Author: Momo Chan

I actually turned into a dog. Not my childhood sweetheart’s dog, but his depressed younger brother’s dog. The System said I have to lick him a hundred times to turn back into a human. “If it’s too hard for you, forget it. After all, you like someone else.” How can I forget it? My heart was screaming yes, please. If his brother wasn’t so aloof and unreachable, I wouldn’t have liked him in the first place. 1 I was reborn as a Bichon Frise belonging to a sickly, depressed boy. The System told me I needed to lick him a hundred times to become human again. “Lick where?” The System blushed. “Anywhere.” My paw pressed against his rock-hard abs. Hmm, premium dog food. “Baby, are you hungry?” Being looked at with concern by a face as handsome as Asher’s would melt even the coldest woman’s heart. The brooding, silent god of the school was calling me “Baby” in private. I like the contrast. I licked and slurped like a starving ghost, and his entire face turned red. Gone was his usual pale, sickly look. The System gave a thumbs up: [Impressive. You even got the depressed boy to overheat.] In my memory, Asher was gloomy and sensitive. Because he was sickly from a young age, he was always “less than” compared to his older brother. His parents’ favoritism was wider than the Pacific Ocean. Living in his brother’s shadow gave him childhood trauma, he was isolated at school… And finally, he developed depression. The only thing he could confide in was this little Bichon. After transmigrating into the dog, the System said: “If it’s too hard, forget it. You like his brother, so this feels a bit like forcing you to cheat.” Forget it?! My heart was screaming yes, please. If his brother wasn’t so aloof and unreachable, who would like him anyway? 2 Asher treated the dog very well. Premium beef, foie gras, fish—everything was on the menu. Not being a corporate slave and just being a dog was actually quite happy. I planned to enjoy the good life for a while, finish the mission, and run. But good times don’t last. Asher got kicked out of the family home by his brother. The reason was that Blake lost something important and suspected Asher hid it. Asher didn’t say a word. He packed his bags and left. Seriously? Is this how the world treats depressed people? The System said: [Of course. He has the ‘Gloomy Male Lead Rise to Revenge’ script. Later, a heroine will come to heal his emotional wounds.] [Then he becomes the Wolf of Wall Street and takes back the family empire.] I was excited: “So I have the ‘Redemption Heroine’ script?” The System rolled its eyes at me: [Didn’t you die from food poisoning after eating a sketchy discount meal at the start?] Me: …Right. Asher moved into a rental. During the move, his psychosomatic symptoms flared up, and he couldn’t stop shaking. I trotted over with his medicine in my mouth. He stared at me, tears streaming down his face. “Baby, you should go. I can’t afford you anymore.” “No more steak or bird’s nest soup for you.” “No more soft, fragrant bed.” “Maybe I’m just a failure. No one will ever like me.” In that moment, my heart squeezed. Asher really seemed to have only me in his life. In that family, his father didn’t care, and his mother didn’t love him. He could only confide in a dog— Like how he was actually an illegitimate child, a half-brother to Blake. Like how all the bullying he suffered after middle school was allowed by the family. Like how if he didn’t move out, the next one to die would definitely be him. 3 After moving into the rental, Asher found me even clingier. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, I slept on his abs. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, I slept on his thighs. Trying to use doggy warmth to comfort him. “Baby… you can’t sleep there.” “It’s dirty…” “Come here, let me hug you…” Yeah, Asher was blushing furiously because of me. He was talking more, too. This was a good start. But when he ate takeout with me in the rental, he was always guilty. “Baby, you’ve lost weight being with me.” “Just endure it a little longer. I’ll go make money.” The System was shocked: [Lost weight? I can’t tell the difference between her and a pig anymore!] I looked at my chubby paw. Right, I need to be a pretty dog. So I resolutely picked up my chicken drumstick and dropped it in Asher’s bowl. Asher was so moved that his tears fell into his chicken rice. The boy swore he would earn ten million. With newfound motivation, he went to work at a construction site the next day. 4 Asher moved bricks during the day for $200 and studied at night. He missed his SATs because of his depression. This time, to give me a better life, he was going to take back everything that belonged to him. Because moving bricks was exhausting, Asher fell asleep almost immediately after studying. He hadn’t needed sleeping pills for days. In the warm duvet, tucked in his arms, I traced his tired features. “System, seeing my man work so hard for us ‘mother and child,’ I feel happy but also heartbroken.” The System sneered: [Your man has another woman outside.] My pupils dilated. [The Male Lead met the Female Lead today.] [The heroine inspected the construction site today and took a liking to him.] [This is just the first step. She will visit the site many times to bond with him.] [With money and love thrown at him, I don’t know how he could refuse.] The System said the heroine was the daughter of a real estate tycoon. She had an arranged marriage with Blake, but hated it. So she hated Blake too. Until she met Asher, understood his pain, saw his gentle heart, and fell madly in love. She redeemed him with money and love. Hearing this, I couldn’t hold it in. Why didn’t a passing celebrity come to redeem me when I was eating discount meals and dancing for eight hours in my rental? Justin Bieber, Harry Styles… what are you guys doing? [I advise you to finish the mission and leave quickly. You aren’t the one to redeem him anyway. Why bother?] Makes sense. I’m just a passerby. Finish the mission and go. The rest is none of my business. I asked the System: “How many more licks to become human?”

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I am the perfect wife, cultivated by the Sterling family specifically for Julian Sterling. Julian loathes me. He distances himself from me. He thinks I’m just a useless vase, a trophy wife. Little does he know, “All-Purpose” is literal. I am the Michelin-star chef who cooks his favorite meals. I am the secretary who handles every detail of his business. I am the mysterious fighter who took down ten men to save him when he was kidnapped. Even his online confidante, his “soulmate,” is just me playing a role. “No one understands me better than you. I want to meet you, babe.” When I received that message, my hand trembled. I decided to move up my departure date. 1 When I went downstairs, Julian was having breakfast at the dining table with his best friend, Zach. “Morning, sis-in-law. Just waking up?” I smiled, tacitly accepting the jab. Zach glanced at Julian teasingly. “Look at you, wearing her out like that.” Julian let out a dismissive snort. We’ve been married for two years, but no one knows we’ve never slept together. Julian resents this marriage arranged by his grandfather. He doesn’t know my background. We have no emotional foundation. He thinks I’m a talentless gold digger who used dirty tricks to marry him. So, he despises me. In two years, the number of times we’ve spoken can be counted on one hand. Julian took a sip of the abalone porridge and frowned slightly. “The porridge tastes off today.” I was pouring water at the island counter and exchanged a look with the butler. The butler quickly interjected, “The head chef is sick these past two days, sir. We have a replacement.” Zach, unconvinced, took several large gulps. “It tastes fine to me. Julian, you’re too picky. A chef who meets your standards must be a god. Let me borrow them for a couple of banquets sometime.” “Dream on,” Julian said, wiping his hands slowly. “Grandfather found the chef. Even I haven’t seen them. They just send the food over at mealtimes.” The ligature marks on his wrists still hadn’t faded. The purple and blue bruising was shocking to see. Zach winced looking at it. “Did they catch the guys who kidnapped you?” “They caught the kidnappers,” Julian said, his gaze deepening as he thought of something. “But they haven’t found that person yet.” A week ago, Julian returned from a business trip. He was tailed and kidnapped on the way back from the airport in the middle of the night. It was premeditated. The gang executed a precise plan, snatching Julian and vanishing from all surveillance cameras instantly. The kidnapping shocked the entire city. The heir to the Sterling empire, taken. Half the business world stayed up all night. Grandfather Sterling remained calm. He made one phone call, then told everyone to wait. The police couldn’t find Julian. But a mysterious figure did. Riding a motorcycle, leading a highly trained team, this person raided the kidnappers’ den at night, rescued Julian, and dropped him off at the gates of the Sterling estate at dawn without saying a word, disappearing into the morning mist with the roar of an engine. “Who does that? Doesn’t want money, doesn’t want fame. Is he Batman?” Zach asked. “It was a woman,” Julian said. “What?!” Zach’s eyes widened. I slowed my steps on the stairs. Julian’s voice was low. “When she brought me back, my arms were around her waist. It was slender but strong. And her helmet hid long hair. I’m certain she’s a woman.” “Did you see her face?” “No. I only saw a small red mole behind her ear.” … I subconsciously touched the back of my ear and closed my bedroom door. The first time I met Julian was at the old Sterling manor. It was New Year’s Eve. After giving out red envelopes to the younger generation, Grandfather Sterling gave Julian a special gift. “Meet Chloe. Your future All-Purpose Wife.” Julian stood there, stunned. That day, he threw a massive tantrum. He smashed dishes, overturned tables, but ultimately bowed to Grandfather Sterling’s financial power. I stood aside, silent the whole time. Julian probably never paid attention to the words “All-Purpose.” He hated me. He ignored me. He thought I was just a useless vase. He didn’t know “All-Purpose” was literal. I am the chef who suits his taste buds perfectly. I am the secretary who manages his work flawlessly. I am the mysterious fighter who took down ten men to save him. … I was born in a remote village. My biological parents sold me to traffickers when I was five. The Sterling family’s charity saved me. Grandfather Sterling picked me out of a group of children. He gave me food, clothes, and training in every skill imaginable, all centered around Julian. Julian grew up studying abroad. He looks rebellious, but he has zero romantic experience and no guard against women. The moment he returned, business rivals tried to use honey traps on him. From maids to secretaries, plants were everywhere. So, I stepped in. My mission was to eliminate all threats around Julian. Once he securely held the position of Sterling heir, I would vacate the position of Mrs. Sterling. Then, Grandfather Sterling would send me abroad to study, and I would be free for the rest of my life. To repay the Sterling family’s kindness, I valued Julian’s life more than my own. Unexpectedly, Julian misunderstood my dedication. “SpongeBob, I’ve decided to divorce her as soon as possible.” “I thought she married me for money. But I’m realizing something is wrong. She seems to have fallen in love with me.” “If she falls deeper, she won’t leave easily. I’ve thought about it, and I need to propose a divorce now.” Julian sent these messages under the username “PatrickStar.” I sat by the window, smoking a cigarette in silence. Then I replied: “What did she do to give you that idea?” Julian would never dream that his online soulmate, SpongeBob, was also me. 2 I realized I could block the women around him physically, but I couldn’t stop online threats. To save trouble, I created a perfect online persona to keep his standards high so he wouldn’t look at anyone else. He thought I was a once-in-a-lifetime soulmate. I knew every book he read, every movie he watched, every place he visited. Our hobbies and values matched perfectly. I’ve studied Julian for so long. This was easy for me. Even my username was designed to match his. Thanks to this identity, he told me everything, saving me a lot of trouble. “She gets jealous. Last time at the manor, a neighbor’s sister I played with as a kid asked for my number. My wife glared her away.” Oh god. That woman just rented the mansion next door. She’s three years older than him and clearly hunting him. Only Julian would believe she’s just a “neighbor’s sister.” “Every time we eat, she steals glances at me. She thinks I don’t see it.” Okay, that’s on me. I’m a perfectionist with my cooking. Every time Julian eats my food, I can’t help but check his reaction. I’ll reflect on that. “Recently, I had an accident. She stayed by my bedside in the hospital for a day and a night.” I fell silent. I saved him from the kidnappers and got injured myself. We were treated in the same hospital, and he saw me. To cover my tracks, I lied and said I had been watching over him the whole time. “It seems your wife really loves you,” I typed, feeling nauseous. Whatever he wants to think. Step one of playing the perfect online friend: Unconditional validation. Julian replied quickly: “I’m just worried. She loves me so much, even if I ask for a divorce, she won’t agree.” “You never know until you try. Maybe she’ll agree immediately.” “SpongeBob, you’re adorably naive. Have you never been in a relationship?” … Thinking about the expression on Julian’s face as he typed that gave me goosebumps. “Many women see love as their whole life. They won’t give up easily.” I typed furiously: “Idiot. You don’t know women. Stop talking nonsense.” This was how we interacted online. The harder I roasted him, the happier he was. He said this was the kind of friend he wanted. “What if?” My heart started to race. After the kidnapping, Grandfather Sterling promised to send me abroad in two months. I was planning to find a way to divorce Julian. If he brought it up first, that would be perfect. “Want to make a bet?” “Bet on what?” “If she agrees to divorce, I’ll give you any gift you want. If she refuses, can I meet you?” I stared at the last few words. Julian’s next message came through. “No one understands me better than you. I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time, babe.” My hand shook. What does he mean? SpongeBob is SpongeBob. Why “babe”? Is he doing this on purpose? I thought for a moment and typed “Okay.” I was definitely going to agree to the divorce. Then we’d part ways, and all my identities would vanish from his life. I didn’t care what he was thinking. As for the gift… I needed to think about what to fleece him for as a parting gift. Julian moved fast. Three days later, divorce papers were placed in front of me. “The compensation is clearly outlined. Take a look. If you have other demands, speak up.” He looked calm, fully prepared. The alimony was tempting, but I’d just return it to Grandfather Sterling anyway. I glanced at it briefly, frowned, and wiped the corner of my eye. Seeing my expression, Julian spoke as if he expected this. “Crying is useless. I won’t change my mind. Instead of being sad, think about what else you want.” “Oh, no. An eyelash fell in my eye.” I finished wiping my eye and held out my hand. “Pen?” Julian froze. It took him a while to speak. “You agree?” He tapped his long fingers on the desk, sneering. “If you’re trying to act cool to get my attention, save it. I’m serious.” Impatiently, I took a pen from the drawer myself. Just as I was about to sign, Grandfather Sterling called. I stepped away to answer. “Chloe, this wasn’t a normal kidnapping. Someone was pulling the strings. I need you to find out who. After the investigation is closed, I will personally arrange your divorce.” When I put the pen down, I clearly saw the contempt in Julian’s eyes. “If you don’t agree, why pretend to be so free and easy just now? Such hypocrisy.” I grabbed my dress, holding back an eye roll. “I can’t divorce right now.” “Save it. I will get this divorce.” Julian pushed the papers toward me. “Tell me your demands soon. Signing is good for both of us. Don’t make me hate you more.” He got up and left. I saw him type something on his phone. My alt account pinged. “SpongeBob, looks like you need to schedule a time to meet me.” 3 Since Julian started managing the group with Grandfather Sterling, he’s been so busy he has to schedule meals with his friends weeks in advance. But when it comes to meeting his online friend, he’s got all the time in the world. “Any time works. Up to you.” “Location? Just send a pin, I’ll be there.” “Busy? No problem, I can pick you up from your office.” I stalled for days until Julian started getting suspicious. Helplessly, I hired a small-time actress online for a high price. To meet him in my place. We agreed on the phone: five thousand dollars for one meal. But the moment the actress, Layla, saw Julian, things spiraled out of control. “PatrickStar? I didn’t expect someone with such a cute username to have this kind of… vibe.” In the restaurant. Layla rested her chin on her hand, eyes glued to Julian. Honestly, it was my first time seeing Julian like this too. No stiff suit, no haute couture. He wore a regular bomber jacket, hair unstyled. He looked like a fresh college grad. He looked down and smiled. “What kind of vibe?” I was sitting a few tables away, coaching Layla through an earpiece. “Don’t initiate topics. Just nod, smile, and bluff your way through.” Layla paused, ignoring me. She pretended to adjust her clothes, pulling her collar down to show cleavage, and crossed her legs, extending a long, pale leg into the aisle. “A very… seductive vibe.” She leaned closer to Julian with every word. Visibly, Julian frowned slightly. “SpongeBob?” “Mmhmm?” “You’re different from online.” “Is it because I’m so beautiful in person that you can’t handle it?” … Layla was lost in her own performance, oblivious to the world. I took advantage of her bathroom break, put on sunglasses and a mask, and intercepted her. I warned her to stop improvising. Layla looked me up and down and scoffed. “You don’t dare meet him because you’re ugly, right? Lady, if you’re ugly, don’t online date. Just let me have him.” She transferred my five thousand back, plus another five thousand. “Consider this a transfer fee.” The heir to the Sterling Group, sold for five grand. If Julian knew, he’d explode. I blocked Layla’s path. “You saw him. He’s handsome.” “So? You want to meet him yourself? Can that face under the mask be seen?” “I mean… you have to pay more.” “…” Layla looked at me with disdain and reluctantly transferred another two thousand. “Fine. Enjoy your date. Hope you guys get married.” Selling an identity I couldn’t take with me? Nice. I hummed a tune and walked out. While washing my hands, I heard Layla’s excited voice from a stall. “Girl, you won’t believe it! I caught a big fish! He dresses plain, but that watch on his wrist is worth five million! Definitely a hidden billionaire. I just Googled him—he’s the heir to Sterling Group! I’m latching on. Watch me marry into money!” Layla had good eyes. I hadn’t even noticed the watch. I turned my head and saw the five-million-dollar watch. Looking up, Julian stood like a statue at the bathroom entrance. Face pale, lips tight, visible shock and disappointment. He didn’t even glance at me. He turned and strode away before Layla came out. Uh oh. My husband just got his heart broken. 4 “It was all fake. Everything was fake.” “I thought she was different. Different from other women. I looked forward to meeting her so much. How could it be like this?” “SpongeBob… why are you like this?” … Julian and Zach got wasted. The kidnapping threat wasn’t fully resolved, so for safety, I went to pick him up myself. Zach helped him into the car. “I’ve never seen Julian like this. He won’t tell me what happened.” “It’s fine. Heartbreak is like that. He’ll be fine in a few days.” Zach paused. “Heartbreak?” I didn’t elaborate. “Thanks for your help. I’ll take him home.” “Wait.” Zach blocked the car door, reaching out to fix my collar that had flipped inside. “I’m kind of envious of Julian. Gets drunk and has a gentle, beautiful wife to take him home. Drive safe, sis-in-law.” I frowned. Zach’s bold move felt offensive. I gave him a cold look. ” knowing his tolerance is low, you still let him drink this much. You call yourself a best friend?” Zach chuckled, looking down. Then he shrugged. “If he didn’t get drunk, how would you come pick him up?” Weirdo. I ignored him and drove Julian home. Neither of us liked having people around, so the staff were gone at night. I struggled to get Julian into bed, fed him some hangover soup, and was about to take off his coat when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me close. Looking at Julian’s face inches from mine, I froze. “SpongeBob.” “I’m not. You’re mistaken.” I tried to push him away, but he didn’t budge. “Do you remember? The first year we met, the New Year’s gift you sent me?” That was also the first year of our marriage. New Year’s at the Sterling house is lively, but cold. Uncles and aunts feigned concern while picking at his faults. Cousins scrambled to please the grandfather. Compared to them, Julian, whose parents died early, seemed awkward and silent. Julian left the gathering early. He came home to see me, a forced wife, and went into his study without a word. At the same time, I got a message from Grandfather Sterling: “Julian is hurting. Chloe, it’s New Year’s. Make him happy.” Chloe couldn’t make Julian happy. SpongeBob could. So I bought a talking plushie, recorded a “Happy New Year” message, and pretended it was a delivery to his office. Late at night, Julian ran to the office without hesitation. He came back with the plushie, smiling. “I was so happy then.” “Since my parents died, I never received a New Year’s gift prepared with genuine care.” I felt a pang of sympathy. Before I could react, Julian’s face changed. He pinned me to the bed, furious. “But why are you so fake too?!” My wrist hurt. I frowned and slapped him. “What are you doing?!” Julian’s head snapped to the side. He buried his face in my neck, repeating “Why?” I couldn’t push him off. When I finally broke free, he still gripped my wrist tight. Exhausted, I slept on the edge of the bed. The next morning, I opened my eyes to see Julian fully dressed, standing by the bed looking down at me. His eyes were full of disgust. “Is this your tactic?” ? “You don’t want a divorce, so you can’t wait to climb into my bed? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting.” Julian leaned down, gripping my chin. “I will never acknowledge you as my wife. You disgust me.” I slapped his hand away. “Are you sick?” Forget roasting him; we barely spoke in two years. Julian was taken aback. Unfortunately, I have morning grumpiness. Seeing Julian picking a fight first thing in the morning pissed me off. “If your last name wasn’t Sterling, I wouldn’t have anything to do with you.” Julian sneered. “Admit it? You only married me because I’m the heir.” True enough. I didn’t argue. I just gave him a timeline. “Don’t worry. Maximum one week. I will divorce you.” “You better keep your word.” His attitude made me want to see him suffer. So I asked deliberately: “You drank so much yesterday. Something sad happen?” “…” “I saw you wearing clothes you don’t usually wear, and you ordered flowers. Meeting someone important? Why were you unhappy after meeting them?” “…” SLAM. Julian stormed out. I lay in bed, laughing after twisting the knife. Then I checked my phone. New intel: “Kidnapping case leads found.”

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There was a strange food stall on my way home from work. It opened at 11 PM every night and closed at midnight. But the owner never sold anything. That night, I tried to buy some braised beef, but I was refused. Later, I fell asleep in my bed, only to wake up tied to a chair in front of that very stall. The owner said someone had stolen food when she wasn’t looking. If we didn’t find the thief, everyone who visited the stall tonight would die. 1 I was completely bewildered when I woke up tied to a chair in front of the food stall. I distinctly remembered going to bed. Why was I suddenly here? I wasn’t the only one confused. Several other people were tied up next to me. “What the hell is this?! Killing people over stolen food? Are you insane?” A guy with bleached blond hair shouted what we were all thinking. The stall owner walked up to him, her expression dark. “You’re so agitated. Did you steal my food?” “Your food is trash! Let me go, or I won’t be polite!” The blond guy cursed, and the others started chiming in. “Yeah, it’s just some braised meat! Tying us up is ridiculous!” “Exactly! I don’t care who ate it, I’ll pay for it! How expensive can it be? I’m in the middle of a multi-million dollar deal! If I lose it, can you afford to compensate me?” A middle-aged man wearing a thick gold chain struggled against the black ropes binding him. “Right! Kidnapping us in the middle of the night over a snack? You’re sick!” “Let us go, or I’m calling the police!” While they shouted insults at the owner, I stayed silent. The owner’s cold gaze swept over us, sending a chill down my spine. These people weren’t using their brains. We were all in different places, doing different things, and suddenly we were all tied up here at the same time. Could this owner be a normal human? I had always felt this stall was weird. It only opened for one hour, late at night. I never saw any customers, just an old lady fussing over her pots. I’ve walked this route for two years. I only saw it when I worked late. I only knew it closed at midnight because I passed by after a late team dinner once. Tonight, I was starving after overtime and just wanted a late-night snack. The owner told me she wasn’t selling, so I left. Who could have predicted this? The owner listened to their complaints without saying a word. Suddenly, I felt the black ropes tighten around me. “Ah! It hurts!” Everyone started screaming. The ropes constricted tighter and tighter, threatening to crush us. “Are you still noisy?” The owner asked. Everyone shook their heads frantically, terrified into silence. The next second, the ropes loosened slightly. I gasped for air. “Answer me. Who stole my food?” No one dared to speak. We looked at the owner with fear in our eyes. Except for the blond guy, who still had a death wish. “Killing people over a snack? Don’t let her scare you! She’s just an old lady, how can she kill us? The ropes probably have some mechanism in the chairs!” The owner walked up to him, her face grim. “You’ve been unusually agitated from the start. It must be you.” “I didn’t…” Before he could finish, his eyes went wide, and he went limp. 2 The owner’s hand sliced open the blond guy’s stomach and reached inside, rummaging around in his stomach. Blood dripped everywhere. “Ahhh! Grandma, I’m scared!” A five-year-old boy to my right screamed. His grandmother quickly covered his eyes. I almost threw up, turning my head away in horror. The owner pulled her hand out of the guy’s body, holding something. “You stole my food. This piece of braised beef is proof.” The blond guy was dead as a doornail. He couldn’t argue. The owner tossed the beef back into the pot. We looked at each other, terrified. When she turned around again, I mustered up the courage to speak. “Boss, you found the thief. Can you let us go now?” “No.” I was confused. “Why?” The owner’s face darkened. “I only found one piece of beef. Other food is missing too. Someone else among you stole from me!” Her sudden rage made us tremble. “What will it take for you to let us go?” The man with the gold chain asked. The owner glanced at him. “Find the thief. Then the rest can go.” “How do we find them?! Are you going to gut us one by one?!” The Gold Chain Boss suddenly shut up, realizing that might be exactly what she planned. “No! Please let me go! I didn’t steal anything, I beg you!” A girl in a white dress started sobbing, pleading with the owner. The owner was unmoved. “It’s 3 AM. You have one hour. The thief must confess before 4 AM, or everyone dies!” She ignored us and went back to sit at her stall, staring at us. “Who ate it?! Step forward! Don’t kill us all!” The Gold Chain Boss roared. Others joined in. “Yeah, whoever did it, own up! We’re innocent!” No one stepped forward. Confessing meant getting gutted. The thief wouldn’t dare. Shouting wouldn’t solve anything. “Stop arguing! This isn’t helping!” I shouted. The Gold Chain Boss snapped back, “You got a better idea?” “I do.” I looked up, and everyone’s eyes fell on me. “The thief won’t confess. Instead of waiting to die, we should find them ourselves.” “How?” I looked around. “Everyone recount what happened when you were at the stall. We vote for the most suspicious person and let the owner check their stomach.” “Right! If she finds the food, the rest of us live!” The Gold Chain Boss laughed. But the girl in the white dress disagreed. “But we’re sending someone to their death. We’d be accomplices to murder.” “Accomplices?! If that person hadn’t stolen, we wouldn’t be here! It’s their fault! If you don’t agree, I’m voting for you first! I’m innocent, and I don’t want to die!” The Gold Chain Boss was fierce. The girl turned red with fear. Others agreed. “Yeah, if you don’t agree, we vote for you.” “I’m voting for you too. Better you than me.” “In chaos, kill the saint first. I vote for you.” Everyone ganged up on her. The girl cried, “It’s not me! I didn’t steal!” 3 “Wait!” I interrupted. “We can’t vote blindly.” The Gold Chain Boss sneered at me. “Playing hero? Should we vote for you instead?” “That’s not what I mean. Listen to me.” I looked at everyone. “If I’m right, the owner can’t kill indiscriminately. What’s the difference between us voting randomly and her gutting us one by one? She could just kill us all, but she gave us time to find the real thief. That means killing innocents carries a penalty for her.” I swallowed hard, watching the owner. She didn’t get angry, so I continued. “With the blond guy, he was acting suspicious, so she was 80% sure before she killed him. Now, if we vote randomly and she kills an innocent, she might stop caring and just kill us all to find the food.” 4 AM was the deadline. If she didn’t find the thief by then, she would be punished. That punishment must be worse than the penalty for killing innocents. So she gave us an hour. If we find the thief, she avoids punishment. If we fail, she has to kill everyone to find the food. This hour is our only chance. “You have a point. If we guess wrong, she might just wipe us out.” The Gold Chain Boss agreed. I nodded. “Let’s go one by one. Tell us what happened at the stall. We find the real thief!” Besides the Gold Chain Boss and the white dress girl, there was a grandmother holding a boy, and a young couple. Everyone looked at each other, hesitant to start. I had nothing to hide, so I went first. “I take this road home from work every day. I worked late tonight and was hungry, so I stopped to buy some food. The owner said she wasn’t selling, so I left. I was there for less than a minute.” The owner spoke up. “When you asked, I didn’t look up. I didn’t see what you did during that minute.” “What about the others?” Everyone here was a suspect. I didn’t rush to clear my name. I wanted to see who was more suspicious. Following my lead, others started talking. The Gold Chain Boss said, “I was at the KTV nearby for a meeting. My driver had a stomach ache and went to the bathroom, so he parked on the roadside. I saw the stall and wanted some food. The owner refused. I cursed a bit, she ignored me, so I kicked the stool next to the stall and left.” The owner said slowly, “After you kicked the stool, I turned to fix it. I couldn’t see what you did when my back was turned.” So, the Gold Chain Boss was very suspicious. Rich boss meets disrespectful stall owner, curses, gets ignored, kicks a stool, and steals a bite while the owner is distracted. The logic held up. Others thought so too, looking at him suspiciously. The Boss got angry. “What are you looking at? She said no, so I didn’t eat! I kicked the stool out of anger, but I didn’t steal!” 4 The girl in the white dress spoke next. “I was shopping. saw the stall on my way home. I wanted to try it, but no one was there. I waited a bit, no one came, so I left.” Everyone looked at the owner. Such important food, and she left the stall unattended? The owner didn’t care. “I went next door to get some noodles. She saw the empty stall and approached. She’s a suspect.” The girl had never met the owner, yet the owner knew she was there. This owner definitely wasn’t normal. Maybe not even human! Now, only the couple and the grandma-grandson pair were left. The boyfriend said, “We were on a date, walking around. My girlfriend wanted food, so we stopped. The owner refused. My girlfriend was upset, so I tried to persuade the owner. She still refused, so we left.” The owner stared at the boy. “You came inside to bug me for a long time. While we talked, your girlfriend wasn’t in my line of sight.” The girlfriend retorted, “I just stood there watching you talk! I did nothing!” The owner looked away, seemingly unconvinced. Finally, the grandma and grandson. The boy was buried in his grandma’s arms, terrified by the blond guy’s death. The grandma trembled. “I live nearby. Took my grandson for a walk. He wanted the food. I asked, she refused. He really wanted it, so I begged her. She wouldn’t sell, so we left.” The owner looked at the boy this time. “While I was talking to you, your grandson was running around. He left my sight multiple times.” “My grandson is a good boy! He wouldn’t steal!” The boy peeked out. “I didn’t steal.” “See? Children don’t lie.” The grandma swore up and down. The owner fell silent. She was waiting for us to choose. Right now, the Gold Chain Boss seemed the most suspicious. He tried to force a sale, got rejected, kicked a stool. He had the strongest motive. I looked at him. He noticed and roared, “It wasn’t me! I was mad she wouldn’t sell! I offered money and she refused! I kicked the stool because I lost face! I’m rich, I don’t need to steal food!” “Who knows? Maybe you just had to have a taste?” Others nodded. The Boss panicked. “Really not me! Don’t frame a good person!” “Vote and find out!” The white dress girl, remembering his threat earlier, pointed at him. “I vote for him!” “Me too!” The boyfriend joined in. His girlfriend echoed, “I vote whoever babe votes for.” I slowly raised my hand and pointed at the Boss. The grandma and grandson did the same. The Boss was so scared he peed himself. “It’s not me! You’re wrong!” No one cared about his screams. We all hoped it was him so we could go home. The owner stood up and walked towards him.

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My adopted brother, whom I’ve had a crush on forever, has always been cold to me. I thought he just wasn’t the smiling type. Until one night, I heard his raspy voice calling someone’s name: “Sisi.” Heartbroken, I packed up my pet snake and moved out. Suddenly, floating text comments appeared before my eyes: [Girl, you are killing me! He wasn’t calling a girl’s name! Snakes make a ‘hissing’ sound!] [The Male Lead is never going to hiss again. He’s probably trying to poison himself mute right now.] [Did you seriously not notice that your pet snake and your brother never appear at the same time?] 1 The day I moved out, a crack finally appeared in Liam’s icy facade. He frowned slightly, lifting his eyelids. “Why?” I avoided his gaze, flustered. “I graduated. I can support myself now. It’s not good to keep living at home.” I was adopted by the Landry family. This reason should be reasonable enough. I really couldn’t say the truth. Hearing him call someone else’s name made me feel sad and awkward. I just wanted to run away. Liam has always been a cold, self-restrained person. But that night, when he called “Sisi,” his voice was low and raspy. Like it was soaked in some deep emotion. Just thinking about it still shocks me. My suitcase was packed and sitting by the door. As expected, Liam didn’t ask me to stay. He just opened the door to his study, dropping one sentence: “Don’t forget to take your pet.” He was cold to me, and cold to my pet. He never visited my little snake, let alone touched it. Now, he couldn’t wait to kick it out too. I was heartbroken. I grabbed the snake, terrarium and all, and left alone. 2 The floating comments—like a livestream chat—appeared after I moved into my new apartment. I unpacked my stuff and collapsed on the sofa. My little white snake slowly crawled out of the open terrarium, climbing up my calf. Its cool scales pressed against my bare skin. Like always, I bent down and scooped it up. It climbed up my arm and settled on my shoulder. I started to suspect the mushrooms I fried for lunch weren’t fully cooked. Lines of text started popping up in front of my eyes. [Why did she move out?! My favorite trope of angsty tension under one roof is gone!] [Forget tension, the plot is about to hit the highway and you’re still driving a tricycle.] What are they babbling about? Highway? I just got my driver’s license; I’m not allowed on the highway yet. I looked down and started googling “What to do for mushroom poisoning.” I’ve heard of seeing little green men, but never floating text. While my mind wandered, I switched to WeChat and saw Liam pinned at the top. His profile picture was pure white. The messages stopped a day ago. Me: “Brother, I’m moving out.” Him (replying much later): “Okay.” So perfunctory. I got dumped before we even started dating. I buried my head in my knees, ready to cry my eyes out. I forgot the snake was still on my shoulder. It suddenly slipped into my collar, then stopped. Leaving a cold, slippery sensation. And… a snake tongue that didn’t retract in time. The snake seemed stunned too, freezing in place. My scalp tingled. I frantically fished it out. It still left a faint red mark. Emo mode paused. The text scrolled by rapidly. [Male Lead be like: Sorry, I type slow.] [Female Lead: Stop pretending.] [He wasn’t being perfunctory! You were playing with him at the time; he couldn’t free his hands. He typed that ‘Okay’ with his tail!] [Holy crap! Just joined the stream and it’s already this spicy.] [Liam must be in heaven.] I understood the words, and my face instantly turned red. Is this snake… Liam? He always wears gold-rimmed glasses. Is he a cobra? (Note: ‘Spectacled Cobra’ in Chinese/culture reference) Suspicion: Hallucinations from mushroom poisoning. 3 I put the snake back in the terrarium and wanted to text my best friend. To tell her I might be tripping on mushrooms. My finger swiped, and I saw the messages I sent her last time. Me: “It’s over. I have no chance.” “Liam seems to like someone!” “He even called her ‘Sisi’!” “Sob.” The comments seemed to be peeking at my screen. [Girl, you are killing me! He wasn’t calling a girl’s name! Snakes make a ‘hissing’ sound!] [The Male Lead is never going to hiss again. He’s probably trying to poison himself mute right now.] [Did you seriously not notice that your pet snake and your brother never appear at the same time?] Hey, didn’t I put on a privacy screen protector? I deleted the unsent text. I looked hesitantly at the terrarium by my feet. The white snake was wrapped around a grape vine, head raised, staring quietly at me. It and Liam… really never appeared together. [Question Xu Xian, Understand Xu Xian, Become Xu Xian.] (Reference to the Legend of the White Snake, a man who fell in love with a snake demon) [Try this, feed Liam some realgar wine. If he faints, he’s a snake. If not, he’s a snake demon.] I pursed my lips. I found Liam’s number in my contacts and dialed it. The white snake’s eyes seemed to widen. Then, its tail started rattling. I don’t know the principle behind it, but… I understood. I hung up. 4 That night, I was drawing on my tablet in my room. I actually received a message from Liam first. “Forgot to tell you.” “The snake cousin gave you back then… it’s a rattlesnake.” [Male Lead trying to cover his tracks.] [What rattlesnake rattles with a ringtone sound?] My cousin gave me the snake. In high school, I was stressed and randomly wanted a pet snake. My cousin heard and brought one over. “Home-bred. Different from the ones you buy.” “Long life span, smart, obedient, clingy. Great emotional support.” “Knows to find food when hungry, knows to come home when it rains.” It was true. It understood all my commands. It was clingy, often wrapping around my calf. It slept with me at night. I thought I found the perfect snake. Turns out it was my brother. …It feels really weird. My secret crush and my favorite pet merged into one. Whatever. I can pretend I don’t know. I put down my pen and tablet, opening the door. The white snake had crawled out of the terrarium at some point and was waiting at the door. I hesitated, then squatted and held out my hand. It climbed onto my shoulder and shook its tail. The tail made a shhh-shhh sound, clear as day. [Male Lead trying SO hard to prove he isn’t himself.] [He doesn’t dare let her find out he’s a pervert.] [That is a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. In the US, they bite more people than any other snake…] Maybe beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I felt like this snake looked a lot more handsome now. It leaned in, nuzzling my cheek with its nose affectionately. Tentatively, its tongue flicked the corner of my mouth. Leaving a cold, wet sensation. My breath hitched. I took it off, put it outside the door, and locked it quickly. [Male Lead got rejected just like that. But a snake is kinda hard to accept.] [Only in novels. If I saw a snake that big in my house, I’d move out overnight and leave the deed to the snake.] I threw myself onto the bed, burying my head in the quilt. My face was burning. It took a while to calm down. I texted my best friend. “Can you understand Xu Xian?” The comments were shocked. [???] [So you’re shy, not rejecting him?]

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I accidentally got drugged and ended up in bed with my nemesis for twenty-four hours straight. Afterward, my friend asked how it was. To save face, I bluffed: “All looks, no substance. I didn’t feel a thing, and it was over.” My nemesis just happened to overhear me. With a smirk, he dragged me back to that same hotel room. He pressed me down, slowly removed his hearing aids, and mouthed the words: “If I take these off, I won’t stop.” “Don’t cry and beg for mercy like last night.” “Anyway… I can’t hear you.” 1 Riiip— I tore Julian’s custom-made shirt in half. Lying on top of him, my fingers traced erratic paths over his abs, eliciting low pants from him. Just as I reached for his belt, he grabbed my hand, signing frantically. I barely made out that he was saying no. “Damn it, Julian! Do you want me to die here?!” “I’m like this, and you still won’t touch me? Is it because you can’t get it up?!” “If you can’t, get me another man!” I started sobbing. Who knew I’d get drugged at a gala? And this drug was potent—it burned away all my reason. If I didn’t get relief soon, I felt like I would explode. Julian paused, his sharp Adam’s apple bobbing. He signed again. He asked: “You won’t regret this?” I lost my patience, propped myself up, and kissed him hard. “If you’re a man, just do it! Why so much talk?!” 2 I woke up the next day aching all over, my throat dry as sandpaper. Holding my waist, I tried to get up for water, but my eyes landed on Julian sleeping beside me. He was asleep, hair messy, neck covered in visible scratches and hickeys. It was a scene of debauchery. Especially the large bite marks on his chest. My breath hitched, brain spinning. Who am I? Where am I? What did I do? Who is this man? Then came the internal scream. Holy crap! I slept with my nemesis, Julian, for a whole day and night!!! Ignoring the shame, I threw on my clothes and fled the room on trembling legs. Back home, my parents, who had been searching for me, looked me over and sighed in relief seeing I was safe. “Oh, Chloe, have you seen our Julian?” Before I could recover, a voice cut in, making me shiver. It was Julian’s mother. I looked up and saw Julian’s parents in my living room. They looked like they’d been there for hours. His mom couldn’t hide her worry. “That boy disappeared right after the gala last night.” “We checked the cameras. You left together.” “Why did only you come back?” Meeting her gaze, my heart tightened, and my eyes darted away guiltily. Of course I knew where Julian was. I was just rolling in the sheets with him. If our parents found out, they’d definitely try to set us up. But Julian is my nemesis. We can’t be together. Besides, yesterday was just an accident. 3 While I was wracking my brain for an excuse, Julian’s mom’s eyes lit up. She rushed behind me. “Julian—” As soon as she spoke, a heavy, sharp gaze landed on my back, scraping like a knife. I turned stiffly to find Julian looking at me. He signed that he was fine, then lifted his eyelids to look at me. He signed: “Why… did… you… leave… first?” He looked just like last night when I was on top of him, and he tirelessly signed, asking if the pressure was okay. Memories flooded back. I turned and fled upstairs. Back in my room, I locked myself in the bathroom and dunked my head in water to wash away the explicit images. “Chloe Vance, stop thinking about X-rated stuff!” I forced myself to calm down. So what if I slept with Julian? No big deal. Julian surely wouldn’t care. He probably felt disgusted. Just pretend nothing happened. Like how he used to distance himself from me. 4 Julian and I were childhood sweethearts. Our families lived close, so we were inseparable. Back then, Julian’s hearing was fine. He didn’t need hearing aids. Every day after school, I’d run to find him, and he’d patiently play with me. Until we were ten. Julian got a high fever. Delayed treatment left him with hearing loss. He had to wear hearing aids. From that day on, the gentle boy changed. He became moody. He became silent, withdrawn, locking himself in his room, refusing treatment. I tried to cheer him up, but he’d throw things, throw tantrums, and yell at me to go away. Even at that age, I could feel it clearly. He didn’t want to see me. He rejected me. But I’m stubborn. The more he pushed me away, the more I showed up, challenging him on everything. As we grew up, he kept distancing himself. So he became my nemesis. 5 I hid at home for three days. My best friend, Penny, kept trying to get me out, but I refused. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go out; my waist felt like it had been snapped by Julian. Julian is nearly 6’3″, broad shoulders, narrow waist, arms bulging with muscle. He could lift my 100-pound frame with one hand. That night, he pinned me against the wall with one arm, pushing my body to its limits again and again. And he still wouldn’t let me go, dragging me to different spots in the room. I suspect he’s addicted. On the fourth day, when I recovered a bit, I accepted Penny’s invite. The moment we met, she asked what happened between me and Julian. “Spill it! What’s going on? He’s been asking me about you non-stop.” Julian asking about me? My first reaction was disbelief. He’s avoided me for years. Shouldn’t he be avoiding me like the plague? But under Penny’s interrogation, I confessed we slept together. “WHAT?! YOU SLEPT WITH—” Penny looked shocked, her voice rising dangerously. I covered her mouth just in time to avoid alerting the whole bar. “Chloe, you’ve got skills. Sleeping with Julian?” “So, how was he? Was it intense?” Penny elbowed me, grinning mischievously. My face turned crimson. I didn’t want to admit it, but Julian was… good. The communication was the only issue. Sometimes things got too intense, and his hearing aids would fly off. No matter how much I begged, he wouldn’t stop. I ended up clinging to his ear, sobbing broken pleas for mercy.

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I asked my online boyfriend what he did for a living. He said he collected bottle caps. I said I swept streets. To keep up the act, I shared my street-sweeping tips daily, and he told me which bottle caps were worth the most. Then we met in real life. We stared at each other, dumbfounded. He was my billionaire stepbrother. Him: “Sweeping streets?” Me: “Collecting bottle caps?” We locked eyes and said in unison: “Nice story, bro.” 1 I lost a game of Truth or Dare, and my friends made me use a random dating app to find a boyfriend. I had to date him for a month. No breakups allowed. But after actually dating him, I realized I was starting to like him. That wasn’t the big problem. The small problem was, when we started, I used a fake name, “Riley,” and casually mentioned I was a girl from a rural village with no education who could only find work sweeping streets. He believed it. He even told me he collected bottle caps for a living. I still remember how carefully he asked if I would look down on him. Being head-over-heels in love, I obviously said the right thing. “A street sweeper and a bottle cap collector? We’re a match made in heaven!” He was clearly thrilled. “That’s great, babe! Let’s meet up. I can’t wait to see you.” We arranged to meet at a coffee shop. But before I could see my online boyfriend, I ran into my stepbrother, Julian. “What are you doing here?” Julian and I are a blended family. After my mom divorced my dad, she got together with Julian’s father. We became step-siblings in name. But by then, I was already in college, and Julian was out starting his own AI and robotics company. We rarely saw each other, so we weren’t exactly close like traditional siblings. I honestly didn’t understand how someone could have such a poisonous tongue. He roasted me every time we met. So, I usually avoided him like the plague. Every time we spoke more than two sentences, the classic bickering script would start. Like now. “Dressed like this… are you cosplaying a mud golem?” Julian looked me up and down, suppressing a laugh. I gritted my teeth. “What do you know? It’s called Earth Tone fashion.” Clearly, he had no taste. I clenched my fist, then noticed he was holding a single rose. “Ooh, bringing a flower? Going on a date?” I reached out, but Julian dodged immediately, looking protective. That confirmed it. He was giving it to someone. “Brother, bringing a single rose that costs less than ten bucks to meet a girl? That’s a bit cheap, isn’t it?” “You wouldn’t understand.” I shut up. Didn’t argue. I wanted to see which unlucky girl caught Julian’s eye. My phone suddenly rang. It wasn’t my boyfriend, but it reminded me. Julian was here. If my boyfriend saw him, would he be intimidated? While I was thinking, my mom called. “Stella, your brother is coming home tonight. Let’s have dinner together. Come home now, I need to talk to you.” 2 I hate this! Why is meeting up so hard! It’s not like I’m asking for the moon! The problem was Julian sitting at the next table, looking like he wasn’t leaving anytime soon. Forget it. Today wasn’t the day. Retreat! I packed up and left immediately. To hide my identity, I had parked my car miles away and took an Uber. Once in the car, I messaged my boyfriend. “Sorry babe, my mom called me home for an emergency. Can’t make it today.” “It’s okay. Something came up on my end too.” Then he transferred me $520. (Note: 520 sounds like “I love you” in Chinese) How many bottle caps did he have to collect to earn that?! “I found a wallet while collecting caps yesterday. Returned it to the owner, and they insisted on giving me $500.” He got $500, but added $20 of his own money for me. He loves me too much. I’m crying. “Babe, if I give you a ten-dollar rose, would you think I’m cheap?” Seeing this message, I didn’t hesitate. “Of course not! It’s the thought that counts, not the price.” Forget a ten-dollar rose; I’d accept a dollar store plastic flower. I thought of the rose in Julian’s hand. Yup, my babe is way more sincere! It was afternoon when I got home. Before I could speak, Mom dragged me upstairs to change. I was confused, like a puppet being maneuvered. Until evening came, and Julian returned. And there was a stranger at the dinner table. “Who’s this?” The man looked up at me and gave a shy smile. I had a bad feeling. “This is the son of a friend. Just here for a casual dinner and to meet you.” A blind date? I instinctively tried to deflect. “Mom, Julian just got back from abroad today. Shouldn’t we be celebrating him?” Before I finished, Julian waved his hand dismissively. “Your future is more important. A welcome dinner is unnecessary.” “Yeah, Stella. Your brother has other plans tomorrow. You meet him first.” Before I could speak, Mom pushed me into a chair. The man opposite me kept glancing up, making me uncomfortable. “Which school did you graduate from, Ms. Stella? What do you do now?” This time I answered first. “Not much education. I sweep streets now. Salary is $1,500 a month. But I spend more than I earn, so I still need my parents’ help.” I didn’t expect Julian to react more violently, suddenly coughing. “What did you say?” I wanted to ask if he looked down on street sweepers, but Mom cut in. “No, no. Stella started a company with friends focused on urban greening. Last month they hired unemployed middle-aged women for city cleaning. They even got an award!” The man’s face relaxed. But Julian’s gaze on me became strange. “Stella Lin, what were you doing at that coffee shop today?” 3 Everyone at the table looked at me. If I said I was meeting an online boyfriend, Mom would kill me. In a panic, I smiled. “I heard you were there and wanted to see you. But you were holding a flower, looking like you had a date, so I didn’t want to disturb you.” When I first met Julian, I couldn’t accept having a new brother, so I bribed his staff to report his schedule. I avoided any dinner he attended. So me knowing he was at the coffee shop didn’t raise any suspicion. Instead, Mom and my stepdad focused on him. “Really? Julian is dating? That’s wonderful!” “Where is she from? What does she do? How old is she? Bring her home!” Julian’s smile faded. He kicked me under the table. I kicked him back. Thanks to Julian’s love life, no one paid attention to me in this awkward blind date. I quickly ate a few bites and left, planning to walk in the garden. But the blind date guy chased after me. “Ms. Stella, I really think we’re a good match. Let’s add each other on WeChat and chat.” I looked at him. Simple suit, gold-rimmed glasses. Mom’s type: elegant and scholarly. Too bad I felt nothing for him. And I already had a boyfriend. “I don’t like you. Sorry you wasted a trip.” His smile froze for a second, but he spoke again. “Actually, I’m just doing this for my family too. Let’s add each other to deal with them. I promise I won’t harass you.” To get rid of him, I added him. He left tactfully. “I’ll visit Uncle Jiang and Auntie Lin another time. By the way, I’m Luke.” Julian couldn’t handle the interrogation and left to hide out. That gave me an idea. A beautiful life beckoned. I moved out of the house efficiently. Without a curfew, I called my friends to the bar that night, vowing not to go home sober. Halfway through my drink, my boyfriend messaged. “Babe, miss you. Let’s call.” Damn. Why now? I looked around. My friends were drinking, playing games, singing. The DJ outside was blasting music. The voice call was ringing. If I answered this, how could I pretend to be a street sweeper? The call ended, then rang again. He wasn’t giving up. I ran around the bar and finally ducked into the bathroom. Away from the music. Perfect. I picked up. His voice was raspy and sexy. “Babe, you finally answered. I missed you.” So sexy. But why did it sound familiar? 4 “Babe, why aren’t you talking? Did I disturb you?” “Of course not.” I spoke and realized my voice was terrifyingly rough. Probably from screaming karaoke earlier. I sounded like a robot with a sore throat. “You sound tired. Was work hard today?” I felt even more guilty. He was collecting bottle caps. I was drinking at a bar. “It was okay. I’m used to it.” “You make my heart ache. I got paid today, $5,000. I’ll send you $5,200 in a bit.” He’s too good. I’m crying. “Why give me money?” It wasn’t even enough for tonight’s bar tab, but it was his monthly salary. “It’s okay, take it. My job covers room and board, I don’t spend much. Some caps are worth a lot, I get a bonus.” I felt worse. Just as I was about to refuse, the bathroom door slammed open. Two drunk girls stumbled in, vomiting into the sink. “That vodka was strong!” “Keep going later! No sipping!” They walked out arm in arm, shouting drinking games. “Sisters are good! Five crabs! Six six six!” They were loud. My boyfriend heard everything. “Babe, are you at a bar?” Cold sweat ran down my back. I spotted a janitor’s closet in the corner. “Yeah, I’m working… at a bar. I got a job as a cleaner here today.” “Cleaning is hard work, especially with drunk people vomiting. I’m worried you’ll be too tired. Was the old job bad?” “I had no choice. The street sweeping jobs are all taken by older ladies. They say we young people are unstable and won’t hire us. I was lucky to find this.” After much explaining, I finally smoothed it over. I don’t know if he believed it, but I did. Unexpectedly, a few days later, he introduced me to a job. I looked at the listing. Company Cleaner. Female. Local resident. Under 30. Most importantly: Full benefits, salary $15,000 a month. What kind of company pays a cleaner that much?! I looked at the company name. WenYu Group. Isn’t that Julian’s company?! His company is rich enough to pay cleaners like execs? I was suddenly jealous. “Babe, I saw this ad online. You have to try. It’s a great job.” But… I’m Julian’s sister. If people found out I was a cleaner at his company, I’d be a laughingstock. “Babe, opportunity waits for no one. Go!” “I’ll try tomorrow.” “Go today. Their HR stays late.” “How do you know?” He paused for a long time. “Uh, I picked up a lot of coffee lids downstairs there before. Guessed they work overtime. Anyway, go try!”

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A month before my 35th birthday, a letter arrived informing me that I was to inherit one million dollars from my late parents. I spun around, a grin spreading across my face, ready to share the incredible news with my husband. Mark was just opening his lunchbox when he spoke, his voice flat. “You know, you’re actually kind of an embarrassment to me.” My smile froze, the joy evaporating into confusion. He set his lunch aside and looked at me, his expression calm, almost detached. “Your cooking is decent, I’ll give you that. But compared to Claire? It’s not even close.” “You’re like some tiresome, nagging maid.” The words were spoken so lightly, yet they plunged into my heart like daggers. He continued, lost in his own monologue. “You take good care of me and Lia, I’m not denying that. But when it comes to her education, you’re miles behind Claire. I know Lia’s grades aren’t great, but you don’t have to be so harsh on her.” And just like that, I understood. He was still holding a grudge because I’d lost my temper with Claire—his widowed sister-in-law—for wearing my mother’s necklace to our daughter’s parent-teacher conference, a conference she had attended in my place. His simple words drained all the strength from my body. I felt utterly, completely exhausted. 1 I turned, grabbing my purse, needing to get out. Mark frowned, his hand shooting out to grab my wrist. “Are you going to start making a scene just because I told you the truth?” “Yes.” My mother-in-law, who had clearly heard everything, merely glanced over before returning to her phone. My father-in-law sat fiddling with his radio, completely absorbed. Mark looked at me as if I were a puzzle he couldn’t solve. “What is your problem now? Am I wrong? Claire was just trying to help you out by going to the conference for you. So what if she wore your necklace? Can’t you be a little more considerate of others for once?” He was so earnest, as if he were prosecuting me for some heinous crime. Our daughter was falling behind in school, but his family did nothing but coddle her, showing zero concern for her future. Every time I tried to be the “bad guy” and enforce some discipline, Claire would swoop in with her lectures on “positive reinforcement” and letting kids be kids. And my own husband had not only let her go to the conference in my place but had also let her wear the last precious thing my mother had left me. All I had done was mutter a few resentful words, and he had held it against me ever since. “Is it time for lunch? Lia and Leo must be starving.” Claire walked in with the two children, her eyes widening as she sensed the tension. My father-in-law put down his radio and immediately went to his grandson, Leo, ruffling his hair. “Leo, you’re back! Come tell Grandpa where you went to play.” He casually led Leo away from the conflict. Our daughter, Lia, after a hesitant look in our direction, quietly followed them. A pang of bitterness shot through me as I watched my own daughter fade into the background. “Alright, Lydia, stop it. We’re about to eat. Hurry up and get things unpacked,” Mark said, releasing my arm. His tone was not a request; it was a command. Claire stepped forward to help, but Mark stopped her. “Don’t, Claire. You go sit down and rest. This stuff is greasy. You don’t want to get your hands dirty.” My heart hammered against my ribs. Did he ever once think about my hands? I looked at the man I shared my life with and saw a complete stranger. The silence from my in-laws was their verdict. Still, a part of me refused to surrender. “Can you help me, then?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. Mark turned to me, a small smile playing on his lips. Hope, fragile and foolish, flickered within me. If he helps me, I thought, I’ll tell him about the money… But his next words plunged me into an icy abyss. “Stop playing the victim.” “You’ve been doing this stuff for years. Why are you being so dramatic now? Claire is gracious enough to offer, and you’re actually going to take her up on it?” “You can’t expect everyone to do everything for you.” His voice was gentle. But the pain in my chest was sharp. I had had enough of his endless, crushing comparisons. 2 Rage, pure and hot, flooded my senses. The picnic lunch I’d been preparing since dawn was sent crashing to the ground. The tent I’d spent an hour meticulously setting up was torn down in a single, violent motion. My rampage was brought to an abrupt halt by the stinging slap of Mark’s hand across my face. “Are you insane?! You’ve completely ruined a perfectly good family outing! Why did I ever marry a woman like you!” “If you can’t handle being here, then get out! Stop acting like a lunatic!” The thread I had been hanging by finally snapped. But in its place, a strange, new feeling washed over me. Relief. An incredible, weightless relief. It was as if those were the words I had been longing to hear. I looked around at them: my father-in-law, a passive observer; my mother-in-law, her face a mask of disgust; and Claire, busy comforting the two children. I suddenly realized that in this family, I had always been the outsider. A hollow laugh escaped my lips, but my heart felt like it was being torn apart. “Fine. As you wish.” I stumbled as I turned to leave. “Stop right there!” My mother-in-law’s voice cut through the air. She grabbed my arm. “What do you think you’re doing?!” “My son has supported you all these years while you haven’t worked a day! And now you do nothing but cause trouble for him! Have you ever once thought about this family?” She softened her tone, a caricature of remorse. “Is it because I didn’t help you unpack? It’s my fault. I apologize. Here, let this old woman help you with your things.” “From now on, I’ll take care of everything, alright?” Claire came over, her voice dripping with faux sympathy. “Mark is just angry. He didn’t mean it. Don’t take it to heart.” “He already explained about the necklace. He said it was an accident.” “You’re a family. You should talk things through.” “Go on, go say something nice to Mark. Ask him to forgive you.” They were all trying to placate me. But I was the one who was bleeding. “That won’t be necessary.” “I can walk back by myself. That should make you all much happier.” 3 After Mark’s older brother passed away, Mark brought a pregnant Claire to live with us. With two daughters-in-law expecting at the same time, the grief in the house was momentarily overshadowed. My in-laws treated us with a semblance of equality. But the moment Claire gave birth to a son, the scales began to tip. And when I held my newborn daughter in my arms and heard their quiet sighs of disappointment, I knew the fragile peace I had fought so hard to maintain was about to shatter. My daughter and I were their family too. Didn’t I deserve a basic level of respect? But what power does a woman with no income and no support system really have? I tried crying. I tried screaming. All it did was cement my reputation as a shrew. My desperation at his coldness was framed as me being crazy, and my “craziness” became his justification for pushing me further away. They relied on me for every practical need while emotionally exiling me. I became the family maid. It escalated to the point where Mark had Claire attend our daughter’s parent-teacher conferences. Because Claire had a job, dressed well, and looked more “presentable” than I did. They burdened me with endless chores with one hand and condemned my disheveled appearance with the other. The constant psychological pressure wore me down until their rare praise became my only goal in life. And in the end, I still had nothing. No one saw my exhaustion. No one cared. So, let it end. I shook Claire’s hand off my arm. “The range hood in the kitchen is broken. Remember to call a repairman.” “And Mark’s suits should be kept with matching ties. It makes it easier for him in the morning.” “Since you all agree I can’t compare to Claire, I guess these things are her responsibility now.” A flicker of triumph flashed in Claire’s eyes. I felt a strange sense of release. “You don’t need to look so smug about ‘winning.’ You’re just the ‘nice guy’ who swoops in after every fight we have. But when a real problem comes up, you’re never the first one to solve it.” “Doesn’t it get exhausting, being like that?” Looking at this family of hypocrites, I realized that fighting with them was a complete waste of my life. I stormed over to my father-in-law and smashed the radio on the ground. I had bought it for him. He was so picky that I had scoured half the city to find one that met his ridiculous standards. Then, I marched over to my mother-in-law. I yanked the gold bracelet off her wrist and put it on my own. She gasped, reaching for it. “That’s my bracelet!” I deftly dodged her. “This was part of my dowry. You just liked it so much you decided to wear it yourself.” Next, I pulled the jacket off Mark’s shoulders and threw it into a puddle. It was his last birthday present from me. He was furious. “You shrew! You’re being completely unreasonable!” “I bought all of these things.” “Well, didn’t I…” Mark started, then clamped his mouth shut. What could he say? In all our years of marriage, he had never once given me a gift. The few pieces of jewelry I owned were all from my family, from before the wedding. 4 My actions stunned them into silence. I had made scenes before, but they always ended with me trying to win back their approval. My mother-in-law’s chest heaved with rage. My father-in-law’s face was a thundercloud. Seeing her chance, Claire nudged her son, Leo, who immediately ran to his grandparents and hugged their legs, babbling sweetly. My daughter, Lia, started to step forward too, but they deliberately ignored her. As Leo charmed them with his antics, the tension in the air magically dissipated, replaced by warmth and laughter. And Lia just stood there, lost and alone. Just like me. An outsider. I had always known they were biased, but seeing it so plainly still felt like a knife twisting in my gut. How ridiculous. They could be so prejudiced against their own flesh and blood, all because I had given birth to a girl. I had tried to gently bring it up with Mark once. I stated it as a simple fact, but he met me with icy indifference. He asked me, his voice calm, if it wasn’t the truth. If I had given him a son, he said, his family would have treated me just as well. They drove me to the brink of madness, then calmly painted themselves as the victims of my insanity. I never brought it up again. Mark’s eyes were soft as he ruffled his nephew’s hair, but his face darkened the moment he looked at me. If anyone else had been there, he would have pointed at me with that weary, long-suffering sigh. “See? She’s at it again.” But this time, I didn’t scream. I calmly took my daughter’s hand. The sight of me preparing to leave with Lia seemed to finally rattle him. “Alright, alright! I shouldn’t have said those things, okay?” “I’m sorry.” “Now, shouldn’t you be the one to apologize to everyone?” He sounded like he was patiently mediating, but he was just trying to provoke me further. This time, he was destined for disappointment. “Lydia! Don’t push your luck!” He clearly thought his “apology” was a grand gesture, and he was furious that I wasn’t gratefully accepting it. “Move.” The single, cold word slipped from my lips. His anger finally boiled over. “What the hell do you want?! Do you expect the entire family to get on their knees and beg for your forgiveness?!” I looked at him, my face a placid mask. “Could you please get out of my way?” He stared at me, uncomprehending for a second. Then, his rage exploded. Without another word, he slapped me again. “Lydia! If you walk out that door today, don’t even think about coming back!” My cheek burned, but the pain was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. He knew. He knew my parents were gone, that this family was all I had left. And he was using it to force me to submit. But I was done submitting. 5 “Mark, let’s get a divorce.” The toxic sludge that had been clogging my heart for years finally dissipated with those words. Claire rushed over and grabbed my hand. “Lydia, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have disturbed your lives. If it weren’t for me, you two would never have reached this point.” “If you really can’t stand having me and Leo here, we’ll move out. Please, don’t say things you’ll regret, like getting a divorce.” Her words sounded sincere, but every sentence was designed to drive a deeper wedge between us. It worked. Mark became even more agitated. “No! I promised my brother I would take care of you and his son! If you move out, I’ll be breaking my promise!” Claire wiped a tear from her eye, her gaze full of sorrow as she looked at Mark. “It’s okay. I can raise my son alone. You two can’t get divorced because of me.” Mark whirled on me, his eyes full of venom. “Will you be happy once you’ve torn this family apart?! You want a divorce? Fine! You’ve got it!” “But let me make one thing clear. You haven’t earned a single penny in all these years. When we’re divorced, don’t expect to get a dime from me. We’ll see how you feel then. Don’t come crying back to me.” I looked at his ugly, contorted face and spoke coldly. “Don’t worry. I won’t ask for a cent. And I’m taking Lia with me. We won’t be a burden to any of you.” “I’ll have my lawyer draft the papers and send them to your email. See you at City Hall in a month.” With that, I took my daughter’s hand and walked away. A month later, I was waiting outside City Hall as promised. Mark arrived, his eyes darting around, unable to meet my gaze. “You need to be sure about this,” he mumbled. “You can still change your mind.” I didn’t even look at him. “Why are you wasting my time?” I pushed our documents across the counter, urging the clerk to hurry. The moment the divorce certificate was in my hand and I stepped out of that building, I tasted freedom for the first time. At the same instant, my phone buzzed. A new message had arrived. It was the notification that the one million dollars from my parents’ estate had just been deposited into my account.

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1 I was always a whirlwind, a rambunctious spirit who could never sit still. My family, however, was a portrait of quiet dignity. No one else seemed to appreciate the chaos I thrived on. The year I turned fifteen, I stayed up all night, meticulously crafting a birthday present for my older brother, Michael. When he opened it, a kaleidoscope of paper butterflies erupted from the box, startling him. His face immediately darkened. The next day, I was sent to an etiquette coach. Michael stood there, his brow furrowed with disapproval. “Mrs. Keller, my sister’s… disposition will make her a laughingstock in our circle. I see no other way. I can only entrust her to you to teach her some discipline.” “In return,” he added coolly, “the Lucas family will see to it that your daughter is taken care of for the rest of her life.” The next time I saw him was three years later. Michael’s eyes scanned my poised, serene form, and a look of deep satisfaction settled on his face as he prepared to take me home. But I simply tilted my head, my expression one of innocent confusion. “I’m sorry, who are you?” … Michael froze for a second, then his expression soured as he reached for me again. “Stop playing dumb. You don’t recognize your own brother?” “Mom and Dad are back from their world tour tonight. Come home with me; we’ll surprise them.” His tone was sharp, and I instinctively took two steps back, only to be met by a firm push from behind. “Mia, dear, go home with your brother!” I turned to see Mrs. Keller, the woman who had spoken. Her warning gaze met mine, and I flinched. Mrs. Keller was my etiquette coach. She was the epitome of grace and virtue, a gentle smile always playing on her lips. But her eyes… her eyes held a hidden threat. “Remember to be on your best behavior when you get back. You don’t want to be sent back here!” I nervously wrung my hands, only for one to be taken in a firm grip. Michael looked down at me. “Why are you sweating so much? Are you hot?” I could feel Mrs. Keller’s dangerous stare on my back and quickly shook my head. “N-no. I’m not hot.” Michael nodded, then turned to Mrs. Keller with a polite smile. “Mrs. Keller, Eliza seems to be enjoying her stay with us so much she doesn’t want to leave. I’m afraid it might be a few more days before we can bring her back to you.” At the mention of her daughter, Mrs. Keller’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s no problem at all! Let her stay as long as she likes. She can stay forever if she wants!” “These past few years, you’ve found her the best schools, arranged for her to study abroad… I can’t thank you enough!” Michael gave a slight nod. “You’ve taught Mia to be so well-behaved. It’s the least we could do.” With that, he led me to the car waiting to take me home. During the entire ride, I sat primly in my seat, a careful distance from my brother. My hands were folded in my lap, my back was ramrod straight. I didn’t dare speak. Michael’s gaze on me was soft. “Excellent. You finally look like a Lucas heiress.” “It seems we should double Mrs. Keller’s compensation.” Soon, the car pulled to a stop in an exclusive, gated community. Michael got out first, then thoughtfully circled around to open my door, extending his hand to me. I had been taught these courtesies. They were etched into my mind. I lifted my left hand and gently placed it in his palm. I stepped out, planting my foot firmly before gracefully exiting the vehicle. The smile in Michael’s eyes deepened. “Very good, Mia,” he praised. But in the next second, the hand resting in his suddenly clenched! The sight of the villa before me was surreal and disturbingly familiar. A knot of dread tightened in my stomach. Michael frowned. “What’s wrong?” Goosebumps erupted on my skin, but I had to maintain my composure. I quickly shook my head. “N-nothing.” He released my hand. “Then let’s go inside. I have a present for you.” I followed him. The closer we got to the house, the more my head throbbed. Once we were inside, Michael presented me with a beautifully wrapped box. “Mia, welcome home.” He opened it, revealing a delicate butterfly bracelet. The color drained from my face. My head felt like it was splitting open. The butterfly on the bracelet seemed to come alive, its wings beating as it flew straight at me. My vision swam, and I thought I heard a shrill, angry voice echo in my mind: “You stayed up all night just to pull a prank? Mia, it’s my birthday! Can’t you be considerate for once in your life?” I was never the favorite child. I was too loud, too boisterous. The Lucas family rules were strict. My brother, Michael, was born with an innate air of reserved elegance, making him the apple of our parents’ eyes. But I was different. I was a carefree whirlwind, a bundle of hyperactive energy that didn’t seem to fit the Lucas mold. Before I turned fifteen, my parents had me take three different DNA tests. Each time, they would stare at the results and shake their heads in weary resignation. “Mia’s personality is just so… untamed. She’s nothing like the other debutantes.” “Richard, are you sure she’s ours? What did we do to deserve this?” “She and Michael are supposed to inherit the company one day. With this lack of decorum, she’ll be a disaster…” They never bothered to hide their conversations from me, and I never took them to heart. I’d usually just flash a mischievous grin and wrap my arms around my mother’s. “What, you two don’t want me anymore? Did you forget who mediated your last fight?” “You two would never have made up so quickly without me!” My mother would sigh, exasperated, and tap my forehead. “Honestly, what are we going to do with you?” And so, my life before fifteen, though filled with my family’s disapproval, was not unhappy. Until the day I got into a fight with the daughter of my father’s business partner over a dress. My parents gave me the silent treatment for a full day before quietly conferring with my brother. “This personality of hers will be a liability when she takes over the company. Michael, you need to find a good etiquette coach. It’s time she learned some discipline.” Michael nodded. “I’ll arrange it after my birthday.” That night, I stayed up until dawn, creating a butterfly kaleidoscope for him. The next morning, I stifled a yawn and pushed the gift into his arms. “Happy birthday.” He looked at my red-rimmed eyes, and the corner of his mouth twitched into a small smile. But when he opened the box, he used too much force. The butterflies were supposed to flutter out one by one, a beautiful, ethereal display. Instead, his rough handling sent them all bursting out at once. Two of them grazed his eyes, nearly blinding him. His face turned to stone. For the first time, his legendary patience snapped. He smashed the box on the ground. “You stayed up all night just to pull a prank? Mia, it’s my birthday! Can’t you be considerate for once in your life!” I tried to explain, but he wouldn’t listen. He just turned and walked away. The next day, I was sent to Mrs. Keller’s. These memories used to be crystal clear. But now, all I could recall were fragmented images and the sound of my brother’s angry reprimand. The rest was a complete blank. My headache intensified, and I rubbed my temples. Michael watched me, still patiently holding out the gift box. Just then, a girl ran over and snatched it from his hands. “Wow, this bracelet is gorgeous! Michael, can I have it?” “But this is a gift for Mia…” Michael, never one to say no, looked at me with a conflicted frown. A memory flashed in my mind—my parents scolding me for not knowing how to share after the fight over the dress. I quickly forced a smile. “You can have it. Here, let me help you put it on.” I graciously fastened the bracelet onto Eliza’s wrist and even offered a compliment. “It’s beautiful. It suits you!” She looked baffled, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. “You’re really giving it to me? You’re not angry?” I patted her hand magnanimously. “Of course not. Mrs. Keller taught me that sharing is a virtue.” Michael’s frown smoothed out, a genuine smile reaching his eyes. But Eliza just glared at me, yanked her hand away, and stormed off to her room. I didn’t understand why she was upset and felt a flicker of panic. “What’s wrong with her?” I asked Michael. “Why is she still unhappy after I gave her the bracelet?” “Her?” The smile on Michael’s face vanished. “You don’t remember Eliza? She’s Mrs. Keller’s daughter. You’ve met her several times.” At the mention of Mrs. Keller, my expression shifted, and tension coiled in my stomach. Michael, ever observant, finally realized something was wrong. He cupped my face in his hands, staring into my eyes for a long moment, his own expression growing grave. A moment later, he was on the phone with Mrs. Keller. “Mrs. Keller, Mia has been acting strangely since she came back. It seems like she doesn’t recognize people. What’s going on?” Mrs. Keller laughed on the other end. “Oh, that’s perfectly normal. She’s eighteen now, right in the middle of her rebellious phase. She’s likely upset that you sent her to me and is just pretending.” “Many of the children I work with do the same thing when they go home. It’ll pass.” When he hung up, Michael’s frown had only deepened. He clearly wasn’t convinced. Before he could investigate further, the front door opened. A middle-aged couple wheeled in their luggage, their faces breaking into wide smiles when they saw me. “Mia’s home! Oh, I’ve missed you so much!” The woman rushed over and pulled me into a tight embrace. Another wave of pain shot through my head, but out of politeness, I didn’t push her away. They then proceeded to pepper me with questions, their affection overwhelming. I maintained a polite, distant smile throughout. By the end of our conversation, their satisfaction with me was palpable. I had also figured out that they were my mother and father. At dinner, my father mentioned a gala in a few days and said he wanted to take me. Eliza pouted. “Uncle, Auntie, can’t I go?” My mother patted her shoulder reassuringly. “There’s only one extra ticket, dear. If we take Mia, we can’t take you. Be a good girl, Eliza.” Eliza remained sullen, barely touching her food for the rest of the meal. As dinner was ending, I tried to appease her. “There’s only one spot. Why don’t you go? Don’t be upset.” Her eyes lit up, but Michael immediately shut it down. “No. You are the Lucas heiress. Eliza is just Mrs. Keller’s daughter.” “Many influential people will be at this gala. It’s a crucial opportunity for you to network.” I had no choice but to nod. “Alright, I’ll go then.” Suddenly, Eliza threw down her chopsticks and ran to her room, slamming the door behind her. Watching her second rude outburst, I couldn’t help but ask, “Is she really Mrs. Keller’s daughter? Why is she so ill-mannered?” My mother smiled and stroked my hair. “She’s not a Lucas. She won’t be moving in high society. She doesn’t need to be so disciplined.” “I see,” I said, a flicker of understanding dawning on me. That night, I lay awake in my old bedroom, unable to sleep. I felt a gaping hole in my heart, an unbearable emptiness. But I made no sound, just lay there quietly, clutching the blanket. I even held my bladder until morning. My parents were ecstatic. “Mrs. Keller is a miracle worker! Mia’s rambunctious nature is finally gone!” “Now we can finally entrust the company to her without worry.” A few days later, Michael took me to the gala. With my arm linked through his, I moved through the crowd with ease, chatting with entrepreneurs and meeting other young heirs and debutantes. Michael beamed with pride and eventually let me wander on my own. I was heading to the balcony for some fresh air when a hand grabbed my arm. A young woman stood before me, her brow furrowed in annoyance. “Mia Lucas, you don’t recognize me? I’ve been looking at you all night. Why haven’t you said hello?” I was stunned by her rudeness. “Who are you? Let go of me! This is highly improper!” “Hahaha—” The girl burst out laughing. “What are you talking about? You, talking about being proper?” “Weren’t you the one who slapped me over a dress three years ago? What’s this, a case of amnesia?” My mouth fell open. A nerve in my brain snapped taut. “Slapped you?” Before I could process it, she gave me a hard shove. I lost my balance and stumbled backward, crashing into a waiter. Red wine and broken glass showered over me. Amid the gasps of the onlookers, I struggled to my feet, trying to maintain my composure. The girl, Sophie, raised an eyebrow, watching me intently, as if waiting for me to retaliate. But I simply straightened my dress, my face cold. “I will not admit to something that never happened. But for assaulting me, I will be calling the police.” Just then, Michael rushed to my side. He took in my disheveled state, and his brow furrowed deeply. “What happened?” Sophie stomped her foot. “Michael, your sister has lost her mind! Three years ago, she hit me over a dress, and now she’s pretending she doesn’t know me!” Her voice was loud, drawing a crowd. “What’s going on? The Lucas and Chen families have been friends for generations. How could Mia not know Sophie?” “Exactly! Everyone knows she hit Sophie over that dress. I thought she had changed, but now she’s denying it…” All eyes were on me. The pressure was becoming unbearable. “I said I don’t know her!” I cried out, my voice trembling as I pulled out my phone to call the police. “That’s enough!” Michael grabbed my hand, pulling me away from the scene. “Michael, I really don’t know that girl,” I explained meekly on the way home. But he wouldn’t listen. The car stopped in front of a hospital. I looked at him, surprised. “We’re not going home?” Michael got out and reached for my hand. I flinched, my face paling with fear. He froze, his expression complicated, but his voice softened. “Mia, let’s get your head checked.” “I don’t want to. I’m scared…” I shook my head, pressing myself against the car door. Michael’s lips thinned into a hard line as he pulled me out of the car without another word. After a full battery of tests, his expression grew even darker. The results showed I was in perfect physical health. “So Mrs. Keller was right. You’ve been faking it all along!” He dragged me home and threw me onto the floor. “Mom, Dad, and I sent you to Mrs. Keller for your own good! Do you have any idea how much we’ve spent? Five million a year for tuition, not to mention supporting Eliza this whole time.” “Why can’t you be grateful instead of being so rebellious?” “Do you know how important tonight’s gala was? The impression you made is out there now. Do you have any idea what the other debutantes will be saying about you behind your back?” I cowered on the floor, trembling, my legs too weak to stand. He looked at me with bitter disappointment. “If you keep this up, I’ll have no choice but to send you back to Mrs. Keller for another two years.” “No!” The moment the words left his mouth, I fell to my knees, banging my head on the floor. “Don’t send me back! I’ll be good! I’ll be obedient! Please don’t send me back! I won’t do it again!” Michael’s eyes widened in shock. He bent down to help me up. “What are you doing? Get up!” But I just kept bowing, ignoring his pleas, repeating over and over, “I’m sorry! Please don’t send me back!” His face was a mask of distress as he tried to pull me up. A sneer cut through the air from behind him. “My mother never abused you. Who are you putting on this pathetic show for?” Michael looked up at Eliza, and his hands slowly fell away from me. His voice was laced with disappointment. “If you want to kneel, then kneel.” He turned and went into his study. I remained on the floor, my movements robotic and numb. Eliza crouched down in front of me, a sinister smile on her face. “If you don’t want to be sent back, you’d better listen to me. When your parents get home, you’re going to tell them to let me stay here forever.” “If you disobey, I’ll have my mother—ah!” Before she could finish, I lunged, my nails raking across her face. She and Mrs. Keller looked so much alike, so terrifyingly alike! Fear erupted from every pore, and I started screaming. “Shut up! Stop talking! Stop talking!” Michael burst out of the study and pulled Eliza behind him. She was clutching her bleeding face, shrieking. His eyes darkened, and he slapped me, the force of the blow snapping my head to the side. I froze, listening to his voice, cold as ice. “How dare you attack her? Go to the basement and reflect on what you’ve done! Don’t come out until you’ve learned your—” He stopped abruptly, a look of horror flashing across his face. Because the moment I heard the word “basement,” my body started to convulse, and then, I collapsed. “What are you pretending now?” he asked, his voice shaking. He nudged me with the toe of his shoe. When I didn’t respond, he quickly scooped me up from the floor. His hands were trembling. I had never seen him so lost. “Call an ambulance—” … When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital, surrounded by people. A doctor with a grave expression was removing a needle from the pressure point above my lip, scribbling notes in a chart. Michael’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse. “Doctor, why did my sister suddenly faint? I just had her examined. She’s perfectly healthy!” The doctor frowned. “The patient’s problem isn’t physical. It’s psychological.” “She has likely endured prolonged abuse. The trauma was so severe that her mind chose to forget.” He looked at the pale, horrified faces of my parents and brother and sighed. “If you want to know what your sister went through, the only way is through hypnosis.” “But, you need to be prepared…”

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I was canceled online. All because I used my own money to open a subsidized meal line in the university cafeteria for students on financial aid. They said I was a phony philanthropist, that I was insulting them with “pig slop.” But the meal I offered was three dishes and a soup for just three dollars. When I burst into the dining hall, a scholarship student named Lila Thorne was slamming her tray down on the counter. Braised pork and gravy splattered everywhere. Martha, the woman who ran the counter, just stood there, her face a pale sheet of shock. The same hands that always gave students in need an extra scoop of rice were now trembling uncontrollably. I walked past Lila, went straight to Martha, and gently wiped the hot spray of gravy from her cheek with a napkin. Kindness, it turns out, is the cheapest thing in the world. And if that’s the case, then this counter is permanently closed. 1 “Isn’t three dollars still money?” Lila’s voice was a piercing shriek. “How come they get to eat seared tuna while we’re stuck with this greasy, fatty pork!” She spat the words “greasy, fatty,” her phone’s camera aimed squarely at Martha’s face, livestreaming the whole thing. The comments on the stream were flying. “Lila’s right!” “So poor students aren’t even human?” Martha was so flustered she could barely speak. “This… this pork was bought fresh this morning. I picked out the best cuts myself, and it stewed for a full two hours…” “Stewed in what? Grease?” Lila shoved the tray away, and chunks of meat tumbled to the floor. “Look at this fat! It’s practically oozing oil! Are you trying to poison us with this pig slop? Do you even have a conscience?” Pig slop. The words stabbed into me. Martha’s eyes instantly filled with tears. “Lila!” My voice trembled as I pushed through the crowd of onlookers. She immediately whipped the camera around to face me. “Well, look who it is!” she announced with manic glee. “Our beloved campus princess, Scarlett Vance, has finally decided to grace us with her presence!” “Go on,” she taunted, “tell everyone right here, right now. Did you set this whole thing up just to humiliate us with your garbage food?” I fought to keep the rage from boiling over. “Martha went to the market before dawn to hand-pick every single one of these ingredients…” “Oh, spare me the phony, bleeding-heart routine!” she screeched, cutting me off. Spittle flew from her mouth. “If you really cared, why isn’t the food the same at every counter? We want the seared tuna! Why are we being treated like second-class citizens?” I was shaking with fury, my nails digging so deep into my palms I thought they might draw blood. The same? Was she insane? She wanted seared tuna for three dollars? Why not just rob the kitchen while she was at it? The number of viewers on her livestream was skyrocketing, the comment section a cesspool of vile insults. And that’s when I saw it. The one that cut the deepest—posted by Ethan Cole. “Support Lila! Break the privilege!” Ethan. The same Ethan whose tuition I had paid for three straight years. I remembered when he first arrived on campus, he barely had a decent coat to his name. I paid his tuition. I gave him money for living expenses. I even covered his mother’s surgery last year. And now, here he was, leading the online mob against me. Suddenly, my phone started vibrating violently, a relentless flood of hateful messages from unknown numbers. 2 “Go die!” “Think your money makes you special?” “People like you belong in hell!” On the campus forum, my photo had been photoshopped into a black-and-white funeral portrait under the headline: SHE HAD IT COMING. My name was trending on Twitter, the hashtag #ScarlettTheHypocrite a searing brand next to it. What broke my heart was seeing how many of the profile pictures in the comments were familiar. The freshman girl I’d stayed up all night helping with her financial aid application. The senior guy I’d pulled strings to get an internship for. Now, they were all kicking me while I was down, attacking me with the most vicious words imaginable. I looked at Lila, still putting on a show, dabbing at her dry eyes. I looked at the gleeful mob in her livestream, at Ethan’s treacherous comment. In that moment, something inside me went cold and dead. I turned and walked away. The mocking laughter of the other wealthy students followed me. “Told you not to get involved.” “See? That’s what you get for being a bleeding heart.” “She thought she was some kind of savior. Turns out they didn’t want to be saved.” I finally understood. Tossing kindness to wolves was the stupidest mistake you could make. You think this food is disgusting? Fine. From now on, no one gets to eat it. Back in my dorm, my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing, a constant stream of toxic DMs popping up on the screen. “You think you can do whatever you want just because you’re rich?” “Why don’t you just kill yourself already?” I shut it off. The world finally went quiet, but the insults kept echoing in my head. Then, a knock on the door. “Ms. Vance? This is Dean Evans from Student Affairs.” His voice was muffled. “The university administration requires you to come to the main office immediately to explain today’s events. You’ve created a significant negative impact on the university’s reputation!” I remained silent. When he got no response, his tone hardened. “Scarlett, if you continue to evade this, the university will be forced to take disciplinary action.” A cold laugh escaped my lips. They weren’t going after the people who started the riot, they were coming after me. Did they really think I was that much of a pushover? After his footsteps faded, I turned my phone back on and made a call. “It’s me.” My voice was ice. “I need you to look into a few people. Lila Thorne, Ethan Cole, and the main agitators from that livestream. I want to know everything about them.” The voice on the other end was prompt. “Understood. How deep do you want us to go?” “As deep as you can,” I said. “Especially Ethan.” After hanging up, I opened my laptop. The campus forum already had a dedicated thread for my takedown, with titles more venomous than the last. Exposing the Dark Secrets of the Vance Family The Dirty Deals Behind the Anchor Initiative The True Face of a Hypocrite The most laughable part was seeing students I had personally sponsored adding their own fabricated stories to the pile. A guy whose medical bills I’d helped cover was now claiming I’d harassed him. A girl I’d found a job for was accusing me of docking her pay. I never knew the human heart could be so vile. The next morning, I was jolted awake by a violent pounding on my door. “Scarlett Vance, get out here! We demand justice for all the students on financial aid!” Through the peephole, I saw Lila with a mob of about twenty people, all of them livestreaming. “See, everyone?” she cried into her phone. “She’s hiding in there like a coward!” 3 Lila was wailing for her audience. “This is what the rich are really like! They do something awful and don’t even have the guts to face us!” I took a deep breath and yanked the door open. “You finally came out!” Lila shoved her phone right in my face. “Explain yourself, right here, in front of everyone. Why did you try to poison poor students with your disgusting food?” I stared at her, my expression unreadable. “Are you done?” She was clearly taken aback by my calm demeanor. Her face froze. “Because if you’re done,” I said, taking a step forward and looking directly into her camera, “it’s my turn.” “Lila, why don’t you tell your audience how much that simple, ‘humble’ little dress you’re wearing actually costs?” A murmur went through the crowd. I turned to face all the cameras, my voice clear and steady. “Three days from now, I will be holding a press conference in the main dining hall. Then, the whole truth will come out.” With that, I slammed the door shut. The show was just getting started. The online frenzy escalated, and it even started to affect my father’s company’s stock price. The night before the press conference, I was reviewing my materials when there was another knock on my door. It was Lila again, a triumphant smirk plastered on her face. I opened the door before she could speak. “Oh, Ms. Thorne! To what do I owe the pleasure? Did you come to deliver my final ultimatum?” I feigned a shudder. “I’ve seen what everyone is saying online… and my family’s stock! Oh, I’m so scared.” Lila was clearly not expecting this. She blinked, then her eyes filled with contempt. “So you’re scared now? A little late for that, don’t you think? Let me give you some advice for tomorrow, Scarlett. You’d better do exactly as we say.” “A public apology, and then you’ll make our meals the same standard as everyone else’s! Or else…” She scoffed, her threat hanging in the air. I kept up the act, my eyes wide with fake panic. “Or else… or else what? You’ll really… ruin my family?” “Hah, what do you think?” Seeing my apparent cowardice, Lila grew even more arrogant. “You have no idea how powerful public opinion is. Be smart, Scarlett. Just bow your head, say you’re sorry. It’s better for everyone, isn’t it?” She even took a step closer, her voice dripping with false sympathy. “Besides, Scarlett, your family is loaded! What’s the difference between five million and fifty million to you? If you get us better food, we’ll even be grateful!” I suppressed a cold laugh, forcing a look of terrified gratitude onto my face. “R-really? Thank you for the advice, Lila… I-I’ll think about it… I really will…” “That’s more like it.” Lila nodded, satisfied, then turned and sauntered away. The second the door closed, the mask dropped from my face. Did she really believe I would just surrender? Tomorrow, when the truth came out, I couldn’t wait to see that smug expression of hers shatter into a million pieces. I was actually looking forward to it. On the day of the press conference, the dining hall was packed. People were standing in the aisles, and a wall of reporters had set up their cameras. Before I could even get to the podium, Lila rushed ahead and grabbed the microphone. 4 Her voice broke as she began. “Fellow students, members of the press, I stand here today with a heavy heart.” “We, the students on financial aid, have never asked for a handout. We are only asking for fairness!” Tears streamed down her face. “Why do some people get to eat seared tuna while we’re served braised pork? Is being poor a sin?” A wave of applause erupted from the crowd. Several other scholarship students started crying along with her. Seeing her effect on the crowd, Lila doubled down on her performance. “Today, all we want is an explanation from Scarlett Vance. Our demand is simple: we want the menu to be the same at every food counter…” I watched her performance in silence. Only when she had finished did I calmly walk up to the podium. Lila shot me a triumphant glare, as if victory was already hers. “Ms. Vance, what is your response?” “Do you admit to discriminating against students on financial aid?” “How do you plan to compensate these students for the emotional damage you’ve caused?” The reporters’ questions came like machine-gun fire. I lightly tapped the microphone, and the hall fell silent. “First, I want to thank Lila for her speech,” I began, my voice even. “She has helped me see my error more clearly than ever before.” A victorious smile spread across Lila’s face. She even flashed a peace sign at a livestream camera. “My biggest mistake,” I continued, “was, in fact, treating students on financial aid and other students differently.” “I shouldn’t have assumed that students in need required special assistance. I shouldn’t have assumed they would appreciate this kindness.” Lila’s smile froze. She could sense something was wrong. “Therefore, I’m correcting that mistake.” I scanned the entire room, enunciating every word. “Effective today, the Anchor Initiative is permanently closed. All students will be treated equally and will dine at the standard market price.” “Since you all consider a three-dollar pork stew an insult, by all means, please enjoy the fifty-dollar seared tuna.” 5 The room exploded. The students on financial aid swarmed Lila, their faces contorted with rage.

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My husband Jack’s auto repair shop hired an apprentice. The kid, Leo, was hardworking and a smooth talker, and Jack took a real shine to him. He poured everything he had into training the boy, hoping he’d become his right-hand man. Then, out of the blue, the kid quit. He turned around and opened his own shop right next door to ours, siphoning off all our business. Just as we were about to go under, our luck took a sudden, dramatic turn. 1 After dropping our daughter Mia off at her dance class, I swung by the shop. From a distance, I could see a line of cars waiting outside Leo’s Auto Repair, while my husband’s place, Jack’s Garage, was completely empty. As I pulled up, I saw one of our regulars, Mr. Henderson, heading for our entrance in his white Kia. But as he passed Leo’s shop, Leo himself stepped out and flagged him down. Henderson rolled down his window, and Leo leaned in with a wide grin. “Hey, Mr. H! Come on in for a bit, I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee. First cup’s on me.” “Maybe next time, son. I’m just taking the car to Jack for a tune-up.” “I can do that for you right here! You know my work, I learned everything from the master himself. It’ll be perfect, I promise. I’ll take real good care of your car.” Leo flashed a number with his fingers. “I’ll give you a deal you can’t refuse. And I’ll use the best synthetic oil, top of the line.” “Alright, let’s go have that coffee.” Henderson was beaming. “Okay, okay, I’ll give you a shot.” Seeing Henderson about to pull into Leo’s lot, I slammed on the gas, screeched to a halt beside them, and yelled, “Mr. Henderson!” “Jack was just saying yesterday he hadn’t seen you in a while! Speak of the devil. Come on, let him get that tune-up done for you.” Leo just smiled and waved at me, as polite as ever. “Hey, Sarah! Want to join us for coffee?” I fought to keep my voice steady, but in my head, I was screaming, Go to hell. I ignored Leo and called out to Henderson again. “Come on over to our shop.” Henderson just smiled apologetically. “Next time, Sarah. I’m going to see what the kid can do.” I knew, deep down, there wouldn’t be a next time. Staring at the line of cars waiting for Leo, a knot of pure frustration tightened in my chest. It was so suffocating I could barely breathe. I stomped my foot in anger, and a mocking voice floated over from next door. “Easy there, Sarah. Don’t want to break a heel.” That was it. The dam broke. “You ungrateful, backstabbing snake!” I screamed at him. “You’ll get what’s coming to you!” Spinning on my heel, I stormed into our empty garage. 2 The first thing I saw was my husband, Jack, humming to himself as he methodically polished his tools. He looked so damn calm. My anger flared. I marched over and slammed my car keys down on the desk with a loud crack. Jack looked up. “Who got my girl all fired up? Tell me who it is, and I’ll go set ’em straight.” I shot a furious glare out the open garage door, then pointed at the wrench in his hand. “Our business is being stolen from right under our noses, and you’re in here polishing your tools instead of trying to find customers!” “Are you that bored? Instead of this, why aren’t you calling our old clients, seeing if they need anything? You have to cast a wide net to catch any fish!” “Or better yet,” I fumed, “why don’t you go over there and punch him in the face? That’s better than just sitting here…” My tirade faltered as my eyes met Jack’s. I saw a flash of deep, bone-weary exhaustion in them before he could hide it. The words died in my throat. The shop’s failure was hurting him more than anyone. And everything I was yelling at him to do… we’d already tried it all a year ago. We’d tried everything, and nothing worked. While trying to win back our clients, Jack had also been trying to win back his peace of mind. “It’s a tough economy,” he said softly. “Business is slow for everyone. We have to try and stay positive.” “Besides, it’s not like we’re completely empty. We still have enough coming in to get by.” That just made me angrier. “But we used to be booming! Ever since Leo went out on his own, he’s been systematically stealing every single customer!” Just like he did with Henderson, right in front of my eyes. He’d intercepted him, poached him. It was a bitter pill I couldn’t swallow. “He’s making a living based on his skills. Good for him. I just need to hold on to my loyal customers.” “The auto repair business is cutthroat. If it wasn’t Leo, it would’ve been someone else.” “And look at it this way,” he added with a weak smile, “I trained an apprentice so good he could compete with me. That’s a skill in itself, right?” “Come on, Sarah. Try to see the bigger picture.” “I can’t!” My face was tight with rage. “It could have been anyone else, Jack! But it shouldn’t have been him!” Just then, Leo himself strolled into our garage. “Hey, boss. Sarah. Arguing again?” 3 I rolled my eyes. “What do you want, Leo? You’re not welcome here.” Jack didn’t even look at him, just kept fiddling with his tools. Leo rubbed his nose and chuckled, walking over to the water cooler like he owned the place and pouring himself a glass. “Polishing the old tools, huh, boss? Another slow day? You better be careful. A few more days without a car to fix and you might get a little rusty.” Jack finally looked up, his voice flat. “Leo. If you’re done gloating, you can leave.” I wasn’t nearly as calm as Jack. I grabbed a broom and started sweeping aggressively in his direction. “Yeah! What’s there to brag about anyway? Get out!” Leo dodged the broom with a smirk, then planted his foot on the bristles, stopping me. “You should really learn to control that temper, Sarah,” he said, his smile laced with malice. “Or Jack might get tired of the nagging and find himself someone younger.” That son of a bitch. Stealing our business wasn’t enough; now he was trying to poison our marriage? Did he really think I was that easy to push around? I was about to grab the glass of water off the table and throw it in his face when Jack stopped me. “Sarah, don’t. Let me handle this.” Jack stood up and walked over to Leo. “What do you need, Leo?” Leo laughed. “You always could read me like a book, boss.” “I must have missed a few pages,” Jack said, his voice dangerously quiet. “Like the part where you were secretly adding all our clients on social media, or the part where you secretly rented the garage next door. You hid those pretty well.” Leo’s smile faltered for a second, but he pressed on shamelessly. It turned out there was a car he couldn’t fix, and he wanted Jack to take a look. He framed it as asking for help, but it sounded more like bragging. Or giving an order. “There’s a five-figure profit on this repair, boss, so you better be careful. Don’t want to tarnish the great Jack’s Garage reputation.” He smirked. “You’ve never cleared ten grand on a single car, have you? Guess it’s true what they say—out with the old, in with the new. You’re just too honest, boss. You don’t know how to make real money.” I remembered Jack telling me one of the reasons Leo left was because he wanted to “make more money,” while Jack was content to make an honest living. In the auto repair world, there were plenty of ways to “make more money”—using cheap, off-brand oil, padding the bill with phantom problems. Unless you were an expert, you’d never know you were being fleeced. Leo had once suggested that Jack start up-selling customers more aggressively. He’d argued that if a customer came in for a simple cabin filter change, you couldn’t just change the cabin filter. That was chump change. You had to convince them to change the oil filter and the air filter too. Otherwise, what was the point? Jack had his principles. He told Leo that auto repair was a matter of safety, of life and death, and there was no room for cutting corners. Leo had nodded and said he understood, but the greedy glint in his eye was impossible to ignore. And now, running his shop his way, he’d made more in two years than Jack had in five. Some money, I guess, just isn’t worth making. When Jack didn’t immediately agree to help, Leo made a show of generosity, offering to pay him fifty bucks for his time. Jack’s face darkened. “Get out, Leo. Now.” Leo’s expression soured. “Come on, boss. The car… it has a brake problem.” 4 Brakes were Jack’s obsession. Back when he was just an apprentice, his skills were still green. One year, right before Christmas, his own father’s brakes went out. Jack, full of confidence, volunteered to fix them. He didn’t do it right. Driving home, the brakes failed, and his dad got into a crash that nearly killed him. From that day on, Jack dedicated himself to mastering his craft. He treated every repair with deadly seriousness, especially the brakes. He wouldn’t sign off on a job if there was even the slightest squeak. So when Leo said the car had a brake problem, Jack felt compelled to go. “That’s more like it,” Leo said, his smile returning. “Stick with me, boss, and we’ll both get rich.” He started to lead Jack toward his shop. Just then, my phone rang. It was the teacher from Mia’s dance studio. “Mrs. Miller? It’s about Mia. She’s been injured…” The moment he heard our daughter’s name, Jack forgot all about the brakes. We jumped in our truck and sped toward the dance school. “Boss, just let Sarah go by herself!” Leo called after us. “Money’s more important, right?” For the first time in years, I heard Jack swear. “To hell with the money!” “Fine! Fine! You don’t want to help? You’ll regret this!” At the school, we found out Mia had dislocated her arm. It was a huge relief. After a trip to the hospital confirmed it was nothing more serious, Jack and I could finally breathe again. When we got back to the shop, Leo heard us pull in and came out, sneering. “Don’t think you’re the only one with skills, Jack. I figured it out without your help.” “You’re a stubborn, washed-up old fool. You can just sit there and watch me get rich while your shop goes bankrupt!” We didn’t know it then, but that phone call, Jack not going over to help Leo with those brakes, had saved us from a disaster we didn’t even see coming. And for the struggling Jack’s Garage, it was the beginning of a miraculous turnaround. 5 The next morning, I was woken by a loud commotion. It wasn’t coming from our shop, but from next door. My stomach dropped. Did that bastard Leo launch some new grand-opening promotion to steal our last few loyal customers? I threw on some clothes and ran downstairs. Wow. The scene was pure chaos. A tow truck was blocking the entrance to Leo’s Auto Repair, and behind it, a police car was parked with its lights flashing. A middle-aged man in a loud Hawaiian shirt and a thick gold chain was screaming, pointing a finger right in Leo’s face. “You son of a bitch! I just bought this Maserati a month ago, and you turned it into a pile of junk!” “You couldn’t even fix the damn brakes, and now the engine won’t even start! You’re gonna pay! If I don’t see a hundred fifty thousand dollars today, I’m tearing this whole damn place down!” Leo’s face was chalk-white. He was bowing repeatedly, babbling apologies. “Mr. Russo, please, sir, calm down. It’s a misunderstanding, I swear, just a misunderstanding.” “I was supposed to have my old boss come look at it yesterday, but he had an emergency and couldn’t make it. He was the one in charge of this repair…” Okay, now I understood. That little weasel was trying to pin this on Jack. I rolled up my sleeves, ready to march over there and give him a piece of my mind, but a hand caught my arm. It was Jack. He’d come down sometime after me and was standing there calmly, watching the train wreck unfold. “Don’t,” he said. “Let him handle it.” “He’s blaming you for this! How can you just stand there?” I was practically hopping with rage. Jack just shook his head, a strange, knowing look in his eyes. “He can’t handle it.”

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