Author: Momo Chan

“Guess which one of these beauties is my girlfriend?” My husband’s Instagram post went viral. In the photo, my mother-in-law is wearing a low-cut, tight dress, her arms wrapped around my husband’s neck, laughing joyfully. I, on the other hand, am dressed plainly, standing awkwardly in the background like a prop. 1 The moment the photo was posted, the comments section exploded. 【Teach me how to coexist peacefully with the ‘other woman’~】 【Bro, you’re winning at life~】 【Goals.】 Seeing the misunderstanding, my husband, Caleb, quickly posted a clarification about his mother’s identity. But that only made the internet go wilder. 【?! She’s fifty? I’m twenty and my blood pressure just spiked!】 【Gorgeous queen, drop the skincare routine!】 【Son, stop replying to comments and open the door for your new dad~】 Reading the sycophantic comments, my mother-in-law, Diana, couldn’t stop smiling at her phone. “Mom, dinner’s ready~” I had cooked a full meal, but Diana took her sweet time putting down her phone. “Ouch~ It’s cold~ Haley, get a fluffy cushion for this chair next time.” Diana’s mini-skirt offered zero protection against the cold wood chair. It was early spring, yet she was dressed for a Miami summer. I shot Caleb a subtle look, worried about her catching a cold. Caleb immediately picked up on it. “Mom, it’s chilly right now. Maybe wear something warmer at home? Save the skirts for summer.” Diana pouted, displeased. “Why are you so conservative, baby? It’s a waste to hide a body like mine. And I told you, call me Diana~” “Okay, okay, Diana. Eat up. Later, I’ll have Haley take you shopping for some warmer outfits.” “Thanks, baby~ Mwah~” Diana beamed instantly. I was the only one feeling a creeping sense of unease. 2 After dinner, Diana eagerly grabbed my hand to go shopping. She did her own makeup, styled herself in a trendy “pure lust” outfit, and even insisted on styling me. Before dragging me out the door, she shouted back to Caleb: “Us girls are going shopping! Remember to do the chores. I’m going to inspect your work when I get back~” Caleb agreed happily. At the mall, Diana flitted from store to store, spouting the latest Gen-Z slang. She found a boutique she liked, chatted up the sales associate, and took a mountain of clothes into the fitting room. The style wasn’t my thing, so I waited outside, guarding our bags. I was scrolling through TikTok when a familiar voice called out. “Haley, what are you doing here? This isn’t your vibe at all.” It was my work bestie, Lisa. I pointed to the fitting room and whispered, “Waiting for my mother-in-law~” Lisa covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “Your trendy MIL? Honestly, sometimes I think she looks younger than you. It’s terrifying for us actual twenty-somethings. But—” Diana’s voice drifted out from behind the curtain, cutting Lisa off. “What are you girls whispering about? Come help me look~” Diana stepped out wearing a daring V-neck slip dress that hugged every curve. You couldn’t see a single sign of aging. Lisa immediately switched to flattery mode. “We were just praising you, gorgeous~ God, I envy Haley. My mother-in-law is driving me insane. I barely escaped to bring my baby out for a stroll~” I finally noticed the stroller behind her. A pink-cheeked baby was sleeping peacefully, but her nose scrunched up, signaling an incoming cry. Before Lisa could move, Diana swooped in, snatching the baby with practiced ease and rocking her gently. 3 The baby giggled in Diana’s arms. Overcome with affection, Diana kissed the baby’s cheek. But her lip gloss left a sticky mark all over the baby’s face. Lisa frowned slightly, unnoticed by Diana. “Mom~ The baby’s immune system is weak. Be careful with bacteria,” I urged gently. Diana planted a deep kiss on the baby’s lips before waving her hand dismissively. “Sorry, she’s just too cute. Looks exactly like my Caleb did when he was little.” To apologize, Diana treated us to lunch and bought the baby a pile of toys. Seeing how much the baby liked her, Lisa relaxed. While Diana played with the baby, Lisa went back to venting about her own mother-in-law. “You don’t know how old-fashioned she is. If my husband didn’t mediate, we’d be at war…” She looked enviously at Diana. “When you married Caleb, I was worried because he’s from a single-parent home. Mothers in those situations can be super possessive. But seeing how open-minded your MIL is, I guess I worried for nothing~ If only mine was half as cool~” I nodded in agreement. Diana was a bit spoiled, but she treated me well. Since the wedding, we were more like sisters. The family atmosphere was great. As for her possessiveness over Caleb? I understood it. He was her only son. Why would they need boundaries? 4 Back home, Diana threw herself into Caleb’s arms, demanding praise for her new dress. Caleb praised her, then insisted on taking photos for his followers, calling it “fan service” to capitalize on the trending topic. I laughed and agreed, finding the best angles to photograph them. Diana was addicted to the internet. She posted daily but never got much traction. Now that she had a taste of viral fame, she wasn’t letting go. She edited the photos, uploaded them, and shoved her phone into my hands. “Haley, you’re the pro at this. Help me get more followers, please~” My job is social media management, so I couldn’t say no. I took the phone, replying to comments to boost engagement. Many users found their way to Diana’s new post. Most were compliments, but some were… off. 【This daughter-in-law has the patience of a saint…】 【Judging by the photo, this guy has definitely been to ‘Sweet Home Alabama’.】 【Oedipus complex check-in~】 But they were quickly buried by requests for skincare routines, so I ignored them. When Diana finished her face mask, I advised her: “To grow the account, you need a niche. Since this topic went viral, let’s focus on your anti-aging secrets.” “Anti-aging… hmm…” Diana nodded thoughtfully. Seeing she was listening, I went to do my own thing. Although Diana always talked about making money as an influencer, Caleb and I earned enough to support her comfortably. We just wanted her to have a hobby. 5 That night after a shower, I was cuddling with Caleb. We were newlyweds, enjoying a quiet moment, when a knock came at the door. “Haley, are you asleep?” Caleb froze. The mood vanished instantly. I frowned, annoyed. Diana was really lacking boundaries tonight. I opened the door. Diana was wearing the slip dress she bought today, looking fidgety. “Um… Haley, I need to talk to Caleb about something tonight. Can you—” I pointed at the clock. “Mom, do you see the time? Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” Diana lowered her head, murmuring incoherently. “Haley, watch your tone with Mom,” Caleb said, coming to the door. Diana looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. The rims were red, and she looked so fragile that even I felt a pang of guilt. So, naturally, I was kicked out. Sleeping alone in the guest room, I listened to the muffled giggles from next door. Annoyed, I scrolled through my phone to calm down. Suddenly, a notification popped up. Someone I followed was trending locally. I clicked. It was Diana’s new post from today. I scrolled through, but the comments were no longer universally positive. The top comments were disturbing. 【The wife in this house would be great at playing a sleeping husband.】 【Gross.】 【Gross.】 【Gross.】 … 6 When I had her phone earlier, the comments were mostly positive. I remembered Diana gave me her login info to help manage the account. Curiosity, mixed with the resentment of being kicked out of my own bed, got the better of me. I logged in on my phone. Before I could find the new post, her drafts folder caught my eye. It was full. Several had been edited just minutes ago. I clicked one, and the blood rushed to my head. Diana wrote: 【By popular demand, here is my anti-aging secret—ta-da! It’s my darling son~】 【Men are a woman’s source of Yang energy. Absorbing enough Yang keeps you young forever. The energy between a mother and son is the most compatible, and the effect is best. Also, virgins are top-tier~】 The attached photo was of my master bed. Diana, shoulder bare, eyes heavy with lust, was lying on top of my husband. The dim lighting couldn’t hide the intimacy. I exploded! I stormed to the master bedroom and pounded on the door. “Caleb! Get out here!” There was shuffling inside, but no one opened the door. Separated by a single piece of wood, I could only imagine the depravity happening inside! 7 It felt like an eternity before Caleb finally opened the door. He was fully dressed, even his pajama hood perfectly arranged. Seeing me frozen in shock, Caleb pulled me into a hug, whispering gently: “Haley, baby, Mom just really wants to be famous. You know she gave up her career for me when she was young. Now that she has some heat, I have to support her. This is your field, you know how operations work better than I do.” Under his soothing words, my anger deflated slightly. Diana had always been clingy. And in the cutthroat world of social media, finding a niche was hard. She had stumbled into a weird, controversial lane, but it was working. These days, the more shameless the content, the more views it got. Once the money started rolling in, no one would care how she got famous. Plus, she claimed she wanted to help us financially. I sighed, leaning into him. “Fine, I trust you. You always know how to talk me down.” Caleb and I had been together since college. We rarely fought. He always had a way of smoothing things over. Friends used to envy me for finding such a perfect guy. After marriage, he was obedient, and Diana always took my side. My life was enviable. I should be more tolerant of their quirks. No one is perfect.

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Good news: I’m pregnant. Bad news: I’m in the middle of a cold war with my husband. How do I tell Caleb Vance the news without losing my dignity? I turned to Reddit for advice, deciding to trust a user who claimed to have read romance novels for a decade. Step 1: The classic “Runaway Wife” trope. Step 2: Fake morning sickness at dinner. Step 3: Book an abortion appointment using his phone number… It was all going perfectly until Caleb lost his mind. That’s when I realized: Wait… I think I took the joke too far. 1 So, here’s the situation. I’m pregnant, and Caleb and I aren’t speaking. I posted a picture of the positive test on r/relationship_advice with the title: How do I tell my husband I’m pregnant while we’re fighting? Wrong answers only. The internet did not disappoint. Within an hour, I had thousands of comments. u/SavageQueen: Send him a pic of the test and say, “Baby’s gone. Froze to death because of your cold shoulder.” u/AnimeLover99: Look him in the eye and whisper: “I am not fighting alone.” u/RomanceAddict: Five years later, return with quintuplets and dominate the social scene. I scrolled through the chaos, feeling grateful for the internet’s unhinged energy. But one comment stood out. u/NovelExpert: Run away. Trust me, I’ve read romance novels for ten years. This is the only way. u/DramaLlama: Book an abortion at his family’s hospital but put his number as the contact. Then sneak off to Seattle and work as a barista for half a day. u/SubtleChaos: At dinner, dry heave dramatically and then sprint to the bathroom. Works every time. These “experts” seemed trustworthy. I looked at my phone. Still no text from Caleb. Thinking of his cold, handsome face made me angry all over again. I blocked his number. Enjoy the silence, you giant idiot. I have a surprise for you. 2 Step one of the Runaway Wife plan: Pick a getaway car. I went down to the garage and chose Caleb’s favorite matte black Bugatti. Sorry, Caleb. It’s for the plot. To make it authentic, I waited until his busiest workday to peel out of the driveway. Driving a supercar with the top down, wind in my hair… this was the life. Caleb could go kick rocks. I drove straight to my best friend Faye’s apartment. Lying on her sofa, I laid out my brilliant plan. Faye laughed so hard she nearly choked on her popcorn. “Chloe, are you serious?” she asked, wiping tears from her eyes. “What did our CEO do this time?” Okay, I admit our previous fights were petty. Like the time he forgot to buy me the new Hermès bag (I forgot to ask), or the time he ate spicy food next to me while I was on my period. But this time! This time it was 100% Caleb’s fault. “Spill,” Faye said, settling in. She’s been watching the Caleb-and-Chloe show since college. She knows we’re inseparable, so she treats our fights like prime-time entertainment. “Put down the chips, Sergeant Faye. This is serious.” “Yes, General Chloe.” The reason for this cold war was tragic. Truly heartbreaking. 3 Yesterday, after organizing my handbag collection, I decided to be a benevolent wife and visit Caleb in his study. I walked in quietly and stood behind his chair. He was on the phone, holding a photo in his hand. “Caleb!” I shouted, popping up over his shoulder. Usually, he’d pull me onto his lap and let me look at whatever boring contract he was reading. But this time, he jumped. He shoved the photo into a drawer and slammed it shut. “Caleb, what are you hiding?” His eyes darted around, avoiding mine. For a man who negotiates billion-dollar deals, he looked incredibly guilty. “Nothing. Just… trash.” “Liar,” I said. He was tapping his finger on the desk—his tell. I reached for the drawer. “It’s nothing, I said!” He grabbed my wrist, stopping me. He locked the drawer and pocketed the key. “What can’t you tell me?” I asked, feeling a sting of betrayal. Even when his company was in crisis, he let me play with confidential files like they were coloring books. He wouldn’t answer. I got agitated and tried to grab the key. In the struggle, I tripped. Caleb caught me before I hit the floor, but instead of asking if I was okay, he snapped. “Chloe, when are you going to stop acting like a child?” His voice was cold, sharp with anger. I froze. I glared at him. “If you can’t stand me, Caleb, then divorce me.” I stormed out. He didn’t follow. Men. I wasn’t going to cry over him. I packed a bag and moved into the guest room. But lying on the silk sheets, the tears came anyway. Because I saw the photo. It was an old, frayed picture of a woman. And that woman looked exactly like me. 4 Faye slammed her hand on the sofa. “So he’s cheating? With a doppelganger?!” She looked ready to murder him. “Relax,” I said calmly. “Stop acting.” She deflated. “Fine. But if he hurts you, I’m team Chloe all the way.” “So, I’m doing the ‘Runaway Wife with a Secret Baby’ plot.” Faye raised both hands. “I support this chaos.” Just then, my phone started blowing up. It was Liam, Caleb’s assistant. Caleb was definitely making him call. Why didn’t Caleb call himself? Because I blocked him. Hang up. Block. Liam got the same treatment. Meanwhile, in a black Bentley across town, Caleb Vance stared at his assistant with a face like thunder. “Sir… she hung up.” “Call again.” “She… blocked me.” Caleb let out a dark laugh. He had gone home to find the house looked like it had been raided. Chloe’s closet was empty. His clothes were thrown on the floor. And his favorite car was missing. He knew exactly who the culprit was. I touched my face and smiled. Don’t praise me, I’ll get an ego. Outside, the rain started pouring. A classic romance novel trope. Caleb stood outside Faye’s apartment building. He knocked on the door. “Chloe. Open up.” I ignored him, sitting on the shoe bench in the entryway, arms crossed. But then… beep, beep, beep, click. The door opened. Caleb had the code. 5 The door swung open, revealing Caleb’s sharp, angry face. His dark eyes locked onto mine. I whipped my head around to glare at Faye. “Traitor!” Faye grinned sheepishly and retreated to her room. Caleb marched in, scooped me up from the bench, and turned to leave. “Caleb, put me down! I’m not going back!” I grabbed the doorframe. “Chloe, stop making a scene.” “Let me explain.” “I don’t want to hear it!” I yelled, struggling. “Go away!” Caleb stopped. He didn’t put me down, but he didn’t move. So, no explanation? Just silence? I looked at the face I had loved for years. Was he just tolerating me all this time? Did he think my feelings were just “scenes”? Caleb looked down at my sad face. Suddenly, he shoved his phone in front of me. On the screen was a photo of the “Princess,” a luxury yacht docked in the harbor. The one I had been drooling over for months. “Princess Chloe. I bought the boat.” I froze. My eyes glued to the screen. 180 million dollars. My boat. Okay, Caleb had his moments. I took the phone, grinning like an idiot. “Chloe,” he said, taking the phone back. “Can you listen now?” I nodded, eyes still tracking the phone. “The photo I hid… it was a candidate for a new marketing campaign. She looked like you. I didn’t know her, but I panicked because I thought you’d misunderstand.” A flimsy excuse. But… But there was a yacht. And honestly, I never really believed Caleb would cheat. I just wanted to be dramatic. (And I wanted the boat.) “Fine,” I said. “Let’s go.” But I wasn’t done with him yet. 6 We went home. Faye leaned against her doorframe, watching Caleb carry my bags. “Why did you do all that just to leave two hours later?” “I’m going home,” I said loud enough for Caleb to hear. “I haven’t forgiven him.” I was starving. I had the chef make dinner and prepared for Step 2. We sat in silence. I ignored Caleb completely. “Ugh…” I put down my fork, covered my mouth, and ran to the bathroom. I thought my performance was Oscar-worthy. But Caleb didn’t take the bait! He followed me, looking concerned but clueless. “Chloe, what did you eat? Did you sneak spicy food again?” What? This didn’t follow the script! Has this man never seen a soap opera? Useless. I rolled my eyes at him. Whatever. I had more tricks. I “dry heaved” a few more times that night. Caleb just kept asking if I had food poisoning. Does he think I’m a glutton? I haven’t had junk food since I found out I was pregnant! He is so stupid. The next day, while Caleb was at work, I decided to escalate. To save face, I had to go nuclear. I booked an appointment at the Vance Family Private Hospital. For an abortion. And I put Caleb’s phone number as the emergency contact. I sat outside the operating room and hit “Confirm Appointment.” The confirmation text should be hitting his phone right about… now. I laughed to myself. Genius. Then I posted a Moment on WeChat, visible only to him: [Baby, it’s not that Mommy doesn’t love you… but I can’t bring you into a loveless home.] Attached was a photo of my ultrasound. Sure enough, Caleb went insane.

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I am the beautiful but airheaded villainess. The system told me to break up the male and female leads. So, I knocked on the principal’s door: “Mr. Principal, I want to report someone. There are students dating.” The principal was furious: “Chloe Vance! This is the eight-hundredth time you’ve reported them! “The valedictorian and salutatorian are dating, what does that have to do with you, the girl ranked last in the whole school?” I looked at him calmly. Took out my phone. Pressed play on a recording: “Come on, Mr. Principal, say that again.” 1 “I’ll say it! Chloe Vance, you dared to bring your phone to school! Phone confiscated!” Mission failed. Phone -1. Damn it. 2 I returned to the classroom and saw Lily Summer, the heroine of this book. I never understood why villainous supporting characters always hated innocent, pure-hearted heroines. Now I finally know. She clearly did nothing, yet she effortlessly caused me to lose my phone. I must take revenge on her. “What are you doing?” “I’m solving this Math Olympiad problem, it’s so hard. I can’t figure out a third solution no matter what. Do you know it?” See, there’s a reason I hate her. First, she’s doing Math Olympiad problems. Second, she’s thinking about a third solution. Finally, she asked if I knew it? This dead green tea bitch. I snatched the workbook from her hands and flipped several pages back. “What are you pretending for? Aren’t the answer keys right here in the back? Some valedictorian you are.” Third solution my ass. I’ll just read out the answers for you, let’s see how you keep pretending then? Dead green tea bitch. I am just too evil. Let me see the answer. “Omitted.” … Omitted my ass! Such a hard problem, and you omit the answer? Such easy money to earn, and I want to earn it too! Lily propped her chin on her hand, pursed her lips, and looked at me: “Say it then, why aren’t you saying it?” The whole class looked over. As the saying goes, anger rises from the heart, and evil grows from the gall. I didn’t stop at one thing, I tore up the answer key right then and there. I am too vicious. Without the answer key, she could only do the problems herself. When she encountered difficult problems she didn’t understand, she would be sad and upset, but couldn’t find the solution, and would then doubt her own abilities. Over time, she would contract the bad habit of plagiarism, and might even drop out of school! “Since you like to pretend so much, don’t ever look at it again!” I casually threw the workbook out the door. Lily was indeed shocked by me, and even stuttered when she spoke: “Wait, that’s my desk mate’s…” A sound of annoyance came from behind. I turned around. It was the male lead, Caleb Thorne. Backlit. Youthful. High school vibes. 3 【For all the pain obsessed with love. 【For all the wounds obsessed with hate. 【I can no longer distinguish whether love and hate are just like this…】 Caleb interrupted my BGM: “Wait, who threw my workbook out?” The primary quality of a villainous supporting female character is, of course, perfect framing and blaming. “I saw Lily throw it! It was her! It was definitely her!” The thirty-something students in the class all looked at me in unison. Caleb frowned slightly, holding his workbook, and walked towards me. Closer and closer. He was standing right in front of me. He actually, leaned over slightly, wanting to hold my hand. It’s over. It’s over. I’m about to have a high school romance. The dragon slayer eventually becomes the evil dragon. Sure enough, as long as I can successfully frame the heroine, the male lead will turn to choose me. This is the world of female competition. “Chloe Vance, you’re still holding my answer key.” Caleb dug the crumpled answer key out of my hand. “…” The whole class burst into laughter. I was a little flustered. I didn’t stop at one thing, I squatted on the ground, hugged his leg, and began to cry and shout: “You don’t know, she threw your workbook, I only managed to snatch the answer key, believe me! Why don’t you believe me?” Caleb looked down at me, a little at a loss: “It’s just a workbook, if you threw it, you threw it, no need to be like this…” I wiped my tears and stood up: “Oh, I threw it.” A villainous supporting female character is able to retract and release freely. And being seen through my clumsy tricks by the wise male lead is simply a common occurrence, okay? Never say defeat. 4 In the hallway after class. I compensated Caleb with a brand new workbook. He was too embarrassed to take it. “You didn’t have to buy a new one specially…” I insisted on stuffing it into his hand: “Please, you must accept it.” Anyway, I didn’t write a single word in it. Caleb saw me pressing his hand, was silent for a moment: “I don’t think it’s appropriate.” “There’s nothing inappropriate about it, just consider it as me lending it to you to write in. When the semester ends, you can return it to me.” Caleb opened the title page and held it in front of me. Written on it were three big words, Chloe Vance. “This is your workbook, right?” He flipped through several pages, all of which were blank, and looked at me incredulously: “You didn’t write a single word, you want me to do your homework for you?” Oops, I’ve been seen through. I was dumbfounded for a while, stubbornly looked up at him who was six feet tall: “Then, then, then, didn’t you also learn the knowledge? Who actually took advantage of whom between us? That must be, you took advantage of me.” Caleb stared at me for a moment, suddenly blushed a little, lowered his head and smiled. “Do your own homework.” He patted the workbook onto my chest and went into the classroom. I was stunned in the hallway for a while. Caleb, is there something wrong with him? What is he smiling for, what’s so funny about me? Is this still the virtuous and artistic old artist? Suddenly someone bumped my shoulder from behind. I turned back, and the workbook was snatched away. “It’s due next week, let me see how you wrote… Holy cow, you just bought it?” The workbook slowly moved down, revealing Evan James’s eyebrows and eyes. 5 A villainous supporting female character always needs an idle friend by her side. This friend of mine is Evan, my desk mate, and also my neighbor. “It’s okay, I’ll put it on the black market, guaranteed to get it written for you on time.” “There’s a black market?” “Yeah. I wrote half of it, paid two hundred bucks to get someone to write the rest for me. In your case, I estimate it will cost five hundred.” As a villainous supporting female character, I naturally am not short of money. “Then I’ll leave it to you.” I rolled the workbook into a tube, handed it to Evan’s palm, but followed this direction, and met eyes with Caleb who was erasing the blackboard. Seeing that I saw him, he threw the eraser onto the podium, snorted coldly, and returned to his seat. I was thinking, this kid is moody, suddenly the class bell rang, and I was bumped by someone. “Excuse me.” Cold voice. Lily passed between me and Evan holding a whole stack of test papers. Evan was dissatisfied: “Did I excuse you? You just passed!” Lily looked back and glanced at him. “Then I’ll return it to you.” Lily retreated from between us and walked past again from the side. I was bumped again: “…” Evan was momentarily stunned, his gaze followed that back figure: “I’ve grown so big, I’ve never seen such a drag girl.” “You didn’t fall for her, did you?” Evan lowered his head and coughed: “How could that be? The type I like is very clear, sweet girls! Like you.” Huh? I’m a sweet girl? “What kind of look is that? I’m your daddy.” 6 Before destroying the relationship between Caleb and Lily, I have a more important thing to do. That is to steal the phone back. After the last class in the afternoon, I made an appointment with Evan and hovered at the door of the office. When the teachers went to dinner, we pretended to go in to get the test papers. “Your workbook, I already got it done.” Evan showed me the phone screen, on it was the chat record between him and the black market teacher: 【This one? Didn’t you already write it?】 【It’s my friend’s. Last time half a book was two hundred, this time the whole book is five hundred, okay?】 The other side didn’t pay attention to him. Evan also sent a super cute kitten kowtow emoji package: 【Pretty please.】 【Okay, then put it in the old place.】 “You don’t meet? Still put it in the old place?” “Ghostwriting homework, of course we can’t meet, this is safer.” I returned the phone to him. “Then does the other side know it’s you?” “Knows.” Evan turned his head to look at me, pulling the corner of his lips into a bad smile, “It doesn’t matter to me, my reputation is out there.” While we chatted, our peripheral vision locked onto the office, the teachers had almost all left, only one young teacher remained. Evan and I walked in openly. “Hello teacher, the principal asked us to come get the test papers.” The teacher ignored us. But the principal hid the phone too deeply. Evan and I rummaged through the desk, didn’t see the shadow of the phone, except for the inner office drawer. Just as I was reaching out to open the drawer, a voice suddenly sounded. “What are you doing?” Lily, who appeared at the door, was the person who really came to get the test papers. Evan lowered his voice and said fiercely: “You, mind your own business.” Lily raised her neck and looked at him with a fixed smile: “I’m going to tell the principal that you and Chloe are stealing things.” Evan stared at her, backed up two steps, lowered his head and leaned to my ear: “How did you offend her?” I lowered my voice: “Just last time her model essay, wasn’t it called ‘Chasing Dreams’? I added three words behind her title, Show Business.” “…That’s very bad.” Evan walked to her side, coughed affectedly: “Give me some face.” Lily looked at him disapprovingly, curled the corner of her lips sarcastically, bumped his shoulder, and was about to walk in: “Speak nicely, you don’t listen, do you?” Evan gently patted his forehead with his palm, took a deep breath, grabbed her wrist from behind, and forcibly pulled the person away. I finished watching the drama and continued to open the drawer. Unfortunately, it was locked. “Chloe Vance?” A devil’s low moan came from behind. I stood straight, turned around, voice clear and bright: “Hello teacher!”

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My sister took a picture of herself sitting on the hood of my Porsche. She posted it with the caption: “23 years old, driving a Porsche, but I still don’t feel happy.” This humble-brag post went viral, and she was flooded with DMs from suitors. One day, she showed off a million-dollar Birkin bag, a gift from one of her new admirers. “Sis, I hinted that I wanted a million-dollar car, but he sent me a million-dollar bag instead. Men are so clueless, right?” I offered a gentle reminder: “Is it possible the dealership just doesn’t sell fake cars?” She immediately blasted me on social media, claiming I was just a jealous older sister. Her army of male fans cyberbullied me until I had no choice but to delete my accounts. She accepted the “rich heir’s” proposal and flaunted hands full of gold jewelry, smirking at the camera: “Wait, you guys haven’t received gold from your boyfriends yet? Really? Just me?” But the internet sleuths were quick. They exposed her gold as fake. By then, she had already stolen my ID to marry the guy and was pregnant. There was no turning back. Our parents were scammed out of their retirement savings by this “perfect son-in-law” and tragically ended their lives. My sister blamed everything on me. In a rage, she pushed me off a 28-story building. “If you hadn’t lent me the Porsche for that photo, I never would have met that scammer! Mom and Dad would still be alive!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day she took that photo. The day her fake life began. 1 “When will it be my turn to drive a Porsche at 23? I’m gonna fight you rich kids!” I blinked, staring blankly at the viral repost on my feed. My sister, Bella, was posing on the hood of my Porsche, duck lips and all. The comments were filled with envy, and the likes had already hit 100k. Top comment: “Wow, whose princess is this with the humble brag?” Bella replied: “No~ I’m just from a normal family. Can’t seem to find a guy who wants to spoil me~” In my past life, I discovered she was using my car for clout and advised her to be careful about flashing wealth online. Bella scoffed, calling me a busybody. “Sis, you don’t get it. This is content creation. It’s just a persona.” “You aren’t gonna be petty and expose me, are you?” Thinking I couldn’t protect her forever, I let her have her fun, simply warning her to stay safe. Bella brushed me off, too busy filming her next TikTok. “Got it! You’re so annoying!” A few days later, a gift box appeared at my apartment door. Before I could check the label, Bella rushed out and snatched it. “Don’t touch! That’s a gift from my admirer!” I realized then she had leaked my address during her livestream to get gifts. Ignoring the safety risk, Bella tore open the packaging, revealing a limited edition Louis Vuitton bag. A million-dollar bag. She posed in front of the mirror, admiring herself. Catching me staring, she feigned a sigh. “Sis, I hinted for a car, but he sent a bag. Men are so dense.” I looked at the bag. “Is it possible,” I said slowly, “that dealerships just don’t sell fake cars?” Bella froze. She dropped the bag and glared at me. “What’s that supposed to mean? You’re just a jealous old maid because no one sends you gifts! Have you ever even seen luxury goods? Who are you to call it fake!” Seeing she wouldn’t listen, I stayed silent. Bella huffed and stormed off, a flash of malice in her eyes. The next day, I was trending for all the wrong reasons. Bella posted a crying video, claiming I was jealous of her “blessed life” and her “doting boyfriend.” “Sob… I don’t know why my sister would say that. I just wanted to share my happiness.” She accused me of calling the bag fake to sabotage her relationship. Because I wanted to steal her man! I was branded a jealous shrew and a homewrecker. Her fans harassed me in real life until I publicly apologized and deleted my accounts. Bella won. And her victory led to our destruction. This time, I wouldn’t be so stupid. Back in the present, Bella was still preening with the bag. I smiled faintly. “It’s nice.” Bella smirked. “Of course it is. You wouldn’t dare touch a brand like this. Once I marry into money, I’ll have a closet full of these!” “Jealous? Too bad you’re just an unwanted spinster!” She hugged the bag and skipped back to her room, humming. 2 Bella, tasting success, doubled down on her “trust fund baby” persona. I used the excuse of not disturbing her to retreat to my room and plan. In my last life, that fake bag was the hook. Bella believed the guy was rich and started draining my money to maintain her image, desperate to land him. By the time I noticed, she had emptied the account I set up for our parents’ retirement. I immediately logged into my banking app and transferred every cent to a new account Bella didn’t know about. Not a penny for her this time. Sure enough, a few days later, Bella stormed into my room, shoving her phone in my face. “Why is the account empty? Did you spend it on something shady?” Her screen showed a failed payment for a $20,000 watch. I raised an eyebrow. She really had no concept of money. “That’s Mom and Dad’s retirement fund. Why are you touching it?” Bella rolled her eyes. “Retirement fund? That’s my dowry!” “I’m a mega-influencer now! My fans are watching. My dowry needs to be at least five million to match my status!” “If you don’t pay up, are you trying to ruin my career?” “Transfer the money now! I have a date with Oppa!” She threw down the demand and ran out in her heels. I watched from the window as she got into a luxury car downstairs. No money was coming her way. I wondered how long it would take her to realize her “prince” was a fraud without my cash to cushion her fall. 3 Bella didn’t come home that night. The next day, a new video dropped. It was blindingly gold. Gold bracelets up to her elbows, rings on every finger, layers of gold necklaces. She claimed they were “little trinkets” from her boyfriend. “Wait, you guys haven’t received gold from your boyfriends yet? Really? Just me?” “Money is just a number to me.” She then announced she had a five million dollar dowry, so she wasn’t greedy, just showing off their love. The video exploded. Envy poured in. Bella basked in it. “Just wanted to test his love. I’m so touched~” But doubts crept in. Jewelers in the comments pointed out the off-color and lack of hallmarks. People started questioning her “wealthy heiress” status. Bella panicked. She posted seven videos in a row, zooming in on the jewelry. “Seriously? Have you guys never seen real gold? Why would I buy fakes with my family background?” “Where is it fake? Just because your boyfriends are broke doesn’t mean mine is. Don’t be sour grapes.” “Wow, so many haters. I guess my life is just too good for you to understand.” To prove herself, she announced a “Century Wedding.” “This weekend! A luxury wedding at the Grand Hotel! Nothing too fancy, just a few million!” “Fans are welcome! Haters, watch and weep! I’ll prove who I am!” She swore it was happening. But I hadn’t given her a dime. Where was the money coming from? 4 I didn’t give her the five million. But I still took our parents to the “wedding.” We arrived at the grand ballroom. Bella stood on stage alone, in a wedding dress, livestreaming. I checked the stream. It was packed. But as the hour mark passed with no groom, the mood shifted. “What’s happening? Where is he?” “Did the groom run?” “Is this the ‘influencer capability’?” Bella was sweating, texting frantically. Mom and Dad looked worried. I comforted them quietly. The “rich heir” had definitely bailed. I watched Bella panic on stage, curious how she’d spin this. “No way! Oppa just got called to an international conference!” “Career men are the hottest! A good wife supports her man’s business!” She showed a chat screenshot. The guy claimed he had to fly out and sent a “520” (I love you) red packet. “Enjoy the food, everyone! I have plenty of money!” The guests looked confused. This hotel was insanely expensive. I checked the comments. The internet wasn’t buying it. “Left at the altar? Some ‘good boyfriend’.” “She’s definitely broke. Probably dating a loser.” Bella saw the comments and screeched. “You know nothing! I’m carrying the heir to his family! He’s transferring two houses to me tomorrow!” “And a yacht! Once I birth the eldest grandson, my husband is buying me a yacht for parties! I’ll invite my fans!” Mom and Dad grabbed my hands. “Is it true? Is she pregnant?” “We haven’t even met the guy!” Before I could speak, Bella sneered from the stage. “Stop being such dinosaurs! It’s modern love!” “Of course it’s true! I’m marrying into a dynasty!” She caressed her belly, looking proud. She was still flaunting her “million-dollar” dress. Did she really think a baby would secure a scammer? I shook my head and led my bewildered parents out. 5 After settling my parents, I went back to work. Two days later, I was ambushed outside my office. A cup of hot coffee hit me in the face. “How can you be so evil? Can’t stand to see your sister happy?” “Are you even human?” I wiped my face and had security remove the crazy fan. I called Bella. She hung up. I searched her online. She had started a smear campaign against me. “I never thought my own sister would swap my gold for fakes. I got so much hate because of her.” “She dropped out of school to work because she hated studying. Then she tried to force me to quit school too because she was jealous.” She twisted my sacrifice into a villain origin story. “She stole my real jewelry and hid my dowry! My boyfriend left because he thought my family didn’t respect him!” “What did I do wrong? Why do you hate me?!” She cried on camera, blaming me for ruining her life. Her fans attacked me, painting her as the innocent victim. “You never know who the snake is. Her own sister!” “I would hate a sister like that!” “Jealousy is ugly. What a witch!” 6 I shook with rage reading the comments. The fanatic outside was still screaming. “She doesn’t deserve this job!” “Justice for Bella!” I realized avoiding her only made her bolder. She wanted to step on my corpse to climb higher. Fine. If she wants a war, she’s got one. I went to the hospital to document my burns. Then I spent the night editing a video. A rebuttal. “Hi everyone, I’m Bella’s sister.” “Regarding her claims, I have a few things to say.” “First, I worked to support the family because we were poor. I gave up my education so she could have hers.” “Stealing her gold? Hiding her dowry? I run a successful business. I own the Porsche she poses with. Why would I steal fake gold?” “And the ‘five million dollar dowry’? That was the retirement fund I saved for our parents! She tried to steal it all for herself!” 7 I used my own money to boost the video. It trended immediately. The plot twist stunned the internet. Yesterday, I was public enemy number one. Today, the tide turned. I posted the deed to the Porsche (in my name) and screenshots of the comments calling out her fake gold from the start. I also proved I had been working at my company, nowhere near her. Bella had nothing. Just accusations. The netizens turned on her. “So the sister is the rich one?” “She was posing on her sister’s car? Embarrassing.” “It was all a lie!” “The sister is the real villain here! The ‘rich boyfriend’ is probably fake too!” Bella couldn’t handle the backlash. She stormed into my apartment. “Delete the video! Who gave you the right!” She grabbed my collar. “Who cares about your reputation? You’re a nobody! I’m a million-follower influencer! If they find out he ran away, I’m ruined!” “Do you know how many people are mocking me? Say you lied! Or you’re not my sister anymore!” I laughed. Did she think I needed her? I slapped her hand away. “Fine. I’m not your sister.” Bella looked shocked. “What? If I hadn’t gone to school, you wouldn’t have had the chance to work and get rich!” “You owe me!” She forgot she begged me on her knees to drop out so she could go to college. “I earned my money,” I said cold. “Don’t act like you did me a favor.” Bella gasped for air. “Fine! You’ll regret this!” “I already married Oppa! He’s a multinational CEO!” “When he finds out you bullied me, he’ll crush your little company! He’ll bankrupt you with a snap of his fingers!” She threatened me with her imaginary husband. I was dying to see how this “CEO” would destroy me.

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While shopping with my best friend, I accidentally saw my husband, Caleb Vance, the billionaire “Prince of New York,” bidding a fortune for a necklace I had admired for months. I thought it was an anniversary surprise. But the next day, I saw it hanging around the neck of his stunningly beautiful intern. I didn’t cry. I didn’t make a scene. Instead, I called my contact at the jewelry brand and ordered two hundred replicas of that exact necklace. I had them delivered to every single girl in the intern’s college dorm. Since he likes giving gifts, I figured I’d help him be generous. Let everyone have one. Oh, and I also had my lawyer draft the divorce papers and sent them directly to his office. That day, every girl in dorm 1A at NYU received a gift from the wife of the CEO of Vance Tech. Everyone, that is, except Luna. 1 The gala was in full swing when Caleb walked in with Luna on his arm. The girl was young, radiant, and clinging to him like a vine, smiling brightly at the room. The crowd around me parted like the Red Sea. I saw the pity and awkwardness in their eyes. I never thought Caleb would actually dare to bring her to a public event. We were a power couple, a union of two of the city’s biggest families. I thought he would at least have the decency to save face for me. I was wrong. “Why the long faces? Is everyone just stunned by Caleb’s new secretary?” I stepped forward, breaking the tension with a smooth explanation. The crowd relaxed, relieved. Caleb walked up to me as if nothing was wrong. “Serena.” His voice was gentle. Luna followed his lead, her voice sugary sweet. “Hi, sister.” I swallowed the urge to vomit and smiled back perfectly. We are adults. In this circle, the most important skill is pretending. Pretending to be happy when you’re furious. Pretending to like people you loathe. Besides, causing a scene here wouldn’t benefit anyone. But when my eyes landed on the necklace around Luna’s neck, my heart finally turned to ice. Ten minutes ago, I watched Caleb tenderly tuck a stray hair behind her ear and fix her slipping strap. Yesterday, when I saw him leave the auction house, I was so sure that necklace was for me. I felt a flutter of excitement, anticipating the surprise. I even went to the salon this morning to get my hair and makeup done. But the surprise never came. I called him earlier to fish for hints. The answer was nothing. But I did hear a girl’s voice in the background: “Mr. Vance, won’t your wife be upset?” “No. She’s always been generous and understanding. She won’t mind.” That was the moment I realized how naive I had been. Caleb was gone long ago. He was right. I am generous. Fighting with a pick-me girl? That’s beneath me. Luna stood behind Caleb, smiling sweetly, but the provocation in her eyes was unmistakable. I smirked internally. Just a naive college student thinking she’s special. I stared at her neck and said slowly, “Nice necklace. Was it a gift?” Luna wasn’t stupid. She knew exactly what I was asking. 2 She was a student. She couldn’t afford that necklace. Luna looked at me with wide, innocent eyes, then shifted a fearful glance to Caleb. Caleb jumped to her defense, as expected. “Serena, don’t misunderstand. Luna had a hard time at the internship, so as her boss, I bought her a little something to cheer her up. It’s nothing.” I raised my champagne glass to him, smiling my understanding, then turned and called my assistant. A moment later, Caleb’s phone rang, and he stepped away to answer. A socialite friend sidled up to me, asking loudly who Luna was. It wasn’t a polite question; it was mockery. Everyone has eyes. Caleb’s protective stance was obvious. I didn’t mince words. “Probably some girl dreaming she can sleep her way to the top.” Luna’s face went white. She looked humiliated and wronged, tears filling her big, doe eyes. What a perfect, innocent white lotus. No wonder Caleb liked her. The woman asking the question didn’t expect me to be so blunt and awkwardly excused herself. I crossed my arms and looked Luna up and down. “Ms. Luna, right? At your age, you should be reading books, studying for exams, maybe applying for a government job. Don’t harbor unrealistic fantasies. You’ll lose your dignity and your heart.” She knew I was humiliating her. Her lips trembled, but she couldn’t say a word. I sneered internally. Just because I act generous doesn’t mean I’m a doormat. “Sister, I…” “Stop.” I cut her off. “My mother only had one child. I don’t have a sister. And this isn’t the 1800s; we don’t do the whole ‘sister-wife’ thing.” Luna’s tears fell faster. Just as I was about to dig in deeper, Caleb returned. He walked straight to me. “Did you order the necklaces?” My assistant was fast. “Yes.” “Why did you order so many? You don’t even wear jewelry like that.” I leaned against a pillar, smiling teasingly. “Helping you build good karma, of course. Interns have it tough these days. A little gift makes everyone happy.” Caleb’s mask finally cracked. But he recovered quickly. He smoothly wrapped an arm around my waist and whispered in my ear, “It’s just a necklace. If you like it, I’ll buy you another one. Don’t scare the new girl. I’d hate for you to get wrinkles from frowning.” His voice was low and husky, the same tone he used during our intimate nights. But now, he was using it to protect Luna. I leaned into him, playing the part of the loving wife, but my whisper was cold. “You know exactly what she’s doing. It’s not just about the necklace. Caleb, I don’t care how you play around outside, but remember, I am Mrs. Vance. If this blows up, it hurts both of us.” “This ends today. I hope this is the last time.” I said the last sentence through gritted teeth. 3 From the outside, it looked like we were flirting. The crowd cheered and teased us. I felt his body stiffen. I patted his back with a smile and walked away to grab another drink. When the party ended and guests started leaving, I thought I had made my point clear. But I underestimated how thick-skinned some people can be. Luna tried to get into Caleb’s car with us. “Luna’s dorm is far, and it’s hard to get an Uber this late. It’s on the way, let’s drop her off,” Caleb said to me. I scoffed. “We live in the Upper East Side. She lives in Queens. How is that on the way?” Caleb frowned. Luna looked at me with teary eyes. It made me look like the bully. Seeing I wasn’t budging, Caleb played the emotional card. “Serena, you’ve always been understanding…” I cut him off. “What if I say no?” Luna stepped forward, eyes red. “Sister, I shouldn’t have taken the necklace. It’s my fault. But I really can’t get a ride…” “I’ll trade you my favorite perfume for the ride, okay?” She held out a fancy bottle. Probably another gift from Caleb. I wrinkled my nose. “What scent is that? Eau de Desperation?” Luna turned bright red, holding back tears. Caleb finally snapped. “Serena, that’s enough.” I laughed. “That’s enough?” “Caleb, don’t forget who hosted this gala. Without my father pulling strings, your deal tonight would be dead in the water.” I pushed past the weeping Luna and got into the car. Businessmen always weigh the pros and cons. Caleb knew what I meant. He might be the golden boy, but I was the heiress who brought the connections. In our world, feelings come second to power. He got in the car. We drove in suffocating silence. I didn’t care about fighting a little girl, but I couldn’t have rumors spreading that the Mrs. Vance was left on the street. I noticed the passenger seat had been adjusted. I knew exactly who sat there. There was a sticky note on the dashboard: “Princess Seat.” Rage flared in my chest. I wanted to kick Caleb out of the car and slap Luna. Just then, his phone rang. Luna, sobbing. “Caleb… sob… I couldn’t get a car… someone is following me… I’m scared…” Caleb slammed on the brakes. “Okay, don’t move. Stay there. I’m coming to get you.” I stopped adjusting my seat and looked at him in disbelief. “Serena, you take the car. Luna might be in danger. I have to go back.” I laughed out loud. “We are in the middle of Manhattan. There are people everywhere. There’s a police station two blocks from where we left her. What danger?” “Are you her dad? If she’s in danger, she should call 911, not you.” 4 Caleb was speechless for a second, then sighed deeply. “Serena, can you have some empathy? She’s a girl alone at night.” “Are you seriously fighting me over a necklace right now?” I didn’t back down. “Are you blind, Caleb? She is provoking me. You can’t see that? And you’re going to dump me on the side of the road for her?” Caleb’s expression shifted from anger to cold disappointment. “Serena, when did you become so unreasonable? You weren’t like this before.” I laughed. I’m unreasonable? “Caleb, this is the first time you’ve ever argued with me over another woman.” Caleb turned to look out the window, refusing to engage. “Did you forget our agreement before we got married? Even if there’s no love, there’s respect. You don’t cheat, I don’t cheat. For the reputation of our families. Are you going to break the rules for her?” Silence filled the car. I knew I had won this round. That night, we slept in separate rooms. His excuse: I was too “domineering,” he felt suffocated, and we needed space. Fine. It gave me time to think. Lying in bed, I replayed the day. This was the first time Caleb had ever disrespected me for another woman. Our families were close, but Caleb and I didn’t know each other well before the arrangement. I thought he was just a spoiled rich kid. But three years ago, I fell for his charm. He was smart, funny, and capable. So when our parents suggested marriage, I agreed. It was a merger of empires. We respected each other. I thought we were the perfect power couple. Somewhere along the line, I thought he started to love me. The cold prince would cuddle me at night, warm my cold feet in winter, make me tea when I was sick. He recently told me, “Serena, you are always my first choice.” But Luna appeared, and everything changed. My phone buzzed. A text from Caleb: “Goodnight, Serena.” With a cute cat sticker.

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I’ve always lived as my sister’s shadow. I endured my parents’ cold neglect and the cruelty of school bullies. If it had been my sister, Emily, who was bullied, Mom and Dad would have believed her instantly. They would have burned the world down for her. But none of that matters now. In my next life, I’m going to pick parents who actually love me. 1 After writing those final words, I jumped from the sixth floor without a second thought. Thud. It hurt. Then, I was floating. I watched myself lying in a hospital bed, tubes snaking out of my body like vines. The heart monitor beeped weakly, and my face was the color of chalk. My parents, Professor Thomas Vance and Helen Vance, sat by the bed, looking haggard. Mom broke the silence with a complaint: “I just scolded her a little, and she jumps? I wasn’t wrong. She’s nothing compared to Emily.” True. I never measured up to my dead sister. Even my suicide attempt was messy, a waste of hospital resources. Dad lowered his voice to a harsh whisper: “Helen, stop it. Look at her. Is this the time for complaints? We already lost Emily. Do you want to lose Ava too? We’re getting old. It’s too late to have another one. Who’s going to take care of us when we’re senile?” So that’s it. I’m just a replacement and a retirement plan. They didn’t believe my note. They didn’t care why I jumped. I wish I had just died on impact. A doctor called them into his office. I floated after them. The doctor looked grave. “Professor Vance, your daughter’s condition is critical. Multiple organ damage, but the bigger issue is her will to live. It’s almost non-existent. You need to stimulate her brain. Talk to her. Read to her. Find something she cares about.” They nodded, went home, and returned with a stack of my old diaries. 2 Mom flipped open my elementary school diary with a look of impatience and started to read. June 1, 2010 My name is Ava Vance. My aunt says I was only born because my sister, Emily, said on her deathbed: “In my next life, I want to be Mommy’s baby again.” Emily died in a car crash at seventeen. Except for a beauty mark under my eye, I’m nothing like her. Emily loved pink. I love blue. But to make Mom and Dad love me, I wear pink. Always pink. Even if the love they give me is really meant for Emily, I take it. Because they are all I have. Today was Children’s Day. My deskmate, Mia, wore a beautiful blue dress. I couldn’t stop staring at it. Mia saw how much I loved it and offered to switch clothes with me after the school performance so I could wear it for a bit. I was too scared to go outside, so I hid in the bathroom stall to put it on. Mia said I looked pretty, that blue was my color. She was taking pictures of me when Mom found us. She went berserk. She ripped the blue dress off my body and slapped me across the face, over and over, screaming curses. It hurt. I felt humiliated. I cried so hard I couldn’t breathe. Mia tried to stop her. Mom lost her mind and hit Mia too, boxing her ear until it bled. Mia’s mom came to our house to demand an explanation. My mom screamed back: “Your daughter deserved it! Who told her to trade clothes with mine? Trying to stop me from disciplining my own child? If she hadn’t interfered, I wouldn’t have hit her! My daughter cannot wear blue!” Mia never spoke to me again. She went partially deaf in one ear. I lost my only friend. The whole class knew. They stayed away from me like I was contagious. Dad sighed after Mom finished reading. Mom defended herself, her voice hard. “When I saw that blue dress… I thought of the day Emily died. She was wearing blue. Our Emily was only seventeen. Seeing that color… it scares me.” Scared of blue? No. It’s just because Emily didn’t like blue. But even wearing pink, I was never as smart as Emily. 3 The next day, Dad read. April 25, 2010 We got our math tests back. I got an 87. The teacher sighed, looking disappointed. “If it were Emily, she would have gotten a perfect score.” But I really tried. After school, I was too scared to go home. No perfect score means no dinner, and probably a beating. I wandered around the neighborhood, waiting for it to get dark. A strange man tried to talk to me. I ignored him. He got angry, grabbed me, and started dragging me into an alley. I screamed and fought. A teenage boy shouted: “Hey! Put my sister down! I’m calling my dad!” The boy pointed at a man walking in the distance. The stranger dropped me and ran. The boy comforted me. I told him why I was afraid to go home. He said: “87 is a great score! Your parents are probably worried sick. Even if they loved your sister more, they can’t love you zero. Maybe they’re just bad at showing it. Come on, I’ll walk you home.” His words gave me hope. Maybe he was right. How could they not love me at all? He walked me to my door. I felt a mix of fear and hope. 4 Mom was waiting at the door. When she saw me, her face crumpled with worry. She pulled me into a hug. “Ava! Where have you been? I was worried sick!” Was this a dream? Mom really worried about me? The boy was right! Tears filled my eyes. Her hug was so warm. “This nice boy walked me home,” I said. Mom thanked him profusely, looking at me with what seemed like love. The boy left, happy he had helped. I closed the door gently. I turned around. Mom’s face had instantly transformed into a mask of rage. She was holding the long wooden ruler. She snatched my backpack, ripped out the test paper, and saw the score. “87?! I told you, perfect scores only! You useless waste! Is it that hard to get 100? When will you be like your sister? You aren’t my child!” It was all fake. The love was a performance for the neighbor boy. The ruler came down on me, harder and harder. I screamed, begging for mercy. A neighbor knocked to ask what was happening. Mom charmed them away, then came back and beat me harder. “Shut up! Stop crying! You want the whole world to know? You think that will save you?” She tied my hands and feet and taped my mouth shut. She switched to a bamboo cane. Pain wracked my body. I twisted on the floor like a worm. She didn’t stop until I had a nosebleed and she was exhausted. I limped to my room and curled up in the corner, licking my wounds. I hugged myself. Maybe I really wasn’t her child. That’s why she beat me so hard. Where was my real mom? When would she come save me? 5 Dad finished reading. Silence filled the room. “Helen,” Dad said slowly. “Although Ava isn’t Emily, you promised me you wouldn’t hit her anymore. The neighbors asked questions. I had to explain… it’s embarrassing for a family like ours.” Embarrassing. His reputation mattered more than my pain. Mom huffed. “I did it for her own good! Spare the rod, spoil the child. Emily got perfect scores, so Ava has to get them too! That’s the only way she’ll be like Emily. Besides, her grades went up after that, didn’t they? And I haven’t hit her since!” Haven’t hit me since? She hit me so often she forgot. 6 Dad didn’t argue. He acquiesced. I wasn’t excellent like Emily. I couldn’t bring him glory. No one praised Professor Vance for his parenting anymore. Instead, family friends would look at me and sigh. “Such a pity about Emily. So talented.” “Ava just isn’t as sharp as her sister.” “Emily was accepted to Harvard early. A tragedy.” I became obsessed with the ghost of my sister. I wanted to know the person who cast such a long shadow. I wanted to see her room. Mom kept it locked. She cleaned it herself. No one was allowed inside. One afternoon, she forgot to lock it. 7 Dad drank some water and tossed the diary to Mom. She picked it up. September 27, 2013 The door was unlocked. I finally went inside Emily’s room. It was pink, just like mine. It was pristine. Not a speck of dust. In the corner, a beautiful ballet tutu hung on a mannequin. One wall was covered in awards. Trophies piled up on the desk. Sister was amazing. I don’t have any trophies. There were framed photos everywhere. Emily solo. Emily and Mom. Emily and Dad. The three of them, laughing. They looked so happy. They never smiled at me like that. Mom came home early. She found me. 8 She stormed in, grabbed me by the hair, and dragged me out. She screamed like a banshee: “Who said you could go in there?! You are unworthy of stepping foot in Emily’s room! Look at her honors! She is my pride, my treasure! You are a waste of space! A disgrace! I should never have given birth to you! You will never be her!” I hugged her legs, crying. “I know I shouldn’t have gone in, but I just wanted to know what I had to do to make you love me! I wear pink because she liked it! I do everything like her! Mom, I’m your child too! Can’t you love me just a little?” Mom shook me off, looking at me with cold disgust. “Emily is my only daughter. My love is hers. Even if she’s dead. You should be grateful you’re alive and enjoying her things. If I knew you’d turn out like this, I would have strangled you in the cradle.” She grabbed my hair again, trying to smash my head against the wall. Dad came home and stopped her. 9 Mom cut off my lunch money. “You think you’re grown? Go earn your own money then!” Dad said nothing. For a week, I watched my classmates eat lunch. My stomach growled. I lied and said I wasn’t hungry. One afternoon, I fainted from hunger. The school called Dad because Mom refused to come. Dad was furious—because he lost face. A professor’s daughter fainting from hunger? He yelled at Mom at home. Mom yelled back, blaming him for not noticing. They fought. I got my allowance back. Reading this entry, Mom showed no remorse. “I was teaching her a lesson! Rules are rules! Starving a couple of meals never killed anyone. She needed to learn obedience!” So I stopped asking for love. I learned to lie.

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Six months into marriage with my best friend’s brother, and we still haven’t consummated the relationship. In a fit of rage, I called my best friend. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m divorcing your brother.” To my shock, she wailed back from the other end: “I can’t do this either! I’m divorcing your brother tomorrow!” 1 I froze. I almost forgot—my best friend and I married each other’s brothers. Thinking about it, her situation might be even more tragic than mine. Married six months, and she hasn’t even seen her husband shirtless. At least I’ve seen the goods. I sighed, feeling a deep sense of camaraderie with my fellow sufferer. “Babe, meet me at The Velvet Rope. Let’s go look at some hot bartenders.” … I arrived before Chloe and got a booth. I ordered a bottle of tequila and waited. Five minutes later, Chloe strutted in wearing four-inch heels and a full-on “revenge makeup” look. She waved her hand and downed a shot immediately. I leaned in for the gossip. “What happened with my brother?” That’s the thing about best friends. As soon as I asked, she raised an eyebrow at me. “What about you? What happened with my brother?” Neither of us was backing down. I sighed deeply. “He won’t sleep with me!” Chloe and I got our marriage licenses one day apart. Initially, I only knew she had a doctor brother; I didn’t know what he looked like. Until my boss gave me a panic attack that felt like a heart attack, and I went to the ER. Chloe, afraid I’d get a creepy old doctor, specifically called her “young, hot” brother. I was skeptical about how hot he could be. Then reality slapped me in the face. When I saw Dr. Ethan Vance, my heart raced like a teenager’s. Even with a mask on, revealing only a pair of cold, beautiful eyes, I knew every inch under that white coat was dancing on my aesthetic preferences. After the checkup, I demanded his number from Chloe. She warned me he was “high-maintenance” and “aloof.” I confidently declared that no man could resist my charm. Then, reality slapped me again. During the “chase,” I texted him flirtatiously: [Dr. Vance, what did you have for dinner?] He replied a day later: [Steak.] Me: […] Frustrated, I moved to an offline offensive. I made Chloe set up a movie date. In the theater, watching a horror movie, Ethan watched calmly while I “accidentally” shrieked and buried myself in his chest. When he looked down, I blinked, my voice dripping with vulnerability: “My chest still hurts a little. Dr. Vance, could you check it for me?” I thought my tone was perfect—soft, helpless, irresistible. But he just stared at me. Behind his silver-rimmed glasses, his eyes were deep pools that made my heart flutter. The atmosphere was perfect. I thought he was going to kiss me. Instead, he stiffly pushed me away. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Ms. Hart, watch the movie. Don’t waste your money.” “…” 2 How do I describe my expression at that moment? Total defeat. I never thought I’d strike out this hard! “I can’t do it. I really can’t. Your brother is either asexual or… broken!” I poured myself a drink, planning to get wasted. Chloe howled, clinking her glass against mine in frustration. “I can’t deal with your brother either! A handsome face wasted on a toxic mouth!” “I bought that dress the other day, the one you said looked great? I sent him a photo, and he said it was so tight it looked like it was made for a praying mantis! Has he ever seen a mantis with curves like this?!” I snorted with laughter. Chloe is also superficial. She fell for my brother at first sight. We basically forced them together. We thought married life would be sweet. Instead, it’s blander than a monk’s diet. “And I don’t get it. Is your brother really that busy as a lawyer? He lives in his study! We talk more on WeChat than in person. I suspect he’s seeing someone else!” Chloe’s voice rose. I stared at the swirling liquor and nodded in agreement. “I think your brother has someone too. I walk around in skimpy lingerie, and he doesn’t even flinch! Last time, I asked him what flavor of… protection… he liked, and he seriously said, ‘No rush’!” “If a man has no desire for a woman, he’s just not interested. I hate it! Married and still starving!” “Two dog men.” Chloe slapped my shoulder with conviction. “Divorce. I’m filing tomorrow, you file the day after. We’ll take half their assets and go live our best lives.” My thoughts exactly. 3 Chloe and I are women of action. The next day, we went to get the family registry books (Hukou). Since she was filing first, I went with her to the Vance family estate in the neighboring city. We didn’t tell anyone we were coming. We expected an empty house, but walked in on a group of wealthy housewives playing Mahjong. I whispered to Chloe, “Didn’t you say your mom was traveling?” She looked confused. “She posted from Paris yesterday! Crap, what if she catches us?” Me: “Be sneaky. Do you know where the book is?” “Yes!” She swore she did. Mrs. Vance noticed us, her eyes lighting up. “Haley! What a surprise!” Chloe nervously mumbled an excuse and dragged me into the elevator. However, after searching for ages, we couldn’t find the book. I couldn’t sit still, so I got up to help her look. Just then, Ethan texted me. [Mom said you’re at the estate?] I thought about it and sent a “Yeah” sticker. Ethan: [Have fun. I’ll pick you up after work. I told the chef to make your favorite sweet and sour ribs.] I stared at the message. What the hell? Ethan is in a good mood today? But last night, he rejected me again… Thinking about it made me angry. Last night, Chloe and I got drunk. He and my brother came to pick us up. One for each. Chloe was screaming and crying; I was quiet as a mouse. I wanted to bring up divorce, but I fell asleep in the car. I woke up to Ethan removing my makeup. His face is a huge plus for me. In my drunken state, I was dazzled by his long, pale fingers. I grabbed his hand and put it on my chest, trying my old trick. “Dr. Vance, my heart beats so fast when I see you. Can you soothe it?” I mumbled, leaning into his arms. His breath hitched. He told me to lie down; he’d be done soon. His warm breath on my ear made my heart tingle. So I started stripping. He pulled off my coat, leaving me in a slip dress, one shoulder strap falling down. Water droplets from my face rolled down my collarbone, soaking the silk. I didn’t care. I felt free. I looked at him with hazy eyes and pounced. “Dr. Vance, did we skip the wedding night?” We were close enough to burn. Ethan was sitting on the carpet. I straddled his waist, thinking this was it. Instead, he pinched the bridge of his nose. His large hands stopped me from unbuttoning his shirt. “Haley, you’re drunk. Be good. Stay here, I’ll go make you some hangover soup, okay?” I froze. I didn’t register the gentleness in his voice. I only saw those deep, clear eyes, devoid of any lust. Ethan really feels nothing for me. I burst into tears. “…” Thinking of that humiliating scene, and seeing his text now, I angrily turned off my phone. Just then, the door opened. Mrs. Vance poked her head in. “What are you looking for?” Chloe, frustrated and frantic, blurted out: “The family registry book!” “…” 4 Chaos. The Mahjong game ended. The guests left. In the living room, Mrs. Vance sat us down and looked at Chloe warily. “You want a divorce?” Chloe knew the jig was up. She nodded with the resignation of a martyr. “Yes. It’s pointless.” Mrs. Vance gritted her teeth, looking at her daughter with disappointment. “Who was it that cried and screamed she couldn’t live without Liam? What is this nonsense now?” I felt a pang of guilt. Technically, I also pursued Ethan aggressively. Who knew he was a monk? I wished I was a man so I could just marry Chloe! “Mom, you can’t force love,” Chloe said, pouting. “Liam doesn’t love me.” “I’m staying in Shanghai. There are plenty of fish in the sea, and the models here are way better than that dog Liam!” As she spoke, a tall figure appeared. My brother, Liam, the elite lawyer who is usually meticulous, rushed in with his tie askew, looking panicked. “Chloe.” He walked to her, his voice stiff. “You want a divorce?” “Why? Out of nowhere?” The family group chat blew up. Everyone rushed over. Seeing Ethan stride in, I pursed my lips. He looked cold. He walked to my side, and I subtly moved away. “Not feeling well?” Seeing my face, he leaned down to ask. I didn’t speak. Seeing you makes me unwell! The atmosphere was tense. Liam frowned, trying to hug Chloe, but she shook him off. “Save it. I’ve made my decision.” She glared at Liam. “Go spend your life with your case files! Toxic lawyer!” She grabbed the registry book and tried to drag me away. Ethan caught my arm, his voice deep. “Chloe, marriage isn’t a game.” “And don’t drag Haley into your mess.” Chloe looked at her brother, speechless. “Why are you advising me? You’re getting divorced too.” “…” Silence. Everyone turned to stare at me. … 5 “He… he doesn’t love me.” Facing the barrage of questions, I could only bury my head and twist the hem of my shirt, whispering. Damn it. I couldn’t exactly say, Ethan has a delicious body but won’t let me taste it, and my vibrator is more fun than him, could I? It would make me sound desperate. As soon as I explained, Mrs. Vance produced a cane from nowhere and whacked Ethan on the back. Thwack! It sounded painful. She yelled at him: “What did I tell you? I told you to be proactive, you straight-laced idiot! Now look, your wife is leaving!” Mrs. Vance scolded Ethan thoroughly, then came over to comfort me. She insisted Ethan had never dated before, that there wasn’t even a female mosquito around him before me, and begged me to reconsider. If the brat didn’t change, she’d introduce me to other men herself. Chloe wasn’t having it. “Mom, your son doesn’t act like he’s never dated; he acts like a cold robot! He’s living like an eighty-year-old man. Our Haley is suffering!” I silently gave my bestie a thumbs up. Ethan’s thin lips pressed together. A look of guilt I’d never seen before appeared on his aloof face. He tried to take my hand to say something, but I dodged. No touching without payment! The room fell silent again. Liam couldn’t help but cough. I glared at him. “Bro, honestly, if Chloe doesn’t want you, you need to reflect! With your sharp tongue, you’d kick a passing dog. You’re destined to be single.” “…” Chloe secretly gave me a thumbs up. Mrs. Vance clutched her chest, sighing. “Ethan, it was a blessing that Haley even looked at you, and you treated her so harshly. Too much!” My mom was also on the phone, screaming at Liam. “…” An hour later, Ethan and Liam were still standing there, getting scolded. Dignity? Male pride? Shattered on the floor. I thought they had compromised. But they both decided that even a divorce needed a 30-day cooling-off period. They pulled out black cards, asking us to give them a month to make amends. Ethan pushed his glasses up his nose, walked up to me, and said seriously: “Haley, I neglected you because of work. That’s my fault. I promise to correct my mistakes this month and treat you well.” “That Hermès Himalayan bag you liked will be delivered soon. Take this card. Use it at the Bulgari jewelry salon next week.” I blinked. Before I could process Ethan’s flawless speech. My brother straightened his tie and looked at Chloe: “Ahem, Chloe. I admit I have some occupational hazards. I’m used to being sharp-tongued, but I didn’t mean it. I’m just bad at expressing myself.” “Take this card for pocket money. Didn’t you post about wanting a Steinway piano? I’ll arrange it. Just please, calm down.” “…” Then. They looked at us with deep affection, as if pouring a lifetime of love into this moment. “We absolutely do not agree to a divorce!” “…” Those two cards gleamed with temptation right in front of us. Chloe and I looked at each other. We saw the gold reflection in each other’s eyes. Everyone was waiting for our reaction. My heart itched. Not wanting to lose the upper hand, I spun my brain and snatched my brother’s card. “You think Chloe cares about this little compensation?” Chloe instantly understood and snatched Ethan’s card. “This little money isn’t even enough to fill Haley’s teeth!” Clutching the cards like they might be revoked, we linked arms and speed-walked out. We walked in sync, turning back every two steps to maintain our stance. “Heh, we can’t be bought with a few bucks!”

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After I died, I discovered my husband, Caleb Vance, could see my ghost. He wept with joy, saying we could be together forever. Later, he started staying out late. Even later, I saw the girl who followed him around. She looked exactly like I did when we first met. One day, that girl suddenly fell ill with a strange, incurable sickness. The psychic said a “dirty thing” was haunting her. Caleb suddenly turned his gaze to me, the ghost floating helplessly in the corner. 1 I didn’t react at first. I shook my head at him desperately. No one else could hear us or see me. “Caleb, it’s not me. You know me best.” On the bed, Sophie began to whimper. “Caleb… I feel so sick…” Caleb didn’t speak. He just stared at me, floating in mid-air. His eyes were filled with suspicion and resentment. I remembered what the psychic had just said: “This young lady is being haunted by a dirty thing.” Sophie looked terrified, shrinking into Caleb’s arms. “Caleb, I haven’t done anything bad. Why is a dirty thing haunting me?” Caleb comforted her. “Sophie, it’s not your fault.” I didn’t understand what that meant at the time. Now I do. It turns out it was my fault. I am the “dirty thing.” Sophie asked the psychic, “Is there any way to suppress this thing?” The psychic pulled out several talismans and a wooden sword. Sophie took the wooden sword, waving it around in fear. Whether intentionally or not, the tip pointed straight at me. Almost instantly, I felt my soul tearing apart. I couldn’t dodge. I was pinned in the air. Even without a body, the pain made me feel like I would dissipate the next second. Caleb watched me, unmoved. Sophie threw down the sword and looked at Caleb with the talismans. “Caleb, can you help me put these up?” I watched Caleb walk over and take the talismans. Then he smiled and patted Sophie’s head. “Okay.” When the talismans were placed in the four corners of the room, I was blasted out of the house, exhausted. This was my marital home with Caleb. The home where we lived together for seven years. I crawled up from the ground, trying to pass through the door, but it was useless. The pain from the wooden sword lingered. After failing to enter, I collapsed in the corner. The door opened. I scrambled up in surprise. “Caleb…” Caleb looked at me, his expression complicated. “Haley, don’t come in anymore.” “Maybe you didn’t mean to.” “But her health is really bad. Don’t hurt her anymore.” I didn’t know what to say. It’s hard to describe how I felt hearing those words. The man in front of me seemed nothing like the Caleb who promised to love me forever. A year ago, when I died, he cried so hard. Why has everything changed? “But this is my home. Our home. Why can’t I go in?” “Because you’re dead!” “Because you are a wandering spirit now. You aren’t afraid of anything, but she is. She gets sick because of you.” “Haley, you weren’t this unreasonable before.” As Caleb turned to go inside, I murmured to myself. “I didn’t hurt her.” He paused, then closed the door. And I… I’m not afraid of nothing. I wonder if he noticed that my soul has started to fade. 2 I used to watch horror movies where ghosts had cool powers. They weren’t afraid of anything. They could scare people. But after I died in an accident, I realized I wasn’t one of them. I have no powers. Except for Caleb, no one can see me. In the beginning, I felt like I would disappear at any moment. My body would suddenly turn transparent. Whenever Caleb noticed and cried, begging me not to leave, I would stabilize. Today, he probably didn’t notice. I curled up in the corner, laughing bitterly. There are other things in this neighborhood besides me. Strange things. I can barely hold my form together now. I don’t know how I’ll survive tonight. When did things change between us? Probably when he started staying out all night. Before, I could go wherever he went. That night, I suddenly found I couldn’t follow him. Maybe because of what he said when he left: “Don’t follow me today.” I remember his friends tricked him into seeing a psychiatrist. They thought he lost his mind after my death because he often talked to the air. Later, paparazzi snapped photos of Caleb Vance, CEO of Vance Corp, visiting a psych ward. The reason: talking to himself. It caused a stir. Caleb felt people were laughing at him. I still remember how devastated he was when I died. When he first realized he could see me, he wept with joy. He said heaven was moved by our love and let us stay together. Now, this “earth-shattering” love has become his burden. He doesn’t want to be seen as crazy. So he minimized our outings. He even stopped talking to me. Soon, he brought Sophie home. I don’t know who she is. I only know she calls him “Caleb” sweetly, and they can talk openly. And I can’t. Before she got sick, it had been a long time since Caleb had a real conversation with me. “Well well, isn’t this the canary from the big villa?” “Kicked out?” “I told you, the living and the dead don’t mix. Come play with me instead—” There aren’t many ghosts here, but the few that exist are vicious. I once saw a wandering spirit torn to shreds by him. I stood up in terror, shouting for Caleb. “Caleb! I’m scared!” A pale hand grabbed me. “Your man is busy loving that new girl. I saw them making out in the car. Tsk, men.” “You’re dead. Why bother him? Let him find true love!” I refused to believe him. Caleb swore he would never betray me. But the harder I banged on the door, the louder the music inside became. They were dancing. Sophie was laughing in his arms. Maybe he’ll post it on Instagram. Maybe his friends will congratulate him on moving on. Then he’ll be a normal person, not the madman haunted by his dead wife. 3 When dawn broke, the things left. I’m not afraid of the sun. But I was so weak I couldn’t move. They like to tear souls apart for fun. But I’m different. Every time I’m torn, I miraculously recover. They think it’s fascinating. I used to spend every night in Caleb’s bed, where they couldn’t reach me. But now… I don’t know how to survive the nights anymore. The door opened. Caleb rushed out holding Sophie. I curled in the corner, watching him quietly. I felt myself fade a little more. “Hospital! Now!” He didn’t look at me. After putting her in the car, he glanced back with a frown. That look held many emotions. Mostly blame. But I didn’t even know what I did wrong. I wanted him to ask if I was hurt. Maybe that’s impossible now. When Caleb returned from the hospital, I was still in the corner. “Haley, let’s talk.” My voice was raspy. I laughed softly. “Here?” He didn’t invite me in. “Let’s talk here. If you go in, she might get sick again.” “We need to clear things up.” Before he could continue, I interrupted. “I didn’t hurt her.” Caleb exploded. He punched the wall behind me, his fist passing through my body. “Then tell me why she gets sick every time she stays here!” “Don’t tell me it’s a coincidence! Haley, I’m not an idiot!” His eyes were red. “You know people think I’m crazy. She risked her reputation to help me.” “Only she believes I can really see you.” I sat up. “You told her you can see me?” Caleb didn’t think that was the point. “If she didn’t believe me and stay with me, my reputation and the company’s stock would tank!” “Everyone would think I’m a lunatic!” I looked at him calmly. I felt helpless. “Caleb, you love her, don’t you?” I just stated a fact. He got more agitated. “Why are your thoughts so dirty?” “I said I would never betray you, and that hasn’t changed. Is this why you’re hurting her?” I didn’t want to repeat myself. “So what do you want me to do?” He exhaled. “Leave for a while. Stay away from me.” I asked, “If I leave and she still gets sick, proving it wasn’t me, will you let me come back?” He was silent. He didn’t speak. I knew the answer. 4 If I’m going to leave, I have to go now. When those things come out tonight, I won’t be able to escape. I know begging Caleb is useless once he’s made up his mind. I won’t beg. Avoiding his gaze, I stood up with difficulty. “Leaving so easily?” “You were bored of me anyway, right? I just gave you an excuse.” He wasn’t happy that I left without a fight. I didn’t want to say more. My soul felt heavy. Every step was hard. But I didn’t want to stay another second. I heard footsteps behind me. Then they stopped. Followed by violent coughing. “Mr. Vance? Are you okay?” “We need to go to the hospital to see Miss Sophie anyway. You should get checked too.” “Do you think… that dirty thing hurt Miss Sophie and now wants to hurt you?” I wouldn’t defend myself anymore. It’s useless. I didn’t care what Caleb said after that. Since he chose to believe that, nothing I say matters. Leaving the villa, I felt lost. This was my first time being a wandering ghost. I didn’t know why I became like this—dead but unable to move on, unable to leave Caleb until he told me to go. Was it really as he said? Did his love move the heavens? Thinking about it now, it’s laughable. Where can I go? I don’t know. I only know I’m getting more transparent. It hasn’t been long since I died. But I’ve already forgotten so much. Suddenly, I lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes, I was in a temple. I had no memory of it, yet it felt familiar. There was no one else. Just me and a lamp. The flame was weak. The light was dim. But even when the wind blew, the flame didn’t flicker. Memories flooded back. “I ask for nothing else. I only hope my wife recovers and returns to me.” “If I can, I want to live and die with her.” “I don’t want to live alone.” A man kowtowed every step, climbing to the top. His forehead was swollen and bleeding. I remembered. That was the year Caleb loved me the most. At the company gala, a chandelier fell. I pushed him out of the way and got hit. I was in a coma. I occasionally heard Caleb whispering. He said if I didn’t make it, he would die with me. In my unconscious state, I learned that because of Caleb’s piety, a Lamp of Eternal Life was lit in the temple. Fueled by our souls. If one soul left the other, the other would die. I thought, I can’t let him die. The will to live woke me up. I thought the lamp was a good thing. As long as we loved each other, nothing could separate us. Today, floating here, I learned another secret. I stayed not because Caleb’s love moved the heavens. But because I, newly dead, begged the Judge to let me return.

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1 I was at the airport to pick up my husband when I ran into him: Preston Zhou, the man who’d left me at the altar two years ago to go see elephants in Africa with his adoptive sister. Even with my sunglasses on, he spotted me in the crowd instantly. “Arabella, I’m back. I’m here to marry you.” I feigned a moment of confusion. “I’m sorry, you are…?” He let out a weary, indulgent smile. “Come on, don’t be mad at me. I didn’t mean to run out for so long. After Mary saw the elephants, she wanted to do a whole photography project. She’s the only sister I’ve got, I had to spoil her a little.” “But look,” he said, spreading his arms wide, “the two-year shoot is done, and I came straight back to fulfill our engagement!” It was only then, seeing the flash of his startlingly white teeth against his sun-darkened skin, that I recognized the gaunt, skinny man in front of me. It was my ex-fiancé. Except… did no one tell him? The day he jilted me was the day I married his uncle. … The airport terminal was a river of people. Preston pushed a luggage cart with one hand while the other clutched a Chanel bag. Mary, several shades darker herself, was perched on top of a suitcase, letting Preston wheel her around. After two years in Africa, they looked less like they’d been on safari and more like they’d been working in a coal mine. They were both positively grimy. The Preston I remembered had been handsome, fair-skinned, and in great shape. Otherwise, I never would have agreed to the arranged marriage. But this version of him… Thank God he wasn’t my husband. I slid my sunglasses off and offered a polite, distant smile. “My apologies. It’s been a long time. You’ve both changed so much, I didn’t recognize you for a moment.” Mary, as always, dripped with sarcasm. “Don’t pretend you don’t recognize him. You’re obviously here to pick Preston up, aren’t you?” she sneered. “If we hadn’t tossed our SIM cards and cut off all contact with home, you probably would have chased us all the way to Africa!” She huffed and turned her head away. “I really don’t know what he sees in you. A woman who’s nothing but a pretty face.” Preston just ruffled her hair and tapped her nose with a fond, exasperated sigh. “Once Arabella and I are married, she’ll be your sister-in-law. You need to show her some respect. Otherwise, I won’t take you to Europe for your art tour next year.” After placating Mary, he turned to me with an explanatory smile. “She’s just got a childish temper. You know her father, my uncle’s driver, died in the car crash that almost killed me. He saved my life, but she lost her dad.” “When we’re married,” he continued, his tone earnest, “we’ll be a team. I hope you can help me look after her. Treat her like your own sister.” Did he hear the absolute nonsense coming out of his own mouth? I gave him an elegant eye-roll and flashed the wedding band on my left hand. “Preston, I can’t thank you enough for jilting me. It allowed me to marry a man a thousand times better than you. And please, don’t flatter yourself. I’m here today to pick up my husband.” Preston froze. He squinted at me for a long moment, then a smirk spread across his face. “Arabella, do you take me for a fool?” he scoffed. “Our families arranged this marriage. The wedding two years ago was the event of the season, the whole of the city’s elite was there. Everyone knows you’re my fiancée. I was wrong to run off and embarrass you, I admit it. But with your reputation ruined, what other family would possibly have you?” So that was it. The reason he’d felt so comfortable abandoning me was because he was sure I’d be a social pariah, a “jilted woman” with no choice but to take him back. He had seriously overestimated himself. And underestimated me. To clean up his son’s mess, the Zhou family patriarch had lost a son and a significant portion of company shares. To appease my family’s fury, the old man had offered to transfer the shares originally meant for Preston directly to me. Clearly, Preston had no idea. It made sense. He’d spent two years completely off the grid for Mary, not even a single phone call home. Of course he was out of the loop. I almost couldn’t wait for him to get back to the family estate tonight. I wondered if he’d still be smiling then. 2 When our marriage was first proposed, Preston had fought it tooth and nail. But the moment he met me, it was supposedly love at first sight, and he declared he would marry no one else. He pursued me shamelessly for over half a year. Seeing that he was clean-cut and didn’t play around, I finally agreed. Not long after, Mary, his new adoptive sister, entered the picture, and he treated her like a princess. On our wedding day, Preston got a call from her. “Preston,” she’d wailed, “remember your promise? To take me to Africa to see the elephants? I’m at the airport waiting. If you don’t come, I’ll jump off the terminal roof!” Preston had given me one apologetic look, dropped my hand without a second thought, and sprinted away, leaving me and a ballroom full of guests behind. I received two texts from him, and then his phone went dead. [Her father saved my life. Mary is his only daughter. I can’t let anything happen to her!] [Don’t worry. I’ll be back as soon as she sees the elephants. A week at most. We’ll finish the wedding and then go to the Maldives for our honeymoon.] The Zhou patriarch was incandescent with rage. To make it up to my family, he’d made me a promise. “Arabella, this is our family’s failure. Name your compensation, anything you want!” I had pointed to his youngest son, the current head of the Zhou family enterprise, Damian Zhou. “Then give me him,” I’d said. “This wedding is still short one groom.” And just like that, I married Preston’s uncle. Lost in thought, I glanced at the time. Damian’s flight should have landed by now. Just as I was about to check, a message popped up on my phone. [Sweetheart, flight’s delayed. Just boarded. Going to be very late. Don’t wait for me, just have Leo pick me up.] [Love you.] A huge heart emoji followed. A small smile touched my lips, and the tension in my brow eased. Even looking at my infuriating ex-fiancé-turned-nephew became a little more tolerable. Preston crossed his arms, a mocking smile playing on his lips as he eyed my phone. “Oh, who’s the actor you hired? ‘Hubby’? Flight delayed? Really creative.” He leaned in closer. “Arabella, don’t joke like that. You know I get jealous.” As he reached out to tuck a stray strand of my hair behind my ear, I took a sharp step back. His hand froze in mid-air. “I told you, I’m married. If you continue to harass me, you might find yourself with a broken leg when you get home tonight.” Preston laughed as if I’d told the funniest joke. He pointed to my neck. “That emerald pendant you’re wearing… Grandfather said that was to be passed down to the Zhou family brides. You’re wearing it right now and still trying to tell me you married someone else?” The pendant was indeed a gift from the patriarch. Except it wasn’t for his granddaughter-in-law. It was for his daughter-in-law. “I married—” Before I could finish, Mary interrupted. “Is that the Phoenix Emerald?” She hopped off the luggage cart and wedged herself between us. The moment she saw the pendant around my neck, her eyes reddened. She grabbed Preston’s arm, her voice trembling. “Preston, I’ve wanted that pendant for so long. Grandfather would never even let me touch it, and now he’s given it to an outsider. Does… does he not even think of me as part of the family?” Her voice cracked. “But what can I do? I’m just a driver’s daughter. I can’t compare to a blue-blooded heiress like Arabella. Even Grandfather plays favorites.” Preston’s face softened with guilt. He looked at me, a pleading expression in his eyes. “Mary’s young, and she’s had a hard life. She’s always insecure. Just… let her have this one.” “She likes the pendant, so give it to her. I’ll buy you a new one, imperial green jade, I promise. It’ll be even more beautiful, much better quality.” 3 I laughed. An actual, honest-to-god laugh of disbelief. “Preston, I suggest you get your head checked. If I remember correctly, Mary is twenty-five this year. A few months older than me, isn’t she?” “There are two things I can’t stand in this world: giant babies and manipulative little thieves who steal other people’s things. Coincidentally, she’s both.” At my words, Mary’s eyes welled up, tears streaming down her face on command. “Preston will spoil me no matter how old I am! You’re just jealous!” she shrieked. “You haven’t even married him yet! What right does an outsider like you have to wear a Zhou family heirloom? You’re the shameless one!” Technically, Mary was the family’s ward, but she had never been formally adopted, nor was her name in the official family records. Strictly speaking, she was the outsider living in the Zhou home. Preston had once thrown a tantrum, demanding she be made a true Zhou heiress, but the patriarch had flatly refused. Preston had felt guilty about it ever since. Seeing her cry now, his heart ached. He frowned at me. “Mary isn’t like you. She has no parents, only me. Grandfather wouldn’t let her be formally adopted, that’s why she’s so insecure…” I cut him off with a suggestion. “You want her in the family records? That’s easy.” “Marry her. If you do, I will gladly give her this pendant as a wedding gift. As the bride of a Zhou grandson, she would finally deserve to wear it.” I unclasped the emerald from my neck and held it out to Mary. Her eyes went wide with shock, then filled with an unconcealable, ecstatic glee. She reached for it immediately. “Don’t!” Preston snatched the pendant from my hand, his fist closing tightly around it. “What nonsense are you talking about? Mary is just… she’s my sister. You’re the one I want to spend my life with!” His gaze was intense, pleading. “You can be jealous of anyone, but not her.” “She is my family. You are my love. Stop saying things you don’t mean. Anymore of this, and I’ll actually get angry.” Being stared at by those supposedly deep, soulful eyes didn’t move me in the slightest. In fact, it made me want to gag. Done with the conversation, I turned and walked away, ignoring Preston’s voice calling after me. As I stepped out of the terminal, a discreet black Maybach pulled up to the curb. The driver, Leo, got out and opened the door for me. “Ma’am. Sir said he’ll be late and asked me to pick him up later. Should I take you home first?” Damian had been on a business trip for half a month. The patriarch knew he was returning today and had arranged for a family dinner at the estate. Suddenly, someone pushed past me and slid into the car. Mary settled into the leather seat and smirked. “I thought you were married? Still mooching rides from the Zhou family? Shouldn’t you be taking your husband’s car?” Mary recognized the Maybach. It belonged to Preston’s uncle, Damian. Preston recognized it too, and a flattered look crossed his face. After all, his uncle rarely bothered with such trivial matters. He sat down next to Mary, buckled her seatbelt, and then turned to me. “You can sit in the front. Mary’s used to sitting next to me. I’ll have the driver drop you at your family’s home first.” “No need. I have my own car. Leo, just take them to the estate. I have other plans.” I pulled out my keys and hit the unlock button. Across the lot, the headlights of a Lamborghini Veneno flashed twice. As I drove away in the supercar, I saw a flash of raw envy in Mary’s eyes. Preston sighed dramatically. “She came all this way just to pick me up. She must be angry I didn’t ride with her.” Then he turned to the driver. “Did my uncle send you to get me?” Leo answered truthfully. “No, sir. I was sent to pick up my boss.” The air in the car hung thick and silent for a few seconds. “…What a coincidence,” Preston finally said. “Where is my uncle, then?” “His flight was delayed.” I treated myself to a spa day, and then, seeing it was almost dinnertime, I drove to the family estate. The moment I got out of the car, I saw two figures kneeling ramrod straight at the main gate like a pair of wooden posts. Apparently, when Leo had dropped them off, the patriarch had heard it was Preston and Mary, and he’d thrown his cane in a rage and refused to let them in the door. “Get out! Why didn’t you just die in Africa? What did you come back for?” Preston, banking on his grandfather’s soft heart, had dropped to his knees at the gate. Mary, to show solidarity, knelt beside him. When he saw me, Preston scrambled to his feet, his dejected expression vanishing, replaced by a triumphant glow. “I knew it. I knew you couldn’t stay away.” His voice was filled with smug satisfaction. “Did you hear Grandfather was punishing me and rush right over?” I turned my face away in annoyance and tried to walk around him. He blocked my path again, his face a mask of faux concern. “Don’t go in. Grandfather’s still furious. I’m afraid he’ll take it out on you.” Mary had somehow appeared at his side. She pointed a finger at my nose. “You’re still holding a grudge because Preston left you for me, aren’t you?” she accused. “You’re the one who stirred this up! Grandfather adores Preston, he would never refuse to let him in!” “You just came here to laugh at us!” With a shriek, she lunged at me. I sidestepped, and she went sprawling, landing face-first on the gravel. Mary lay on the ground, her knee scraped and bleeding, tears instantly flooding her eyes. Preston’s lips thinned. The smile vanished from his face as he knelt to check her injury. Seeing it wasn’t serious, he scooped her up in a practiced princess-carry and cooed at her until her sobs turned into a watery smile. Only then did he remember me. He sighed. “Arabella, I hardly recognize you anymore.” His voice was laced with disappointment. “Mary never means what she says. If you’re going to marry me, you have to learn to be more forgiving.” “For now, just apologize to her and we’ll forget it. But in the future, I hope you’ll try to change that temper of yours.” What? My vision went dark for a second. “Should I offer some compensation, too?” I asked, my voice dripping with ice. “To soothe her fragile, glass-like heart?” A flicker of greed crossed Mary’s face. “I could use a new run-around car. That one you were driving today was… barely acceptable.” A Lamborghini Veneno. One of only three in the world. Worth twenty-three million dollars. The sheer audacity of it. Preston, of course, made the decision for me. “Since Mary likes it, just give it to her. Consider it compensation for her injury.” I stared at him. “When pigs fly.” “What?” he said, not understanding the idiom. “I said, not a chance in hell!” I shoved him aside and walked straight towards the house. “Stop right there!” Preston, realizing he’d been played, turned beet red. “Arabella, I’m telling you right now,” he threatened, his voice sharp with fury. “If you don’t apologize to Mary, you can forget about marrying me! You won’t take a single step into the Zhou family home!” WHACK! Suddenly, a dragon-headed cane flew through the air and connected squarely with Preston’s skull. From several yards away, the patriarch’s voice, clear and booming with rage, echoed for all to hear. “You little bastard! That’s your aunt!”

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1 Wyatt’s little canary was throwing a tantrum again. He slid the divorce papers across the table to me. “Sign them. It’s just for show, to keep the girl happy.” My fingers tightened on the fabric of my skirt, but I nodded, quietly signing my name. As I was leaving, I heard one of his friends laugh. “Man, your wife is way too agreeable. You could probably ask her to get the marriage license for you and your new girl, and she wouldn’t make a peep.” Wyatt lit a cigarette, a smirk in his voice. “Wanna bet?” They made a wager. That in one month, at City Hall, I would be sobbing my eyes out, but I would still do as I was told. I would trade our marriage certificate for a decree of divorce. I clutched my phone, saying nothing. I just replied to the message that had just come in: Just marry me. Can’t you? “I can.” 2 ? The reply was almost instantaneous. I switched off my phone screen. The sound of laughter still spilled from the office. “Alright, it’s a deal! If she’s really that obedient, drinks for the next month are on me!” “Make it three months,” Wyatt said. “Done, done!” A chorus of laughter and jeers. I fled, stumbling out of the office building and into the sharp, blinding sunlight. Only then did the tears begin to stream down my face. Wyatt had his eyes on a college girl. He bought her a sprawling condo in Seabrook City, filling it with a king’s ransom in luxury goods. But the girl wouldn’t let him kiss her, wouldn’t let him hold her. She lived in a 4,000-square-foot penthouse, draped in haute couture that cost more than a car, and yet she’d jut out her chin and declare, “I will not be a homewrecker!” Wyatt found it endlessly amusing. This was the third time he’d put on a show for her. The first time, he’d staged a grand display of affection with me. I didn’t know about Sadie then. I’d wrapped my arms around him, giddy with joy as we took dozens of photos. When he posted a whole carousel on Instagram, my heart swelled with a mixture of surprise and anticipation. But no matter how many times I refreshed my feed, I couldn’t see it. I found out later he’d set the post’s privacy to ‘Visible only to Sadie.’ The second time, he picked a fight with me. He left me stranded on a street corner and sent Sadie a picture of me crying alone in the rain. See? I’m stuck. She can’t live without me. And the third time, he was divorcing me. My phone buzzed. I pulled it out. Are you serious? You really mean it? Josephine. I wiped away my tears and managed a small, bitter smile. “I’m serious.” 3 That afternoon, Wyatt took me to City Hall, just as he’d planned. He was in a fantastic mood the entire way, chattering about where I wanted to go for our third anniversary. Wyatt and I had grown up together. This was our third year of marriage. “How about Prague?” he suggested. “You’ve been begging to feed the pigeons in the Old Town Square since you were seven.” He got out, walked around to my side, and unbuckled my seatbelt. His brow furrowed as he noticed my face. “Hey, have you been crying?” He gently brushed a thumb under my eye. “I told you, it’s just an act. She’s just a little bird in a cage. I’m just curious to see how long it takes for her to finally give in.” As he spoke, something fell from his pocket. A box of condoms. Wyatt cleared his throat and rubbed his nose, offering no explanation. He led me into City Hall. It all went smoothly. I have selective mutism. When I’m around strangers or under stress, the words just won’t come out. But I can nod and shake my head. “Is this divorce voluntary?” “Yes.” I nodded. “Do you confirm the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage?” “Yes.” I nodded again. “There’s a mandatory thirty-day cooling-off period. You’ll need to return in one month to finalize.” Wyatt took the receipt. He snapped a picture of it before we’d even left the building and tapped out a message. My phone buzzed in sync. It was from Sadie, as usual. A forwarded image of the receipt from Wyatt, with his message attached: Satisfied? Now go get ready for me tonight. I tapped her profile picture and blocked her. A moment later, a flight confirmation email arrived, followed by a text. Flight booked. See you in a month. Paris is waiting. 4 That night, my dreams were full of Wyatt. The Wyatt from our childhood, his words as sweet as honey. “Josie, your eyes are so pretty. Can I look at them whenever I talk to you?” “Josie, you play the piano so beautifully. Can I come listen to your concert every day?” “Josie, I like you the most! When we grow up, I’m going to marry you!” And I loved him, too. We had to be desk partners at school, had to play together after class. I was even in his family’s car when my parents got into their accident, playing rock-paper-scissors with him. The two cars had been so close. I saw it all. The semi-truck barreling through the intersection. BOOM— My father, my mother, my older brother, even the little dog I’d had since I was a puppy… all of them, swallowed by an inferno. For a long time after that, I couldn’t make a sound. I needed Wyatt beside me just to fall asleep. He was so patient back then. He helped me practice speaking, read me stories all night long. If anyone dared to call me a “mute,” he’d meet them with a clenched fist. Marrying him felt like the most natural thing in the world. The day after I got my college diploma, he was leaning over my bed at dawn. “Josie,” he whispered, “let’s go get another certificate.” That day, we became husband and wife. In my dream, our new home was buried in a sea of crimson roses. He knelt on the bed, kissing me with such tenderness. He promised we’d be this happy for the rest of our lives. But when I woke up, the world was pitch black. I fumbled for my phone. Another text from Sadie. It was a photo. Messy, tangled sheets, and on them, a single, damning smear of crimson. A wave of nausea crashed over me. I bolted to the bathroom, retching until only bitter tears came out. I ended up curled on the cold tile, hugging my knees. I don”t know what I pressed on my phone, but in the dead silence of the night, a low, deep voice suddenly spoke. “Josephine?” My heart leaped. I snatched the phone. “Sebastian…?” 5 Sebastian was a fellow patient. After three years of therapy, my selective mutism had improved significantly. It only flared up when I was deeply upset or anxious. During the first two years of my marriage to Wyatt, I was almost completely cured. With time on my hands and a lighter heart, I had joined an online support group. My assigned partner was Sebastian. For two years, I genuinely thought he was a girl. His avatar was a pink bunny, and his screen name was “Angel.” At first, “she” barely responded to me. But I understood. People like us, burdened by years of silence, are often dealing with deep-seated trauma. We might not be able to speak, but we need someone there. So I kept sharing. My daily life, my thoughts, my small joys. I sent texts, then voice notes. Photos, then short videos. Over time, it felt like we were old friends. So much so that the first time we spoke on the phone and I discovered “she” was a man, the shock nearly triggered a relapse. “I… I’m sorry,” I stammered, clutching the phone. “Did I… wake you?” “No,” Sebastian said. “It’s nine p.m. here.” He spoke so fluently now. This was only our second phone call. After learning he was a man, I had deliberately kept my distance. The last time we’d spoken was nearly a month ago. It was pure coincidence. The moment Wyatt handed me the divorce papers, a message from Sebastian had popped up, asking what I was doing. My mind was a blank canvas, wiped clean by the words “divorce papers.” I replied with a single word: Divorce. After signing, I hid in the hallway outside Wyatt’s office, my body wracked with tremors. Sebastian, I think… I think I’m about to lose my home. No father, no mother, no brother, not even my sweet little dog. And now, no Wyatt. What was I going to do? I never expected his reply. Then just marry me. Can’t you? The mocking laughter from inside the office grew louder. “Get real. Josephine wouldn’t know how to function without Wyatt. She’d never actually go through with it.” “Yeah, if she actually had to get a divorce, she’d probably flood City Hall with her tears!” “Is that so?” Wyatt’s voice was a low sneer. He tossed his lighter onto the coffee table. “She could be sobbing her eyes out, and she’d still be my dog. If I tell her to go east, she’ll crawl there on her hands and knees.” I stared through the crack in the door at the man who had become a stranger. Yes. 6 Sebastian sent me a checklist. Things to do within the month. Applying for a visa and finding a lawyer were on it, of course. But it also included a surprisingly long list of must-try restaurants. The Chinese food abroad is terrible. Seriously. I gratefully accepted his advice, eating my way through his list, one restaurant at a time. Being alone wasn’t as hard as I’d imagined. My days were filled with food, shopping, and packing. The day I moved out of our marital home, Wyatt sent me a text. Not even a phone call? Don’t you miss me? He’d taken Sadie on a trip. To “show the girl the world,” he’d said. Naughty, he sent next. Then, a photo. This place is nice. Maybe I’ll bring you here for our anniversary? I wanted to block him, just like I’d blocked Sadie. But I still had to go back to City Hall with him to finalize the divorce, so I held back. Over the next two weeks, I sold off my smaller pieces of jewelry and handbags. I went to the doctor for a check-up and confirmed I wasn’t pregnant. Finally, I gathered all the financial assets Wyatt had entrusted to my care over the years. The night before our appointment at City Hall, Wyatt came back. He called me. “Josie, you moved out?” 7 He was used to my silence on the phone and just chuckled to himself. “Josie, you’re so adorable. I told you it was just an act.” His voice was bright, clearly in a good mood. “Tell you what. Let’s take this act all the way. How about you come with me to City Hall tomorrow and we get the final papers?” I held the phone tightly. “Josie, don’t worry, it’s just…” “Okay,” I said. “Woooooah!” A wave of whoops and hollers erupted from his side of the call. I hung up and texted him the time. The next day, I was up early. Wyatt, however, was late. A faint, but deliberate, bite mark was visible on his lip, no doubt a parting gift from Sadie. He pretended not to notice. I did the same. The process was even quicker than the first time. In and out in five minutes. “Josie, I have a surprise for you tomorrow,” Wyatt said, gently nudging my leg with his foot. I tucked the divorce decree into my purse. “Wyatt, are you free tonight?” I looked at him directly. “There are some things I need to talk to you about.” Wyatt froze. Ever since we were married, I had only ever called him “honey.” A moment later, his charming eyes curved into a smile as he tapped the red document in his hand. “Sure.”

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