls who were friends with Chloe pushed their way to the front, shielding her, and yelled at Martha, “Who gave you the right to come onto a college campus and assault a student?!” “It’s just a cheap, fake bag! Chloe’s family owns over a dozen coal mines; do you really think she’d misidentify it?” “It’s obvious you two targeted her because she’s rich and tried to scam her, and when she exposed you, you lost your minds!” The others in the crowd quickly chimed in. “Yeah, exactly! Forget $240,000; even if it was $2 million, Chloe wouldn’t even blink.” “Trying to run a scam with a fake bag—do you think rich people are idiots?!” Everyone was shouting at once. It felt like they wanted to drown Martha and me in their self-righteous spit. Meanwhile, the skinny roommate nervously tugged on my shirt and whispered a warning. “Mia, maybe you should just apologize to Chloe. She holds massive grudges. A few days ago during training, the girl standing in front of her accidentally stepped on her shoe. Chloe relentlessly bullied her until the girl was forced to drop out of school entirely.” Just as she finished speaking, Martha’s phone flash went off. She laughed cheerfully. “No problem! I’m just taking a quick photo. Later, when the police order Ms. Vance to pay for the damages, I hope all of you currently defending her are willing to chip in and help her cover the cost!” “Don’t try to run away when the bill comes due!” The moment she said that, the crowd instantly went silent. This infuriated Chloe even more. She violently shoved away the girl who had been defending her and screamed, “What the hell are you waiting for?! Call the police! I am going to prove to every single person here today that I was right!” Hearing that, I smiled and pulled out my phone. “Don’t bother. I already called them.”

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Because I went to the hospital a few times, I was jointly reported by the parents of my students. “Senior year is so crucial. As the homeroom teacher, you need to be on call 24/7. Will you die if you don’t go to the hospital?” “Even if it’s the weekend, what if something happens and we can’t find you? If you don’t even have that basic level of commitment, why are you even a homeroom teacher?” “At the end of the day, it’s just selfishness. Someone like this doesn’t even deserve to be a teacher!” I was both furious and shocked. For the past two years, I had poured my heart and soul into this class, taking them from the bottom of the grade to ranking first. I worked myself into the ground, getting sick in the process, yet I didn’t even dare ask for a sick day for fear of impacting my students. And after all that, I was being accused of being selfish? When my students found out I was reported, every single one of them had a cold, indifferent expression, acting as if it had nothing to do with them. My heart turned to ice. Whoever wants this homeroom teacher job can have it. A few months later, that same group of parents was standing outside my front door. “Mr. Vance, we’re begging you, please come back.” 01 I was reported. All the parents in my class jointly filed a complaint against me for being “irresponsible,” demanding the school immediately strip me of my homeroom teacher duties and my position as the math teacher. When the principal told me this, I felt like I had been struck by lightning. Ever since I took over this class, I had worked tirelessly, exhausting myself. I always put the students first, practically handing my heart over to them on a silver platter. And the parents actually had the nerve to call me irresponsible?! “The parents in your class are being extremely aggressive. They even said that if the school doesn’t meet their demands, they’ll escalate the report to the Board of Education.” My face looked terrible. The principal said sternly, “Mr. Vance, what you need to do right now is reflect on yourself. If you truly had absolutely zero issues, why would the parents collectively report you?” This was utterly baffling! How did this suddenly become my fault? I was just about to argue back, but the principal waved me off impatiently. “Alright, that’s enough. Go back and wait for the school’s decision.” Walking out of the principal’s office, the more I thought about it, the more depressed I felt. Finally, unable to hold it in, I sent a message in the parent-teacher group chat. “Parents, since I took on the role of homeroom teacher, I have always put the class first. I wouldn’t dare say I’ve given my absolute all, but I have certainly been dedicated and diligent. If you feel there are areas where I’ve fallen short in my work, you are more than welcome to communicate with me directly. Baseless misunderstandings and accusations truly chill the hearts of educators.” A few minutes later, a message popped up. Matthew’s Mom: “Misunderstandings? Are you saying we’re falsely accusing you? A homeroom teacher running off to the hospital every few days—do you think that’s appropriate? Who gave you that right? Who gave you that freedom? How are you supposed to focus your energy on the students like this? The final semester of senior year is so critical. Will you die if you don’t go to the hospital?” That barrage of blunt, unapologetic questioning left me stunned on the spot. 02 Two years of high-intensity work had severely damaged my cervical and lumbar spine. Every night, the pain was so bad I couldn’t sleep. My doctor strongly advised me to take a long leave of absence to rest. But given that it was already their senior year, I was worried the students wouldn’t adapt well to a new homeroom teacher. So, I could only squeeze out time on the weekends to go to the hospital for conservative, non-invasive treatments. As for resting, I figured I would at least wait until the students graduated. Even if you beat me to death, I never would have imagined that the parents would report me over this. I forced myself to be patient and replied: “Matthew’s Mom, homeroom teachers are human too; getting sick is unavoidable. Moreover, I only go to the hospital during my private time on the weekends. It hasn’t impacted my work with the class at all.” I didn’t expect her next words to be even more speechless. “Oh, please! Private time? What private time do you have? You are a teacher, a homeroom teacher. You should be on standby 24 hours a day!” At that point, other parents started chiming in one after another to agree. Chloe’s Dad: “I agree with Matthew’s Mom. If you’re going to be a homeroom teacher, you need to have that level of commitment. If you can’t do it, why are you even a homeroom teacher?” Ethan’s Dad: “Last semester, you took three consecutive days off to get married. I thought that was completely inappropriate at the time.” Noah’s Mom: “We only agreed to let you be the homeroom teacher because of your seniority and experience. If we knew you were going to be this high-maintenance, we would have rather had a young teacher from the start!” I couldn’t help but argue back. “Parents, I have developed some health issues, but I have never let that interfere with the class. These past two years, no matter how exhausting or grueling it got, I persevered for the sake of this class. If I really just wanted an easy life, I could have proactively resigned from my position as homeroom teacher.” But Matthew’s Mom retorted: “Give it a rest! You make it sound so noble, but isn’t it just for the money? Everyone knows homeroom teachers get paid more than regular teachers.” 03 My blood pressure instantly skyrocketed. In that moment, I wanted to curse them all out. It’s true that homeroom teachers get paid slightly more than regular subject teachers. An extra hundred dollars a semester. Can you believe it? Waking up earlier than the roosters, going to sleep later than the dogs. Spending seventeen or eighteen hours a day at the school. Endless homeroom teacher meetings, endless class administrative tasks, endless performance evaluations to write, endless parent feedback to reply to. Even on weekends and holidays, the progress reports and summaries never stopped. My phone was on 24/7, ready to handle any sudden emergencies at a moment’s notice. All in all, the workload of a homeroom teacher was more than ten times that of a regular subject teacher. Did they really think I was working myself to death just for that extra hundred bucks? Am I really that pathetic? The attacks against me in the group chat continued. “Not only do homeroom teachers get paid more, but they also get priority for ‘Teacher of the Year’ awards and promotions. There are plenty of perks!” “No wonder he couldn’t bear to give up the homeroom teacher position even when he was sick… Heh, I’m speechless.” “Damn it, if you want to make money, don’t drag our kids down! Do we owe you something?!” “Hurry up and get out!” I was so angry I couldn’t even speak. If I just wanted to make money, I would have left a long time ago. The private high school next door had previously offered to double my salary to poach me, but I politely declined. What was I doing it for? Wasn’t it for the students?! For their precious little darlings?! Ms. Roberts, the English teacher, couldn’t stand it anymore. “Mr. Vance has pushed through his illness for the sake of the students. Not only are you completely un-understanding, but how can you say such awful things to him? Are the students’ grades not enough to prove his dedication?” In the two years I had led this class, they had gone from being ranked at the bottom of the grade to being number one. That was an undeniable fact. There was a brief silence in the group chat. Then, one parent suddenly said, “That’s because the kids worked hard themselves. It would have been the same no matter which teacher led them; it has absolutely nothing to do with you.” Immediately after, a wave of agreement flooded the chat. “Exactly! My son studies until midnight every day. With that kind of effort, how could his grades not be good?” “The practice workbooks my daughter has completed could stack up as tall as a person!” “He really knows how to take credit for other people’s hard work.” 04 I was so angry my neck hurt. The students did work hard, but that study habit was only formed because I constantly pushed them. To put it bluntly, the students in Class 6 had a poor foundation, weak basics, and lacked any initiative to study. If they had been given a teacher with even slightly less sense of responsibility or slightly weaker skills, they would have been absolutely impossible to lead. Over the past two years, I had stayed up late countless times designing personalized teaching plans suited for the students in our class. I gave up my daily rest periods to offer one-on-one tutoring to the students, often just grabbing a piece of bread and a bottle of water for dinner. I gave free tutoring to the students at my home on weekends and holidays. I bought various study materials and prizes for the students out of my own pocket. I dare say I put more heart and effort into this than any other teacher in the school. But now, this group of parents was saying the students’ grades had absolutely nothing to do with me. Absolutely nothing! Furious, I typed: “Since everyone feels the students’ grades rely entirely on themselves, then how does me doing my own things during my off-hours affect them at all?” The parents all started arguing back at once. “What, do students only care about grades? Let me ask you, what if my kid doesn’t get enough to eat at school? What if they forget to drink water? What if they didn’t wear enough clothes and catch a cold? What if they feel sick?” “The kids are already tired enough from studying. The homeroom teacher should be responsible for chores like cleaning the classroom.” “Evening study hall ends too late every day. If you ask me, the homeroom teacher should be responsible for taking the students home.” Ms. Roberts sent me a private message. “Are these parents insane? Do they think a homeroom teacher is a babysitter?” Watching the messages constantly popping up in the group chat, my temples throbbed. I took a deep breath. Using my very last shred of patience, I said sincerely: “Parents, there is less than half a year left until the college entrance exams. I implore you all to trust me and give me one more chance. I promise I will do my absolute best to fulfill my duties as homeroom teacher.” But a single sentence from Matthew’s Mom instantly broke my composure. “You really are shameless. Are you just planning to seek revenge afterward and make things difficult for our kids?!” That single sentence completely broke my composure. Fine. Fine. Fine. I quit! 05 I had spent months developing comprehensive second and third-round review plans for everyone in the class. Forty-five plans in total, each one different. Even though I couldn’t continue leading this class, I still hoped to fulfill my final responsibility and show my care before I left. When I walked into the classroom during the afternoon study hall, a wave of complaints instantly erupted. “Damn, what kind of packets are those? Why are they so thick?” “Every day I open my eyes, it’s just study, study, study. I’m so tired, I seriously want to throw up.” “He’s taking up our study hall again…” These little brats. So what if they’re a little tired? What high school senior isn’t tired? Just as I was about to speak, Matthew suddenly asked loudly, “Mr. Vance, if we all get into Tier-1 universities, are you going to get a huge bonus of hundreds of thousands of dollars?” I didn’t process what he was asking for a second. “What?” “Otherwise, why would you treat us like pack mules every day? It must be because there’s a massive benefit in it for you. But since you aren’t going to teach us anymore, I think you should stop wasting your energy.” My face instantly fell. Matthew was a loudmouth. If he knew about this, then the whole class definitely knew too. I looked down at the class. The expressions on everyone’s faces were either impatient or completely apathetic. Which meant that knowing their parents had reported me, knowing that I—the homeroom teacher who had led them for two years—was leaving, not a single one of them showed even a hint of reluctance or sadness. What was even more unacceptable was that my students actually thought I was pushing them to study hard purely for my own benefit! In that moment, I didn’t know how to describe what I was feeling. I said coldly, “Oh. Then continue your study hall.” The moment I walked out, cheers erupted in the classroom. “Woohoo! The King of Hell is finally gone!” “Does this mean we’re liberated from now on?” “Finally, we don’t have to be forced by him to do those packets every day! Damn, do you guys know I literally have nightmares about him?!” 06 My heart was utterly frozen. I felt so awful I barely slept that night. The school moved fast. By the next day, a new homeroom teacher had been selected. Chosen exactly according to the demands of that group of parents. Single and unmarried. A docile personality. And she lived right there in the faculty dorms, truly present at the school 24 hours a day. The class group chat got lively again. Matthew’s Mom said, “Parents, even though this Ms. Carter is a bit younger, I have already spoken with her privately. She promised she will take excellent care of our kids.” “Thank you so much for your hard work, Matthew’s Mom! You really ran yourself ragged sorting out this top priority for our class.” “Oh, there’s no need to thank me. It’s all for the kids!” “Exactly, exactly!” I didn’t want to stay in that group chat for another second. After handing over my duties to the new homeroom teacher, the very first thing I did was leave the group. Then, I submitted my resignation to the school. The administration was quite displeased. “Mr. Vance, you aren’t some naive, immature young teacher. Even if you weren’t in the wrong here, is it really necessary to threaten the school with resignation? What teacher doesn’t suffer a little injustice? To put it bluntly, even if a parent hit you today, you’d still just have to endure it!” There was no point in arguing with someone who couldn’t understand. I didn’t bother explaining further and firmly processed my resignation. When I left, not a single person from the class came to see me off. I just considered the past two years of my genuine devotion to have been fed to the dogs. During my time off, I underwent a minimally invasive surgery. I woke up naturally every day, ate three meals on time, and spent my free time reading and watching TV shows. Not only did all my minor ailments disappear, but I also gained over ten pounds in less than a month. A few days after I resigned, it happened to be the first major mock exam for the seniors. Class 6 remained ranked number one in the grade. A few parents I had forgotten to unfriend posted on their timelines. “Facts prove that our children’s excellence relies entirely on themselves! It has nothing to do with anyone else!” “To certain arrogant, self-important people: No one in this world is indispensable.” They were just short of tagging me directly. 07 I felt absolutely nothing. No one understood that group of students better than I did. They had no internal drive; they only knew how to study passively. Without me—the homeroom teacher exhausting myself to drag them forward—let’s just wait and see what happens. After resting for half a month, Mingde Academy—the school that had previously tried to poach me—called me again. “Mr. Vance, as long as you’re willing to come, we welcome you anytime!” They reiterated their promise: they were still willing to pay me double my previous salary. Before going, I had one condition: I absolutely would not be a homeroom teacher. Being just a regular subject teacher meant I wouldn’t have to worry about endless class management tasks, wouldn’t have to exhaust myself maintaining parent-teacher relationships, wouldn’t have to deal with all sorts of bizarre people and drama, and wouldn’t have to worry about having zero personal space. By focusing solely on my teaching, I wouldn’t be heartbroken over investing my emotions and getting absolutely nothing in return. “Mr. Vance, you coming here really is a huge help to us. The previous math teacher went on maternity leave, and we were getting really worried,” the homeroom teacher of my new class told me happily. I was still teaching seniors. After Mr. Lee, the homeroom teacher, added me to the Class 2 parent-teacher group chat, I gave a standard, professional greeting. I didn’t expect the parents to get so excited. “Are you the Mr. Vance who used to be at First High?” “Mr. Vance, I’ve watched your public math lectures! They take complex concepts and make them easy to understand, and they’re so engaging and humorous! You teach brilliantly!” “I was getting really anxious, but finding out that Mr. Vance is taking over our class’s math… I’m suddenly not worried at all anymore!” I replied politely: “Thank you all for your kind words. I will do my absolute best to teach our class well. If anyone has any opinions or suggestions regarding my teaching, please feel free to communicate with me anytime.” I thought people would start adding me privately. With my old class, the parents insisted on adding every single subject teacher just so they could contact us at any time, completely disregarding any concept of boundaries. But to my surprise, not a single parent from this group sent me a private friend request. 08 “You’re too modest, Mr. Vance. You’re the professional. All we need to do is trust you!” Another parent chimed in: “Mr. Vance just arrived, so he definitely has a lot on his plate. Let’s not bother him right now.” “Right, right, right! I was just too excited and got a little carried away.” “Mr. Vance, please go ahead and get back to your work.” Perhaps because private schools are naturally more competitive and demanding, the students were incredibly proactive and driven. I quickly adapted to my new work environment. Over at First High, however, the new homeroom teacher for Class 6 didn’t seem to be having a smooth time. Less than a month into the job, she, just like me, was reported by the parents. The reason for the report was ridiculous: the teacher didn’t answer a parent’s phone call. When Ms. Roberts relayed the story to me, she was so furious she could barely speak clearly. “Just because she didn’t answer the phone, the parent actually marched right into the school and slapped Ms. Carter across the face!” I was shocked. They actually got physical? “Ms. Carter was literally teaching a class! How was she supposed to answer the phone? And do you know why the parent called? Just to have the teacher top up her son’s meal card! My god, how old is her son?! Does he not have hands?!” I remained silent. That was exactly the kind of thing those parents would do. When I was there, I had to be available on WeChat 24/7. Even if they called in the middle of the night, I couldn’t ignore it. If a student didn’t get enough to eat at school, didn’t drink enough water, or even got dirt on their collar, they would come to me. Parents with boarding students even asked me if I could help wash their kids’ clothes, claiming their children had never washed clothes at home before. Thinking back on it now, it was probably because I had refused so many of their unreasonable demands that those parents had long harbored a grudge against me. The parent who slapped her wasn’t just anyone. It was Matthew’s Mom. Being slapped by a parent in front of the entire class… and instead of apologizing, the parent played the victim and reported her. No human being could tolerate that. Ms. Carter immediately declared she was quitting. I quickly asked, “And what was the school’s stance?”

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Since I was a little kid, I’ve always been a massive poser. My dad was a gambling addict, my sister was an aspiring cam girl, my little brother was a violent sociopath, my grandmother was a raging misogynist, and I… I was a shameless poser. Until one day, I found out I was actually the biological daughter of the richest man in the state. After being brought back into the billionaire family, the very first thing I did was show off. The second thing I did was forget my roots. The third thing I did was post: [I don’t need a lot of money; I need a lot of love.] 1 Since I was a little kid, I’ve always been broke and a massive poser. Even though my family was dirt poor, I pretended to be incredibly wealthy at school. My dad was a gambling addict who owed a mountain of debt and spent years hiding out of state, working odd jobs. My mom ran off with another man and we never heard from her again. Whenever my classmates talked about their parents, I’d say mine were high-level corporate executives who flew around the world every day. “Yeah… they’re super busy. I barely see them a few times a year. But I mean, they do give me a few tens of thousands a month for an allowance.” “I just play golf in my free time, travel around, you know, the usual.” A rich classmate bought a new Miu Miu hair clip and asked why I never wore designer brands. I stared at my fingernails with practiced indifference. “My parents always tell me to keep a low profile, so they only buy me niche, boutique brands. This sweater I’m wearing was custom-made by hand in France.” I discreetly hid the unravelling thread on my sleeve and offered a perfect, condescending smile. “Compared to those mass-produced luxury goods, it’s the difference between something with a soul and something without one, obviously.” For the end-of-the-year talent show, the rehearsal fees and costumes cost a total of two hundred dollars. I was the only person in the entire class who didn’t participate. I raised my hand elegantly. “Teacher, I’ll pass on the rehearsals. I have my one-on-one private piano lessons every day.” After school, a classmate asked me: “Chloe, why isn’t your driver here to pick you up yet?” I intentionally dawdled, refusing to leave. “I told my driver to bring the blue Ferrari today. It might take a little longer. Ugh, I’m used to it. Getting the car ready takes time, after all.” My classmate: “Okay, well, I’m going to head out.” 2 I didn’t dare sneak out of the school gates until every single person was gone, running all the way back to my cramped, dingy house. My younger sister, who was a year younger than me, had her face caked in heavy makeup and was live-streaming some borderline-inappropriate dance. She used to date some punk with bleached blonde hair at school, constantly got into fights, and was eventually expelled. Seeing me walk in, she answered a phone call, then immediately started bossing me around: “Hey, sis. Spot me eight bucks. I’ll pay you back when I get some cash.” I rolled my eyes at her and rejected her flat out. “No.” “Ew, are you looking down on me?” She flew into a rage and glared at me. Then she screamed into her phone: “It’s just a cup of boba! Do you think I can’t afford it?! “Girl, emergency. Spot me some cash.” She started calling her “gang” of street friends one by one. After making dozens of calls, she finally managed to scrape together eight dollars. She smugly winked at me. “Once we’re out in the real world, we’ll see who’s really the boss!” Absolutely delusional. My fingers twitched, suppressing the overwhelming urge to slap her across the face. Whatever. It had nothing to do with me anyway. 3 When I got back to my room, I found that the hundred-dollar bill I had in my drawer was missing. That was the money I had painstakingly saved up, trading all my loose change for one crisp, new bill, specifically so I wouldn’t expose my lie when paying the class fees. “Who touched my things?” My grandmother, holding my violent, sociopathic little brother in the kitchen, looked guilty and wouldn’t meet my eyes. I walked right up to her and asked blankly: “Did you steal my money?” “What do you mean ‘steal’?! You’re the older sister, what’s wrong with spending a little money on your brother?” She shoved me hard, not forgetting to add sarcastically: “Who knows how you even got that money anyway? Tsk, tsk. Better to spend it on my precious grandson.” My six-year-old sociopathic brother was utterly fearless. He giggled and made a face at me. “I took it! So what?! Grandma said your money is my money. “If you dare yell at me, I’ll tell Daddy to come back and beat you to death!” I looked down at him and let out two cold laughs. When our dad was around, I had to act meek and submissive to survive, catering to this little “golden boy’s” every whim. But now that the gambling addict had fled out of state to dodge his debts, he wasn’t coming back for at least six months to a year. It was time to show them who the real master of this house was. I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into my small room. Before the old hag could even react, I swiftly locked the bedroom door. I rolled my wrists, a wicked smile spreading across my face. “Hehe.” I backhanded him twice across the face. He was stunned by the slaps, not daring to move an inch. A few seconds later, he burst into wails and charged at me, trying to hit me. I easily subdued him with a few more slaps. “Still want to fight back?” Hearing the kid crying inside, the old hag outside started frantically pounding on the door. While simultaneously cursing: “Chloe! How dare you hit your brother! Let him go! Oh my god, my precious baby…” I didn’t say a word. I just kept slapping him. Finally, the old hag outside broke. She compromised: “Chloe! I’ll give the money back! Let my grandson out right now!” “Money first. Slide it under the door.” “Here! Here!” She slid a bill through the crack under the door. I let go of my brother, whose cheeks were both swollen, and unceremoniously snatched the bill from the floor. After rubbing it between my fingers, I licked the corner of my lips. “Double the compensation, and I’ll let him go.” “You! You’re breaking your promise!” The old hag slumped against the door handle, looking like she was about to faint. But the sound of another slap from inside instantly woke her up. “If you don’t hand it over, your grandson might get beaten to death.” She sounded like she was having a complete breakdown: “I’ll give it to you! I’m giving it to you, stop hitting your brother!” After receiving the second bill, I satisfactorily let him out. “You… you have such a vicious heart!” The old hag hugged her grandson at the door, pointing a trembling finger at me. “Thank you for the compliment.” I offered a shamelessly sweet smile. 4 Acting as if nothing happened, I pushed past the two of them and slammed a bill down in front of my wannabe-gangster sister. “From now on, don’t tell anyone outside that I’m your sister. If you see me, pretend you don’t know me. Understand?!” Last time, she almost ruined all my hard work by shouting my name at school. Thankfully, my poser skills were top-notch. I claimed she was our maid’s daughter, and no one questioned it. This money was compensation for her silence. My sister looked at me with a lazy, sideways glance. “If you ever need anything, come find me, your big sis Lily. I’ll remember this favor. My street connections are at your beck and call.” I closed my eyes, forcing a smile after a long pause. “Just don’t say you know me. That’s all I need. Thanks.” The old hag yelled from the side: “Lily, if you dare take that money, I’ll have your father beat you to death! Chloe is being ridiculous, and you’re playing along?! “Give that money back to Grandma right now!” My sociopathic brother glared at us with pure hatred, crying and screaming: “You’re all bullying me! I’m going to beat you to death!” Acting like she couldn’t hear them, Lily started calling her “sisters.” “Let’s go. Big sis Lily is treating today. I’m taking you all out for a feast.” I sighed, went back to my room, and shut the door. What kind of cursed, catastrophic starting stats were these?! Whatever, time to read some revenge fantasy web novels. I found a novel about a real vs. fake heiress. When I read the female lead’s background story, I almost cried. What was the difference between her and me?! Oh, right. She wasn’t as good a poser as I was. Thinking about this, I suddenly lost interest and opened Xiaohongshu (a lifestyle/social media app similar to Instagram/Pinterest). The “stealth wealth” posts I scrolled past almost made me die of anger. Shanghai Princess: [Haha, you’re so funny. When I was studying in the US, my Ivy League friends never understood these jokes. I still prefer hanging out with you guys. Being alone in Beverly Hills gets so lonely. It’s so nice to be back in China. But I’ll only be at Harvard for a short time anyway, I still have to go back to Beijing. Even though my official residency is in Shanghai, my parents bought me a villa in the Beijing Manor estate in the East Third Ring Road to live in.] I had previously tried to build a rich-girl persona online, but I got exposed and had to delete my account. Right now, I was studying these posts frame-by-frame, determined to make a comeback. Just as I was thinking this, my sociopathic brother, who only bullied the weak and feared the strong, started pounding on my door. He had called his dad to complain. “She hit me! How dare she hit me! Waaah… “Isn’t her money my money?! Daddy, come back quickly and sell her for cash! Didn’t you say she was only here to pay for my future wife?!” And the old hag added fuel to the fire: “Exactly. She’s completely out of control. Because no one’s here to discipline her, she’s bullying my precious grandson, and she even knows how to steal my money now. “Oh my god, my life is so miserable…” “Shut up!” I gripped my blanket tightly and roared viciously. The noise outside the door stopped. Immediately, my gambling addict dad called me. “You little bitch, do you have a death wish?! Just wait until I get back and show you a lesson! You can forget about your two hundred dollar allowance this month! “Apologize to your brother and your grandmother right now!” I hung up the phone, grinding my teeth. I scrolled through my photo album and found a picture of my brother. I didn’t even need to edit it to make him look ugly; his natural face was already abstract enough. I used my burner account to create a post on Xiaohongshu, asking if he could be a child model. Watching the hate comments rapidly rolling in, I peacefully closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. 5 With my allowance gone, and the old hag watching me like a hawk, I didn’t even have the chance to start a fight. After pinching pennies for a few days, I literally couldn’t afford lunch at school. My classmates curiously asked why I wasn’t eating. With 30% elegance, 30% disdain, and 40% careless indifference, I replied: “My parents said the food here isn’t healthy and told me not to eat it. “My family’s Michelin-starred chef prepares custom, high-end meals for me every day. You wouldn’t understand.” Someone questioned: “Then why are you drinking the school’s water?” I remained perfectly composed. “Usually, my family’s water is flown in directly from icebergs. But it’s too much of a hassle, and I’m not that delicate. I’m just treating it as experiencing the common life.” … When I got home that night, I froze the moment I walked in. My bedroom door had been smashed open, and everything inside was completely trashed and thrown everywhere. I rushed to the side of my bed and crouched down. The hundred-dollar bill I had hidden under the bedframe was gone. The old hag and her grandson were hiding in their bedroom. I pounded on the door with all my might but couldn’t get it open, leaving me completely powerless and furious. The living room was completely bare. There wasn’t a single cent left. What was I going to do? The class fees were due tomorrow. I had to swallow my pride, kneel outside their door, and beg her to give the money back. “The class fees are due tomorrow! That money is incredibly important to me. Please, I’m begging you, give it back…” Her mocking, sarcastic voice drifted out from inside: “Now you come begging me? Heh, impossible! “Just wait to embarrass yourself tomorrow!” I was so angry I could die. Just wait. The day I get rich, the very first thing I’m going to do is slap you to death. But mental fantasies weren’t going to solve my immediate problem. I agonized all night, having absolutely no idea what to do. In the morning, my sister handed me a five-dollar bill, winking at me sleazily. “Short on cash? However much you need, you can just ask your big sis! With my street connections, tsk, I can definitely scrape it together for you.” Heh. Thanks, but no thanks. I forced a tight smile, grabbed my backpack, and hurried out. 6 The entire way to school, I was trapped in a state of absolute panic and breakdown. What was I going to do? If I couldn’t even produce this tiny amount of money, my cover would be blown. Everyone would look down on me and isolate me. I would be ruined! It felt like I was standing in pitch darkness, with countless eyes staring at me, pointing fingers at me. HONK! HONK! HONK! The piercing sound of a car horn violently yanked me back to reality. I stood frozen in place, looking left and right. I was… in the middle of crossing the street? “Are you blind?! Do you not have eyes?!” The car window rolled down, and a man wearing sunglasses roared furiously. He carried an aura of absolute superiority; one look and you knew he was a wealthy second-generation heir from an affluent family. And he was driving a blue Ferrari. If only it were mine. Snapping out of my unrealistic fantasy, I meekly apologized: “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention just now.” When he saw my face clearly, the man suddenly froze. He opened the door, stepped out of the car, pulled me to the side, and asked with a frown: “What is your name?” “Huh?” I didn’t know what he was getting at, but I answered obediently: “Chloe Vance.” “Mm… you weren’t scared just now, were you? I was definitely too impatient.” He suddenly raised his hand and rubbed my head firmly. “Leave me your contact info. If you feel unwell later, just contact me. I can compensate you.” Why did this guy’s attitude change so fast? I nodded slowly, completely failing to notice that he had just plucked a few strands of hair from my head. Even though something felt a bit off, my vanity ultimately won out. While he was getting back into his car, I secretly snapped a picture of the luxury sports car on my phone. With his broad shoulders, narrow waist, flawless face, and superior aura, he was the absolute perfect prop for my poser facade. “Wow, is that really your brother?” “Of course! He dropped me off at school today.” Girls around me started screaming: “Oh my god, he’s so hot!!!” I proudly lifted my chin. “My brother is usually incredibly busy attending to various business engagements. He barely managed to carve out some time today to keep me company. “Like I told you guys before, this Ferrari is just the standard model. We have dozens of cars like this in our garage.” Gasps of awe echoed around me. Basking in their envious and jealous stares, I played the part flawlessly. “It’s really no big deal.” 7 When it was time to collect the class fees, I was the only person in the entire class who hadn’t paid. The teacher looked around the room, while I, forcing myself to remain calm, raised my hand. “Teacher, my family always just gives me a credit card. I don’t carry cash.” “You didn’t bring any?” The teacher frowned, then said, “Well, you can just have your parents Venmo it to me.” “Teacher, my parents are out of the country on a business trip. They’re incredibly busy and don’t have time for things like this.” I could lie through my teeth without even blushing. “It’s fine. I’ll just give your parents a call later. “Everyone except Chloe has paid, right? Since we have almost everything, I’ll take my leave.” She didn’t give me a chance to argue further and walked right out of the classroom. I gritted my teeth, having absolutely no idea what to do. I could only pray that my gambling addict father wouldn’t answer the phone. Otherwise, the persona I had painstakingly crafted over the past two years would be completely destroyed. Swallowing hard, I hesitantly opened the contacts app on my phone. Ask that rich guy for money? But why on earth would he help me? I was dreaming. I don’t know how long I sat there spacing out before my homeroom teacher suddenly called my name from the doorway. “Chloe, step out here for a minute.” It’s over. My heart, which had been hanging by a thread, completely died. Following her out into the hallway, I spoke stiffly, like a wooden puppet: “Teacher, is something wrong?” She looked at me sternly. “Chloe, why are you lying?” I kept my head down, not daring to speak. The students inside the classroom were whispering amongst themselves. I could feel their gazes darting toward me, every single one filled with malicious curiosity. “Your father said he doesn’t know anything about this! He said that at home, not only do you bully your little brother and your grandmother, but you’ve also started stealing money!” Her tone was filled with disappointment. “I never expected you to be such a vain person. Lying and deceiving your teachers and classmates at school…” Watching her lips moving, a loud ringing sound engulfed my ears. The overwhelming sense of humiliation from years ago surrounded me once again. It felt like I was back in kindergarten. Because my family was poor and my parents weren’t there to defend me, everyone bullied me and ostracized me. “Chloe is so pitiful, she doesn’t even have a mommy or daddy…” “Let’s go. Don’t play with her. She looks dirty.” Even when playing games, they would intentionally push me to the ground. “Teacher! I saw her cheat! She stepped on the line!” “Yeah, I saw it too!” “Me too!” … And now, my classmates were doing the same. Countless dark shadows pointed fingers at me, their gazes aggressive and invasive. “So Chloe was faking it the whole time. How shameless.” “A poor kid trying to play the rich heiress. I knew I couldn’t stand her!” “Let’s all stay away from her…” I didn’t do anything! Countless hands pushed me into a cramped, suffocating corner. The most innocent-looking malice poured down on me like dirty water. What exactly did I do wrong? Why did they all isolate me and bully me? Just as I felt like I was going to lose my mind, I suddenly felt a warm embrace. I looked up blankly and saw the older brother from this morning. He wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and ruffled my hair with a look of mock disgust. My brain completely short-circuited. No way. What is he doing here?

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Arthur Sterling had always been fiercely, obsessively devoted to me. Yet, just because I went to meet that girl, he drove his car straight at me. I couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really like her that much?” Arthur looked at me coldly. “She was willing to take a knife for me. Could you do the same?” I let out a sharp, sudden laugh. “Absolutely not.” 1 Arthur had been hiding a mistress behind my back. He hid her for six months, and I didn’t suspect a thing. Until a week ago. I had my period, and out of nowhere, he remarked, “You don’t seem to get cramps anymore.” I froze for a second. Instantly, I realized that this bastard definitely had someone he cared about who suffered from severe period cramps. So, I casually replied, “Dr. Lee has been treating me. A few rounds of his herbal medicine cleared it right up.” Arthur didn’t even blink. He just gave a highly indifferent, “Hm.” Three days later, I flew out of the country for a business trip. He used that time to escort a girl somewhere. The photo I received was so blurry you couldn’t even make out her face. But the incredibly precious, overly protective way Arthur treated her was glaringly obvious. I wasn’t surprised that Arthur cheated. I was surprised that he actually cared this much. What kind of girl is she? Driven by curiosity, I secretly flew back home without telling him. I had my driver, Old Xu, take me straight to the apartment where Arthur was keeping her. Perfect timing. Arthur had just stepped out of his Cullinan. He carelessly tossed his bespoke, high-end suit jacket onto the backseat and pulled on a cheap, generic windbreaker. He threw on a pair of glasses, messed up his perfectly styled hair, and grabbed a generic laptop bag. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Is he cosplaying as Kevin from IT?” “A programmer?” Old Xu kept his head down, staying as quiet as a mouse. Once Arthur disappeared upstairs, I pushed my door open. “Wait here. I’m going up to take a look.” “Boss…” “What are you afraid of? Is he going to kill me?” … “He wouldn’t kill you either!” 2 Anyone with half a brain knew that the second I went up there and exposed his secret, things between me and Arthur were going to get violently ugly. Especially since our conflicts had been escalating exponentially over the last two years. The cold wars, the screaming matches, the smashing of things—it had become our daily routine. Our most recent blowout was half a month ago. I honestly can’t even remember what started it. At the climax of the argument, I grabbed a glass and hurled it directly at his head. He could have dodged it, but he didn’t. He just stood there, letting the bright red blood stream down his forehead. His eyes were freezing cold. “Is there even a trace of the girl you used to be left in you?” How hilarious. I’m not like I used to be, but is he? When he changes, it’s perfectly natural and justified. But when I change, it’s an unforgivable sin? Knock. Knock. Knock. I rapped on the door. Arthur opened it. He still had a warm, gentle smile plastered on his face as he called back inside, “Just leave it, I’ll get it.” He turned around. The absolute second his eyes locked onto mine, the smile fractured and shattered. The soft, gentle warmth in his eyes instantly froze into solid ice. The transition was so flawlessly smooth it belonged in an acting masterclass. “Who is it?” A petite, pretty girl poked her head out from behind him. Meeting her gaze, I paused for a second. Arthur shifted his body to block her. “Go back inside.” His low, serious tone confused the girl. A smile unexpectedly crept onto my lips. I stepped forward and extended my hand before he could stop me. “Hi, I’m a coworker of Arthur’s. I need to discuss some work matters with him.” Arthur gave me a flat, icy look, but silently accepted my cover story. “Stay inside. We’re going to talk outside.” “Is it inconvenient? Did I interrupt your time with Mrs. Sterling?” The girl’s face flushed bright red, and she waved her hands frantically. “No! I’m not Mrs. Sterling! We aren’t…” “Not married yet? Well, I’m sure it’ll happen soon. Make sure I get an invitation to the wedding.” Her face turned even redder, and she stole shy, embarrassed glances at Arthur. My smile grew wider. “By the way, my name is Mia Harrison. What’s yours?” “Chloe Lin. Nice to meet you!” 3 Chloe Lin. 19 years old. A student at University H. Exceptional grades, impeccable character. That was all the information I could dig up. Arthur had completely scrubbed the rest of her background. Ultimately, I never stepped foot inside their little love nest. Under Arthur’s freezing, intimidating glare, I smoothly followed him downstairs. “How did you get here?” … “Why didn’t you tell me you were back in the country?” … “How long have you known?” … Arthur took a deep, aggressive drag of his cigarette. “What do you want?” I scoffed out loud. Finally, getting straight to the point. “What do you think I should want?” Arthur tilted his head to look at me. “My relationship with her isn’t the dirty, sleazy affair you’re imagining.” “She has health issues. I’m taking care of her. That’s all.” I dragged out a long, sarcastic “Oh.” “And what if I don’t believe you?” Arthur’s face instantly darkened. My aura of breezy, unbothered warmth vanished completely. I got out of the car and slammed the door shut. “Mia.” I turned around. The next second, the terrifying roar of an accelerating engine echoed through the garage. Arthur had one hand on the steering wheel. As the car sped aggressively directly toward me, his eyes never left mine for a microsecond. He watched my pupils dilate in horror, watched my entire body paralyze in fear. SCREECH— The bumper stopped literally touching my kneecaps. Braked to a violent halt. My mind went completely blank. For a split second, it felt like a bomb had detonated inside my skull. The car reversed, swung around, and pulled up right next to me. Arthur looked up at me from the driver’s seat. “Do not touch her.” That wasn’t a plea. It was a lethal warning. “Boss! Are you okay?!” Old Xu stumbled over, his face the color of ash, his eyes filled with pure terror. As my knees gave out and I collapsed onto the concrete, I finally realized it wasn’t my imagination. He really, truly wanted to kill me. 4 Arthur Sterling had never been a saint. He was a guy who didn’t even finish middle school, yet clawed his way to his current empire. He was ruthless to others, but infinitely more ruthless to himself. When I was six, my garbage father used the excuse of taking me out to play to secretly meet up with his first love. While they were rolling around in a hotel suite, Arthur was stuck babysitting me in the living room, watching Tom and Jerry. I didn’t understand why weird groaning noises were coming from the bedroom. I asked curiously, “Arthur, what are my dad and that lady doing?” He cranked the TV volume up to the max and covered my ears. “It’s dirty. Don’t listen.” He was only a year older than me, but he took care of me flawlessly. It wasn’t because he liked me so much. It was because his mother told him that if he kept me quiet and distracted, she’d give him twenty bucks. That twenty bucks was his entire allowance for the week. When I was fourteen, my dad eloped with Arthur’s mom. My mother completely lost her mind. She set a fire and burned our house to the ground. Arthur was the one who carried me out of the inferno. Half of his arm still bears the burn scars from that night. He had no money for tuition, so he dropped out of school to work manual labor. I took a baseball bat and smashed his tiny, rundown apartment to pieces. I paid him $5,000 for the damages. He still refused to go back to school. Instead, he went to Yunnan to buy and trade medicinal herbs and local goods. He used the very first real paycheck he earned to buy me a princess dress. That year, I was fifteen. He was sixteen. My mother was hysterical. “Your father ran off with that slut, and you’re still hanging around the bastard she spawned!” “You really are your father’s child. I should have strangled you the moment you were born.” Logically, I probably should have taken my mother’s side. But tragically, Arthur was the one who raised me. During the years my dad was busy cheating and my mom was busy hunting him down, I lived like a complete outcast. Arthur was the only one who stayed by my side, expecting nothing in return. He could be filthy and covered in dirt, but he demanded that I always be spotlessly clean. He could be beaten black and blue, but no one was allowed to lay a single finger on me. He forbade me from telling anyone we were connected; he was terrified he wouldn’t be strong enough to protect me yet. He hated seeing me cry. He would always clumsily try to wipe my tears away. He’d fiercely, aggressively order me to hold the tears in. But years later, when I truly, finally stopped crying forever… he didn’t seem all that happy about it. “Honestly, if you just cried and threw a tantrum, I’d give you whatever you wanted.” “Why do you always insist on fighting me tooth and nail?” 5 I lay in the hospital for a day and a half. Dr. Vance, an old friend, told me to stay dead. “Fine. Bring me a pack of cigarettes.” “Smoking is strictly prohibited in the hospital.” “Then I want to be discharged.” “Couldn’t you just use this as an opportunity to quit smoking?” “You call this an ‘opportunity’? I’d be better off taking the ‘opportunity’ to just die.” Dr. Vance rolled his eyes, refusing to indulge me any further. “What the hell is actually going on between you and Arthur?” “Usually, if you so much as scrape your knee, he loses his mind. This time, he hasn’t even shown his face.” I let out a cold laugh. “Finally asked, huh?” “Must have been killing you holding that in.” Leo burst into the hospital room just as I was preparing to walk out, nearly tackling me. His eyes were frantic, his face completely pale. “Mia, are you okay?!” “Why are you here?” “Are you hurt anywhere?!” “Who authorized you to come back?” “Where the fuck is Arthur?!” “Is your assignment finished?” “I’m going to kill him!” … Not a single sentence I actually wanted to hear. I kicked him hard in the shin. He didn’t dodge. He just took it, then hunched his shoulders and leaned his head down in front of me. “I’m sorry.” I smacked the back of his head lightly. “Did Old Xu tell you?” “No, I looked into it myself.” This kid was getting sharper. As he grew older, his capabilities were expanding rapidly. He actually had the guts to run background checks on me now. “How did the business in the South go?” “They can handle it.” After reporting, he still looked incredibly defiant. “There’s no way I wasn’t coming back.” I laughed, irritated. “Fine. You’re the boss.” Leo followed behind me, grumbling and acting like a pathetic, whining puppy to beg for forgiveness. And we walked straight into Arthur. His expression was completely flat, and he was holding Chloe’s hand. So, since I completely blew his cover, he wasn’t even going to bother hiding it anymore? Leo froze for a few seconds, then his face turned murderous as he lunged forward. I kicked him right back into place. Dr. Vance stood awkwardly to the side, his face cycling through a spectrum of colors. It was a spectacularly toxic standoff. “Ms. Harrison, are you feeling sick too?” Chloe’s naive, innocent voice shattered the tension. I offered her a polite smile. “Just a minor issue. What brings you here?” She looked a bit embarrassed. “I have a scar on my back. I wanted to see if they could remove it.” I nodded in understanding. “Medical technology is incredible these days. I’m sure it won’t be a problem.” “A pretty, young girl like you shouldn’t have any flaws.” Chloe’s face flushed bright red. “You’re incredibly beautiful too, Ms. Harrison.” Arthur tightened his grip on her hand. “We need to go. The specialist is waiting.” “Goodbye, Ms. Harrison.” As we brushed past each other, Arthur gave me a polite, sterile nod. Perfect. The textbook definition of a casual acquaintance. On the ride back, Leo’s face was as dark as the bottom of a burned pot. I couldn’t help but tease him. “What? If I hadn’t stopped you, were you really going to brawl with Arthur right there in the hospital?” “Shouldn’t I have?!” “So you’re not afraid of him anymore?” He pressed his lips into a thin line. “Mia, you need to cut him off. Completely.” Hah! Silly kid. 6 I picked Leo up out of a stairwell when I was twenty. He was eleven at the time. His biological father and stepmother had locked him out of the apartment. It was the dead of winter, and he was wearing a thin spring jacket, shivering violently, his body covered in dark bruises. He grabbed my pant leg, mumbling weakly that he was starving. So I took him home, made him a bowl of instant ramen, and tossed in a sausage. At that time, things between me and Arthur were incredibly toxic. He refused to let me get involved in his business, ordering me to stay out of it and just focus on studying. But he was constantly getting injured. I couldn’t handle it. Money. Those few miserable dollars truly drove people to the brink of death. I surrendered to my mother. I told her I was done with Arthur and was ready to come home and inherit the family business. My mother mocked me relentlessly. But she also knew perfectly well that the shares my grandparents left behind were under my exclusive control. She hated me. But she also needed me. Since she couldn’t physically force me, she recorded my surrender and played it for Arthur. Arthur didn’t believe it. He believed me. So he was consumed by self-blame. He blamed himself for not being strong enough to protect me. When the self-blame became too much, we started fighting. We fought about situations, then we fought about emotions. Then we’d make up. And the cycle would repeat. Leo was an anomaly. I sporadically fed him and looked after him for about six months. Arthur didn’t interfere, nor did he care. But because Arthur always had a cold, intimidating, emotionless expression, Leo was terrified of him. Later on, Leo’s father discovered our arrangement. His cloudy, disgusting eyes looked me up and down with blatant, filthy lust. Leo must have heard something, because he used every cent of his saved-up allowance to buy a knife. He was terrified and completely desperate. I cooked him a bowl of noodles, confiscated the knife, and told him to stay out of it. I intentionally left the door unlocked, allowing the man to break into my apartment, rip my clothes, and pin me to the bed. I watched as his wife, who had followed him, burst into the room. They started brawling, and the man plunged a knife directly into the woman’s stomach. He fled in absolute panic, grabbing all the cash from my safe on his way out. The newly installed security cameras captured the entire sequence of events in high definition. He was arrested, convicted, and given a maximum sentence. For the person I was back then, it was an absolutely flawless, perfectly executed trap. Arthur didn’t say a single word. He just sat in silence, applying medicine to my bruises. After a very long time, he finally spoke. “You never should have used yourself as bait.” “If something had gone wrong, what was I supposed to do?” Those were the words that stuck with me back then. But there was another sentence, one I didn’t truly understand until years later. He said: “You’re filthy. Go take a shower.” 7 When Arthur got home, I was sitting in the living room reading a book. “Why are you still up?” “Waiting for you.” It was a ridiculously rhetorical question. He knew perfectly well I was waiting for him. Just like I knew with absolute certainty that he would come back. No complex reason. Just the simple fact that I had pulled Chloe’s medical records. Arthur’s hand paused halfway through tossing his keys onto the table. He yanked off his tie and sat down directly across from me. “What do you want to talk about?” His absolute, unwavering composure was incredibly suffocating. I stared at him in silence. “What do you think would happen if I told Chloe everything…” Arthur’s head snapped up, his eyes radiating lethal, freezing intent. “I told you. Do not touch her.” “And if I insist on touching her? What are you going to do? Run me over without hitting the brakes?” “Mia, I won’t touch you. But I can touch a lot of other people.” That threat instantly froze the blood in my veins. The moment I stood up, the heavy book crashed onto the floor with a dull thud. I grabbed my baseball bat. “I can leave her alone.” “An arm or a leg. You choose.” Arthur stood up. After a long, intense staredown, he slowly extended his left arm. Without a microsecond of hesitation, the baseball bat came crashing down. I heard the distinct, sickening sound of bone shattering. Arthur’s face turned ash white, and a muffled groan escaped his lips. He ground his teeth together, glaring at me. He spoke, enunciating every single syllable. “Are you satisfied now?” “Get out.” He dragged his broken arm and walked toward the door. I couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really like her that much?” Arthur stopped in his tracks, answering without hesitation. “She was willing to take a knife for me. Could you do the same?” In a fraction of a second, the entire room fell dead silent. I stared at Arthur’s tense, rigid back. He turned around abruptly. His face was even paler than before. His lips moved slightly. “I…” But I just laughed. Leaning back lazily. “Absolutely not.” 8 Chloe has a massive scar on her back. A knife wound stretching from her shoulder down to her lower back. She took it for Arthur. It happened early last year. Arthur suddenly went completely rogue, aggressively sabotaging my business deals. He was willing to lose a thousand just to cost me eight hundred. He refused to see me, ignored my calls, and offered absolutely zero explanation or reasoning. It wasn’t until three months later that someone leaked the truth to me. He had been ambushed and severely injured, and he was convinced I was the one who orchestrated the hit. The sheer, catastrophic absurdity of it actually made me laugh out loud. I spent a week tracking down exactly what happened and threw the actual culprits directly at Arthur’s feet. He sat in silence for a long time, then violently rubbed his face. “My fault.” “I lost my damn mind.” “So you think that’s the exact moment our trust completely collapsed?” I didn’t answer the man’s question. Staring straight ahead, I asked flatly: “When Arthur suddenly transferred to the exact same elementary school as me… did you orchestrate that?” “Yeah.” “Why?” “To manipulate you, obviously. His mom wanted to marry into the family, so she had to conquer us one by one. She always said that kid was a natural-born manipulator. He knew exactly what to say to whoever he was talking to. If he wanted to, he could flawlessly manipulate anyone into doing exactly what he wanted.” Just like he did with me. He would tie my shoelaces, fight off the fat kid who bullied me, carry me home through the snow, and when we dropped food on the ground, he would eat the dirty piece and give me the only clean piece of chocolate. The man took a long drag of his cigarette, squinting into the sunlight. “I remember you used to pack your backpack full of expensive snacks and fruit every single day. That was all for him, wasn’t it?” “See? Once he latched onto you, he didn’t even have to bother charming the old ladies in his neighborhood for scraps anymore.” Having heard exactly what I wanted to hear, I stood up, ready to leave. “Hey.” The man called out to stop me. “I’m out of cash. Wire me some more.” “Wait until next month.” The man’s face turned dark and hostile. “I am your father.” “And that is exactly why I pay your alimony every single month.” “That pathetic amount of money isn’t even enough to cover my food! The inheritance your grandparents left behind was supposed to be mine! I’m not dead yet, what right do you have to inherit it?! If you don’t give me the money, I’m flying back to the country.” A cold smirk curled my lips. “No problem. The second your foot touches the tarmac, I will have you thrown directly into federal prison.” The man gritted his teeth, glaring at me with pure venom. Suddenly, a malicious, twisted smile flashed across his face. “Do you want to know why his mother didn’t leave him a single cent when she eloped with me?” “Because he told her he actually liked you, and he refused to manipulate you anymore.” “If he actually ended up with you, his mother’s chances of marrying into a billionaire family would be completely destroyed. Of course she tried to ruin him.” “Tsk. How exactly did his mother put it? Oh, right. ‘You think you’re so tough? Here’s ten bucks. That should be enough to keep you alive, right?’” “That kid had a spine of steel. He didn’t beg or apologize once.” Instantly, my expression turned to ice. “Congratulations. You just lost half of your allowance for next month.” On the flight back, I didn’t say a single word. Leo kept looking at me with deep concern. “Mia, every time you see him, you get incredibly depressed. Why do you keep going back?” Why? Leo didn’t understand. Honestly, in the beginning, I didn’t understand either. Until the man himself brutally pointed it out. “What exactly are you hoping to hear?” “Are you hoping I’ll tell you that every nice thing he ever did for you was completely fake?” “Are you trying to prove to yourself that the only reason he doesn’t love you now is because he never truly loved you to begin with?” “Mia, you are a pathetic, hopeless romantic!” Because his insults were incredibly vile, I slashed his allowance in half that month too. This man was my father—the man who eloped with Arthur’s mother. My mother was a certified, hopeless romantic. Even after my father eloped with another woman, she continued to wire a massive sum of money to his offshore account every single month. She worked herself to the bone managing the corporation, fiercely protecting the Harrison family empire. And in the end, she pulled the ultimate, dramatic stunt. When she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she refused treatment, letting herself slowly die. Her final, dramatic parting words were: “I release you, and I release myself.” My father’s official review of her tragic death was: “She was fucking insane!” What love did they actually have? It was an arranged marriage. If he refused, he’d be entirely cut off from the family fortune. Even I was conceived via IVF. In my father’s eyes, my mother was just a random NPC in his life. He felt utterly, inherently entitled to every single cent she gave him. I couldn’t stand seeing him live so comfortably. The very month my mother died, I completely severed his funding. He screamed, threw tantrums, and cursed me violently. He said I would die a horrible death. He said I was making the ancestors roll in their graves. I just laughed. Let them roll. They deserved it. The month after I cut off his funding, Arthur’s mother abandoned my father and ran off with someone else. Years ago, because his family cut off his funds, my father abandoned Arthur’s mother—his first love—and married my mother. Now, because of the exact same lack of funds, Arthur’s mother abandoned my father. Watching this spectacularly poetic karma play out, I practically applauded. Let them destroy each other. I only had one rule: They were permanently banned from returning to the country.

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The year I married Chancellor Sterling, I was seven years old, still just a little girl half the height of an adult. On our wedding night, Elias Sterling pinched my chubby cheeks and asked if I knew what I was supposed to call him. I looked up at him, beaming, and said, “Big Brother.” A smile appeared on his pale face. “Chloe is right. From now on, I am your Big Brother.” 1 The day my parents died in battle and their coffins were brought home, I was in the backyard making mud dolls. Within moments, white mourning banners fluttered across the courtyard. I looked up at them, not understanding why the colorful flags we usually put out were the wrong color today. Usually, when Mom and Dad came home, we hung red flags. Before I could figure it out, the Dowager Empress arrived. She hugged me, crying so hard she soaked my shoulder. I asked, “Grandmother, why are you crying?” Hearing my words, the tears she had barely managed to stop started rolling down her face again. It wasn’t until nightfall that I finally understood what was happening. I sat alone in the ancestral hall, tightly clutching the peace amulet my mother had given me before she left for the war. I wasn’t sad, and I didn’t want to cry. I just felt like a piece of my heart was missing. Mommy could never coax me to sleep again, and Daddy could never show off his sword tricks for me again. I would never see them again. 2 The funeral was incredibly grand. High-ranking officials from a hundred miles around came to pay their respects. Wearing mourning clothes, I knelt before the altars, bowing and returning respects to every guest who came and went. Until the evening. The sunset was tragically beautiful. I was mesmerized by the setting sun outside the door, remembering how much my mother loved watching it. Lost in thought, my wrist was suddenly burned by the fire in the incense burner. With a soft rustle, someone quickly picked me up and pressed a cool, wet cloth against my burn. He was very tall and very thin. Dressed in white, the autumn wind swirling around him, even his fingers were icy cold. “Does it hurt?” He asked me. I shook my head and even unwrapped the cloth to show him the mark. “Doesn’t it look like a burning cloud?” He froze for a moment, then nodded. I wrapped the cloth back around my wrist and, following the rules I’d been taught, bowed to return his respect. A pair of cloud-white shoes paused in front of me for a moment. When I looked up again, I only saw his thin, retreating back. I knew who he was. Chancellor Elias Sterling. The most respected and powerful civil official in the current court. 3 After the thirty-five-day mourning period for my parents ended, the Dowager Empress brought me into the palace. She had aged significantly, and a deep exhaustion she never used to have now lined her face. She beckoned me to her side, studying my face for a long time before her eyes turned red again. I knew she was grieving. My mother was her youngest daughter, doted on since childhood. “Little Chloe,” the Dowager Empress said, holding my hand tightly, eventually asking only one question. “Do you trust your grandmother?” I nodded. With my parents gone, she was the only person I could trust. “I couldn’t protect your mother, and I’m afraid I might not be able to protect you,” she paused for a long time before continuing. “I found someone who can protect you. I’m going to send you to his home, okay?” I asked, “Who can protect me?” She answered, “Chancellor Sterling.” So I said yes. And just like that, less than half a month later, I was “married” out of the Vance Manor and into the Sterling Estate. On the day I left, tens of thousands of commoners knelt along the main street. They watched my wedding procession, escorting me all the way to the Sterling Estate. The senior maid beside the Dowager Empress told me that because I was an orphan, everyone was afraid I would be bullied. The Dowager Empress’s reach from within the palace was limited, so she entrusted her bitter hopes to the commoners who loved and respected my parents. I thought that was nonsense. It was true I was an orphan, but I wasn’t some beggar child anyone could bully. I was the only daughter of General Vance and Princess Joy. I was one of the most noble women in the world. Whether the Dowager Empress protected me or not, I wouldn’t let anyone bully me. 4 The bridal chamber was huge, and very empty. Elias’s health was poor; he couldn’t touch a single drop of alcohol. So I didn’t have to wait long before he arrived. Once everyone else left, I quickly pulled away the fan covering my face and enthusiastically started fanning him. He looked at me in confusion. I said, “It’s an Indian summer. You’re so hot your forehead is sweating.” He chuckled softly, then immediately checked my wrist. The burn scar wasn’t obvious, but you could still faintly see it. He frowned. “Why did it leave a scar?” I said it didn’t matter, the shape of the scar was pretty anyway, like I was wearing a floral decal. The room was too stuffy, and my head was heavy with sleep. So I proactively asked him, “Are you going to sleep?” He smoothed out the blankets for me. “I’m going to the study. You go to sleep early.” I grabbed his sleeve. “Are you making me sleep all by myself?” He paused for a moment before saying, “Chloe will have to sleep by herself from now on.” I said “Oh,” rolled up the blanket, and quietly took off my outer robe. Elias quickly stood up, but I was faster, jumping onto the floor barefoot. “Big Brother!” He turned around, asking clearly, word by word: “Do you know what you’re supposed to call me?” I reached for his hand. The icy touch instantly calmed my heart. “Big Brother.” Elias bent down, picking me up with one arm. A smile finally broke through on his pale face. “Little Chloe is right. From now on, I am your Big Brother.” 5 That night, Elias coaxed me to sleep. He surprisingly knew how to sing lullabies. His soft, airy voice carried a warmth that burrowed into my heart little by little. With my back to him, the corners of my eyes grew wet. When my mother sang, she was just as gentle as Elias. I missed her. The next day, I woke up very late. Sunlight filled the room. I groggily opened my eyes, disoriented for a good while before remembering I was in the Sterling Estate. Servants trickled in to attend to me, but their respectful expressions held a hint of curiosity and scrutiny. They had never seen such a tiny new bride. Remembering the Dowager Empress’s instructions, I deliberately put on airs when speaking to them. Until a little maid’s stomach suddenly growled. I completely lost my composure and burst out laughing. I ended up rolling on the floor, clutching my stomach, laughing uncontrollably. When I finally laughed enough, someone walked into the room. He stood there quietly, radiating an aura of authority and aloofness without saying a word. “Madam is hungry. Serve the food. I will dine with Madam.” Elias pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve and carefully wiped the drool I had laughed onto my chin. I freed my right hand and grabbed the little maid’s hand. “There are rose pastries on the table. I’m rewarding them to you. Eat a little so you won’t be hungry.” She tried to bow to me in terrified awe, but Elias stopped her. “Madam rewarded you. Eat them before you return to your chores.” I hopped off the chair and climbed onto Elias’s leg. “Big Brother, carry me.” The little maid walked away blushing. Elias tapped my head, then obediently picked me up. “Did Big Brother just come back from morning court?” I chatted with him aimlessly. For every question I asked, he gave an answer. Sometimes, if he couldn’t answer immediately, he would frown and think before replying. Until I asked him: “Is the new Emperor good?” The man holding me froze. Instead of answering, he asked, “Why do you ask, Chloe?” I blew on a spoonful of congee to cool it and offered it to him, lowering my voice. “I hope he doesn’t bully Grandmother.” The new Emperor was a prince of a different surname who had ascended the throne. He wasn’t my grandmother’s child. Grandmother didn’t have any biological children left. The palace was so big—would she be scared? Would she be lonely? Elias didn’t say anything else. He just kept putting food in my bowl, telling me to eat well. Once I grew a little taller, he promised to take me to the palace to see her. I was happy, thinking that growing taller was easy. Which meant seeing Grandmother would be easy too. 6 Once winter arrived, Elias became incredibly busy. He woke up early and went to bed late, working like a shadow. On the Winter Solstice, a banquet was held in the palace, and Elias took me with him. I was bundled up like a little dumpling, layer upon layer, leaving the freezing wind no place to bite me. But looking like this had a perk: it made Grandmother think I had gained a lot of weight. She hugged me, finding it quite an effort, and smiled. “Good girl, you’ve put on weight.” Sitting at Grandmother’s knee, I told her about everything happening at the Sterling Estate. When her eyes crinkled into a smile, I finally let out a slow sigh of relief. Just as we were about to have our meal, a palace maid suddenly announced that Princess Sunny had arrived to pay her respects. I looked at Grandmother. She gently squeezed my hand, turned, and ordered, “Let the Princess in.” Princess Sunny was truly beautiful. Her fiery red cloak made her look like a radiant sun. I thought she looked a little bit like my mother. Of course, that’s assuming she wasn’t glaring at me. She curtsied to Grandmother, then stood to the side, looking at me haughtily, waiting for me to curtsy to her. But Grandmother was holding my hand. I couldn’t move an inch. So I pinched my throat and obediently called out, “Princess.” She was displeased, frowning at me. “Why doesn’t the little Duchess curtsy to me?” I let go of Grandmother’s hand, waddled my round, bundled-up body over to her, and said, “Please don’t blame me, Princess. I’m wearing too many layers. I can’t really bend my knees. I’m so sorry.” Princess Sunny froze, clearly not expecting me to say that. She immediately turned her head away, muttering “Idiot” under her breath. “Dowager Empress,” Princess Sunny stepped forward, her tone sharp and critical. “Why did you reject the posthumous title for my mother, Consort Guo?” Grandmother scoffed coldly. “Consort Guo committed suicide. How is she worthy of a posthumous title?!” “Heh.” Princess Sunny’s eyes burned fiercely, refusing to back down. “Was it suicide out of fear of punishment, or was she framed by someone else?” Grandmother’s face turned icy. “Insolence!” In the midst of this standoff, Elias arrived. After paying his respects to everyone, he waved to me. “Is Madam hungry?” I knew he was trying to break the tension, so I nodded. Grandmother’s expression softened slightly as she let the palace maids help her up. “I will dine with you two.” The moment she spoke, Princess Sunny sneered coldly from the side. “An old man and a child bride. You really have made yourselves the laughingstock of the world.” A sharp slap echoed in my ears. Princess Sunny held her cheek, staring at Grandmother in disbelief. “You dare hit me? Do you think you can control me with your dirty little secrets?” Grandmother stood tall and straight, the phoenix hairpin in her hair trembling slightly from her anger. “I am the Dowager Empress! No matter who the new Emperor is, I am the only, and the most supreme, Dowager Empress!” I had never seen Grandmother like this. In my memory, she had always been gentle and loving. In the past, when the late Emperor was alive, she was the virtuous and gracious Empress praised by all the officials. Later, when the late Emperor passed away, she remained unfazed in the face of danger. Amidst the chaos of the rebel army, she held the imperial seal and convinced everyone to support the current Emperor’s ascension. But today, even though she kept saying the word ‘supreme’, I felt that Grandmother had lost a lot of her confidence. I knew why. Everyone knew. 7 Perhaps frightened by what happened during the day, I developed a high fever as soon as we got home. Elias called for a doctor, but didn’t trust anyone else to take care of me, so he tended to my every need himself. I slept fitfully until the middle of the night. When I groggily opened my eyes, I saw a small desk set up by the bed. Under the dim lamplight, a shadowy figure sat there, the only sound the clear scratch, scratch of a brush against paper. “Big Brother.” The figure immediately stood up, bringing a cup of warm tea to my lips. “Your voice is hoarse. Drink some water to soothe it.” He then placed his hand on my forehead, repeating the action several times until he was finally relieved. “Your fever broke. You’ll be fine after another sleep, Chloe.” I grabbed his sleeve. “Big Brother, can you do me a favor?” Elias tucked the blankets around me, his tone perfectly calm. “Tell me.” “Help me protect Grandmother.” I was probably crying; my vision was blurry, but I didn’t want the tears to fall, so I bit my lip hard. “Grandmother works so hard. Please, Big Brother, protect her, okay?” Time seemed to stand still. Thunder rumbled outside the window, not too loud, not too soft, but landing perfectly in my ears. “I do not make promises lightly.” It took a long time for Elias to gently pull his sleeve from my grasp. “Chloe, you’re still young and might not understand. Some things cannot be accomplished by my power alone.” I made up my mind. I climbed out of bed, kneeling before him. “I won’t ask you to help me for nothing. I have something to trade with you, as long as you can keep Grandmother alive.” Elias looked at me, stunned. “What is it?” I lowered my voice. “The military seal…” Before I could finish, Elias immediately clamped his hand over my mouth. Being so close, I could clearly see the flash of anxiety and worry in his eyes. “That is not something a child like you should possess!” I climbed back onto the bed and opened the peace amulet. A bronze tiger lay in my warm palm. Elias was completely dumbfounded. Even though he was the Chancellor, brilliant from a young age, he probably never imagined that the tiger seal currently in the Emperor’s hands was a fake, and the real one was in mine. “My mom and dad didn’t die in battle, did they?” I spoke very calmly, as if I were telling Elias about an ordinary, everyday occurrence. “My dad was incredibly strong. At Jade Gate Pass, he fought a hundred men alone and came back without a scratch. In the Battle of Wintermoon, with so many troops, even if they lost, my dad wouldn’t have died.” I smiled, holding back the tears in my eyes. “Not to mention my mom was there. Even if he fought to the death, my dad would have absolutely protected her. “The new Emperor took the throne, feared my dad, and then plotted to murder him, right?” I voiced the suspicion that had been haunting me, my entire body trembling. Elias sighed and reached out to hug me. He placed his hand on my hair, leaving it there for a long time before finally saying, “You are only seven. Knowing too much is not a good thing.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, my voice choked with sobs. “Big Brother, please help Grandmother, okay?” Elias finally relented. He placed me back on the bed. Under the warm candlelight, the young man’s face was as beautiful as a painting. “Chloe, grow up well. Time heals all wounds. “And I will protect you well.” 8 Six years flew by. I was protected incredibly well by Elias. Grandmother once asked me what kind of feelings I had for him. I thought about it and finally remembered a very fitting phrase. “Like a father, like a brother.” I was eleven years younger than him. He treated me like his own little sister. He spoiled and doted on me, taught me how to read and write, and how to conduct myself in the world. He never once overstepped the boundaries of propriety with me. He knew the terror buried deep in my heart, and I understood his ambitions and aspirations. But deep down, I always held onto a different kind of hope. To stay together forever, growing old with him. I gently tapped the fan in my hand, suddenly feeling that this was a truly beautiful idea. But before that could happen, both he and I had a long, long road to travel. In the summer of the seventh year of the current reign, the Emperor suddenly fell gravely ill. Elias was a trusted civil official of the Emperor. Within moments of the Emperor falling ill, he was detained in the Emperor’s bedchamber by the palace eunuchs. The palace gates were shut tight, and the inside was already in complete chaos. However, that very night, during a brief moment of lucidity, the Emperor named a Crown Prince. He chose the son of Consort Li—who was actually Princess Sunny. When Elias returned to the estate and told me this, his tone was incredibly calm. “The Emperor made the wrong move.” I remained silent. Consort Li was a princess from the previous dynasty. The veteran officials who followed the current Emperor were naturally uneasy about this. But the Emperor was resolute, and no one could sway him. Not only that, the Emperor even ordered the recall of General Chen, a military commander stationed at the border. One civil, one military—he wanted Chen and Elias to jointly assist the Crown Prince. I was somewhat worried. “Big Brother,” I looked quietly at the man by the window. “General Chen and the Emperor are not of the same mind.” “I know.” Elias raised his hand and closed the window beside me. “But the Emperor trusts him implicitly. During the Battle of Wintermoon years ago, Chen gained immense favor with His Majesty.” During the Battle of Wintermoon, the Emperor might have just wanted to plot my father’s death, but he would never have used the entire empire as a bargaining chip. But why, on that day, were the city gates thrown wide open? Not only did my father perish, but the enemy troops, stationed a hundred miles away, were able to charge straight in. A battle they clearly could have won ultimately cost my father his life and the loss of over a dozen cities. Tens of thousands of soldiers died or were injured, yet General Chen, who was the deputy commander, emerged without a single scratch. He was promoted and given a title, taking over all the positions that originally belonged to my father. Chen harbored traitorous intentions. “Chloe,” the man before me tapped the table lightly. “What do you think?” I smiled. “Closing the door to beat the dog. Is Big Brother willing to be the stick Chloe uses to beat the dog?” “This plan is too dangerous, Chloe…” “Big Brother.” I was still smiling. “My parents cannot die in vain. I must avenge them myself.” “Chen and the Emperor… I won’t let either of them off.”

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My boyfriend and his childhood friend were both competing in the same dance competition. To ensure she won the championship, he actually hid razor blades in my dance shoes. My feet were a bloody mess, and I couldn’t go on stage. Afterward, he offered a fake apology. “Mia, your grades are excellent. Even if you don’t dance, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to succeed.” “But Chloe is different. She has to get first place to get into the city dance troupe.” The school administration was going to call the police, but because I loved him, I chose to give him another chance. I never imagined he would escalate. To completely eliminate any competition for his precious childhood friend, he locked me in an empty dance studio and smashed my feet with a hammer. 1 The moment the dance studio door locked, I stared at Liam Vance in absolute terror. “Dancing is my dream too, Liam. Please, don’t do this.” I begged him desperately, but Liam acted as if he couldn’t hear a word. He ordered his childhood friend to hold me down while he raised a large sledgehammer and approached me. “You’re so talented, you can have any dream you want. Why does it have to be dancing?” “Mia, don’t blame me. Blame the dance troupe for only having one opening.” I was the best dancer in the school. As long as I was competing, Chloe Sinclair had absolutely zero chance of winning. I came from a poor family. My parents died in a car crash when I was young, and my grandmother raised me. I had loved dancing since I was a child. When I found out that getting into the city dance troupe meant free tuition plus a monthly stipend, I started practicing like my life depended on it. My grandmother was getting older and could no longer support us. Since my freshman year of high school, I spent every spare moment dancing. For two whole years, all my effort was dedicated to this one audition. The first prize in the previous competition came with a ten-thousand-dollar cash reward. I had planned to use that money to buy medicine for my grandmother. The rest would have paid for my senior year tuition. But all my beautiful plans were destroyed by Liam’s selfishness. I had already lost one opportunity. If I failed this audition, I would have to drop out of school. But none of that mattered compared to my physical safety. I couldn’t become a cripple. I couldn’t become a burden to my grandmother. Before Liam could swing the hammer, I screamed. “Liam! I won’t go to the audition tomorrow! I forfeit!” Seeing the hesitation in his eyes, I pleaded earnestly. “I promise, I’ll accept your financial help. I won’t compete with Chloe anymore. Just please don’t hurt me!” Liam finally wavered. He threw the hammer aside and lunged forward, hugging me tightly. “Why didn’t you just agree earlier?” “Mia, I didn’t want to hurt you, but Chloe has sacrificed so much for me. I’ve already failed her once. Helping her achieve her dream is the only way I can repay her.” Just as I thought I had convinced Liam to let me go, his phone rang. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the name “Chloe Angel” flashing on the screen. My heart sank. While he answered the phone, I broke free from his friend’s grip and sprinted toward the door. “Help!” “Is anyone there?! Please help me!” My hand had barely touched the doorknob when I was grabbed from behind, a hand clamped over my mouth, and dragged back. Liam was still on the phone. Chloe’s voice echoed through the silent night, crystal clear. “Liam, I just found out. The dance troupe has already decided to select Mia. Her audition tomorrow is just a formality.” 2 Chloe started crying as she spoke. “Why am I working so hard if I can never achieve my dream? What am I doing wrong? Liam, tell me, am I just destined to be a loser as long as Mia is around?” “Why does everyone choose her and not me?!” Listening to Chloe’s broken sobs, Liam’s gaze toward me turned dark and ruthless. He lowered his voice and said, “Chloe, I promise you, Mia will never have the chance to dance again.” “You’re going to nail that audition tomorrow.” He hung up, picked up the discarded sledgehammer, and walked toward me again. “I’m sorry, Mia. Chloe lost her innocence trying to save me. I should have stayed with her and protected her for the rest of her life, but I rejected her for you.” “We both owe her. After this, we’ll be even.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I never knew Liam and Chloe had that kind of history. I shook my head frantically, trying to stop his insane actions. But he was completely out of his mind. When the excruciating, bone-shattering pain exploded from my ankle, my entire body convulsed into a tight ball. I opened my mouth wide but couldn’t scream. I even forgot how to breathe, how to let my heart beat. The world seemed to plunge into a dead, silent darkness. All I could see was an endless sea of blood red. When I regained consciousness, I heard Liam’s hoarse, heartbroken sobbing. He was holding me, his entire body trembling violently. “Mia, forgive me just this once. I promise I will love you and take care of you for the rest of my life.” “I’ll spend my entire life making this up to you.” I opened my eyes and looked at my twisted, shattered ankle. The crimson blood almost completely engulfed me. The pain radiated through my entire body, draining all my strength, leaving me paralyzed in Liam’s arms. My dream, my life, completely destroyed by him. What was the point of him taking care of me for the rest of my life? “Mia, if you want to cry, just cry. If you want to curse me, curse me.” “I know I wronged you, but I had no other choice. This was the only way I could repay Chloe. Only then could we be together with a clear conscience.” “A clear conscience?” I repeated those words, slowly lifting my eyes to look at Liam’s tear-stained face. “You smashed my ankle. I might never be able to walk normally again, and you’re telling me about a clear conscience?” “You pursued me. You wanted to be with me. I never asked you to give up Chloe for me. Why should I have to suffer the consequences of your guilt toward her?!” “If I had known this was the price of being with you, I would have rather never met you.” Using every ounce of strength I had, I shoved him away and began to slowly, agonizingly drag myself toward the door. Every inch I crawled tore at my soul with excruciating pain. A long, gruesome trail of blood trailed behind me. My words infuriated Liam. He yelled defensively, “Is it a crime that I love you?!” “If I didn’t love you, why would I have rejected Chloe? I already promised to take care of you forever! What more do you want?!” “You only lost your chance to dance! Chloe lost her entire future with the man she loves! You have me, isn’t that enough?! Why do you have to steal her future too?!” He was the one who committed the atrocity, yet he was having a hysterical breakdown, blaming me. Blaming me for being greedy, for being ungrateful. Right before I lost consciousness, I looked at him with profound disappointment. “Liam Vance, we are done.” “I will never, ever love you again.” 3 The way Liam and I met was incredibly cliché. During my freshman year, I was cornered and harassed by some local thugs in an alley. He swooped in like a hero, fighting them off. He took a knife wound for it—a deep gash on his arm. I was incredibly grateful and deeply admired his heroism. After that, he pursued me relentlessly. I slowly fell for him, falling deeply in love. It was only after we got together that I learned about his childhood best friend, Chloe Sinclair. Liam always maintained a clear boundary with Chloe. I thought he was just being considerate of my feelings. I never imagined they shared such a dark secret. In his own words: he couldn’t give Chloe his love, but he would give her anything else she wanted. Just because Chloe said she couldn’t win first place with me around, Liam hid razor blades in my dance shoes the day before the competition. Afterward, he carried me frantically to the hospital, begging the doctors to make sure my feet wouldn’t scar. I received over thirty stitches that night. Terrified that anesthesia would affect my future dancing, I gritted my teeth and endured it without painkillers. I passed out from the pain several times, only to be jolted awake by more agony. Meanwhile, Chloe took her friends out partying until dawn to celebrate her first-place win. She even brought the ten-thousand-dollar prize money in an envelope when she came to visit me in the hospital. While Liam was out buying food, Chloe gloated, “So what if you’re his girlfriend? I will always be the most important person in his heart.” “Believe it or not, with one word from me, he could make sure you never dance again.” I recorded her saying that and played it for Liam, demanding to know what their relationship really was. Liam angrily smashed my phone and told me to trust him. “No matter what happens, I love you.” “I only owe Chloe a debt of gratitude, nothing more. Mia, I will give you all my love.” It turned out that Chloe had confessed her feelings for Liam long before high school. But Liam only saw her as a friend and never thought of her romantically. Chloe refused to give up and followed him everywhere. To the bar, to play basketball, to illegal street races—she was always there. Once, Liam was targeted by some thugs seeking revenge. To help him escape, Chloe was sexually assaulted by them. Afterward, Chloe begged him not to go to the police. She didn’t want the stigma. Liam was consumed by guilt, but he still didn’t want to date her out of obligation. Since then, he granted her every wish, even destroying my dance career for her. It was the third day when I finally woke up in the hospital. I tentatively tried to move my foot, and agonizing pain instantly shot up my leg. I couldn’t help but groan, alerting the caretaker beside me. “You’re awake! How are you feeling?” I looked at her blankly. Just as I was about to ask what happened, I saw the TV on the wall. It was broadcasting a replay of the city dance troupe selecting dancers from a local high school. On screen, Chloe, wearing a leotard, looked graceful and slender. She smiled radiantly, her movements elegant, quickly earning applause from the crowd. To my surprise, the dance troupe had expanded their recruitment this year, accepting three students from our school. “Those girls are so lucky. I hear once you get into the city troupe, room and board are completely free.” “If they get into a good university, the troupe even pays their tuition. As long as they keep performing, they’re set for life.” The caretaker sighed sympathetically as she looked at me. “But don’t lose hope, dear. Your boyfriend said you have excellent grades. You can do scientific research or something. You won’t necessarily need to walk around a lot.” 4 “I don’t have a boyfriend.” I cut her off coldly and asked her to get the doctor. I asked the doctor about my condition. When I learned I would never walk normally again, a suffocating despair washed over me. “Doctor, I used to be a dancer. Getting into the city troupe was my dream. What about my future…” “Sigh.” The doctor sighed softly, advising me to stay positive. “You’re still young. There are many paths you can take. Don’t give up.” After the doctor left, Liam arrived. And Chloe was with him. She actually pushed a wheelchair into the room. The moment she saw me, she rushed over with fake concern. “Mia, you’re finally awake.” “You have no idea how worried Liam and I have been these past two days.” She looked deeply concerned, while Liam stood nearby, looking pleased. “Mia, Chloe knew you hadn’t been eating or sleeping well. She really cares about you.” Liam even added that Chloe had bought the wheelchair with her own saved-up allowance. “You refused the money Chloe offered you last time. You can’t refuse her gift this time.” “Yes, Mia. It breaks my heart to see your feet like this. You’ll have a lot of trouble getting around after you’re discharged, so please accept my gift.” I glared at them with pure hatred. “Since when does an abuser giving a gift to their victim mean anything good?” “Are you two trying to put on a show of eternal friendship or some tragic romance? I’m not in the mood for a performance. Get out!” My ruthless sarcasm instantly angered Liam. It also made Chloe’s eyes well up with tears. She looked at Liam, looking wronged and humiliated. “Liam, I know Mia hates me. I’ll leave.” Instead of leaving, she threw herself into Liam’s arms and started crying. “Liam, what can I do to make Mia less angry? If I could, I’d give her my spot in the dance troupe.” A flicker of heartache crossed Liam’s eyes. He pulled Chloe behind him and glared at me. “Mia, why are you taking your anger out on Chloe? I did all of this. If you want to hate someone, hate me. What’s the point of these passive-aggressive attacks?” “Chloe doesn’t know anything. She came here out of the goodness of her heart.” I was so angry I almost laughed at their sheer audacity. “If she didn’t know anything, why did she bring a wheelchair?” I pointed at Chloe. “I’m a cripple now. I can never dance again. And she says she wants to give me her spot in the troupe? Don’t you see how incredibly insulting that is?” I didn’t want to waste another breath arguing with them. I turned my head toward the window and issued an ultimatum. “Liam Vance, we are broken up. Stop acting like you care.” “And the fact that you intentionally assaulted me? I’ve already called the police. I will seek justice through the law.” Liam stared at me in disbelief. “Break up? I don’t agree to that.” “And I already told you I’d compensate you. You actually want to call the police and have me arrested? You are so heartless. I really misjudged you.” Just as he finished speaking, Chloe suddenly swayed and collapsed against him. “Liam, my heart is racing.” “I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t eaten in two days and my blood sugar is low, but I feel so dizzy!” She closed her eyes and went limp in Liam’s arms. Liam quickly picked her up and rushed to find a doctor. Before he left, he threw one last threat over his shoulder. “Mia, I’m letting this go because I know you’re upset. But don’t forget, I’m paying for all your medical bills right now.” “If you break up with me, you’ll be kicked out of this hospital immediately. You won’t even have a place to sleep.” 5 My chest tightened, and a wave of indescribable bitterness washed over me. My grandmother’s health was too frail to care for me in this state, and it was true—I didn’t have the money to pay my medical bills. But that didn’t mean I was going to let him control me. After Liam left, I found an excuse to send the caretaker away. I pulled my phone from under my pillow and dialed a number. “Principal Huang, I am willing to accept your sponsorship. Can you accept a cripple as your future employee?” “Okay. My current address is… I will see you in three days.” Liam thought I was just trying to scare him, that I wouldn’t actually press charges. When the police arrived to investigate, he was still lying, claiming he didn’t mean to smash my ankle. “It was an accident. I didn’t do it on purpose.” “She’s my girlfriend, and I’ve already compensated her. I paid for her surgery.” “My friends can testify for me. We were arguing, we were both angry, and I accidentally hurt her. It wasn’t intentional.” Infuriatingly, he had destroyed the security cameras in the dance studio beforehand, and his two friends backed up his story. There wasn’t enough evidence to charge him with intentional assault. Ultimately, under police mediation, the Vance family agreed to pay me one million dollars for post-operative care. “It’s 20,087,650 dollars.” I handed the itemized bill, calculated by my lawyer, to the Vance family. “If you refuse to pay this in full immediately, we’ll see you in court.” Liam’s parents, eager to sweep this under the rug, quickly signed the settlement agreement. Liam, however, acted as if he had suffered a massive humiliation. “Mia, you’re threatening to sue me over two million dollars?” “You know I’m going to inherit the family business. I can’t have a criminal record. And you’re still trying to sue me?” I expressionlessly accepted the money from the Vance family and left the police station with my lawyer. Liam resentfully chased after me and blocked my path. “Don’t you understand? If you just stayed with me, I could give you so much more.” “But spending two million to see your true colors is worth it. Mia, I am so disappointed in you.” His tone was icy, his eyes full of mockery. “You better not regret this later. I would never accept a cripple as my girlfriend anyway.” My foot was still healing, and I was confined to a wheelchair. But right then, I grabbed the armrests and painfully forced myself to stand. With every ounce of strength I had, I slapped Liam across the face. “Don’t you forget, you’re the one who made me a cripple. What right do you have to mock me?” Smack. Liam’s head jerked to the side. Half of his face turned bright red, with five clear finger marks stinging his skin. Hearing the commotion, his family rushed out and threatened to sue me for assault. “You have the audacity to act like this right outside a police station?! Liam must have been blind to ever fall in love with a girl like you.” “Look at you, acting like a common street thug. You don’t even have a fraction of Chloe’s grace. Even if your foot wasn’t crippled, you’d never win first place.” As they were pointing fingers and yelling at me, Liam suddenly roared. “Enough!” He gave me one last resentful, humiliated look, then dragged his family away. Everyone thought I would transfer schools, or maybe even leave the city entirely. But I didn’t. I used the settlement money to move my grandmother into a top-tier nursing home. Then, I met with Principal Huang, who had come to discuss the sponsorship. When he saw me, he was confused. “You have money now. You don’t need our sponsorship at all. Why do you still…” I smiled bitterly. “That money cost me my future and my dreams. I’d rather not have it.” 6 Principal Huang was the principal of a middle school in a neighboring county. For years, he had been sponsoring outstanding students from impoverished families to attend university. But his sponsorship came with conditions. Any student who got into a top university had to return and teach at his middle school for five years after graduation. He had approached me before my junior year of high school, but at the time, I was determined to join the dance troupe, so I politely declined. Now that my dream was shattered, I couldn’t think of any other company that would hire a cripple after I graduated from college. Principal Huang was deeply sympathetic to my situation and quickly finalized the sponsorship agreement. To ensure I could focus entirely on preparing for the college entrance exams, he rented an apartment for me off-campus. “Don’t feel burdened by this. All these expenses will be deducted from your future salary.” While I was trying to find a new path for my future, someone secretly photographed me with Principal Huang and posted it online. They claimed I was a sugar baby for an older man. “Didn’t expect a cripple to be in such high demand these days.” “So what? Her foot is ruined, not her face. As long as she’s pretty and willing to put out, why not?” “Maybe cripples are better in bed.” Everywhere I went, I heard these disgusting rumors. Some people even had the audacity to ask me my nightly rate to my face. “Hey, I’m younger and stronger than that old man. Serving me is way better than serving him. What do you say? Want to try it tonight?” I didn’t want to engage with these pathetic losers, but walking with crutches made me vulnerable. While trying to dodge them, someone tripped me, and I fell hard onto the ground. Just as the guy reached out, pretending to help me up while trying to cop a feel, a cold, hard voice rang out. “Let her go.” It was Liam. Without a word, he grabbed the guy by the collar, pinned him to the ground, and started beating him mercilessly, until the guy’s mouth was bleeding and he was begging for mercy. “Liam, stop! You’re going to kill him!” Chloe was crying, trying to pull Liam away, but he was like a madman, throwing punch after punch. I watched this unfold with complete apathy. Then, I picked up my crutches and struggled to my feet, limping away step by step. Chloe rushed over to grab me. “Can’t you see Liam is defending you?! How can you just walk away without saying a word?!” I shook her off, a cold smile forming on my lips. “If someone stabs you, and then calls an ambulance right as you’re bleeding to death, are you supposed to thank them?” Liam froze. Even from a distance, I could see the heartbreak in his eyes. Hilarious. I was the one being questioned, the one being attacked. What was he so heartbroken about? I walked past Chloe and kept going. Even when I was far away, I could still hear her screaming. “Liam, please stop hitting him! Didn’t you hear what Mia said?! She hates you! No matter what you do for her, she will never forgive you!” Later that evening, police sirens echoed across the campus. Students returning from outside looked at me strangely. “Her ex-boyfriend got arrested for defending her, and she’s just sitting there calmly taking notes.” “Liam is such an idiot. They’re broken up, and he’s still fighting her battles. A heartless bitch like her deserves to be crippled.” “You guys probably don’t know this, but I heard she extorted the Vance family for over two million dollars when they broke up!” “She’s so quiet, but she’s actually ruthless.” Just another version of the rumors. I didn’t even have to guess who was so obsessively tracking my life. 7 The college entrance exams were looming, and time was tight. I didn’t have a single second to waste on these rumors. I definitely wasn’t going to argue with ignorant people. In a month, we’d all go our separate ways, and my future would never cross paths with theirs again. But no matter how aloof I acted, trouble still found me. The next day, Chloe cornered me in the restroom. Her eyes were swollen, and she glared at me with pure venom. “Mia, Liam got arrested because of you! Are you happy now?” “He lost his temper and hit that guy because of you, and you just walked away without a word.” “You have to come to the police station with me right now and testify that he was acting in self-defense.” Under Chloe’s relentless badgering, I went with her. At the police station, I was perfectly calm during the questioning. “The student who was beaten didn’t touch me inappropriately. I didn’t feel any malicious intent from him.” “Liam assaulting him has absolutely nothing to do with me. I have nothing else to say.” “Of course, I take full responsibility for my statement.” Because of my testimony, Liam’s self-defense claim was thrown out. He was charged with intentional assault. Unfortunately for him, the boy he blinded in one eye came from a prominent family, not someone who could be bought off with loose change. The Vance family spent a fortune trying to keep Liam out of jail. I heard they spent over twenty million in bribes alone. Ultimately, the Vance family decided to send Liam abroad. Chloe threw multiple tantrums in front of me, calling me a curse. She blamed me for destroying Liam’s future. “Liam promised we would go to A University together. After graduation, he would take over his family’s company, and I would be his assistant. Now, because of you, everything is ruined!” I sneered and looked at Chloe. “Are you saying that if Liam goes abroad and comes back, his family won’t let him inherit the company anymore?” “Or is it that the Vance family is only paying for Liam to go abroad, and he can’t take you with him this time? Are you afraid he’ll find someone new over the next few years and forget all about you, his ‘old love’?” Chloe’s face flushed with anger. “What are you talking about?! What new love, what old love?! Liam and I have the purest friendship!” Just as she was about to attack me, Liam appeared. He ordered Chloe away and cornered me in the study hall. “Mia, I came to say goodbye.” He said he didn’t blame me for what I said at the police station. “You were angry. You wanted revenge. I accept that.” “Mia, I’m just worried that after I leave, no one will protect you. What will you do if you run into trouble again?” I self-deprecatingly held up my crutch. “Before, I fought thugs bare-handed. Now, thanks to you, I at least have a weapon.” “Mr. Vance, if you truly want what’s best for me, why don’t you take Chloe with you? That way, she won’t be constantly harassing me and interfering with my studies.” Liam looked at me with complex emotions. After a long pause, he nodded. “Okay. I promise you.” A week later, both Liam and Chloe completed their paperwork and left the country. Without those two plagues, high school felt significantly brighter. On the eve of the college entrance exams, Principal Huang was invited as a special guest speaker to give a motivational speech to the students. 8 He specifically mentioned my name on the podium. “Mia Harrison is not the first student from your school to sign a sponsorship agreement with us, but she is the most unique.” “After suffering a malicious physical attack, she didn’t give up or fall into despair. She remained resilient and continued fighting for her future.” “Students, we should all learn from Mia. No matter when or where, never easily give up. As long as you keep moving forward, you are making progress!” Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. The malicious rumors surrounding me vanished with it. After the exams, everyone exchanged contact information and formed group chats. I received many private messages apologizing to me, as well as many words of encouragement. To my surprise, there was also an email from across the ocean. Liam only wrote one sentence in the email. “Mia, if you don’t meet anyone who captures your heart during your four years of college, will you look back at me?” I deleted and blocked the email address, tossing it into the trash along with my past with him. College life was fulfilling and intense. Besides attending classes and participating in clubs, I also went to the hospital for regular physical therapy. Medical technology in our country was rapidly advancing. In my senior year, I underwent a cutting-edge bone graft procedure. It was incredibly expensive, but the results were miraculous. At the graduation ceremony, after four years, I stepped onto the stage once again. I flawlessly performed the dance I never got to finish four years ago. I became famous overnight. The video was shared across all major platforms, amassing over a hundred million views. Someone recognized me and left a comment. “I went to high school with her. If someone hadn’t broken her ankle in her senior year, she definitely would have been recruited by the city dance troupe.” “I also know her family was really poor. Just her grandmother taking care of her. She was planning to use the competition prize money to buy medicine for her grandmother, but someone hid razor blades in her shoes on the day of the competition.” The official account of the city dance troupe actually sent me an invitation. They asked if I was still willing to join them. Looking at the invitation, four years late, my eyes filled with tears. “If you want to go, go. Achieving your dream is the most important thing.” Principal Huang, whom I had invited along with my grandmother to attend my graduation, had told me from the start that he wouldn’t force me to work for him after graduation. But I couldn’t break my promise. “You were the guiding light when I was lost. Since I chose this path, I can’t go back on my word.” “Whether in life or work, you must be a person of your word. My grandmother taught me that.” I politely declined the dance troupe’s offer to be their lead dancer and resolutely followed Principal Huang back to the county to become an ordinary teacher. Every day, facing the innocent, eager faces of my teenage students, I felt the weight of responsibility on my shoulders. Occasionally, I encountered students in early romances, and I used examples to guide them in the right direction.

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After my family went bankrupt, I took a desperate risk and drugged my lifelong nemesis. Suddenly, I could hear his inner thoughts: [Baby is so cute. Her hands were literally shaking when she spiked my drink just now.] [Hiss~ Baby is so petite. I don’t know if she’ll be able to handle the next few hours.] [Because later, even if Baby cries and begs me, I’m not going to stop…] I froze in the doorway. Laying on the bed, Carter’s face was flushed. He tugged at his collar, looking extremely uncomfortable, yet glaring at me with eyes as cold as ice: “It’s so hot. Chloe, what the hell did you just give me to drink?” At the exact same time, an avalanche of his inner thoughts flooded my mind: [Baby likes the forced-proximity trope. I need to act more reserved.] [Baby’s waist is so tiny. I want to hold her.] [Baby’s hands are so small. I want to kiss them.] [Baby’s legs are so pale. If I put them on my shoulders…] I was absolutely terrified. “You sick pervert, stay away from me! AHHHH!” 1 Carter and I had been mortal enemies since we were kids. If I skipped class, he reported me. If I dated someone, he took pictures and showed my parents. And vice versa. If he got into a fight, I snitched on him. My name is Chloe Vance, but he gave me the nickname “Chloe Cat.” In return, I just called him “Carter the Dog.” But today, I suddenly discovered that my lifelong nemesis… Might actually have a massive crush on me? 2 I backed away to the hotel room door, gripping the handle, planning to make a run for it. Carter grabbed my wrist, spun me around, and pinned me against the door. You don’t really notice it when he’s just being his usual lazy self, but when he invades your personal space like this, his entire aura becomes incredibly dangerous. I heard him let out a soft “Tsk.” “Chloe Cat, what are you running for? That glass of water at the banquet earlier… you’re the one who gave it to me, right?” It was true. I did give it to him. If my family hadn’t suddenly gone bankrupt, I never would have taken the insane risk of drugging my worst enemy. Honestly, right as I was handing him the glass, I regretted it. But he snatched it right out of my hand and downed it in one gulp. Almost like he couldn’t wait. With no other choice, I brought him to this hotel, figuring I could at least snap some compromising photos and blackmail him. But I never expected him to actually like me. And I definitely never expected him to be such a pervert! AHHHH! My eyes darted around guiltily, but I forced myself to stay calm: “How can you accuse me of something like that? I was just worried you’d get too drunk, so out of the goodness of my heart, I poured you a glass of water. And this is how you repay me…” “And now you’re being so mean to me! I’m so scared~~” Gag. I was literally making myself nauseous with this fake, whiny baby voice. Let’s see if this grosses him out! Sure enough, Carter frowned deeply. I felt a surge of joy. I knew it! How could my nemesis possibly like me? I definitely just hallucinated all that mind-reading stuff. But the very next second, I heard his thoughts again: [How is it possible that even when she’s acting whiny she’s this cute?! I want to kiss her to death. I want to lock her up so I’m the only one who ever gets to see her.] Me: … So apparently this counts as being cute to you?! I was feeling completely disoriented. He raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips, and asked in an almost seductive tone: “I feel so uncomfortable… Chloe Cat, won’t you help me?” As he said this, his voice grew husky, and he guided my hand downwards. My hand, trapped in his grip, was pulled along, lifting the hem of his shirt. Revealing a solid, well-defined six-pack. I quickly looked away, chanting internally: Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. (A Buddhist mantra to suppress desire). Yet my hand betrayed me, instinctively feeling around a bit more. His body was actually… incredibly nice… Sleeping with him… maybe wouldn’t be such a bad deal for me either? Just as I was about to succumb to temptation and surrender completely, a flurry of footsteps echoed from the hallway outside. The sound grew closer, and it clearly wasn’t just one person. Carter froze slightly. Perfect opportunity! I snapped out of it and forcefully shoved him away. 3 “Carter? Are you in this room? Are you okay?” A hesitant, questioning voice accompanied a knock on the door. I recognized that voice. It was Sarah, my ex-fiancé’s new fiancée, and also an underclassman from Carter’s department at university. I remember clearly: a month ago, right after my family went bankrupt, my ex-fiancé, Noah, couldn’t wait to cancel our engagement and publicly announce his relationship with Sarah. He had completely forgotten that without the Vance family’s backing, an illegitimate son like him would never have been able to gain a foothold and build his own power amidst the ruthless infighting of his wealthy family. I didn’t try to force him to keep the engagement. I only hoped that, for the sake of the support the Vance family had given him in the past, he might lend a hand and help us out of our crisis. Instead, he held Sarah in his arms and mocked me without any attempt to hide his disdain: “Who needs the Vance family’s help? Back then, your family was the one desperately throwing themselves at me. Sarah is kind and gentle; she is the one I truly love.” Then, he publicly announced his relationship with Sarah, leaving me standing there, enduring the mockery of everyone present. When a tree falls, the monkeys scatter. When a wall starts to crumble, everyone pushes. I understood that perfectly now. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have been desperate enough to try and seduce my worst enemy. But I had no idea what Sarah was doing here. Trying to catch us in the act? After all, rumor had it that Carter confessed his feelings to her in college and was rejected, and ever since, the word on the street was that he was hopelessly, unrequitedly in love with her. No wonder he and Noah had been bitter rivals for so many years. Even if he supposedly liked me now, who knew if seeing his “first love” again would reignite old feelings? Plus, looking at Carter’s current condition… I seriously doubted if I could actually handle him. Running away was definitely the best strategy. 4 I quietly crept toward the door handle. I had just opened it a crack when, completely unexpectedly, the person next to me slammed it shut with a loud BANG. Carter scooped me up, pinning me against the door. His breathing had grown significantly heavier, and he was panting slightly. Crap. The drug is definitely kicking in. No, wait. More accurately, the drug should have kicked in ages ago. Carter was just too good at holding it together, enduring it until now. But… could I really handle him like this? I couldn’t help but swallow hard. I should definitely run. “Help, mmmph…” I kicked my legs frantically. Completely unprepared, he tilted my chin up and kissed me aggressively. He kissed me fiercely and urgently, as if trying to merge my entire body into his. The knocking on the door outside grew louder: “Carter, are you in there?” It was Sarah. She was probably drawn by the sound of Carter slamming the door. “Carter, you absolute motherf—…” I started cursing him out. But the next second, my mouth was blocked again. [Baby tastes so sweet. Kiss, kiss, kiss.] [What’s this? It’s my wife. Kiss her. What’s this? It’s my wife. Kiss her again. What’s this? It’s my wife. Kiss her again and again.] Me: … The knocking outside grew even louder, and if you listened closely, it sounded a bit frantic. “Chloe Vance, are you in that room?! What have you done to Carter?!” “Carter, are you okay?! Open the door quickly!” Separated only by a single door. Inside, Carter and I were entangled in a desperate struggle; outside, Sarah and her group were pounding on the door like maniacs. The BANG BANG sound got louder and louder. I suspected they were going to break the door down soon. I heard Carter’s inner voice. [So annoying. Do these people have zero self-awareness? Why do they have to interrupt me and Baby?] [I am so sick of this Sarah girl. Every time I go looking for Baby, she’s always right there, making passive-aggressive comments and trying to frame Baby.] [Looks like I need to put some pressure on the Hayes family so Noah keeps a tighter leash on his little mistress, instead of letting her run around causing trouble because she has too much free time.] Huh? So he doesn’t actually like Sarah? I could feel them literally kicking the door outside now. The next second, Carter just pulled the door open. 5 Camera lenses and flashing lights hit us immediately. He pressed the back of my head, burying my face in his chest. Ugh, kill me now. The social death is so severe I can never show my face in public again. Carter’s eyes were dark, his tone instantly dropping below freezing: “Is there a problem?” Sarah had several people trailing behind her, both men and women. And… a group of reporters. They were all staring at us, dumbfounded. They had all come because Sarah told them Chloe Vance had drugged Carter, hoping to catch a good show and mock the bankrupt heiress. But looking at the situation now, it seemed like they had arrived at the absolute worst time, interrupting the “Crown Prince’s” intimate moment. Rumor had it that this guy… didn’t have the best temper. Who knew if he was going to completely lose it? They instinctively backed up a few steps, leaving only Sarah standing in the front. Sarah composed herself and bit her lip slightly: “I just saw Ms. Vance… it looked like she poured a packet of white powder into your glass. I was really worried about your safety, Carter, so I followed you to check…” “But looking at it now, it seems I’ve just caused trouble for you.” After delivering her pitiful little speech, she lowered her eyelashes, looking wronged as she stared at the floor. Carter’s eyes were cold, his voice deep: “At least you know.” He choked off whatever Sarah was going to say next right in her throat. Sarah looked up, staring at him in sheer disbelief. Someone in the back couldn’t stand it anymore and rushed forward. “Carter, don’t go too far! Sarah only brought us here because she was worried about you! And instead of appreciating it, you’re standing here lecturing her?!” I instinctively looked up. Carter tightened his grip, pressing me firmly against his chest. Still angry, I secretly punched him in the chest. I didn’t notice, but a faint smirk touched the corners of his lips. Faced with the guy’s accusation, he just replied indifferently: “None of your damn business.” He caught my thrashing hands. And lazily lifted his eyelids. “However, I feel obligated to remind Ms. Sarah that making a massive public spectacle by bringing a mob to my hotel room and attempting to break down my door constitutes a severe invasion of my privacy and defamation of character. Tell your fiancé that we might be seeing each other in court. Best of luck.” Without giving anyone a chance to react, he slammed the door shut. 6 “Hey, Carter…” He let go of me and rushed straight into the bathroom. Then, the sound of the shower running echoed through the room. I suddenly felt incredibly guilty. The person who gave me the drug had guaranteed that the effects were incredibly potent and the results absolutely undeniable. He had held it in for so long; he must be in agony. This feeling of guilt lasted until he finally came out, and I heard his inner voice: [If I knew the drug was this strong, I wouldn’t have given her this specific one.] [But thankfully, she actually believed what I told her and chose to drug me to seduce me! Chloe Cat really does just want my body!] I stood frozen in place. When I made the decision to drug him, it was actually because an online friend encouraged me to do it. I got the drug from him, too. He even helped me formulate a detailed plan, afraid I might mess it up. Since I was never the sharpest tool in the shed to begin with, I just obediently followed his instructions. At the time, I even thought, Wow, this guy is really nice! But looking at it now, the whole thing was orchestrated and directed by him, and I completely wasted 50,000 bucks! “CARTER!” I was absolutely furious. Gritting my teeth. I charged forward and tackled him to the floor: “You! Evil! Dog!” “Give! Me! Back! My! Fifty! Grand!” His body went completely stiff. “What 50 grand?” [There’s no way she figured it out, right?] [How could she? With the IQ of someone who spends $100 to buy three roses when they cost $30 each?] … I seriously wanted to curse him out. Why did he have to throw in personal insults?! I glared at him, trying to find some hint of guilt or remorse in his eyes. But unfortunately, there was none. He was still playing dumb. … Forget it. Drugging him was wrong of me in the first place. Might as well take a step back. This was the perfect opportunity to exploit his obsessive crush. 7 I took a deep breath and spoke slowly: “Ahem. Carter, bringing you to this hotel on my own was my mistake. But you forcefully kissed me… you tarnished my innocence. You owe me compensation for emotional distress.” “Not a lot. A million dollars is fine.” I looked at him expectantly. Carter, however, intentionally dragged out his words, acting incredibly nonchalant. “But my money—is only for my girlfriend to spend.” His wet, short hair hung over his forehead, obscuring those incredibly captivating, soul-stealing eyes. “If you want the money, why don’t you—” “Deal! I accept!” I cut him off. Hilarious. Even though I always treated him like a pesky little brother, who would say no to money? Once I became his girlfriend, I would leverage his obsessive crush to mercilessly extract cash from him. Carter smiled and shook his head. “Hold on. I don’t think I’ve agreed yet.” [They say you love what you can’t have, and you ignore what comes too easily.] [If I agree to her terms this easily, she’ll definitely think I’m cheap, and what if she gets bored of me right away?] Me: “…Then what do you want to do?” Carter sat on the sofa, slowly and methodically unbuttoning his shirt, revealing his pale, exquisite collarbones. “How about this? Why don’t you try seducing me first?” 8 But why did it feel like he was the one seducing me? I took a deep breath, turned around, and pretended to leave: “Never mind then.” Carter grabbed me. “How about this? One hug, 100 grand. One kiss, 500 grand.” I raised an eyebrow. “What? Are you trying to be my sugar daddy?” Carter quickly looked away, the tips of his ears turning red. “Just a method to humiliate you.” He forced a stiff, unnatural smile onto his face, looking incredibly punchable. “After all, you hate me so much. The more uncomfortable you are, the happier I am.” Is that so? Because I could hear his thoughts perfectly clearly: [Stupid mouth, I command you, if you don’t know how to speak properly, shut up!] [Waaah, offering her money is just a tactic to make Baby stay with me~] I stepped closer, poking his collarbone repeatedly with my finger. Carter’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily. A rare look of helplessness flashed in his eyes, making him look incredibly alluring. His chest rose and fell slightly. I tilted my head. And offered an innocent smile. “Carter, I’m just curious… is your mouth the only hard thing on your entire body?” Is it really that hard to admit you like me? Carter grabbed my hand, flipped our positions, and pinned me beneath him. His voice was magnetic, laced with a hint of huskiness: “There’s another place that’s also very hard. Do you want to test it out?” 9 “No thanks.” I expressionlessly kneed him in the leg. He winced in pain and let me go. “Chloe Cat, why do you kick so hard?” I rolled my wrists, expressionlessly leaned over, and gave him a quick hug. “I accept your offer. But the price goes up.” 200 grand for a hug. But we can skip the kissing. “Hurry up, transfer the money.” I rushed him. My phone rang, reminding me that the time for my job interview was approaching. I sent a message to HR, telling them I wouldn’t be attending the interview. But I still put on a show of grabbing my purse and pretending to leave. Carter stopped me. “Where are you going?” “Job interview.” I waved my phone at him. Even if he was my sugar daddy, my family’s massive debt couldn’t be paid off overnight. So, before I drugged him, I had made a few backup plans and arranged several job interviews in advance. “Come work at my company. I happen to need a secretary right now.” “…” “Free room and board, full benefits, a million-dollar annual salary, weekends off.” My eyes lit up, but I still feigned reluctance: “Ahem. Well, since you’re inviting me so sincerely, I guess I can force myself to accept.” I heard his pitiful inner voice. [She really only likes my money…] [But it’s fine. At least I can use my money to make her stay.]

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After a massive fight and breaking up with my boyfriend… I angrily posted on my social media: [Currently single. The first man to appear in front of me within thirty minutes will be my new boyfriend.] Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. Standing outside wasn’t my ex begging for forgiveness. It was my childhood nemesis, Ethan Vance. 1 “What are you doing here?” I leaned against the doorframe, frowning at the man in front of me. I obviously didn’t think Ethan came because of my post. After all, even though we grew up together, we’ve never gotten along. He was the straight-A student who constantly ranked first, and I was the slacker who always brought up the rear. He despised my lack of ambition; I despised his pretentious, holier-than-thou attitude. Unfortunately, my parents absolutely adored him and trusted him implicitly. After I moved out, they frequently asked Ethan—who lived nearby—to “keep an eye” on me. Ethan always played the role of the perfect student, so he executed even this annoying task with absolute precision. He lowered his eyelids, his expression indifferent, and delivered a line that didn’t surprise me at all: “Auntie asked me to check on you.” I knew it. Even if 99% of the men in the world were lining up to be my boyfriend… Ethan Vance absolutely wouldn’t be one of them. I let out an “Oh,” and said, “Well, as you can see, I’m fine.” I raised my hand to close the door but suddenly met resistance. Ethan pushed against the door with one hand and held out a bag with the other. “My mom told me to bring you some chocolates.” Even though I hated Ethan, I always had a great relationship with his mother. She knew I loved chocolate and often brought back different brands for me when she traveled abroad. I peered into the bag. Besides a few boxes of chocolates… There was a rare, out-of-print foreign book I had been searching for forever. I was genuinely surprised. “Is this from your mom too?” Ethan didn’t confirm or deny it, looking as if he had no idea what was in the bag. My mood instantly improved, and even Ethan looked a bit more tolerable. My tone warmed up significantly. “Thanks. Have a safe trip back.” Ethan stood outside, unmoving, his hand still pressing against the door. His tone was flat: “Is this how you treat a guest?” Technically speaking, kicking him out right after he delivered a gift was a bit ungrateful. But who was Ethan? He was as disciplined as a clockwork machine. He went to bed on time, woke up on time, and the number of times he deviated from his schedule over the years could be counted on one hand. Furthermore, he smelled faintly of fresh body wash, clearly looking like a man who had just showered and was ready for bed. I glanced at his slightly damp hair, a bit surprised. Would a meticulous guy like Ethan actually leave the house without fully drying his hair? After a moment’s thought, I stepped aside and offered tentatively, “Want to come in?” He walked in without a second’s hesitation. Mr. Robot-Ethan was incredibly organized; everything had to be placed with strict, rigid precision, just like him. I, on the other hand, was used to grabbing things and leaving them wherever. My apartment was a chaotic mess, practically tap-dancing on his last nerve. Sure enough, he stopped in the living room, scanned the area, and frowned slightly: “You…” “The front door is right there.” I cut him off. “If you don’t like it, leave.” Ethan shut his mouth. Winning the first round, I walked to the kitchen island with satisfaction, grabbed an open bottle of wine, and poured two glasses. I slid one glass toward Ethan. “Here.” Ethan never drank. He stared at the glass in front of him with absolutely no intention of touching it. Normally, I would just ignore him, but I was in a terrible mood tonight, and he had practically thrown himself into my line of fire. I glanced at his rigid, perfect posture and a mocking smirk curled my lips: “Ethan, you really are as boring as ever. “If you keep acting like this, you won’t find a girlfriend for another thirty years.” I wasn’t being polite. Ethan was devastatingly handsome and incredibly capable; he never lacked pursuers. Yet, he had never been in a relationship. I had mocked his ‘ancient relic’ demeanor more than once, noting that any girl who got close to him would quickly find him dull and suffocating. Usually, Ethan would completely ignore my provocations. But today, he gave me several strange looks, then looked down at the wine. Finally, as if making a massive decision, he picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp, right in front of my shocked eyes. “Cough!” He choked and coughed twice, a flush of red appearing on his pale face. “Ethan.” My mind went completely blank with shock, so much so that I almost forgot how much I hated him. I instinctively reached out and pressed my hand against his forehead. “Did you finally run a high fever and fry your brain?” A man who hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol in over twenty years had just obediently downed a whole glass. I tried to hold back, but couldn’t: “Did you… did you get diagnosed with a terminal illness?” Otherwise, I truly had no explanation for what I just witnessed. “No.” Ethan held out his hand. “Phone.” I asked automatically, “Don’t you have your own?” “I left in a hurry and forgot it.” Ethan said, “I need to call my mom.” If he wanted to call anyone else, I would have kicked him out to use his own phone. But since his mother had just given me such an incredible gift, out of respect for her, I decided to be nice to him. Ethan took the phone and walked straight to the balcony. I narrowed my eyes. Did he really need to go that far just to talk to his mom? My intuition told me that Ethan was acting very strange tonight. But we weren’t close, loving friends; we were mortal enemies in a fight to the death. So, I really didn’t care. 2 After finishing his call, Ethan lingered in my apartment for quite a while, showing absolutely no signs of leaving. Seeing that it was almost past his strict bedtime, I reminded him, “Aren’t you going home to sleep?” In my entire memory, Ethan had only stayed up past 10 PM twice. Once was when all the adults were out of town, and I spiked a dangerously high fever. Ethan was forced to take on the heavy responsibility of looking after me, staying by my side the entire night. The other time was when I went out with friends, my phone broke on the way back, and I was severely delayed. When I finally got home, Ethan was there. Even though my parents insisted he stayed up late because he was worried about me, I still firmly believed it was far more likely he just wanted a front-row seat to watch me get yelled at. “Mm.” Ethan suddenly spoke up: “That post on your social media… delete it.” I froze for a few seconds. “What?” Ethan repeated himself: “The post about the first person to appear in front of you within thirty minutes becoming your boyfriend. Delete it.” Confusion and bewilderment rolled through my mind, finally settling into sheer irritation. Maybe it was the alcohol amplifying my depression, or maybe Ethan’s words reminded me that the specific person I wanted to see hadn’t shown up. Or maybe having my vulnerability exposed in front of my lifelong nemesis made me feel humiliated. Or perhaps his commanding tone simply pissed me off. I clenched my fists, glaring coldly at Ethan, and enunciated every word: “What does that have to do with you?” “Ethan, do you actually think that just because my parents asked you to ‘keep an eye’ on me, you actually have the right to dictate my life?” The anger rising in my chest began to burn away my rationality. “Who do you think you are? What gives you the right?” “Mia!” Ethan let out a low growl. His face was flushed bright red, though whether from anger or embarrassment, I couldn’t tell. The alcohol had clearly stripped away his legendary self-control. This was his first time losing his composure like this. “How does it have nothing to do with me?” Ethan’s voice was low and strained. “You said the first person to appear in front of you in thirty minutes would be your new boyfriend. I am the only one here!” “So what?” I sneered. “The ‘person to appear in front of me’ definitely doesn’t include you. Even if every other man in the world died, it still wouldn’t be you.” “Why not?!” Ethan’s eyes turned red, his hands trembling slightly at his sides, as if he found my words completely unacceptable. He took a step closer, his presence aggressive and demanding. “We met first! Why does every single one of them get a chance, but I don’t?!” Ethan and I rarely spoke politely to each other, but we had never ripped into each other like this before. I fully expected him to turn around and leave, and probably ignore me for at least a month. I absolutely never expected to hear a question that sounded so incredibly… jealous. I was completely stumped, unsure of how to answer. Ethan stopped right in front of me, standing incredibly close. He lowered his head, looking like a pitiful, abandoned puppy, yet murmuring like a desperate lover, “Why… why not me?” I took a deep breath and looked away. “Ethan, you’re drunk.” “I am not.” He reached out, half-encircling me, trapping me firmly between the kitchen island and his chest. Ethan asked stubbornly, “Why not?” There was nowhere left to run. “Because I don’t like you, and you don’t like me.” “Other couples can be all lovey-dovey every day. If we kissed, I’d probably throw up last night’s dinner.” “Who says?” Ethan seemed incredibly determined to prove me wrong. He cupped the back of my head with one hand and leaned in, kissing me with an undeniable, unyielding force. He held my shoulders, pulling me in so tightly it felt like he wanted to crush me into himself. I had no idea how things had escalated to this point. Ethan’s kiss was inexperienced, but fierce as a violent storm. My head spun, my legs went weak, and he effortlessly pinned my struggling hands behind my back. Half-carrying me, he walked straight toward the bedroom. “Ethan!” My heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to pound out of my chest. The last shred of my rationality screamed that the Harrison and Vance families were lifelong friends, and we couldn’t let things spiral past the point of no return. “We can’t do this.” Ethan completely ignored me. He reached over, grabbed a hair tie from the vanity, and loosely bound my wrists. He pinned my hands above my head. “Who says we can’t?” His cool lips crashed down on mine again. “I can.” Drunk people are famously unreasonable, and a drunk Ethan was apparently the most unreasonable of them all. I caught sight of the bedside lamp out of the corner of my eye. Just as I was calculating the exact angle and force needed to knock him out without causing permanent brain damage, the head buried in my neck suddenly went completely limp. The sound of deep, even breathing echoed in my ear. Me: “…” I struggled to untie my wrists, then shoved the heavy weight entirely crushing me. He didn’t move an inch. “Ethan.” “I don’t feel good,” he mumbled, instinctively rolling over. Relieved, I was just about to get up and leave. Two arms suddenly shot out from behind me, yanking me back into a tight embrace. “Ethan!” I tried my old excuse. “I need to use the bathroom.” The arms around me didn’t loosen; they tightened, pulling me even closer into his chest. I seriously started to suspect he was faking it. After struggling and failing to push him away, I decided to just give up. Sleeping in someone’s arms is still sleeping. Besides, even though I didn’t like Ethan, his face and body were undeniably top-tier. Technically, I wasn’t really losing out. Plus, just imagining the absolute horror on his face when he woke up tomorrow and saw this… I found the idea hilarious and couldn’t wait to see it. While my mind was wandering through endless scenarios, the person next to me shifted closer. A soft, affectionate murmur whispered my name: “Mia.” It felt like an electric shock running through me, leaving me completely stunned. I had known Ethan for over twenty years, and I never imagined a day would come when we’d be lying together like this. Let alone hear him say my name with that tone of voice. And surprisingly… it wasn’t as unbearable as I expected. Just like the sudden kiss didn’t actually make me want to throw up. In fact, it wasn’t terrible at all. His lips were unlike his cold, hard exterior; they were incredibly soft and carried a crisp, minty scent. I let out a long sigh. I really had been single for too long if even my lifelong nemesis was starting to look appealing. It was getting cold; it was definitely time to find a new young boyfriend. 3 Early the next morning, still half asleep, I vaguely heard noises coming from the living room. Listening closely, it sounded like people whispering and the thud of heavy items being moved. Did a group of thieves break in?! Last night, I was forcefully dragged into the bedroom by Ethan. My phone wasn’t nearby, so I couldn’t call security or the police. Gathering my courage, I grabbed a baseball bat, crept to the door, and peeked out through a tiny crack. Three men in moving company uniforms were quietly carrying boxes from the hallway into my apartment. And the guy in a tailored suit, keeping his voice down while directing them… who else could it be but Ethan? I dropped the bat, pulled the door open, and stepped out. “Ethan, what the hell are you doing?” Some of the boxes were open, leaving their contents completely visible. Specifically, a few incredibly dense, headache-inducing academic books that I had only ever seen in Ethan’s private study. Why was Ethan moving those things here? “Moving in.” Ethan didn’t even blink. He said it as casually as commenting on the weather. …Moving in? Moving what in? Why the hell are you moving your stuff into my apartment?! The sheer volume of questions briefly short-circuited my brain. It took me a long time to finally find my voice. “Ethan, did you get alcohol poisoning last night and suffer permanent brain damage before the paramedics arrived?!” Why else would he move into the wrong apartment? Faced with my aggressive attack, Ethan remained perfectly calm. “No. “Mia, I am deeply sorry for what happened after I got drunk last night. But I will take full responsibility for you.” The three movers, who had been diligently working, instantly froze, their ears practically twitching in sync. We literally just shared one kiss! Could you not phrase it like we did something incredibly scandalous?! “Ethan, get this through your head: absolutely nothing happened between us last night.” I grabbed his arm and dragged him into the bedroom. “Hurry up and move your stuff back.” “No. I have to take responsibility.” “Take responsibility for what?!” I was starting to deeply regret not throwing him out last night. Instead of watching a good show, I had walked straight into a trap. I spoke rapidly: “I don’t need you to take responsibility! If kissing required ‘taking responsibility,’ I’d have hundreds of people to take responsibility for! “Besides, whatever happened last night absolutely does not count as a real kiss. “Now get out!” Ethan frowned deeply. “How does that not count as a kiss? Exactly how many people have you kissed?!” …Is that really the main takeaway here? The main point was the last sentence! “I’m not leaving.” Ethan stated flatly, “I already terminated my lease. I have nowhere else to go.” “?” Ethan, the ultimate control freak who mapped out every major and minor life event on meticulously color-coded spreadsheets, somehow found himself with ‘nowhere to go’? I didn’t buy it for a second. “Get out!” “Fine.” Ethan agreed, seemingly admitting defeat. But before I could celebrate, he pulled out his phone. “In that case, I’ll just have to call Auntie and Uncle to explain exactly what happened last night…” “!” My parents were absolutely obsessed with Ethan. They practically wanted to adopt him as their live-in son-in-law. If they found out about whatever happened between us last night, they would absolutely force me to marry him. I violently snatched the phone from his hand. “Don’t! “It’s just moving in, right? It’s just taking responsibility, right?” I forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. “If you like it here so much, just stay! Why bother the old folks?” 4 At first, I thought Ethan was just messing with me. But after a week passed, he seemed perfectly at home in my apartment, looking even more comfortable than I was. No, this isn’t working. I watched Ethan casually setting out breakfast and shook my head violently. This couldn’t go on. I had to find a way to pack him up and ship him back before my parents found out. Having this massive, looming presence in my house made me want to escape every single second. After work, I dragged my best friend, Chloe, to a bar, engaging in my usual routine of aggressively complaining about Ethan: “It was bad enough when he used my parents’ vague instructions as an excuse to constantly check up on me, but now he actually moved in! “He makes breakfast every morning, and if I don’t eat it, he threatens to tell my parents! “No matter how late I get home, he’s always sitting there waiting for me, completely destroying his own legendary biological clock! “He reorganizes all my stuff until it’s perfectly neat, and he even does my laundry…” Chloe stayed silent for a moment, her expression incredibly complex. “Are you actually complaining… or are you flirting and bragging?” “Pfft!” I spit my drink out halfway across the table. “Do you honestly think I would ever flirt with Ethan or brag about him to anyone?” As my best friend since middle school, Chloe had a front-row seat to the entire history of my mutual hatred with Ethan. Sure enough, after a second of deep thought, she decisively changed her tune. “Definitely complaining.” I patted her head in relief. “Good girl.” “But abnormal behavior usually means something is wrong.” Chloe’s face turned serious, offering a subtle warning. “A guy like him, pushing thirty and still single? He probably has some hidden, unspeakable issue.” I caught on immediately. “You mean he’s impotent? And to get revenge on me, he decided to legally bind himself to me so I can never experience the joys of womanhood and spend the rest of my life in misery?!” Chloe: “…” Okay, maybe it wasn’t that diabolical. But either way, Ethan was definitely up to no good. I had to be extremely careful. But after brainstorming with Chloe for half the night and downing a few bottles, we hadn’t come up with a single solid plan. As we walked out into the cool night air, just as I was about to call a designated driver, a guy in a crisp white dress shirt walked up to me. He bowed slightly, offering a respectful, gentle smile. “Ms. Harrison.” It was the guy we saw inside the bar earlier; Chloe had bought him a drink. I gave him a brief nod and looked away. But he didn’t seem inclined to leave. He smiled and asked, “Are you heading home, Ms. Harrison? Would you like me to drive you?” I narrowed my eyes and looked at him again. He met my gaze steadily, neither overly eager nor overly subservient, a warm smile on his handsome face. He was actually kind of interesting. I curled my lips into a meaningful smile. “I already have someone waiting for me at home.” “Ms. Harrison.” He stepped a little closer, a clean, woodsy cologne washing over me. “You’re joking. Everyone in the circle knows Arthur left for City Z a long time ago.” Arthur, my ex-boyfriend. When I made that post on social media, I didn’t block anyone except my family. Everyone knew exactly who it was meant for. But Arthur took the earliest flight to City Z the very next day and still hadn’t returned. To outsiders, there were only two possibilities: either Arthur didn’t want to date me anymore and ran as far away as possible, or Arthur offended me and I banished him. Regardless of which one it was, it pointed to one undeniable fact: Arthur and I were completely, unequivocally over. “What? Do you think I can’t live without Arthur?” I asked lazily. He panicked for a second and quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant, I just…” “Forget it.” I tossed him my car keys. “Drive me home.” Objectively speaking, this young, handsome guy was exactly my type. Unfortunately, I already had the ancient relic known as Ethan waiting at home, so I probably wouldn’t be able to enjoy this beautiful encounter. But deep down, I still harbored a tiny, delusional sliver of hope. Like maybe Ethan had a sudden crisis of conscience and moved out, or maybe he got caught up with work and didn’t come home. That tiny sliver of hope was brutally shattered the second I opened the front door and saw Ethan sitting there like an NPC at a fixed spawn point. “Mia.” The permanent frown line between his eyebrows deepened significantly when he saw the man behind me. “Who is he?” The guy who drove me home clearly didn’t expect to actually find another man in my apartment. Faced with Ethan’s interrogation, he didn’t back down in the slightest. Instead, he tilted his head and smiled at me. “Ms. Harrison, the guy you have at home seems to have a much worse temper than the last one.” Ethan’s face instantly turned ash gray with rage, his clenched fists cracking audibly. “That’s enough.” I pulled a stack of cash from my bag and stuffed it into the handsome guy’s pocket. “You can head back now.” “Okay.” He obediently handed me a business card. “Whenever you want to see me, I’m always available.” “Mia.” Ethan watched him walk out the door with freezing eyes, then turned to me. “Aren’t you going to explain yourself?” “What is there to explain?” I brushed it off. He suppressed his rage, his voice dropping incredibly low. “Don’t forget, you are a taken woman now.” A taken woman? What century was that dusty old phrase from? Ethan’s dedication to this ‘boyfriend’ roleplay completely exceeded my expectations. I just found it absurd. “Ethan, stop acting stupid. We are fundamentally incompatible. “We weren’t compatible in the past, we aren’t compatible now, and we will never be compatible in the future.” “And you’re compatible with him?!” Ethan’s eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed my shoulders tightly, his voice rising in agitation. His grip was so strong I felt like he was going to crush my bones. The alcohol coursing through my system, combined with the physical pain, made me incredibly irritable. My days of forced patience had finally reached their absolute limit. I violently shoved his hands off me and snapped coldly, “Ethan, that is enough! “If you want to play the role of my boyfriend so badly, then listen closely. “This is who I am. If you want to stay by my side, you have to endure it. If you can’t endure it, then get the hell out!” The air in the room instantly froze. The hands I had slapped away hung uselessly at his sides. Ethan lowered his head, his expression unreadable. He looked profoundly lonely. Like I had committed some unforgivable, catastrophic betrayal against him. For some inexplicable reason, my heart gave a painful twinge, but I quickly suppressed it, walking past him toward my room. 5 In the middle of the night, I woke up with a parched throat to find a glass of warm water sitting on my nightstand. I didn’t need to guess who put it there. I sighed, remembering the harsh words I threw at Ethan earlier, feeling a sudden surge of guilt. The light under the other bedroom door was still on; the occupant apparently hadn’t slept yet. I walked up to Ethan’s door, debating whether to knock and apologize. Just as I finally made up my mind, with a sharp click, the light under the door vanished completely. Me: “…” Why is he so petty? Early the next morning, two portions of breakfast were laid out on the dining table as usual. But Ethan sat down straight away, not bothering to urge me to eat like he usually did. “Ethan.” I sat across from him. He kept his eyes lowered, eating his oatmeal, completely ignoring my existence. “I drank too much last night, and I said some things I shouldn’t have.” I said sincerely, “I’m sorry.” It took a very long time before Ethan finally gave a noncommittal “Mm.” Ethan rarely got truly angry, and when he did, it was impossible to read him. It wasn’t until I gasped from burning my tongue on the hot oatmeal, and he wordlessly slid a glass of water toward me along with his familiar, nagging scolding, that I knew he wasn’t really mad anymore. I had a meeting scheduled today, followed by a business dinner. Knowing it would run late, and assuming Ethan would wait for me again, I called him. “I’m having dinner with a client tonight, so I’ll be home late. Don’t wait up.” A manager I was close with happened to walk by, winking at me playfully. “Ms. Harrison, reporting in to the man at home?” What? Reporting in?! And besides, even if I was reporting to someone, it definitely wouldn’t be Ethan! The phone in my hand suddenly felt like burning coal, but I couldn’t take back what I’d already said. Ethan just said “Mm,” sounding like he wanted to add something. I hung up quickly before he could. “I have to get back to work. Gotta go, bye!” Since I had given Ethan a heads-up, when Chloe asked me out after dinner, I agreed immediately. To avoid waking Ethan up, I intentionally stayed out until nearly midnight, waiting until he was definitely asleep before going home. The living room lights were blazing, and a certain someone who was supposed to be sleeping was sitting perfectly upright on the sofa. “Why are you only getting back now?” “Why aren’t you asleep yet?” We both spoke at the exact same time. Ethan sniffed the air. “Did you drink?” I instinctively rubbed my nose. “Didn’t I tell you I had a business dinner tonight?” Ethan called my bluff with a deadpan expression. “You never drink at business dinners.” “Chloe asked me out after dinner.” I sheepishly admitted the rest. Ethan remained noncommittal. “Did you go see that guy from yesterday?” “No.” I had no idea where the business card from yesterday even went, and I definitely wasn’t going to ask Chloe for his contact info. He was just a guy; he wasn’t worth the effort. Ethan walked over to me, leaning in close, as if trying to determine if I was lying. I thought he was going to grab my shoulders and interrogate me again, so I took a step back. Ethan’s hand slid down my arm, taking the bag I was holding, and hung it on the coat rack. Huh? What kind of opening is this? Ethan clearly had no intention of explaining my surprise. He turned and walked into the kitchen. His tall silhouette in the kitchen, bathed in the warm, soft glow of the lights, looked completely devoid of its usual coldness. It was an incredibly cozy, heart-fluttering scene—if the person in it wasn’t Ethan. “Here.” Ethan quickly returned with a glass of warm honey-lemon water and handed it to me. In a flash, I remembered the conspiracy theories Chloe and I had brainstormed about him. Honestly, if this version of Ethan asked me to hand over my entire multi-billion dollar inheritance, I feel like I’d do it without hesitation. Lust destroys the mind, Mia, I gritted my teeth, furious at my own weakness. Ethan’s massive personality shift felt like he’d been possessed. Not only did he stop giving me endless, unsolicited lectures, but he also single-handedly took over all my daily needs and chores. Admittedly, as an enemy locked in constant conflict, Ethan could infuriate me to the point of a stroke. But as a friend trying to bury the hatchet, he took care of me flawlessly. In a few fleeting moments, I even started to feel like we were an actual, genuine couple. While alarm bells blared in my head, another part of me just wanted to sink into this comfortable illusion for a little while longer. The person most affected by this shift was undeniably Chloe. “Mia Harrison, oh, Mia Harrison.” She pointed an accusing finger at me. “You have completely fallen from grace! You wake up at 7 AM, go to bed by 10 PM, and you won’t even drink with me anymore!” “Even Cinderella got to stay out until midnight! How is Professor Vance stricter than a literal fairy godmother?!” It wasn’t that Ethan was psychotically controlling my bedtime. It was just that staying out late partying, only to come home to a silent Ethan serving me tea and water, made me feel incredibly guilty. It felt like I was a terrible, neglectful partner leaving my devoted, suffering spouse at home while I went out seeking cheap thrills. Obviously, I wasn’t going to say that to Chloe. I offered an apologetic smile. “I promise I’ll stay out as late as you want tonight!” She snorted, finally looking somewhat appeased. “Oh, by the way,” Chloe said, “Are you going to the alumni mixer tomorrow?” I wasn’t busy, so I agreed. “Yeah.” Chloe teased, “Then you better make sure Professor Vance prepares a pumpkin carriage that doesn’t turn back into a pumpkin until at least midnight! 10 PM is way too early.” Me: “…”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “391730”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I gave up on my mission. Right before faking my death to escape, I played a nasty trick on the psycho second male lead. I forged a pregnancy certificate and staged a car crash—two birds, one stone—wanting him to suffer for the rest of his life. Who would have thought that three years later, a glitch in the system would drop me right back in front of him? In a dimly lit VIP club room, he leaned back lazily on the leather sofa, an aura of “do not approach” radiating from him. The moment he saw me, he pushed away the drink someone was offering him. His dark, stormy eyes locked onto me, and he enunciated every word clearly: “I’m done drinking. I’m prepping for a baby starting today.” 1. The person offering the drink froze, their hand suspended in mid-air. Catching on, they put the glass down and chuckled teasingly. “I wonder who’s lucky enough to catch Mr. Sterling’s eye.” The beautiful women standing obediently nearby instantly perked up. Each one stood taller, subtly showing off her assets. Hoping to hook Ezra Sterling and secure a one-way ticket to the top. But Ezra’s gaze, laced with a potent mix of hatred and something darker, never left me. His thin lips parted slightly. “Long time no see, Chloe.” His tone was far from friendly. I didn’t reply. Instead, I screamed at the System in my head. [You better give me a damn good explanation for why you pulled me back into this world without my consent.] Faced with my interrogation, the System stammered at first. Then, it just gave up and went full defeatist. [Ezra is too smart. He sensed my presence while you were doing your mission. After you left, he threatened me with the lives of half the characters in this book, demanding I bring you back. What was I supposed to do?] [You could have just died,] I retorted. The System’s silence was deafening. After a long while, it finally spoke up. [I may not be human, but you are a real bitch.] Even its robotic voice managed to convey a distinct sense of annoyance. But I was even more annoyed. [I already gave up on the mission, and you approved it. Whatever crazy shit Ezra pulls has nothing to do with me anymore. You had no right to drag me back.] The moment those words left my mind. The System suddenly snapped. It started blasting me with electronic screeches. [Well I brought you back! So what?! So what?! SO WHAT?!] [That little stunt you pulled before leaving made him go completely psycho! I sent so many people to take your place and ‘save’ him, and they all failed! You clean up your own mess! If this fails, I’m getting kicked out of the System Association, and then we’ll both just die together!] I frowned in displeasure. I wanted to keep arguing with the System. But Ezra pulled me back to reality. “Everyone, get out!” His voice was heavy with oppressive authority. Although the beautiful women looked disappointed and unhappy… They knew better than to linger, filing out the door one by one without hesitation. I trailed at the back of the line, trying to slip out too. Unsurprisingly, I was blocked. I looked up. The person blocking my path was an old acquaintance: Leo, Ezra’s best friend. 2. Back when they were in school, Ezra was ostracized because of his sick mother, his abusive father, and his extreme poverty. Leo was the only one who never abandoned him. If Leo had a bite to eat, he’d give half to Ezra. When fists rained down on Ezra, Leo took half the blows for him. You could say very few people loved Ezra more than Leo did. But simultaneously, no one hated me more than Leo did. Because during those years, following the System’s orders to “save the delinquent youth,” I constantly interfered, trying to alter Ezra’s life trajectory. I tripped him up on the dark path he was choosing, desperately trying to pull him back to the right track. During this process, I inevitably caused him a lot of pain. Especially when I abandoned the mission and used a fake pregnancy to stage my death. In the hours before my soul was pulled back home. I saw it with my own eyes: the usually arrogant, untouchable Ezra. Holding that fake lab report, crying so hard he collapsed to his knees and couldn’t get back up. Leo was right there beside him. Perhaps, in that moment, a sliver of conscience had awakened within Ezra. But by then, he had gone too far down a path of no return. Prison bars were his inevitable destiny. My rescue mission was doomed to fail. So I proactively told the System I was quitting, giving up the 100 million dollar prize. I figured giving up the money was better than giving up my life. Now that I was back, I knew Ezra wouldn’t let me go. And neither would Leo. I looked at Leo. “Ezra said everyone get out. Please move.” Leo shot me a glare. His tone was ice-cold. “The people leaving don’t include you. Stay put!” After three years apart, Leo’s disgust for me had only deepened. Knowing that reasoning with him was like playing the lute to a cow, I didn’t waste my breath. I turned back to face Ezra. Under the dim club lights, he radiated a wild, untamed arrogance. Three years hadn’t mellowed his pride at all; it seemed to have only intensified. He muttered something to the guy who had offered him the drink earlier. The guy immediately stood up and scurried out with an apologetic smile. Once he was gone, Leo, knowing his place, also stepped out of the room. Finally, it was just me and Ezra. 3. Ezra stood up and walked toward me. He was steeped in a dark, violent aura—something carved into his bones from years of fighting his way up from the bottom. He backed me up step by step until I was pinned against the wall. Then, he effortlessly lifted me with one arm, bringing me up to his eye level. “Long time no see, Chloe.” This time, I replied, “Long time no see, Ezra.” Ezra smiled brightly, then, without warning, a tear slipped down his face. He spoke in a tone that bordered on psychotic. “You finally came back to my world, baby.” With that, he leaned in to kiss me. Luckily, my reflexes were sharp. I slapped my hand over his mouth just in time. “Mr. Sterling, three years and you haven’t changed a bit. Still dancing on the edge of the law. Do you know what the penalty is for forcing yourself on a woman against her will?” Ezra let out a soft chuckle and set me down. His 6’3″ frame completely overshadowed me. He easily peeled my hand away from his mouth and pinned it above my head. His other hand began to wander, igniting fires wherever it touched. “Stop!” I commanded. “Impossible.” He looked like an absolute scoundrel. “Have you ever seen a wolf let go of meat that’s already in its jaws?” Seeing how shameless he was, I went up on my tiptoes and bit hard into his pale neck. I needed to show him I wasn’t just meat waiting to be slaughtered. The pain made him hiss. The hand wandering at my waist stopped, moving up to pinch my chin instead. “Biting again? Baby, you really haven’t changed at all. But that’s okay. I have a gag at home. We’ll put it on you later. And if you still won’t behave, I’ll tie your arms and legs too.” I could hear the barely contained excitement in his voice; his body was practically vibrating. But I couldn’t help but frown. I had been forced to wear that gag once before. Ezra loved beautiful things. In his words, ugly things ruined the mood. So the gag he used on me was encrusted with various colored gemstones. It looked like a piece of art. It looked pretty on, but it was heavy, completely immobilized my jaw, and felt like actual torture. Not to mention how awful it would be with my limbs tied up. “Put a gag on your mother! Ezra, I’m leaving! Let me go!” His eyes darkened. He licked the blood from the corner of my mouth. And spoke with a bloodthirsty gleam. “Because I was careless, you left me for three years. Chloe, I won’t make a stupid mistake like that again. You faked a pregnancy certificate, so you must really want a child. Then let’s have one. It’s not hard, baby.” 4. With that, he started doing whatever he wanted. No matter how much I yelled or struggled, he didn’t care. He knew my body entirely too well. Soon, my breathing grew ragged, and my brain felt starved of oxygen. All reason vanished, leaving me entirely at his mercy. But at the most critical moment, he stopped. Our eyes met. His face was full of roguish smugness, a smirk he couldn’t hide. I suddenly realized how embarrassing I was acting and turned my head away, refusing to look at him. But he effortlessly forced my face back to him. “Against your will? Madam, are you really unwilling?” A surge of anger from being toyed with and humiliated flared up inside me. The desire to get revenge, to tie him to a bed, feed him an aphrodisiac, and watch him lose his mind, grew stronger by the second. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. I whispered sweetly in his ear: “Ezra, this place is so gross. I don’t like it here. Let’s go home, okay?” “Okay.” He agreed immediately. He bent down to smooth out my skirt. Completely unaware of the danger approaching. 5. Ezra knocked on the door and called for Leo. Leo opened the door immediately. I stepped out of the room first. And walked right into an old acquaintance heading toward the VIP rooms: Asher Hayes. The male lead’s younger uncle, the fourth male lead in the book. A blue-blood elite who transitioned into business, and one of the very few men who could actually go toe-to-toe with Ezra. Whenever I got into trouble, he was the first person I’d look for, and he would always good-naturedly clean up my messes. You could say Asher was the one guy in this entire book I actually wanted to sleep with. And I actually tried. I remember kissing him once when I was drunk. His lips were soft and bouncy. It left a lasting impression. Unfortunately, Ezra caught me right in the act. Before I could take things any further, I was dragged away. That night, Ezra completely lost control, and I almost died in bed. I knew perfectly well that Asher was the only one who could help me escape Ezra right now, so I ran straight to him. I grabbed his arm. “Help me, Asher.” Asher stood frozen, his eyes filled with disbelief. He called out tentatively, “Ms. Chloe, is that you?” “It’s me,” I answered. “But didn’t you pass away in a car crash?” “Didn’t die completely. I’m back.” Asher’s eyes turned red. He looked like he wanted to say a million things but couldn’t. From behind, Ezra’s furious roar echoed. “Chloe! Come back here! Don’t make me say it twice!” His voice was loud, which I knew was a sign of his inner panic. I deliberately hid behind Asher, sticking my tongue out at Ezra. “No. What are you going to do about it?” The veins on Ezra’s forehead popped in rage. The System’s ear-piercing scream echoed in my head. [Host, are you not even going to try and stop this?! Aren’t you afraid someone’s going to get killed?!] I smiled. [To be honest, I’m loving this right now. Two incredibly hot guys are about to fight over me. It’s like playing a 3D dating sim. It’s awesome.] [Since you’re acting like this, don’t blame me for what happens next.] [What do you mean?] As soon as I thought that, I felt myself lose control of my body. 6. The System controlled my body, making me walk right up to Ezra. Then, right in front of Asher, it forced me to kiss Ezra. Ezra didn’t hesitate to deepen the kiss. Our lips and tongues tangled. I was screaming silently in my head. [Motherfucker, System, you are insane! Do you not care about Asher’s feelings at all?!] Even though my back was to Asher right now. I could feel his burning, incredibly hurt gaze boring into me. The System sighed and started defending itself. [I have no choice! Asher is a good boy, he won’t go psycho. We have to placate the actual lunatic first!] The kiss ended. Ezra wrapped his arm around my waist, looking provocatively at Asher. He spoke just loud enough for Asher to hear. “Chloe, you taste so sweet. So soft and fragrant.” If the System wasn’t controlling me… I think I would have literally slapped Ezra to death. I screamed frantically at the System, [If you have any guts, stop controlling me.] The System complied. I regained control of my body. The moment I turned around. I saw Asher looking completely shattered, like an abandoned puppy. He asked me cautiously, “Chloe… you… just a second ago, you wanted me to…” Ezra interrupted him with a mocking sneer. “Back in the room just now, I didn’t take good enough care of Chloe, so she got mad. She was just playing a joke on you, Mr. Hayes. Don’t take it seriously.” Asher’s face was pale, but his eyes were still full of hope. It seemed like as long as I opened my mouth and explained, he would believe me. I opened my mouth to explain. The hand at my waist suddenly tightened. Ezra’s voice sounded in my ear, pitched incredibly low, like a whisper from hell itself. “Chloe, Asher isn’t like us. I’m the only one who can walk the path you want to walk.” I scoffed coldly. “Stop trying to fucking manipulate me. Asher and I walk the path of light; you’re the only one crawling around in the dark.” 7. After snapping back at Ezra. I was organizing my thoughts, preparing to explain everything to Asher. But before I could speak. The System took control again. It used my mouth like a keyboard to type out its own message. “Mr. Hayes, just like Ezra said, we had a little fight. You’re just a pawn in our little game.” “I’m selfish, self-serving, manipulative, and I always go whichever way the wind blows. You shouldn’t be surprised. I’m completely unworthy of you. Marriage is off the table, but we can still be friends. While I won’t take a bullet for you, I won’t stab you in the back either. I’m leaving. Let’s hang out sometime.” Under Asher’s deeply wounded gaze. The System forced me to walk out. Ezra followed closely behind. It wasn’t until we were outside the club that I was truly me again. The heartache felt incredibly real. I turned around, wanting to go back and explain to Asher. But Ezra grabbed my wrist. He spoke with absolute certainty, “The damage is already done. How are you going to explain it? Tell him a ‘System’ controlled you and those words weren’t your own? Why would he believe you? Chloe, you have no way back.” I smiled bitterly. The only man who was perfectly my type had been hurt by me just like that. The thought of never being able to flirt with him again made my heart ache so much I couldn’t breathe. But it was fine. There were other hot guys waiting for me. The future was still bright. Outside the club, a Maybach was waiting by the entrance. Ezra opened the car door for me. “Get in.” I followed his command. Once I was seated, he spoke to Leo in the driver’s seat. “Drive.” The engine roared to life, and the privacy partition smoothly slid up. By the time I realized something was wrong, it was already too late. Ezra grabbed me by the waist, easily lifting me and smoothly parting my legs so I was straddling his lap. I reached out to push him away. But he effortlessly caught my wrists and pinned them to his waist. In the confined space, I had nowhere to run, pressed tightly against him. “What are you doing? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t do anything against my will?” “That was your rule, Chloe. You’re selfish, self-serving, and manipulative. Well, so am I. How could you ever take a promise from me seriously, baby?” 8. Ezra got straight to the point. With aggressive intensity, he used his tongue to pry open my tightly shut teeth, launching a full-scale invasion. My curses were blocked in my mouth, turning into muffled whimpers. The Maybach drove aimlessly around the city all night. The cramped space made the already exhausting physical exertion even worse. I felt sick and uncomfortable whether I was conscious or not. I had no choice but to surrender and beg for mercy. “Ezra, please let me go. I can’t take it anymore.” He took a few seconds out of his busy schedule to reply. “If you can’t take it, you stay on the bottom. I can take it, so I’ll stay on top.” Me: Ugh. 9. It wasn’t until the sky was starting to lighten that Ezra finally told Leo to drive back to the villa. And I finally got to sleep in a real bed. “Plan B.” Exhausted beyond belief, I forced myself to spit out those two words. The effect was instantaneous. Ezra’s hand, which was pulling the covers over me, froze. The atmosphere in the room instantly plummeted. Seeing his silence, I continued, “Ezra, isn’t this our old rule? You don’t wear protection, I take the pill. I’m the one taking the loss here, okay?” As soon as the words left my mouth. Ezra lay down next to me, pulled me into his arms, and made a dying struggle. “The pills we had at home expired. How about we just skip it this time?” I lifted my leg and kicked him. “The pills might be expired, but your little swimmers aren’t! Go buy some right now! If I actually get pregnant, I’ll marry Asher and make the kid call him Dad. Buy one, get one free—I bet he wouldn’t turn down that deal.” My blunt words pissed Ezra off so much he said “Good” three times in a row. “Chloe, you’re really something.” “Thanks for the compliment,” I accepted it calmly. Ezra got up and walked out. Afraid he wouldn’t follow instructions, I couldn’t help but remind him, “Wake me up when you get back. I need to take it ASAP.” “Yeah, got it.” Ezra agreed resentfully and left the room. A wave of exhaustion washed over me, and I fell asleep. In my hazy state. I heard the System’s voice. [Your bodies have connected, but your hearts are still miles apart. This won’t do. I need to step in.] Hearing that, I blurted out almost instantly: “If you dare mess with me, I will poison Ezra, break the entire plotline, and we can all die together.” But the sound of footsteps approaching right after made me feel like the System had stabbed me in the back again. Then I heard Ezra calling my name. “Chloe.” In that moment, I was completely awake. I wasn’t sure how much Ezra had heard. I also wasn’t sure if he would try to poison me first because of what I just said. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Ezra sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a pill in one hand and a glass of water in the other. I scrutinized him for a moment, but he looked exactly the same as usual. No hint of anything wrong. “Take your medicine.”

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