Author: Momo Chan

It had been two months since I broke up with Julian Lu, and he still hadn’t sent me a single text. I couldn’t take it anymore. I was ready to cave and apologize. But that very day, Liam Price, the school’s scholarship kid, suddenly confessed his love to me. I was about to reject him when a wall of text—like a live stream chat—flashed before my eyes: “LOL, the side character actually thinks Liam likes her.” “He just lost a bet with the female lead. He’s forced to confess.” “Poor guy. He just realized his crush is pushing him away, and now he has to get rejected by this shallow, gold-digging prom queen.” “Must be heartbroken!” “It’s okay, it’s okay! Once he gets reclaimed by the billionaire Price family in New York and becomes worth billions, our female lead will come running back!” …Wait, what? The Price family? From New York? The super rich one? Hold up! Pause the makeup session. I want this broke boy! 1 I am a gold digger. But I’m good at hiding it. Usually, I treat all my classmates equally and with kindness. Except when it comes to dating. My bottom line is non-negotiable— He has to be rich. And, of course, hot. Julian Lu was the closest thing to my ideal in my eighteen years of life. His family is loaded, old money. Rumor has it they’re second only to the Price family in New York. Of course, a family like the Prices is out of my league. Julian was arrogant, cold, and high-maintenance. I chased him for months before he finally agreed to be my boyfriend. But once we were together, he constantly complained that I wasn’t clingy or caring enough. He’d threaten to break up over anything. “Let’s just end it. You only chased me for my money anyway.” “I saw you talking to the basketball captain. Interested in him now?” “Don’t let that used McLaren fool you; it’s worthless.” “Block his number right now, or we’re done!” This happened all the time. By now, he’d practically monitored every good-looking guy in my contacts. Two months ago, Julian picked another fight. The reason? I was twenty minutes late to his birthday party. “This shows you don’t value me!” “You weren’t late to the school assembly! Am I less important to you than the principal?” “Let’s break up. We need to cool off!” Same old routine. Are they even comparable? I’m not a trust fund baby like him. I can’t just offend the principal whenever I feel like it. I was getting tired of it anyway, so I just went along with it. “Fine. Break up then.” “Don’t contact me.” 2 That day, Julian’s face went pale. He glared at me for a long time before smashing a bottle of wine worth thousands on the floor. And true to his word, he never contacted me again. Two months passed. I calmed down. Let’s face it, Julian was the ceiling of what I could reach. Who doesn’t love money? My family is average. My parents favor my younger brother and give him everything good. I want out. But I’m not smart enough. Even studying my butt off only gets me into the top 80 of my grade. My biggest asset is this face… So what if I use my looks to get ahead and satisfy my ambition? What’s wrong with that? Thinking like this made me feel better instantly. School was just letting out. Julian had been playing basketball every afternoon lately. I packed my bag and headed to the courts. I planned to intercept him, apologize, act cute, and smooth things over. But just as I reached the gym entrance, someone unexpected called my name— Liam Price. 3 Liam Price. Our school’s famous genius. Always number one in the grade. He’s 6’2″, super hot, and once narrowly beat Julian for the title of School Hottie— One of those votes came from me. No ulterior motive. Liam is just exactly my type. My Libra nature demanded fairness, so I gave him a vote. But aside from that, I had almost zero interaction with him. He kept to himself, barely speaking to anyone. Rumors said someone saw his mom scavenging for vegetable scraps at the market. Others said his dad died young, and his grandma was sick, costing tens of thousands a year in medical bills. Basically, Liam’s family was struggling. He applied for financial aid every year and worked part-time at a boba shop and a convenience store. In the cafeteria, he only bought the two cheapest veggie dishes. Even the girls wouldn’t be full on that, let alone a growing boy. Once, feeling generous, I took fifty bucks from my allowance and secretly slipped it into his pencil case. Anonymous. Now, at the gym entrance. When Liam called my name, I frowned— Did he find out about the fifty bucks? In those cliché novels, these poor but proud scholars usually have massive egos. He probably thinks I was trying to humiliate him. Is he here to pick a fight? Before I could come up with a defense, his next words stunned me. “Serena.” “I like you.” “Will you be my girlfriend?” 4 I was dumbfounded. The gym entrance was crowded. I looked back toward the basketball courts. Julian had walked out without me noticing. He must have just finished playing; sweat was dripping from his forehead. A few of his friends were around him, all looking at us with interest. They were talking loudly, not bothering to lower their voices. “Hey, isn’t that Serena, Julian’s ex?” “Ex? Watch your mouth, bro. Ex-girlfriend!” “Haha, right! Ex. Gotta say, Serena’s got backbone this time. Two months! Usually, she’d be crawling back by now.” “Did she find a rebound?” “Oof, Liam Price. The scholarship kid.” “Julian, you think she’ll say yes?” Hearing them, I felt awkward. I instinctively looked at Julian. I wanted to give him a look, tell him not to misunderstand. But he never even looked my way. He just bounced the ball, looking bored. Like he was watching something completely irrelevant to him, he smirked mockingly. “Hm?” “Why would I care? Liam’s a top student. If he likes Serena, she’s punching up.” My heart sank. Julian really didn’t like me much, did he? He only accepted me because I chased him so hard. Agreeing to break up must have been a relief for him. That’s fine. Not trying to get back together saves me some dignity. 5 Even though I wasn’t planning on getting back with Julian, I wasn’t going to say yes to Liam either. We’d spoken maybe twenty sentences in three years of high school. Starting a relationship out of nowhere seemed irresponsible to both of us. Just as I was about to reject him, a wall of text floated before my eyes— “Here it comes! The drama! The male lead confesses to the side character!” “Haha, look at her face. Does she really think Liam likes her?” “It’s just a dare he lost to the female lead. Forced confession.” “Sigh, poor guy. Just realized his crush doesn’t like him and is pushing him to someone else. Now he has to get rejected by this shallow girl.” “Must hurt!” “Don’t worry! Once he gets reclaimed by the billionaire Price family in New York, our female lead will come running back!” …What? The Price family? New York billionaires? My heart rate spiked. I knew some gossip about the Prices. Rumor had it Mrs. Price was frail and only had one child. But due to a business rivalry, that son was kidnapped at four or five. Lost. Never found. Over a decade later, despite expanding their empire, the Prices never stopped looking. The text kept scrolling. “Almost there! Three months until Liam gets found!” “The Price family is abroad right now. Once they meet the kidnapper in London and get the info, they’ll fly back immediately…” “Our boy won’t have to suffer anymore!” Three months. Okay. For someone who loves money as much as I do, how could I let a golden ticket slip away? I crinkled my eyes into a perfect smile. “Sure.” “I accept, Liam.” I was so shocked by the floating text that I didn’t notice Julian behind me. I didn’t see his face go pale or his fingers tremble.

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I was at a hot pot place when the bullfrog on the table suddenly stood up on its hind legs and spoke like a human: “Eat me and you will have good luck. Anything you want, you can get easily!” I thought it was some kind of prank by the restaurant, just laughed it off, and didn’t pay much attention. But from that day on, my luck was insane. My mother’s paralysis was completely cured, and our old family home got demolished for a redevelopment project, netting us a cool ten million. When my best friend found out, she started frantically searching for talking bullfrogs. She camped out at frog farms, blending thousands of frogs into a paste and swallowing it whole, nearly bankrupting dozens of farmers. Eventually, the owner caught her, doxxed her online, and demanded a million in damages. My best friend had a breakdown: “How expensive can a few frogs be? You guys are extorting me!” “Once I find the talking frog, I’ll have endless money!” But everyone just treated her like a psycho. After receiving a court summons, she decided everything was my fault. She hired someone to break into my house, set it on fire, and kill me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day of the hot pot. My best friend was frantically messaging me: “Which hot pot place are you at? Answer me right now!” 1 My best friend’s frantic interrogation pulled me back to reality. I realized I was covered in goosebumps. As the phantom pain of the fire faded, I realized I had been reborn. “Steph, are you deaf or something? Don’t consider me a friend anymore? I’m asking where that frog place is, not asking for money. Can’t even let me mooch a meal?” Her voice was shrill and anxious, piercing my eardrums. I knew immediately: my best friend, Bella, had been reborn too. In our past life, I tried to invite Bella out for dinner. She flaked on me, so I picked a random hot pot place. It was terrifying. The raw bullfrog the waiter just placed on the table stood up like a person the next second. “As long as you eat me, I can grant your wishes. Even the stars in the sky, I can conjure for you!” At first, I thought it was a marketing gimmick. But everyone else insisted they didn’t hear the frog speak, so I brushed it off. But the result was exactly as the frog said. My mother’s chronic illness was cured, and my life turned into a winning streak. I reached the peak of success. When Bella found out, she unleashed all her rage about missing the “lucky frog” on me. Not only did she frame me for her million-dollar debt—causing me to get stabbed by creditors late at night—but she also hired someone to loot my house and burn my family alive while we slept! Because of her, my family was destroyed. I knew exactly how crazy Bella could be. Now, she would do anything to eat that lucky frog before I could. After getting my location, Bella appeared in front of me in less than ten minutes. She walked in just as the waiter brought the skinned bullfrogs to the table. Bella had sharp eyes. She immediately spotted the one frog that looked different. She lunged forward and scooped the entire plate of raw frogs into her arms. “Sorry, Steph. You know I love bullfrog. Let me have all of these today!” Bella looked up at me, a flash of triumph and relief in her eyes. Looking at her face, remembering how she frantically stuffed raw frog into her mouth in our past life, my stomach churned. I suppressed the urge to vomit and asked, eyes red: “That’s a lot. Are you sure you can finish it all by yourself?” Hearing this, Bella thought I wanted to fight her for the food. She panicked and shielded the frogs in her arms. To avoid blowing her cover, she forced herself to calm down and comforted me: “It’s fine, Steph. I’ve been dieting for days and haven’t had a proper meal. Consider this my cheat day.” “Besides, you have that interview at the modeling agency soon. You should stick to veggies!” With that, without even cooking them, she couldn’t wait to stuff the raw frogs into her mouth. She even swallowed the uncleaned intestines, calling them “liquid gold.” Murky juices dripped from the corner of her mouth, but Bella looked ecstatic. I clenched my fists as I watched her eat every single raw frog in her arms. She still thought I achieved my success because of that frog. I couldn’t help but sneer internally. In my last life, I treated Bella like a true friend, and she murdered my entire family! Thank God for second chances. This time, I’m going to make her life a living hell. 2 When it was time to pay, the waiter handed me the bill, but Bella snatched it. “Give it to me. I’m buying.” After eating that plate of frogs, she looked even more radiant, immediately adopting a superior attitude. Knowing Bella for so many years, I knew her financial situation was a disaster. I smiled, feigning surprise: “Didn’t we agree I was treating? What money are you using?” Hearing this, she pulled out her phone and piled on the mockery: “You poor thing, using cheap perfume and knockoff bags. Why are you acting like a big shot in front of me?” “Save that little bit of money to buy your mom a wheelchair!” As if that wasn’t enough, she called the manager over on the spot: “I’m paying for everyone in the restaurant today.” “Everyone… are you sure?” The manager paused, his tone laced with disbelief. She frowned, impatiently urging him: “Duh, what are you waiting for? Careful or I’ll call corporate and complain!” The manager assumed she was some rich heiress and respectfully took her card. In an instant, everyone treated her with extreme warmth. Basking in the attention, she remembered I was standing behind her. Her smile instantly turned cold: “See that? I have plenty of money. Steph, hurry up and roll on home. Don’t embarrass me by hanging out with me anymore!” “Okay.” I nodded. The company was doing performance reviews over the next two days. There was only one spot for overseas training, and it would go to the most prepared. Career-focused as I was, I wouldn’t slack off. Mocking laughter rose behind me. I ignored it, turned around, and got into my car. The next day, Bella strolled in two hours late. She arrogantly pulled a stack of cash from her bag: “So I’m late. Here’s a year’s worth of fines in advance. Deduct it slowly. If it’s not enough, tell me and I’ll top it up!” Her blatant display of wealth scared HR into silence. Afterward, she deliberately stood next to me to announce she bought a car. Seeing the Porsche key in her hand, the office exploded. “Holy crap, that car is worth millions!” “Bella, where did you get the money? Did you win the lottery?” “So awesome, a Porsche! I remember you and Steph started interning at the same time. Guess you’re the successful one!” … She smiled: “It’s nothing, just a tool to get around. Once the assessment results are out, I’m treating everyone to dinner!” The crowd gasped, convinced she had struck it rich overnight. “Looks like Bella has the assessment in the bag too!” “For sure. Just one spot, but for our Bella, it’s a piece of cake!” Suddenly, all my colleagues were kissing her ass. Only I felt something was off. I knew Bella had zero ambition. With her meager salary, there was no way she could afford to treat everyone and buy a Porsche. Could it be… that frog really did bring insane luck? Just as I was puzzling over this, my boyfriend sent a breakup text. “Let’s break up. I’m with Bella now. You don’t deserve me.” I stared coldly at the emotionless text and laughed. In my past life, I accidentally found out that during our five-year relationship, he had been messing around with Bella for four of them. This time, he wasn’t even pretending. Fine. No need to date trash anymore. I blocked both Mark and Bella immediately. Out of sight, out of mind. 3 When the assessment results came out, everyone was shocked. The board unanimously decided to give the only overseas training spot to me. I wasn’t surprised, but I feigned shock: “Really? Me? Thank you for the opportunity! I won’t let the company down!” Bella’s face turned ugly. To save face, she pretended not to care and lifted her chin: “Steph, what are you so smug about?” “Don’t think I don’t know. With your family situation—paralyzed mom, useless dad—you think getting the spot means you have the money to go abroad?” Hearing her say this, Mark joined in the mockery: “Exactly. Once you’re abroad, you won’t even be able to afford rent. Why show off?” I looked up calmly: “I can’t afford it, but you can?” Bella, choked by my retort, became even more furious. “Of course I can afford it. You think I’m like you?” Saying this, she pulled out her phone, mysteriously made a call, and then announced smugly: “I’m happy today. I rented a yacht at the beach this weekend. Everyone is invited!” “And you, Steph. You have to come!” “I know you were always the ‘frugal model’ in our class. Don’t worry, I won’t make you split the bill.” Everyone thought I would get into a huge fight with Bella for humiliating me. But I just smiled: “Sure!” Only I knew. It had been a week since she ate the frog. But she hadn’t won the lottery, nor passed the assessment. Where was this money coming from? When I arrived at the destination on the weekend, I saw Mark and Bella waving at me from the yacht. They were decked out in haute couture from head to toe. Just the watch on Bella’s wrist was worth six figures. My colleagues crowded around her, fawning and flattering. “Bella, I knew from the start this company was too small for a big shot like you. You were bound to soar. Unlike some people who get the training spot but can’t afford to go…” “Yeah, Steph is just sour grapes!” They built her up and tore me down perfectly. Bella laughed so hard she trembled, clearly enjoying the adoration. She casually called the waiter over, who immediately brought out delicacies fit for a five-star restaurant. “Eat up, everyone! Whatever you eat today, I’m paying for. Money is no object!” Watching their cheeks puff out like toads, sauce dripping down Mark’s chin onto his collar, my stomach churned. This scene looked weird no matter how I looked at it. Seeing I hadn’t moved, Bella raised an eyebrow: “You couldn’t afford this stuff even if you worked for a month. Not eating?” I sneered and said nothing. Hope she can still laugh in a bit. Just then, a waiter walked out carrying an oversized plastic bag. Something inside was wriggling. A bullfrog poked half its body out of the bag, its pitch-black eyes staring straight at us. I suppressed the excitement in my heart and pointed blankly at the frog: “Bella, look. Does that bullfrog look like it’s standing up like a person?” “And this frog… it looks just like the one we saw at the hot pot place…” Following my gaze, she quickly spotted the frog. Her expression shifted from arrogant to stunned. Suddenly, she changed. She rushed the waiter and snatched the plastic bag. She stared straight at the bullfrog, eyes full of fanaticism: “God has favored me again! I knew I was reborn to change my destiny!” Just as Bella expertly skinned the frog and prepared to stuff it into her mouth, I grabbed her arm. She looked at me warily. I deliberately raised my voice: “What did you say, Bella? Is this the reason you got rich overnight?” The deck went silent. Everyone’s eyes focused on the frog. “Bella… is talking to the frog?” “Does eating this frog really make you rich?” Mark wiped the grease from his mouth, eyes full of greed: “So you bought a car and a house because you ate a lucky frog!” Everyone’s gaze instantly turned predatory. The next second, someone rushed up to snatch the frog from her hands. Bella, desperate, ignored everything else and shoved the frog into her mouth. Bloody slime dripped from her lips. Due to the violent struggle, the frogs in the bag scattered all over the floor. Mark grabbed a frog from the ground and swallowed it whole, alive. People started brawling, fighting to get rich. It was chaos. Suddenly, a strange man dressed oddly rushed in from the sidelines, looking nervous. Seeing the scene before him, he almost puked. He looked horrified: “What the hell are you doing?! These frogs are rejects! They’re meant to be destroyed! You can’t eat them!” 4 Everyone turned around. When the stranger saw the frogs crawling everywhere, his face went dark. Bella still had a frog leg hanging from her mouth. The man rushed up to grab the frog from her hand without a word. “I told you these frogs are inedible! Are you crazy?” Bella couldn’t handle hearing this. She thought this guy was just another person trying to steal her luck like her colleagues. Without hesitation, she slapped the stranger. “None of your business! It’s not like I’m not paying. Think I can’t afford it?” “I booked this place today, so these frogs are mine too. Why can’t I eat them?” “You poor losers have never seen money. Think I’m not offering enough? Take this and get lost! This is enough for you to live on for a month!” Saying this, she took out a thick stack of cash and smashed it into the man’s face. The man turned red with anger but stood there, hesitant: “That’s not what I mean. If you want to eat bullfrog, just tell the kitchen to prepare it properly. There’s no need to eat them raw!” “Let me take you to the hospital, miss…” Hearing this, Bella and the crowd reacted as if triggered. Mark shoved the stranger away, full of suspicion: “I think you’re just jealous of us. You see us eating frogs and about to get rich, and you’re upset, right?” The man looked incredulous: “I’m just concerned about your health! I raise bullfrogs. If eating them brought good luck, wouldn’t I know? Did you guys read too many fairy tales?” Bella didn’t believe a word of it. She suspected even more that this guy knew the secret and wanted to stop her from getting rich. She flipped the table over. Expensive liquor and dishes shattered everywhere: “Bullshit! I will have good luck!” “Don’t believe this liar, everyone! He just wants us to go to the hospital to get our stomachs pumped!” Her colleagues agreed and refused to leave. She was maniacal. She and Mark smashed everything in sight. The shop was a wreck. Seeing persuasion was useless, the chef stormed out angrily. When he returned, a man in a suit was with him. I knew him. He was the manager of this yacht rental company. He frowned at the mess but tried to maintain professionalism: “I’m sorry, miss. Since you rented our luxury yacht, the alcohol and ingredients are extremely expensive. You need to pay extra for these damages, or we will have to call the police.” Bella rolled her eyes and scoffed: “How expensive can it be?” “I’ve calculated it for you. Including the rare vintage wines you smashed, you owe an additional one million dollars.” Hearing the price, Bella and Mark froze. That amount was almost as much as the yacht rental itself. Those wines were priceless collectibles. She knew nothing about high society; how would she know their value? Seeing her silence, the manager assumed she couldn’t pay and urged: “Will that be card or…?” Bella’s phone rang, snapping her back to reality. She hung up, pulled a bank card from her bag, and threw it in the man’s face: “It’s just booze money. I have plenty. Think I can’t pay?”

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The Route 23 Night Bus has a rule: No woman named Sierra is allowed on board. Every time you ride, you have to pass a facial recognition scan before you can even drop your coins in the box. It doesn’t matter if you’re the Mayor’s daughter; the driver will throw you to the curb. Even a mother desperate to get to the hospital to see her sick child gets dragged off without mercy. I didn’t buy it. I forged an ID and hopped on, challenging the driver: “Why ban women named Sierra? This is public transit, man. Isn’t that discrimination?” The driver just smiled, a cold, thin expression. “If a Sierra is on board, everyone on this bus will be dead within three hours.” My hand tightened around the fake ID in my pocket. Chapter 1 “What’s wrong?” The driver shot me a glance. I waved my hand quickly. “Oh, nothing!” I took a seat and shook it off. There’s no way someone’s name could kill a busload of people. That’s insane. He was probably just messing with me to dodge the question. Curiosity kills the cat, but it also sells tickets. The Route 23 Night Bus had become an urban legend, a TikTok hotspot. I was just another thrill-seeker here for the ride. I closed my eyes, drifting off. Suddenly, a woman with curly red hair behind me spoke up. “How much longer to Hollow Creek? Feels like we’ve been driving forever.” I opened my eyes. Outside, it was pitch black. No streetlights. I had no idea where we were. Someone else chimed in. “Yeah, driver. Hollow Creek is the next stop. We’ve been rolling for thirty minutes.” I looked at the driver. He was gripping the wheel, his expression grim. “Are you sure none of you are named Sierra?” “No way. You checked all our IDs, didn’t you?” “Something’s wrong,” the driver growled. “One of you is lying. Whoever is named Sierra, stand up now.” My heart skipped a beat. I checked the time. Thirty minutes had passed. Hollow Creek should have been a ten-minute ride. Was the rule real? I shook my head. Impossible. “Driver, quit joking. We passed the facial scan. You think we can trick a machine?” “A Sierra has her ways!” the driver shouted, startling everyone. “Thirty minutes gone. You have two and a half hours left. If you don’t want everyone to die, confess! Or turn her in!” I was glad I came alone. But I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. “Hey! That’s Hollow Creek Station!” I pointed ahead, relieved. The redhead grabbed her bag. “Finally! You’re driving so slow today. I’m filing a complaint!” But as the bus approached the station, the driver slammed the gas pedal to the floor. “Hey! What are you doing? That’s my stop!” The redhead hammered the stop button. “Look outside! Do you really want to get off?” She looked. So did the rest of us. “Ah!” She shrieked and collapsed into the aisle. Everyone scrambled to the left side of the bus, away from the window facing the station. “Why are there so many people?” Hollow Creek flashed by. It was 9:30 PM. Usually, it’s a ghost town. Now, the platform was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people. They stood with their heads bowed. As the bus flew past, they all snapped their heads up in unison. Their eyes glowed green. They lunged, trying to grab the bus, but we were moving too fast. “Oh my god!” I gasped, pressing my back against the glass. In that sea of green-eyed monsters… I saw myself. “Sierra?” A familiar voice. My boyfriend, Clay, was staring at me in shock. “What are you doing here?” Chapter 2 “What did you just call her?” The redhead whipped around. Her eyes went wide when she saw me. “Sierra!” “J… Jade?” I stammered. My jaw dropped. Jade was supposed to be studying abroad in Europe. She wasn’t due back until next year. What was she doing on a bus in the middle of nowhere? “Sierra?!” A guy with a buzzcut stood up. “Mr. Stone?” I was floored. My old neighbor? I stood up and looked around. My elementary school classmate, my kindergarten teacher, my high school nemesis… even an online tutor I’d used once. I knew everyone on this bus. “You called her Sierra? Is that her name?” The driver didn’t turn around, but his eyes in the rearview mirror were predatory. Clay hesitated, staying silent. But Cliff, my high school bully, lunged forward and snatched my fake ID. “Kimberly Steele? Since when do you have a fake name? You’re Sierra! Sierra Mason!” “Throw her off!” the driver roared. Everyone flinched. Since we all knew each other, they hesitated. “Come on, driver. It’s probably a coincidence. A name can’t kill people.” The door hissed open. The bus was still speeding. “I said, throw her off.” At this speed, I’d be roadkill. And with those things outside… “Don’t panic!” Clay pulled out his phone. “The next stop is Riverdale. I’ve called the cops to meet us there. Everyone just—” He froze. We all crowded around his phone. Jade covered her mouth. “We’re moving towards Hollow Creek? But we just passed it!” “GPS must be glitching,” Cliff said, pulling out his own phone. His face went pale. Everyone checked their maps. We were all showing the same thing: The bus was driving from the start terminal back toward Hollow Creek. “Decide! Or it’s too late!” the driver screamed. “It’s her! She’s the only Sierra, and she lied about it!” Cliff grabbed my arm. “Driver! Stop the bus! I’ll throw her out!” “Once the bus starts, it only stops at the station,” the driver said coldly. Cliff gritted his teeth and started dragging me toward the open door. “Are you crazy?” Clay blocked him. “That’s murder!” “She won’t die! Just get her off!” Jade pushed Cliff. “You believe this supernatural crap? If you throw Sierra off, I’m throwing you off!” “AHHHH!” A scream from the back. My kindergarten teacher was curled up in her seat, shaking violently. In the seat in front of her sat a bloody corpse. Jade gasped. “Where… where is his head?” “Rocky!!” Cliff screamed. Rocky was his best friend. “His head… and his legs… where are they?” Cliff’s eyes were bloodshot. The teacher sobbed, “I… I don’t know. He just… became like that in a blink…” Rocky’s torso, unsupported, slumped into the aisle. Missing a head. Missing both legs. Cliff turned to me, eyes wild with rage. He lunged for my throat. Chapter 3 “You’re insane!” Clay kicked Cliff away. Cliff pointed a shaking finger at me. “Sierra! It’s the name! Sierra represents the Earth! It’s burying us!” “Stop talking nonsense!” Jade yelled. “There could be a million reasons. The driver is lying!” “You don’t get it?” Cliff laughed maniacally. “The rule says ‘No Sierra’. Think about the names! Look at the dead guy! Rocky! Rock! Earth!” People started whispering. “Wait… Clay. Jade. Stone. Cliff. Even the teacher’s name is Sandy.” Cliff pointed at Rocky’s corpse. “The driver… his name is Forrest. Forrest means Wood. In the cycle of elements, Wood conquers Earth. Roots tear the earth apart. That’s why his head and legs are gone! He was ripped apart by the roots!” “It’s Hollow Creek Station!” Jade shouted, pointing out the window. The station glowed with a ghostly green light in the darkness. “Don’t stop!” she screamed. We all saw it. Among the crowd of monsters waiting at the platform, Rocky was standing in the front row. He was smiling at the bus. “AHHH!” Another scream. The teacher looked to her left. Another corpse. Headless. Legless. “Peter!” She cried. Peter… Rock. Cliff pointed at me again. “I told you! It’s the Earth names! She’s Sierra! Mountain! She’s the biggest target!” “We have two hours,” the driver said through gritted teeth. The teacher, broken by fear, rushed up with Cliff to grab me. “I’m sorry, but you have to go!” The mob mentality took over. “It’s your fault for sneaking on!” “Sorry, kid. It’s us or you.” Except for Clay and Jade, everyone closed in. “No! Stop!” I struggled, but there were too many of them. They dragged me to the open door. The wind howled like a banshee. The asphalt blurred beneath us. “Stop it!” Clay threw himself over me. Cliff punched him in the face. Clay’s head slammed into a seat back. The metal buckle on his bag gouged the upholstery. He groaned, sweat pouring down his face from the pain. “Clay!” I reached for him, but Cliff grabbed my hair. He yanked my head out the door. One shove, and I was gone. “NO!!” As I screamed, the grip on my hair vanished. Warm liquid splattered my face. I looked up. Cliff’s head… was gone. Jade hauled me back inside and shoved me into a seat. “Nobody move!” Jade stood in front of me, fierce as a lioness. “Don’t you see? Anyone who tries to kill Sierra dies!” Clay struggled to his feet, standing beside her. “You saw what happened to Cliff. If you want to try next, go ahead.” The mob hesitated. Cliff’s death might have been a coincidence, but nobody wanted to roll those dice. Jade yelled, “Think! Who made the rule? Who is driving this bus? Why are we attacking each other instead of the guy named Forrest?” The realization hit them. I sat there, gasping for air, shaking. I looked at the seat Clay had hit. The fabric cover was torn. Underneath, there was a deep scratch from his bag buckle. I reached out to touch it. I froze. There wasn’t one scratch. There were thirteen. Identical scratches. Right on top of each other. Chapter 4 Clay and Jade were arguing with the passengers, but my world had narrowed to those thirteen scratches. Clay only hit the seat once. Unless… this wasn’t my first ride. Wait. Why did I get on this bus? To challenge a rule? That sounded stupid now. I pulled the fabric cover back down, hiding the marks. I stood up and walked to the driver. “Hey. Show me your ID.” Forrest gripped the wheel, silent. “You keep saying the name ‘Sierra’ kills people. But Cliff’s theory about Wood eating Earth… that applies to you, not me.” Forrest stayed silent. “Clay! Jade! Help me!” They didn’t hesitate. They pinned the driver’s arms. I reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. ID Name: Forrest Graves. “Graves?” The passengers gasped. “Sending us to our graves…” someone whispered. “He’s the Grim Reaper!” “He’s the Wood element! He’s the one killing the ‘Earth’ passengers!” “Throw him off!” A guy rushed forward and grabbed the wheel. “I can drive! Get rid of him!” They dragged Forrest out of the seat. He didn’t fight. He just looked at me with a chilling, knowing smile. His lips moved. See you soon. I kicked him out the door. He vanished into the dark. No sound of impact. We waited. Silence. No more heads popping off. “Where are we?” Clay rubbed his head. “I feel like I blacked out.” “Look! Lights!” Streetlights flickered on. Hollow Creek Station appeared ahead. No ghosts. Just a normal, empty station. No police, though. We were stuck in a loop, but we had survived this round. “We made it!” People jumped off the bus, hugging and crying. Those who tried to kill me apologized profusely. I didn’t blame them. Survival instinct is ugly. A few locals waiting at the station looked at us weirdly. “Hey,” I called out, high on adrenaline. “It’s late. What are you waiting for?” “The 23,” one said. “Isn’t it due?” “The 23 just…” I turned around. The bus was gone. I checked my watch. 9:30 PM. The exact time I boarded. “Here it comes!” someone shouted. Headlights cut through the fog. The red LED sign read ROUTE 23. I looked at the driver’s seat. Forrest Graves was looking right at me. I collapsed onto the bench. “No… the name change wasn’t enough…” “Sierra? What are you doing?” Clay and Jade grabbed my arms. “Bus is here. Last one. Let’s go.” I looked around. The people who were just celebrating survival had reset. They were lining up like sheep. Forrest shouted the warning: “No one named Kimberly allowed! IDs out!” I understood. I stepped onto the bus. This time, I was going to break it. Chapter 5 “Name?” Forrest asked. “Marina Waters.” I stared him down. Clay and Jade looked at me, confused. I shot them a look to stay quiet. I had forged a dozen IDs to get on this bus. Marina was one of them. We were in a time loop. But I was the anomaly. I remembered. Forrest checked the ID. He paused. In Chinese philosophy, Water nourishes Wood. If Wood (Forrest) destroys Earth (Sierra/Clay/Jade), then Water (Marina) feeds him. He let me pass. I sat down and picked at the seat cover. Thirteen scratches. It all flooded back. The metal buckle. The scratch. The loop. I remembered the previous attempts. Attempts 1 through 12: Everyone died except me. Attempt 13: I changed my name to Kimberly Steele. Metal cuts Wood. I threw Forrest off the bus. We survived the ride, but time reset. We didn’t break the cycle; we just delayed the inevitable. Attempt 14: This time. Fighting him (Metal) didn’t work. Feeding him (Water) might. I looked around. Clay, Jade, Rocky, Cliff, Sandy… All Earth names. All destined to be consumed by the Forest. Except me. My real name is Sierra. Earth. But I cheated. The 12th time, I realized why I was the only survivor. He couldn’t kill me because I wasn’t technically “Sierra” when I boarded. I was using fake IDs with different elemental associations. I looked at Forrest in the mirror. He looked back and smirked.

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I was diagnosed with a terminal illness and died, only to be resurrected by a system. The catch? I had to become the evil stepmother of a future villain in a novel. The rule? Don’t break character. I looked down at the five-year-old munchkin at my feet, snatched his milk, and replaced it with a glass of bitter melon juice. From that day on, I made his life hell. He wasn’t allowed to be picky with his food. If he wanted a pet, he had to clean up its poop. Years later, when he was applying for college, I even secretly changed his application choices. I thought I was creating a monster. I thought when he became successful, he’d come for my head. Instead, he stood in front of the media, cameras flashing, and said: “The person I’m most grateful for is my mom. Her love guided me through my childhood and showed me the right path in life.” Wait a minute… did I do something wrong? 1 After dying from my illness, the System told me I could keep living if I transmigrated into a book as the villain’s wicked stepmother. The only condition: I had to maintain the “evil stepmother” persona. No OOC (Out Of Character) allowed. This was a male-centric urban novel. The five-year-old kid in front of me, Julian, was destined to become the Big Bad who would destroy the protagonist’s life. And the main reason for his twisted psyche? Me. His wicked stepmother. I thought about it for a second. I didn’t have much experience being evil. So I simplified it: Just don’t let him be comfortable. I looked at the little boy sitting quietly at the table, drinking his milk. I snatched the glass from his hand and handed it to the nanny. “Change this to bitter melon juice. The more bitter, the better.” The kid looked confused for a second, a milk mustache still on his upper lip. He glared at me angrily but didn’t dare to speak. When I arrived in this body, she had already been married into the Vance family for six months. According to the plot, once I realized Julian’s father, Arthur Vance, was rarely home, I tore off my mask of kindness. I started tormenting and framing little Julian. At first, he fought back. But a kid is no match for an adult. Whenever he tattled, I’d twist the truth and punish him harder. After months of psychological abuse, he learned to suffer in silence. Now, my job was to keep that momentum going. Maybe add a little personal flair. Julian had probably never tasted bitter melon juice before. His face scrunched up like a wrinkled sheet, and he instinctively stuck out his tongue. My heart melted a little—he was kinda cute. But I kept my voice cold. “Drink it all!” Making a kid eat bitter melon is basically torture. This definitely counts as abuse, right? I’m nailing this evil stepmom gig. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. 2 After breakfast, the nanny was getting Julian ready for school. I frowned when I saw him dressed in cheap, slightly worn-out clothes. “Why is he dressed like that?” “Didn’t you say we shouldn’t encourage vanity in children? You said keeping a low profile is better.” Wow, the original owner of this body was insidious. She wanted to crush his self-esteem by making him look poor. But she miscalculated. Kindergarteners don’t understand wealth. They understand fitting in. What they fear most is being ostracized. I immediately ordered the nanny to change Julian into a little tuxedo. Complete with a cute bowtie. Then I told the driver to bring out the most expensive, flashy car in the garage. I was going to make sure he was the most extra kid at that preschool. Let them hate the rich! Let the envy flow! Maybe because this was different from my usual cruelty, Julian looked uneasy. Before leaving, he pursed his lips and whispered, “Why are you doing this?” I squatted down and let out a villainous cackle. “Because I’m bad!” Julian took a step back in fear. I took the opportunity to lunge forward and plant a big kiss on his chubby cheek. He covered his face in horror. I threatened him, “Say goodbye to Mommy, or I’ll come pick you up from school personally this afternoon.” After six months of torment, he probably hated my guts. Kissing him and making him call me “Mommy” was definitely crossing his boundaries. But he had to submit. Watching him run out the door with his mouth shut tight, I felt like the queen of mean. 3 After Julian left for school, I wandered around the villa, bored out of my mind. In the original story, Arthur was a workaholic who traveled constantly. He’d often be gone for weeks at a time. I was basically a trophy wife hired to babysit Julian. He wired me $500,000 a month for living expenses. He probably thought the money would motivate me to be nice to the kid. Instead, it just fueled the original owner’s greed. I sighed and asked the System, “How long do I have to keep this up?” The System replied that I had a crucial scene where I secretly changed Julian’s college application, forcing him to go abroad and face even darker trauma. So, I had to stay in character until Julian graduated high school. Rough calculation: at least thirteen years. Living as a rich wife was a sweet deal, but playing the villain 24/7 was exhausting. I decided to go on a shopping spree to comfort myself. 4 At dusk, the driver pulled up to the kindergarten right on time. Julian hadn’t said goodbye to me that morning. I said I’d pick him up, and I meant it. I had to establish my authority. Let him know the terror of his stepmother. This private kindergarten looked like a literal castle. Soon, the teacher led a gaggle of tiny humans out the door. They waddled toward their parents. I sat in the car for a bit. I planned to wait until Julian was panicking that no one came for him, then pop out and scare him. But as soon as the teacher left, a group of kids surrounded Julian. I could faintly hear them chanting something about “Mommy… pick up.” Julian looked down, silent. The kids started clapping and jumping around him. Me: ??? Wait, were they bullying him? As a qualified evil stepmother, I immediately jumped out to ruin their fun. “Hey! You little brats! Why aren’t you going home? Did your parents abandon you? Huh? Did they?” I grabbed Julian, pulling him out of the circle, and glared at the kids. Exactly. I was going to offend all his friends. Isolate him further. “Who are you? Are you the Liar’s sister?” one kid asked. Being called “sister” was flattering, not gonna lie. But I snapped back, “What liar? Who’s a liar? Didn’t your teacher teach you manners? I’m Julian’s mother! Julian doesn’t like you, so don’t play with him anymore!” “Julian’s mom? His mom is the nanny! I saw her! She doesn’t look like you! He lied and said she wasn’t his mom. He’s a vain liar! We don’t want to play with him!” What kind of messy drama was this? “I am Julian’s mother!” I raised a fist threateningly. The brats giggled and ran away. Julian, who had been standing behind me, tugged on my shirt. He looked up at me with big, watery eyes. “Thank you for coming to get me today.” Wait… something feels wrong. Why is he thanking me? 5 My power move must have worked. When we got home, Julian was exceptionally obedient. He followed me around like a puppy. At dinner, he even peeled shrimp for me. He carefully placed a peeled shrimp in my bowl. Seeing I didn’t move, he added, “I washed my hands.” I picked up my chopsticks. Delicious. “Good job. Peel me a few more as a reward.” Julian pursed his lips and started peeling shrimp seriously. Eventually, I was too full, and he ate the leftovers. After dinner, I was stuffed. Time for some exercise. And for an evil stepmother, what better exercise than tormenting a child? I dragged eighteen shopping bags into the living room. I beckoned to Julian, who was playing with a puzzle. “Come here. Try on these clothes.” Julian’s clothes were usually custom-ordered and delivered. He probably never tried things on for fun. At first, he was excited. He even showed a little toothy smile. Until later. He choked out, “Please… I can’t try any more…” “But we still have the bumblebee, the penguin, the duck, and the monster costumes!” Julian went silent. He stood there in a green dinosaur onesie, looking at me with tear-filled eyes. Me: … Fine. Plan B. 6 At bedtime, I decided to inflict one final torture. I forced him to stay in my room. After he changed into his pajamas, I handed him a storybook. “Read me a story. Put Mommy to sleep.” Julian froze, as if he couldn’t comprehend how an adult could be so shameless. But he took the book. “Once upon a… a… there was a q… queen sitting by the… open… win… window…” Me: … I forgot he was five. He couldn’t read much. But this gave me an idea. Most kids love playing and hate studying. A truly evil plan formed in my mind. Julian was still stumbling through the story. He knew he was struggling. Seeing me stare at him, his face turned red, and his voice got quieter. “I… I… can I read it tomorrow?” I let out my signature villain laugh and snatched the book. “Lie down. Mommy will tell you a story. Tonight’s story is called Snow White and Her Seven Stepmothers.” Maximum horror. I don’t know if Julian fell asleep, but I definitely bored myself to sleep. In my haze, I felt something soft brush against my cheek. A small voice whispered, “Mommy.” 7 The next morning, after Julian went to school, I launched my “Tiger Mom” project. Math, English, piano, coding—I signed him up for everything. I hired the strictest tutors. I assigned the heaviest workload. I thought Julian would be devastated when he came home. Instead, he adapted perfectly. Especially with reading. He was trying so hard. A few days later, as I walked past the study, he poked his head out and read loudly: “Once upon a time, a queen sat by an open window, sewing!” He looked at me, face full of expectation. To encourage this (and my evil plan), I decided to let him read me a bedtime story every night as a “reward.”

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When I landed back in the States after three years abroad, my childhood sweetheart was now a billionaire CEO, dating my doppelgänger. His mom hit me up immediately: “Ten million dollars. Get back with my son.” I politely declined. “Mrs. Sterling, you know the rules. A proper ‘the one that got away’ stays away. I’m supposed to be dead to him.” “One hundred million. Are you in or out?” “Say less. Satisfaction guaranteed.” 1 The day I touched down at JFK, my phone lit up with a call from a number saved as “Sugar Mama.” I smirked and answered. “Hi, Mrs. Sterling.” Yep. My ex-boyfriend’s mom is my primary investor. She’s the angel who funded my “study abroad” escape plan. “Chloe, I’ll give you ten million dollars. Get back with Liam.” “Mrs. Sterling, come on. Liam and I broke up three years ago. Plus, have you seen inflation? Even pork prices are up.” “…Thirty million. Drive that little girlfriend of his away.” “Mrs. Sterling, you know the drill. As a qualified ‘white moonlight’—his first love—I’m supposed to be a ghost. How could I meddle in their relationship?” She knew my style. Silence on the other end for a few seconds, then she gritted her teeth. “One hundred million. Do we have a deal?” Damn. Sugar Mama doesn’t play. I agreed instantly. “No problem. Consider it done.” She hung up immediately, like speaking to me was physically painful. Two minutes later, a notification popped up. Deposit received: $30,000,000. Gotta love a repeat customer. Pre-payment is standard procedure. I stared at the long string of zeros in my bank app, grinning like an idiot. On the airport TV screens, a news ticker flashed: [Billionaire CEO Liam Sterling drops $50 million on Malibu mansion for actress Seraphina Rose.] I looked up and saw that familiar face. Three years later, Liam had leveled up. The boyish softness was gone, replaced by a cold, sharp edge. He looked like a man who could ruin your life with a signature. Next to him was Seraphina Rose. A gorgeous actress who looked about 50% like me. I chuckled. Liam, you cliché. Playing the “replacement” trope? 2 Three years ago, my parents died in a car crash. My family’s company went bankrupt. I was eighteen, orphaned, and kicked to the curb by vultures posing as relatives. In the pouring rain, Liam pulled me into his arms. “Chloe, don’t be scared. I’ll protect you.” I held onto him, soaking up his warmth. Back then, he was just a kid. He had nothing but a sincere heart. He offered it to me on a silver platter. But in the real world? A sincere heart is worthless. So when his mom found me, slapped a ten-million-dollar check on the table, and told me to leave, I didn’t hesitate. The day I left, Liam called me a hundred times. He begged. “Chloe, don’t go. I’ll take care of you, okay? Please, don’t leave me!” It was the first time I heard the big-brother figure of my childhood cry. I comforted him gently, told him to be a good boy, and then blocked his number. 3 I sent my resume to the jewelry design firm owned by Sterling Corp, rented an apartment nearby, and started doing my homework on the last three years. Holy crap. For the first two years, Liam grinded. He went from the overlooked heir to the iron-fisted CEO in record time. My childhood friend became a tyrant, completely sidelining his own mother in the company. As for meeting Seraphina? Pure soap opera drama. A year ago, Seraphina was a nobody. Her shady agent tricked her into attending a “networking” party to sell her off to some old pervert. Liam, playing the white knight, saved her. Since then, the stoic CEO has been obsessed. He takes her to galas, feeds her resources, and spoils her rotten. They haven’t officially announced it, but everyone knows. “CEO and the Starlet?” I scrolled through fanfiction written by netizens. “Damn, the writing isn’t bad.” The lore was basically public knowledge. Seraphina’s backstory: Orphanage kid, mid-tier college, hustled from extra to leading lady. Very inspirational. Liam’s devotion: Buying her diamonds, dresses, mansions. Getting her roles. The conflict: Mama Sterling hates Seraphina. Liam fights his mom for her. Now I understood why Sugar Mama called me the second I landed. Back then, Liam just defied her to date me—a bankrupt orphan. She threw money at me to make me disappear. Now, he’s sidelining her for his new toy? She probably wants to murder Seraphina. 4 I settled in with my new Samoyed puppy from the pet store. I rubbed his fluffy head. “Money! Money! Who’s a good boy?” His name is Money. Manifestation, people. My phone rang. “Ms. White? Your application has been approved. When can you start?” “Tomorrow works.” I hung up and kissed the dog. “Lucky boy! The money is literally coming!” The next morning, I put on my “corporate baddie” outfit and walked into Sterling Tower. “Whoa! Are you Chloe?” A girl with a ponytail bounced over. “I’m Jess! I’m obsessed with your designs! Especially the ‘Rose Poetry’ collection! I can’t believe we’re coworkers!” I smiled. “Thanks. That’s my favorite too.” After all, the inspiration for ‘Rose Poetry’ was Liam. Jess was super bubbly, filling me in on office gossip. Two days later, Jess sprinted to my desk. “Did you hear? The Big Boss is coming for an inspection this morning!” “Which boss?” “Liam Sterling! And rumor has it he’s bringing his girlfriend.” Liam and Seraphina? I immediately grabbed my makeup bag and headed to the restroom. I thought I’d need time to get close to him. Who knew he’d deliver himself to my doorstep? Ex-girlfriend reunion rules: You must look better than them. 5 The floor was buzzing until the elevator dinged. Liam walked out holding Seraphina’s hand, fingers interlaced. Jess nudged me. “Hey, zone back in! Manager wants the design team in the conference room.” I walked in. Liam sat at the head of the table, looking sharp in a suit that probably cost more than my car. When we walked in, he glanced at the door. Our eyes met. I wondered how he’d react. He just looked away, indifferent. Like I was a stranger. A pang of bitterness hit my chest. I ignored it and sat down. The manager was bowing and scraping. “Mr. Sterling, Ms. Rose, the design team is here.” Liam looked at Seraphina. “You pick.” Seraphina smiled at us. “Sorry to bother everyone. Liam insisted on designing our one-year anniversary gift personally.” Barf. “I smell the stench of love,” Jess whispered. “By the way… is it just me, or do you and his girlfriend look kinda alike?” Before I could answer, Seraphina spoke up. “I heard Chloe just joined the team. Can I meet her?” I stood up, smiling. “Hi. Chloe White.” Seraphina looked surprised. “I love your work! I didn’t realize we had similar taste and similar faces!” 6 Provocation? Definitely. She wasn’t as innocent as the fanfics claimed. Whatever. I’m not a saint either. “Yeah,” I said, tucking hair behind my ear. I looked straight at Liam. “I’m surprised too. Three years later, Mr. Sterling’s taste hasn’t changed a bit.” I smiled sweetly. “Swapped the person, kept the model.” Seraphina’s face fell. Liam couldn’t sit still anymore. He stared at me with cold, dead eyes. “I’m not like some people. Flipping a switch, heartless and cruel.” The colleagues exchanged glances. The tea was piping hot. “Chloe, you’re funny.” Seraphina stepped between us, blocking Liam’s view. She forced a smile. “So, it’s decided! Liam’s anniversary gift for me… I’ll leave it in your hands!” She emphasized “anniversary gift” like she was marking territory. Sorry, girl. I’m immune. “You’re welcome. Remember to pay the 30% deposit upfront.” Strictly business. Even the boss’s girlfriend follows protocol. The room went silent. The bald manager looked like he wanted to laser-eye me into oblivion. Liam stood up, radiating menace. He sneered. “Don’t worry. You’ll get what’s yours.” He stormed out. The manager sighed. “Chloe White, what did you see in Mr. Sterling’s exit?” Me: “Tall, dark, and handsome?” “Wrong! Rage!” The manager face-palmed. “A great career path right in front of you, and you torched it!” Colleagues looked at me with pity or glee. Jess looked worried. “Chloe… being blunt is cool, but in corporate, you gotta play the game.” “Me?” I pointed at myself. “Oh, I’m playing the game. Hard.” My phone buzzed on the table. Unknown number. I picked up. A stranger’s voice. “Ms. White? This is Mr. Sterling’s assistant. He has a message for you.” “Wow,” I said. “Bosses are so arrogant these days. Can’t even speak for themselves?” Silence. Two seconds later, a familiar, gritty voice came through the speaker. “Chloe. If you want the deposit, unblock my number.”

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The night my seven-year Blood Pact with Lysander hit its climax, my body was wracked with the Curse. It felt like my veins were filled with razor blades. I waited for him. He was late. When he finally showed up at midnight, he wasn’t alone. He was cradling an unconscious woman in his arms. Curled in a ball of agony on the bed, I choked out his name. He ignored me completely, carrying her straight to his room and shouting for the old butler. “Check her! Now! Make sure she’s okay!” I heard the butler, bless his soul, try to plead my case. Lysander cut him off, impatient. “I’m not in the mood to feed from her right now! She can tough it out. It won’t kill her.” My last hope shattered. To survive the Curse without my master’s bite, I had to bleed myself. I gritted my teeth and sliced my own arms open. The sheets turned crimson. The metallic tang of blood filled the room. Even with his vampire senses, Lysander didn’t come. He smelled it, and he didn’t care. After hours of convulsions, the Curse finally subsided. Lying in a pool of my own blood, consciousness fading, I sent a telepathic message with the last of my strength. “I accept. Within three days, I will break my bond with him. And I will bond with you.” 1. I woke up bandaged. The overwhelming stench of blood was gone, replaced by the faint scent of tobacco. The butler had cleaned me up. Dizzy, I dragged myself out of bed, throwing on a jacket to hide the bandages. I wanted to thank him. I ran straight into Lysander in the hallway. He looked me over, saw I was standing, and his face went blank. “Prepare breakfast.” My head spun when I nodded. I grabbed the wall for support. He was already walking away. Habit took over. I prepared a bowl of animal blood and brought it to his room. The woman from last night was in his bed. I looked away and approached him. Lysander glanced at the bowl, scowled, and slapped it out of my hand. Blood splattered onto my jacket. “What is this? Get it out of here!” he hissed. The noise woke the woman. Lysander’s demeanor flipped instantly. He hovered over her, asking softly if she was okay. She smiled sheepishly. Her stomach growled. “I’m hungry.” Lysander pinched her cheek affectionately, then glared at me. “Go make real food. Now.” I realized my mistake. She wasn’t a vampire. She was human, like me. I backed out of the room and heard them talking. “Is she human too?” The woman, Lucy, sounded curious. “No,” Lysander said dismissively. “Just my blood thrall.” “Because of the Pact, I can only feed from her. So don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.” The Blood Pact lasts five years. I had stayed two years past my expiration date. Because I wanted to. But to him, I was just a walking juice box. It was all in my head. Numbly, I took off my blood-stained jacket, peeled off the sticky gauze, and started cooking human food. Footsteps approached. Lysander entered the kitchen, drawn by the smell. “Why does it smell so strong?” Then he saw the angry slashes on my arms. He grabbed my wrist, staring at the wounds. “Did… did you do this to yourself last night?” When the Curse hits, the master has to drink from the thrall to break it. If not, the thrall has to cut themselves seven times to release the pressure. The lucky ones survive the pain. The unlucky ones go into shock and die. I was lucky. Like he said, I toughed it out. Didn’t die. The only thing that died was my hope. I pulled my hand back. “It’s fine.” My indifference pissed him off. His eyes went cold. “You blame me for not saving you.” “I wouldn’t dare, Master.” He turned off the faucet, stopping me from washing vegetables. “Don’t get the wounds wet. Stop working.” Another order. I ignored him and picked up a knife. He scoffed. “Suit yourself.” He walked away, then paused. “Next time, I’ll help you.” I didn’t answer. There wouldn’t be a next time. 2. The castle was dim, lit only by candles. Standard vampire decor. I was checking the blackout curtains when Lucy walked in. She clearly hated the darkness. “Can we go outside? Get some sun?” she asked Lysander. Lysander looked at her with pure affection. “Sure.” Years ago, I asked the same thing. He lectured me about how vampires can’t be in the sun and how I needed to learn the rules to survive in his world. As a thrall, you learn to read the room. I never asked again. Turns out, it wasn’t against the rules. It just depended on who was asking. Lucy grabbed Lysander’s arm and beamed at me. “Do you want to come too?” I froze. “I’ll stay here and prep dinner.” Her smile dropped. Lysander saw her disappointment and turned to me. “Come with us. Pack the food.” I looked up. In the candlelight, he finally noticed how pale I was from blood loss. His voice softened. “You’re injured. No feeding for a while. Just get me animal blood.” Lucy grabbed my hand enthusiastically. “Come on! You must miss the sun!” Her warmth was shocking. I flinched, accidentally tilting the candle. Hot wax dripped onto my hand. Lysander moved like lightning, pulling her hand away from the dripping wax. My skin burned. I watched him check her hand for damage, then silently switched the candle to my other hand. “I’ll go pack.” I rinsed the burn under cold water. Then I walked over to the calendar on the wall and circled the date. Three circles meant the Pact was fully matured. I would have one chance to break it. I packed the picnic basket and opened the heavy front doors. Sunlight flooded in. After a thousand days in the dark, my instinct was to flinch. Lysander, wearing a heavy cloak, let Lucy drag him out into the brightness. I followed them, stepping into the sun. The warmth hit my skin, and for some reason, I wanted to cry. I looked for Lysander, but my eyes landed on Lucy. She was tiptoeing, reaching for his hood. “Can I see your fangs?” She was glowing, healthy, hair shining in the light. Lysander held her waist and let her pull back his hood. He smiled, his pupils narrowing into slits, and bared his fangs. He wasn’t afraid of hurting her. Because he had me. I was the safety valve. I stepped back into the shadows of the trees, hiding my brittle hair and scarred hands. 3. The sun began to set. My shift at the station was starting soon. I stepped out to leave. Lysander looked surprised that I was still there. Before he could speak, Lucy asked, “I should head back too. Will you walk me?” Lysander nodded, then looked at me. “I’ll walk you too.” Travel between the vampire and human worlds happened via the Boundary Train. My second job was working the night shift at the station. Lysander had never offered to walk me before. “No need. Just take Miss Lucy,” I said, tired. He sensed my mood and stepped closer. “I’m walking you.” Lucy sensed the tension. She hooked her arm through his. “If it’s on the way, let’s go together. I hear you’ve known Lysander a long time. I’d love to hear some stories.” She was marking her territory. Lysander patted her hand, clearly enjoying it. I didn’t recognize this man. I stopped arguing and bowed like a good servant. “Thank you, Master. Miss.” I straightened up and locked eyes with Lysander. His gaze was dark. At the station, I went to the staff room. Lysander grabbed my arm. “Wait for me. I’ll take you back when I’m done.” Done? Was he coming back tonight? I didn’t ask. Lucy was staring at his hand on my arm. My pager beeped. My coworker needed me. I nodded and pulled away. They boarded the train to the human world and vanished. My shift was quiet. I watched the clock tick. The crowd of vampire commuters thinned out. The last train arrived. Lysander wasn’t on it. I went back to the staff room, put my head on the desk, and fell asleep. I was done waiting for someone who wasn’t coming. 4. I woke up in my own bed at the castle. Lysander was sitting beside me. The room smelled sweet. There was a slice of cake on the nightstand. “For you,” he said. In the dim light, I met his eyes, then looked away. “Thanks.” He frowned. “I had an emergency last night. I didn’t mean to leave you there. Lucy…” “It’s fine,” I cut him off. He’d ditched me a hundred times. What was one more? I was dizzy from hunger, so I reached for the cake. Lysander, annoyed that I interrupted him, kept talking. “She said women like sweet stuff. What else do you humans like?” My hand froze. The cake was a leftover from his date with Lucy. Of course. I pulled my hand back and lay down, closing my eyes. “Ask Lucy.” “You…” He glared at me. Ding. His phone buzzed. His expression softened instantly, and he bolted out of the room without another word. I got up and circled the second date on the calendar. I gave the cake to the old butler as thanks for patching me up. After a quick meal and changing my bandages, I headed to the station early. My coworker, Sarah, was surprised to see me. She told me she saw Lysander earlier. “Some pretty human girl wandered into the station alone. Place was crawling with vamps. She almost got eaten.” “Your master swooped in just in time. They were hugging. What’s the deal with them?” My chest ached. “I don’t know.” I handed Sarah some cookies I baked and asked about the breaking of the Pact. That was why I came early. Sarah had broken a Pact before. She looked at the bandages on my arms and didn’t ask questions. She just squeezed my shoulder and told me everything she knew. That night, I quit my job at the station. I walked back to the castle in the pitch black. The front door was unlocked. Inside, clothes were scattered on the floor. Heavy breathing echoed from Lysander’s room. The door was wide open. Lysander’s eyes were blood-red. His fangs were buried deep in Lucy’s neck. She wasn’t fighting him; she was clinging to him, moaning. I dropped my bag. Lysander’s head snapped up. He looked at me with wild, feral eyes. With a roar, he grabbed a heavy glass vase and hurled it at me. It smashed into my shoulder, shattering on the floor. “Get out!” I realized what was happening. The Turning. He drains her dry, marks her, then feeds her his blood. She becomes a vampire. Standing in the debris, shoulder throbbing, I looked at the man I had served for seven years. I picked up the Pact Chain he had discarded on the floor and walked out.

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When my biological father, James Sterling, finally found me, I was on my knees begging on the street. It was the dead of winter. While the imposter, Chloe Sterling, was bundled up in a thick designer puffer jacket, I was in rags, my skin mottled purple from the biting cold. In my past life, I never wanted to fight her. Yet, she killed my dog, stole my parents’ love, and seized the inheritance that should have been mine. In the end, I was brutalized to death, all thanks to her orchestration. Now, my real dad held me tight, swearing to make everything up to me. I stared coldly at Chloe, who was holding my biological mother’s hand not far away, and smirked. Where should I start dissecting this snake? Chapter 1 My father carefully placed me into the passenger seat and cranked up the heat. Chloe, seeing me take her usual spot, pursed her lips and glared at me before turning to bury her face in my mother’s coat. “Mom… it’s hot…” I looked at my mother, putting on a desperate, pathetic expression of yearning for maternal affection. My birth mother’s heart twitched with guilt, but she still looked down to comfort Chloe. “Honey, maybe turn the heat down a bit?” I sneered internally. Look at this. This is my mother. For me, she has only guilt. All her love belongs to Chloe. “Luna has been freezing. She can’t get cold again,” my father frowned, disagreeing. He glanced at me, limp in the seat, barely breathing, and panicked. He touched my forehead. “Burning up! We need to get to the hospital, now!” At the hospital, they ran a full checkup. When the nurse came to draw blood, I rolled up my sleeve, exposing my arm. My skin, tanned dark from exposure, was a tapestry of scars. Burns, whip marks, old wounds layered under fresh ones. Not a single patch of unblemished skin. All gifts from my adoptive parents. They forced me to beg. If I didn’t bring back enough money, I got beaten. They even talked about selling my organs. I had to beg on my knees, sobbing that I could fetch a good bride price later, before they let it go. Zero dignity. And I shouldn’t have suffered any of this. It was my adoptive parents who secretly switched me and Chloe at birth, swapping our lives. Seeing my arm, Chloe screamed and buried her head in Mom’s chest. “Mommy! A ghost! Ahhh!” I flinched violently. The needle slipped, and blood gushed out. “Enough!” My father glared at Chloe with genuine anger. “Luna, I will find the best doctors in the world. You will heal.” I lowered my head. In my past life, I didn’t want to worry them. I always wore long sleeves and pants, even in summer. They just thought I was weird. This time, I’ll make sure their hearts bleed for me. The results came back: severe malnutrition, anemia, widespread skin infections, chronic pneumonia. My father clenched the report, trembling with rage. After calming down, he hugged me tight. “Luna, don’t worry. Those animals who hurt you… I won’t let a single one go!” I didn’t look at Chloe, but I knew she was sweating bullets. After all, those “animals” were her biological parents. If her real parents went to jail, her little act would be over. I stayed silent for a long moment, then spoke with a mix of hesitation and concern. “Father, Mom and Dad… I mean, Uncle and Auntie raised me for eighteen years. If you go after them, it might hurt your reputation. It’s a family scandal… I don’t want to make things difficult for you. You bringing me home is already enough for me. Let the past go.” Every word was calculated, distant yet forbearing. A hot tear landed on my cheek. My father patted my head, moved. “Luna, you are so sensible.” On the way back, my father arranged everything: a nanny, a driver, even a personal nutritionist and therapist. In the rearview mirror, I saw Chloe’s face twisted in jealousy. These were perks even she, the pampered princess, never had. This was the treatment for the real Sterling heiress. I smirked. If I’m right, the drama starts tonight. Chapter 2 We arrived at the Sterling mansion. My little brother, Max, came bounding out. He gave huge bear hugs to Mom, Dad, and Chloe, completely ignoring me. Mom looked at me awkwardly. I smiled. No surprise there. In my past life, Chloe painted me as a hypocritical villain, telling Max I was there to steal our parents’ love. A ten-year-old kid naturally hated me. Worse, the day I brought my dog, Dodo, home in my last life, Chloe framed Dodo for biting Max. Dad was furious. He slammed Dodo to death right in front of me and slapped me when I cried. My puppy was four months old. Even if he bit someone, it wouldn’t even break the skin. How could he hurt Max? “Max, this is your real big sister,” Mom said gently, pulling Max’s hand. Max clung to Chloe, eyes wide and glaring. “What smelly sister? I don’t want her! I only have one sister!” Chloe squeezed out some tears right on cue. “Mom, Dad… now that Luna is back, will you kick me out? Sob… I only have you guys… please don’t send me away. I’ll be good. I won’t fight with Luna for anything.” Mom, soft-hearted as always, hugged Chloe and wiped her tears. “Of course not! Mommy loves you most. How could I send you away?” Dad stood there, smoking, deep in thought. Chloe was clever. Playing the victim perfectly, making my return look like I was wrecking their happy family. I squeezed out two tears of my own and stepped forward, grabbing Chloe and Mom’s hands. “Forget Mom, even I couldn’t bear for you to leave, sister. Besides, your biological parents haven’t been found yet. Why not wait until then? I’m new here and don’t know how to be a good daughter. I still need you to teach me, sister.” Seeing me so cautious and obedient, Dad looked pained again. “Chloe can stay for now. I’ll have someone investigate her background.” He didn’t say she could stay forever, but he didn’t kick her out. Compared to my last life where he promised we’d be a “happy family of five,” this was a huge improvement. I winked at Chloe. Step one of killing a snake: Marinate it in fear. This is just the beginning, Chloe. I’m going to personally drag you into the hell I crawled out of. Back in my room, I finished the bird’s nest soup and supplements the nutritionist prepared. I put on silk pajamas and lay in the soft bed, plotting. It was time to bring Dodo back. Thinking of his death made my stomach cramp. Chloe told Dad that he loved citrus scents, so I sprayed Dodo with Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin. Turns out, Dad was allergic to citrus. He sneezed constantly, never got close to Dodo, and scolded me, banning the dog from the house. The next day, Chloe brought Dodo inside, pinched Max until he screamed, and blamed the dog. Dodo died. I was kicked out, crying in the rain with his cold body all night. Chloe walked up to me with an umbrella, smiling. “Sister, I heard the dog meat place on the west side is great. Dodo was so well-fed, he must taste delicious, right?” I snapped. I strangled her. Just as I was about to finish her off, Dad showed up and knocked me out. When I woke up, I was deaf in my right ear from the blow. Someone filmed my attack on Chloe and posted it online. The internet called me a psychopath, a monster, and told me to die. I closed my eyes, pushing the memories away. Dad had already transferred me to a new school. Tomorrow, the battlefield shifts to the classroom. Chapter 3 In the morning, the nanny brought me several outfits. All of them were garish clashes of red and green, purple and orange. I glanced at her coolly. So, she’s Chloe’s dog too. In my last life, I was too timid to refuse. I wore these clown outfits to school, embarrassing my parents and getting mocked by classmates. This time, I was prepared. I pulled out a black, understated suit I bought myself. High ponytail, pearl clip. Classy. Low-key. The nanny looked honest, but I saw the ambition in her dull eyes. Last time, she pretended to be my ally, teaching me all the wrong things while feeding info to Chloe. Chloe used her to turn me into a “vulgar redneck.” Seeing her face made my blood boil, but I kept my cool. I smiled, eyes curving into crescents. “Auntie, grab me a bag of dried crab snacks. I’ll eat them after breakfast.” The nanny nodded and left. In the dining room, the family was already eating. Chloe was wearing a pink Chanel-style jacket, a white pleated skirt, and a pearl necklace. She was laughing while feeding Max sweet soup. I raised an eyebrow. Dressing like that for school? She’s really trying hard to sell the “rich princess” image. Too bad Dad hates flashy, frivolous styles. He prefers my vibe. Sure enough, Dad’s expression softened when he saw me. Chloe, seeing me, immediately piped up with fake concern. “Sister, in the Sterling family, we wait for everyone before eating. You’re late, the food is cold.” The nanny told me breakfast was at 7:30. It was 7:20. I clutched my chest, feigning weakness. “Thanks for reminding me, sister. But my health is poor, and the doctor said I need eight hours of sleep. I got back late yesterday… I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.” Mom and Dad immediately waved it off, eyes full of pity. I poured the crab snacks the nanny brought onto a plate. Suddenly, a pair of chubby hands snatched them. Max shoved the snacks into his mouth, crunching loudly, staring at me with triumphant, beady eyes. What a brat. Fighting over food. Dad frowned, about to scold him, but Mom laughed it off. Halfway through the meal, Max suddenly turned pale. He clutched his stomach and slid off the chair. “Max! Max, what’s wrong?! Don’t scare Mommy!” Mom was hysterical. Dad stayed calm, grabbed the car keys, and rushed Max to the hospital. Max was sent to the ER. Outside, Dad comforted a sobbing Mom. Chloe spoke up, voice trembling. “It was the crabs! Luna, how could you be so cruel? Poisoning a child! Max might not like you, but he’s your brother! Aren’t you afraid of breaking Mom and Dad’s hearts?” She turned to me, eyes wide with disbelief and tears. Her accusation lit a fuse in Mom. She lunged at me. Slap! My face burned and swelled instantly. Her eyes were cold, like I was her enemy, not her daughter. Dad stood aside, watching coldly. My heart ached dully. If you never saw me as a daughter, why bring me back? In my last life, I only realized the truth as I was dying. I was just a pawn. Businessmen value profit over parting. Their “family love” is just a mask. They wanted a perfect doll. Between the broken me and the exquisite Chloe, the choice was obvious. Last time, I craved love and acceptance, and I lost everything. This time, I only want revenge, money, and power. I looked at Dad, eyes misty, voice trembling. “I didn’t do it.” “I didn’t hurt him. I wanted to eat those snacks myself. He snatched them.” Chapter 4 Dad looked conflicted. The doctor walked out, sighing. “Who is the family?” Dad raised his hand. “How is my son? Poisoning?” “Poisoning? No. Kids have sensitive stomachs; he just choked on the dry crab. He’s fine now. But—you can’t mix tangerines and white radishes! Don’t you parents have common sense? That causes goiters!” “We didn’t give him that!” Dad protested. “Impossible. We asked the kid, he’s been eating it for a while. You people are so careless!” Dad’s face darkened. Max was watched by the nanny, and the nutritionist wouldn’t make that mistake. The only suspect… was the sweet soup Chloe made for him. Dad realized it too. He glared at Chloe, whose face was draining of color. “Father, I didn’t…” Mom stood there, torn between worry, guilt, and grief. Ignoring the drama, I walked into the ward. Max was lying there, rosy-cheeked, eyes tight shut. I sat down and poked his face. “Get up, Max. Stop faking.” His lashes fluttered, but he didn’t open his eyes. I continued, “Max, you ate those crab snacks on purpose, didn’t you? Looks like you were bullying me, but really, you knew Chloe’s soup was bad news. She’s too good at acting, so you had to cause a scene to expose her, right?” Max’s eyes popped open. He sat up like a spring. “How did you know?!” I pinched his nose. “Because I’m your real sister. Why didn’t you just tell Mom and Dad?” He pouted. “Real sister, so what? If it wasn’t an accident, she’d hurt me worse…” “Is it because when you told on her before, no one believed you, and they blamed you for not loving your sister?” Max went silent. I knew I hit the mark. I sighed and hugged him. “Max, remember this. I came back not to hurt you, but to protect you and kick that snake out. You can always trust me.” Chloe’s crying echoed from the hallway. After a long silence, Max spoke, and I felt my shoulder get wet. “I’m sorry.” Parents eventually figured it out. Chloe, in the name of love, had been feeding Max a toxic combo to make him sickly so he couldn’t compete for the inheritance. Dad was disappointed. He cut off one of her credit cards. Moving her from Dad’s heart wasn’t going to be easy. The next day, I went to school with Chloe. Dad transferred me to Class A at B City Foreign Language School—Chloe’s class. In my last life, Chloe promised to take care of me but sabotaged me at every turn. First day intros? She asked what talents I had. I turned red and said “nothing,” becoming the laughingstock for three years. I didn’t know English. In an all-English class, the teacher asked me questions, and Chloe translated them wrong on purpose, making the teacher hate me. They framed me for stealing, slapped me… I remember it all. I lowered my eyes to hide the hate. Chloe, you’re in for a surprise. Chapter 5 To save face, Dad told the school I was a daughter raised by my grandparents in the countryside, kept out of the public eye. When the teacher introduced me, I started my self-introduction in flawless, Oxford-accented English. In my last life, to please my parents, I spent countless nights practicing English. To them, it was worthless. Luckily, no effort is ever truly wasted. Chloe interrupted, feigning innocence. “Luna, what talents do you have? Tell us so we can play together!” I smiled at her. “Chloe, you’re so silly. We’re family. Don’t you know what I can do?” Chloe’s face stiffened. I ignored her and addressed the class confidently. “I’ve loved piano since I was small. I’m proficient in Go, calligraphy, and painting. Ballet, Latin dance, swimming, skiing—I can do them all. You’re all welcome to come over and see.” In my last life, people said I was timid, nothing like a Sterling. So I learned everything. Whatever Chloe could do, I learned. Whatever she couldn’t, I learned too. But Dad just called me a cheap imitation. Well, now I’ll use everything you despised to slap you in the face. Chloe leaned back, eyes full of suspicion. And… anticipation. Calculating the date, Dad should be planning my “Welcome Home” banquet soon. Good. Time to strike back. Even though I knew the high school curriculum by heart, I didn’t slack off. I studied hard while watching Chloe like a hawk. Chloe was chatting with her bestie, Jessica Liu. “Chloe, where did this sister come from?” “Luna… her status is special. She just came home recently.” Chloe hesitated, acting like she needed courage to speak, tears welling up. What a move. “Special status.” In rich families, that means illegitimate. A bastard child brought home means she’s dangerous enough to threaten the legitimate heir. She was implying I was the homewrecker’s daughter. Jessica, a hothead with a big mouth, exploded. Rumors spread like wildfire. Everywhere I went, I heard insults. “A bastard competing with the real princess? Does she deserve it?” “Born from a mistress, born cheap.” Then came the bullying. They called me names. Asked my price for a night. They tore my homework, wrote curses on the walls. They stalked me, investigated me… even tried to assault me. It was a carnival of cruelty. That day, Chloe led a group of girls dressed like punks to block me in the bathroom. They laughed, grabbing my arms. Long nails dug into my skin, drawing blood. Chloe, looking arrogant, kicked me in the stomach with her metal-tipped heels. I doubled over in pain, looking up with fake confusion. “Sister, how did I offend you? Why are you doing this?” Chloe’s exquisite face twisted. “Don’t think just because Dad spoils you, I can’t touch you. Blood related? So what? I am the only Miss Sterling! Listen, bitch, you are my dog. I own you.” She signaled, and the girls ripped my clothes. Chloe stood over me, taking photos with her phone. “This is just a warning. Next time, it won’t be this simple.” She slapped me, then stomped on me with her heels before storming out. I curled up, coughing, but a smile crept onto my lips. Sister, thanks for the “gift.” What should I get you in return?

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I’ve been a ghost for ten years. A streamer found the photo I cherished most and launched a viral campaign across the internet: “#FindLiam.” When I saw him again, he was about to get married. I wanted to disappear so badly… But once I really did vanish, he ended up living a life of solitude until the bitter end. When he died, he was still clutching that half-burnt photo. 1 I died the night the psychiatric hospital caught fire. Because the building was a labyrinth, a lot of patients couldn’t make it out. We died in the flames. Since then, I’ve been haunting the hospital. At first, I had some company. Other ghosts stuck here. Later, they all faded away. I was the only one left guarding the ruins. I couldn’t stray far from the grounds, so I spent my days sitting by the window, killing time. I watched the sunset more times than I could count. Way more than forty-four times. Ten years passed like this. The hospital turned into a ruin. Weeds grew tall, thorns wrapped around the broken walls, and wild roses bloomed over the wreckage. The locals said the place was haunted. They told kids there was a female ghost who ate children, warning them to stay away or she’d snatch them. Total BS! I’ve never eaten anyone! And I definitely wouldn’t kidnap a kid! … One day, a girl showed up talking to her phone. “Hey guys, it’s your girl Chloe here. We’re at the legendary Whispering Hill Asylum. It’s been abandoned for a decade after a massive fire killed twenty-seven people. Rumor has it the youngest victim was only eighteen. The director went to jail for it. Tonight, we’re gonna see if the ghosts are real.” I leaned on her shoulder, peering at her phone. I realized what she was doing. She was livestreaming! Locals did this sometimes to make money. She shivered dramatically. “Even after ten years, you can see how intense the fire was. The walls are still black…” She walked and talked until she reached my old room. After scanning the pitch-black room, her eyes landed on a corner of the wall. Chloe crouched down and pulled a blackened tin box out of a hole in the plaster. I was stomping my feet next to her. 2 “That’s mine!” “It’s mine!” “Don’t touch it!” But she couldn’t hear me. She even opened the box. “Ah!” My secret was exposed just like that. She was the worst! She picked up the photo inside, which had been burned in half. She held it to the camera: “Look, guys! The girl in this photo is so pretty. She looks super young. I wonder if she was even eighteen.” I huffed angrily. “Don’t think calling me pretty will make me forgive you! And I was eighteen! I was an adult!” I even had a boyfriend! The comments floated across the screen: Is she the eighteen-year-old victim? Don’t touch the dead’s belongings, especially if they died young. That’s bad luck! So sad. Dying that young. I heard that hospital was run like a prison. That’s why so many didn’t escape. Wait, there’s a shoulder next to her in the photo. Black shirt. Looks like a guy. Maybe the person she liked? Psychos have crushes? Imagine being liked by a crazy person. Creepy. Seeing the comments made me sad. I wasn’t a psycho. I just… I had autism. My dad said if I stuck to the treatment, I’d get better and I could date. I could like people. I wasn’t crazy. Chloe frowned at her phone. “If you can’t speak human, get out of my stream. Calling people ‘crazy’—you look in the mirror lately? You’re the weirdos.” I decided Chloe might not be that bad. She flipped the photo over. Two words were written on the back. “Liam Ford.” Liam was my first love. Because I refused to go to school, he became my home tutor starting my junior year. He was nineteen then. My dad said he was brilliant. We went to the same high school. He was the city’s top scholar, an Ivy League student, skipped grades, and secured a spot in a top tech grad program by his junior year of college. “Let him tutor you, okay?” 3 I didn’t speak. Whether I agreed or not, he was going to be my tutor. My dad had hired many tutors before Liam. But during class, I liked to do other things—drawing or woodcarving, lost in my own world. Those tutors always quit. When Liam first arrived, I ignored him too. I assumed he’d badmouth me behind my back. Give me weird nicknames. People thought I was stupid because I didn’t talk or tattle. That’s what they all did. But he just kept lecturing in my ear, not caring if I listened. Actually, I understood most of it. After class, he pulled out some worksheets. “These cover today’s lesson. Do them if you have time. I’ll go over them tomorrow.” I didn’t do them. Not interested. I doodled all over his test paper. He said, “That’s a pretty nice frog.” It was clearly a monster! How could it be a frog?! So annoying. “Did I say something wrong?” I ignored him. He lowered his eyes and started teaching. Liam had long eyelashes. When he blinked, they looked like butterfly wings. Liam was always calm. He didn’t seem to care if I ignored him. “Did you understand this question? If not, tell me, and I’ll explain it again.” He tapped the desk with his fingertip. I ignored him. “Since you understood, let’s move to the next one.” When I didn’t understand, I’d turn my head and look at him, and he’d explain it again. I thought it was fun, so I deliberately looked at him again after he finished explaining. After five times, Liam was still chill. Weird. Didn’t he ever get mad? A month later, I spoke my first sentence to him. 4 “What is a little monster?” Why did my classmates call me that? Liam paused, then asked, “Who said that?” I didn’t tell him. “Did someone call you that?” I nodded. Then he drew a picture for me. He asked, “What is this?” “A snake eating an elephant.” Liam smiled faintly. “But most people think it’s a hat.” How silly. He said, “People always reject views that are different from their own. They think you’re different from them, so they’re prejudiced. The prejudice is the monster, not you.” “But I am different from normal people.” “You’re just… very unique. Everyone is different. It’s no big deal.” No one had ever told me these things. He asked, “Want to know the story behind this drawing?” I nodded. “Finish this worksheet, and I’ll tell you.” Fine. Liam brought me The Little Prince. I felt like I was as unique as the Little Prince. Liam was even more unique. The Little Prince lived on a planet where he could see the sunset forty-four times a day. “Liam, I want to see the sunset forty-four times a day too.” “If you get into Stanford, I’ll take you to see it.” I hesitated. I didn’t like school, and I didn’t like the people out there. But if Liam was there, maybe the outside world wouldn’t be so hateful. 5 After I got into Stanford, Liam took me there. In the school auditorium, I saw forty-four sunsets. Liam coded the program and projected it with models. He said he wouldn’t be tutoring me anymore. “Why?” “You graduated.” “Liam, I like you.” High school was over, but my like wasn’t. “You’re still young. You haven’t seen the outside world.” I understood. Liam didn’t like little monsters either. “Liam, I’m not stupid. If you don’t like me, just say it. Don’t invalidate my feelings.” I rarely spoke such long sentences. Just because I didn’t like talking didn’t mean I didn’t have my own thoughts. Liam froze. I knew a lot of people liked Liam. I could read that look in their eyes. But Liam didn’t understand my like. He didn’t know that he was the only one I let into my world. If he didn’t want to come in, then fine. I stopped talking to Liam. No matter what he said, I wouldn’t listen. If I wanted to, I could block out all external sounds and live only in my own world. When I was little, I couldn’t understand what others said, and I couldn’t come out of my world. I didn’t understand why my mom cried over me. When she left, I didn’t feel anything special. 6 Later, after long-term therapy, I learned how to step out of my world. Although I still didn’t understand complex emotions most of the time. But I knew tears meant sadness. And my mom didn’t abandon me because she didn’t want me. After meeting Liam, I learned what “like” meant. Liking meant wanting to share my world with him, wanting to be with him, doing nothing and still being happy. When I told Liam my weird thoughts, he would think seriously before responding. Even if it wasn’t the answer I wanted, I liked Liam’s answers. After Liam rejected me, when he dropped me off at my door, he asked, “Are you never going to talk to me again?” He didn’t like me anyway, so why care what I thought? But I nodded honestly. “Can’t we still be friends?” “But I like you. You don’t like me. I’ll be sad.” “If you like someone else, if you’re with someone else, I’ll be sad too.” “So, I can’t be friends with you.” Liam was silent. Just as I was about to leave, Liam grabbed my wrist. He said, “I don’t want you to be sad.” So Liam and I got together. He was the same as before, texting me every day, calling me, telling stories, taking me out to play. We rode the Ferris wheel and watched dolphins. When I was scared, he held my hand. But my dad found out and forbade me from seeing him. My dad said he was poor and dating me to scam our family’s money. I didn’t know how to explain, I just kept repeating: “No, no, no…” Liam wasn’t that kind of person. “He likes me, and I like him.” My dad said, “Do you know what like is? How could a normal person like him actually like you! He just sees you’re easy to trick! I never should have hired him as your tutor!”

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It had been two months since I broke up with Julian after our cold war, and he still hadn’t sent me a single text. I couldn’t take it anymore. I was ready to cave and apologize first. But that very day, I suddenly received a confession from the school’s poorest student, Hudson. I was about to reject him when a wall of text—like a livestream chat—flashed before my eyes: “LMAO, the side chick actually thinks Hudson likes her.” “He just lost a bet with the female lead. He’s forced to confess.” “Poor male lead. Just realized his crush is pushing him away, and now he has to get rejected by this shallow, gold-digging prom queen.” “Must be heartbroken!” “It’s okay, it’s okay! Once he gets reclaimed by the billionaire Harper family in New York, worth billions, our female lead will come running back!” …Wait, what? The Harper family from New York? The super rich one? Hold up! Pause the makeup session. I want this broke boy! 1 I am a gold digger. But I’m good at hiding it. Usually, I treat all my classmates equally and with kindness. Except when it comes to dating. My bottom line is non-negotiable— He has to be rich. And, of course, hot. Julian was the closest thing to my ideal in my eighteen years of life. His family is loaded, old money. Rumor has it they’re second only to the Harper family in New York. Of course, a family like the Harpers is out of my league. Julian was arrogant, cold, and high-maintenance. I chased him for months before he finally agreed to be my boyfriend. But once we were together, he constantly complained that I wasn’t clingy or caring enough. He’d threaten to break up over anything. “Let’s just end it. You only chased me for my money anyway.” “I saw you talking to the basketball captain. Interested in him now?” “Don’t let that used McLaren fool you; it’s worthless.” “Block his number right now, or I’m done!” This happened all the time. By now, he’d practically monitored every good-looking guy in my contacts. Two months ago, Julian picked another fight. The reason? I was twenty minutes late to his birthday party. “This shows you don’t value me!” “You weren’t late to the school assembly! Am I less important to you than the principal?” “Let’s break up. We need to cool off!” Same old routine. Are they even comparable? I’m not a trust fund baby like him. I can’t just offend the principal whenever I feel like it. I was getting tired of it anyway, so I just went along with it. “Fine. Break up then.” “Don’t contact me.” 2 That day, Julian’s face went pale. He glared at me for a long time before smashing a bottle of wine worth thousands on the floor. And true to his word, he never contacted me again. Two months passed. I calmed down. Let’s face it, Julian was the ceiling of what I could reach. Who doesn’t love money? My family is average. My parents favor my younger brother and give him everything good. I want out. But I’m not smart enough. Even studying my butt off only gets me into the top 80 of my grade. My biggest asset is this face… So what if I use my looks to get ahead and satisfy my ambition? What’s wrong with that? Thinking like this made me feel better instantly. School was just letting out. Julian had been playing basketball every afternoon lately. I packed my bag and headed to the courts. I planned to intercept him, apologize, act cute, and smooth things over. But just as I reached the gym entrance, someone unexpected called my name— Hudson. 3 Hudson. Our school’s famous genius. Always number one in the grade. He’s 6’2″, super hot, and once narrowly beat Julian for the title of School Hottie— One of those votes came from me. No ulterior motive. Hudson is just exactly my type. My Libra nature demanded fairness, so I gave him a vote. But aside from that, I had almost zero interaction with him. He kept to himself, barely speaking to anyone. Rumors said someone saw his mom scavenging for vegetable scraps at the market. Others said his dad died young, and his grandma was sick, costing tens of thousands a year in medical bills. Basically, Hudson’s family was struggling. He applied for financial aid every year and worked part-time at a boba shop and a convenience store. In the cafeteria, he only bought the two cheapest veggie dishes. Even the girls wouldn’t be full on that, let alone a growing boy. Once, feeling generous, I took fifty bucks from my allowance and secretly slipped it into his pencil case. Anonymous. Now, at the gym entrance. When Hudson called my name, I frowned— Did he find out about the fifty bucks? In those cliché novels, these poor but proud scholars usually have massive egos. He probably thinks I was trying to humiliate him. Is he here to pick a fight? Before I could come up with a defense, his next words stunned me. “Sophia.” “I like you.” “Will you be my girlfriend?” 4 I was dumbfounded. The gym entrance was crowded. I looked back toward the basketball courts. Julian had walked out without me noticing. He must have just finished playing; sweat was dripping from his forehead. A few of his friends were around him, all looking at us with interest. They were talking loudly, not bothering to lower their voices. “Hey, isn’t that Sophia, Julian’s ex?” “Ex? Watch your mouth, bro. Ex-girlfriend!” “Haha, right! Ex. Gotta say, Sophia’s got backbone this time. Two months! Usually, she’d be crawling back by now.” “Did she find a rebound?” “Oof, Hudson. The scholarship kid.” “Julian, you think she’ll say yes?” Hearing them, I felt awkward. I instinctively looked at Julian. I wanted to give him a look, tell him not to misunderstand. But he never even looked my way. He just bounced the ball, looking bored. Like he was watching something completely irrelevant to him, he smirked mockingly. “Hm?” “Why would I care? Hudson’s a top student. If he likes Sophia, she’s punching up.” My heart sank. Julian really didn’t like me much, did he? He only accepted me because I chased him so hard. Agreeing to break up must have been a relief for him. That’s fine. Not trying to get back together saves me some dignity. 5 Even though I wasn’t planning on getting back with Julian, I wasn’t going to say yes to Hudson either. We’d spoken maybe twenty sentences in three years of high school. Starting a relationship out of nowhere seemed irresponsible to both of us. Just as I was about to reject him, a wall of text floated before my eyes— “Here it comes! The drama! The male lead confesses to the side character!” “Haha, look at her face. Does she really think Hudson likes her?” “It’s just a dare he lost to the female lead. Forced confession.” “Sigh, poor guy. Just realized his crush doesn’t like him and is pushing him to someone else. Now he has to get rejected by this shallow girl.” “Must hurt!” “Don’t worry! Once he gets reclaimed by the billionaire Harper family in New York, worth billions, our female lead will come running back!” …What? The Harper family? New York billionaires? My heart rate spiked. I knew some gossip about the Harpers. Rumor had it Mrs. Harper was frail and only had one child. But due to a business rivalry, that son was kidnapped at four or five. Lost. Never found. Over a decade later, despite expanding their empire, the Harpers never stopped looking. The text kept scrolling. “Almost there! Three months until Hudson gets found!” “The Harper family is abroad right now. Once they meet the kidnapper in London and get the info, they’ll fly back immediately…” “Our boy won’t have to suffer anymore!” Three months. Okay. For someone who loves money as much as I do, how could I let a golden ticket slip away? I crinkled my eyes into a perfect smile. “Sure.” “I accept, Hudson.” I was so shocked by the floating text that I didn’t notice Julian behind me. I didn’t see his face go pale or his fingers tremble. 6 “What? She said yes?” “No way! Isn’t she a gold digger?!!!” “She only dated Julian for his money. Total snob.” “In the plot, she’s supposed to regret it only after Hudson becomes rich!” “Exactly!” “Besides, what about our Wendy?” Wendy. Hudson’s childhood friend. The “female lead” the chat was talking about. They said Wendy made a bet with Hudson to make him confess to me because she liked Julian (the “second male lead”) and wanted to kill any chance of Julian and me getting back together. In the original story, I rejected Hudson, and Julian didn’t take me back. Instead, this “pure” childhood friend went to comfort Hudson immediately. Hudson didn’t have feelings for me, but being rejected publicly is awkward. Wendy, the mastermind, played the innocent flower. She kept Hudson on a hook while spreading rumors that I was a shallow girl who looked down on poor people’s feelings. But secretly, she chased Julian. Until Hudson was found by his rich family. Then she finally “accepted” his feelings. Happy ending for everyone. 7 I had to admit, this girl was good. If she hadn’t dragged me into this stupid bet and spread rumors about me, we might have been friends. But not anymore. I wasn’t going to be nice to someone who wished me ill. I glanced at the corner. Wendy looked shocked that I said yes. She froze for a second, then looked delighted as she turned to Julian. Rumor had it I pestered Julian into dating me, and he was sick of it. Now that he was finally free, he must be happy, right? But as I stepped forward and took Hudson’s hand, the crowd gasped— Julian slammed the basketball onto the ground. Face blank, he pushed through the crowd and stormed out without a word. His friends chased after him, apologizing to the people he shoved. “Sorry, sorry, urgent business.” “No, he’s not mad! Julian’s in a great mood!” “Why the scary face? Maybe he didn’t play enough… hehehe…” “Don’t ask, we gotta go! Bye!”

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After bombing my SATs, I changed my number, deleted my socials, and ghosted everyone I knew. Eight years later, at our high school reunion, the class president leaned in and whispered a secret: “Finn Sterling had a crush on you.” I spent days digging through boxes until I found my old phone and logged into the messaging account I had abandoned years ago. And there it was. A message sitting quietly in my inbox, unread for eight years: “Which college are you going to? Can I come with you?” But now? Finn Sterling is a world-famous superstar. 1 The sun was brutal today. I felt dizzy from the heat, and if you looked closely, you could probably see steam rising from the pavement. Traffic was a nightmare. To avoid being late, I bailed out of the cab and sprinted the rest of the way to the airport. Thirty minutes until Finn Sterling’s flight landed. He was the big shot our company spent a fortune to sign—a red-hot A-list celebrity. He was also my high school classmate. Two days ago, at the reunion, I laughed off the class president’s secret. “Finn Sterling? Having a crush on me? Yeah, right! That wouldn’t even happen in a fanfic. He’s Finn Sterling. If every one of his fangirls just spit once, I’d drown.” Anyone could like me, but not Finn. We were never on the same wavelength. High school Finn probably couldn’t stand me. 2 Finn Sterling was number one in everything. He dominated the trending topics, had zero scandals, and was the golden boy for every major brand. But he was an anomaly in the entertainment industry—focused solely on acting, never doing commercials. So when he suddenly agreed to collaborate with our company, it sent shockwaves through the industry. Countless massive corporations were lined up ahead of us, but he chose us. My boss was so excited he called emergency meetings all night. Somehow, the task of picking him up from the airport fell on me. The boss patted my shoulder earnestly. “Sarah, you have to take good care of Finn. Whatever he says, goes. Make him feel the warmth of home while he works with us.” I thumped my chest and promised, “Don’t worry, boss. I’ll do my best.” I said it with confidence, but inside, I was freaking out. In my memory, we weren’t close in high school. We barely interacted. But I was terrified of him because he looked scary as hell. Finn didn’t talk much. He always slouched in the back row, chin resting on his hand, dark eyes, high nose bridge, looking at people with indifference. That was high school Finn. 3 Stepping into the airport, I checked the time. Just made it. But what I didn’t expect was the crowd. It was packed. Fans everywhere. Before I could even process it, someone started screaming. “Finn’s here! My god! My god!” “Ah! It’s really him! He’s so handsome!” “He looked at me! He looked at me!” I sighed. The charisma of a top star was no joke. Finn was popular even in high school. Even though he always had a face like someone owed him money, that face was blessed by the gods. People couldn’t help but look at him. I was drawn to him too. But every time I looked, he’d avoid my gaze and frown slightly. After a few times, I stopped looking. I figured I should know my place. In high school, I was the class academic rep, but I was the type who only knew how to study hard. Since childhood, the phrase I heard most was: “Sarah, you have to work hard. You have to work harder than everyone else. We don’t have connections. Only by studying hard can you compete for a future with those who were born at the finish line.” So my childhood was dull. I didn’t know if I was happy, I was just used to it. Like this was how I was supposed to be. My classmates called me a nerd behind my back. So at the time, I thought someone like Finn must hate a student like me the most. Lost in my memories, the screaming around me suddenly stopped. A shadow fell over me. I looked up. The handsome man in front of me merged with the face in my memory. Unlike the brashness of his youth, he was now composed and elegant. Security and staff surrounded him. Finn looked relaxed. He extended a hand to me, his cool voice hitting my ears: “Hello, I’m Finn Sterling.” I reached out dumbly. He didn’t remember me. Makes sense. I was basically invisible in high school. But the moment our hands touched, Finn chuckled softly. His large hand enveloped mine. Finn rarely smiled on screen, so the fans around us went crazy again—screaming, shutters clicking like machine guns. Despite the noise, I heard him clearly. He said, “Sarah, long time no see.” His lazy tone made my heart tingle. Maybe it was the heat, but my face was burning. I wiped the sweat from my face and whispered, “Long time no see, Finn. I’m the pickup personnel from Zenith Group.” 4 We left the airport, but the luxury car the company sent was stuck in traffic. The sun was blinding. Suddenly, Finn took a step forward, his shadow shielding me from the glare. I looked up at him. His expression hadn’t changed much. I had to admit, he’d changed a lot. The guy who used to be so arrogant was now so steady. When we finally arrived at the company, Lily and her team were already waiting in the conference room. Lily, the hottest actress of the moment. Seeing Finn, Lily immediately stood up and greeted him familiarly. She’d worked with Finn on three dramas, all as leads. Even though they weren’t romance dramas, plenty of people online shipped them. This time, they were collaborating on our company’s perfume commercial. Seeing them talking together, I had to admit, they looked good. With everyone present, the boss called a meeting. After some pleasantries, Finn suddenly spoke up. “Mr. Sullivan, my assistant is on leave for a while. I was hoping your company could arrange a staff member to fill in temporarily.” Finn was a VIP. A small request like this had to be granted. The boss scanned the room and met my eyes. I suddenly had a bad feeling. No, boss, please no! I’m scared, don’t pick me! I frantically winked and shook my head at him. But he acted like he didn’t see it and pointed right at me. “How about Sarah? I heard you were in the same high school. You should be familiar with each other.” Familiar my ass. We barely spoke. Bad memories of high school flashed through my mind. I slammed the table in panic, my voice loud and firm: “I’m not worthy!” Finn looked up at me, danger in his eyes. “Reason.” Realizing everyone was staring, I stammered an excuse. “I feel like someone of Mr. Sterling’s status deserves a more excellent assistant. My abilities aren’t up to par.” I sat down nervously. The room was silent. Everyone looked at Finn. Finn leaned back in his chair, tapping his long fingers on the table, his tone indifferent. “Mr. Sullivan, I’m a nostalgic person. I like working with old classmates. If your company can’t even show this much sincerity, there’s no need to continue our cooperation.” He was talking to my boss, but his eyes were fixed on me. I squirmed in my seat. At this point, the boss didn’t care if I lived or died. He beamed at Finn. “Of course, of course. It’s Sarah’s blessing to be Mr. Sterling’s assistant. Don’t worry, Sarah is just modest. She’s very capable. She’ll do her best to make Mr. Sterling feel the warmth of home here.” Meeting adjourned. Finn stayed in his seat. I tried to sneak out with the crowd, but as I passed him, he grabbed my wrist. Finn said quietly, “We were in the same class. Do you have to avoid me like the plague? Sarah, you hid from me in high school, but we’re not in high school anymore. Tell me why.” I took a step back. People were watching. One photo and I’d be trending. But Finn wasn’t letting me go. He leaned in closer, his voice seductive. “Hm? Old classmate?” I looked down, avoiding his eyes. My face was probably redder than a monkey’s butt. Seeing me cower, Finn tutted in displeasure. His hand slid from my shoulder to the back of my neck. The cold touch of his watch sent shivers down my spine. I struggled uncomfortably and looked up at him. Finn’s face was terrifyingly dark. I heard him grit his teeth. “Your boss said you have to do your best to make me feel the warmth of home. Sarah, nothing less will do.” 5 I’ve always bowed to life’s pressures. After flunking the SATs, I went to a mediocre college. Getting into Zenith Group was dumb luck. To keep my job, I gave Finn a sweet smile. “Of course, Finn. I’ll do my absolute best to make you feel at home. It’s an honor to be your assistant.” I looked him sincerely in the eyes. We were very close. Finn suddenly looked away uncomfortably. “Yeah, well, it’s not like it has to be you, but since we’re old classmates, it’s better to be familiar.” I nodded outwardly, but inside I was screaming. Familiar? We barely spoke! He frowned every time we made eye contact! I didn’t know him at all! But since I was his personal assistant now, I had to learn his preferences and habits. I stayed late to organize the info. By the time I finished, it was dark. I shut down my computer and got up to leave. In the hallway, a familiar figure caught my eye. Finn. In the dim light, he was leaning against the wall, a cigarette in his mouth. The metal lighter in his hand glinted cold. He occasionally checked his phone, the screen’s faint light casting shadows on his face. I called out, “Finn?” He turned, instinctively snuffing out the cigarette. “Off work?” I nodded. “Why are you still here?” Finn explained awkwardly, “Oh, your company is huge. Lost track of time touring.” Lame excuse. Only an idiot would believe that. But I didn’t dare call him out. “Yeah, it is pretty big.” Silence. I looked calm, but I was practically shredding my bag strap. Awkward. What to say? Finally, Finn spoke. “Heading home? I’ll drive you.” I waved my hands, refusing a bit too loudly. “No need! No, really. I’ll just grab a cab. Don’t want to trouble you.” Finn looked at me and chuckled softly. He pinched the back of my neck and guided me forward. “Old classmates. No trouble. Don’t overthink it. I drove, it’s on the way.” 6 Just like that, I was in Finn’s car. My first time in a luxury ride. But before I could even tell him my address, Finn started the car and drove straight towards my place like he already knew where it was. He actually found it! He parked right downstairs. I was about to ask how he knew where I lived, but Finn spoke first. “Sarah.” “Yeah?” Finn didn’t look at me. His gaze was fixed ahead, hands on the steering wheel like he was bracing himself. “Do you still use that QQ account?” I was confused. “Which QQ account?” (Note: In this localized version, QQ refers to an old messaging app popular back then, like how Americans used AIM or Kik). “The one in the yearbook.” Finn turned to look at me. If you looked closely, there was nervousness hidden in his dark eyes. I shook my head. “Nope. After the scores came out, I changed everything.” Finn seemed to let out a long breath. He muttered, “So you just stopped using it. You didn’t intentionally…” “Huh?” I was confused. “What?” Finn looked at me, unable to hide the smile in his eyes. “Sarah, I wanted to take it slow with you, but I changed my mind. We’re adults. Being coy is ridiculous.” I was even more confused. “Finn, what are you talking about?” Finn leaned back in his seat, relaxed. “Go home and log into your old account. You’ll understand.” 7 Finn was being cryptic. As soon as I got home, I tore the place apart looking for my old high school phone. I couldn’t remember the username or password, or even the phone number tied to it. An hour. It took a full hour to find the old phone. It was in a small box, covered in dust. Inside the box, besides the phone, were my high school certificates. Seeing these things again made me sigh. I was actually a great student in high school. I worked harder than anyone. While others played, I studied. I was always first in exams. My parents were proud. But the SATs… I choked. Everyone expected me to ace it, but I bombed. I wasn’t surprised though. I knew it the moment I walked out of the exam room. I knew how bad my mental state was. I was too nervous. Everyone’s expectations were crushing me. Everyone told me to do well, or I’d be letting them down. My hands shook uncontrollably during the test. I hyperventilated. I kept checking the clock, terrified I’d run out of time. I left huge chunks of the test blank. I didn’t dare tell anyone. My parents had high hopes. When the results came out, they signed me up for a prep school to retake the year without even asking me. They looked at me with disappointment. “Do you know how much we sacrificed for your education? Sarah, you’ve disappointed us so much. Do you know how much face we lost?” That’s when I realized my grades were the only thing about me they cared to show off. Everyone assumed I’d retake the year. But that summer, I quietly packed my bags, changed my number, cut off everyone from high school, and had my first real fight with my family. I went to an average college, but I was happy. It was the first time I chose my own life. Do I regret it? Not at all! I’d do it again. I was a teenager. I deserved to be happy. Grades weren’t everything. I missed out on a lot, and I didn’t want to do it over.

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