Author: Momo Chan

My fiancé and his best girl friend slapped their marriage certificate on the table in front of me. I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I just pushed a dice cup across the glossy wood. On the line was the new house they’d just bought, and my entire youth. They laughed and called me crazy, but they didn’t know my grandfather’s nickname. They called him the “Ghost Hand.” 1 The music in the bar was a physical thing, a headache hammering against my skull. The glass of water in front of me had been sitting for a while. A fine mist of condensation clung to the glass, tiny droplets streaking down one by one, hitting the table and bleeding into a small, dark patch. I was waiting for Leo. He’d texted earlier, said he had something important to tell me, and named this place. I checked my phone. 9:30 PM. He was half an hour late. I didn’t push, I just waited. A few minutes later, the door swung open, and a blast of cold night air swept through the bar. Leo walked in. I didn’t move. I just watched him. He wasn’t alone. Sophie was with him. His best girl friend. The one who’d pull all-nighters playing video games with him, the one who’d wash his jerseys, the one who would always, without fail, take his side and yell at me whenever we fought. A cold knot formed in my stomach. They walked to my table and sat down across from me. No one spoke. The water dripped from the glass. Tick. Tick. Sophie broke the silence. She took a small, official-looking document and slapped it on the table. The sound wasn’t loud, but in the chaos of the bar, I heard it with perfect clarity. “Cara,” she said. “Leo and I got married.” I lifted my eyes and looked at Leo. He wouldn’t meet my gaze. He stared at the marriage certificate on the table, his eyes darting away, a strange mix of guilt and grim determination on his face. I just stared at him. For a long, long time. The music, the chatter, the clinking of glasses—it all seemed to fade away. My world went silent, leaving only the tick, tick of water rolling down the side of the glass. I didn’t cry. I didn’t curse. I didn’t even tremble. I just sat there, looking at them. A stone had lodged itself in my throat. I couldn’t swallow it, couldn’t cough it up. It was hard to breathe. I reached out, picked up the glass of water, and drained it in one go. The water was ice-cold, a frigid path from my throat to my stomach. I set the empty glass back down on the table, the sound louder than the slap of their certificate. “When did this happen?” I asked. My voice was calm, devoid of emotion. As if I were asking about the weather. Sophie smiled. She leaned against Leo, her fingers tracing patterns on his arm. “Just today, silly. Why else would we call you? It’s a surprise.” Leo finally looked up. He met my eyes, his lips parting as if to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. I nodded. “Oh,” I said. Just one word. Then I stood up and grabbed my purse. “I’m leaving.” I turned to go, but a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. It was Leo. “Cara, you…” I looked back at his hand clutching mine. His palm was slick with sweat. I pulled my hand free, my eyes fixed not on him, but on Sophie. “Congratulations.” Then I walked away without a second’s hesitation. I pushed open the door to the bar, and the cold wind hit me like a physical blow. I shivered, pulling the collar of my coat tighter. The night was dark, the streetlights casting a sickly yellow glow. I didn’t call a cab. I just started walking. I didn’t know where I was going. I just needed to move. The shops along the street were all closed, their windows dark except for the harsh fluorescent light of a lone convenience store. I stopped in front of a vending machine, staring at the rows of colorful drinks for a long time. In the end, I didn’t buy anything. I just stood there, looking at my own reflection in the glass. The person staring back at me was a stranger. Her eyes were hollow. Empty. 2 I didn’t go far. I just leaned against a wall in a nearby alley and lit a cigarette. I don’t smoke. The raw burn in my throat made me cough, hard, until my eyes watered. I didn’t wipe the tears away. I let them trail down my face until the wind dried them, leaving my skin feeling tight and sore. I ground the cigarette out with my shoe and walked back to the bar. I couldn’t just leave. Leo and I had been together for three years, since college. The down payment on the apartment we rented? My parents’ money. We had plans to get married next year, to put my name on the deed. The seed money for his company? Half of it came from me. He owed me. Sophie owed me. This was not over. I pushed the door open again, and the same wave of warm air, thick with smoke, alcohol, and perfume, enveloped me. Leo and Sophie were still there. They were drinking now, sipping from flutes of expensive champagne, the bubbles fizzing aggressively. On the table, next to the marriage certificate, were several other documents. As I got closer, I saw what they were. A property transfer agreement for the house. A contract for the transfer of company shares. Were they dividing up my life as party favors? Leo saw me and froze, a flicker of discomfort on his face. Sophie, however, was perfectly at ease. She raised her glass to me. “Back so soon? Come to your senses? Ready to have a celebratory drink with us?” I pulled out a chair and sat down across from them. The table was sticky with spilled liquor. I placed my bag on the empty seat beside me and looked at them. “The house, the company,” I said, my voice still perfectly level. “They’re mine.” Leo’s face was flushed. It could have been the alcohol, or it could have been shame. He cleared his throat. “Cara, don’t make a scene. We had a good run. Let’s not make this ugly.” Sophie swallowed her champagne and laughed out loud. “Ugly? Cara, are you not getting it? You’re a nobody now. You and Leo are over. All of this belongs to me.” She pointed at the contracts on the table, her face smug. I didn’t waste my breath on her. My gaze was fixed on Leo. “Leo. Say something.” He avoided my eyes, picking up his glass, refilling it, and downing it in one gulp. “Cara, Sophie and I are in love. Just… let us be happy. This is all just material stuff. You’re a smart girl, you can earn it all back someday.” Let them be happy. Material stuff. The words didn’t make me angry. They made me want to laugh. I looked at them both, one feigning righteousness, the other reveling in her victory. “I don’t want the house,” I said. “And I don’t want the company.” Sophie raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Giving up? Trying to be the graceful ex-girlfriend?” “I have a proposal,” I said, my eyes scanning them both. “Let’s play a game.” Leo frowned. “What kind of game?” “Simple.” I reached out and picked up the dice cup from the center of the table. The dice rattled inside. “We roll. One round. You win, I walk away from everything and wish you a long and happy life. But if I win…” I paused, watching their expressions shift. “If I win, I take everything on this table. And every single valuable thing you two have on you.” Sophie looked at me like I had lost my mind. She burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking. “You? Roll dice? Cara, did the shock fry your brain? Do you have any idea how much the stuff we’re wearing is worth?” “I do,” I nodded. “Enough to send you both from heaven straight to hell.” The color drained from Leo’s face. “Cara, stop this nonsense.” “Nonsense?” I smiled. “I’m giving you a chance. A chance to keep all the things you clawed away from me. What, are you scared to play?” I set the dice cup on the table and slid it toward them. People at the surrounding tables had started to notice the commotion, their curious glances turning into hushed whispers. Sophie’s laughter died. She stared at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of suspicion and challenge. “Fine.” She slammed her hand on the table. “I’ll play. Let’s see what tricks you have up your sleeve.” Leo tried to object, but Sophie cut him off. “What, Leo, are you afraid? Afraid you’ll lose it all to her?” He clenched his jaw, his eyes locking onto mine with a warning. “Cara. You asked for this.” I ignored him. My attention was on the dice cup. This was a game I knew all too well.

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1 Peter brought home a little boy after getting me a late-night snack during my morning sickness. With a playful look, he asked if I thought it was his secret love child. Seeing my stunned face, he laughed softly and stroked my cheek. “We’ve been married for years, love. You’re the only one I want to be a father for.” He explained he found the boy on the street, clinging to him, and would return him in the morning—just in time for my ultrasound. I nodded. But at the clinic the next day, my calls went unanswered. Then I spotted him across the hall, holding a pale woman, his voice heavy with emotion: “Why didn’t you tell me back then—why did you hide our son?” As the two lost lovers held each other and cried, their past misunderstandings dissolved. “Don’t cry, it’s all my fault,” he whispered. “Focus on getting better. We’ll never be apart again.” I looked down at the ultrasound photo in my hand, at the healthy little life inside. My thumb hovered over my phone for a moment, then I deleted the unsent message: “Honey, the baby’s perfect.” … His mother suddenly stormed past me, yanking the two apart before slapping the woman, Lily, hard across the face. “You bitch,” she spat, her voice venomous. “You’re just as shameless as your mother. You know you’re the product of an affair, so how dare you come back and tangle yourself up with my son!” Lily stumbled back, a crimson handprint already blooming on her cheek. Peter snapped back to reality, instantly shielding Lily behind him. “Mom, what are you doing!” “What am I doing?” His mother was trembling with rage, jabbing a finger at his chest. “Have you lost your mind? Have you forgotten how her mother crawled into your father’s bed and made my life a living hell? Have you forgotten how she took your father’s money and tossed you aside like a stray dog? Now she’s sick and dying, and you’re letting her sink her teeth into you again? I’m telling you, not as long as I’m alive!” “It’s not like that, Mrs. Croft,” Lily sobbed. “I found out I had bone cancer back then. I had to leave him; I didn’t want to be a burden.” “Oh, so noble of you,” his mother sneered. “Then why not keep it a secret forever? Peter was finally moving on, he has a new family, and now you show up with a child, crying in his arms in a hospital corridor. Do you think we can’t see right through you, Lily?” “Mom!” Peter’s voice was a low growl of fury as he held the trembling Lily even tighter. “She left to protect me! She’s been fighting this disease alone for years. Can you please just stop?” His mother’s hand shook as she pointed at him, her chest heaving. I watched the drama unfold, a nauseating wave washing over me. The stares of onlookers felt like needles piercing my skin. I took a deep breath and stepped forward, gently touching his mother’s arm. “Mom, let’s go. My stomach hurts.” It was only then that Peter saw me. The anger on his face froze, and he let go of Lily in a panic. “Sienna? What are you doing here?” My vision blurred. I ignored the hand he reached out to me, clinging to his mother’s arm instead. My voice trembled. “Mom, take me away… my stomach really hurts.” “Sienna, what’s wrong?” He rushed toward me, trying to help me into a chair. “Don’t touch me!” I screamed, my voice raw as I violently shoved his hand away. “You mean lady, stop bullying my daddy!” The little boy from last night shot out like a cannonball and slammed into my side. My balance gave way, and I crashed heavily to the floor. An agonizing, tearing pain ripped through my lower abdomen. A wave of warmth instantly soaked through my clothes. “Sienna!” I saw Peter and his mother running toward me, their faces masks of terror. “Doctor! Somebody get a doctor!” 2 I was lying in a hospital bed, an IV drip feeding a cocktail of drugs into my hand to stabilize the pregnancy. The doctor was speaking to Peter in a low, serious tone. “The impact caused fetal distress. The mother is in a fragile state. She cannot handle any more severe emotional stress.” Peter sat by my bed, his hand gripping mine, his thumb stroking my skin. His eyes were shot with red. “Sienna, I’m so sorry.” I turned my head away, staring at the wall. He leaned forward, resting his forehead on our joined hands. “Don’t be scared. I’m right here. I’m not leaving your side for a second.” The words had barely left his mouth when his phone blared with a sharp ringtone. His body tensed. He didn’t move. The phone rang again, and again, stubbornly persistent. Finally, he released my hand, his face a canvas of guilt. He stood up. “Sienna, I… I’ll be right back. It might be an emergency over there.” “Peter.” My voice was eerily calm, my gaze fixed on the ceiling. “Let’s get a divorce.” He froze, as if nailed to the floor. After a long moment, he slowly turned, the color drained from his face. “Sienna, what did you just say?” “A divorce.” My eyes finally met his. “I said, I want a divorce.” He rushed back to the bed, reaching for my hand again, but I pulled it away. “Sienna, don’t do this. I know you’re angry, but don’t scare me like this,” he stammered, his eyes wide with panic. “Wait here, I’ll go get you that chestnut pastry you love, and that taro bubble tea you just showed me, okay?” “No.” “I hate taro. And I never showed you that drink. Even the late-night snack you brought me last night… that was Lily’s favorite.” “The moment you saw that boy, you thought of her, didn’t you?” “So,” I looked away, my eyelids heavy with exhaustion, “let’s just get a divorce.” He shook his head violently, his voice cracking. “No, that’s impossible. You’re my wife. We have a child on the way. We’re a family!” “A family?” I repeated softly, a faint, bitter curve on my lips. “Then tell me, Peter, when I collapsed… where were you?” His lips parted, but no words came out. “You were with Lily and her son, playing happy family for the camera!” I shoved him away, grabbing the pillow and the medical chart from the nightstand and hurling them at him. “If they hadn’t used my number as the emergency contact, would you have just kept me in the dark forever? Let me play the fool and pretend everything was fine?” “Peter! If you can’t let her go, why drag me into your misery? Why should I have to be the cover for your great, tragic love story?” He was pale, his voice raspy as he tried to explain. “Sienna, listen to me… The kids at school, they bully him. They call him a bastard for not having a father.” “I just wanted… I just wanted to give him some comfort. Your father cheated, you must know what it’s like to grow up without a dad. It was just one picture. We’ll have a million chances to take our own. But Lily… this was her only wish before she starts chemo. I couldn’t say no…” Couldn’t say no. His weak defense extinguished the last bit of warmth in my heart. “You couldn’t say no to her, so you felt fine lying to me?” I started to laugh, but the laughter turned into tears I couldn’t stop. “You needed to give your past a perfect ending. You needed to give them closure. So what about me? What about our baby?” “What are we?” 3 That day, as Lily lay in the chemotherapy ward, nearly not waking up, Peter still left. After he was gone, I picked up my phone. The first call was to my lawyer to draft the divorce papers. The second was to his mother. There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a deep sigh. “Sienna, I am so sorry. I have a house in coastal Maine. Go there. I won’t tell Peter where you are.” “You were the one who pulled him out of that darkness. I have no right to ask you to stay now.” After hanging up, my gaze fell to my right shoulder, where a dull ache always bloomed on rainy days. After Lily had left him all those years ago, Peter had spiraled. He crashed his car while street racing, a wreck so bad the doctors said he might never walk again. Everyone thought he was finished. That’s when I, fresh from the grief of my own mother’s suicide, applied for the job as his caregiver. I spent every day by his bedside, talking to him, massaging his atrophying muscles. He would throw fits, knocking food trays to the floor. I would just quietly clean it up and make him another meal. “Get out!” he’d roar at me. “I don’t need your pity!” I would just look at him and say, “Peter, if you want to die, you have to stand up first. Walk out of here on your own two feet and do it with dignity. Then we can die together.” I don’t know which words finally broke through, but he started physical therapy. From sitting up to standing, every step of his recovery was with his arm slung over my shoulder, his entire weight bearing down on me as I willed him forward. The day he learned to walk again, he held me so tight, his hot tears soaking into the collar of my shirt. “Sienna,” his voice was impossibly hoarse, “you saved my life. From now on, my life is yours.” This shoulder had once carried the full weight of his despair, and the ugliest years of our lives. My phone buzzed, pulling me from the memory. I opened the message. It was a photo. My mother’s gold bangles—the only thing she left me—were dangling from a dog’s leg. Beneath it, a line of text: “He said these bangles were incredibly important to you, so he wouldn’t give them to me. But my son liked them, said they looked good on Sparky. He called Peter ‘daddy’ a few times, and just like that, he gave them to my son. Thanks for the gift.” Blood rushed to my head. My hands started to shake uncontrollably. I ripped the IV needle from my arm and, ignoring the nurse’s protests, stormed out of the room. I threw open the door to Lily’s room. She was propped up in bed, a healthy flush on her cheeks, petting the dog. “Give them to me,” I demanded, my voice trembling. Lily slowly stroked the bangles on the dog’s leg and smiled. “Oh, don’t be so stingy. It’s just a pair of gold bangles.” “I heard they were a gift from your mother, the one who got cheated on. If my son didn’t like them, I’d think they were bad luck.” She paused, looking me up and down. “Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you.” She pointed a finger at the sofa beside her bed, her eyes glinting with provocation. “Last night, right where you’re sitting now, Peter and I went at it all night. He told me he never forgot me. He said having you around was torture for him.” “Sienna, I used to treat him like dirt, and he still comes crawling back, licking my hand like a dog. You really are pathetic, aren’t you?” My mind went blank with a roar of white noise. A wave of indescribable nausea churned in my stomach. When I came to, Lily was on the floor, clutching her face in disbelief. I lunged again, grabbing a handful of her hair and dragging her toward the bathroom. I wanted to silence her. I shoved her head under the shower spray, the cold water blasting her face. “You don’t deserve to even say my mother’s name!” “Ahh, Peter! Help me!” she shrieked, her hands clawing wildly at my arms. “Sienna! What the hell are you doing!” Peter burst into the room. He seized my wrist and flung me away with brutal force. My back slammed into the wall. I still tried to lunge for Lily. “Have you lost your damn mind?” he roared, standing between me and Lily, his eyes filled with undisguised rage and a chilling coldness. “She’s on chemo! She’s not going to threaten your status as Mrs. Croft. Look at the state of you! You’re acting just as crazy as your mother did before she killed herself! You’re an unhinged, irrational mess!” CRACK. The sound echoed in the small room. I had slapped him with every last bit of strength I had. “Peter,” I whispered, “you’re not even human.”

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1 In my last life, I was the queen of the paparazzi. I knew where all the bodies in Hollywood were buried, and eventually, the corporate overlords buried me. Reborn, I became the one-woman rumor mill of a backwoods town called Hickory Hollow. Who’s chicken went missing, which husband was cheating—I knew it all. Then Penelope, the fake heiress, decided to launch her acting career. Her wealthy parents, terrified that I—the real daughter, their dirty little secret—would blow up their perfect lives, came hunting for me. They tracked me down in the dead of night and shoved a non-disclosure agreement in my face, a contract promising I’d never try to reclaim my birthright. “Take this fifty thousand dollars and rot in the mud where you belong. If you get in Penny’s way, we’ll end you.” On the video call, Penelope was already crying, her tears perfectly framed. “Sister, you’re only losing a family, but I can’t lose my dream!” I just smiled and quietly started a live stream. “Fifty grand? Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea what a trending topic costs these days?” “I’ve already compiled all your family’s dirty laundry into a PowerPoint presentation.” “Now, give the camera a big smile. I’ve already got tomorrow’s headline picked out.” “‘Murder for Hire: Hollywood Moguls silenced their real daughter to launch a star.’ How does that sound?” … “You’re asking for it. Smash her phone!” Arthur Preston shot a look at his bodyguards, and the two men in black suits started towards me. I didn’t flinch. I just tweaked the beauty filter on my stream. The viewer count instantly rocketed past two hundred thousand, the live chat scrolling too fast to read. 【Whoa, is this a real-life billionaire meltdown? This is better than reality TV!】 【Isn’t that Arthur Preston, the CEO of Preston Global? And is that former A-lister Eleanor Vance with him?】 Just as a bodyguard’s hand reached for me, I sidestepped and yelled at the top of my lungs. “Help! The city slickers are here to kill us all!” On cue, the Hickory Hollow Senior Squad, who had been hiding along the fence line, made their grand entrance. Old Mrs. Gable led the charge, followed by a squad of seven or eight senior citizens, average age eighty-five and up. In perfect sync, they all threw themselves at the bodyguards’ feet. “Oh, the humanity! They’re killing us! My back, my hip, my kneecap!” The bodyguards froze, dumbfounded. What could they do? One wrong move and they’d be paying off a new beachfront condo. Arthur’s hands were shaking with rage. “You peasants! Get out of my way!” I seized the moment, aiming my phone’s camera right at his contorted face. I smirked. “You all see this? The true face of the one percent.” “Since Mr. Preston is in such a hurry to shut me up, let’s speed things up.” With a tap of my finger, the PowerPoint slide changed. There was Arthur, his arm wrapped around a young model, his hand resting somewhere it definitely shouldn’t be. I had helpfully watermarked the photo with the date, time, location, and even the hotel booking confirmation. The live chat exploded. 【SAVAGE! The receipts are pristine!】 【Isn’t that the model who just debuted from that reality show? So he was her sugar daddy!】 【Go Arthur, still got it in ya. A wife at home and a side piece on the road.】 Arthur’s face went from crimson to a ghastly shade of purple. He clutched his chest, gasping for air. Eleanor shrieked and lunged at me, her nails out. “You little bitch! How dare you photoshop these lies!” I simply played a video. The clip showed Eleanor at a high-end gentleman’s club. She was shoving the keys to a Porsche down the pants of a young male model, her laughter echoing, all her polished Hollywood poise gone. Arthur stared at his wife in disbelief. Eleanor guiltily looked away. The carefully crafted image of Hollywood’s perfect couple shattered into a million pieces, live for all the world to see. I flashed a peace sign at the camera. “Don’t go anywhere, folks. This is just the appetizer.” “Penelope’s plastic surgery records and her ‘casting couch’ audition tapes are up next.” “Spam the chat with a ‘1’ if you want to see it. If we hit a million likes, I drop it right now!” The screen was instantly flooded with a waterfall of【1】. Penelope, who was still on the video call, went pale with terror. I stared at her through the screen, my voice dripping with ice. “You said you couldn’t lose your dream, right? Was your dream to sleep your way through every director in Hollywood?” Penelope screamed and disconnected the call. Seeing the situation spiral out of control, Arthur fumbled for a bottle of nitroglycerin pills and poured them into his mouth. “Let’s go! Now!” he barked at his bodyguards, trying to retreat. I picked up the check from the ground, tore it into tiny pieces, and flung them against the window of their departing Maybach. “Take your fifty grand with you! It’s not that I think your money’s dirty—I’m worried it’s cursed!” My adoptive parents were huddled in a corner, trembling. My mother tugged at my sleeve, her voice shaking. “Lexi, dear, those are your real parents. Did we just… cause a lot of trouble?” I patted her calloused hand, a pang of sorrow in my heart. “Mom, they’re not parents. They’re wolves. And the only way to deal with wolves is with a shotgun.” That night, a cease-and-desist letter from Preston Global’s lawyers was posted online. My streaming account was banned from all platforms for privacy invasion and malicious slander. Banned? They had no idea who they were dealing with. In my past life, I was the undisputed queen of the paparazzi. I dragged an old box out from under my bed. It was filled with everything I’d been preparing since I was a kid. Dozens of backup accounts. Contact information for hundreds of media influencers. I switched to a new account. My new handle: The Hollow’s Herald. My bio was a single, chilling sentence: 【Don’t go to sleep. The truth is coming.】 2 The Prestons’ PR team was good. I’ll give them that. Overnight, the narrative completely flipped. #LexiTheExtortionist# and #LexiUngratefulDaughter# were the top trending topics. An army of bots and paid trolls flooded the internet, painting me as a money-grubbing monster who would even blackmail her own parents. Penelope posted a photo set of herself doing charity work at an orphanage. Her caption read: Even though I’ve been hurt, seeing these children’s smiles reminds me that there is still good in the world. Her comments section was a sea of sympathy. Someone even doxxed my adoptive parents, posting their address online. The next morning, when my mom went to the town market to sell eggs, she was pelted with rotten vegetables. She came home with a hand pressed to her forehead, blood trickling through her fingers. “Lexi, I’m fine, honey. I just tripped and fell.” She forced a smile, trying not to worry me. A firestorm of rage ignited within me, searing its way to the top of my skull. I had planned to play the long game with them. But if they wanted to die on this hill, I was more than happy to bury them there. I opened my laptop, my fingers flying across the keyboard, typing out strings of code. In my past life, I’d taught myself to hack to get scoops. I was no master, but breaking into the eighteen-year-old system of a maternity clinic? Child’s play. An old nursing log. A grainy backup of a security tape. I packaged them together and uploaded them to my new account. The title was simple and brutal. The Abandoned Heiress: Lost or Left for Dead? The video showed Eleanor, eighteen years younger, looking down at a baby in a bassinet with utter disgust. “Cry, cry, cry, that’s all you do! You’re giving me a headache. Was this damn baby born just to ruin my life?” Arthur stood beside her, holding a piece of paper. It was a chart from a so-called psychic. “This child is a curse. She will bring ruin to this family. A jinx sent from hell. If we keep her, we’re all doomed.” “The psychic said we can’t keep her. Tonight’s a blizzard. We’ll leave her somewhere far away.” The footage cut to a road-side security camera. Arthur, holding a swaddled infant, tossed her into a snowbank and walked away without a second glance. That baby was me. The “psychic” was a charlatan who was later jailed for fraud. And Penelope? She was the “good luck charm” they adopted on his recommendation. The video went viral. The internet erupted. 【MONSTERS! These people are absolute monsters!】 【It’s the 21st century and people are still abandoning babies because of some bogus psychic’s prediction?】 【Leaving a newborn in a snowstorm in sub-zero temperatures? That’s attempted murder!】 The same users who had been cursing my name a moment ago were now my staunchest defenders. Penelope’s comments section was a war zone, with thousands calling her a parasite who built her life on a dead baby’s future. I immediately released the second part of my attack: a series of side-by-side photos. Left: Eighteen-year-old Penelope on a luxury yacht for her birthday, wearing a fifty-thousand-dollar custom gown. Right: Eighteen-year-old me in a patched-up winter coat, helping my adoptive father collect scrap metal in a blizzard, my hands raw and red like beets. Left: A designer handbag Penelope casually discarded, which was worth more than my adoptive family’s income for five years. Right: Me, carrying a fifty-pound sack of potatoes for six miles just to save two dollars on bus fare. The stark visual contrast was more powerful than any words. Public sympathy surged. 【I’m crying. Lexi has been through so much.】 【Who’s the real monster here? The whole Preston family is rotten to the core!】 When the stock market opened, Preston Global’s shares immediately plummeted, wiping out billions in value. My phone rang. It was Arthur. This time, his voice held none of its previous arrogance, only a weary, pleading tone. “Lexi, it was all a misunderstanding. I was tricked back then.” “How about this? I’ll give you five million dollars. You take down the videos, and we can come home and talk this out.” Five million? In my last life, I might have been tempted. Now, it just made me feel sick. “I don’t think I’ll be coming home, Dad.” “The psychic said I was a jinx, bad for your finances.” “Looks like your luck really did run out, didn’t it?” I hung up and blocked his number. Outside, my mom was dabbing antiseptic on her forehead. I walked over and gently took the cotton swab from her. “Does it hurt, Mom?” She shook her head. “Lexi, can we just stop fighting? I’m so scared you’ll get hurt.” I wrapped my arms around this frail, small-town woman. “Don’t be scared, Mom. You protected me my whole life. Now, it’s my turn to protect you.” 3 Arthur Preston was clearly desperate. He dropped the loving-father act and went straight to hiring thugs. The next morning, before the sun was up, a deafening roar shook the entire town awake. A dozen bulldozers rolled up to the edge of town, led by my dear brother, Sterling Preston. “Tear it down! I want this whole dump leveled!” The bulldozer’s shovel rose high and then smashed down on the stone sign at the town entrance. With a deafening crack, the sign, our town’s landmark, crumbled to dust. I frantically tried to start a live stream, but the signal was jammed! The bulldozers then plowed into the orchards—over a hundred acres of ripe pumpkins and fruit trees, the town’s entire livelihood for the year. Old Mr. Henderson ran out, screaming, clutching a giant pumpkin. “No! You can’t! This is all we have!” A bodyguard rushed him, kicking him square in the chest. Mr. Henderson went flying, landing hard in the mud. The pumpkin shattered, its bright orange guts splattering everywhere. “Mr. Henderson!” I screamed, my eyes burning with rage as I tried to run to him, but two burly men blocked my path. Mrs. Gable and the Senior Squad tried to form a human barricade. Sterling just sneered and snapped his fingers. “Release the dogs!” Two massive, snarling dogs, as tall as a man’s waist, leaped from a truck and charged the elderly crowd. One of them latched onto Mrs. Gable’s leg, its teeth sinking deep. Blood instantly soaked through her pants. Her screams tore through the morning air. “Help! Somebody help!” The townspeople scattered in terror. The sounds of crying, shouting, and barking dogs created a symphony of chaos. A group of tattooed thugs stormed my house, smashing everything in sight, even tearing the stove from the wall. My dad tried to protect my computer—my only evidence. A goon brought a crowbar down on his leg. A sickening crack echoed through the room. My father’s scream pierced my eardrums. “Dad!” I tried to lunge forward, but Sterling grabbed me by the hair, yanking me back. “Lexi, I thought you were so tough? Thought you were a big shot streamer?” “Why don’t you stream this?” He stomped on my dad’s broken leg, grinding his heel into the shattered bone. My dad’s face was slick with sweat, but he bit his lip, refusing to cry out. “Lexi… run…” he gasped. My mom was on her knees, begging for mercy, but a bodyguard grabbed her by the hair and dragged her away. The town mayor tried to call the police, but Sterling smashed his phone to pieces. “I’ve decided I want this land for a new development,” Sterling announced. “Anyone who calls the cops is an enemy of the Preston family! I’ll make sure their entire family disappears!” Pure, unadulterated rage consumed me. I pulled the pepper spray from my sleeve and emptied the canister into Sterling’s face. “Ah! My eyes!” he shrieked, clawing at his face. I broke free, grabbed a loose brick, and charged at him, ready to die fighting. But it was hopeless. A group of them swarmed me, pinning me to the ground. Sterling, his eyes red and swollen, staggered towards me like a madman. He took a cigarette from one of his men. “Look closely,” he hissed, taking a long drag. “This is what happens to those who help you.” “These peasants are dying because of you!” He flicked the lit cigarette into a nearby haystack. Flames erupted, roaring towards the sky. That was our home. The home my parents had built with their own two hands. I watched the fire reflect in their despairing eyes, and my heart shattered. It was my fault. I had brought this on them. I had been so naive, underestimating the depths of their cruelty, the ruthlessness of their power. Sterling motioned to one of his men, who produced a syringe. “Give her a shot. Take her with us.” My consciousness began to fade. The last thing I saw was Mrs. Gable, twitching in a pool of her own blood. The last thing I saw was my father’s mangled leg. The last thing I saw was the fire devouring everything I had ever loved. Darkness closed in. The same helpless feeling from my past life washed over me. Was I reborn just to bring ruin and death to even more innocent people?

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During a reality show livestream, the current “It Girl” deliberately tried to embarrass me. She dared me to call the top celebrity, my ex-boyfriend, and provoke him live: [I’m getting married tomorrow!] His response? [You want a wedding gift? Keep dreaming.] Thirty seconds later: [I’m willing to be the side piece. Video call me if you dare, I’ll prove I’m better.] Me: ???!!! … Damn it, ex-boyfriend, who messed with your settings?! 1 I lost the game on the variety show, so I had to accept the punishment from the winner of the last round. Bella, the current “It Girl” of Hollywood, rested her chin on her hand, pretending to think deeply. Finally, she flashed a dazzling smile. “Call Julian, and tell him—” “You still like him, but you’re getting married tomorrow~” ???! My vision went black. Provoking Julian, the top star in the industry, on a live broadcast? Is this something a human being would come up with? Did a coupon explosion fry your brain? Seeing my lack of reaction, she switched to a cutesy, whining tone. “I wanna see! I love this drama! Come on, call him!!!” I politely refused. “We don’t really know each other that well. How about another dare?” Bella pretended to be angry and playfully slapped my shoulder. “Oh stop it, you guys definitely know each other. “Last night, Julian mentioned you while we were chatting. “It’s just a game, we’re all friends here, let’s have some fun~” Friends? He’s my ex-boyfriend, and I met you thirty minutes ago. Where’s the friendship?! [Hahaha, Bella has such a great sense for variety shows!] [This is kinda awkward, Chloe looks so uncomfortable stuck in the middle.] [Ugh, your fave is so fragile. If she can’t play, she shouldn’t be on the show. Does she understand entertainment?] [Totally, super sensitive much?] [Bella explained they all know each other well, it’s just a joke.] [OMG! Am I the only one shipping them? Bella and Julian were chatting last night!!!] [Maybe they were chatting in the same bed, under the same covers hehehe! Whispering sweet nothings every night!] I ignored the deluge of shipping comments and was forced to pull out my phone. Everyone here is sharp. What kind of game are you playing, little girl? You just want to see me get rejected after confessing my feelings. Then you can have a sweet interaction with Julian and sell your “couple” image, right? I’m such a sucker!!! I held my breath and pressed dial. The ringback tone echoed through the hall— [My head is so itchy~] [I’m growing long hair~] [I’m growing long hair~] [Hehehehe~~~] ???! Damn, isn’t this the stupid audio clip I recorded for fun when I had COVID and lost my voice years ago? He still has it?! Ahhh, is he sick?! Why would he set this ghostly thing as his ringback tone?!!!! 2 [??? The cool guy is actually this weird in private?!] [Hahaha, I’m dying, who recorded this? It sounds like a dying crow!] [Sounds like a girl, could it be Bella?!] [Every step is a sweet moment boohoo, us “Julibella” fans are eating good!!!] [Trust me, sisters, every couple I’ve shipped has gone public, they are definitely real!] [It’d take a ghost to recognize anyone from that raspy voice…] [Pfft, anyway, it’s not your fave Chloe.] [Just say you’re jealous, stop trying to make everything about her.] [Chloe’s fans are just like her. Your girl wants to cling to Julian but can’t, so you’re all pressed?] [It’s not the first time for Chloe. Didn’t she always use the same stuff as Julian before? Boy crazy.] Bella squatted in front of the screen, replying to comments whenever she could. “Oh, what are you guys saying? It wasn’t me~” “I can’t make such a rough voice.” “Julian likes that old cartoon Ratatouille, so I just found a random sound clip for him~” Ha, you’re good at fishing in troubled waters. The next second, the call connected. The Ratatouille fanboy’s voice was cold. “Hello, who is this?” His lazy voice was amplified through the speakers. Accompanied by a slight, grainy rasp of just waking up, it made my tailbone tingle. Wait, he asked who I was? The one screaming about long hair in your phone!!! After a few heavy breaths, this foolish human finally saw the caller ID. He huffed, putting on an act. In the background, there was the rustling of fabric as he got up. “Oh, it’s Miss White. What business do you have so early in the morning?” What business? Business, business, business. My business is you, okay? Suppressing the urge to curse. I began to execute the task emotionlessly. “I really like you, but I’m marrying someone else tomorrow.” … The rustling stopped abruptly. Silence on the other end for a moment, then a faint voice. “If you want a wedding gift, just say so. “Don’t disgust me with words like that. “I have no interest… in you.” ??? Wow, growing a backbone now? Who was the one crying his eyes out like swollen peaches when we broke up?! The host and guests were stifling laughter, teasing glances flying everywhere, and millions of netizens flooded the livestream to watch the drama. My brain short-circuited, and I blurted out nonsense. “No need for a gift, just come for the reception.” “You can meet my husband. He’s tall, handsome, has an eight-pack, great stamina, very durable!” 3 Come on, let’s go! The braver ex wins!!! I clearly heard a faint grunt from Julian’s nose over the phone, “Good, very good…” Suddenly, the call was hung up. The busy signal echoed loudly in the empty studio. Awkward atmosphere. “Hahaha, Julian is quite grumpy in the morning,” the host laughed it off. The comments started partying again. [Speechless, why is Chloe adding drama?] [OMG, Julian straight up said he has no interest.] [Does this mean Chloe harassed him a lot before? Otherwise, such a gentleman wouldn’t say that…] [Knowing he and her female friend like each other, yet still throwing herself at him like a green tea b*tch, disgusting.] [Bella run! You treat her like a sister, she treats you like a stepping stone!] [You guys are crazy, conspiracy theories over everything.] [Watch it if you want, get out if you don’t, no one’s forcing you!] I was dumbfounded, speechless. Everyone here is completely immersed in their own art!!! If you’re so bored, go find a factory and sew some shoes! And that damn Julian! If you can’t speak, sew your mouth shut!!! The camera persisted in filming my phone. I forced a smile. “Task completed, I guess.” Before the words fell, a WeChat message from Julian popped up at the top of the screen. [Send me the time and location!] [I want to see what kind of ghost wedding you can pull off in such a rush.] [I’m going to steal candy from kids.] [Snatch cigarettes from old men.] [Throw wine at uncles.] [Fight for the bouquet.] [Rip off the groom’s hair gel and shoe lifts!] ???! The guests and host widened their eyes. They leaned in, disbelief on their faces. “Are you and Julian…?” “Nothing! We are nothing! He’s just being abstract haha!” I waved my hands frantically, shaking my head at warp speed. But Julian wouldn’t let me go. Messages kept coming. [I mean…] [I’m willing to be the side piece!] [Hear that? I’m willing to be the side piece!!] [Who knows if your husband’s stamina is from pills!] [I don’t need pills!] [So, right now, accept the video call and inspect the goods!!!] Before anyone could react, the video call ringtone deafened the room! 4 ???! What the hell?! Inspect what goods? Tell me what goods we are inspecting?!! I was almost delirious. Rapid breathing accompanied by tachycardia, the scenery before my eyes distorted. [Huh? Isn’t Julian dating Bella?] [Oh my god, is Bella the other woman now? Ahhh!] [She thought she and Chloe were besties, turns out Chloe slept with Julian behind her back hehe!] [Damn, cheaters, backstabbers deserve to die!] [Do Bella fans have a persecution complex? This is obviously a script…] [LMAO, people are still spreading rumors about Julian.] [Paparazzi camped out forever to catch him leaving at dawn.] [Thought he was meeting a beauty, followed him over mountains and rivers for 20,000 steps, only to find he was taking pictures of the sunrise.] [The paparazzi cursed and wanted to leave, but he caught them.] [Then he narcissistically forced them to take handsome photos of him…] [You’re saying this straight guy has the brains to date two at once?!] [Hahaha evil photographers!] [Whatever, I only care about what we’re inspecting? Pecs or… that?] [??? Teacher, please! This isn’t the wilderness!!] Ignoring the comments. My palms holding the screen were sweating like crazy. Calm down! Calm down! Calm down!!! Taking a deep breath, I squeezed out a desolate smile. “Looks like our show is really hot, even Julian is using ‘unscrupulous means’ to show his face.” “Let’s say hi to him together!” Before connecting, I looked around and directly pulled the eager Bella to the front. I held the phone high to ensure her face was the first thing seen. She tugged at her collar, widening her innocent eyes, full of shyness. Great job, time for you to lead the charge! Damn it, better you than me! Aren’t you a couple? He’s talking to me like this now. Go catch the cheater! Anyway, I’m showing it openly, I have a clear conscience. If anyone dares to scold me again. I’ll just frame him. Saying he wants to have his cake and eat it too, coveting me. I rejected him righteously many times. That’s why he’s angry and talking nonsense! And I am the good bestie who resisted temptation!! Hehehehe!!! A logical plan. A clear path to clearing my name. A smart, perfect brain. Go go go! Let’s go!

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In the fifth year of the body snatcher occupying my life, she finally got bored. She detached from the system and my body without hesitation, leaving me with a spoiled rotten son and a husband as cold as ice. Before I could even gather my thoughts, a barrage of floating comments flashed before my eyes. [What kind of disastrous start is this? First time seeing such a dumb transmigrator. She came five years early, messed everything up, and left the original host to clean up the mess.] [Exactly. She was supposed to redeem the little villain and warm the heart of the big villain, and just keep the family away from the main characters. Instead, she just dodged her death flag and spent the rest of the time enjoying herself.] [She ruined the kid and pushed the husband away. I’m so annoyed just looking at this family. They should all just die.] It turns out I’m the cannon fodder destined to die early in a novel, and my husband and son are the villains. 1 The scrolling comments were still listing the little villain’s crimes: rude, bad-tempered, selfish, bullying other kids. Before I could process everything, a noise came from nearby. A child, round as a ball, was thumping down the stairs. Probably due to maternal instinct, I knew instantly this was my son. Seeing me in the living room, he ignored me completely and ran straight for the fridge. The nanny chased after him. “Oh my, Young Master, you’ve already had three ice creams today. If you get a stomachache, the Master will scold me when he gets back.” The chubby boy turned a deaf ear. The nanny looked at me pleadingly. [What’s the use of looking at her? She’s the bio mom who’s been absent for five years. Out of guilt, she’ll only spoil him more.] [Honestly, am I the only one who thinks the transmigrator was like a skin-walker? Told to give the little villain motherly love, she just indulged him. This kid is worse off than in the original timeline. He’s so fat he lost his only redeeming quality—his looks.] [See the child, see the man. I can already see him growing up to be a degenerate who beats his parents.] [I won’t feel a thing if this little piglet dies.] Reading this, I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Leo, put the ice cream down.” I remembered when I was eight months pregnant, Julian and I decided on this name. Leo. Brave and strong. Leo gave me a disdainful look. “You’re so annoying. None of your business!” He then shoved a huge mouthful of ice cream into his mouth as if to provoke me. Creamy white ice cream smeared around his mouth, his eyes, squeezed into slits by the fat, squinting even more. Seeing me still staring, Leo arrogantly raised both hands and flipped me off. Instantly, a fire of rage ignited in my chest. Spoil him? Not happening! I grabbed the little brat. “Who taught you to flip people off? Hmm? Where did you learn that?” “Let go of me! Let go! If you don’t, you’ll be sorry when my dad gets back!” Heh. For raising our son like this, Julian deserves a couple of slaps too when he returns. 2 I directed the stunned nanny to fetch me some duct tape. Then I grabbed Leo’s middle fingers and taped his other fingers down. Since he likes flipping the bird so much, let him do it forever. Leo didn’t cry. He held up his two fists, glaring at me like an angry crab. “When Dad gets back, I’m telling him you bullied me! Forget about this month’s allowance! You won’t be able to buy those stupid jewels anymore.” “When is your dad coming back?” Leo pouted and didn’t answer. I looked at the nanny. “Sir went to Seattle on a business trip. He’ll be back in about a week.” “Is he always like this?” The nanny looked troubled and whispered, “He behaves a little better when Sir is home.” I nodded, instructed the nanny not to untie him, and went upstairs. I didn’t expect the villa’s decor to remain unchanged after all these years. Even the horse figurine with the ear I broke was still in its original spot. 3 Five years ago, I lost consciousness right after giving birth. I felt trapped in a dream I couldn’t wake up from. I could sense my body talking and doing things, but it was hazy, like watching from a third-person perspective. I thought I had just slept for a while. Until I saw the comments, I realized five years had passed. I walked to the bedroom door following my memory. A keypad lock I’d never seen before blocked my way. [Sigh, Cannon Fodder Sis doesn’t know, this lock is specifically to keep her out.] [By the way, did anyone guess the password? The transmigrator tried to sneak in a few times but failed.] [Don’t know. Little villain’s birthday, Cannon Fodder’s birthday, Julian’s birthday, she tried them all. She even triggered the whole house alarm for trying too many times. Her panicked face almost killed me with laughter.] [Forget the transmigrator, we haven’t seen Julian’s room either.] Reading this, I raised an eyebrow and entered a password I knew by heart. Ignoring the barrage of “WTF” comments, I pressed the handle. Sure enough, the bedroom layout hadn’t changed either. Even the color of the bedsheets was exactly the same as when I went to the hospital five years ago. The only difference was a few locked diaries on the nightstand. It seemed Julian had gotten into the habit of locking up important things over the years. I picked one up. Some of the pages looked like they had been soaked in water, heavily wrinkled. The comments were all expecting me to crack the code and peek into Julian’s secrets. I ignored them and put it back exactly where it was. 4 At dinner, the nanny was about to prepare dinner according to Leo’s order, but I stopped her. “No need. Starting today, he’s on a diet.” I glanced at his taped-up little fists. “Give him a veggie sandwich for tonight.” “Why! Just because I flipped you off, you’re going to abuse me?” Leo protested loudly. I shook my head and looked him in the eye. “Look, you know flipping people off is bad behavior, especially since I’m your mother. But you didn’t apologize. And the diet isn’t punishment; it’s for your health.” Leo puffed out his cheeks, unable to argue for a while, just muttered something under his breath. “You’re not even…” The second half was too quiet to hear, but probably nothing nice. During the meal, Leo signaled for me to untie the tape. “Will you do it again?” He didn’t look at me, pouting. “No.” After a pause, he added, “Sorry…” [Honestly, Cannon Fodder Sis has a way with bratty kids.] [I’m dying of laughter. If the little villain didn’t apologize soon, his fingers would have gone numb.] [More please, I love watching this.] [Wait, isn’t she worried about consequences? It’s not five years ago. The transmigrator wore down all of Julian’s feelings. He might actually turn hostile when he returns… If the early-death white moonlight turns into a resentful ex-wife, I’ll really be speechless.] Julian turning hostile? To be honest, I’m kind of looking forward to it. 5 Whether Julian would turn hostile was unknown. But Leo’s eyes turned red at the dinner table first. He pointed at the sandwich with lettuce and a fried egg. “That’s it?” I nodded. I even kept the egg fried instead of boiled so the transition wouldn’t be too abrupt. “I won’t eat this! I want sweet and sour pork ribs!” “Eat it or starve.” Leo rolled his eyes, huffed, jumped off the chair, and ran away. I sighed. I didn’t want to be ruthless, but the kid wasn’t cooperating. I put down my utensils, called the nanny, grabbed a trash bag, and started searching for Leo’s stash of snacks. Leo, who was squatting by the bed eating chips with his butt in the air, was caught red-handed. Watching bags of snacks fall into the trash bag, his little hands trembled. “You don’t play fair!” I ignored him. Seeing he couldn’t stop me, Leo stuffed the remaining chips in his hand into his mouth and chewed frantically. seeing me leave, he sighed in relief. Unexpectedly, I turned and went into his usual media room and study. The kid was smart, knew not to put all his eggs in one basket. But I played this game when I was a kid too. Now Leo completely broke down. “Boohoo, spare the snacks, please!” “My limited edition gift pack! I saved my allowance for so long to buy it, I haven’t even tasted it yet.” “Take my life if you must, but leave the snacks alone!” “Snacks! How can I live without you, snacks!” Leo was crying for real now, wiping tears and sobbing quietly. [Hahahaha, watching the chubby kid cry is kinda funny, feels cute.] [I hate kids crying, but Leo cries quietly, unlike other kids who scream and pierce your ears. Otherwise, I would have quit watching.] [Reply to above: Kids scream to get sympathy from adults. Is it possible Leo subconsciously knows the transmigrator wasn’t his real mom…] [Holy sh*t upstairs, that’s terrifying.] I squatted down, hugged Leo, and patted him, saying the snacks were just being stored away, not thrown out. As long as he ate his meals properly, they would be returned. He stopped sobbing instantly, leaned his head on my shoulder, grabbed the hem of my shirt, and whispered, “Mom?” I answered. “Yeah, baby is good.”

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When the wealthy couple came to the orphanage to choose a child, they hesitated between me and Emily. A barrage of floating comments scrolled before my eyes: [The side character is going to act pitiful again just to get adopted.] [Even if she gets adopted, she’ll just be abandoned later.] [Destined to be unloved and unwanted forever, a typical pick-me girl.] I lowered my head silently. Because the “side character” they were talking about was me. Suddenly, two shadows loomed over me. A couple never mentioned in the plot looked down at me, their faces full of delight. “Oh my gosh, this girl is adorable!” “Sweetheart, we’re having pot roast for dinner tonight. It’s delicious! Want to come home with us?” 1 A beat-up sedan. A brand-new Maybach. Both stopped in front of Emily and me. The wealthy couple seemed torn. Emily and I were the most suitable candidates. But we both had flaws. One wasn’t pretty enough; the other wasn’t kind enough. After much deliberation, they finally walked toward me. The comments scrolled again: [Are they blind? Picking the malicious one over our precious Emily just because she’s prettier?] [Doesn’t matter. She’ll be returned anyway.] [It’s all just setting the stage to highlight Emily’s kindness later. Don’t worry.] The next second. A couple with a distinct Southern drawl appeared in front of me. Their eyes were full of joy. “Oh wow, this girl is precious.” “Looks like she’s meant to be ours.” “Sweetheart, wanna come with us?” “We’re having pot roast tonight. It’s real good!” I looked at the comments, blinked. Before the wealthy couple could reach me. I turned. And threw myself into the arms of the woman in the cotton dress. 2 I’ve been able to see these comments since I was very young. Resources in the orphanage were scarce, and we often had to fight for them. Emily and I fought growing up. Every time I managed to grab a new notebook or a piece of clothing, these comments would pop up and curse me. They said you can see a person’s future at seven. Being so unscrupulous now, no wonder everyone hates her when she grows up. I didn’t understand back then. What was wrong with wanting a better life? As I grew older, I realized I was just a foil for Emily. My selfishness and greed were destined to highlight her resilience and kindness. As the villainess, I would only become twisted and evil after repeated failures. But this time. I really didn’t want to be the one being compared anymore. When I got into the sedan, Emily visibly relaxed. The comments gloated: [Haha, so stupid. Giving up the rich heiress life for a bowl of pot roast.] [This is her life now. She and our Emily will be in different social classes forever.] [Her character is designed to be annoying. No matter who adopts her, she’ll end up abandoned. Can’t wait to see her downfall.] Will I be abandoned? I carefully looked up at the man driving. He glanced in the rearview mirror and met my eyes. He immediately grinned: “Shy, huh? Go ahead and look, we’re family now.” “I’m Jim, and this is Mary. I’m a cop, she’s a teacher. Decent jobs, don’t worry.” “Make yourself at home with us, okay?” Mary laughed heartily: “Your uncle’s right. Don’t be stiff.” “By the way, when we did the paperwork, your name was just ‘Five’. What’s your real name, honey?” I looked down, picking at the skin on my fingers. The comments said I was destined to be abandoned anyway. So a name didn’t matter. “I don’t have a real name. Just Five.” 3 Uncle Jim’s pot roast really smelled amazing. I could smell it as soon as I walked in. I sat at the table, reserved. Remembering the director’s instructions before I left: “Be polite in someone else’s home. Don’t eat too much.” I was starving, but I only dared to take small bites. But Jim and Mary kept piling food into my bowl. The bowl, bigger than my face, was heaped like a mountain. “This is good, these mushrooms are from a friend upstate, super fresh.” “Eat more meat, you’re too skinny.” “This roast, I’m telling you, it’s the best. Southern style.” “What’s wrong, honey? Not eating? Not to your taste?” “Jim! I told you to make something local, you insisted on Southern food. She’s not used to it! Now what!” “My bad, my bad. What do you like? Uncle will make it for you.” The orphanage meal budget was a dollar fifty a day. The tiny bits of meat in the green bean stir-fry were the best thing in my memory. I was happy whenever I got a little extra. But it turned out, besides the best, there could be a favorite. I didn’t want them to misunderstand, so I immediately buried my face in the bowl and shoveled food. “I like it! I like it very much!” Southern food is delicious. I wanted to stay in this home a little longer. I was surprised I could be so greedy. 4 They were good people. After dinner, they took me shopping at the mall. Everything from daily necessities to the clothes on my back was replaced with new ones. It was late when we got home. I put on my new pajamas and curled up in the corner of the bed. In the orphanage, several people often shared a bed. If you took up too much space, others would be cramped. Curling up became my sleeping habit. As I drifted off… It seemed someone walked into my room and squatted gently by my bed. “Jim, do you think those comments we saw today were hallucinations?” “One person seeing it might be a hallucination, but not two.” “What they said was too much. How bad can a child be?” “As long as we treat her well, this child won’t go astray.” “But honestly, I love this girl from the bottom of my heart. Once she’s here, she’s our own daughter. No one will bully her ever again.” I was half-asleep, unable to open my eyes. But I could feel them gently moving me to the center of the bed. It was soft and spacious here. No one would crowd me on purpose, and I wouldn’t wake up aching all over. This was the most peaceful sleep I had ever had. 5 They say loving someone is like raising a flower. Jim and Mary loved me like raising a piglet. Southern portions were huge, and every dish went well with rice. From forcing myself to eat only half a bowl at first. To eating two big bowls a meal now. The director said eating too much at someone’s house would make them unhappy. The comments also popped up often, saying: [What’s so good about this? Eating like she’s never seen food before. Is she a pig reincarnated?] [Glad our Emily went with the rich couple. Michelin meals every day, my dream life.] [Sigh, maybe she was starved in the orphanage. Revenge eating, like a starving ghost. I think this couple will get sick of her soon.] Before, whenever the comments compared me to Emily, I would be jealous. Jealous that she got better things, jealous that she got a good life effortlessly. I wanted to snatch everything she had. But this time, my heart was calm. Uncle Jim’s cooking was delicious. Every time he watched me finish my food, he smiled so happily. Completely opposite to the comments saying they would despise me for eating too much. Aunt Mary was great too. She had never cooked before but tried for me. Once she fried some sausages. We ended up chugging a gallon of water. Uncle Jim came back from duty and whipped up three dishes and a soup in no time. He ordered Aunt Mary never to cook on a whim again. Auntie chuckled and promised never to touch the kitchen. Later, when Uncle Jim was too busy to cook, Aunt Mary took me out to eat. I didn’t know food came in so many cuisines. Dazzling, filling my eyes before my stomach. Every time, Aunt Mary would order a table full of food. Even though the two of us couldn’t finish it, she insisted. She said: “What other kids have eaten, our kid must try too.” I buried my head eating. But I could taste my own tears. It turns out love is every meal eaten together.

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During a reality show livestream, the current “It Girl” deliberately tried to embarrass me. She dared me to call the top celebrity, my ex-boyfriend, and provoke him live: [I’m getting married tomorrow!] His response? [You want a wedding gift? Keep dreaming.] Thirty seconds later: [I’m willing to be the side piece. Video call me if you dare, I’ll prove I’m better.] Me: ???!!! … Damn it, ex-boyfriend, who messed with your settings?! 1 I lost the game on the variety show, so I had to accept the punishment from the winner of the last round. Bella, the current “It Girl” of Hollywood, rested her chin on her hand, pretending to think deeply. Finally, she flashed a dazzling smile. “Call Julian, and tell him—” “You still like him, but you’re getting married tomorrow~” ???! My vision went black. Provoking Julian, the top star in the industry, on a live broadcast? Is this something a human being would come up with? Did a coupon explosion fry your brain? Seeing my lack of reaction, she switched to a cutesy, whining tone. “I wanna see! I love this drama! Come on, call him!!!” I politely refused. “We don’t really know each other that well. How about another dare?” Bella pretended to be angry and playfully slapped my shoulder. “Oh stop it, you guys definitely know each other. “Last night, Julian mentioned you while we were chatting. “It’s just a game, we’re all friends here, let’s have some fun~” Friends? He’s my ex-boyfriend, and I met you thirty minutes ago. Where’s the friendship?! [Hahaha, Bella has such a great sense for variety shows!] [This is kinda awkward, Chloe looks so uncomfortable stuck in the middle.] [Ugh, your fave is so fragile. If she can’t play, she shouldn’t be on the show. Does she understand entertainment?] [Totally, super sensitive much?] [Bella explained they all know each other well, it’s just a joke.] [OMG! Am I the only one shipping them? Bella and Julian were chatting last night!!!] [Maybe they were chatting in the same bed, under the same covers hehehe! Whispering sweet nothings every night!] I ignored the deluge of shipping comments and was forced to pull out my phone. Everyone here is sharp. What kind of game are you playing, little girl? You just want to see me get rejected after confessing my feelings. Then you can have a sweet interaction with Julian and sell your “couple” image, right? I’m such a sucker!!! I held my breath and pressed dial. The ringback tone echoed through the hall— [My head is so itchy~] [I’m growing long hair~] [I’m growing long hair~] [Hehehehe~~~] ???! Damn, isn’t this the stupid audio clip I recorded for fun when I had COVID and lost my voice years ago? He still has it?! Ahhh, is he sick?! Why would he set this ghostly thing as his ringback tone?!!!! 2 [??? The cool guy is actually this weird in private?!] [Hahaha, I’m dying, who recorded this? It sounds like a dying crow!] [Sounds like a girl, could it be Bella?!] [Every step is a sweet moment boohoo, us “Julibella” fans are eating good!!!] [Trust me, sisters, every couple I’ve shipped has gone public, they are definitely real!] [It’d take a ghost to recognize anyone from that raspy voice…] [Pfft, anyway, it’s not your fave Chloe.] [Just say you’re jealous, stop trying to make everything about her.] [Chloe’s fans are just like her. Your girl wants to cling to Julian but can’t, so you’re all pressed?] [It’s not the first time for Chloe. Didn’t she always use the same stuff as Julian before? Boy crazy.] Bella squatted in front of the screen, replying to comments whenever she could. “Oh, what are you guys saying? It wasn’t me~” “I can’t make such a rough voice.” “Julian likes that old cartoon Ratatouille, so I just found a random sound clip for him~” Ha, you’re good at fishing in troubled waters. The next second, the call connected. The Ratatouille fanboy’s voice was cold. “Hello, who is this?” His lazy voice was amplified through the speakers. Accompanied by a slight, grainy rasp of just waking up, it made my tailbone tingle. Wait, he asked who I was? The one screaming about long hair in your phone!!! After a few heavy breaths, this foolish human finally saw the caller ID. He huffed, putting on an act. In the background, there was the rustling of fabric as he got up. “Oh, it’s Miss White. What business do you have so early in the morning?” What business? Business, business, business. My business is you, okay? Suppressing the urge to curse. I began to execute the task emotionlessly. “I really like you, but I’m marrying someone else tomorrow.” … The rustling stopped abruptly. Silence on the other end for a moment, then a faint voice. “If you want a wedding gift, just say so. “Don’t disgust me with words like that. “I have no interest… in you.” ??? Wow, growing a backbone now? Who was the one crying his eyes out like swollen peaches when we broke up?! The host and guests were stifling laughter, teasing glances flying everywhere, and millions of netizens flooded the livestream to watch the drama. My brain short-circuited, and I blurted out nonsense. “No need for a gift, just come for the reception.” “You can meet my husband. He’s tall, handsome, has an eight-pack, great stamina, very durable!” 3 Come on, let’s go! The braver ex wins!!! I clearly heard a faint grunt from Julian’s nose over the phone, “Good, very good…” Suddenly, the call was hung up. The busy signal echoed loudly in the empty studio. Awkward atmosphere. “Hahaha, Julian is quite grumpy in the morning,” the host laughed it off. The comments started partying again. [Speechless, why is Chloe adding drama?] [OMG, Julian straight up said he has no interest.] [Does this mean Chloe harassed him a lot before? Otherwise, such a gentleman wouldn’t say that…] [Knowing he and her female friend like each other, yet still throwing herself at him like a green tea b*tch, disgusting.] [Bella run! You treat her like a sister, she treats you like a stepping stone!] [You guys are crazy, conspiracy theories over everything.] [Watch it if you want, get out if you don’t, no one’s forcing you!] I was dumbfounded, speechless. Everyone here is completely immersed in their own art!!! If you’re so bored, go find a factory and sew some shoes! And that damn Julian! If you can’t speak, sew your mouth shut!!! The camera persisted in filming my phone. I forced a smile. “Task completed, I guess.” Before the words fell, a WeChat message from Julian popped up at the top of the screen. [Send me the time and location!] [I want to see what kind of ghost wedding you can pull off in such a rush.] [I’m going to steal candy from kids.] [Snatch cigarettes from old men.] [Throw wine at uncles.] [Fight for the bouquet.] [Rip off the groom’s hair gel and shoe lifts!] ???! The guests and host widened their eyes. They leaned in, disbelief on their faces. “Are you and Julian…?” “Nothing! We are nothing! He’s just being abstract haha!” I waved my hands frantically, shaking my head at warp speed. But Julian wouldn’t let me go. Messages kept coming. [I mean…] [I’m willing to be the side piece!] [Hear that? I’m willing to be the side piece!!] [Who knows if your husband’s stamina is from pills!] [I don’t need pills!] [So, right now, accept the video call and inspect the goods!!!] Before anyone could react, the video call ringtone deafened the room! 4 ???! What the hell?! Inspect what goods? Tell me what goods we are inspecting?!! I was almost delirious. Rapid breathing accompanied by tachycardia, the scenery before my eyes distorted. [Huh? Isn’t Julian dating Bella?] [Oh my god, is Bella the other woman now? Ahhh!] [She thought she and Chloe were besties, turns out Chloe slept with Julian behind her back hehe!] [Damn, cheaters, backstabbers deserve to die!] [Do Bella fans have a persecution complex? This is obviously a script…] [LMAO, people are still spreading rumors about Julian.] [Paparazzi camped out forever to catch him leaving at dawn.] [Thought he was meeting a beauty, followed him over mountains and rivers for 20,000 steps, only to find he was taking pictures of the sunrise.] [The paparazzi cursed and wanted to leave, but he caught them.] [Then he narcissistically forced them to take handsome photos of him…] [You’re saying this straight guy has the brains to date two at once?!] [Hahaha evil photographers!] [Whatever, I only care about what we’re inspecting? Pecs or… that?] [??? Teacher, please! This isn’t the wilderness!!] Ignoring the comments. My palms holding the screen were sweating like crazy. Calm down! Calm down! Calm down!!! Taking a deep breath, I squeezed out a desolate smile. “Looks like our show is really hot, even Julian is using ‘unscrupulous means’ to show his face.” “Let’s say hi to him together!” Before connecting, I looked around and directly pulled the eager Bella to the front. I held the phone high to ensure her face was the first thing seen. She tugged at her collar, widening her innocent eyes, full of shyness. Great job, time for you to lead the charge! Damn it, better you than me! Aren’t you a couple? He’s talking to me like this now. Go catch the cheater! Anyway, I’m showing it openly, I have a clear conscience. If anyone dares to scold me again. I’ll just frame him. Saying he wants to have his cake and eat it too, coveting me. I rejected him righteously many times. That’s why he’s angry and talking nonsense! And I am the good bestie who resisted temptation!! Hehehehe!!! A logical plan. A clear path to clearing my name. A smart, perfect brain. Go go go! Let’s go!

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At a New Year’s Eve dinner, a “bro-girl” I’d never met sat next to my husband. After the fourth time she hugged my husband’s arm, I threw up all over the floor. My husband was nervous and helped me catch my breath. But the “bro-girl” raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms: “Alex, this wife you found… she’s kinda weak, huh?” Ah, so she’s a “Pick Me” girl. But she doesn’t know. When it comes to playing innocent and manipulative, I’m the grandmaster. 1 The atmosphere in the private room became weirdly awkward. Alex frowned. “Bella, stop talking nonsense.” His hand patted my back. Bella lowered her voice a bit: “Back when we drank all night and woke up in the same bed, you didn’t throw up.” Someone in the room immediately tried to smooth things over: “Sister-in-law, that’s all in the past. Don’t listen to Bella running her mouth.” Bella paused. Then someone covered her mouth. She pried the hand off her face and pouted: “Can’t even tell the truth? Having a woman around is so troublesome.” Nausea surged again, and I choked up, tears welling in my eyes. I looked up with red eyes. “Alex, did I ruin your fun? I’m sorry…” Alex looked heartbroken. “Honey, if you’re uncomfortable, let’s leave.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bella’s face change instantly. She grabbed the hem of Alex’s shirt: “I just got back from overseas! Now that you have a wife, you don’t want your bros anymore?” Alex’s face darkened. “Bella, my wife feels sick.” She craned her neck to look at me. “Sister-in-law, are you unhappy because we’re too close?” I weakly collapsed into Alex’s arms. “I feel a bit sick. Miss, if you insist on keeping Alex, can you let me go first?” He frowned deeply. Supporting my waist, he said, “I’ll take you home first.” Alex led me out. “You guys keep drinking. My wife isn’t feeling well. Next round is on me.” The woman behind us wasn’t happy. “With a family, do you have no freedom at all? Alex, you’re such a buzzkill!” Alex didn’t stop. He pulled me into the car and called a designated driver in one go. He rubbed my back in the car. “Claire, still feeling bad? Should we go to the hospital first?” The nausea subsided a bit with the cold wind. I put some distance between us. “When did you and Bella end up in the same bed?” Alex froze. He looked away unnaturally: “That was way before I knew you. Today’s dinner, I didn’t know she was coming…” He held my hand again, fawning: “Besides, we were both drunk back then. Nothing happened, I swear!” The designated driver knocked on the window at this moment. Alex pulled my hand into his arms, full of worry. “Driver, please drive a bit slower. My wife isn’t feeling well.” 2 The next day, I was woken up by nausea again. I dry heaved over the toilet a few times. Alex immediately ran out of the bedroom. “Honey, still feeling sick? I’ll go buy you medicine right now!” He ran frantically. Leaving his phone on the bed. Just then, the phone started ringing non-stop. I wiped my mouth and picked it up. I saw a group chat of four people on WhatsApp. A girl named “Bubbles” was spamming messages. [Bros, wake up! Sun’s burning your ass!] [I’m going to each of your houses for New Year’s greetings. Is Big Bro’s red envelope ready?] [@Alex, how’s your precious wife? Let’s hang out today, don’t run away again. Your family is such a buzzkill! Or just don’t bring your wife!] [I don’t care, this year you have to give me a big red envelope, bigger than your wife’s! Or I won’t forgive you, bro!] Alex ran back excitedly at this moment. “Honey, my brain! The pharmacy asked if you might be pregnant. Let’s take a test first, then go to the hospital!” His gaze fell on the phone in my hand. His expression wasn’t comfortable. I handed the phone over: “Your bro is asking for a red envelope, bigger than mine.” Thought about it. I added: “She said she’s looking for you to play tonight, telling you not to bring your wife.” Alex took it awkwardly. “Bella has no filter, she’s carefree, speaks without thinking. Honey, don’t be unhappy.” I stared at him quietly. Alex hesitated for a moment, then pressed the voice message button in front of me: “Don’t talk nonsense for no reason. If my wife doesn’t go, I won’t go.” 3 I tested my morning urine in the bathroom. Several test strips showed two lines. Alex was overjoyed, hugging me and promising: “Honey, don’t worry, I won’t make you unhappy again.” “Just happily give birth to the baby, you’ll be a great hero.” He rushed me to the hospital for a blood test. Confirmed the pregnancy. Only then did he call his family: “Mom, I’m bringing you a surprise later!” The car sped all the way to the family estate. Alex snatched the gift box from my hand, his face beaming. Before even entering the door, he shouted: “Mom, brought you good news!” Just as he stepped inside. A red figure flew over, wrapping an arm around his neck. “Alex, why are you so late? The bros have been waiting for you forever!” She hugged Alex’s neck, one hand wandering a bit too low. Then she met my face. Seemed startled, let go, and acted annoyed: “Shit, force of habit. Forgot you’re a married man.” Alex’s clothes were messed up by her. He subconsciously straightened them, then looked at me. “Claire…” Before he could finish. I walked over and smoothed his collar. Smoothing and smoothing, my eyes turned red. “Miss, do you hate the shirts I ironed flat…” Bella was stunned. Eyes widened in surprise. Alex said. Every night, seeing me iron his collar flat was his happiest moment. Hearing this, he frowned. “Bella, you’re grown up, don’t always be so rough.” My mother-in-law came downstairs at this moment. Seeing me, she smiled elegantly. “Claire is back.” Alex picked up the gift box that fell on the ground earlier. Pulled me to greet her: “Mom, you don’t even miss your son, just Claire.” The scene. Harmonious and happy. I looked back; Bella was staring at me. Her lips pressed into a straight line. I called her out by name: “Miss Bella, why do you look so unhappy?” Her expression visibly panicked. Everyone in the room looked at her. Bella stammered: “I, I… Claire, you must have seen wrong…” 4 At the dinner table. Alex couldn’t wait to announce the news of my pregnancy. My mother-in-law was overjoyed. Besides the red envelope she prepared, she transferred money to me in front of everyone. Bella’s chopsticks dropped abruptly to the floor. My mother-in-law paused. Frowned slightly: “Bella, you’re not getting any younger either. You should hurry up and get married and have kids.” Bella’s face looked bad. “Auntie Sterling, I’m not in a hurry.” My mother-in-law acted casual: “Heard your mom say she’s anxious just a few days ago, waiting to hold a granddaughter with me.” Bella forced a smile. “Auntie Sterling, I’m really fine.” She suddenly looked at me: “Besides, even if I don’t have kids, won’t Alex’s kids take care of me in old age?” My face changed. But I heard my mother-in-law slam down her juice glass. Face stern. “Even with a Western education, you can’t make jokes like that.” “Is the culture overseas so loose now that you can joke about other people’s children?” The more she spoke, the angrier she got, eventually picking up her phone. “I have to call your mom, properly manage your way of expression.” Bella really turned pale this time. Kicked Alex’s chair for help. “Say something for your bro!” I picked up the toughest fried meatball on the table and stuffed it into Alex’s mouth. “Hubby, taste this for me~”

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Julian Vance had always been the little tyrant of our group. He hated the color red, so no one around him was allowed to wear it. He loathed cherry tomatoes, so no one around him was allowed to eat them. But with his wealthy background and only-child status, everyone indulged him. I was no different. I obeyed his rules: no red, no cherry tomatoes. Until she appeared—the scholarship student. She wore a red dress and held a box of homegrown cherry tomatoes, trying to curry favor with Julian, hoping he’d help her father find a job. I wanted to warn her about Julian’s taboos, fearing she’d only anger him and lose any chance of help. But before I could speak, Julian smiled and took the tomatoes from her. He turned to me and said, “Red and cherry tomatoes… maybe they’re not so bad after all.” In that moment, a bitter ache spread through my chest. Novels always say that being an exception is the first sign of falling in love. But there’s no room for three in a relationship. So, I changed my college application. 1 Auntie Sarah always said Julian had a terrible temper and was high-maintenance. If her health hadn’t been so poor, preventing her from having a second child, Julian would have been disciplined long ago. She often claimed she wanted to beat some sense into him. But I knew better. Auntie Sarah doted on Julian more than anyone. Those were just empty words. Every time Julian caused trouble, she’d scold him a little, then immediately send someone to clean up his mess. She had already donated five buildings to our school. The principal couldn’t stop smiling. Because of this, Julian grew up spoiled, a veritable little tyrant. He thought red was too flashy, so he forbade anyone around him from wearing it. He hated cherry tomatoes, so no one was allowed to eat them, or he’d throw a fit. When he got angry, he sought revenge. Like right now— The guy sitting in front of him brought a sandwich to class and took a big bite right in front of Julian, revealing the tomato slices inside. Julian’s face instantly darkened. “It’s just two slices, you can barely see them. You don’t mind, right, Julian?” The guy, Chad, laughed it off, not taking it seriously. Julian didn’t answer. instead, he pulled out his phone and called the project manager at his family’s company. “Cancel the partnership with the Miller Group.” Hearing this, Chad dropped his sandwich, his face draining of color. The partnership between the Millers and the Vances had only happened because Chad had sucked up to Julian. Now, having violated Julian’s taboo, the benefits were revoked. Chad threw himself at Julian’s feet. “Julian, I’m sorry! Please don’t cancel the partnership! My parents will kill me!” Julian sneered, ignored him, and went back to his mobile game. Chad kept begging. Julian got annoyed. “One more word, and I’ll help your old man find a couple of illegitimate sons to bring home. Believe me?” Wealthy families always had dirty laundry. Illegitimate children were common. If Julian helped an illegitimate son gain power in the Miller family, Chad would be finished. Terrified, Chad covered his mouth, not daring to make another sound, though tears welled in his eyes. Maybe he just wanted to show off his closeness to Julian, to gain envy and admiration. Instead, he ruined his family’s business. I couldn’t help but tug on Julian’s sleeve. “Maybe let it go?” Julian looked down at me. “Sasha, you know my temper. Non-negotiable.” Indeed, he had always been like this. What he said was law. No one could persuade him. Not even me, his best friend since childhood. I thought he would always be this way, that no one would ever be an exception. Until— The scholarship student appeared. 2 Our school was a private academy funded by the city’s top corporations. The resources were top-tier. Getting in usually depended on family background. However, to keep the college acceptance rates looking good, the school recruited top students from outside every senior year, offering them free tuition. Exceptionally good students even received large scholarships. Most of these recruits were excellent students from poor families. They were the most willing to transfer. Transferring right before college entrance exams was risky; a new environment could hurt grades, and the snobbery in our school was rampant. Wealthy families wouldn’t take that risk. Maya was one such transfer student—top grades, poor background. Because Chad had offended Julian, his family, furious and afraid he’d annoy Julian further, transferred him to another class. This opened up a spot in our class, and Maya filled it. She wore a faded blue dress and looked nervous introducing herself on the podium. Julian glanced up once. He muttered, “So skinny. Do her parents not feed her?” Then he went back to his game. After her introduction, the homeroom teacher assigned Maya to Chad’s old seat. Her desk mate was a kind girl who immediately started filling her in. “Everyone in our class is pretty nice, don’t be nervous. Just don’t offend the guy sitting behind you.” “Have you heard of the Vance Group?” “He’s the heir. His family is super rich, even the principal is afraid of him…” I didn’t catch the rest. I only saw the flash of excitement in Maya’s eyes when she heard Julian was the Vance heir. Growing up, I’d seen too many people try to get close to Julian for his status. I knew that look. But I didn’t expect— The next day, Maya came to class wearing a red dress. She had clearly dressed up. The school had no uniform policy. As long as you weren’t naked, you could wear a ballgown. When she appeared, the noisy classroom fell silent. Everyone stared. Some waited for the drama; others looked on with pity. But no one dared to speak. Maya, confused by the attention, clutched her backpack and hurried to her seat. Julian was asleep. Before I could warn her, she turned around and tapped Julian’s arm, hard. Julian had a terrible temper when waking up. No one dared disturb his sleep. Annoyed, Julian propped himself up on one elbow and slowly opened his eyes to look at Maya. One glance, and his brow furrowed deeply. Maya, oblivious, bit her lip and pulled a box of cherry tomatoes from her bag, carefully offering it to Julian. “My family grew these.” Her voice was small. Like a kitten. Timid, yet determined. Julian raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Maya spoke again: “Julian, can I ask you for a favor?” This scene had played out before. A freshman girl, knowing Julian’s status but not his taboos, had come to our class in a red dress. She wanted to get to know him and discuss a business partnership. That day, Julian had glared at her. “Get to know me? You think you’re worthy?” He made her cry. Not only that, he sent word to her father that she was annoying. That night, the girl transferred. The partnership was canceled. Because they offended the Vances, other companies shunned them, and they soon went bankrupt. Now, history was repeating itself. Maya was inviting disaster. Julian only needed to say a word, and her family would suffer. Just as I thought Julian would explode, he did something unexpected. He reached out, took the tomatoes, and picked one up to examine it. “Tell me what you want first.” His tone was light. He seemed in a good mood. The whole class was shocked. Except Maya. I scrutinized her. She wasn’t stunningly beautiful, but her features were pleasant. Dressed up, she looked pitiful and endearing, sparking a desire to protect. Yet, there was a stubbornness in her eyes. A fragile but resilient white flower. Hearing Julian, she lit up and stated her request. “My dad used to work for the Vance Group. He was framed, fired, and forced to pay a huge penalty. My parents fell ill from the stress. I want you to help my dad get justice and his job back…” 3 When school ended, Julian took the tomatoes with him. Since we were neighbors, we shared a driver. As soon as we got in the car, he handed me a tomato. “Sasha, try one.” I looked at the tomato in my hand, confused. “I thought you hated cherry tomatoes.” Actually, I liked them. Sweet, sour, refreshing. But I liked Julian more. So if he hated them, I could live without them. I hadn’t eaten one in years. Julian shrugged nonchalantly. “I did.” He paused, as if recalling something. “That girl… Maya, right? Let’s call her May.” He loved giving nicknames to people he liked. Like me, Sasha, short for Alexandra. He never let anyone else call me that. He continued: “May is so skinny. Tiny, like the hamster I had as a kid. But she’s so pale, and her eyes are bright.” “The red dress suits her. I used to think red was ugly. Now I think it’s just that other people look ugly in red.” “So I thought I’d forgive her this once. Just this once.” Julian looked at the tomato in his hand again. “She’s interesting. Everyone else gives me sports cars or watches. Only she gave me homegrown tomatoes.” He popped one in his mouth. “Not bad, actually!” I stayed silent. Just last month, a new chef put tomatoes in a fruit salad. Julian took one bite, spat it out, and fired the chef on the spot. Tomatoes taste the same. The only difference was the person giving them. An indescribable feeling rose in my chest. “So, will you help her?” I asked. Julian hadn’t given a clear answer earlier, only saying he’d consider it. He wasn’t one to meddle. But I was wrong again. Julian chuckled, eyeing the tomatoes with amusement. “I ate her food; I should probably help. But…” His tone shifted. “Getting my help won’t be that easy.” 4 The next day, Maya wore red again. And brought another box of tomatoes. Julian had stayed up gaming and overslept, so I went to school alone. He was probably on his way. Seeing her place the tomatoes on Julian’s desk, I remembered his “just this once.” So I decided to warn her. “Julian has hated red and cherry tomatoes since he was little.” Maya froze, a look of disbelief flashing across her eyes. But she recovered quickly, smiling at me. “But yesterday he didn’t seem angry. He even took the tomatoes.” Just then, Julian walked in and sat down. Seeing the tomatoes, he frowned, then looked up at Maya. She smiled brilliantly. “Julian, I picked these fresh this morning. Try them.” Then she lowered her eyes and sniffled. “But Sasha said you hate red and tomatoes. I must have misunderstood. I’ll take them away.” She reached for the box. Her sleeve slid up, revealing a scratch on her pale arm. Julian frowned. “What happened?” Maya pulled her sleeve down quickly. “Nothing. I just tripped while picking tomatoes.” Julian muttered, “Clumsy.” Maya’s smile froze. She looked panicked. Julian laughed. “You look so silly, May.” Maya blinked and pointed at herself. “You called me May?” “Don’t like it?” She shook her head vigorously. “No, no, I like it. It sounds nice.” Julian’s smile deepened. He grabbed the box of tomatoes and stuffed it into his bag. “Can’t let your effort go to waste.” Maya beamed, then glanced at me. “But Sasha said…” Julian waved his hand. “I think tomatoes aren’t bad now. And red… you look good in it. Don’t listen to her.” He turned and patted my arm. “Right, Sasha?” I didn’t answer. I just looked at him. I was the person closest to him. I knew his likes and dislikes better than anyone. Last night, a maid was fired instantly for wearing red. He still hated red. But Maya was different. I’d read enough romance novels to know that being an “exception” is the start of love. Julian’s exception for Maya was glaring. It was an exception I, his childhood friend, had never received. My heart tasted bitter. All these years, my love for him might have been one-sided. There’s no room for three people in a relationship. Maybe it was time to let go.

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The perennial number one student, the cold and aloof “Academic God,” was dragged off his pedestal by a girl. She didn’t have great grades, but she was cute and clingy. I was very happy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not that girl. I’m the one who’s always stuck in second place. My chance has finally come! 1. “Lately, Julian has been walking to school with Chloe.” “No way, did the Academic God really get taken down by a slacker?” Whispers from passing girls drifted through the hallway. In a deserted corner, I straightened up and pricked up my ears. “It’s true! Julian seems distracted in class these days.” I pushed away the person in front of me and coldly retied my hair. “What do you want?” The school bully held my hand, dissatisfied. “Turning hostile again?” I pointed to my watch. “Ten minutes are up. I have to go back to class.” “Seriously, Sarah,” he muttered, “I tolerated not going public with our relationship, but do you have to time our meetings too?” I ignored him and got up to leave. He wrapped his arm around my waist, acting like a spoiled puppy. “Stay a little longer.” This shameless behavior was completely different from his usual arrogant self when fighting. However, I didn’t buy it. He was just a tool for me to release stress. “Not interfering with my studies is the bottom line. Make a fuss again, and we break up.” He looked impatient, pressed my head down, and kissed me hard. “Don’t say those two words!” After cursing under his breath, he obediently let go. Back in the classroom, I bumped into the Academic God, Julian. His cold gaze lingered on my chest for a few seconds before moving away. “Button,” his voice was clean, “you missed one.” I looked down. “Thanks.” When I looked up again, he had already entered the classroom. Quiet, hard to pursue. Logical mind, calm and self-possessed. My homeroom teacher once told me, “It’s normal for girls not to do as well as boys in studies. Some boys seem not to care, but they learn as soon as they try.” “Girls can only study hard.” My diligence became “the clumsy bird must fly first” in the teacher’s mouth. While someone like Julian could surpass my efforts with just a little bit of study. So when his name dominated the top spot above mine year after year, I was unconvinced. One day, I will pull him down. 2. Julian and I are actually childhood acquaintances. But not the kind where anything happens. Just neighbors. Like now, I was doing exam papers by the window. Looking up, I could see Chloe standing at Julian’s door. She was holding a bag of handmade cookies. Waiting for him obediently. Julian came down quickly, looking fresh. The boy who had just showered was like a swaying locust tree on a midsummer night. Provocative, yet innocently unaware. His appearance made Chloe blush and stare blankly. The two whispered a few words. Chloe handed him the cookies. Don’t be fooled by Julian’s aloofness. He’s actually wicked inside and loves leading girls on. Growing up with a halo, he knew his advantages very well. He liked watching ordinary girls become obsessed with him the most. I finished two sets of exam papers. Chloe was leaving. Waving goodbye, looking back every three steps. Julian stood under the streetlamp, watching her disappear at the intersection from afar. I took out my notebook of mistakes and started reviewing. Accidentally, my eyes met Julian’s downstairs. He chuckled. As if interested, Standing under the streetlamp, he opened the handmade cookies and ate them slowly, one by one. Staring at me lazily. I avoided his eyes and looked down to review my mistakes. The hot summer evening breeze blew through the asparagus fern by my window. The residual light of the streetlamp illuminating him spilled onto my desk. He was still watching. Watching leisurely. I got up and closed the window. 3. The monthly exam opportunity came quickly. Rumors about Julian and Chloe also increased. Every time Chloe came to our class to find him, classmates would always tease. Some bold boys even shouted, “J-God, your girlfriend is here for you again.” Making Chloe blush with shyness, leaving after saying only a few words. And Julian didn’t deny it. It’s just that my seat is right by the door. Every time, I was forced to be on the front line of gossip. During break today, I was busy memorizing vocabulary. Chloe came. The boys in the back started teasing again. Banging tables and shaking chairs. Noisy as hell. I covered my ears, but could still hear it. “What’s the fuss? Can you be quiet!” I stood up and scolded them. Turning around, I met Julian’s eyes. Everyone around quieted down because of my roar. The air stagnated. Chloe, like a little rabbit, was scared to tears. “Sorry, I disturbed your study. I didn’t mean to.” I wasn’t scolding her. Why was she crying first? The boys in the back, losing face because of me, rolled their eyes at me. “It’s break time, what’s wrong with us talking for a while? Just because you love studying doesn’t mean you get first place.” “Exactly, why are you so anxious?” someone next to him echoed. “Do you like J-God and are just jealous? Hahahaha.” I was stunned. Meeting Julian’s cold gaze, I felt very unhappy. Why? It was clearly his business, but he could always stay out of it. He looked at me being cornered like watching a show. “Have you never seen a pig run or eaten pork?” I sneered at the boy. “Others are dating, why are you so excited?” The boy blushed at my retort, stammering, “Where… where am I excited!” I raised my eyebrows. “Don’t be shy. If you like it, we can try it too.” His ears turned red instantly, staring at me without saying a word for a long time. Julian frowned slightly. Just as he was about to say something, I turned and sat down again. Picked up the vocabulary book, put on headphones, and continued memorizing. 4. The monthly exam arrived. I dreamed of solving problems for weeks. During the last exam, Julian handed in his paper early. He rarely handed in papers early. Besides, the math problems in that exam were hard. When he packed his things and left the classroom, his peripheral vision fell on me at the door. I was struggling with the last two questions. Very hard. But I solved them. After that, Julian went to a closed training camp for the physics competition. Chloe hardly came to our class anymore. On the way to school, a sudden thunderstorm in summer. At the back alley, I saw the school bully fighting. His sharp-featured face was wild and unruly. He leaned against the wall with a half-smile. Raising his hand, his movements were agile. It was obvious his Taekwondo had improved again. I glanced at him and continued walking indifferently. Listening to English listening practice in my ears. Reviewing the English questions of this monthly exam in my mind. English should be solid this time. Turning the corner, I was pulled into a corner. My heart jumped, but my mouth was covered by him. His big hand was hot. A few strands of my hair came loose. Wet from the rain. The hair lightly touched his hand, making him even more irritable. “F*ck!” He let go, cursing in a low voice. I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Can you have some self-control?” “You’re the one lighting the fire but not putting it out!” He raised his eyebrows. “What do you call this? ‘Double standards’!” I hate his foolish look the most. “What is it?” My tone was cold. “Speak quickly, I have to go to class.” “Why didn’t you reply to my message?” What message? Oh, I remembered. It seemed he got a black belt in Taekwondo. “Monthly exam recently.” I told the truth. “That’s not a reason to ignore me!” I glanced at a smear of blood on his brow and frowned slightly. Following my gaze, he raised his hand and wiped it. “It’s okay, not mine.” “Are you worried about me?” His eyes sparkled, like a puppy waiting for praise. “Clean it up before hugging me next time,” I turned my face away. “Too dirty.” He let go, not holding me tightly anymore. Afraid I would be angry. “Why don’t you even give me ten minutes lately?” “Busy with exams, can you stop being clingy?” Clearly, he was arrogant and unruly, cold-eyed and taciturn when fighting just now. He whined, “Do you not like me anymore!” “Spend some time studying and I’ll like you.” I raised my hand to check the time. Class was starting soon. “Be good, listen.” I tiptoed and lightly pecked the corner of his mouth. He obediently let go, and I turned to leave. Young guys are the easiest to coax. But just as I lifted my foot, I was hugged by him. Thunder rumbled outside the alley, and the rain suddenly intensified. Like his kiss. Coming like wind and rain. Outside, the sounds of students walking to school, mixed with bicycle bells. His Adam’s apple rolled, his eyes suddenly hot like fire, then gentle like rain. The thunderstorm mixed with the summer heat, suffocating people to lose their measure in every breath. I instantly understood his curse. Summer rain is annoying without knowing it. “I have to go to class.” My voice was a bit soft. He laughed muffledly. “What are you laughing at?” I was rarely soft-spoken. “If you want to leave,” he said, “it’s better not to make a sound.” Rain showers are teasing. Delaying people and things. Studying is the most important thing. “Are you participating in some competition recently?” I found an excuse to stall. What competition did he say he was participating in this afternoon? He looked up. “Yeah, 2:30 PM.” “If you get first prize in that competition, I’ll spend this weekend with you.” The smile on his lips couldn’t be hidden. “Keep your word. If you lie to me, you’ll have to spend the whole summer vacation with me!” “Deal.”

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