Author: Momo Chan

After I died, my best friend organized a memorial service for me. It was crashed and trashed. Anti-fans swarmed the funeral home, selfie sticks held high, live-streaming the chaos. “Serves him right!” they chanted. The chat was flooded with comments like, “Is he finally dead for real?” Meanwhile, my ex-husband was celebrating on a luxury yacht, toasting champagne with his lover for seven days straight. It seemed my untimely death was nothing less than poetic justice. Until one day, my diary was made public. Only then did everyone realize… In my entire life, I was truly happy for only a fleeting moment. 1. On a variety show, the host suddenly went off-script. “Mr. Thorne, your ex-husband recently passed away due to illness. How do you feel about that?” Caleb Thorne, the newly crowned Best Actor, scoffed. “Nothing. I heard his memorial got trashed. Good riddance.” The host smiled slightly, lowering his gaze. “You don’t mind talking about him? After all, his death is trending.” Usually, capitalizing on the dead gets you cancelled. But when the dead person was me, Julian Vance, nobody cared. “Ask whatever you want,” Caleb said. “I’m curious,” the host began. “Everyone says Julian Vance was a villain. So why did you marry him?” The Best Actor fell silent. He probably couldn’t remember why either. The host chuckled. “We actually have Julian’s diary here. Would you mind if we shared it with everyone?” Caleb smirked. “He barely finished high school. Could he even write a diary? Go ahead, show it.” When the worn notebook was opened, everyone froze. The handwriting was neat and elegant, nothing like the scribbles of a madman. “Let me read it then,” the host said, smiling. 2. October 3, 2020 Today, I’m getting married! And who’s the lucky groom? My Caleb, of course. Who else would I want to marry? And who else would he dare marry? If he dared, I’d tear him to pieces. We’ve been together for six years. Today, I finally married the man I fell in love with at 18. Dear Diary, you should have seen how nervous Caleb was when he put the ring on my finger. His ears were burning, and his eyes turned red instantly. They say men’s tears are a woman’s weakness. It’s true. I couldn’t stop smiling. But, Diary, I’m not afraid you’ll laugh at me. When Caleb got drunk and collapsed into my arms later, I cried even harder than he did. He whispered in my ear, “Julian, I love you. I love you so much. Thank you for being my husband.” Actually, I should be thanking him. Because of him, for the first time in my life, I feel like I belong. At the wedding, Caleb’s mom hugged me. When she held me, I wanted to cry. It was the first time an elder had ever hugged me. So, this is what a mother smells like. Growing up in an orphanage, I didn’t understand hugs. Orphans like us, no matter how good we were, no one held us. When we cried, we just lay on the mats on the floor until we stopped. At school, teachers always said we were “good kids.” Actually, we just knew that crying got no response. And good kids don’t get loved; they get ignored. So we learned to hide our feelings. Meeting Caleb taught me that I could be myself, and he would still love me. Now, Caleb and I finally have a home. Even if we’re broke. Life will get better. I told Caleb: This is the happiest moment of my life. He held me tight, his heart aching for me. “Not the happiest. After today, every day will be happy.” Marriage is wonderful. I have someone to accompany me, and I have a family. I’m not alone anymore. Oh, here’s a wedding photo! It’s small, only 12 inches. I’m wearing a cheap suit I bought online for $80, and Caleb is wearing the only decent suit he owns. We look simple, but our smiles are the sweetest. Caleb promised me. When he makes big money, he’ll take me to a beach in Malaysia to take proper wedding photos. The host finished reading and took a deep breath. No one expected the “vicious” me to have such memories with Caleb. The words were playful and sweet, radiating pure happiness. Expired sugar is the deadliest poison. Caleb froze for three seconds. These memories had been buried deep in his mind. Back then, marrying me felt like winning a war to him. He had forgotten all of it. The netizens were confused. This was miles apart from the image of the evil Julian Vance. “Reading the diary, he sounds like a totally different person.” “Fake, right? That handwriting doesn’t look like Julian’s.” “Julian was an orphan? No wonder he had no manners.” The host looked at Caleb. “When you got married, it seems you were both very happy.” Caleb seemed dazed, then let out a self-deprecating laugh. “He used to be decent. Too bad you can’t judge a book by its cover.” The host smiled. “Perhaps. Let’s read the second page.” “Honestly, I’m curious too. What happened to turn Mr. Vance into the public enemy everyone hates?” 3. January 6, 2021 Dear Diary, I’ve been so busy with extra work lately, I neglected you. Sorry! I have to rant again today. Is there any way to make big money fast? What if I spend $10 on lottery tickets every day? A meal on set is $10. If I skip dinner, I can save that. What if I win the jackpot? Diary, I don’t want to daydream. But I really, really need money. I can’t ask Caleb. He’s under so much pressure already. He films night scenes every day. During the day, he edits videos for extra cash. He’s so tired, but he always pretends to be fine and tells me, “Hubby isn’t tired.” My heart breaks for him. Whatever. I’ll figure it out myself. Attached photo: Caleb’s sleeping face. Perfection. When life feels hopeless, I just look at him~ The host paused. “Mr. Thorne, I have to ask. Did you know Julian was this desperate for money back then?” Caleb shook his head. “I was his husband. If he needed money and didn’t tell me, it must have been for something shady.” “No wonder he did all those disgusting things later. For money, he really had no dignity.” The host sighed and continued reading. 4. January 10, 2021 Dear Diary. My best friend died. We grew up together in the orphanage for over ten years. He just left me. Because we couldn’t scrape together $5,000. I told him I’d find a way. I told him to wait. Even if I had to deliver food 24/7, I would pay for his treatment. But while I was working on set, he pulled his own oxygen tube. He left a recording. He said: “Julian, we were abandoned as kids. Most of us aren’t healthy. Living to 25 is already a bonus for me.” “Julian, don’t be sad. Maybe in heaven, I’ll see the parents who threw me away.” “I’m going to settle the score with them.” “You and Caleb take care.” “Oh, and remember to get regular checkups. We poor people can’t afford to get sick.” I cried until I couldn’t breathe. I was so close. If he just waited a little longer… Diary. Why is life so unfair? Today on set, I heard the lead actress’s sponsored handbags cost $5,000 each. One bag could have saved my friend’s life. Writing this, I suddenly remembered another friend from the orphanage. His name was Victor. Victor means victory. He had a round face and eyes that crinkled into crescents when he smiled. Compared to us, he was full of life. Maybe too full of life. When he was eight, a rich family adopted him. When we said goodbye, I was so happy for him. But he came back a year later. He was thin. He didn’t smile. Most importantly, he was mute. He wrote down that he had been tortured for a year. The adoptive family was afraid he would talk. So they cut out his tongue. I ran to the Director for help, but I got beaten half to death. The Director took hush money from that family to bury it. Victor… he killed himself not long after. Now this friend is gone too. There aren’t many of us left from the orphanage. Diary, I really want to tell Caleb all this. But looking at his exhausted, smiling eyes… Never mind. Maybe when life gets better. I won’t burden him. Goodnight, Diary. Hope I get a callback for an audition tomorrow morning. The host’s voice trembled as he read. Netizens: “So he needed money for a friend?” “What kind of orphanage is that? Investigate immediately!” “Seems like an attempt to whitewash his image, but you can tell Julian was just jealous. Otherwise, why envy a $5,000 bag?” The host sighed and turned to Caleb. “Mr. Thorne, did you know your husband needed $5,000?” “You were both 25. Did you really not have $5,000 in savings?” Caleb’s pupils contracted. His mouth moved silently. “In 2020, we saved $10,000 together. I promised to buy him a gold bracelet…” “But at the end of the year, my mom got sick.” “It cost us everything…” “Later, he didn’t bring it up, and I didn’t buy it.” Caleb lowered his eyes, his voice fading. The chat exploded. “So Julian gave all their savings to treat his mother-in-law and ended up with nothing for himself?” “What is the comment above saying? Marriage means being a family.” “If he had the gold bracelet, maybe he could have saved his friend.” Actually, Caleb didn’t tell the whole story. His mother had insurance. It covered most of the costs. After the reimbursement came, I didn’t see a dime. When my friend got sick, I hesitated but eventually asked my mother-in-law for a loan. I was ridiculed. “Marrying a losing investment like you was charity enough.” “And you dare ask me for money?” “You’re an orphan. No one has your back.” I froze. My ears rang. The woman who said she’d treat me like a son at the wedding now looked at me with contempt. When I married Caleb, we didn’t have a ceremony, just a dinner. No ring, no dowry. In the end, no respect either. Later, I learned the truth. Once you’re married, the masks come off. Especially for someone like me, with no family to back me up. The grievances I didn’t write in the diary were far more than Caleb ever knew.

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My mother was a spoiled princess. I spent my whole life taking care of her. Yet, when my father’s mistress lunged at me with a knife, she didn’t hesitate to step in front of me. I woke up, and I was eight years old again. She was admiring her freshly manicured nails, ordering me to make her dinner. I silently cooked an eight-course meal with two soups. She was shocked: “Did you poison it?” I put some food in her bowl and said seriously: “I approve of you dating Uncle Julian.” Chapter 1 Vivian exploded. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows knit together as she slammed her chopsticks onto the table. “Julian? What kind of nonsense is going on in that little head of yours?” I: “…” I silently handed her a clean pair of chopsticks. She eyed me suspiciously. “You little brat, did you break something?” I hesitated for a few seconds, then pulled the chopsticks back out of her hand. She nodded knowingly: “I knew it. You’re trying to prank me.” I opened my arms to her: “Mommy, hug.” Vivian was clearly freaked out. She stared at me in disbelief, skepticism written all over her beautiful face. After a long pause, she poked my cheek with a long, manicured nail. “What are you babbling about? Go stew me some bird’s nest soup.” My lips trembled. I wanted to cry. She froze, frantically grabbing a handful of napkins and throwing them at my face. “Hey, hey, what are you doing? trying to guilt-trip me?” Just then. The front door of the villa opened. A tall, slender man stood silhouetted in the doorway. The room fell instantly silent. I stared at him quietly for a long time before opening my mouth: “Dad.” Vivian glanced at the man, snatched the chopsticks back from my hand, and started eating as if nothing happened. The man walked in coldly, heading straight for the study upstairs. As he passed the dining table, he paused slightly. “You don’t need to go to the banquet tonight.” Slap. The chopsticks were slammed onto the table. Vivian sneered, “Then who are you taking?” My mother was breathtakingly beautiful. Before she married, she was the famous, vibrant beauty of the upper-class social circle. Even after marriage, her beauty hadn’t faded a bit. Natural beauty combined with high-end maintenance made her even more charming. Even now, angry as she was, she looked stunning. But despite this, my father’s gaze hadn’t lingered on her for a long time. The man frowned slightly. He didn’t answer her question, his steady steps carrying him upstairs. As the study door closed. Vivian threw the chopsticks. The next second, she stood up to flip the table. I watched her silently. At the last second, she stopped. Vivian pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and smiled with an unreadable expression: “You’re getting a new mom soon. Happy?” I stared at her for two seconds, then walked up and snuffed out her cigarette. She froze completely. Then she screamed. “Are you crazy? Why did you put out my cigarette?” She grabbed my hand. My fingertip was burned raw. Her fingers trembled. She pulled out her phone to call the family doctor. After hanging up, she gritted her teeth: “I swear, you watch too many cartoons and think you’re made of steel?” I whispered: “Don’t smoke. It’s bad for your health. And if you smoke too much, you won’t be pretty anymore.” Vivian looked at me with complicated eyes while she looked for an ice pack. She huffed, “Even if your mom was ten times uglier, there still wouldn’t be a woman more beautiful than your mom, got it?” I endured the pain and looked at her quietly. I thought so too. Everyone in our circle thought so too. But my dad fell in love with that plain-looking girl by his side. Those uncles would whisper behind our backs: “Richard married such a beautiful wife, yet he doesn’t cherish her. That’s Vivian, the woman so many men dreamed of marrying back then.” But then they’d add: “But wild flowers always smell sweeter than house flowers. Plus, Vivian has a kid and isn’t young anymore. It’s understandable.” When their kids first whispered these things to me, I didn’t understand. I only heard “Dad” and “Mom,” so I repeated every word to my mother. Vivian’s expression didn’t change. She just rolled her eyes: “You’re gossiping at such a young age, what a bright future you have. If you have time for this, go learn some more words.” But after I left, she would lock herself in her room, smoking and drinking. The next day, she’d act as if nothing happened, booking spa appointments and ordering tonic soups from the kitchen. Later on, I stopped repeating those words. Chapter 2 “What are you arguing about?” Richard stood on the second floor, looking down. Vivian glanced at him and applied the ice pack to my hand. I hissed in pain. Richard’s gaze moved from my hand to the cigarette butt on the floor. His expression was cold. “Can’t even take care of a child?” Vivian looked annoyed: “Don’t act high and mighty. Just get lost.” Suddenly, she paused. “That necklace at the auction a few days ago… were you bidding against me?” Richard met her gaze. She smiled sarcastically. “Didn’t you know? Your little mistress is already parading it around town.” “She’s not my mistress,” Richard said, his thin lips pressed together in displeasure. “Right, right, she’s your true love.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Wishing you eternal happiness.” Richard exhaled, slowly walking downstairs. “We’re going to the banquet together tonight.” As if Vivian expected this, she chuckled, slowly draping her arm over his shoulder and exhaling into his ear, “Beg me, Mr. Jiang.” Richard took a step back, his body slightly tense, warning: “The child is here. Don’t be ridiculous.” She let out a bored “Oh” and said to me, “Go upstairs. The doctor will come to your room.” After I closed my bedroom door. I heard a vase shatter outside. I sat at my desk and opened my diary from memory. Eight-year-old me had a terrible relationship with Ms. Vivian. No fatherly love growing up, and barely any motherly love either. While other kids were being cuddled, I was already serving tea to my mom. She never cared about my life, spending every day elegantly dressing up, doing her hair, nails, and facials. Occasionally, when maternal instincts struck, she’d read me skincare tips. Any event requiring a parent was attended by the butler, Grandpa Lee. Later, I often thought my existence was unwelcome. I wasn’t the child of the woman my father loved, and maybe my mother often regretted having me, as my birth had damaged her body. … I flipped to the last page of the diary. [Lucas invited me to play the day after tomorrow. I want to go, but Uncle Julian will be there. I hate Uncle Julian. He always looks at Mom weirdly.] Sixteen-year-old me reading what eight-year-old me wrote felt complicated. Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door. I cleared my throat. “Come in.” Vivian walked in, followed by the family doctor, who opened his kit to bandage me up. Vivian sat naturally on my bed. She paused. “Do you want to go to the banquet tonight? Your grandparents want to see you. It’s fine if you don’t go; it’s a mixed crowd.” I thought for a moment. Uncle Julian would be there. I had to go scope out the situation. I nodded: “I’ll go.” Vivian shrugged. “Suit yourself.” After the doctor finished, Vivian went to prepare her gown. Watching her slender back, I couldn’t help but speak: “Mom.” She froze, awkwardly rubbing the goosebumps on her arm. “…What is it?” I pouted. “I don’t have a suitable dress.” Vivian liked expensive, exquisite dresses, but I only cared about comfort. I wore T-shirts and shorts everywhere. And I never let her pick my clothes. I only liked bright, flashy colors like red and green. Vivian turned around in shock, looking like she’d seen a ghost. “Really? You really want to wear a dress?” She came over and felt my forehead, muttering, “No fever.” My lip trembled, tears welling up. “Other kids have pretty dresses, but I don’t!” She looked at me blankly. “You… you can’t blame me for that. Every time I mention your outfits, you get mad.” So eventually, she stopped caring what I wore. “I don’t care. I want a dress.” I wiped a tear. She had never seen me like this and was stunned for a moment. “Fine, I’ll have someone prepare it. But I’m telling you now, you have to wear dress shoes with it. No sneakers. Tsk, stop crying…” Chapter 3 I sat next to Grandma, watching Vivian holding onto Richard’s arm. The surroundings were noisy. Her wavy hair cascaded down her back, and she wore a red mermaid gown. She was dazzling. Compared to her bright smile, Richard seemed much colder. Grandma glanced calmly in their direction, then looked away. She pinched my cheek. “Our little Ellie is finally willing to wear a dress. You’re growing up.” Grandpa looked over sternly, shaking his head. “Girls should dress like this. Vivian loves dressing herself up but doesn’t care about her daughter.” Grandma agreed. “Yes, I’ve told her so many times to get Ellie some decent clothes, but she never listens.” I spoke up weakly: “Grandpa, Grandma, it was me who didn’t like wearing dresses.” Grandpa scoffed. “That’s because she didn’t raise you right.” I paused, wanting to argue. Just then, someone poked my arm. I turned around, surprised: “Lucas…” Lucas smiled and greeted: “Hello Grandpa, Grandma. Hi Ellie.” Grandma smiled. “Good boy.” I followed Lucas to the corner to eat desserts. He stuffed a mini cake into my mouth, then scolded me: “Why didn’t you come to the amusement park yesterday?” I: “…” I scratched my head. “Had a fight with my mom.” He paused, then said slowly: “Oh, that’s understandable.” Lucas had soft brown hair, red lips, and white teeth. Wearing a mini suit, he looked serious yet cute. I stared at him. In my past life, for the next eight years, Lucas and I became total frenemies. I thought his dad was eyeing my mom, so I never gave him a break. He always mocked my ugly clothes and called me airheaded. But looking back now, those noisy days were some of the few colorful moments in my life. I grabbed his hand and asked deeply: “Do you think my clothes are ugly?” Lucas took a step back, stuttering. “Huh? Today… today you look pretty good.” I shook my head. “What about before?” He fell silent. The quiet corner contrasted sharply with the noise elsewhere. I sniffled, eyes turning red: “They all say I’m an ugly duckling, that they don’t like me, that I’m not as pretty as my mom…” He anxiously pulled me closer. “Who said that? You’re pretty. You’re the prettiest!” “Really? Every day?” I asked. He nodded, then scratched his cheek shyly. “Yeah. They’re talking nonsense. Tell me who said it, and I’ll go settle the score.” I paused. Too many people said that. From my childhood to adolescence, countless people compared me to Ms. Vivian, saying I wasn’t as pretty as she was as a child, didn’t inherit her beauty, wasn’t a beauty in the making. But… why compare me to others? Why compare me to my mother? I sighed. And stuffed a mini cake into Lucas’s mouth. Suddenly. There was a commotion nearby. I saw the gentle girl in the white dress. A glass of red wine had been spilled between her and Vivian. Both dresses were ruined. Everyone knew it was the girl’s petty trick, but Richard didn’t stand by his wife. My grandparents would only blame the daughter-in-law who wasn’t blood-related. I gritted my teeth in anger. Just as I was about to step forward, Lucas held my hand. We saw a man leisurely appearing in the center of the storm. Wearing a low-key luxury silver-gray suit, he raised an eyebrow lazily. “Ms. Zhong’s dress is ruined.” The girl’s face paled slightly, hiding behind Richard. She spoke softly: “Mr. Chi, hers is red, mine is white…” Implying the stain on her dress was more obvious. “Who knocked over the glass? Do we need to check the security footage?” Julian chuckled lightly. Richard’s eyes were cold. “This is my family matter. It has nothing to do with you.” Julian’s expression froze slightly. I gritted my teeth and pulled Lucas forward. People made way for us. I enunciated clearly and crisply: “I swore an oath with Lucas. He’s my brother now. So Uncle Julian is my Godfather!” I nudged Lucas, and he nodded immediately: “Yes!” Dead silence. Only Julian’s lips curled slightly. He put one hand in his pocket. “Heard that? Now Ms. Zhong’s matter is my family matter too.” The onlookers gasped. Richard’s face suddenly darkened. “Godfather?” Lucas and I nodded solemnly in sync. “Pfft.” Vivian, who hadn’t spoken, laughed. Her red lips curved; she seemed amused by us. But she didn’t deny it. Richard grabbed Vivian’s wrist, pulling her to his side. His mood was unreadable, but a suppressed hostility radiated from him: “Ms. Zhong? Mr. Chi, you should call her Mrs. Jiang.” “You manage a lot,” Julian drawled, then turned to a waiter. “Take Ms. Zhong to change.” Richard wouldn’t let go. Vivian smiled faintly. “Husband, not letting go?” The girl hiding behind Richard whispered: “Mr. Jiang, my dress is dirty too.” Richard frowned darkly. After a long moment, he let go. Then he turned and personally led the girl to the lounge. The drama ended, and the crowd dispersed. Only Lucas, Uncle Julian, and I remained. I looked up. Julian happened to look down, his peach blossom eyes watching me with unreadable emotion. Just then, a waiter bowed slightly beside me. “The Old Madam invites you over.” I froze, then turned to meet Grandma’s strict gaze. Lucas pulled me. “Don’t go.” I shook my head. Chapter 4 “You intentionally embarrassed your father!” Grandma hit my back hard in anger. “Where are your manners?” He wasn’t embarrassed; my mom was. I said quietly: “Grandma, who is that woman? Why did dad not blame her for spilling wine on mom’s dress?” Grandma frowned. “As the head of the group, your father must be magnanimous.” I didn’t speak again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Julian drinking glass after glass of wine. I heard that everyone thought my mom and Julian would end up together, but they missed each other in the end. Julian hasn’t married to this day; Lucas was adopted from a relative. I rubbed my chin in thought. Just then, I saw Lucas sneaking off somewhere. I immediately started to follow. Grandma grabbed me, displeased. “Don’t run around. Sit here nicely.” “I need to use the bathroom!” I bolted away. I followed Lucas to the lounge. He didn’t notice me. I hid by the crack in the door. Voices came from inside. Vivian said lazily: “You said your family was struggling, so I introduced you to the company. I showed you kindness. Why make everyone look bad in a setting like this?” Silence inside. Then the soft voice said: “It was Mr. Jiang who showed me kindness, promoting me to secretary. The salary is several times higher than my old job.” Vivian laughed. “Okay. Love, money, you have both. What else do you want? The position of Mrs. Jiang?” No answer. After a long time. “I’m pregnant,” the girl whispered. “Sister, you lack nothing. Give him to me. I don’t want my child to be born without a father.” The sound of a coat rack falling over. Probably kicked by my mom. Seeing Vivian finally lose control, the girl’s smile became a bit more genuine: “I checked. It’s a boy. Mr. Jiang and I are looking forward to his arrival. He even bought baby supplies in advance.” Slap. A crisp sound. The girl sighed: “Hit me. Mr. Jiang will be the one hurting.” Her gentle voice finally couldn’t hide the triumph: “Ms. Zhong, when you condescendingly gave me charity back then, did you ever imagine you’d be kicked out of the Jiang family with your daughter like a dog?” I gripped my dress tightly. But suddenly, a white light flashed in my mind. Wait, she was never pregnant! If she was really pregnant with a boy, forget her asking for status, Grandma would never let her grandson be illegitimate. My expression hardened. Then I met Lucas’s eyes. He stepped back, surprised to see me right next to him. Lucas was silent for a few seconds, then awkwardly whispered in my ear: “It’s okay. If your mom doesn’t want you, I’ll ask my dad to adopt you too. I won’t let you be homeless.” I froze, touched, and held his hand: “Thank you.” His fingers curled. Suddenly, a tall shadow fell over us. “What are you doing?” Richard looked down coldly. I jumped, smiling sheepishly. “Dad, we were worried about Mom, so we came to check.” “We?” Richard sneered, lifting me by the scruff of my neck with one hand. “Stay away from this kid.” Lucas gritted his teeth and ran off. The door opened. The girl threw herself into Richard’s arms with a red handprint on her face, sobbing without speaking. Vivian stood inside, smiling but not smiling. Seeing me, she immediately put out her cigarette. I: “…” Richard frowned, asking Vivian: “You hit her?” Vivian glanced over lazily: “Hitting her hurt my hand.” For some reason, Richard’s calm brow darkened. The girl was incredulous: “What are you saying? You hit me…” “Enough.” Richard interrupted coldly. “Since you don’t want to stay here, I’ll send someone to take you back.” With that, he signaled the bodyguards to take the girl away. The sobbing continued, fading into the distance. Richard walked closer to Vivian, his voice flat: “Satisfied?” Vivian stared at him for two seconds, the fake smile gone from her face. Finally, she mocked herself. “You make me sick.” She pushed Richard aside and walked out in her high heels, still wearing the wine-stained mermaid dress. Richard had his back to the door; I couldn’t see his expression.

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I took my mom on a trip to the beach. She stared out at the horizon and suddenly said: “Honestly, you’re really ungrateful.” I froze. “Didn’t you say your lifelong dream was to see the ocean? I brought you here. How am I still ungrateful?” She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at my head in frustration. “What’s the point of me coming alone? Why didn’t you bring your brother’s family? Even he gave me a hundred bucks, saying I shouldn’t just spend your money.” Sand got in my eyes, turning into tears. Calmly, I bought her the cheapest train ticket home. Then, right in front of her widening eyes, I put the gold bracelet I had intended to give her on my own wrist. Since her son was so perfect, she could go back and let him be the grateful one. 1 My mom always said her biggest regret was never seeing the ocean. So, for her birthday, I took a few days off work to surprise her with a trip to the beach, bringing my daughter along. I didn’t tell her until the day we left, thinking she’d be thrilled. Instead, she had a scowl on her face from the moment we boarded the plane. It wasn’t until we stood on the sand that she finally spoke. “Hannah, do you know something? You’re really ungrateful.” I was taken aback. “Mom, what did I do wrong?” She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at me. “You have to ask? I live with your brother’s family, but you only brought me on this trip. What does that mean? What will they think? How am I supposed to face them when I go back?” I was speechless. “Mom, you’re overthinking it. I…” She cut me off. “Book tickets for your brother and his family right now. A vacation is only a vacation if the whole family is together. My conscience won’t let me enjoy this alone.” She immediately video-called my brother, Jason. “Son, look at this ocean! Isn’t it magnificent? Didn’t your wife say she wanted to see the sea? Tell her to pack. I’m making your sister buy plane tickets for all of you right now.” Jason’s wife snatched the phone, her voice ecstatic. “Hannah’s really buying us tickets? What about hotels and food? For a family of four, that’s going to be at least a few thousand dollars.” My mom waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry, your sister’s covering it all. She’s got money. Just come and have fun. Didn’t you want to go clam digging? Come experience it yourself.” Hanging up, my mom’s face finally softened. She started issuing commands. “Hurry up and book the flights. Then get two more rooms. They have to be five-star, oceanfront view. They don’t have much money, so they deserve something nice. And transfer two thousand dollars to your sister-in-law right now so she feels secure and can have a good time.” The sand in my eyes stung. I held back tears and told her, “I’m just their sister, not their mother. Why should I pay for their vacation?” 2 Her face darkened instantly. “What do you mean? You don’t want to pay? Hannah, get this straight. I’ve lived with Jason all these years. He’s the one taking care of me in my old age. You’ve done nothing. Why are you reluctant to spend a little money?” I wanted to laugh. “You live with Jason because you insisted on raising his kids. Your entire pension goes to them. The money I send you every month goes to them. How have I done nothing? How is he taking care of you?” “Mom, since you care about them so much, why don’t you move in with me when we get back? I won’t ask you to babysit or do chores. I don’t need your pension. Let me take care of you, okay?” I thought she’d be happy. instead, she shoved my daughter, who was standing next to her, into the waves. “Are you crazy? Want me to raise your money-losing brat? Keep dreaming! I have my own grandsons. Why should I raise your kid? Hannah, stop talking nonsense and book the tickets.” My three-year-old daughter screamed, terrified by the water. I quickly pulled her out. The night breeze made her shiver. I roared at my mom, “What are you doing? She can’t swim! What if the waves took her?” She showed zero remorse. “Hmph! You care about your kid, I care about mine. So book the tickets for your brother’s family.” Book my ass. I found dry clothes for my daughter, then opened my phone and booked the earliest train ticket home for my mom. “Since you miss your son and grandsons so much, go back.” She looked at me in disbelief. “What do you mean? sending me back as soon as we get here?” I nodded at the endless horizon. “Yes. Go back. My daughter and I will have a great time.” She suddenly slapped me. “Hannah! I told you to book tickets for your brother, and you send me back on a train for hours? Is this how a daughter acts? You really are ungrateful. I knew you just wanted a vacation for yourself and dragged me along as an excuse!” 3 My face burned. My daughter reached up with her little hand to touch my red cheek. People around us started looking over. I fought back tears. “No way am I being a cash cow for Jason’s family. You can stay and enjoy a few days with me, or I can put you in a cab to the train station right now. Your choice.” She slapped her thigh and marched toward the ocean. “Fine, fine! With an ungrateful daughter like you, I might as well die!” She kept looking back as she walked. “Hannah, I’ll show you! I’ll let the sea take me! I’ll make you feel guilty for the rest of your life! I’ll make your daughter watch you kill me, and see if she takes care of you when you’re old!” The water soaked her pants, rising past her knees. People gasped. Several women tried to persuade her. “Ma’am, come back! Why fight with your child like this? Don’t joke with your life.” She ignored them, walking deeper. A large wave nearly knocked her over. She screamed at me, “Are you booking the tickets? Your sister-in-law fights with Jason every day about coming here! Your nephews have never been on a trip! But you take your money-losing daughter everywhere every year! Why? Tell me, why?” “If you don’t bring them here today, you’ll be taking my corpse home! You’ll regret this forever!” Several men stood near her, ready to grab her if a wave hit. Women pleaded with her. But she just stared at me. “Are you buying the tickets or not?” I didn’t buy them. instead, I opened my backpack right in front of her and slowly put the gold bracelet I had bought for her onto my own wrist. “Mom, since you don’t want to live, there’s no point in giving you this bracelet.” 4 She stopped trying to drown herself. She stomped back to me through the sand. “A gold bracelet for me? Good. It’s your sister-in-law’s birthday soon. I was worried about a gift. This will be perfect. She’ll be so happy.” She reached out to grab it, but I pushed her hand away calmly. “Mom, since I’m ungrateful, I’m keeping this for myself. If you want one, let your filial son Jason buy it for you. You can give it to whoever you want then.” “You!” Her eyes were red with rage. “Are you crazy? That bracelet is thousands of dollars! You expect Jason to buy that? Are you insane?” I wasn’t insane. I had just woken up. For years, my mom gave her money and labor to Jason’s family, yet told everyone he was taking care of her and I did nothing. Fine. Then I would truly do nothing. No money, no effort, no love. I wanted to see how Jason would “take care” of her. Seeing she couldn’t get the bracelet, she sat on the sand and started wailing. “Everyone come look! This ungrateful daughter is trying to kill her own mother! Judge for yourselves!” People gathered. “She took you on a trip, you should be happy. Why the temper?” She retorted immediately. “Happy? How can I be happy when she only brought me? My son and his family are waiting at home!” People were confused. “If your son wants to come, he can come. What’s the problem?” “But this ungrateful girl won’t buy their plane tickets! It costs over a thousand for the four of them! My son works so hard and doesn’t even make that in a month. You think it’s simple?” 5 The crowd was stunned. “Ma’am, are you saying your daughter has to pay for your son’s family vacation?” “Shouldn’t she?” My mom argued back. “She has money and doesn’t take care of me. My son makes no money but takes care of me. Shouldn’t she treat her brother’s family to a trip?” A young woman in the crowd laughed out loud. “Ma’am, sounds like you’re a free nanny for your son, paying your own way to serve them. And you call that him taking care of you? Hilarious.” Everyone laughed. “Exactly. Sad to see such bias.” “Slaving away for your son and convincing yourself he’s a saint.” “If my daughter took me on a trip and I called her ungrateful, I’d deserve to be left alone.” Seeing no one on her side, my mom went berserk. She threw sand at everyone. “Get out! Get lost! None of your business!” People scattered, laughing. My mom jumped up and grabbed my hair. “Book the tickets! Now!” I refused. I told her, “If you leave now, you can catch the train. Any later, and you’re stuck here.” She looked ready to explode. Just as she raised her hand to hit me, Jason called. “Mom, we’re packed. Did you get the tickets? Oh, and my in-laws want to come too. I’ll send their info to Hannah. Tell her to buy their tickets too. Hurry up, we’re waiting.” She panicked. “Did you hear that? Six tickets! Hurry!” Hilarious. Even her daughter-in-law’s parents? I’d have to be insane to waste my money like that. I took my daughter’s hand to head back to the hotel. Suddenly, my mom snatched my daughter from me and held her over the water. “Hannah! Do you want your daughter to live? If you don’t buy the tickets, I’ll throw her in right now! It’s just money! Do you love money more than your kid? Tell me!” 6 My daughter screamed, kicking her legs, reaching for me. “Mommy! Mommy!” I panicked. “Mom, put her down! She’s three! Don’t scare her!” She laughed maniacally, shaking my daughter over the waves. “Hahaha, scared now? You know how it feels to worry about your child? Now you understand me? I ask you to spend a little on your brother and you complain. You even tried to send me back alone. Hannah, you are a selfish wolf! I wasted my life raising you!” I only saw my daughter’s red, tear-streaked face. My mom was right; I was terrified. As she lowered my daughter closer to the water, I screamed, “I’ll buy them! I’ll buy them right now! Just put her down!” She stared at me. “Show me the confirmation. Once I see it, I’ll give you back your money-loser. Otherwise, I’ll make you regret this forever. You’ll never forget you killed your daughter over a few thousand bucks.” The crowd was furious. “Ma’am, this is kidnapping!” “That’s your granddaughter! Too far!” “Look at the poor kid. You don’t deserve to be a grandmother.” My mom didn’t care. “Hmph! I don’t want to be her grandmother. I have two grandsons. Who cares about a granddaughter? Her mother is ungrateful; she’s paying for her mother’s sins!” My daughter screamed for me. My hands shook as I tried to buy the tickets. It was just money. Nothing compared to my daughter’s life. I’d give my own life for hers.

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Six years after my death, I returned to the world of the living to collect a debt because I owed a massive sum in the underworld. I had no parents, so I pinned my hopes on my best friend. Entering her mansion, a barrage of comments suddenly floated before my eyes: [Help! The tragic heroine is having another breakdown, smashing all the luxury goods the male lead bought her.] [Her husband cheated, her son doesn’t want to acknowledge her as his mom… she probably wanted to end it all a long time ago.] [No one outside dares to go in, afraid of triggering her. Wait…?! Who just took the door off its hinges?! And moved it away?! And just swaggered in!??] That’s right, yours truly. I watched as my best friend prepared to slit her wrist. I grabbed her hand, snatched the knife, and screamed excitedly: “Bestie! You know I’m terrified of snakes! But that Bulgari Serpenti bracelet on your wrist is the exception!” “Also, don’t die yet. I have a debt in the underworld I need you to pay off.” Hearing this, my best friend stopped crying, abandoned her suicide attempt, and chased me around the room with the knife instead: “You wretched girl! You didn’t visit me once when you were dead, but the moment you owe money, I’m the first person you think of??” The comments were confused: [What kind of home invasion-style friendship is this…] 1 When I stormed into the master bedroom of my best friend Chloe’s luxurious mansion, she was in the middle of slitting her wrist, and the maids were about to rush in to stop her. Until I pinned her wrist down and flashed a hand sign: “Not cool, bestie. Showing off your Bulgari Serpenti bracelet without me.” Chloe looked bewildered. The maids outside were stunned. The floating comments filled with question marks: [???] [? Sis, take a closer look at what the heroine is doing! She’s trying to off herself and you’re admiring her million-dollar bracelet…] [Unbelievable. Lying through her teeth.] Chloe stared at me with eyes swollen like walnuts, wet and glistening. The despair in her gaze was replaced by confusion and shock. In my memory, she was bright and beautiful, with a high, curly ponytail, resilient and full of hope for the future. She used to say: “Tess, you have to be there when Julian and I get married.” But now, looking at her pale face, her dull, hopeless eyes, her messy hair, and her crumpled pajamas, it felt like a lifetime ago. Chloe’s figure was so thin she looked like a skeleton that would fall apart at a touch. I had never seen her this pathetic. A sudden, sharp pain pierced my heart. Six years later, when I appeared before Chloe again, she almost fainted. She stared at me in a daze, processing. I seized the chance to snatch the fruit knife from her hand, leaning in to admire the dazzling bracelet sparkling under the light: “Bestie, you know I hate snakes.” “Except for the Bulgari Serpenti.” Looking at my own bare wrist, I was green with envy. I shamelessly said: “You brat! Sharing is caring. Take that diamond-encrusted bracelet off and let me wear it.” The maids crowding the doorway widened their eyes, as if hearing a joke. Some couldn’t stand my antics and spoke up: “Who brought her here? Where are her manners? Asking for a million-dollar bracelet just like that? You…” But in the next second, Chloe stopped crying. She wiped her tears messily and took off the bracelet right there, sliding it onto my wrist. Her voice was hoarse, choked with sobs: “If you told me you liked it earlier, I would have bought another one for you.” The maids exchanged glances, eyes popping out of their heads. She actually gave it to her? 2 Later, the maids dispersed. I looked at the empty doorway, dragged the removed door back, and leaned it against the frame to cover the room. Ignoring the chaos of the situation. I sneakily pulled an IOU from my pocket and presented it to Chloe, my tone dripping with flattery: “Bestie, guess what good stuff I brought back from the underworld for you?” Chloe was still a bit low, but at least she had given up on suicide. After unfolding my massive IOU, she reverted to the crazy woman from our school days. No more staring blankly at the sky, no more pondering the meaning of life. She picked up the fruit knife I had thrown away and chased me around the room. When she shouted my name, her voice wasn’t weak anymore; it was loud enough to scare the birds out of the garden trees. The maids were alerted again and rushed back, only to see this scene— Chloe chasing me with a fruit knife: “Tess! You wretched girl! You never visited my dreams once, but now you come to me for money?! Do I owe you from a past life?! I’ll kill you, and we can all be dead together!” I raised my hands in surrender, sprinting around the room: “Turtle! Turtle! Don’t be like this, listen to me explain…” The butler, arriving late and missing everything, silently raised his phone and made a call: “Hello, sir.” “You might not believe this, but the Madam, who was too weak to walk straight, is currently chasing someone with a knife.” 3 Chloe refused to pay my debt. Instead, she ruthlessly demanded I work off the debt in her villa. Ten thousand dollars an hour. I cowardly started my life as a maid. Because she was emotionally unstable, she often smashed things and refused to eat. So when the food was brought back to the kitchen untouched again, everyone felt defeated. The head chef even started doubting his skills. I glanced at the comments: [The heroine is practically anorexic, so pitiful.] [Ever since her parents went bankrupt and jumped off a building a few years ago, she’s been alone. Her husband doesn’t love her, her son hates her. If it were me, I would have given up long ago.] [Can’t be helped, she’s a tragic heroine. Later, the male lead will force her to donate a kidney to the villainess. She almost dies on the operating table, and then the male lead will start his redemption arc! Can’t wait!] I walked into the kitchen, chopping vegetables with the ferocity of chopping a cheating ex. I made a bowl of noodles and enthusiastically brought it to Chloe. Chloe had no appetite. She turned her head away, refusing to eat even when I tried to force her. She stated bluntly: “I want to vomit when I see food. I can’t eat.” I raised an eyebrow at her, picked up a piece of beef, and switched to a baby voice: “Here comes the airplane~” “Ahhh~” Then, Chloe opened her mouth wider than my fist. … Heh, women. The comments went wild: [Is this Tess a new character? I’m dying of laughter, she knows exactly how to handle the heroine.] [Has anyone noticed the heroine is gaining weight? She looks so rosy and healthy now. Her beauty is returning!] [Tess keeps calling the heroine ‘bestie’, what’s their relationship? Never heard of her before.] … 4 With me by her side these days, Chloe rarely lost control. During my time in the underworld, I learned everything about her past ten years. I knew she had nightmares every night about her parents jumping to their deaths. I knew she was repeatedly humiliated by the mistress Julian kept. But Julian chose to turn a blind eye, forcing her, humiliating her, even making her kneel and apologize to the mistress. She seemed to have lost herself, pushed forward step by step like an emotionless puppet. … Today, I pestered Chloe to take a walk in the garden in front of the villa. The comments marveled: [Damn, a bestie’s words really work better than a man’s. If the male lead tried this, he’d get a pillow to the face.] [Wait, I remember this part! This is when the heroine’s demon spawn son gets brought back by his grandparents!] [Tess, don’t let Liam see the heroine! He hates his mom. Her own son doesn’t acknowledge her.] … Before the comments could finish, two elegantly dressed elderly people walked into the yard holding a child’s hand. At that moment, Chloe and I were squished onto a swing chair, fighting for territory. Chloe smiled at me, but somehow, this sight displeased her son, Liam. Liam angrily threw his limited edition car model on the ground and rushed up to us, screaming at the top of his lungs: “Get off! Why are you sitting on my swing!” As he spoke, Liam started pushing Chloe’s legs with all his might. Chloe’s smile froze. She instinctively grabbed my hand, seeking security, but looked at Liam: “Liam, don’t be like this…” The comments wailed: [Sob… how can she not love the child she carried for ten months? The heroine really wants to be close to her son!] [He’s an ungrateful wolf just like his dad!] [Seriously, is no one going to discipline this brat? No manners at all! I want to jump into the book and spank him!] I raised an eyebrow at the little milk dumpling standing with his hands on his hips. Looks just like his dad. Liam huffed arrogantly, sure that Chloe wouldn’t do anything to him. A look of “what are you gonna do about it” on his face. The next second, I sneered, grabbed him by the ear, quickly pulled him onto my lap, and spanked his butt with full force. Smack smack. In the distance, Liam’s grandparents, who had looked indifferent, suddenly reacted. They hobbled over with their canes as fast as they could: “Where did this crazy woman come from?! How dare you hit my grandson! Put him down! Put him down!” Liam howled, crying even harder: “Ahhh! Grandpa, Grandma, my butt hurts! She’s hitting me! Save me, waaah…” I didn’t stop; I hit harder. Listening to Liam cry made me even more excited: “Brat! If your mom won’t teach you a lesson, your godmother will!” I got tired of hitting him. Liam’s grandparents snatched him from my arms and started wailing too: “Oh my god! Are you maids deaf in there?! Security? Where is security?!” Three of them hugging and crying. The comments exploded: [Holy crap holy crap holy crap. Sis, you are my idol! You really don’t hold back!] [Wait guys, why does the heroine look like she’s about to die of laughter watching her son get beaten? She looks satisfied?] [Damn, the heroine is laughing! She’s not holding back at all, laughing so loud. Feels like she’s gonna clap and cheer any second!] Hearing the noise, the maids rushed out with spatulas and brooms, looking fierce. But seeing the grandparents pointing at me, they froze. Liam wiped his tears, his little face flushed red. Stamping his feet in anger, he rushed at me to hit me. His grandparents followed, pulling at my clothes. Seeing the situation turn bad, Chloe used both hands to hold back the three of them. The maids rushed up to break up the fight. It was chaos. Just as Liam raised his chubby fist, before he could touch me, I sat on the ground and started wailing: “Oh my god! Is there no justice?! Help! Help! Liam is hitting me! Kids in the Hope Class, don’t play with him! Oh my god~” Liam’s big eyes blinked in confusion. Then he waved his hands frantically, explaining desperately: “Liar! You bad woman! I didn’t touch you! …I… I didn’t!” Chloe saw me get “pushed” down. Her usually composed face turned stern. She shoved the people around her away. No one expected the gentle, patient mother to grab Liam by the collar, pull him into her arms, and spank him just like I did. Liam started howling again. His grandparents couldn’t believe their eyes. They thought Chloe had gone mad: “Chloe Miller! You little bitch! I think you’ve lost your mind! I’ll tell Julian, see if his wife is trying to rebel!” The maids tried to persuade her too: “Madam, please let the young master go! The master will be angry if he finds out! Madam…!” Chloe turned a deaf ear, her voice icy: “Liam! What did Mom tell you?! Can you just hit people?! “What do you say now?!” Liam was bewildered by the beating, crying and begging for mercy: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I was wrong… I was wrong! Stop hitting me! Waaah…” Seeing this, the maids stopped intervening, and the grandparents stopped wailing. Watching Chloe discipline her child online. “Who are you apologizing to?! Speak!” I leaned in and whispered in Liam’s ear: “It’s Godmother.” Liam struggled violently. Seeing my cheeky expression, his face turned purple, snot and tears flying everywhere: “I don’t want to call this bad woman Godmother! I don’t want to waaah…” Chloe raised her hand again. Liam submitted. He stopped crying and forced a smile: “Sorry Godmother, I was wrong.” I nodded in satisfaction. The comments were chaotic, celebrating for me: [Holy! Did I see that right! Before, whenever the heroine tried to discipline this brat, he never listened and kept hurting her. She had given up on him. Tess’s little trick made her pick up the mantle again!] [I’ve never seen the heroine this angry! Even when the male lead brought the mistress to show off in front of her, she didn’t react much. Tess just got ‘pushed’ lightly…] [So satisfying, sis! Following you feels like a power fantasy! I will follow you forever, Sister Tess!] [Heroine: If you touch my bestie, I will destroy your heaven (and beat my son too).] Liam’s grandparents looked like they were about to have a stroke. They dialed Julian immediately: “Come back quick! Your wife is leading a rebellion!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386565”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

A wealthy couple was at the orphanage, torn between adopting me and another girl, Lily. Suddenly, floating comments drifted across my vision: [They’re here to take Baby Lily home! Finally, the torture of the villainess begins!] [The comment above is right. I bet the villainess will try to act pitiful to steal the adoption chance from Lily.] [With her wild attitude, who would like her anyway?] I frowned in confusion. What the heck were these people talking about? Was I the “evil villainess” they were referring to? Before I could figure it out, a warm, hearty voice reached my ears. “Well, butter my biscuit! This little one is cute as a button!” I looked up to see a tall couple with thick Texan accents beaming down at me. “Hey there, sugar. Have you eaten? Auntie made some brisket noodles today, real tasty. Wanna come home with us and grab a bite?” 1 A couple decked out in Balenciaga was pacing back and forth between me and Lily. We were the top candidates, but we both had flaws. I wasn’t “kind” enough, and Lily wasn’t “smart” enough. After agonizing for ages, they still couldn’t decide. The comments floated by again: [What are they hesitating for? Just take Lily home already!] [This villainess is really good at pretending to be quiet. She’s usually snatching stuff from Lily left and right.] [Don’t worry guys, even if they pick the villainess, she’ll get sent back once her true colors show.] So, this world was just a giant melodramatic romance novel. Lily was the fragile, pure-hearted heroine with a tragic backstory, and I was the vicious villainess willing to do anything to climb the social ladder. I rolled my eyes. Since when was being spirited and clever considered “vicious”? Suddenly. Two tall shadows loomed over me. A couple the comments hadn’t mentioned at all stood before me. Their eyes were full of joy. “Well, I’ll be! Look at this little angel, ain’t she precious?” “Honey, look how skinny you are. What’d you have for lunch? Want to come home with Uncle and Auntie? We made brisket noodles.” Noodles?! According to the Director, my birth parents were from Texas. Mentioning brisket noodles… My DNA activated. Before the Balenciaga couple could even walk over. I spoke up first: “Texas born, Texas bred, when I die, I’ll be Texas dead! Howdy, y’all!” 2 For as long as I could remember, Lily and I were mortal enemies. Resources in the orphanage were scarce. To get enough to eat, I constantly sucked up to the Director. Even though the meals were barely enough to keep me full, I still got more than the other kids. Lily hated this behavior and naturally opposed me. I never went easy on her; if she wanted something, I snatched it. No wonder I was the “villain.” Turns out I was just her foil. According to the plot, my selfishness and evil were necessary to highlight her selflessness and kindness. And as the evil villainess, I was destined to be punished by the main couple and fall into an abyss while the audience cheered. Excuse me? Why? Sitting around waiting to die wasn’t my style. I had to twist the plot to save myself. I hopped into the Texan couple’s Ford pickup truck. Lily finally relaxed when she saw the determined look in my eyes. The comments started gloating: [Haha, the villainess is so unsophisticated. Bought off by a bowl of noodles.] [A leopard can’t change its spots. She snatched everything as a kid; no wonder she lights up at the sight of food now.] [I bet she won’t last a month with this couple before getting sent back.] I’d heard way worse in the orphanage. Seeing the scrolling comments, I just wagged my index finger. “Not a bowl. A bucket.” “Sugar, what did you say?” Through the rearview mirror, I met Auntie’s gaze. “Auntie, I said I missed your noodles so much I could eat a whole bucket.” Changing my voice to sound cute was exhausting. The comments said I’d be sent back? Heh. What if I fake being nice for a lifetime? Auntie was beaming because of my flattery. “Hahaha! Auntie will make you whatever you want. I promise you’ll eat till you drop.” “We’re family now, don’t be shy at the dinner table.” Uncle laughed heartily too. “Don’t worry about food in this house. You know ‘Old Zhao’s BBQ’ near the high school? That’s ours.” “By the way, I’m Zhao Jian, and your Auntie is Zhao Yanqiu. What’s your name, sugar?” My name is Stella Xu. Stella means star. I named myself. People always have a soft spot for things they name themselves. My eyes reddened slightly, wiping away a non-existent tear. “I don’t have a real name. They said my parents’ last name was Xu, so they just call me Little Xu.” 3 The moment I stepped into Uncle and Auntie’s house. The smell of slow-cooked brisket mixed with savory broth filled the air. In the orphanage, the Director cut corners on food, so we rarely saw meat. Even with all my tricks, the food I got was just enough to stop the hunger pangs. Brisket noodles, roast chicken, braised pork trotters… A table full of dazzling dishes. I instinctively reached out to grab some. My hand touched the chopsticks, and my brain snapped back to reality. “Girls must be quiet and elegant so your parents won’t hate you, and your future husband will want you.” That was what the Director drilled into us. I put down the chopsticks, crossed my hands on the table, and waited for Uncle and Auntie’s instructions. The next moment. Bang! Auntie slammed her chopsticks on the table. She looked at Uncle Zhao with feigned anger. “Zhao Jianqiang! What kind of food did you make? Look, our baby doesn’t even want to eat it!” “I told you to buy some fried chicken or pizza that young people like, but no, you had to be so confident in your cooking!” “Didn’t you say fried chicken was unhealthy…” Seeing Auntie misunderstand, I waved my hands frantically. “No, no, Uncle’s food smells amazing.” “I just thought the rules here were the same as the orphanage, where we have to say grace before eating.” “Is your Director a priest or something? Do you have to say ‘Amen’ before you dig in?” I burst out laughing at Uncle’s joke. “Alright, alright, stop teasing our girl. Let’s eat.” Afraid they’d misunderstand again, I quickly picked up a bowl as big as my face and buried my head in it, slurping loudly. I have to say, my fellow Texans really know how to cook. It was heavenly. Uncle and Auntie piled my plate high with brisket and chicken legs until it looked like a small mountain. My favorite was brisket. Every New Year, to get a few bites of brisket, I would wag my tail and beg the Director. I’d hypocritically praise his management and listen to his speeches with a look of adoration. The result was getting the brisket I craved and the disgust of everyone else. But so what? I got what I wanted, and other people’s stares couldn’t hurt me. Except for faking pity, I was never one to cry easily over external things. But when I bit into that piece of brisket Auntie made herself… Even though I tried my hardest to hold it back, tears streamed down my face like broken pearls. This happiness didn’t feel real. It turned out there were things in this world you didn’t have to fight for. 4 After lunch, they took me shopping at the mall. They bought me a pile of new clothes. Auntie said, “Our girl is so pretty, she needs to dress nicely so she won’t get bullied. Kids these days are mean.” Hearing Auntie use words like “pretty” and “nice,” I tightened my grip on the shopping bags. If Auntie knew the real me, would she still like me? Why overthink it? I already decided, worst case scenario, I’d fake it for a lifetime. I pushed down the anxiety in my heart. Forcing a smile, I spent the most wonderful and terrifying afternoon of my life. It was night when we got home. I curled up in the corner of the large, soft Simmons mattress. It was a habit from the orphanage. We slept on a large communal platform. Ten kids squeezed onto one bed. Curling up was the only way not to get squished. No privacy, let alone dignity. The new pajamas felt incredibly soft. The AC was set to the perfect temperature. The happy life almost made me forget I was the vicious villainess destined for hell. Until I heard Uncle and Auntie whispering. “Jianqiang, do you think the floating text I saw today was a hallucination?” “I saw it too. If we both saw it, it probably wasn’t a hallucination.” “Damn, see? I was right to buy our girl clothes. Look at how she was bullied in the orphanage wearing those rags.” “My daughter fought a war of words and stood against a hundred in the orphanage. She has the air of a general! Not bad, not bad, just like me.” Auntie pushed Uncle. “Stop joking around. Anyway, no one is allowed to bully our girl from now on. Anyone touches her, I’ll fight them.” With that, Auntie gently moved me to the middle of the bed and tucked me in. As their footsteps faded away. I silently glanced at the scrolling comments. [Can you guys come at me if you have a problem? Leave my parents alone.] [Do you not have parents? Have some empathy.] The retorts from the comments were weak. Totally harmless. I buried my face in the blanket, ignoring the boring chatter. Uncle and Auntie’s actions lingered in my mind. I never expected them to react like that to the comments. Did this prove they could accept the real me? Love is addictive and spoiling; once you have it, you don’t want to lose it. I was daydreaming again. Gentle and quiet were the kind of girls adults liked. The Director taught me that. He made me memorize it. 5 The comments said I’d be sent back in a month, tops. But a month flew by. Uncle and Auntie’s noodles were still delicious, and they still smiled at me just the same. They read the comments and worried someone was bullying me again. Auntie insisted Uncle teach me his secret martial art—Judo. I had always been domineering in the orphanage. Thanks to the comments, Uncle and Auntie thought someone dared to bully me. Uncle looked like a refined gentleman. Who knew he had moves? He executed a set of throws cleanly and winked at Auntie. “Back in the day, I beat everyone to win the beauty’s heart!” Uncle loved teasing Auntie until she blushed or scolded him. He wouldn’t stop grinning until she punched him. I reasonably suspected he was a masochist. But it was okay for boys to learn martial arts. For girls… wasn’t it weird? “Uncle, Auntie, don’t you think it’s unladylike for a girl to fight?” I asked timidly. Uncle frowned, looking serious. “Can elegance put food on the table? Can elegance make money? I only know that if a robber comes, staying elegant gets you robbed.” Auntie sighed with heartache. She squatted down and stroked my face. “Baby, who poisoned your mind with that nonsense?” “Boy or girl, you can be gentle and considerate, or lively and active. We love you because you are our child, nothing else.” For the first time, I felt enveloped by a thick, unconditional love. I used to think selfless love was a myth from heaven. Turns out, it’s just parental love. During the day, they went to work. I practiced the judo moves Uncle assigned me at home. At night when Auntie came back, I learned life lessons and English from her. The scheming Stella Xu from the orphanage seemed to disappear. Time flowed peacefully and happily. Soon, it was time for me to start middle school. Auntie stuffed a new set of stationery into my backpack. Then she asked, “Baby, Uncle and Auntie are too dumb to think of a good name even after all this time. Why don’t you pick one yourself?” Uncle chimed in. “Yeah! Your Auntie said the names I picked like ‘Rocky’ and ‘Sprout’ were too countrified.” “Zhao Jianqiang, naming is a big deal, stop messing around, okay?” “Daughter, any ideas?” “Let’s go with Stella Xu! I want to shine like the stars in the sky.” Even if I’m insignificant, I want to shine with all my might. “Good! Great name! Stella it is. We’ll do the paperwork tomorrow.” Auntie pulled me into a bear hug. Beside us were the sounds of Uncle clapping and laughing heartily.

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The day the real heiress came back, I was kicked to the curb. My adoptive parents insisted I experience the “hardships” their biological daughter had suffered for twenty years. Honestly? What hardships? To a true hustler like me, this isn’t suffering—it’s just a consumption downgrade. And let me tell you, I am the queen of playing a losing hand. 1. Midnight. New York City. A torrential downpour. I stood outside the Sterling family’s massive wrought-iron gates in the Hamptons. I had nothing but the clothes on my back and the phone practically glued to my hand. The real heiress had been home for less than two hours before I was tossed out like yesterday’s trash. Lana Sterling said she’d eaten bitterness for twenty-two years in my place, so now it was my turn to taste poverty. The heavy gates slammed shut. The cold, icy rain slapped my face indiscriminately. 2. As a corporate slave who had transmigrated into the body of this cannon fodder fake heiress, I’d enjoyed the luxury lifestyle for less than twenty-four hours before being destitute again. I walked around the perimeter of the estate and found a dry spot under a first-floor balcony. Directly above me was my “brother,” Luke’s room. “Don’t worry,” Lana’s voice drifted down from the drainpipe. “Her pockets are cleaner than her face right now. Once she tastes a bit of hardship, she’ll realize the benefits of wealth. She’ll be crawling back to warm your bed in no time.” Tsk. For a multi-million dollar mansion, the soundproofing was garbage. I knew it. Luke, who had been getting handsy with me all afternoon, looked like he wanted to keep things “in the family.” That’s why he looked so moody at dinner. He wanted to keep me as a caged canary. Joke’s on him. To a rich kid like Luke, owning only one penthouse is considered “poverty.” But to a true grinder like me? As long as I have two hundred bucks in my digital wallet, I can survive for two weeks. Plus, I still had about twelve grand left from this month’s allowance in my account. To the Sterlings, that’s ice cream money. To normal people? That’s survival money for a year if you’re smart. They thought they were knocking me into the dirt. To me? I was just switching to budget mode. 3. Twenty minutes later, my Uber arrived. I’d called a premium ride—might as well enjoy the last perks of the high life. The driver held an umbrella for me and opened the door. It was worth the 20% surge pricing. I never understood why heroines in dramas always insist on walking in the rain until they get a high fever after getting kicked out. Is it a kink? I didn’t have money for medical bills. Life is hard enough without self-inflicted torture. 4. The driver dropped me off at a budget motel. Fifty bucks a night. I took a hot shower, changed into the hotel robe, and sent my couture clothes to the front desk for dry cleaning. Before bed, I downed two packets of Emergen-C just to be safe. When you’re out on your own, your health is your only capital. If no one loves you, you have to love yourself. 5. I woke up feeling refreshed. I put on my freshly dry-cleaned clothes and headed to a nearby discount outlet. I dove into the clearance bins, haggled like a demon, and spent a hundred bucks on four t-shirts, three pairs of shorts, and a pair of canvas sneakers. As I left, the shop owner grumbled while bagging my stuff. “Girl, you’re dressed in designer gear but you haggle over pennies? Fine, take it at cost. I’ll even throw in a nice shopping bag.” Exactly what I needed. How else was I going to sell this Louis Vuitton outfit for a good price without a decent bag? It was a shame about the lambskin shoes I was wearing. Rich people stuff is fragile; one day of walking on pavement and the soles were scuffed. No resale value there. But my phone case? That was encrusted with Swarovski crystals. An $800 phone inside a $3,000 case. If I hadn’t checked the “shopping history” of the original owner, I wouldn’t have believed money could be burned like that. And yet, the original owner of this body thought she couldn’t survive and was planning to go work at a bar? Brain damage, clearly. 6. I spun around like a top all morning and finally liquidated every valuable item on my person. Now, nothing on my body cost more than $20. I looked like a walking ad for Amazon Basics. Comfortable. This was the lifestyle I was used to. I walked with a spring in my step, carrying a balance of nearly $10,000. I was rich! I needed to treat myself. I found a hole-in-the-wall noodle joint in Chinatown. Not much meat, but the sauce was savory, the cucumber crisp, and the noodles hand-pulled. Fifteen bucks for a huge bowl, and free refills on noodles. I hadn’t eaten properly since the night before. I slurped it down, cleaning the bowl until even the last bit of minced meat was gone. I let out a loud, satisfied burp. Before I sold the clothes, I hadn’t dared to eat—didn’t want to risk a stain lowering the resale value. Wearing gold and silver makes me nervous. Budget living makes me free. I guess I’m just not built for fine dining. 7. That afternoon, I bought a cheap prepaid SIM card and swapped my iPhone for a $200 Android. The familiar operating system felt like home. Ah, sturdy. If I dropped this, I wouldn’t even cry. I checked my chat history. The last two days were filled with mockery and sneers, plus a few “offers” from rich second-generation jerks asking if I needed a sugar daddy. Get lost. Money really rots the brain. The original girl had terrible taste in friends; not a single ride-or-die among them. The most disgusting text came from Luke. He asked me if I had “learned my lesson yet.” Lesson? It’s a free country. Did he think he could hang me from the city walls? I typed “F— off,” hit send, and blocked him. Learn my lesson? Eat dirt. 8. After liquidating everything, I checked out of the motel carrying a large black trash bag. Inside was my entire life: my cheap clothes, plus the disposable toothbrush and slippers from the hotel. Manhattan hotels were too pricey. I decided to move out to Queens or maybe Jersey. The only reason I hadn’t left the city yet was that I needed to pick up my college diploma. Before I transmigrated here, I had dropped out after middle school to work in a factory. I was a fish that slipped through the net of compulsory education. Now, I was about to be a college graduate with a degree. Just thinking about it made me excited. Modern novels have zero logic when torturing cannon fodder. Why would a girl with a bachelor’s degree go work at a shady bar just to get humiliated by the male lead? Does she have a degradation kink? 9. I went back to school the day after graduation. I did it on purpose. Seeing Lana’s triumphant, gloating face once was enough. I didn’t need a sequel. We were technically roommates, though I had only slept in the dorms maybe twice. During school, I lived in a luxury apartment the Sterlings bought near campus, complete with a maid. It drove Lana, who was working part-time jobs, crazy with jealousy. Classic “compare and despair” plot device. It was one of the reasons she hated me. But it wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t even my biological parents’ fault. They were migrant workers who just happened to give birth in the hospital room next to the VIP suite on the same day a business rival of the Sterlings decided to swap the babies. My bio-parents were poor, but they did their best. They raised Lana well enough to get into the same top-tier university as me before they both passed away from illness. I didn’t understand why the Sterling family felt the need to humiliate those two dead old people. What was their crime? Is being poor a sin? 10. I went to the academic advisor’s office alone to collect my degree. I wasn’t going to let Lana lead a mob to humiliate me at the ceremony. Graduation is just a ritual. The principal moving my tassel from right to left wouldn’t add a single zero to my bank account. Why humiliate myself for people I’d never see again? My advisor looked at me with concern. “Lexi, if you need anything, let me know.” “I’m fine. Thank you.” Aside from the insane Sterling family, the rest of the world was pretty normal. I really was fine. Compared to the heiress inheriting a billion-dollar empire, sure, I had fallen from heaven to hell. But compared to 90% of fresh graduates drowning in student loans with no job lined up? I had cash in my pocket. “Save your help for someone who needs it. I got this!”

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On the day my Uncle Julian confessed to having an affair, my mom dropped a digital “red packet” worth exactly one dollar into the family group chat. “Okay, listen up,” she typed. “Whoever grabs the biggest amount has to fund Uncle Julian’s new romance, no questions asked.” “And whoever gets the second biggest amount gets to raise his illegitimate child.” “The girls go first. Jason, you go last.” I grabbed my little sister, Bella, who looked confused, and spoke earnestly: “Jason is a boy, he should go first. Or Mom, why don’t you demonstrate for us?” In my past life, I was sucked dry by this family until I committed suicide in despair. Only then did I learn that my mom had rigged the red packet app. The earlier you clicked, the more money you got. She wanted Bella and me to carry the burden of Uncle Julian’s life. But what my mom didn’t know was that Uncle Julian’s affair partner was none other than my dad—who was intersex. And my dad and Uncle Julian already had an illegitimate child together. That child was my mom’s precious favorite, Jason. Chapter 1 Reborn, I watched my dad and Uncle Julian acting way too close again, and I had to look away. My mom was the ultimate “brother-helper.” Two-thirds of our family’s income went to Uncle Julian, and she even helped him support his mistress. In my past life, I always marveled at my dad’s “generosity.” Later, when I was bled dry and on the verge of collapse, I begged my dad for help. It wasn’t until they drove me to my death that I learned the truth: my dad was the mistress. He was medically diagnosed as intersex, a secret he kept from my mom for over thirty years. And he had birthed a son for Uncle Julian, whom we were raising as my little brother. Seeing me hesitate, my mom poked my forehead impatiently. “Hurry up! Don’t tell me you don’t want to support your uncle.” “Women are born to take care of the men in the family! You help your uncle now, and later you’ll support your brother. It’s destiny! Don’t give me that ‘it’s unfair’ look.” My dad cleared his throat and joined the lecture: “How many times do I have to tell you? Your uncle is your elder. You should respect him just as you respect us!” I glanced at Uncle Julian’s hand, subtly squeezing my dad’s backside, and the satisfied look on his face. I felt sick. Bella, naive as ever, reached for the phone to tap the red packet. I slapped her hand away. “Don’t be rude. Why should you go first? Let your brother Jason have the first pick.” Bella looked at me, confused, but withdrew her hand obediently. Jason, standing nearby, perked up immediately. “Exactly. You’re just a girl; you don’t know the pecking order.” He tapped the screen without hesitation. My mom didn’t even have time to stop him. I craned my neck to look. Just as I suspected, he got the exact amount I had drawn in my past life! Eighty cents! Jason, clueless that the total pot was only one dollar, was smug. “See? I’m born lucky. Getting leeched off isn’t in my destiny!” My mom looked like she was about to faint. She reached out to cover Jason’s mouth, panic in her eyes. I seized the moment and tapped the packet on her phone. “Mom, look! You got ten cents.” “What?!” I signaled Bella with my eyes. We both tapped and got a few cents each. My mom stared at her phone in disbelief, then blurted out, “This round doesn’t count!” “Why not, Mom? You just said whoever got the biggest amount has to support Uncle Julian unconditionally. Mom… don’t tell me you don’t want to help him?” My dad and Uncle Julian frowned instantly. “Sis, my baby is pregnant. You can’t just bail on us now! That’s not right!” “Do you want the Chen family line to end?” That sentence had controlled my mom her entire life. Sure enough, hearing it, she waved her hands frantically. “No, no, of course not! I support you, I support you!” She immediately pulled out twenty thousand dollars in cash and handed it to Uncle Julian. She coughed lightly and turned to my dad. “Julian’s girlfriend is pregnant. As his sister, it’s only right I help out, don’t you think?” My dad didn’t object. In fact, if you looked closely, he was rubbing his belly with a loving expression. “You’re right. I have no objections.” I suppressed the urge to gag. I always thought my dad had a beer belly. Turns out, it was a baby bump. Chapter 2 Uncle Julian took the twenty grand and left, with my dad following close behind like a puppy. As soon as they were gone, my mom turned her glare on me. “You two useless girls! Usually, you fight over food like starving dogs, but now you want to be polite?” “Listen to me! You need to come up with a hundred thousand dollars for your uncle’s baby formula!” I sneered internally. It was the same in my past life. Uncle Julian was married but cheating, and instead of scolding him, my mom supported him. But she did it with my money. Five years after graduation, I worked myself to the bone to earn a salary of three thousand a month. My mom took twenty-five hundred of it! At first, she said it was for Jason. Later, it was for Uncle Julian. When I refused, she went to my office with a megaphone and screamed: “Everyone look! Sarah Liu is an ungrateful wretch! She makes so much money but won’t help her family!” “Why do you keep an employee like this? You should fire her!” My boss and colleagues, knowing the truth, called security to kick her out. So she laid down on the floor and claimed they broke her leg. Terrified of the drama, my boss forced me to settle it. To keep my job, and to wait for Bella to finish high school in six months, I agreed to my mom’s demands. But in just six months, they sucked me dry. This time, I had the upper hand. I wasn’t compromising. I wanted to see how she planned to support her brother and her husband! I ignored her order and changed the subject casually: “Mom, Uncle Julian is cheating on Auntie May. What if she finds out?” My mom rolled her eyes at me. “Watch your mouth! What cheating?” “A man finding someone outside to have a baby just proves he has charm!” “So what if your aunt finds out? Let them divorce! You just give more money, and I’ll welcome your uncle’s new wife with a parade.” Watching her arrogant face, I couldn’t help but laugh. Her brother and her husband were sleeping together, they had Jason for her to raise, and she was funding it all. Her “generosity” was truly a lesson for the ages. Chapter 3 Afraid that toxic house would ruin Bella’s mental health, I rented a small apartment for her. “Bella, don’t go home until after your SATs. Just study here.” Bella spun around the room in delight, stopping at the bedroom door with glowing eyes. “Sis, do I… do I get my own room?” Her words stung my heart. Since birth, Bella had shared a bed with me. She was almost eighteen and never had a bed of her own. Neither did I. I nodded. “Yes. Your own bedroom, your own bathroom, your own closet.” “Stay here and focus on your exams.” Bella’s eyes sparkled, but then she hesitated. “But Sis, rent is expensive. Mom already took so much of your money… I can’t be a burden.” “Just stay. The exams are what matters.” As for the money… I had a way to get it back. I took Bella shopping for supplies, then stopped by a pharmacy before heading home. I bought some… enhancements. Sure enough, when I got home, my mom was yelling for me to cook. “Where have you been all day? Can’t you help around the house?!” I didn’t argue. I went straight to the kitchen. I made two dishes that my dad and Uncle Julian loved, and crushed a whole pack of the “enhancement” pills into them. Watching them devour every bite, my mood soared. Tonight was going to be a show. Chapter 4 I was too excited to sleep. At 1:00 AM, strange noises started coming from Uncle Julian’s room—the guest room. My mom never put her phone on silent, so I texted her a few times saying I thought I heard a burglar. Soon, I heard footsteps. My mom was checking the house. She ran into my room. “No one broke in, but I can’t find your dad. Where is he?” I sat up, feigning curiosity. “Dad’s not home? No way. Where would he go this late?” My mom frowned, hesitating for a moment before walking to the guest room door. She knocked. “Julian? Is your brother-in-law in there? He’s gone.” “Are you asleep? I’m coming in.” She pushed the door open. A foul stench hit us instantly. My eyes watered. Inside, my dad had his pajamas on backward. Uncle Julian was huddled under the covers. But the real horror was on the wall—a large smear of yellow substance, radiating a terrible smell. Even my mom pinched her nose. “What the hell are you two doing?! What is that on the wall?!” My dad stood frozen, his big belly protruding. “We…” Before he could finish, Uncle Julian’s face tightened. He jumped out of bed in his underwear and sprinted for the bathroom. “Julian, what’s wrong?” Uncle Julian didn’t answer. Only a series of loud pffft noises responded. My mom stood anxiously by the bathroom door, glaring at my dad. “What were you doing? Why does Julian have diarrhea?” My dad stammered, unable to explain, but the worry on his face was real. He clutched his belly and walked to the bathroom door. “Julian, are you okay?” Between the uncontrollable noises, Uncle Julian’s weak voice floated out: “Bro… Brother-in-law, call an ambulance.”

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I was bound to a “Rumor System.” As long as I successfully spread rumors about every single one of my classmates before graduation, I could prevent my entire family from meeting a gruesome end. So, I pointed at the school bully and lied through my teeth: “Heh, he acts like a total delinquent, but behind the scenes? He helps old ladies cross the street and takes stray cats to get neutered!” I also spun tales about the busty girl who was always the target of crude jokes: “She’s protected by the Great Spirit of the Weasel. Anyone who disrespects her will have their private parts rot off!” Even the impoverished straight-A student, who was constantly bullied, didn’t escape my clutches: “You think he’s actually poor? Please. He’s a billionaire heir experiencing life as a commoner. Anyone who messes with him… just wait for your family business to go bankrupt!” Later on, the bully became a national role model for morality. The busty girl founded a top fashion brand. And the poor genius’s kid became the real billionaire heir. And me? I became that heir’s mom. 1 I had a nightmare. In it, my entire family died in a horrific accident. When I woke up, a strange voice echoed in my head. [Hello, Host. I am System 006 from the Villain System Alliance. My name is the Rumor System.] [As long as you achieve the achievement “Slander the Entire Class” before graduation, you can change the fate you saw in your dream.] [Instructions: The Host can draw power from rumors. The stronger the spread and impact of the rumor, the greater the chance of changing your fate.] Seeing my confusion, it enthusiastically offered examples. [You can spread rumors that the valedictorian cheats, the good girl sleeps around, the honest guy steals…] I stared blankly. “Are all you systems this shameless?” The system’s voice was flat. [You can choose not to cooperate. If you can accept your entire family dying violently, that is.] …I absolutely could not accept that. After a moment, I gritted my teeth. “Deal.” 2 Soon, the system issued the first mission. [Please create a rumor for the designated target within 24 hours.] The class roster appeared on the system panel. One name was glowing. Jax Carter. I let out a silent scream. Why did it have to be the school bully who no one dared to mess with?! 3 As the class president for over a year, Jax had caused me endless trouble. Skipping class, fighting, talking back to teachers… He had violated practically every rule in the student handbook! But whenever you criticized him, he would just prop his legs up on the desk with an attitude that said he feared nothing in heaven or on earth. Even when teachers threatened to call his parents, he didn’t care. “My parents divorced ages ago. I don’t even remember what they look like. If you can find them, I’ll change my last name to yours!” The teachers were always furious but helpless. How was I supposed to spread rumors about someone this untouchable? I fell into deep thought. … After school, I quietly snuck back into the classroom. With the dedication of a five-star hotel maid, I cleaned the room inside and out. I replaced the broken trash can. I watered the drooping plants. I scrubbed until the room was spotless. Finally, looking at the gleaming classroom, I smiled like a villain whose plan had succeeded. Jax Carter, just you wait. 2 The next day, as soon as I arrived at the classroom, panicked classmates grabbed me. “Prez! Something crazy happened! We have a cleaning fairy!” A group of them looked like they had seen a ghost, dragging me to see the classroom that had transformed overnight. I stroked my chin, putting on a mysterious expression. “It wasn’t a fairy. I know who did it.” Curious classmates crowded around. “Who?” I looked secretive. “Sorry, I promised them I wouldn’t reveal their name.” My bestie, the Academic Rep, whined and tugged my arm. “Come on, bestie, just tell me.” “We promise not to tell anyone.” Others chimed in, promising secrecy. I nodded, then finally spoke: “There is only one truth!” “It was him—” Imitating Detective Conan, I pointed dramatically at Jax’s empty desk. Everyone shook their heads. “No way!” “He kicked a soccer ball and muddied the wall just two days ago, and you two had a huge fight about it. Forgot?” “Yeah, Prez, did you see it wrong?” I shook my head solemnly and began to lie with a straight face: “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” “Let me tell you, it wasn’t just this once.” “I also saw him helping an old lady cross the street!” “Taking stray cats to get neutered!” “Covering a sleeping puppy’s belly button so it wouldn’t catch a cold!” “Secretly erasing homework the teacher left on the board!” The students looked at each other, disbelief written on their faces. But with the Rumor System’s boost, my lies were accepted unconditionally. The system’s voice rang in my head. [Host rumor successful. First mission complete.] You got this, Quinn! I cheered for myself. 3 When Jax stepped into the classroom right as the bell rang, everyone stared at him. “Wh-what!” He froze, suspiciously checking his outfit. Sure, his clothes and shoes were a bit old and dirty, but not enough to cause this kind of attention. He looked up, confused. Classmates who usually gave him the cold shoulder were staring at him. Their eyes were filled with… warmth and admiration? He walked to his seat, trembling. Just then, the Academic Rep came to collect homework. He habitually tossed his head. “Didn’t do it!” Usually, the Rep would scold him, but today she was uncharacteristically gentle. “It’s okay, I understand.” “After all, you’re so busy after school…” She quickly covered her mouth. “I mean, it’s fine. If you have questions about the homework in the future, just ask me. We’re classmates, don’t be shy!” Jax had question marks floating above his head. You don’t hit a smiling person, so he mumbled a vague thanks. All day, no matter where he went, people looked at him with mysterious, knowing eyes. It made him too embarrassed to cause trouble. Even during gym exercises, he did the moves seriously. During break, classmates came up to thank him one by one. “Jax, you changed the water cooler bottle, right? Thank you so much! Here, have a candy~” “Jax, did you fix the broken curtain rod? I bumped my head on it last time. I didn’t expect you to notice. Thanks a lot!” “Jax, let me explain that math problem you couldn’t solve last time, okay?” … Surrounded by kindness, Jax was bewildered. He tried to act tough: “I told you it wasn’t me!” But no matter how he explained, everyone was convinced he was doing good deeds anonymously. A classmate timidly asked for help. “I’ve been extorted twice this week by thugs from the high school next door. I don’t even have lunch money. Jax, can you help me…” Jax slammed the table. “Why didn’t you say so earlier? Damn it, I’ll skin them alive!” Those eyes, usually gloomy, lit up for the first time. 4 At 9 PM, the system began its evaluation. It mocked me: “Although the mission is complete, rumors of this level have minimal effec— Holy crap, how is this possible?” The interface showed my rumor had a significant impact. I finally relaxed. The system checked the backend in disbelief and finally found the answer. It said Jax was originally destined to become a small-time thug and die in a gang fight during a rainstorm. Ending a life no one cared about. But now, it detected a deviation in his destined path. Bound by the rules, the system reluctantly gave me bonus points. [Cunning human, cheating the system like this. You won’t be so lucky next time.] I ignored its tantrum. My gaze fell on my philosophy textbook. A sentence I had highlighted in red: Development arises from internal contradictions within things. When contradictions accumulate to a certain point, change is inevitable. Exciting, isn’t it? 5 During this month’s class meeting, Jax was anonymously voted “Star of Contribution.” When the results were announced, he was stunned. He fidgeted, looking like he might fall over. He clearly remembered a secret vote once where he was named “Most Unwelcome Person.” He pretended not to care, but he was humiliated. Since his parents divorced, the lonely boy always tried to get attention in clumsy ways, only to push people away. But now… Amidst the applause that wouldn’t stop, he wiped his eyes hard and stood on the podium. “I did a lot of wrong things before. I want to apologize to everyone I hurt.” “I, Jax Carter, promise to change.” “I will work hard to contribute to the class, to everyone!” 6 That night, the system gave me a new mission. [Please select a female student and spread scandalous rumors about her.] I nearly snapped the pen in my hand. The system gloated, [Let’s see how you wriggle out of this one.] After a long silence, I accepted the mission. 7 My target was Mia Rowling, a shy and timid girl. Her recent nickname was “Cow.” Some punks from another class had targeted her because of her figure and started using the nickname. Like rats in a sewer, someone fueled the flames, and the nickname spread tacitly. During gym and extracurriculars, boys would “accidentally” bump into her chest and laugh. Even in the cafeteria line, people would pull at her collar and straps. “So slutty. Wonder how many guys have touched her?” “Stop pretending. Covering up so much, bet she wants people to look.” … Mia couldn’t defend herself. She started wearing even baggier clothes to hide her body. The boys in our class didn’t join in, but they were too embarrassed to stand up for her. The girls spoke up every time, but we couldn’t protect her 24/7. Even though we tried to tell Mia her body wasn’t a shackle and she should be proud, she grew thinner and more haggard. Mia’s deskmate said she heard somewhere that losing weight reduces breast size, so she started dieting frantically. Recently, she developed anorexia and took a month off school. Next week was her return. I had to hurry.

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Julian Thorne and I were both kids when we were kidnapped by the same trafficking ring. Years later, his wealthy biological parents found him. As they tried to take him away, Julian clamped his hand around my wrist, his grip bruising. He looked his parents dead in the eye. “I want her to be my sister. I want to protect her for the rest of my life.” Later, I realized I didn’t want to be his sister anymore. I had fallen in love with him. But Julian shut me down. “That can’t happen, June.” Unable to bear the growing love that felt like a secret sin, I left him in pain. Five years later, we met again. My boss shoved me into the empty seat next to Julian Thorne at a gala. “You look exactly like the ‘one that got away’ on Mr. Thorne’s lock screen,” my boss whispered frantically. “He’s going crazy looking for her.” “Seize the opportunity! You can pull off the ‘long-lost love’ act. I know you can.” I shook my head so hard I nearly gave myself whiplash, wishing I could vanish into the floorboards. “Absolutely not. Boss, trust me, he is not into my type.” Chapter 1 I never dreamed I’d run into Julian Thorne like this. I was accompanying my boss, Mr. Henderson, to a high-stakes investment dinner. Henderson told me there was a billionaire investor worth hundreds of billions who was notoriously difficult. He said I was the only one who could handle it. He promised me a promotion and a raise if I closed the deal. I thought he valued my negotiation skills. Turns out, he was hoping I’d use my face to run a seduction game. The moment we walked into the VIP room, Henderson pointed at the man’s back and winked at me frantically. “That’s him. Whether we land this whale depends entirely on you tonight.” “I did my research. You look exactly like the woman on Mr. Thorne’s lock screen. Use that. Work the ‘replacement lover’ angle. You got this.” Just from his back, I recognized him. The youngest heir to the Thorne Empire, and my brother in name only—Julian Thorne. I shook my head violently, looking for an exit. “Absolutely not. Boss, this is a bad idea. He doesn’t like my type.” “I suddenly have a stomach ache. I need to go. Don’t stop me.” But Henderson grabbed my wrist faster than I could bolt. He dragged me toward Julian, whispering aggressively in my ear. “Where are you going? How do you know if you don’t try?” “I asked around. Julian is known in the circle as the ‘Ice King.’ Dozens of women throw themselves at him, and he doesn’t even blink.” “His best friend, Carter, got drunk once and spilled the beans. He said, ‘You idiots, you don’t know how to give gifts. You want to please him? Find him the girl on his phone. Julian is going crazy looking for her. He calls her name in his sleep.’” “If you didn’t look like his ‘white moonlight,’ this opportunity wouldn’t have fallen into your lap. The future of this company is on you.” Henderson might look like he runs on kale smoothies, but his grip was iron. He shoved me into the empty chair to Julian’s left. Then, pressing down on my shoulder, he put on his best salesman smile—looking entirely like a pimp. “Mr. Thorne, this is our company’s secret weapon, Sarah Lane. Our top manager.” “Don’t let her age fool you. Her skills are impeccable. She handled all my toughest projects.” My heart was in my throat. I regretted leaving the house today without checking my horoscope. Out of the corner of my eye, I couldn’t help but steal a glance at the man I had spent five years trying to forget. His face was still devastatingly authoritative. One look, and I was drowning again. He was wearing gold-rimmed glasses, looking like the ultimate ‘Old Money’ CEO—forbidden, restrained, with a hint of quiet madness underneath. My mind went blank. I was debating whether to say hello to my long-lost… brother? Ex-crush? But before I could speak, the assistant on his right stood up and snapped at us. “Mr. Henderson, what is the meaning of this?” “Don’t you know Mr. Thorne’s rules?” “No women sit next to him. Especially not cheap knock-offs with plastic surgery trying to copy that face.” “You think playing the doppëlganger card will work? Get out!” Chapter 2 I didn’t just get plastic surgery; I changed my name and my entire identity. I used to be June Thorne. After leaving the Thorne family, I found my biological parents. Now, I am Sarah Lane. No wonder Julian didn’t react when he heard my name. He sat there like an immovable statue, letting his assistant drive away the unwanted pests. He didn’t even spare me a glance. His assistant, Chase, stared at my face like he was appraising a counterfeit handbag. “Miss Lane, you’ve had work done, haven’t you?” “I studied medicine. I can tell at a glance where the knife went in.” “Unfortunately, you’ve miscalculated. The girl in Mr. Thorne’s heart cannot be replaced by a look-alike.” “If she could be replaced, she wouldn’t be ‘the one that got away,’ would she?” “Mr. Thorne doesn’t do rebound romances. He finds them repulsive. You walked right into the firing line. Now get out.” I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles. Why did everyone keep saying I was Julian’s “one that got away”? If only I really was his type. In his eyes, I was clearly destined to just be a sister. Forever. We weren’t related by blood. We were both abducted as children. We spent three years in the hands of traffickers, depending on each other for survival. When I was beaten, he would hug me tight, taking the whip for me. Letting those agonizing strikes land on his small back. When he had a fever, I stayed up all night, changing wet towels on his forehead over and over. When we were starving and managed to snatch a packet of instant noodles, he made me eat the noodles while he drank the soup. We lived in a place worse than a pigsty. One night, a snake bit me. Without hesitation, Julian bent down and sucked the venom from my ankle. I cried, “Julian, am I going to die?” He hugged me and said, “I won’t let you die.” Later, his wealthy biological parents found him. I huddled in the corner, thinking we were finally going to be separated. But Julian clamped his hand around my wrist, looking at his parents with a fierce stubbornness. “I want her to be my sister. I want to protect her forever.” His parents weren’t thrilled. So Julian said: “Then I’m not going back either. Where she is, I am.” “No one separates us.” I was shocked and overjoyed. That’s how I became the adopted daughter of the Thorne family. Julian’s most cherished sister. He really spoiled me. Even though he was just a kid himself, he taught me to read and write. Whatever elite lessons the family arranged for him, he dragged me along. He bought me the prettiest dresses, the rarest toys. He even learned to braid my hair. He raised me from a dirty, scared little girl into a polished, educated eighteen-year-old debutante. Everyone in our circle knew I was the apple of Julian’s eye. Privately, they whispered, “That’s not an adopted daughter; that’s a child bride Julian is raising for himself.” Back then, my heart fluttered. I was secretly happy. I didn’t mind the gossip at all. Because I loved him. I wanted to grow up and marry him. So we could be together forever. But when I finally gathered the courage to confess my feelings… Julian said: “No, June. That can’t happen. You will always be my sister.” His words were a bucket of ice water, chilling me to the bone. But I couldn’t suppress the love that grew daily. You can’t control how you feel. I didn’t want to watch him marry someone else. I couldn’t accept another woman spending her life with him. Unrequited love would eventually make me ugly and jealous. So, I chose to leave. I thought maybe if we were apart, I could curb this almost obsessive need for him. I never expected that five years later, we would meet like this. Being called a shameless “knock-off” by his assistant. Chapter 3 I didn’t dare say a word. I was terrified that if I opened my mouth, he’d recognize my voice. Honestly, this was for the best. He was exactly as the rumors said—high above the masses, uninterested in romance. Dismissive of any woman trying to get close. He had loyal dogs to bark and set the rules for him. I took a deep breath, swallowed the heartache, and bolted faster than a rabbit. When I left five years ago, I decided I would never appear in front of Julian again. Because every time I saw him, my heart relapsed. I couldn’t forget him. I couldn’t stop loving him. Unrequited love is a lonely war, and I was tired of fighting it. Better to stay apart and be safe. I found a bar nearby and started drinking alone. Glass after glass, trying to drown the fire in my chest. I often dreamed of kissing Julian in the dead of night. Things I didn’t dare do in reality, I was a beast about in my dreams. Dream-Julian never rejected me. He would gently pat my head and let me pin him down anywhere. Like against that grand piano in the northeast corner of the living room. After we were taken to the Thorne mansion, he loved pulling me to the piano, teaching me hand over hand. Those were beautiful times. In my dreams, I loved pushing him onto the keys. Taking off his gold-rimmed glasses, unbuttoning his shirt. He always had that faint, lazy smile on his lips. He’d whisper in my ear, “You want to kiss me? How much?” I’d cry and say, “So much.” Julian would use a low, bewitching voice: “Then kiss me, okay?” Dreams blurred reality and gave me liquid courage. I’d pull off his tie, blindfold him, bold and reckless. I’d say, “Okay, don’t move.” But every time, right before my lips touched his… I woke up. It made me so angry I’d throw my pillow across the room. Then I’d close my eyes, trying to replay the scene, trying to fall back asleep and finish what I started. It never worked. Not once. I was drunk now. My hands got itchy. I logged into my old social media account. I hadn’t logged in for years. It was full of my teenage angst, thoughts about Julian I shouldn’t have had. I tried to seal it away, but seeing him tonight churned everything up. I couldn’t help but post one new status: [Everyone says I’m the irreplaceable love of his life.] [If only that were true.] [But only I know, I can never be anything more than his sister.] I didn’t know that one small post would cause a tsunami. Chapter 4 Suddenly, Henderson called me. “Sarah! Where are you? Go to a bar called ‘Serendipity’ right now!” “Mr. Thorne is rushing to Serendipity. This is your last chance!” “He didn’t see your face earlier. As long as he sees your face, you still have a shot!” I lay on the bar counter, slurring my words. “Boss, please, let me off the hook. His assistant already warned me. The doppelgänger trick won’t work.” Henderson wasn’t listening. He was frantic. “You don’t get it! Hard-to-get works! There is no such thing as a bad substitute, only a lazy one!” “He might resist once or twice, but seven or eight times? He’s a man!” “Trust me, I know men. When you can’t have the real thing, a painting of a plum still quenches the thirst.” “I’ll let you in on a secret. Just now, Julian Thorne stood up so fast he shattered his wine glass.” “His assistant asked what happened.” “Thorne’s voice was shaking. He said: She’s online. She’s nearby.” “Turns out, his ‘long-lost love’ logged into an old account and posted something.” “Thorne didn’t even eat. He tracked the IP address personally. It pinged at a bar near the restaurant.” “He looked like he wanted to fly there. He’s on his way now.” “I bet the girl doesn’t want to see him. Otherwise, why stay away for years?” “When he gets there and realizes she won’t go back with him… that is your moment to strike!” I sobered up instantly. Julian was coming here? Who gave Henderson this confidence? Why was he so delusional? Wait. Julian found my burner account? That meant all my girlish pining, my darker possessive thoughts… they were all laid bare before him? My head was splitting. I wanted to delete everything and bury the phone. I stood up, stumbling toward the exit. I needed to flee the scene. But before I reached the door, I heard Julian’s voice. Cold. Controlled. Terrifying. “Lock down the bar. Not even a fly gets out.” His assistant, Chase, followed, promising, “Don’t worry, Mr. Thorne. I have bodyguards at the front and back.” “We will find Miss June this time.” Then Chase saw me. “Hey! Miss Lane! Why are you here?” “Do you not understand English? Still haven’t given up?” “Get out!” A bodyguard hesitated. “Chase, Mr. Thorne said no one leaves…” Chase pointed at me, sneering. “She’s the exception. This Miss Lane wants to play copycat.” “The person Mr. Thorne wants to see least right now is her.” Julian didn’t look at me. Hearing “Miss Lane,” he deliberately averted his gaze, his body language screaming disinterest in any substitutes. He walked straight to the bartender, holding up his phone screen. “Have you seen the girl in this photo?” I kept my head down and fled. I walked out unimpeded. I stumbled out the door, thinking I was safe, only to crash right into Henderson, who had followed the drama. He blocked me. “My dear Sarah! Why are you running out?” “Get back in there! This is a godsend!” He grabbed my arm and tried to drag me back in. I was genuinely drunk now. My brain was foggy, and I was getting agitated. “Mr. Henderson, let go! I’m drunk!” “You know what happens when I lose control!” “If I do something to Mr. Thorne and offend him, don’t blame me!”

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On the very first day of lectures, a notification popped up on my phone. It was a text from Mom. [Class is 45 minutes long. You’ve been scrolling TikTok for 31 minutes and 56 seconds! Is this how you repay me for sending you to college?] A split second later, my professor’s phone rang. She put it on speaker, and the whole lecture hall heard my mother’s banshee shriek. “My daughter is playing on her phone instead of studying! Professor, confiscate it immediately!” My professor, looking exhausted, replied, “Ma’am, Chloe is a college student. Parents really shouldn’t be micromanaging at this level.” My classmates snickered, whispering about the pathetic girl who couldn’t cut the umbilical cord. But I was frozen, staring at the new message flashing on my screen. [You are forbidden from eating that spicy takeout for lunch. Or else.] Mom was a thousand miles away. How did she know my exact screen time? And how the hell did she know I had just ordered spicy noodles? 1 [That spicy trash is full of chemicals. I’m giving you three minutes to cancel the order.] Another text. I jerked my head up, scanning the room frantically. The snickering had stopped; everyone was back on their own devices. The professor was droning on about syllabus policies. No sign of Mom. No suspicious figures watching me. My brain was short-circuiting. I couldn’t figure out how she knew my every move. My fingers trembled as I typed back. [Mom, how do you know what I’m doing?] Her reply was instant. [I can know whatever I want.] [Chloe, don’t make Mommy unhappy.] [You have 2 minutes and 12 seconds left.] [2 minutes, 7 seconds.] Buzz. Buzz. My phone vibrated relentlessly, counting down like a bomb. The numbers dropped too fast. It felt like a giant hand was wrapping around my throat, squeezing the air out of me. In my panic, I hallucinated Mom standing there with a stopwatch, her eyes dark and heavy. “You didn’t brush your teeth for the full three minutes. Do it again!” “School is two miles away. It took you twenty minutes. Did you stop to play on the way home?” “You took 12 minutes on this worksheet. That’s 18 seconds slower than last time. No sleep tonight. Do it again!” Ever since the divorce when I was twelve, Mom poured her entire existence into me. She was determined to raise the perfect daughter, to prove she didn’t need Dad. When I slept, what I ate, when I woke up—everything followed her script. I tried to rebel once. I locked my bedroom door on a Saturday to sleep in. Mom hacked the door down with a meat cleaver. “Why are you locking the door?! Are you doing something dirty inside?!” “Time is life! Get up and study!” We went through a dozen locks. eventually, I stopped locking the door. I stopped struggling. I let her pilot my life. No password on my phone. No lock on my diary. My clothes, my sheets, even my phone case—everything had to be pink. “Girls use pink. You like black? Black represents evil! It means your mind is twisted!” She threw away my black hoodies and forced me to keep my hair long, demanding I “look like a lady.” She denied my taste, my choices, my autonomy. Every time I pushed back, she would give me that heartbroken look. “You’re too young, you don’t understand. Mommy is doing this for your own good.” “With a personality like yours, you’d never survive without me.” “I do all of this because I love you!” Middle school through high school—six years of living in her shadow. I thought getting accepted into a university across the country was my escape ticket. But… [Time remaining: 1 minute, 11 seconds.] Her messages were flooding in. I quickly checked her Facebook. She posted selfies from her Zumba class every day. She had posted one fifteen minutes ago. She was definitely back home, not here in the city. I played the part of the good daughter. [Okay, Mom. I canceled the order.] The countdown stopped instantly. Maybe she just guessed I’d order the spicy noodles? It was my favorite, after all. But the screen time… I couldn’t explain that. Just to be safe, I turned off every privacy permission for my video apps. Then I checked my food delivery app. She wasn’t here. I was an adult. She wasn’t going to control my lunch. 2 Mom didn’t text again. I grabbed my spicy beef noodle soup from the delivery rack and snuck it back to the dorm. I put on a trendy idol drama to watch while I ate. Just as I was grinning at a romantic scene, a notification banner dropped down. [Stop watching that brain-rot TV show. Use your downtime to study.] I froze. A chill crawled up my spine. I scanned the dorm room. It was just me and two roommates. Did she install a micro-camera when she helped me move in? I tore the room apart looking for a lens but found nothing. Suddenly, a woman’s voice shouted from the hallway. “Who is Chloe Jiang? Phone ending in 2215!” “Chloe Jiang!” I rushed out. “That’s me. What’s wrong?” A woman wearing an apron with the spicy noodle shop’s logo looked at me with relief. She shoved a wad of cash into my hand. “Finally. Here. $23.50. That’s your refund.” “Where are the noodles? Give them back. Now.” “Your mother called my shop over a hundred times! She said my food is poison and she’d keep calling until I took it back.” “I can’t take it anymore! I’m not doing your business!” I stood there, paralyzed. The woman spotted the takeout container on my desk. She rushed in, grabbed it, and snapped a photo. She pulled out her phone. I saw the chat window. It was my mother’s profile picture. “Ma’am, I took the food back. Your daughter only ate three bites.” She sent the voice note, then looked at me with a mix of pity and annoyance. “Kid, if your mom doesn’t let you eat spicy food, don’t order it. You’re making me run back and forth for nothing.” Her words felt like a slap in the face. Students were gathering in the hallway, watching the drama. I slammed the door and dialed Mom, my hands shaking. “It was just soup! It wasn’t poison! Why did you harass the shop owner?!” Mom’s voice was calm, righteous. “This is the price of lying.” “If you had listened and canceled the order, or eaten something healthy, Mommy wouldn’t have had to do that.” She twisted it back on me. My anger exploded. “I am eighteen! Can you stop controlling me?! Can’t I have a shred of freedom?!” “How do you know everything I’m doing?! Tell me!” Silence on the other end. Then, a heavy sigh. “Chloe, I don’t like it when you yell.” My throat clicked shut. Conditioned reflex. Since I was a toddler, I knew the rule: My emotions didn’t matter. Only hers did. I couldn’t cry, couldn’t be annoyed, couldn’t get mad. Because if I did, her reaction would be ten times worse. Sure enough, she started sobbing. “I feed you, I clothe you, I suffered so much to raise you, and this is how you treat me?” “If it weren’t for you, I would have divorced your father years earlier. I endured him for you!” “Your father has no conscience, he cheated on me, and now you won’t even empathize with me? I should just die.” The familiar, suffocating guilt washed over me. I hung my head. “I’m sorry, Mom. I was wrong…” Hearing my apology, she sniffled, satisfied. She nagged me a bit more, then hung up. I buried my face in my hands and screamed silently. I was a thousand miles away, and I was still in her cage. My roommate, Sarah, patted my back. “Don’t cry, Chloe.” “Your mom is… intense. Hey, maybe you should apply for the study abroad program?” “I asked Professor Hayes. Freshmen can apply.” “Your mom might be powerful, but she can’t micromanage you from London or Tokyo.” “But…” Sarah paused, looking confused. “There are no cameras here. She doesn’t know us. How did she know which restaurant you ordered from?” Right. And she knew what show I was watching. I forced myself to calm down. When Sarah mentioned studying abroad, Mom didn’t text to stop me. She didn’t hear that. TikTok, delivery apps, streaming apps… it was all on my phone. A terrifying thought crossed my mind. I opened a delivery app and ordered a bubble tea. The second the payment went through, a text arrived. [Bubble tea is bad for your body. Cancel it!] I frantically hit ‘Cancel’. Instant reply: [That’s Mommy’s good girl.] I threw the phone across the room like it was a venomous snake. My eyes widened in horror. 3 I paid a computer science major to check my device. He confirmed it. There was a hidden monitoring app rooted deep in the system. The admin could see my screen in real-time. No wonder she let me travel so far. She bought my train ticket. Before I left, she “checked the schedule” on my phone several times. She had been installing spyware. I couldn’t uninstall it. I couldn’t block it. If the signal went dark, she’d be on the next plane. But… this was leverage. As long as I didn’t use the phone, I could do whatever I wanted. My heart started racing. It was the thrill of freedom. I explained the situation to my roommates. They were sympathetic. “I’ll buy all the dorm supplies,” I told them. “You guys just transfer me the cash.” I couldn’t buy in bulk, or Mom would get suspicious. Toilet paper, wipes, body wash—I bought them on my phone, following her strict brand requirements. Every time I ordered, her approval texts came in. [Don’t buy that cheap brand. Buy the one I told you.] [Don’t be stingy. Buy quality.] [Send me a photo when it arrives.] I played the obedient soldier. I kept the cash my roommates paid me. It became my secret fund. Using Sarah’s laptop, I submitted the application for the exchange program. In two weeks, I had saved nearly a thousand dollars in cash. I used cash to buy spicy noodles. I bought black clothes. I drank bubble tea. No one stopped me. I started smiling more. When Sarah suggested a music festival on the weekend, I actually said yes. I waited until 10:00 PM—Mom’s mandatory bedtime. I turned off my phone. Then I put on a black dress and snuck out. First time drinking alcohol. First time dancing under stage lights, bass thumping in my chest. I laughed loud and hard. This was what being young was supposed to feel like. We walked back to campus at dawn, buzzing with adrenaline. But as we reached the dorm entrance, my smile froze. My mother was standing there. 4 Mom audited my shopping orders every week. Yesterday, she noticed I bought an extra pack of pads. She suspected a health issue and called. But it was after 10 PM. My phone was off. She called the dorm warden to wake me up, only to find out I wasn’t in my bed. She flew to the city overnight. She looked at me with pure disgust. “Chloe Jiang, your wings have really hardened, haven’t they? Staying out all night!” “What are you wearing? That skirt doesn’t even cover your knees! Did you go out to find men?” Her rage boiled over. She pulled a pair of scissors out of her purse. She grabbed a handful of my long hair and hacked it off. “I told you not to be a slut!” “Liar! I know everything! You’ve been eating junk food! Buying things for others to get cash! Is this how you repay me?” “You are rotten to the bone!” She screamed curses, hitting and kicking me right there on the sidewalk. I had been through this a thousand times. I curled into a ball, protecting my head, staring at the concrete. I didn’t dare look up. I was terrified of meeting the eyes of the students walking by. My roommates tried to intervene. “Ma’am, calm down! Chloe was with us all night…” “Get lost, you tramps!” Mom shoved Sarah to the ground. “It’s you lowlifes who corrupted my daughter!” “She was perfect before she came here!” No… You forced me to be perfect. Suddenly, Mom grabbed my wrist. She yanked my head up. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair wild. “You’re coming home! You’re dropping out!” “You’re only safe when you’re with Mommy!” That sentence broke me. The dam holding back eighteen years of suppression burst. I lunged and snatched the scissors from her hand. I pressed the sharp tip against my own throat. “I am not going with you! I am not going back to that cage!” “Get out of here! Leave me alone or I’ll die right now!” I was done. Done with the pink room. Done with the suffocation. Done with being her pet dog. “Chloe, don’t be stupid!” Panic flashed in her eyes. I pressed harder. A drop of blood trickled down my neck. She froze. Then, she dropped to her knees. She started wailing. “What did I do wrong?! Why are you breaking my heart like this?!” “If you die, I’ll die too!” She started listing her sacrifices again, trying to weaponize her pain to make me bow my head. But it just destroyed my last shred of sanity. Shut up! I wanted to die. She wanted to die. Fine! Let’s all just die!

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