Author: Momo Chan

I was in the middle of a sheet mask when my son came running in, crying, and shoved my husband’s phone in my face. “Mom, Dad’s texting another woman! He called her ‘baby’!” he sobbed. “Are you and Dad getting a divorce? Am I going to lose my dad?” I quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. Hearing the shower running in the bathroom, I snatched the phone from his little hands and put it back exactly where it was. “Shh, not so loud,” I whispered urgently. “Listen to me. That lady… she’s a good person. The prestigious international school you go to? She arranged it. The new car we have, this big apartment? She bought them. Mom and Dad’s promotions at work? She made them happen. You cannot let your father know that we know. Do you understand?” My son looked up at me, his eyes wide and shimmering with tears. “Mom, are you speaking English? I know all those words, but when you put them together, they don’t make any sense.” 1 I led my son out to the balcony and gently wiped his tears away. “Honey, all you need to do is focus on your studies. Your dad and I are not getting a divorce, and you are not going to lose your father,” I reassured him. “That lady is a very kind person. She’s not here to wreck our family. In fact, everything we have right now, she’s the one who gave it to us. Do you get it now?” “So just put your worries away and be a good boy. Do your homework.” He was only ten, and he still looked confused. But my calm demeanor seemed to soothe him. He wiped his eyes and stopped crying. “Okay, Mom. I get it. I’ll pretend I don’t know anything.” I ruffled his hair. “Good boy. Finish up your homework and get to bed. Mommy has to work tomorrow, too.” He turned to go, then paused. “Mom? You said that lady arranged your promotions. Is she really that powerful?” I smiled. “Of course, she is, sweetie.” “She’s my boss. And your dad’s.” A look of surprise, then worry, flashed across his face. “Will she… bully you?” Now it was my turn to be surprised. “Why would you ever think that?” He bit his lip. “I just thought… you’re supposed to be enemies. And since she’s your boss, I figured she’d probably be mean to you.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry, son. She won’t. Now, go on. Homework.” He didn’t ask any more questions and scampered back to his room. I stood alone on the balcony, a cool breeze washing over me, my mind a complete blank. I never thought the day I discovered my husband was cheating would turn out to be the biggest windfall of my life. 2 Discovering Mark’s affair was a complete accident. We both worked at the same company, started at the same time, and had comparable skills. Yet, he was climbing the corporate ladder at lightning speed while I was stuck. At first, I blamed it on my pregnancy and maternity leave. Then I realized the real reason. Mark had climbed his way into our boss Isabella Hopper’s bed. It all clicked at the annual company gala. Isabella didn’t just shower Mark with awards; she handed him a fifty-thousand-dollar bonus check. Even for the group photo, she insisted Mark stand center stage, while she subtly positioned herself right next to him. That alone wasn’t definitive. But then, during dinner, Isabella came and sat at our table. In the middle of a toast, she casually picked up Mark’s glass and took a sip of his wine. Then she handed it back to him. Without missing a beat, Mark lifted it to his lips, right where her red lipstick stained the rim, and took a drink. Everyone else was caught up in the festivities and didn’t notice the little exchange. But I did. I felt a tremor run through my entire body. A few minutes later, Isabella, supposedly drunk, was being helped to her feet by Mark, who announced he was taking her home. No one objected, and neither did I. But as soon as they left, I slipped out and followed them, determined to find out the truth. I thought it would be a covert mission, but they made it laughably easy. Thinking no one was watching, the moment they were out of the main banquet hall, Mark pinned Isabella against a corridor wall. “Ms. Hopper,” he murmured, his voice low. “You were trying to seduce me tonight, weren’t you? Drinking from my glass in front of everyone, leaving your lipstick on it like a promise.” Isabella, flushed from either the wine or the proximity to Mark, looked thrilled. “You caught me.” Mark pecked her hard on the cheek. “Aren’t you afraid someone would see? What if your husband found out? Luna was right there, for God’s sake.” Oh, that’s me. I’m Luna. Isabella just giggled. “I know. Doesn’t that make it more exciting?” 3 My hands and feet started to tremble, a hot surge of fury rising from the soles of my feet. I was about to storm out and confront them when Mark spoke again. “You’re a reckless little minx, but I love it. I know I’m playing with fire, that your husband would destroy me if he found out. But I can’t stay away from you.” He sighed dramatically. “Even though I know I’m betraying Luna and my son.” Isabella cupped his face, pouting. “Then just compensate them. If there’s no love, give them money. And lucky for you, I have plenty of that.” She ticked off the points on her fingers. “You can’t divorce her yet, and I can’t divorce him, so we have to keep them happy. That bonus tonight? That was from a project I landed and gave you the credit for. Give the whole fifty grand to Luna.” “I’ll wire you another fifty thousand and raise your salary to fifteen thousand a month. Just make sure you give Luna a bigger allowance. And that car and apartment of yours need an upgrade. I felt so cramped the last time I was over.” “The Vice President of the Projects Division is about to retire. I’m thinking of Luna for the position. Consider it another form of compensation. And I’ve already arranged for your son to be enrolled in that bilingual international school. All fees paid. Just come up with an excuse to send him.” My foot, which had been ready to charge out, froze in place. I swallowed the hurricane of emotions swirling in my gut and kept listening. Mark was visibly stunned. “Ms. Hopper… you’re doing so much for me. I… I don’t know what to say. I’m overwhelmed.” Isabella pinched his cheek. “Don’t be silly. As long as you’re good to me, I’ll take care of your wife and child. We need your home front to be stable so we can be together in peace. The last thing I need is a messy public divorce. If my husband cuts me off without a penny, we’re all screwed. Victor would never let me go that easily.” Mark nodded. “It’s so hard, having to sneak around like this, always afraid of being caught. Ms. Hopper, when can we finally be together openly? I hate this.” Isabella’s eyes narrowed, a flash of steel in them. “Victor may be paralyzed, but he’s not dead yet. And he’s paranoid about me cheating. He has people watching me, you know. He even sent his stepsister, Jessica Thorne, to work in Luna’s department. She’s not blood, but she’s completely loyal to him. So, yes, I was being reckless tonight. If any of them found out, we’d both be finished.” 4 Mark’s face fell. “It’s a shame we can’t just quit our jobs. Then we could be together.” Isabella laughed. “Are you kidding? Quitting is not an option. Victor is still the majority shareholder. If I quit, how would I get his money? And if you quit, how would you earn it? This is actually the perfect setup. We get to bleed him dry together. It’s the only thing that makes me feel better.” Mark’s expression brightened. “You’re right. I’d never have this position at any other company. And Luna would certainly never get to benefit from my success.” Isabella smiled softly. “Well, what can I say? I fell for you. That means accepting your family, right? I’ve thought about it, you know. I wish you weren’t married. But then again, if you were single, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed you. I’ve seen plenty of single, ambitious young guys trying to use me to get ahead. You were different. I had to drop all the hints, do all the chasing.” That line clearly stroked Mark’s ego. He lifted her chin and kissed her deeply. “I never imagined you’d be interested in me,” he murmured between kisses. “I thought I was reading the signals all wrong.” They were lost in each other. I quickly backed away and scurried off. Standing on the hotel balcony, I finally took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I never, ever thought Mark would cheat on me. And certainly not like this. Thinking of the fifty-thousand-dollar bonus, my son’s new school, Mark’s raise, and my own upcoming promotion, my initial rage began to morph into a strange, giddy excitement. These were things I’d never dared to dream of, and now they were all falling into my lap in the most bizarre way possible. It was utterly mind-boggling. Suddenly, the fact that my husband was having an affair didn’t feel devastating. It felt… profitable. Even if he divorced me later, I’d be set for life. 5 But Isabella’s words about her husband, Victor, sent a chill down my spine. He wasn’t just her husband; he was the big boss, and he had spies in the company watching her every move. His stepsister was in my department, practically breathing down my neck. How was I going to play this without raising her suspicion? If she found out, it wouldn’t just be Mark who was finished. My beautiful, newly acquired cake would be snatched away. That was absolutely not an option. Now that I knew about the cake, I couldn’t let it go. To lose it would be a regret I’d carry for the rest of my life. To protect my cake, I knew what I had to do. I had to protect their affair. Just as Isabella had promised, after they left the hotel, a notification popped up on my phone. A transfer of fifty thousand dollars from Mark. The note read: All my bonus money for my amazing wife. I love you. If I hadn’t just witnessed him declaring his undying love for Isabella, I might have actually believed him. But that was fine. His love was gone, but the money was here. Isabella moved fast. Soon enough, we were living in a spacious new apartment and driving a new Mercedes. My son was enrolled in the international school without me spending a dime. Mark’s excuse was that he had “connections” and had pulled some strings. Of course, I nodded and played along with whatever story he spun. I knew it was all a lie. That’s why I’d told my son not to blow his cover. But you can’t keep a secret forever. If I could figure it out, so could someone else. Someone like Isabella’s stepsister, Jessica Thorne. Lately, she’d been dropping by my desk with pointed questions. “Luna,” she’d say, feigning concern. “Has your husband been acting strange lately? Coming home late? Suddenly flush with cash? A little distant? I’ve noticed he barely comes to see you anymore. If you didn’t tell people you were married, no one would ever know.” 6 Victor must have been paying her extra, because for someone with such a junior position, she certainly had a lot of time to meddle. If Isabella hadn’t warned me, I’d never have known she was the big boss’s sister. Her questions sent a jolt of panic through me, and a cold sweat broke out on my back. But I kept my expression calm. “Jessica, since when are you so interested in my private life?” I asked with a light laugh. “Mark’s been great lately, nothing strange at all. Are you asking because of the new car and apartment? Oh, I can tell you a little secret. His parents’ old property back home was bought out by the city for eight million dollars. He’s their only son, so they gave it all to him. He’s just been really busy with work, that’s all. It’s perfectly normal.” Jessica’s face was a mask of suspicion. “Eight million? I find that hard to believe.” My smile faded. “Jessica, why would I lie about something like that? I was keeping it quiet, but since we’re friends, I thought I’d let you in on it. Please don’t spread it around. If you don’t believe me, you can always ask Mark yourself.” That shut her up. She returned to her desk without another word. Watching her go, I immediately shot Mark a text to get our stories straight. Hubby, that Jessica Thorne is being weird again. She keeps dropping by and asking strange questions. Today she asked how we suddenly got so rich. I got annoyed and told her your parents’ property sold for 8 million and they gave it all to you LOL. You should have seen her face. A few minutes later, he replied. Wife, you’re brilliant. That’s exactly how you handle people like her. Don’t worry. If anyone else tries to poke around, just brush them off and let me know. I’ve got your back. A transfer notification followed. Payoff: 1,000.00 For my wife, to buy something nice. I know I’ve been busy lately. As soon as things calm down, I’ll take you and Leo on a vacation. Seeing the money, I couldn’t help but smile. I hit ‘accept’ immediately. Thanks, hubby! Love you! Mwah! It seemed my little performance had averted a crisis. I thought that would be the end of the rewards for the day, but then my office phone rang. It was Isabella. “Luna, darling. Meet me after work. We’re going shopping at the Galleria.” 7 At the Galleria, she ignored all my protests and proceeded to drape me in Chanel from head to toe. Clothes, shoes, a handbag, even a bottle of perfume. I was floored. “Ms. Hopper, this is too much,” I stammered. “Why are you buying me all this? I’m getting scared.” She looked me up and down, a satisfied smile on her face. “Don’t you dare say it doesn’t suit you. It’s perfect. And don’t be scared. You’ve earned it. The deal with the Apex Group that your department just landed? This is your reward. The bonuses for your manager and the others will be paid out later.” My mind reeled. The Apex project was handled almost entirely by my manager. I was just a gofer, running errands in the background. If anyone deserved a reward, it was him, not a small fry like me. Then, in a flash, it all made sense. This wasn’t about the Apex project. This was about me handling Jessica. This was her way of saying thank you. A huge, genuine smile spread across my face. “Thank you, Ms. Hopper! I love it!” She adjusted the silk scarf around my neck, her tone casual but deliberate. “From now on, if Jessica tries anything funny, you come straight to me. I’ll deal with her. Don’t confront her yourself. I don’t want her holding a grudge against you.” Her words were a wake-up call. In my haste to cover for Mark, I had forgotten who I was dealing with. Jessica was still Victor’s sister. If I really got on her bad side, and Victor decided to target me, I’d be in serious trouble. Isabella knew her husband’s cruelty better than anyone. Over the next few weeks, to completely throw Jessica off the scent, Mark started making a point of visiting me at the office. He’d bring desserts for the team or a bouquet of flowers just for me. Suddenly, I was the most envied woman in the office. I would blush and lower my head, hiding the triumphant gleam in my eyes from their congratulatory gazes. I knew that behind all this performative affection was a much, much bigger cake waiting for me. And the strategy worked. Jessica finally stopped snooping around.

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After high school graduation, everyone in my class bet $\$10,000$ that I would fail to lose weight. Only my childhood best friend, Leo Blackwood, threw down the keys to a limited-edition supercar, betting that I would slim down: “Thirty cars. If you win, they’re your dowry.” Filled with joy, I lost 40 pounds in a month, ready to confess my feelings to him. But then I overheard him joking with the school’s queen bee, Scarlett Holmes: “Marry a fat pig? Me? I’d marry you sooner.” “Lose weight? She’s lazy and greedy. She’ll fail for sure.” I gripped my skirt tightly, finally understanding. The so-called bet was just a game he played to show off in front of Scarlett—he never believed in me. I didn’t argue or make a scene. I just quietly changed the college I had originally planned to attend. Three days later, at the graduation party. As I walked past, my best friend suddenly grabbed my wrist: “Chloe Vance?” “Is that you, Chloe?” 1 A month ago. Leo tossed down the car keys, betting I would lose weight, embarrassing everyone else. But now, separated by a door. His voice was casual, teasing Scarlett: “Our big school queen is dressed up so beautifully. Going out on a date?” “With whom? Why not switch and go with me?” “How can I date you?” Scarlett laughed sweetly. “Aren’t you supposed to use thirty sports cars as a dowry for Chloe?” She giggled innocently: “She’d kill me.” “Only a little dummy like you would take that seriously.” Leo laughed lightly, his tone indulgent: “It was a joke. How could I seriously marry a fat pig?” “Forget my old man vetoing it.” “There’s no way I’d agree. Geez, she’d crush me just sitting on me.” He paused, sounding regretful: “Marry you? Now that’s another story.” Scarlett said something else. But I couldn’t hear it anymore. The hand grasping the doorknob instinctively recoiled. My head buzzed. I was freezing, trembling all over. In my ears. Leo kept talking: “She’s lazy and greedy. She’ll fail to lose weight for sure.” “And no matter how much she slims down, she definitely won’t be one-tenth as good as you.” That one sentence. Made Scarlett ecstatic. She feigned modesty, chiding him helplessly: “Big shot, that’s going too far.” “Chloe is still my sister, don’t bully her like that.” Leo countered: “Am I wrong?” “You two sisters really are heaven and earth.” “If Chloe was one-tenth as good as you…” He sighed deeply, murmuring: “She wouldn’t have such a terrible reputation in class.” ________________________________________ 2 I stood frozen behind the door. The sadness in my heart was unbearable. Why did I have a bad reputation? I was even-tempered, gentle, and had always gotten along well with everyone. Until Scarlett transferred to our class. She was my dad’s illegitimate daughter from outside. And she was two years older than me. Seven days after my mother passed away, my father brought Scarlett and her mother home. That’s how fast it happened. For those two reasons alone, it was impossible for me not to dislike her. At the time, Leo stood with me, equally outraged, defending me: “Your dad must have lost his mind.” “Damn it, the mistress’s kid should be treated like a rat and shunned by everyone.” He was self-righteous and serious: “Don’t worry, leave it to me.” “I’ll teach her a harsh lesson for you.” I didn’t want to be a school bully. Leo promised he wouldn’t. But behind my back, he found people to rip up Scarlett’s homework. He encouraged other girls to group up and isolate her. He cornered her in the restroom and slapped her several times. I didn’t know that everyone was secretly saying I was bullying Scarlett. Saying I was excessive, disgusting, and deserved to go to hell. Leo knew. But he didn’t tell me. Instead, he continued to secretly pull Scarlett’s ponytail and snap her bra strap. Calling her a ‘little green tea’ constantly. He enjoyed every minute of it. Now, listening to their conversation. I finally knew the truth. But— It was too late. ________________________________________ 3 “She bullied you so badly back then.” Outside the door, Leo said with a cheeky grin: “This is just what she deserves.” Scarlett teased him: “You’re so naughty.” Leo was unconcerned: “What’s wrong with stringing her along, letting her live in her own world, and just stay fat?” In the room. I stared blankly at myself in the mirror. Slim limbs, flat stomach. A world of difference from a month ago. The memory of the bet flashed in my mind. Leo smiled, messed up my hair, his eyes warm: “Our little Chloe will definitely lose weight.” “You’ll slap everyone in the face when you do.” Losing 40 pounds in a month. Honestly, it was hard and exhausting. I woke up at 5 a.m. every day to run, strictly following 20+4 intermittent fasting. I was so hungry I felt dizzy, seeing stars. What I wanted wasn’t just a healthy, attractive body. Leo and I had been inseparable childhood friends for so many years. For a long time after my mom died. I was out of control, sinking into self-destruction, hating any interaction with people. Only Leo. He tolerated all my bad tempers. He gently coaxed me to take my medication on time. When I gained weight from the side effects of the meds, he patiently said: “I don’t need you to have a great figure.” “I just want you to be healthy and safe.” “Be good, take your meds. When you’re better, if you want to lose weight, I’ll join you, okay?” Over the years. My heart had been completely, unconsciously filled by Leo. So, after slimming down, I wanted to confess to him. I wanted to tell him: Thank you for believing in me. That was my biggest motivation this past month. Now that I’m thin, can I love you? I wanted to tell him: Thank you for walking through those long, formative years with me. Let’s keep walking forward together in the future. But at this very moment, I could only clutch my skirt, utterly helpless. The person in the mirror looked like she was crying. Over a month of effort. Carefully applied makeup. A beautiful dress I had never worn before. All felt like a bad joke. Hurt, miserable, wronged. Tears fell like broken strings of pearls. They soaked my eye corners, blurring the slightly winged eyeliner. My makeup was ruined. I thought I would storm out and slap Leo hard. Savoring his shock and surprise. But I didn’t. I simply straightened my back, staring at myself in the mirror for a moment. Telling myself not to cry. It wasn’t pretty. ________________________________________ 4 In the evening, I went to the living room to pour water, still wearing loose, oversized long sleeves and pants. With a cap and a mask on. My whole body was completely covered. For the past month, I had dressed this way to surprise Leo. “Oh, do you think you’re a big celebrity? Dressed like that at home, hiding from the paparazzi?” Behind me, Scarlett stood on the stairs. Arms crossed, she looked down at me, sneering: “Hiding your fat means you think you succeeded in losing weight? You’ve got some serious ‘Ah Q Spirit.’” “But what’s the point?” She suddenly leaned closer and lowered her voice: “Sister sees you trying your hardest but still not losing much weight.” “Why not give up early?” “It’s a shame you weren’t home this afternoon.” “You missed your little best friend saying you wouldn’t be one-tenth as good-looking as me, even if you did lose weight.” “Some people are so pathetic, easily manipulated by a man’s sweet talk.” “It’s hilarious, heh.” Yes. Scarlett had long figured out my feelings for Leo. She was doing this on purpose. For her, taking my family and my dad wasn’t enough to settle the score for the one time I called her mom a mistress when she first moved in. Plus, I had ‘bullied’ her. “Who’s the one being manipulated by a man’s sweet talk?” I smiled: “I didn’t rip up your homework.” “I didn’t find people to corner you.” “I didn’t slap you.” “Who was it? So hard to guess, right?” But I didn’t expect Scarlett’s face to only pale for a moment. It quickly returned to normal. “Does it matter who did it?” “You should worry about yourself. You don’t have a place in this house, and you won’t have Leo to back you up anymore.” She gloated: “Watch your step.” “Or maybe be a good girl and call me ‘Sister.’ I’ll spoil you then.” I unconsciously gripped the cup tighter. I couldn’t help turning back and fighting back: “You’re seeking shelter in a collapsed building.” “Is Leo plated with diamonds? Does everyone have to like him?” “You two idiots fighting each other’s battles are made for each other.” “Wish you two 99 years of happiness. Don’t ever mention me, okay?” Scarlett was stunned for a moment. Her expression grew uglier. Until my dad came out to support her: “Is that how you talk to your sister? What kind of attitude is that?” “Is she wrong? After all this dieting, what results do you have?” “You’re still dressed like a pig, too ashamed to show your face?” “Get back to your own room.” ________________________________________ 5 My heart ached so much I could barely breathe. They weren’t like this in the beginning. When I gained weight uncontrollably because of the medication. My father stroked my head, comforting me: “It’s better for a young girl to put on some meat to look better.” Leo pinched my cheek and said: “What’s wrong? You’re cute like this.” But now, they had all changed. They all favored Scarlett. I stopped crying, removed my makeup. Hugging my mother’s photo, I fell into a heavy sleep. Until my phone rang. “My dear, fighting with the little green tea again?” On the other end. Leo chuckled hoarsely: “You know she’s like that. Why bother getting upset with her?” “You two are sisters, after all. No need to make such a fuss.” A fuss? I gripped the phone, laughing at myself. Leo clearly knew her mother stole my father. He clearly knew she was two years older. He clearly knew I was gentle. And never the one to start trouble. “If you argue with her, you’ll only lose face.” He softly coaxed me: “Don’t be angry. The takeout I ordered for you just arrived.” “How is it? Doesn’t it smell good?” Inside the package, the pan-fried chicken skin was golden and fragrant. It was my favorite thing to eat. “Losing weight is tough. Let’s just stop. No need to suffer.” “The little green tea was the one who said you haven’t eaten much lately and are starving yourself skinny. See? She cares about you.” “Let’s be the bigger person and apologize to her, and call it even?” “I’ll drive to pick up both of you for the graduation party tomorrow night.” “Leo.” My temples throbbed. I closed my eyes to steady myself. When I opened them, I interrupted him, saying word by word: “Scarlett is disgusting.” “And you are ten thousand times worse than she is.” On the other end, Leo’s breathing hitched, noticeably heavy. He asked in a low voice: “Chloe, what do you mean by that?” “I’m trying to console you after you argued with the little green tea. Why are you randomly taking it out on me?” “What is wrong with you?” He wasn’t tired of acting, but I was tired of watching. It was pointless. Truly pointless. I hung up, leaving him with one word: “Idiot.”

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Bored in the middle of the night, I opened a new AI fortune-telling app I’d just downloaded. I typed in: “When will I get rich?” But my thumb slipped, and I hit “RIP” instead. Before I could correct it, the AI instantly replied: “2:00 AM. Mauling by a bear.” I froze, then burst out laughing. A bear? In the middle of the city? Plus, I live on the 23rd floor. Was the bear going to take the elevator? Just as I was about to delete the app, my best friend called, her voice frantic: “Zoey, listen up! The new Himalayan Black Bear at the zoo broke out!” “The tracking device shows it’s right near your place! You have to run!” 1 It was 1:30 AM when I stumbled upon the AI psychic app in the App Store. The reviews were suspiciously glowing: “OMG! So accurate! I bought a plane ticket and fled town that night! Saved my life!” “I got into a fight with a client, and I asked if my boss would fire me. It said no, and she didn’t! Seriously next-level!” Curiosity killed the cat, so I downloaded it immediately. I tapped out a question in the input box: “When will I get rich?” But in a moment of clumsy typing, “rich” came out as “RIP”—as in, R.I.P. I cursed under my breath and frantically tried to backspace the morbid mistake. The AI shot back instantly: “Calculation Complete. Today, 2:00 AM. Death by mauling. Countdown: 28 minutes and 17 seconds.” I paused, then scoffed. Are you kidding me? This is downtown, and the nearest wilderness reserve is a hundred miles away. Besides, I’m on the 23rd floor. Does this bear have a jetpack or something? I rolled my eyes. “What a garbage app. Total waste of time.” Just as I was about to hit Uninstall, my phone vibrated so violently it nearly gave me a heart attack. It was my best friend, Ashley Song. She’s an early bird. Why was she calling me this late? A strange sense of dread washed over me, but I answered anyway. Before I could speak, Ashley’s voice, thick with tears, spilled from the speaker: “Zoey, something awful happened! The new Himalayan Black Bear we got—the one you saw the other day—it broke out!” My breathing hitched. I had a terrible feeling. “What? I thought the cage was locked! Where’s security?” Ashley’s voice was shaky and broken: “I don’t know! All the cameras went down! The tracker shows it’s in your general neighborhood, and it’s still moving!” “Look, I remember you said you were working late tonight. Can you just crash at the office?” “Please, don’t go home. That bear is just… it’s too smart.” I froze, realizing my mistake. I was supposed to work late, but the project got postponed. If I’d known this was happening, I would’ve stayed out! When I didn’t reply, Ashley went silent for a second, then spoke faintly: “Zoey, you didn’t already go back, did you?” Then, she quickly tried to reassure me: “The Animal Control team is on the way, and my little brother, Kyle, the firefighter, is with them.” “Don’t panic, just lock your door tight, be quiet, and turn off your lights. You’ll be fine…” I numbly agreed, my hands and feet turning icy cold. I couldn’t hear a word she said. Panic brought back the memory of the AI’s terrifying prophecy. 2:00 AM. Death by mauling. The image of my visit to Ashley’s zoo a few days ago flashed in my mind. That new bear, a Himalayan Black Bear, was terrifyingly huge. It was sitting quietly in the corner of its enclosure, but its eyes were fixed on me. The thick iron bars looked pitifully thin in front of it. I shivered and complained to Ashley: “Are your zoo cages sturdy enough? That bear is massive, I feel like it could bend those bars with a little effort.” “Also, when it stood up a while ago, facing away from me—that silhouette, it seriously looked like a person standing there. It freaked me out!” Ashley had just laughed, telling me I was paranoid and needed glasses. “These bars are special alloy, super strong. Besides, he’s been very mellow.” “Looks like a person? You’re watching too many horror movies…” Swallowing hard, I felt utterly lost. I was about to ask Ashley how smart the bear was, and if it could figure out an elevator. If it was just wandering the bushes downstairs, maybe I was safe. But before I could speak, BANG, BANG, BANG—a loud, heavy knocking sounded on my apartment door. I instantly went rigid, nearly dropping my phone. The sound was jarringly loud and sinister in the dead of night. Ashley heard it too, all the way through the phone. She urgently whispered: “Zoey, what was that? What’s going on?” 2 I stood frozen, covering my mouth, terrified to make a sound. Survival instinct eventually overwhelmed my fear. I pressed myself against the wall and slowly crept to the door, stood on my tiptoes, and pressed one eye to the peephole. In the dim hallway light, a huge, bulky figure was blocking the door, almost filling the entire peephole. It was wearing a bright yellow and blue delivery uniform, a helmet pulled low, making it impossible to see the face. A powerful, musky, animal smell seeped through the door crack. I gagged, fighting the urge to vomit. Just then, a robotic voice, distorted by static, came from the hallway: “Your delivery is here. Please open the door…” Did my boyfriend, Matt, order me food? But through the peephole, the hulking delivery guy didn’t have anything in his hands! Suddenly, Ashley’s hushed voice came through the phone: “Zoey, don’t open it! It has to be the bear!” “It’s incredibly smart, and it can mimic human voices! Step back, get away from the door!” I gasped, my blood running cold. My legs buckled, and I nearly collapsed. I scrambled backward, crawling back into my bedroom. Is this it? Is this the bear from the AI’s prophecy? The one that’s going to kill me? It was almost 2:00 AM. I gripped my phone tight, my voice shaking uncontrollably. “Ashley, what do I do? It’s knocking and… and talking…” “When is Animal Control coming? What if it breaks the door down?” Ashley’s voice was tearful but she was trying to sound steady: “Soon! My brother Kyle said they’re close to your apartment building—ten minutes max!!” “Zoey, listen to me. That bear is smart and strong, but it shouldn’t be able to break through a steel security door. Just don’t open it, and it can’t get in!” “Find a sturdy place to hide! Kyle has tranquilizer guns, they’ll stop it!” But I was terrified. The knocking stopped abruptly. Outside the peephole, it was pitch black. I couldn’t see a thing. What was it doing? Looking for another way in? I couldn’t just sit here and put all my faith in a rusty security door and a slow-moving rescue team. My mind raced back to that creepy AI app. If it could predict my death, could it maybe tell me how to survive? I remembered a reviewer saying the app helped them escape danger. What did I have to lose? Desperate times. Even if there was only a one-in-a-million chance, I had to try. I opened the app again and typed in a new question: “There’s a bear outside my door! How do I survive? Tell me now!” The AI replied instantly: “Self-Rescue Plan Generated.” “Plan A: Create massive noise to attract neighbors’ attention and trigger mass intervention.” “Plan B: Attempt to climb from your window onto the adjacent balcony.” “Plan C: Use household flammables to create a makeshift incendiary device for deterrent throwing.” 3 Create noise to attract neighbors? It’s the middle of the night. Most of my neighbors are 9-to-5ers who are fast asleep. Even if someone wakes up, who’s going to come out and face a giant beast that can stand upright and mimic human speech? What if it just makes the bear angrier? Climb to the next balcony? I’m on the 23rd floor, it’s dark outside, and it’s starting to rain. I get dizzy just looking down. Climbing out there is just a slow way to jump. As for the incendiary device, I have half a bottle of cheap vodka and a few cans of hairspray. But even if I make a Molotov cocktail, how do I throw it with a security door in the way? And what if I don’t scare it off and accidentally set my own apartment on fire? This isn’t a rescue plan; it’s a death warrant! This AI isn’t trying to help me; it’s pushing me straight into more danger! As I frantically paced, a CRASH came from the other side of the door. Not knocking—it was charging! The bear was hitting the door! The impact was huge. My rusty security door was rattling violently. It wouldn’t hold for long! I couldn’t hold back a scream. Ashley yelled into the phone: “Zoey, what’s wrong!” I choked back tears: “It’s… it’s hitting the door…” “Ashley, where’s Kyle? That bear… it’s going to break in…” Ashley quickly reassured me: “Almost there! My brother says they’re downstairs at your complex! Zoey, you have to hold on…” Before she could finish, the phone gave a low battery warning. Then, the call disconnected. The terrifying impact noises from the hallway stopped. The silence was deafening. A heavy, slow walking sound moved away from my door. A small spark of hope flared in my chest. But the quiet lasted only for a few seconds. A short, choked-off grunt, like someone being throttled, came through the door gap. Then, a thick, coppery smell of blood. Did Kyle and the rescue team subdue the bear? I summoned my courage, crept back to the door, and whispered: “Kyle? Is that you?” Silence. Then, a chilling sound broke the quiet. Crunch, slurp… It was the sound of teeth tearing flesh and bone, of chewing! Something warm and viscous began to seep under the door. My stomach churned. I clamped a hand over my mouth, my body shaking violently. My pajamas were instantly soaked with cold sweat. Kyle, Ashley’s little brother, the firefighter, who used to call me his big sister. Did the bear just eat him? I collapsed onto the floor, sliding down the wall. Despair and terror were drowning me. It was five minutes to 2:00 AM. Am I really going to die, just as the AI predicted? My face was ghostly pale. I stumbled toward the window, ready to follow the AI’s terrible advice and climb. If I was going to fall, at least this way would be quicker. Just then, my phone vibrated again. I looked down. It was a notification from the couple’s app I shared with my boyfriend, Matt. It showed that the distance between us was rapidly shrinking. Less than 500 yards. He was supposed to be out of town on a business trip. Why was he here? Then, the phone rang. 4 Realizing Matt might be downstairs, I snatched the call. Before he could say anything, I screamed: “Matt! Don’t come up! There’s a bear in the hallway!” “It’s really smart, and it mimics human voices! If you come up, you’ll be killed!” Matt was silent for a moment, then sounded annoyed: “Zoey, are you half-asleep? Where would a bear in the city come from, let alone one that talks?” “I cut my trip short and came home early. I figured you’d be up, so I brought your favorite takeout. I wanted to surprise you, and I’m at the elevator, and you’re pulling this on me?” “Tell me the truth—do you have someone else in there, and you don’t want me to come up?” I was hysterical, tears streaming down my face: “No, I don’t!” “Matt, you have to believe me! I’m telling the truth! Ashley can confirm it—her zoo’s bear escaped! It’s right outside my door, and it was ramming it!” “Ashley’s brother is already…” The sheer grief made it impossible to finish the sentence. But Matt scoffed. He didn’t believe me: “Ashley Song? She was trying to set you up with Kyle before! Why would I trust her?” “Zoey, we’re about to get engaged! And you’re making up ghost stories in the middle of the night, trying to make me look like an idiot!” “Are you hiding some random guy in there? I’m coming up right now to see what that asshole looks like!” I shouted in desperation: “No! If you don’t believe me, I can show you proof!” “The news about the escaped bear is already trending! I’ll send you a screenshot right now!” As fast as I could, I sent him the news link and a photo. Matt was quiet for a few seconds. His tone finally softened a bit: “I saw the news, but Zoey, I’m your boyfriend. How can I let you face danger alone?” “Don’t worry, I have my stun gun in the car. I want to see how tough this bear really is!” I was terrified: “Matt, are you insane? That bear is unbelievably smart and strong! You’ll be killed if you come up!” But Matt wouldn’t listen: “No. I can’t leave you. Wait for me!” Then, I heard the sound of the elevator door opening. I was furious, almost fainting: “Matt! Listen to me…” The line went dead. I sank to the floor, my mind blank. The crunching sound outside had stopped. It was silent again. Time crawled by. I clutched my phone, dialing Matt’s number over and over. No connection. Just when I was giving up hope, Matt finally called me back. I quickly answered, wiping my tears, and cried out: “Matt, you scared me to death! I thought the bear got you!” There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Matt’s familiar, joking voice: “See? I told you. How could there be a talking bear in the city? Only you would fall for it!” “Ashley was just playing a cruel prank on you. There’s nothing outside.” “Zoey, open the door. I brought your favorite Lobster Mac and Cheese…” I froze. The tears in my eyes instantly dried up. A prank? There was no bear outside? Was this all fake? Was Ashley really just messing with me? But if it wasn’t a joke, and there really was a bear, how could Matt talk to me so calmly? A huge weight lifted off my chest. I sighed in relief, ready to unlock the security door. Just then, an unknown number called me. I answered, confused. Ashley’s urgent voice came through the line: “Zoey, don’t open the door! I’m with the Animal Control team hiding in the stairwell! That person outside is not Matt!”

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The first thing I did after I was reborn was secretly move my parents’ graves. Then, I replaced their ashes with the remains of a stray dog. Not only that, but I also poured manure all over the grave site. I did this because in my past life, my ex-boyfriend’s childhood best friend said she wanted to join him in paying respects to my parents. But ever since that day, my luck had been cursed. Meanwhile, his best friend’s life soared—she snagged a job offer from a top tech company and even won a multi-million dollar lottery. Before long, I fell ill and died. As a ghost, I hovered around my boyfriend and heard his best friend giggling to him: “Thanks to your dead girlfriend, I managed to switch fates with her! She had no idea how good her destiny was. Now that I’ve taken her luck, everything she had is mine!” Hearing their conversation, I was consumed by a desire to kill them both. Then, I opened my eyes and found myself back on the very day that she suggested visiting my parents’ grave. 1 “Chloe, so these are your mom and dad’s headstones?” Lilly was looking at me, her eyes full of curiosity. I nodded: “Yeah, they are. My parents are resting right here.” A gleam sparked in Lilly’s eyes when she heard that. She bowed to my parents’ headstones. “Chloe, should I burn some prayer money for them too?” “I want to show my deepest respects!” Lilly asked with a sweet smile. In my last life, I was touched by her gesture. But in this life, I knew exactly what her “burning” was about—it was about stealing my luck and fortune. This time, I coldly refused: “Thanks, Lilly, but I’ll do it myself. It’s more meaningful if I do it for my own parents.” Lilly immediately turned to my boyfriend, a look of hurt painted on her face. “Jason, I was just trying to be thoughtful! I didn’t mean anything bad by it!” “Chloe, Lilly is being nice. Why would you refuse her?” Jason looked at me, instantly siding with her. I scoffed internally as I watched the pair. “Fine, if you want to burn something, go ahead.” I said flatly. As soon as I finished, Lilly shot a knowing look at Jason. Jason looked at me and suggested: “Chloe, let’s go buy a bouquet of fresh flowers for your parents’ graves.” Last time, Jason used this exact excuse to get me away from the site. When we came back, Lilly was done with her ritual. I even asked her what she had burned. She seemed flustered, but I didn’t think much of it. Not until after I died did I realize Lilly had literally stolen the good fortune emanating from my parents’ resting place. This time, I wasn’t going to stop her. After all, the remains buried there weren’t my parents’. I had already relocated their actual graves back to my hometown. My parents’ blessings would only follow me. As I walked away with Jason, I glanced back and saw Lilly pulling out a stack of yellow paper from her bag. On it, she had written her date of birth and name in what looked like her own blood. I just smiled, pretending I hadn’t seen anything, and kept walking with Jason. When Jason and I returned with the flowers, Lilly was finished. She even took the bouquet from my hands, smiling as she said, “Chloe, I even asked your mom and dad to look out for you!” I offered a slight, non-committal smile and didn’t say anything more. Right then, I looked at the smug, victorious expression on Lilly’s face and just chuckled softly to myself. 2 After parting ways with Jason and Lilly, I immediately went to the hospital for a thorough physical examination. The doctor assured me that I was perfectly healthy. I breathed a sigh of relief. Last life, I died mysteriously from an illness. That outcome would certainly not be repeated this time. When I got home, I received a phone call. It was from the company I had been desperately wanting to join—a highly secretive, high-level defense firm. They told me my interview was successful and asked me to start immediately. I was stunned when I got the call. In my past life, I never received this call. Instead, Lilly was the one who got a call from a big tech company on her way back from the cemetery. But this time, clearly, I was the one hired. Since the company was located in a different state, I quickly packed up everything and prepared to leave. But just as I finished packing, Jason showed up. “Chloe, Lilly didn’t get the job offer.” Jason said, “She’s pretty upset, so I’m going over to comfort her.” I listened to Jason and just smiled faintly: “That’s good. You should go.” Jason looked me over carefully and asked, “Chloe, were your parents’ graves always there?” I nodded instantly: “Of course!” I knew Jason was suspicious. After all, Lilly and Jason had gotten a fortune teller to read my Bazi (birth chart), and the fortune teller had said I had strong parental protection and would succeed at whatever I did. That’s why they targeted me. “Jason, would I forget where my own parents are buried?” I asked, pretending to be wounded. Hearing that, Jason laughed: “You’re right, of course.” “Well, I’m going to go be with Lilly now.” Jason said, looking at me. I feigned concern for Lilly and told Jason to be sure to comfort her. “Chloe, you usually hate it when I spend time with Lilly. Why are you rushing me off today?” Jason asked curiously before he left. I chuckled: “I still don’t like it, but Lilly is sad, so go cheer her up.” “Jason, I trust you completely.” I smiled, looking at him. Jason nodded, seemingly satisfied, and then left. The second Jason was gone, I quickly finalized everything and called my landlord. I told them I was moving out immediately, not even bothering to collect my security deposit. After all that, I bought the next flight out and rushed to the airport. Only once I was at the gate did I finally relax. I knew that now, I was truly safe. I couldn’t imagine what other schemes Lilly and Jason would come up with if I stayed. There was no way I’d let them succeed this time. As for Lilly, her bad luck was just starting. After all, only I knew she had claimed a wild dog as her parent. Plus, with the manure I poured on the site, I had already drained any remaining luck there might have been. Lilly would only be met with bad fortune; she wouldn’t have a happy ending. As for Jason, being with Lilly would only drag him down. So, naturally, I had to keep my distance from both of them. 3 In the departure lounge, I opened my phone and scrolled through Lilly and Jason’s posts. They were apparently on a trip together. The pictures showed them looking cozy and intimate. I zoned out for a moment. My relationship with Jason started a year ago. A classmate dragged me to a fortune teller, and Lilly and Jason happened to be there too. They overheard my Bazi. Soon after, Jason started aggressively pursuing me. At first, I didn’t understand. Now I realize Jason was after my birth chart. He approached me for Lilly’s sake. Looking at the couple now, I smiled and closed my phone. When the plane landed, I was picked up right away. They had everything arranged for me. Since it was a classified unit, security was top-notch. I saw patrols everywhere when I checked in. This reassured me immensely. After completing the onboarding process, my boss told me I could start next week and use the next few days to settle in. Only then did I truly relax and crash onto the bed. A full day of running around had left me exhausted. I fell asleep instantly. In a daze, I heard my phone ring. It was Jason. His voice on the phone was urgent: “Chloe, you need to come to the hospital right now!” “What?” I paused, then realized it was Jason. “Jason, is something wrong?” I asked, feigning concern. “Chloe, Lilly and I were in a car accident. We’re both in the hospital. You have to come here!” Jason’s voice was frantic. “Jason, I’m sorry, I can’t make it.” I replied. “I found a job and I’ve already moved away.” The second I said that, Jason roared into the phone: “Chloe, what are you talking about?” “You hadn’t found a job! And I saw you just yesterday!” “I know you’re upset because Lilly and I went on a trip! Chloe, stop being dramatic and get over here!” Jason yelled, furious. I replied calmly: “Jason, I really did find a job.” “And I realized you probably care more about Lilly.” “So, Jason, we should break up.” I hung up immediately, not giving Jason a chance to react. My relationship with Jason was over. After all, they were the ones headed for disaster now. My luck was back. After hanging up, I tried to go back to sleep, but Jason called again. I frowned at his number and switched my phone off completely. Now, I could finally get some rest. 4 Over the next two weeks, I gradually took on more and more work. My boss was extremely pleased, even telling me that if I finished my current project, I would be put in charge of my own. Naturally, I was highly motivated. Meanwhile, Jason and Lilly kept calling me relentlessly. I didn’t bother answering and eventually blocked their numbers. I thought blocking them would be the end of it, but Jason and Lilly were like barnacles, constantly calling from different numbers. Every time Jason called, I just hung up. My friend told me that Lilly had been having a miserable time. The car accident had completely messed up her face. She was still in the hospital and needed reconstructive surgery. Jason had broken a rib, too. On top of that, Lilly had apparently dragged Jason into a high-stakes gambling session shortly before the accident. They lost everything. They were now deep in debt. My friend was relieved when they heard I had broken up with Jason. “Chloe, you don’t know. They lost the money gambling, and then crashed the car while fighting about it!” “And now they’re trying to borrow money from everyone!” “Chloe, if Jason begs you, don’t you dare give in. He was constantly with Lilly even when you two were together. You could barely tell who his real girlfriend was!” I laughed when I heard my friend’s warning: “I got it.” Then I hung up. I hadn’t expected Lilly’s bad luck to kick in so quickly. Last life, after she left the grave, she and Jason left to celebrate her getting the job offer. It turns out they were going to a gambling den together. Lilly assumed her luck would be amazing, so she was reckless. She had no idea I had already rewritten her fate this time. Hearing the news about them made me happy. They were certainly in for a lot more trouble. The next morning, I woke up to Jason’s call again. This time, his voice was more desperate than ever. “Chloe, please come back! I really need you!” “Jason, did you forget? I already broke up with you.” I spoke calmly into the phone, ignoring his desperation. Jason’s voice became more frantic: “Chloe, I never agreed to that!” “How can you break up with me right after I got hurt? That’s not right! You have to take responsibility for me!” I scoffed at his words: “Jason, you and Lilly got into an accident together. Why should I be responsible?” “Besides, aren’t you and Lilly doing great together?” I said coldly: “Also, Jason, we are over.” “So, please stop calling me in the future!” I was about to hang up, but then I heard Lilly’s cold voice suddenly cut in from the other end. “Chloe, that wasn’t your parents’ grave, was it? What exactly did you do?”

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It was a college reunion party, and my roommate challenged me to a game of “Of Course.” She looked me dead in the eye and said that in three months, my family would be bankrupt, everyone I loved would be dead, and I would contract an incurable disease and get kicked out of college. My face went pale, but fueled by the peer pressure, I gritted my teeth and replied with the required two words: “Of course.” I never thought that three months later, every single one of Blair’s prophecies would come true. My dad’s company lost millions overnight, filed for bankruptcy, and was buried under mountains of debt. My mom couldn’t handle it and jumped from our penthouse window. My younger sister, who witnessed my mom’s death, slit her wrists in the bathroom that very night. To pay off my dad’s debts, I started working as a hostess at a high-end club and was drugged one night. A check-up revealed I had contracted multiple STDs. Just as I took the cash from a client to help my dad, I found out my dad had also hanged himself. I realized this was all connected to my roommate. I tried to confront her for the truth. Instead, she shoved me into oncoming traffic, telling bystanders I was just “too ashamed of being filthy” and committed suicide. I opened my eyes again and found myself back on the day of the college reunion. Blair looked at me and asked again: “Zoey, want to play a game with me?” I nodded: “Yes. Of course I want to play.” 1 Blair clapped her hands. “Then let’s play the game of ‘Of Course’!” I pretended I’d never played, and Blair explained the rules: “Whatever I say, no matter how crazy, you have to reply with those two words: ‘Of course.’” “Got it,” I nodded. Just as Blair was about to speak, I cut her off: “Wait! How about you play a round with me too? Three sentences each.” A flicker of hesitation crossed Blair’s face. I knew exactly what she was afraid of. In the previous life, playing this game with her was what led to my utter ruin, the death of my entire family. Seeing her nervously hedging, I mocked her just like the other students did last time. “No way, Blair. It’s just a game. Are you scared to play? Or do you know something special about this game?” As soon as the words left my mouth, a chorus of classmates, eager for drama, instantly chimed in. “Come on, Blair! We’re here to have fun! How can you be too chicken for a little game?” “Seriously, it’s just a few verbal jabs. Is your skin really that thin?” After a few snarky comments from the crowd, Blair instantly lifted her chin. “Why would I be scared? Let’s play!” The game started. Blair stared at me, her eyes like a viper’s, and her words were identical to the past life. “In less than three months, your dad’s company will go bust.” “Your whole family will die—your mom will jump, your sister will slit her wrists.” “And you’ll get infected with disgusting diseases, get expelled from school, and rot away until you die!” Blair spoke in one venomous rush, like she was possessed. Hearing these prophetic curses again, I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. The students around us were appalled. “Blair, that’s seriously messed up!” “Yeah, anyone would think you have some deep-seated hatred for Zoey.” Blair ignored the side chatter and just focused on me: “Zoey, say it!” I was shaking with rage, but to keep Blair from sensing anything different, I forced the words out: “Of course.” Hearing my response, Blair smirked, her confidence returning. She even gave me a fake compliment. “Wow, Zoey, you’re brave. You actually agreed to such awful stuff. Aren’t you scared I have some kind of jinx, and everything I just said will come true?” Facing Blair’s provocation, I suppressed the turmoil inside. I sneered: “Are you done? It’s my turn to talk.” Blair looked surprised. Most people would have gone ballistic after hearing those curses, but I was holding it together. Just as I was about to speak, Blair interrupted me. “I haven’t used my three sentences yet! I can keep going.” My eyes narrowed. That hadn’t happened last time. At that moment, my boyfriend, Ethan Reed, walked over and joined us. He naturally sat next to me, put his arm around my shoulder, and chuckled: “What’s going on? Why the serious faces?” Blair glanced at Ethan and instantly shot her final line: “Zoey, your boyfriend is going to cheat on you in seven days and hook up with your best friend.” Ethan’s eyes widened in shock. He instinctively started to protest, but I immediately cut him off: “Of course!” Ethan immediately got angry: “Zoey, what the hell? Don’t you trust me? All these years together, and you actually—!” I grabbed Ethan’s hand and patted it reassuringly. “Calm down, we’re playing a game. Whatever Blair says, I have to reply with ‘Of course.’” My boyfriend sighed in relief. “Oh, right. I thought she was just being malicious because she can’t stand us together.” The three of us exchanged fake smiles, and the atmosphere looked perfectly friendly. But deep down, I knew Blair absolutely couldn’t stand to see me happy. 2 The day I started college, I went viral on the school forums after someone posted a candid photo of me. Everyone called me the “Pure Goddess of Campus” and even anointed me the school’s unofficial face. Media outlets came calling, and they quickly discovered I wasn’t just pretty—I was rich. My dad was the most famous entrepreneur in the state. His company was huge, he was incredibly charitable, and he had a huge reputation in the community. The girls at school were all jealous of me. All except Blair. She was all smiles on the surface, but her heart always harbored a bitter resentment. She had desperately wanted to be crowned “Campus Queen.” As soon as she joined the freshman group chat, she’d flooded it with dozens of heavily filtered photos of herself. She’d compliment others while waiting for boys to compliment her. If someone didn’t praise her, Blair would “accidentally” slip a revealing leg photo into the chat. She was supposed to be the brightest new star freshman, but I stole her spotlight. Blair hated me for it. This game was her setup—a trap designed just for me. “Okay, you’re done. It’s my turn now.” I was ready, rubbing my hands together. Blair’s face was noticeably darker. Before she could object, I spoke: “Blair, if all the curses you just put on me come true, everything will rebound onto you!” Blair’s face instantly went white. She clamped her mouth shut, refusing to speak. That confirmed my suspicion. Everything I endured in the past life was definitely tied to her words! I deliberately raised my voice: “You just cursed my family to die and my business to go bankrupt. Now, I simply say one word—rebound—and you’re too afraid to play? Blair, are you really that weak?” “Come on, everyone! Is this fair? Blair’s playing dirty!” The surrounding students backed me up. “It’s just a game, Blair! What’s the big deal?” “You started the attack on Zoey. The game has to be two-sided.” Under the public pressure, Blair managed a tight, strained smile: “Of course.” I immediately followed up: “Blair, do you dare to repeat what I just said?” “Of course.” “Great. Repeat it now.” Blair hadn’t expected me to dig a trap for her. Her face changed dramatically, but she eventually repeated: “If all the curses I put on you come true, everything will rebound onto me.” Hearing her fully repeat it, I felt a slight relief. In the past life, I was completely baffled until I died and realized the existence of something like a jinx or a Word of Power might be real. So, I had to force Blair’s mouth to utter words that would work against her. I didn’t know if this was the solution, but it was a shot. 3 As soon as I got home, I rushed into my dad’s study, holding a picture of a man. “Dad, you have to cancel all your deals with this ‘Mr. Thompson’ immediately, no matter the cost!” My dad looked at the photo, completely shocked. “Hey, honey, how did you even know I was working with Mr. Thompson? I don’t think I told anyone about this.” “Dad, don’t worry about that! The most important thing is that you listen to me!” This Mr. Thompson was the source of my family’s tragedy in the past life. He had a shell company and tricked my dad into signing a massive contract. When the scam was discovered, he vanished, leaving my dad liable for hundreds of millions in penalties. Seeing my dad still hesitant, I immediately showed him the evidence I had collected. “Dad, I went through the State Registry and the Tax Office to get all this information. If you don’t trust me, you have to trust the government records!” My dad’s brows furrowed as he read it, his face turning serious. “It really is a scammer! Honey, I’m going to trust you on this one!” He immediately called his secretary. “Go and thoroughly investigate Mr. Thompson’s company. I think we’ve been played. Don’t sign any contracts for now.” Seeing my dad arrange everything lifted a massive weight off my chest. I hugged my dad tightly and said with deep sincerity: “Dad, you have to trust me. This concerns the fate of our whole family!” The next evening, my dad called to tell me that his investigation confirmed it—Mr. Thompson was indeed a fraud! He had already canceled all cooperation with him. I was ecstatic. I had finally reversed that critical event in this life! My mom saw my joy and smiled: “Why are you so happy? Is it because you’re expecting flowers?” I was confused: “What flowers, Mom?” She laughed: “I went to order flowers today, and I saw your little boyfriend, Ethan Reed, ordering a bouquet too. Valentine’s Day is only a week away. He’s probably planning a big surprise for you!” My mom was smiling, but my heart plunged into an icy pit. In the past life, I never received flowers from Ethan on Valentine’s Day. Blair’s curse echoed in my mind. “Your boyfriend is going to cheat on you in seven days and hook up with your best friend.” Still shaken, I immediately contacted my best friend, Sophia. Learning that Sophia was still abroad and wouldn’t be back for another month calmed my nerves slightly. The flowers couldn’t be for Sophia; she couldn’t even receive them yet. I spent the next six days on edge. Early on the seventh day, Ethan sent me a “Happy Valentine’s Day” text. He said the gift would arrive soon and told me to grab it. But when I took the package from the delivery guy, I broke out in a cold sweat. I called Ethan: “Why is it chocolate?” Ethan just chuckled: “It’s Valentine’s Day! You send chocolate! What, you don’t like it?” I stayed silent for a long time, then gathered my courage: “Ethan, did you order me flowers?” The line went dead silent. Ethan’s voice returned, falsely cheerful: “Zoey, you wanted flowers? I can order you a bouquet right now…” My ears started ringing. I couldn’t hear anything else. When I finally managed to open my social media, I saw Sophia had just posted a photo of the flowers she received for Valentine’s Day. Her caption read: “Saying the darkest feelings out loud in a crowded room.” My heart completely shattered. My phone slipped and crashed to the floor, but I couldn’t even move to pick it up. Just then, Blair called me. Her voice was light and airy: “Happy Valentine’s Day, Zoey. Do you like this little gift I sent you?” I couldn’t help but ask, raging: “What dark magic did you use on me?!” The only answer I got was a dial tone. 4 I promptly broke up with Ethan. When he asked why, I shoved Sophia’s social media post in his face. After a long silence, he started apologizing, claiming he and Sophia had just started dating. And that Sophia had seduced him first. “Zoey, Zoey, please give me another chance!” I couldn’t be bothered to listen to his garbage and blocked him on everything. Losing a boyfriend wasn’t the scary part. What truly terrified me was my family possibly repeating the fate of the previous life. I couldn’t help but call my dad again, triple-checking that he had definitively avoided that Mr. Thompson. Only then could I get a proper night’s sleep. Soon, winter break was over, and it was time to go back to school. The moment I stepped into the dorm, a couple of my roommates rushed over to console me. “Zoey, I heard you broke up. And your boyfriend cheated on you!” “He’s such a jerk! How could he hook up with your best friend?” I was stunned. I hadn’t told anyone about the cheating. I quickly asked: “Who told you?” “Me.” Blair stepped forward, a smug look on her face. A roommate nearby was marveling: “Blair, you’re amazing! I remember you saying during the game that Zoey’s boyfriend would cheat in less than seven days! Do you have some kind of superpower? Can you see the future?” “Haha, don’t be silly, I don’t have superpowers. I just pay attention! I could tell Zoey’s boyfriend, Ethan, was unhappy with her a long time ago. She just couldn’t see it, so I used the game to warn her!” After Blair finished, the roommates actually clapped for her, praising her loudly. “Blair, you’re such a good friend!” “Yeah, smart and loyal! She can hint that her friend’s boyfriend is cheating without hurting her friend’s feelings.” “Zoey, you really should thank Blair.” Amidst the chattering roommates, Blair stared at me with that snake-like, chilling gaze. She said lightly: “No need to thank me, Zoey. It’s the least I could do.” In that moment, I was consumed by fury! She refused to admit she had any special power, but I knew she was hiding a terrifying secret! I immediately called my dad’s former secretary. “Please help me investigate my classmate, Blair. I want to know everything she’s been up to these past few years!” When I received the investigation report, I broke out in a cold sweat. Soon, it was the day my father was scheduled to go bankrupt in the previous life. Everything played out exactly the same. I was sitting in class when my phone rang—it was my dad. “Hello, Dad, what’s wrong?” My heart was pounding as I asked the question. My dad’s voice was choked with sobs: “Honey, it’s bad! I was scammed! I lost hundreds of millions! The company’s funding is gone. I… I’m going to end it all to protect you all!” “Dad, don’t!” I shot up, screaming: “How could you be scammed? You canceled the contract with that Mr. Thompson!” I immediately looked at Blair next to me, and she mouthed something to me. “The game has started.”

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I’m a struggling, C-list actress. Gigs were rare, so I had to take on side hustles to survive. Like playing a zombie NPC in an escape room. The problem: my performance was too convincing. I terrified the customers so badly they ran out and demanded refunds, leading to my immediate firing. Good news: I was invited to a major reality TV show. Bad news: They invited me to play a Zombie NPC. Before the premiere, the delicate, innocent starlet cooed to the camera: “I’m a really slow runner, I hope the production team will be gentle with me.” Then, she caught sight of my half-decayed face and instantly turned into an Olympic sprinter, clocking a half-mile in sixty seconds. The comments section exploded: “A woman driven by the wind.” The cool, unsmiling A-list actor was so startled by me that he passed out cold, forcing me to cry while giving him chest compressions. The comments section: “Girl, please just back away. He’s only going to faint again when he wakes up.” That night, I was trending: “Investigate Leo Vance. He’s not acting.” 1 I’m a D-list actor, constantly struggling to land a role. When I did, they were mostly non-speaking background parts. The pay was so low I could barely afford groceries. To survive, I had to find side gigs. That $2,000 rent was a real nightmare. So, in my spare time, I decided to deliver food. The result: I’m directionally challenged. I ended up losing more money than I earned. Next, I tried setting up a street stall to sell jewelry and bags. The result: I was chased away five times in three days. Just as I felt small, alone, hopeless, and depressed. A newly opened escape room caught my eye. “Now Hiring: Zombie NPC. Work 4 hours a day, 2 days off per week. Salary: $4,500/month. Requirements: Open to all genders, excellent stamina, must be fast runner, preference for scary appearance, acting skills a plus.” My eyes lit up instantly. Was this job custom-made for me? I was a former college athlete who had studied dance for years. Not only could I run fast, but I could act my butt off. I could even touch my foot to my forehead. Crucially, I was a die-hard zombie fan. I’d watched dozens, if not over a hundred, related movies and TV shows. My “experience” was abundant. 2 I rushed to the owner immediately. After I explained why I was there, he just lifted an eyebrow. He didn’t seem convinced at all. He said lightly: “Okay, show me something then.” Granted permission, I took a deep breath. Time for my performance. I stood still, head bowed. My entire body seemed to melt like a pile of mud. I collapsed softly onto the floor. Then, under the owner’s increasingly bewildered gaze, my upper body pulled my lower body, and I rose smoothly. The owner’s eyes widened. I extended my hand and slowly approached him. The muscles in my face twitched unsettlingly. My limbs swayed erratically, moving as slowly as a toddler taking its first steps. The whole scene was unsettlingly like a creepypasta “flesh-suit.” The owner held his breath, terrified. However, the agonizingly slow speed suddenly shifted to a motor-driven pace. In the blink of an eye, I was right in front of him. He instinctively shoved me. I fell backward, then executed a smooth, fluid recovery, completing the movement with a terrifying, bloody-mouthed snarl. The owner shrieked: “Stop! Stop! That’s enough, you’re hired! Tomorrow—no, tonight—you start!” I screamed internally, Yes! Finally, no more scraping by! 3 This job was a godsend, and I loved it. Every time I put on my detailed makeup and my costume. Watching the cocky customers scatter and run for their lives was pure bliss. It was the most fun I’d had in ages. I approached my work with serious dedication, never half-assing it. I aimed to give every customer the right to scream their lungs out. I aimed to give every customer a memory of clutching their heads and running wild. No one leaves disappointed. No one leaves disappointed. Then I noticed that a lot of first-time customers weren’t coming back. Some of the five-star reviews even read like this: “Truly immersive horror atmosphere, absolutely amazing. I will never return.” Me: “…” I had a bad feeling. Sure enough, after less than a month, the owner gave me the final word. “Don’t come in tomorrow. Or ever again. Your month’s pay has been transferred.” I was completely confused. “Why, Boss? Was my performance not good enough?” He sent me several video clips. I opened them: it was me chasing customers, mouth agape, ready to bite. Mid-run, I tripped, but just kept going on all fours, crawling and scrambling. The customers were running and crying. Now it was the owner’s turn to cry. “Please, I’m begging you, don’t come back. This is a small business; we can’t handle this kind of chaos.” 4 Losing my favorite side gig made me incredibly sad. Life was tight again. Thankfully, my agent was a trooper. She was still relentlessly submitting me for roles. Bless her heart, I could cry. It would be even better if fewer of those roles were for corpses. Until that day, when she excitedly told me: “Leo Vance! You’ve been invited to the reality show, The Deep Dive!” My head exploded. I thought I misheard her. “Are you talking about the live-streamed, super-hit horror reality show that only A-list celebrities get invited to?! The national phenomenon?!” My agent was even more thrilled than I was: “Yes! I submitted your resume and thought there was no chance, but the director replied the next day! He wants you to audition right away! He must be drunk, so you better seize this opportunity!” I was ecstatic. Finally, a director saw my talent. Of course, a big-name show like that would require an audition. The Deep Dive was a show that blew up the moment it premiered. Everyone was desperate to get on it. This time, only five main cast members were invited. Including me, tee-hee. All were the hottest celebrity traffic, except for me, sob. There was still a week until the premiere, and the official social media comments section was already flooded. The two most prominent threads were about the cool, unsmiling A-list actor, Liam Thorne, and the delicate starlet, Lily Ray. “So excited to see the unshakeable, mountain-moving Liam Thorne on a horror show!” “Waaah, what will happen to our sweet Lily? Production, please be nice to her!” I looked at the comments, tears streaming down my face, and comforted myself: It’s okay. I’ll be famous after this show! 5 My beautiful dream was shattered. “Wait, you invited me to play a Zombie NPC?” The director nodded, looking quite impressed. “We watched the video attached to your resume. You have immense potential. That’s why we extended the invitation. Our show typically doesn’t invite non-celebrities, but Ms. Vance, you are truly exceptional…” I thought I heard wrong: “Non-celebrity?” Then I remembered: I accidentally attached the escape room owner’s video to my professional resume. The sadder truth: Three years into my career, I was still being mistaken for a non-celebrity. Just as I was sinking into self-pity. The director spoke again: “If your performance is as exciting as the video, we’re prepared to offer you $10,000 per episode. How does that sound?” I was stunned: “Ten thousand?!” How many corpses did I have to play to earn that much?! The director nodded: “We can increase the rate later if your performance exceeds our expectations.” I stepped forward and grabbed the director’s hand: “Thank you, Director. It’s a pleasure to work with you. I absolutely will not let you down!” The premiere day finally arrived. Everyone was giving their pre-show interviews. The camera zoomed in on the starlet, Lily Ray. She shyly covered her face: “I’m a really slow runner. I hope the production team can be gentle with me.” I felt sorry for her. What an innocent, pure soul. I’ll chase her slowly later. The camera moved to the movie star, Liam Thorne. He was still a man of few words: “Mmm. I can handle it.” I nodded approvingly. Good backbone. I’ll chase him first.

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My younger brother borrowed my gaming account and spent all his time sweet-talking top players into boosting his rank. I didn’t pay much attention. Until one day, the most popular guy on campus cornered me. “You call me ‘Husband’ so sweetly in the game. When can I make it official in real life?” “?” Who? Me? 1 After graduating high school, my little brother, Finn, was living the good life at home. He ate whatever he wanted, and sweet-talked me into letting him borrow my full-skin gaming account. Every night, he’d hide in his room playing games. At first, it was normal. But then, he started talking to people while playing. “You got first blood again, Big Brother! You’re so awesome!” “Big Brother, they’re chasing me, I’m scared, waaah.” “Wow, you’re too good, Big Brother~” “I feel so safe with you!” It was so affected and weird. Mom, Dad, and I outside felt a wave of nausea just listening. One day, I couldn’t stand it anymore and planned to go in and warn him not to embarrass me with my account. My mom stopped me. “Let him be. He just finished his exams, let him enjoy himself for a bit. We’ll deal with him when school starts.” I thought about it. She had a point. I hadn’t played in ages anyway. And he couldn’t possibly do too much damage to the account. Until one night at dinner. Finn sneakily put a piece of meat on my plate. I immediately knew something was up. I frowned. “What did you do now?” He acted offended. “What? Why do you think so badly of me, Sis!” When I glared at him, he forced a smile. “Okay, so I’ve been talking to a ‘God-tier’ player in the game recently. I’ve only been texting him, but now he wants me to turn on my microphone to play with him…” I rolled my eyes. “I’m not helping you run a scam.” He clasped his hands together and bowed to me frantically. “Please, Sis! Just say a word or two, and I’ll find an excuse to turn the mic off right away.” I put down my chopsticks and told him clearly: “No. Way.” Me helping my brother pretend to be a girl to talk to a stranger? Never. Even though Finn had been acting like a spoiled brat since graduation, he didn’t dare argue too much with me. He just went back to his room dejectedly. I heard the game login music shortly after he closed the door. A few minutes later, I suddenly got a WeChat message. The contact name was “Ethan Chen.” I chewed on my chopsticks, trying to remember. That should be the most popular guy on campus. He was handsome, brilliant, and his family seemed loaded. I’d met him a few times at club events and politely added him on WeChat. But we had barely ever chatted. He forwarded a graphic listing what to avoid eating and doing when you have a cold. Me: $$?$$ He quickly sent a follow-up message. $$Don’t eat these when you have a cold. Take care of yourself.$$ I was confused. “?” When did I get a cold? How did I not know? And are we even close enough for him to care? ________________________________________ 2 But because we weren’t close, I debated for ages about how to respond. Finally, I just replied: $$Thanks, got it.$$ Even if I didn’t have a cold, it could just be a kind reminder. If he sent it to the wrong person, Ethan would be the one who felt awkward. He never admitted he sent it to the wrong person. I didn’t think much of it. Finn kept badgering me about using the microphone several times. He said he had run out of excuses. I was so annoyed I finally snapped: “If you want to pretend to be a girl, why don’t you just buy a voice changer?” He looked at me in sudden realization, his eyes lighting up. “Sis! You’re a genius!” I slowly frowned. But from that day on. It sounded like he really did start voice-chatting with someone. And his voice was even more affected than before. My mouth twitched, but I was too busy to care. I had tons of stuff going on with the end of the semester, and the school forced us to participate in some pointless basketball scrimmage. In the afternoon, our Liberal Arts department played against the Computer Science department. My professor insisted I go deliver supplies. When I arrived with water and snacks, the court was completely packed. I was shocked: “Why are there so many people today?” My friend whispered: “Don’t you know? Ethan Chen is playing for Computer Science today!” “He’s amazing at basketball! You’re lucky to catch him play!” I was astonished. I put my hands on my friend’s shoulder, stood on my tiptoes, and looked onto the court. I saw Ethan leaping high, executing a beautiful dunk. His jersey fluttered up slightly. Revealing the taut lines of his abs beneath the fabric. He turned his head, and the sunlight hit his sharp profile. Time seemed to slow down for a second. “Wow, he’s really hot,” I couldn’t help but say. My friend agreed: “Right?” I had seen him before. But in a white jersey, Ethan Chen seemed even more charming. The girls around us were screaming non-stop. After the game, our team narrowly lost. I quickly called the players over for water and a rest. Our main player, Sam, took the water I offered and grumbled: “If it wasn’t for Ethan Chen, I would have crushed those coding nerds.” I laughed: “Okay, okay, you’d crush them.” He looked offended: “You don’t believe me?” I shrugged. “I didn’t say that.” Sam turned around in a huff, looking for someone to back him up. And ran right into someone. Ethan Chen, a towel draped over his shoulder, had walked over to our side, standing right behind Sam and me. Sam jumped: “What are you doing here?” Ethan ignored him and just stared at me. In front of everyone, he slowly held out his hand to me. “I’d like some water too.” Sam’s jaw dropped. Confused, I quietly reminded Ethan: “Hey, you’re from Computer Science.” Wasn’t he on the opposing team? Was he asking the wrong people for water? His expression didn’t change. “I know.” I didn’t understand. But out of basic courtesy, I handed him a bottle of water. “Uh… here you go.” What a weird preference. Does he like drinking our team’s water? While I was wondering, Ethan took the water and drank a small sip. “It’s sweet,” he confirmed about our water. Before I could figure out what to say, Ethan suddenly tilted his head and asked: “Are you playing tonight?” “?” Playing what tonight? ________________________________________ 3 While I was trying to figure out what Ethan meant, Sam slapped Ethan’s shoulder. “Tonight? Playing what tonight?” “Our department is having a dinner gathering tonight. You want to come?” Ethan shot Sam a look, moving his hand off his shoulder. He looked at me instead. “Are you going?” I paused, then nodded. Even though I wasn’t on the basketball team. The dinner was planned much earlier. Ethan didn’t hesitate. He turned and asked Sam. “Mind if I join?” Since he asked, of course, no one minded. Everyone agreed immediately, and we even invited some other people from his department. But someone please tell me. Why was Ethan sticking to me like glue?! From the moment we got into the cars until we arrived, he maintained a distance of less than two feet from me. His gaze made me so uncomfortable. I tried hard to remember. Did I offend him somewhere, or did I owe him money? No, right? He was shadowing me so closely. I stopped before sitting down at the table. I turned and forced a smile: “Please, you go first.” He seemed momentarily stunned, then smiled, looking like he understood something. “Sure.” He casually pulled out a chair nearby. I sighed in relief and quickly rushed over to sit next to Sam, far away from Ethan. Although I didn’t look in Ethan’s direction. I could feel a look of surprise and disbelief focused on me from his seat. I felt inexplicably guilty. Sam was oblivious. When I sat down, he grinned widely. “Chloe, want to play some games while we wait for the food?” “Sounds good,” I replied vaguely. ________________________________________ 4 We settled on the classic game of Truth or Dare. The first person asked was Ethan Chen. The eternal heartthrob, the campus darling—his dating life was the most gossiped about subject. So when people asked him how many girlfriends he’d had, I couldn’t help but look over curiously. My eyes met Ethan’s gaze. The corner of his mouth instantly lifted in a smile that was stronger than any AK-47. He looked around, then shyly lowered his eyes. “Half a one.” Everyone was baffled. “Half a one? What does that mean?” “How do you only date half a person?” “‘Half a girlfriend,’ that’s a new one.” I was confused, frowning slightly. He explained shyly: “It’s someone I’m currently developing a relationship with.” “But we’re very happy with each other… We’re just waiting for an official confirmation.” “She said she wants to pick an auspicious day.” Everyone nodded, finally understanding. They started teasing him. “You, the guy who looks like he should have a long line of girlfriends, has never had an official relationship?” “What’s so strange? Ethan is famously aloof and doesn’t let anyone close.” “Lots of people chase him, but has he ever dated anyone?” “I heard that, but who knew Ethan was so pure?” … Everyone was very excited to get the gossip on Ethan. Only I was sitting rigidly in my chair. Hold on. What was with Ethan’s shy glances at me? I wasn’t the one he was developing a relationship with! But that girl was truly strange. Waiting for an auspicious day just to start dating? And Ethan actually went along with it. Hilarious. Someone else asked curiously: “Which girl managed to snag Ethan?” “Is she from our school?” Ethan sipped his tea, his head still bowed. “Yes.” “As for who, she’ll tell you when the time is right.” His voice was laced with unconcealed excitement. I had a strange feeling. The girl was probably here. Among the people at this dinner.

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After my fiancé got into a car accident and suffered a brain injury, he blocked and deleted everyone and vanished. He even had someone relay a message to me: “Sorry to hold you up, but I’m off to pursue my true love now.” I was already annoyed because it was raining after a long day of work, but that message pushed me over the edge. My frustration peaked when I found a soaking wet man standing right outside my door. My fiancé looked at me with a bewildered expression. He asked: “Can I stay the night? I have nowhere else to go.” 1 “Aren’t you…?” Going to pursue your true love? I choked on the second half of the sentence, remembering the panic of Ethan’s parents when they found out he was missing. Forget it. His brain is scrambled right now. I should handle him carefully first. I invited Ethan inside. Maybe Ethan himself thought it was ridiculous to be invited in as a stranger so easily. He stood in the entryway, frowning, looking troubled. “Shouldn’t you ask my name? What if I’m a bad guy?” Eager to get back to my work files, I answered him casually: “Fine, what’s your name then?” The man instantly looked on the verge of tears, pitiful and sad. He said: “My name is Ethan Vance. I was hurt in a car accident. Right after I woke up, my parents tried to force me to marry a stranger I didn’t like, so I had no choice but to run away…” As the “stranger he didn’t like,” I felt personally offended. I lost all patience for his story. I just turned around and said: “Oh.” I heard hurried footsteps behind me. Ethan’s long, cool fingers grabbed my wrist. “I’m cold from the rain. Can I stay at your place for a while longer? I can cook, clean…” My head started to ache. My fiancé, even a slightly lobotomized one, was still my fiancé for now. Rather than having him cheat on me somewhere I couldn’t see, I might as well have him do it right under my nose. Once I processed that thought, I nodded decisively: “Fine, you can stay.” I pointed to the empty room: “That’s the guest room. I’m right next door. Let me know if you need anything, but I have to get back to work.” Watching Mia’s retreating back, Ethan felt his heart swell with warmth. He decided that running away had been the most correct decision of his life. The road to true love was wide open. He had successfully moved in with his soulmate. 2 After finishing work, I called Ethan’s parents to let them know he was safe. Afraid of upsetting Ethan further, his parents begged me to look after him for a while. Facing this huge complication, I really wanted to break off the engagement. It was a cold commercial arrangement with no feelings involved—just a business exchange. And with Ethan loudly announcing his pursuit of true love, I felt even more redundant. But my parents convinced me, saying that the accident was a major setback for Ethan, and while I couldn’t offer encouragement, I shouldn’t kick him while he was down. “Fine,” I sighed. I reluctantly accepted the possibility of cohabiting with my fiancé for a while. I rubbed my temples and opened the door. I came face-to-face with Ethan, wrapped only in a towel. His ears turned red, and he stammered: “You… you said I could ask for help if I needed it? I don’t have pajamas.” A bead of water dripped from his hair, slowly tracing the line of his toned abdomen before disappearing under the towel. I felt a little hot and dizzy. I stepped back, forcing myself to look away. I said, with utmost seriousness: “Boys need to have a sense of caution in a stranger’s house. Not everyone is as much of a model citizen as I am—” I turned and pulled out a pair of my dad’s old pajamas from the closet. “—and upright as I am.” Ethan took the pajamas, his gaze lowered. A fleeting look of disappointment crossed his eyes. “You actually have men’s pajamas…” he mumbled softly. Why was he unhappy? Weren’t one pair enough? Luckily, my dad was particular and kept several sets of pajamas here. I pulled out a silk set and a cotton set, handing them all to Ethan. “Are these enough? I even have men’s underwear.” Ethan was so overjoyed he looked stunned. His smile froze on his face, and he even forgot to say thank you. 3 I was woken up by the smell of something delicious the next morning. The aroma wafted through the door crack, and my empty stomach protested loudly. I opened the door. In the kitchen, Ethan was single-handedly flipping food in a pan. He was wearing the pink, lacy apron left by the housekeeper, his upper body bare, the thin straps draped over his broad back. I felt even hungrier. Hearing the noise, Ethan turned around. The morning sunlight framed him in gold, and his smile was radiant. “You’re awake! I made breakfast to thank you for taking me in.” I looked at the time and hesitated. “I have a company meeting. I’m going to be late.” Ethan’s bright smile fell slightly, but he quickly came up with a new idea. “You go get ready. I’ll pack the breakfast in containers. I’ll drive you there, and you can eat on the way.” To ensure I could eat in peace, Ethan drove fast but smoothly. The breakfast was delicious, the sunlight perfect. My heart felt light, and I temporarily forgot all the stress caused by Ethan. My dad called suddenly, and I automatically answered. My phone connected to the car’s Bluetooth. My dad’s voice boomed from the speakers: “Mia, that guy you’re engaged to…” I was quick and hit disconnect first. Ethan was quicker, hitting the brakes suddenly. My carefully balanced crystal mini-dumplings rolled off my lap and onto the floor. “You’re getting married soon?” Ethan restarted the car, his voice urgent. I looked at my tragically deceased breakfast and groaned. “Married what? We’re breaking up soon,” I snapped irritably. “Oh.” My attention was completely fixed on my ruined breakfast. I completely missed the fact that after Ethan suppressed his voice to answer me, his eyes crinkled and his smile couldn’t be hidden. 4 I suspected that Ethan’s talk about pursuing true love was a lie he cooked up to avoid marrying me. He never left the house. He ordered handsome clothes online daily and dressed up flamboyantly inside the house. I had no idea who he was trying to impress. His schedule was tighter than mine: major cleaning on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; cooking experiments on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; and Sundays off. My housekeeper nervously messaged me privately. “Mia, the house has been spotless recently, and the fridge is always full of fresh ingredients. Do you still need me?” I laughed, assuring her repeatedly: “Don’t worry, I won’t let you go.” After half a month of this, Ethan finally asked me an important question on his day off. “What kind of guys do girls like?” After spending so much time with Ethan, I thought he was a genuinely good person. I had already started seeing him as a good friend. Seeing him finally get serious about pursuing true love. I offered him serious advice: “They like guys with contrast.” “For example, you look slim now, but you actually have an eight-pack when you take your shirt off.” “Another example, you’re good at cooking and baking, but secretly you’re also a master bartender.” “Or, your hair looks gentle and dark, but if you look closer, you have two ear cuffs—a total trendsetter!” “And another thing…” I was completely lost in the art of contrast. When I snapped out of it, I saw Ethan silently closed the notes app on his phone. He nodded at me, looking very serious: “I’ve written it all down. You like guys like that.” It was time for lunch, and Ethan went off to prepare food. I looked at his retreating back and quietly corrected myself. “Actually, you’re great just the way you are… The person who likes you should like you for you.” 5 Ethan stopped staying home because of my “contrast” advice. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he was out training his abs. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, he was learning mixology. Coincidentally, my company was also busy with business during this time. I rarely got home to eat with him anymore. One evening, after finishing a meeting with a partner company. I realized I’d left an important contract at home. My secretary suggested we grab it so he could pull an all-nighter to revise the clauses. Work was important, so I agreed immediately. Then, I remembered the man living in my house—Ethan. We were going to break the engagement eventually. I didn’t want any outside misunderstandings. I frantically texted him. “Ethan, are you home?” “I’m coming home with someone soon. Could you please hide somewhere?” “Oh, and please put away your stuff in the living room.” “It would be bad if people misunderstood our relationship.” Dozens of messages sank into a void. My heart was pounding as I opened the door with my secretary. Fortunately, no one was in the room, and Ethan’s belongings in the living room had been cleared. I took the secretary to the study to collect the documents. After the secretary left, I finally felt relieved. I knocked on Ethan’s door. “Ethan, are you sleeping?” “Thanks for cleaning up! He’s gone, you can come out now.” A loud CRASH came from inside the room, like something heavy hitting the floor. I nervously pressed my ear against the door, only hearing heavy breathing inside. “Ethan!” My heartbeat and knocking mixed together. The lock clicked softly. The door slowly opened. A strong smell of alcohol hit me. Ethan stood by the door, his eyes red. “I’m fine. I just accidentally spilled some wine.” “Are you really okay?” I was worried. I stepped slightly closer, leaning in to sniff him. “Did you drink?” I tilted my head to look at him. Connecting this to his talk about pursuing love, I became curious. “Relationship trouble? Sad and lonely? Do you want to talk about it?” Ethan looked up, his six-foot frame looking down at me with an intense, invasive gaze. My heart suddenly clenched. I unconsciously took half a step back. But Ethan grabbed my hand tightly. He said: “I learned mixology, but she doesn’t seem to like drinking. I trained my abs, and though she complimented me, she barely looked.” He pulled my hand to his ear while murmuring: “I even got ear cuffs. Mia, did you notice?”

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Chapter 1 The summer after graduation, Scott and I finally crossed the line. Caught up in the heat of the moment, I couldn’t help but cry out, only to hear him whisper a name. “Luna.” But my name is Rainie. Luna is my twin sister. I froze, looking up at Scott with uncertainty. “Who did you just call?” “Rainie,” Scott breathed, leaning down to kiss my eyelids, not breaking his rhythm. “You’re distracted. Am I not trying hard enough?” His movements became more aggressive, shattering my doubts. Scott was a varsity athlete—star of the track team. He had stamina for days and knew exactly what he was doing. I trembled, pushing weakly against his chest. “Stop…” He leaned close to my ear, his voice raspy. “Babe, let’s try being on top.” All night, he tossed me around like a ragdoll. No matter how much I cried or begged for a break, he wouldn’t stop. It wasn’t until dawn that he finally seemed satisfied and went to the bathroom to shower. I collapsed on the bed, feeling like my body had been dismantled. That’s when the phone on the nightstand started blowing up. Ding. Ding. Ding. It was Scott’s phone. I instinctively glanced over and saw a WeChat notification pop up on the lock screen. bro congrats on finally popping the cherry last night! My heart skipped a beat. My hands were shaking as I unlocked his phone. I opened the group chat Scott had with his teammates, and I froze. In the middle of the night, Scott had posted a photo of the bloodstained bedsheet. Below the photo was a stream of messages: Bro, did you actually do it with Rainie? I thought you were obsessed with Luna? You guys don’t get it. They’re twins. They look the same, bodies are basically the same. Scott’s just using Rainie for target practice. Gotta get some experience so he doesn’t hurt Luna when they finally get together. True that. Luna is Scott’s goddess. Better to break in the spare tire first so he knows how to treat the real deal… The words were like shrapnel, exploding in my brain and leaving everything blank. I had imagined a million reasons why Scott chose me. I never imagined this. Scott was the school’s golden boy. Popular, athletic, dangerous. I was the quiet one. The nerd. The background character. We shouldn’t have crossed paths, until sophomore year when I had a period accident during gym class. Scott had tied his varsity jacket around my waist. Since then, there was breakfast on my desk every morning and a handwritten love letter in my locker every day. First love took root in my heart. But I never understood why Scott chose me. I once asked him, “Why do you like me?” He said, “Because it’s you.” My teenage love, the gamble of my entire youth… it was all just a carefully orchestrated “trial run.” I clenched my fingers until my knuckles turned white. The water in the bathroom stopped. I panicked, closed the app, and put the phone back. The door opened. Scott walked out with a towel around his waist, water droplets clinging to his abs. “You’re up. Hungry?” He walked to the bed, asking tenderly, his eyes scanning the red marks on my collarbone. I looked at him, but all I could hear was the hallucination of him calling out “Luna” last night. “Not hungry.” Seeing my red eyes, Scott hugged me nervously. His hand slipped under my shirt, clearly wanting to go for round two. I didn’t want him to touch me. I didn’t want to be a tool anymore. I pushed him away. “No. It hurts.” Scott withdrew his hand, looking apologetic as he smoothed my shirt. “I lost control last night. You rest. I’ll go downstairs and grab breakfast. Need to cool off anyway.” He dressed and left the hotel room. Staring at the stain on the white sheets, I felt like my soul had been sucked out. For two years of secret dating, I hid it from teachers, hid it from classmates, and did everything Scott wanted. He wanted to go to Capital U, so I made Capital U my goal. He wanted to hold hands under the desk, so I let him while reciting vocabulary. He wanted to meet behind the bleachers, so I gave him my first kiss. Now that finals were over, he said he wanted a “rite of passage,” so I came to this hotel and gave him my virginity. I thought this love would last forever. I didn’t expect the truth to be a guillotine. Since he liked Luna all along, then I was done. I got dressed, walked out of the hotel, found a pharmacy across the street, and awkwardly asked for the morning-after pill. The clerk looked me up and down, frowned, and slammed a box on the counter. “Why didn’t your boyfriend use protection? This stuff is bad for you, kid.” My face burned. There were condoms on the hotel nightstand. I had tried to make Scott use one, but he had just bitten my ear, whispering, “Rainie, it doesn’t feel good with that on. I’m hurting, babe. Just let me, okay? I promise I’ll pull out.” My softness was rewarded with betrayal. I paid and thanked the clerk. “Thanks. Just this once.” I would never believe Scott’s lies again. Chapter 2 Before I even left the store, I heard whispering behind me. “Kids these days. No self-respect.” “Looks like a good girl, but buying Plan B at her age? Trashy.” Their words were like a whip across my face. I walked fast, swallowing the pill dry with a bottle of water at the bus stop. I choked, coughing until tears came out. “Rainie!” Scott ran toward me, panic in his eyes. “Why did you leave the hotel? You didn’t answer my texts. Are you trying to ghost me after last night?” He looked aggrieved, like I was the heartless one. I wanted to laugh, but my chest just hurt. “I went to buy Plan B.” I waved the empty box. His face changed, flashing with guilt. “You should have told me. Or let me buy it. I was worried.” “Won’t happen next time.” Scott sensed I was off. He grabbed my hand. “I couldn’t hold back last night. I’ll be careful next time.” “The Class President organized a graduation party at the City Center. Let’s go together.” I took a step back, pulling my hand away. “We haven’t gone public. To avoid gossip, we should go separately.” Scott froze, then nodded. “Okay. I’ll catch a cab.” I didn’t look back. I got on the bus. Scott had promised to announce our relationship after graduation. But in the group chat, he talked trash and denied me. Hidden in the bro-code was the truth. This relationship didn’t need to be public. It needed to be buried. When I got to the party, the private room was full. Luna, dressed like a princess, was surrounded by people. Scott was sitting next to her, peeling lychees for her. The guys were jeering. “Scott, we’re graduating. Aren’t you gonna confess to the Class Beauty? Once college starts, you’ll have too much competition!” Everyone knew Scott treated Luna well. While he dated me in the shadows, in the light, he carried her books and bought her lunch. He even rallied the guys to vote her Prom Queen. Whatever. We were twins. We looked alike. Back then, Scott’s excuse was: “Rainie, your sister is frail. If I don’t hype her up, people will bully her. You’re different. You have me.” I was so stupid. I thought he just loved me so much he loved my family too. I pushed the door open. Scott looked at me without a hint of guilt. Luna jumped up. “Sis! You didn’t come home all night! Mom and Dad were worried sick!” The room went silent. Then the whispers started. “Whoa, the valedictorian stayed out all night?” “Rainie looks like a nun, but plays dirty…” Luna looked secretly pleased. “None of your business,” I said calmly. I tried to walk past her, but she grabbed my arm, feigning sisterly love. “Sit next to me!” She tugged my shirt down, exposing the hickeys Scott left on my collarbone. “Omg, Sis, what is that?” Luna gasped. Everyone stared. Judgment, mockery, disgust. “Pure nerd? More like thirsty.” “Look at those marks. Must have been a rough night.” “I didn’t know she had a boyfriend. Did she just hook up with some random thug for a graduation gift?” I pulled my shirt up, looking at Scott in humiliation. He didn’t even look at me. He kept peeling fruit for Luna. I steeled myself. “Nothing. Dog bit me. It’s an allergic reaction.” A dog with no conscience. Chapter 3 The room erupted in laughter, guessing which “dog” I’d slept with. Scott’s face darkened. He tapped the table. “Everyone’s here. Let’s eat.” Silence fell. The Class President smoothed things over. “Right, right. Eat up, guys.” Everyone started talking about summer plans. Traveling, driving school, part-time jobs. After dinner, we played games. Luna drew a dare: Choose a boy to princess-carry you for one minute. The boys cheered. Luna looked shyly at Scott. “Scott… can you help me?” Scott pursed his lips, scooped her up with one arm effortlessly. “Hold on tight.” Luna squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Scott’s a beast!” the guys yelled. I looked away, curling my fingers into my palms. Next round, I got picked. Drink three shots of baijiu or kiss a guy in the room. The boys smirked. I glanced at Scott. He sat next to Luna, avoiding my eyes. “I already played the knight tonight. I’m sitting this one out.” A slap in the face would have hurt less. I grabbed the glass and downed the liquor. It burned like acid. I teared up and ran to the bathroom to throw up. I splashed water on my face, staring at the mirror. Red eyes, messy hair, visible hickeys. I looked like a clown. I fixed my clothes and forced a smile at my reflection. “It has to hurt to heal, Rainie. Don’t be afraid.” I didn’t go back in. I texted the President that I was leaving and walked out. On the bus, I opened WeChat and scrolled through two years of chat history with Scott. Rainie, I like you. Be mine? Can’t sleep. Thinking of you. Photos of him playing basketball, us in our uniforms. I used to treat these gigabytes like treasure. Now, my fingers trembling, I selected the 6.9 GB file and hit [Delete]. It was gone. Like he never loved me. I got home. Slap! My dad hit me so hard I fell to the floor, ears ringing. “You disgrace! Out all night, now drinking? Have you no shame?” I looked up. Luna and Mom were on the sofa, watching. “It was a class party. I drank a little and got sick. Luna can verify,” I rasped. Luna jumped in. “There was a party, but Rainie left early without telling anyone. I can’t verify anything.” “Just because exams are over doesn’t mean you can go wild! You’re embarrassing us!” Mom looked disappointed. “Rainie, why can’t you be like your sister? If you were half as good as Luna, your father wouldn’t be this angry.” I knelt there, lip bleeding. On the coffee table, I saw a travel brochure: [Luxury Bali Trip for Three]. It was signed by Mom, Dad, and Luna. “You’re taking Luna to Bali? Leaving me here?” Mom’s eyes shifted. “Luna won a raffle at the mall. Only three tickets. We have to go with her.” “Stay home and reflect on your behavior. We’ll take you next time.” I smirked. “When is next time?” Luna was born frail. The doctors said I “stole her nutrients” in the womb. My parents always favored her. My toys became hers. The chicken drumsticks were hers. “Next time, we’ll buy two,” Mom always said. Next time never came. Dad raised his hand again. “Don’t talk back! Go to your room!” I stumbled upstairs. My phone buzzed. It was my homeroom teacher, Mr. Li. Rainie, come in tomorrow morning to estimate your score and discuss college applications. Okay, I replied. College. My escape route. The next morning, Mr. Li beamed at me. “Based on your answers, you’ll easily get into Capital U. I know that’s your goal.” “Here’s their brochure.” I looked at it. Capital U was Scott’s dream. “Mr. Li,” I said, voice steady. “I want to apply for early admission to the Northwest Research Institute.” Far away from home. Far away from Scott. Chapter 4 Mr. Li paused. “The Northwest? Why go so far? The resources aren’t as good as Beijing.” I gave the speech I’d rehearsed all night. “I want to contribute to the nation’s defense development.” He admired my resolve but hesitated. “It’s a big decision. Discuss it with your parents?” “No need. I’m eighteen. I can decide. Please keep it a secret, Mr. Li.” He submitted my application to the early admission system. “Go home and pack. If you get in, you leave next month.” I thanked him and walked out. Scott was waiting at the stairs. “Teacher said you’re leaving? Where are you going?” I dodged him. “Nowhere. He meant we’re all leaving for college soon.” Scott followed me. “You didn’t text me goodnight yesterday. Are you mad? I kept my distance at the party because they were teasing Luna. I didn’t want to embarrass her.” He tried to ruffle my hair. I dodged. “I’m Luna’s twin,” I said bluntly. “Did you like her from the beginning?” Scott frowned. “No way. Why would I date you then?” “Rainie, I belong to you now. You aren’t trying to bail on me, are you?” Luna popped her head around the corner. “Scott! You said you’d help me estimate my score!” “Coming!” Scott yelled back. Then he looked at me apologetically. “I promised her. Don’t overthink it. I’ll help you later.” He walked away. “They look so cute together,” a junior sighed nearby. “I heard they kissed at the party.” I laughed bitterly. I went to the dorms to pack. In my drawer was a diary of us. I tore it up and threw it in the trash. A photo of Scott playing basketball fell out. Before I could grab it, a classmate snatched it. “Isn’t Scott with Luna? Why do you have his pic, Rainie?” “Twins share everything, even boyfriends, right?” “Gross. Fantasizing about her sister’s man.” I snatched the photo back. “Rumors aren’t facts. I don’t like Scott. And I don’t pick up trash.” I ripped the photo to shreds and threw it out the window. The pieces rained down on Scott, who was walking below. He looked up, locking eyes with me. Chapter 5 “Jiang Shiyu, what is your problem?” Scott looked annoyed. I ignored him, turning back to my packing. He called me repeatedly. I ignored the calls. When I walked out of the dorms, he blocked my path, holding the confetti of his photo. “Explain.” He had picked up every piece in the hot sun. He smelled like sweat and summer. “Roommate saw it,” I lied smoothly. “You said keep it secret. I had to destroy the evidence to stop the rumors.” Scott deflated. “I’m not trying to hide you forever. Just… not yet.” “It’s fine. I get it.” He relaxed, thinking he’d won. He pulled out some papers. “I got the answer keys. Let’s calculate your score.” “Mr. Li already did it.” I walked away. Scott watched me go. I didn’t care anymore. I walked toward the bus stop, watching the sunset over my high school days. Suddenly—Ring ring! A bike came hurtling toward me. It was Luna. She was aiming right for me. I dodged. Crash! She swerved, hitting a billboard and knocking it over. I stumbled and fell, scraping my knees. “Luna!” Scott’s voice. He ran over, ignoring me, and scooped Luna up. “Rainie! Why did you jump in front of the bike? That was dangerous!” “She was crossing the road and hit me!” I shouted. Luna sobbed into his chest. “I just wanted to say hi to Sis… the brakes failed… I didn’t mean to…” “It’s okay, I’ll take you to the hospital,” Scott cooed. A security guard ran over. “Hey! That sign cost five hundred bucks! Who broke it? You gotta pay!” Luna pointed at me. “Officer, she was riding the bike. She hit me and the sign.” I stared at her. “No, she hit it. Ask him!” I pointed to Scott. The guard looked at Scott. Scott hesitated. Then, he pointed at me. “She was riding the bike.”

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My sister is a ten. A certified smoke show. Guys line up from Manhattan to Paris just to get a glimpse of her. I look about 70% like her, but my DMs? Dry as the Sahara. I once asked one of her simps why he was down bad for her but ignored me. He said, “You guys look alike, sure, but the vibe is totally different. Plus, standing next to you just reminds people of her. The downgrade hits too hard.” That was the dynamic. Until the merger. Our family arranged a marriage between my sister and Harrison Hale, the heir to the Hale empire and a guy who’d apparently been crushing on her for years. But she wasn’t having it. She was dead set on being with her broke college boyfriend. Mom tried to talk sense into her. “Chloe, are you insane? The Hales run New York. Harrison is practically a model. Why wouldn’t you want this?” Chloe rolled her eyes, looking disgusted. “It’s the 21st century, Mom. Arranged marriages are barbaric. I’m not gonna be some billionaire’s trophy wife.” Then she looked at me, a smirk playing on her lips. “Let Sophie do it. Everyone says we look alike anyway.” I thought about it for exactly three seconds. Then I nodded. “Deal. I’ll marry him.” 1 The room went silent. Chloe looked shocked that I actually agreed. Mom rushed over, grabbing my hands, her eyes wide. “Sophie, honey, are you serious? You’d really do this for your sister?” I gently pulled my hands away and put on my best obedient daughter smile. “Of course.” “But…” Mom hesitated, looking pained. “Harrison has wanted Chloe since they were kids. He’s giving up 30% of his company shares for this union. I don’t know if he’ll accept a substitute.” “Don’t worry,” I said calmly. “I’ll make him say yes.” I did a quick touch-up on my makeup and had Mom set up a meeting with Harrison at a café in the West Village. Traffic was a nightmare, so I was fifteen minutes late. When I walked in, Harrison was already there. Even though I’d only seen photos, I spotted him instantly. The man was lethal. Sharp suit, jawline that could cut glass. He radiated old money. I walked over. He looked up, startled for a split second, before his expression went cold and professional. He stood up to pull out my chair. “Sorry, traffic was gridlock,” I said. “No problem.” He didn’t look annoyed. He just slid a menu toward me. “The espresso here is excellent. Give it a try.” I ordered a black coffee, took a sip, and cut the small talk. “Stop chasing my sister. She’s in love with someone else.” Harrison lowered his gaze, his long lashes casting shadows. “I didn’t know. She just said she needed more time to think.” “Well, I don’t have anyone,” I said. He looked at me, confused. “I mean, you should marry me instead.” I touched my face—smooth, expensive skin. “You probably don’t know much about me. I was kidnapped when I was eight. My parents only found me and brought me home last year.” “But since I got back, I’ve grinded. I learned everything a Hale wife needs to know. Piano, flower arranging, horseback riding—I can do it all. I won’t embarrass you.” “I take care of myself. Skincare, diet, monthly derm appointments. I look just as good as Chloe now.” For a long time, I couldn’t figure out why people thought I was ugly compared to Chloe when we shared the same DNA. Then I realized it was the trauma. My foster parents were trash. We lived in a shack in the middle of nowhere. I wasn’t their kid, and I was a girl, so I was treated like livestock. Ten years of abuse made my skin rough and my eyes dead. When I got back to my real family, I treated my recovery like a job. It took three years and a lot of money to look like a human being again, let alone an heiress. Harrison tapped his fingers on the table. His dark eyes scanned me, assessing. After a long silence, he spoke. “Okay.” 2 We exchanged numbers, and he drove me home. I’d done my homework on the Hale family. In short: they were loaded. Harrison Hale was the Cash King of New York. The liquidity they had on hand was in the billions. I majored in Finance. I knew exactly what kind of power that money represented. Chloe and I might be sisters, but we were playing different games. She wanted freedom. She thought money was dirty. She was willing to struggle with a guy who had a criminal record for the sake of “true love.” Me? I’d starved before. I knew the truth. Money isn’t everything, but living without it is hell. So, even if Harrison and I had zero chemistry, I was locking this down. When I got home, Chloe and Mom were waiting in the living room. “Sophie, how did it go?” Mom asked, nervous. Before I could answer, our gardener, Old Joe, walked in beaming. “Ma’am! It went great! Mr. Hale drove Miss Sophie home himself! She was in the passenger seat!” Everyone knew Harrison was weird about his car. No one sat in the front seat except his mother. I put down my bag and looked at Chloe sincerely. “You’re off the hook. Go chase your true love.” But Chloe didn’t look happy. Her face twisted into a sneer. “One date and you’re already riding shotgun? Guess you can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can’t take the trash out of the girl. Zero class.” Mom and Old Joe turned pale. I paused on the stairs. I turned around, my heels clicking on the marble floor as I walked up to her. “I forgot a lot of things, Chloe. But I didn’t forget why I got kidnapped.” “If you hadn’t ditched me with that stranger on the street because you were jealous the teacher liked my handwriting better… would I have been taken?” She had told a random passerby that the trafficker was my mom because she was throwing a tantrum. Chloe’s eyes shifted. She looked guilty. I wasn’t one to play the victim card, and I didn’t care about her guilt. I just needed her to shut up. 3 News spreads fast in high society. By the next day, everyone knew I was marrying Harrison. The rumors were nasty. They called me shameless. Said I was a gold digger seducing my sister’s fiancé. Some said I’d been lusting after Harrison for years and Chloe stepped aside out of pity. I found it funny. Aren’t these rich people supposed to be pragmatic? Chloe didn’t want him. I did. It was a perfect business transaction. I secured the family alliance, I got financial security, and Chloe got to go live her indie movie romance. Win-win. Why was I the villain? Thankfully, Harrison was a class act. When he heard the gossip, he used the Hale influence to crush it immediately. Harrison looked like a gentleman, but he moved like a shark. Once he bit down, he didn’t let go. The rumors died overnight. We started seeing each other more. Meanwhile, Chloe moved out to live with her broke boyfriend in a basement apartment to prove a point. Mom and Dad froze her accounts to force her back, but she was stubborn. She ghosted them. I didn’t care. I was busy prepping for the wedding. The ceremony was a flex. My dress cost a million dollars. The wedding itself cost five hundred million. It was all over Vogue and The Times. The wedding day was exhausting, but it was the last hard day I had. Post-marriage life? Paradise. Harrison owned property everywhere. Penthouses, villas, private islands. Maybe because he was boring, or maybe because I was just a substitute, our marriage wasn’t romantic. He never said “I love you.” He never promised forever. I didn’t mind. Every holiday, he dropped a bag. Eight-figure jewelry. Haute couture straight off the runway. I preferred diamonds to poetry anyway. My friend, Roxy, didn’t get it. 4 “Rich men are all dogs,” Roxy told me over drinks. “He’s never home. He’s probably cheating. And even if he isn’t, aren’t you lonely?” Roxy was my friend from the bad old days. We bonded over our trauma. I thought she’d understand why I chose security over feelings. I tried to explain. “I don’t care where he is. Every month, a seven-figure allowance hits my account. I drive a different supercar every day of the week.” “And lonely? No.” Before I married Harrison, I wondered why rich people didn’t spend all day on their phones. Now I knew: Phones are entertainment for poor people. Rich people have better things to do. In the last year, I’d traveled the world. First-class everything. VIP treatment. I wanted Roxy to get it. I offered to take her on a trip, all expenses paid. She slapped my hand away. “You’ve changed, Sophie. You’re so vain now. You’re just a gold digger.” 5 I was confused. Spending my husband’s money made me a gold digger? If men weren’t visual creatures, women wouldn’t have the chance to dig for gold. It’s a two-way street. Roxy shook her head. “You’re a canary in a cage. What happens when he gets bored? You’ll be back in the gutter.” I wanted to say that even if we divorced, the alimony would set me up for life. But she had a point. This was a business merger. Harrison married me to secure the deal and maybe because I looked like the girl he actually wanted. If he got sick of me, I needed a parachute. And not just alimony—I needed my own empire. So, I went to Harrison. “I want to start a business. Invest in me.” 6 Harrison agreed immediately. Didn’t even ask what it was. People thought he was this controlling alpha male because of his brooding vibe. They were wrong. He respected every choice I made. He gave me the capital and said, “If you need help, ask.” Reliable. Sexy. Startups are hard, but having Harrison Hale as a cheat code made it easy. With his backing and advice, my companies went public in two years. I wasn’t Hale-level rich, but if we divorced tomorrow, I’d still be a queen. 7 On our anniversary, I thought he’d be working. He came home. I closed my eyes and let him kiss me. Actually, our “marital life” wasn’t as cold as people thought. He was busy, sure. But if he was in New York, he came home to sleep. I’m a light sleeper. I’d hear him creep in, shower in the guest bath so he wouldn’t wake me, and then slide into bed, pulling me into his arms. He smelled like expensive oud and cedarwood. I wasn’t lonely. Harrison filled the void in my bank account. And physically? Let’s just say the man had stamina. Beneath the icy exterior, he was intense. Even with my daily Pilates, I could barely keep up. Tonight was the same. He wore me out until I was practically passing out. He carried me to the bath and cleaned me up. I looked at him. Most married guys let themselves go. Harrison looked like he was carved out of marble. He caught me staring and smirked. “Round two?” 8 “No…” My voice was totally fried. He chuckled and tucked me into bed. I was satisfied. If he kept this up, I’d stay married to him forever. But the peace didn’t last. A few days later, I got a text after my workout. It was a photo. Me. Naked. From years ago. My blood ran cold. It was taken by my foster father, Buck. Buck was a gambling addict. When he ran out of money, he tried to pimp me out. I was the top student in the county, so the local government was watching me, which scared him off from selling me entirely. Instead, he stripped me, took photos, and used them as collateral for loans. I gripped my phone, trying to breathe. I typed back: Buck, what do you want? Buck: Look at you, living the high life. Too good to call your daddy? Me: Cut the crap. He sent a bank account number. Send a million bucks. Or tomorrow, your husband gets the full gallery. I hesitated, then transferred the money. A million was nothing to me now, but being a sucker stung. However, the Hales cared about reputation above all else. If these leaked, I was done. I couldn’t let Buck ruin my life twice. A few days later, he texted again. Same account. Five million this time. I laughed. I was literally shaking with rage. I knew I should call the cops, but I didn’t know who else had copies. I sent the money. Since I paid so easily, Buck got bold. He asked to meet. I agreed.

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