Author: Momo Chan

I went home for Christmas with a split lip. My childhood friend, who always looked down on me, sneered: “Did a dog bite you again?” In front of a room full of relatives, I said: “My boyfriend bit me.” My childhood friend’s face turned black instantly. Chapter 1 Under my mom’s ultimatum to come home early for the holidays or else, I rushed back on the very last day of the deadline, arriving at night. The moment I stepped through the door, I saw my childhood friend, Julian, and his parents. We locked eyes for a moment. Julian put on a mocking expression: “Chloe, did a dog bite you again?” When I was five, I insisted on kissing a dog and got bitten, resulting in three rabies shots. Julian was the one who accompanied me to get the shots, albeit reluctantly. But this became his go-to joke to mock me. Probably recalling the past, the adults in the room all laughed. I touched my lip. The wound had scabbed over, standing out starkly against my pale lips. Amidst their laughter, I said: “No, my boyfriend bit me this morning.” The laughter stopped abruptly. Everyone looked shocked, except for Julian, whose face turned dark. Because we used to have a “baby engagement.” Chapter 2 In the pin-drop silence, Julian’s mom spoke up: “Chloe has a boyfriend?” I responded politely: “Yes, a senior from my college.” Under Julian’s almost furious gaze, I continued: “He didn’t have time to come this trip. I’ll find a time after New Year’s to bring him over for dinner.” Julian finally exploded, shouting: “Dinner my ass!” Then he turned and stormed out to the balcony. Julian’s mom gave me a panicked look and followed him to the balcony. I shrugged, used to this, and wheeled my luggage into my room under the awkward gazes of the remaining adults. I could still hear snippets of the argument from the balcony. “You were the one who said you’d rather die than marry Chloe! Now she has a boyfriend, what are you freaking out for?” Julian’s mom finished, and after a long silence, I heard Julian say: “Anyway, I don’t agree!” I lowered my eyes and smiled. Three years ago, at a gathering of our two families, Julian’s mom joked again, calling me “daughter-in-law.” Unexpectedly, Julian snapped on the spot, accusing his mother of not knowing boundaries with jokes, then turning to accuse me of being shameless and following him around, telling me not to bother him anymore. Julian’s dad slapped him right there. And he blamed me for it all. We parted on bad terms. I even chose a university in the Southwest, far away from Julian. I thought Julian and I would just be childhood acquaintances from then on. So what is he doing now? Chapter 3 By the time I changed into loungewear, Julian was already sitting at the dining table. I don’t know how his mom coaxed him, but he seemed less angry than before. During the meal, everyone deliberately avoided the topic from earlier, only asking about my studies. Just as the atmosphere relaxed a bit, my phone suddenly rang. Glancing at the caller ID, I pursed my lips in a smile. “Taking a call. Auntie, please continue eating.” I got up and walked out the door. It was my boyfriend Ethan calling, just asking if I had eaten. I whispered to him: “Why did you bite my lip so hard it bled? I didn’t even notice.” Ethan hummed and hawed on the other end before squeezing out: “I did it on purpose.” Just as I was about to speak, a loud bang came from behind the door. I turned my head. Julian’s face was red, full of impatience: “Are you eating or not? If not, I’m washing the dishes.” Ethan’s voice came from the phone: “You haven’t finished eating yet? Should I order you some fried chicken?” Hearing Ethan’s voice, Julian’s face turned iron green: “Who is that?” I looked up at him, smiled, and said slowly: “My boyfriend.” Chapter 4 Ethan was silent for a moment on the phone, then said: “Call me tonight. Waiting for you~” The sound of him hanging up came from the other end. In the hallway, only silence remained between Julian and me. Julian stared at my lips for a long time before suddenly saying: “How long have you been dating? And you… kissed?” I turned off the screen and put the phone in my pocket: “Almost a year.” I watched his face turn black then red. “How come I haven’t seen you mention him?” I thought about it. Julian was probably talking about my social media. After falling out with him, I didn’t delete him, but we rarely messaged each other. I rarely updated my status, didn’t change my profile picture or bio, and never posted anything about Ethan. I said: “I forgot to update.” I put the phone in my pocket as I spoke. Julian chuckled lightly: “Seems like you don’t like him that much.” He seemed relieved. I looked at him in confusion: “Why do you say that?” “If you liked him, you wouldn’t not mention him at all.” I clenched my fist lightly. “No, I like him very much.” I looked up, staring into Julian’s eyes, wanting to tell him I wasn’t lying. Julian looked down at me. Seeing that I didn’t seem to be lying, a trace of unease flashed in his eyes. I didn’t want to tangle with him anymore and started to walk away. Passing by Julian, he asked softly: “How could you move on so quickly?”

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The third year Benjamin and I were married to the Beaumont sisters, their old flame came back. At a family dinner, Benjamin’s wife, Stella, slapped him across the face for defending the guy. When I found him, half his face was swollen and his eyes were bloodshot. “Noah, I can’t take this anymore. She hit me—for him!” he choked out. “I want a divorce. What about you?” I thought of how Clarissa had grown colder and colder since Tristan Davenport returned, of all the nights she hadn’t come home. A bitter smile touched my lips. “If you’re leaving, I’m leaving. We’ll go together.” We planned our escape for weeks, and finally, we boarded a flight abroad, having told no one. But as I settled into my seat, I looked up and met the icy gaze of my wife, Clarissa Beaumont. We were dragged off the plane and locked in a dark room in the Beaumont estate to “reflect.” As I wracked my brain trying to figure out where our plan went wrong, Benjamin’s voice, small and weak, cut through the silence. “Sorry, Noah… I did it for your own good.” 1 I stared at my best friend, Benjamin Shaw, my mind blank. “What do you mean?” Benjamin was already afraid of the dark, and my flat, emotionless question was the final straw. He swallowed hard and finally confessed. “Just… don’t get mad, okay?” he whispered. “Clarissa runs the entire Beaumont corporation. She’s sharp as a damn razor. She knew we were up to something for ages! The day we left for the airport, I opened my door, suitcase in hand, and she was just… standing there. Waiting for me.” “You know how terrified I am of your wife, especially when she gets that look on her face. The second she started questioning me, I couldn’t even think of a lie. I just told her everything.” I never would have guessed. Our escape was foiled by a traitor in our midst. A firestorm of anger roared inside me, but one look at the genuine fear and apology written all over Benjamin’s face, and it fizzled out. I couldn’t stay mad at him. It was just… exhausting. I rubbed the bridge of my nose and forced my voice to soften. “Then why didn’t you tell me on the way to the airport? If we knew she was onto us, we could have canceled the plan, thrown her off the scent, and tried again later. Now she has us right where she wants us.” At the mention of that, Benjamin’s own anger flared. “It’s all Clarissa’s fault!” he seethed. “I thought, even if she stopped us, she’d only take you back. I never thought she’d care about me leaving! I’m not her husband!” …What a wonderfully simple way of thinking. That was the thing about my best friend. He had a heart of gold, but sometimes his logic was so simple it bordered on idiotic. The Beaumont sisters had lost their mother young. Clarissa, as the eldest, had practically raised Stella. Of course she wouldn’t let him just walk away, not after he made such a scene at dinner a few days ago. If he disappeared right after that, what would people say? I sighed and closed my eyes, hiding my fatigue. I had put so much work into planning this escape. Benjamin watched my face, not daring to speak. Then, he threw an arm around my shoulders. “Noah, don’t be mad, please? I was thinking of you, I swear. Before I told her, I thought about it. Clarissa’s always been good to you, hasn’t she? Gives you anything you want. If you really left with me, we’d have to struggle for a long, long time. I couldn’t stand to see you suffer. I figured… if you stayed with her, at least you’d be safe.” He paused, his expression turning bitter. “Besides… Stella definitely doesn’t want me anymore. I’m sure Clarissa told her our plan the second she knew. And look—Stella didn’t even try to stop me. She didn’t care that I was leaving. It doesn’t matter if you run or not, but for me… it’s real. She doesn’t love me anymore.” Seeing his pain, the last of my anger evaporated. I pulled him into a hug, about to offer some comfort when the door to the room was kicked open. Stella stood in the doorway, her face a thundercloud. “Benjamin Shaw, you’ve really grown a backbone, haven’t you?” she sneered. “A man who gets lost five blocks from his own house dares to run away from home? Who gave you the nerve? So I slapped you. We’ve fought plenty of times growing up. Is it really that big of a deal?” 2 They were childhood sweethearts, and their fights always devolved into dredging up the past. Sure enough, Benjamin shot to his feet, incensed. “You think what happened then is the same as what happened the other night? We were kids! That was just messing around!” Stella’s eye twitched. She crossed her arms, her expression flat. “Right. Messing around. When we were nine, you pulled my chair out from under me as I stood up to answer a question in class. I hit my head on the desk behind me and got a concussion. When we were thirteen, you tied my shoelaces together while I was asleep. I fell, broke my leg, and spent New Year’s in the hospital. If all of that was just ‘messing around’ in your eyes, then after all these years, a single slap seems pretty damn fair, don’t you think?” This kind of bickering was their normal. Watching them, I felt an unexpected pang of envy. Benjamin was speechless, his face turning cold as he struggled to catch his breath. “No matter what, you hit me for another man,” he said, his voice low and hard. “I will remember that, Stella. Even if I can’t leave today, this marriage is over.” Anyone who knew him understood: as long as he was yelling and fighting, it wasn’t serious. But when he went quiet, when he lost the energy to argue… that’s when you knew his heart was truly broken. Stella realized the gravity of the situation. She knew she couldn’t talk him down easily. Her expression finally turned serious. She sighed and turned to me. “Noah, don’t just stand there watching the show. You’re the one who really needs to think about what you’ve done. Benjamin and I have our issues to sort out, but my sister has respected you for the three years you’ve been married. She’s given you all the dignity a husband in our world could ask for. You shouldn’t have gotten involved in his drama.” Benjamin blinked, now looking at me too. “Yeah, Noah, I never asked. Why did you want to leave with me? I always thought Clarissa treated you with respect. She never embarrassed you in public, always gave you your space. Not like me…” He shot a glare at Stella and huffed. “I had no choice but to leave!” I flinched and looked down, a bitter smile on my face. Yes. Respect. Everyone could see it, even someone as dense as Benjamin. Clarissa had only ever shown me respect. I used to think that for someone as cold as her, respect and dignity were all she had to give. But after Tristan Davenport came back, I learned that she was capable of love, too. 3 Unlike Benjamin and Stella, who had grown up together, Clarissa and I were nothing more than a business arrangement. At first, I told myself her detached personality was a result of running the Beaumont empire for so long. That, combined with a loveless arranged marriage, made her coolness toward me seem normal. But three years in, I often wondered if it was more than just coolness. It was an almost complete absence. We were husband and wife, but aside from obligatory family dinners and polite morning and evening greetings, we barely spoke. If I ever tried to show a little more concern, she would shut me down. “I don’t like needy men.” “Don’t do unnecessary things.” If it weren’t for her father pressuring us for an heir, I doubt we would have been intimate more than five times a month. And even then, it was like she was completing a task assigned by her elders. The moment it was over, she would pull away without a trace of lingering affection and head for the shower. I never felt an ounce of passion from her. If Benjamin hadn’t been there, living in the same house, I think the loneliness would have driven me mad. I knew she wouldn’t change for me, so I tried to change for her, forcing myself to accept her coldness. Until Tristan came back. I watched her face carefully the day she got his call. Longing, joy, resentment, stubbornness. It was the first time I had ever seen such a complex storm of emotion on Clarissa’s eternally frosty face. And in that moment, I knew how wrong I had been. The day Tristan returned was my birthday. I had swallowed my pride and begged her for days to spend it with me, to act like a normal couple in love—a walk, a movie, a candlelit dinner. But after that call, she didn’t even glance at me again. As she rushed out the door, she threw a careless line over her shoulder. “Something urgent came up at the office. I’ll take you out when I get back.” I clung to that promise. I put on my best suit and waited. And waited. I knew that Clarissa never broke a promise. But I sat there, watching the sun climb high in the sky and then sink below the horizon, and my heart sank with it, piece by piece, into a dark abyss. At three in the morning, I stared at the long list of rejected calls on my phone and dialed her number one more time. This is your last chance, Clarissa, I thought. One more rejection, and I’m done. But this time, the call connected. I froze, a thousand emotions rushing to my lips, leaving me speechless. Before I could say a word, I heard it from the other end of the line. A soft, intimate gasp. Then another, more heated and intense. And finally, her voice, a breathy, tender whisper I had never heard before. “Kiss me.” It was nothing like she was with me. She didn’t have to say another word. I understood everything. And my heart turned to ash. She wasn’t a frozen lake, after all. She just wouldn’t create waves for me. … After I finished my story, Benjamin’s eyes were red. “Noah, why didn’t you ever tell me any of this? I had no idea you were going through so much. If I had known, I swear, even if Clarissa had skinned me alive today, I wouldn’t have told her our plan!” Stella listened in silence, then hesitated. “Noah, my sister, she…” Benjamin cut her off, his voice raw. “Get out! Both of you sisters are cut from the same rotten cloth!” He shoved Stella out of the room. Turning back, he saw the lingering bitterness on my face and pulled me into another tight hug. “We’re a real pair, you and me. Brothers in misery.” I let out a quiet sigh. If this marriage was a mistake, then it was time to cut my losses. I forced myself to rally, managing a weak smile. “It’s okay. We’ll get another chance. This time we failed, so we’ll just try again. But next time,” I warned, “you are not allowed to sell me out.” 4 At dinner, Benjamin and I were finally released. A number of Beaumont family elders were present, and to my surprise, so was Tristan. Of all the younger generation present, I was, by birthright, the least qualified to marry Clarissa. Our marriage was a formality, a way for the Beaumonts to repay a debt to my family, the Vances, for helping them in their early days. It was less a merger and more a favor, a way to elevate my family’s standing. Because of this, my father-in-law, Marcus Beaumont, held me in the lowest regard. He’d heard about our escape attempt. With Benjamin, he was merely patronizing, a few light scoldings. But when his gaze fell on me, his entire demeanor shifted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Benjamin was genuinely hurt, so a little tantrum is understandable. But you, Noah Vance, as the eldest son-in-law, you should have been talking sense into him, not joining in on the foolishness. Utterly classless. Can’t you use your brain? It’s a disgrace.” I wasn’t being foolish. And since everyone was here, it was the perfect time to clear the air. I shot a cool glance at Tristan and was about to speak. But he beat me to it, his voice smooth and warm. “Marcus, please don’t be angry. I bear some of the blame for this misunderstanding. I came today specifically to explain. The day I returned, I accidentally answered a call on Clarissa’s phone from an unsaved number. The person on the other end hung up without saying a word. Thinking back, it must have been Noah. I imagine he must have gotten the wrong idea, which led to all this.” He smiled gently, but his eyes held a glint of challenge. I forced the corner of my mouth up. “So?” I said, my face a mask. “What’s your explanation? What were the two of you doing that day?” He chuckled, feigning innocence. “I had just gotten back to the country. I missed Clarissa terribly, so we were just… catching up.” Catching up? Was that what he called a conversation that consisted of nothing but breathless gasps? I let out a cold laugh, ready to expose the truth. But Clarissa finally had enough. “If you’re going to cause a scene, you can leave,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. She wasn’t looking at anyone, as if warning the entire table. But I could feel her gaze on me from the corner of her eye. She was warning me. But I had been perfectly composed since I sat down, having said only one thing. Who was really causing the scene here? A bitter pill lodged in my throat. It took all my strength to keep the tears from falling. Benjamin saw my distress and secretly squeezed my hand under the table. “Say the word,” he whispered. “You start the fight, I’ll jump in. We married sisters for a reason, right? So we could have a united front against unreasonable in-laws and useless wives. I’m still scared of Clarissa, but for you, I’ll fight.” I managed a weak, sad smile and shook my head. Let it go. I had no hope for this family anymore. Clarissa’s outburst silenced the table for a moment. But it wasn’t long before Marcus started up again. “Some people just have no class,” he muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. “I always preferred Tristan, to be honest. But my late wife insisted on repaying your family’s kindness. What could I do? I’m sure if Tristan had married one of my daughters, he wouldn’t be throwing a fit over some baseless rumor. He wouldn’t cause such an embarrassing spectacle.” He fixed his glare on me. “Noah, since you married up, you need to learn your place. In our world, a woman can’t be expected to have only one man in her life. Whether it’s true or not, you have to be tolerant. Do you understand? You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” His tone was so condescending, as if my marriage to Clarissa was an act of his charity. Benjamin, with his famously short fuse, had been simmering for a while. The screech of his chair scraping back was loud in the silence as he shot to his feet. But before he could say a word, Stella and I grabbed his wrists from either side, holding him down. I shook my head, too tired to even smile. There was no point in arguing. If I still held any hope for this family, for Clarissa, maybe I would have fought back. But my mind was already made up. I was leaving. Fighting with them now was utterly meaningless. 5 After dinner, Clarissa and I returned to our room. Since Tristan’s return, she had started staying out all night. Soon, it became days at a time. We were husband and wife, but thinking back, aside from being caught at the airport today, we hadn’t seen each other in nearly two weeks. Now, being alone with her in the same room felt suffocatingly strange and awkward. I couldn’t stand the oppressive atmosphere. I silently tried to walk past her to the bathroom. But she grabbed my arm, her voice heavy. “In the Beaumont family, we don’t divorce. We have widows. Now that we’re married, it’s for life. You can’t run away. I don’t want this to happen again. Do you understand?” Her grip was painfully tight, as if she was truly afraid I would flee again, as if she could physically restrain me from leaving. But on what grounds? No divorce, only widows. It should have been a vow of loyalty, but between us, loyalty had only ever been a shackle for me. When had that word ever constrained her? A sarcastic smile twisted my lips. “In that case, if I insist on a divorce, would you die for me?” She frowned, not answering my question. “You know that’s not what I meant. Tristan and I are in the past…” “Enough!” I cut her off, my face cold. “I don’t want to fight with you, and I don’t care about your past. Let’s… let’s just go back to how things were before.” Without another look at her, I escaped into the bathroom. The warm water sluicing over my body brought a sliver of clarity to my mind. Her words had given me an idea. Simply running away would always leave loose ends. But death… death was final. If the only way out was to be a widower, then I would die for her. 6 The next day, the Beaumont sisters left for their respective businesses, and Benjamin and I finally had a chance to talk. When he heard about the “no divorce, only widows” rule, he exploded. “Are the Beaumonts all brain-dead? What century is this? How can they have such a backward, idiotic rule? What did all the men who married into this family do when their marriages fell apart? Did they all jump off a building?” “No way, I can’t accept that. The only way I’m leaving Stella is if we have a duel to the death on the interstate!” I thought for a moment, then said quietly, “Actually… that’s not a bad idea.” Benjamin froze, grabbing my shoulders. “Noah, don’t! Get a grip! Don’t throw your life away for a marriage that isn’t worth it!” I sighed, half-amused, and steadied him. “What are you talking about? I meant, if divorce and running away won’t work, we can fake our deaths to get out.” “But jumping off a building is too risky and hard to fake. How about the ocean? We’re both strong swimmers.” The moment he realized there was a way out, Benjamin’s eyes lit up. “The ocean is boring! If we’re going to do this, let’s go big! Let’s blow up this damn mansion! What do you think?” I blinked. “What?” He looked around the sprawling villa, a mix of nostalgia and hatred in his eyes. “This house is old. It’s filled with memories of me and Stella growing up. That’s the only reason we didn’t buy a new place when we got married. But now… I hate these memories. I don’t want to take them with me, and I sure as hell don’t want to leave them for her. So, let’s just burn it all down.” I hadn’t realized how much he had come to resent Stella because of her old flame. I wasn’t part of their childhood, so I didn’t know the history between the three of them. But it must have been painful. He didn’t want to talk about it, and I didn’t need to ask. I pushed aside my stray thoughts and considered his idea. It wasn’t bad. An explosion would take care of the problem of needing bodies. I refined the plan, then looked at him seriously. “I’ve confirmed it. Clarissa is leaving for a business trip tonight and will be gone for at least a week. The day after tomorrow, Stella is going to a friend’s birthday party in the countryside and won’t be home that night. That’s our only chance.” “I’ll find a way to send all the staff out so no one gets hurt. The only thing I’m worried about is you. This time, you can’t make any mistakes. Understood?” Benjamin gripped my hands, his expression just as solemn. “Deal.”

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I made a killing in the stock market. When my colleague, Mark, found out, he begged me to let him in on the action. “Come on, we should all get rich together,” he’d said, clapping me on the shoulder. “I’ll just wire you the cash, you buy whatever you’re buying. We’re work buddies. I trust you.” “I know the risks,” he assured me. “If it all goes to zero, I won’t blame you. It’s on me.” “And when we cash out, drinks are on me.” Against my better judgment, I caved. Then, his mother was hospitalized. He came to me, demanding half a million dollars. “You can keep whatever’s left over as your fee,” he pleaded. “Just please, I need to withdraw the money. My mom is sick. It’s an emergency.” I stared at him, completely baffled. “But… you already pulled all your money out. What are you talking about?” A shadow fell over his face. “I’ve wired you my entire salary for years,” he snarled. “Even with a few losses, there’s no way you don’t have half a million. Don’t think for a second my money is your money. Cut the crap and pay me.” I held my ground, insisting that he was the one who had moved the funds. That’s when his wife showed up at my door, screaming. They launched a vicious smear campaign, turning the internet against me. But when I finally laid out the bank statements, they learned a hard lesson in regret. 1 “Just give me the money! Have you no sympathy? My mother is lying in a hospital bed, waiting for the money to pay her bills!” Mark’s voice was a raw mix of fury and grief, his eyes burning into me with accusation. The office was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone seemed glued to their work, but I knew every ear was tuned to the drama unfolding at my desk. “I trusted you,” he pressed on, his voice cracking. “That’s why I asked you to invest for me. Just be straight with me—how much did you lose?” Seeing me remain silent in front of my monitor, he spun my chair around and jerked me to my feet. “Look, how about this?” he said, as if offering a generous concession. “Whatever was lost, I won’t make you pay for it. Just transfer the rest back to me. My mom needs that money.” A wave of irritation washed over me. I had a deadline to meet, and I didn’t have time for this nonsense. “The money’s already gone because you transferred it out,” I said, my voice sharp. “There’s five hundred dollars left in the account. I can send you that right now if you want.” I pulled out my phone, opening the trading app to shove the screen in his face. Mark’s eyes bulged. He grabbed my arm, his grip bruising. “Are you kidding me? For the past three years, I’ve sent you my entire eight-thousand-dollar paycheck every single month! That’s over two hundred grand! You’re supposed to be some stock market genius; you should have doubled it by now. And you’re telling me there’s only five hundred bucks left? Do you think I’m an idiot?” Chloe, another colleague, decided to chime in. “Mark’s right, Ava. We all saw him transferring his salary to you every month. You say he took it back out? Where’s the proof?” That was the signal. The dam broke, and the office erupted in a chorus of judgment. “Ava, listen to me,” an older colleague said with a sigh. “You have to have a conscience.” “Don’t defend her, Rick!” someone else snapped. “This is life-or-death money we’re talking about. How can she be so shameless?” “These young girls today… Now I see how she affords all that coffee and takeout. She’s living it up on someone else’s dime.” “I trust Mark. He’s a good guy. It has to be Ava who pocketed the money.” … One of the more hot-headed guys even gave me a shove. I was in my twenties, fresh out of college, completely unprepared for the vicious, shameless tactics of these seasoned office sharks. I bit down hard, fighting back the sting of tears. “I never wanted to invest his money in the first place! He begged me to, and I told him about the risks. You want proof? Fine. I’ll show you the proof.” I started scrolling through the transaction history on my phone. As I did, a flicker of panic crossed Mark’s face. He shot a quick glance at Chloe. Just as I found the records, Chloe rushed forward, clutching a stack of files. “Make way! Make way!” she shouted, then “accidentally” slammed into me. My phone flew from my hand, tumbling down the nearby stairwell with a sickening clatter. The screen went black. A smug smirk played on Chloe’s lips. “Oops. I just bumped you. How did your phone end up down there? Don’t tell me you never had any proof to begin with and you were just trying to blame me.” Rage flooded my senses. I gave her a cold, hard stare. “We both know who’s guilty here. It doesn’t matter. The records are synced to my computer.” I turned to log in to my work PC, where all my important accounts were saved. But Mark lunged forward, grabbing my hand. “Enough with the act!” he roared. “Is it really that hard to just give me back my money? Stop with all these games!” “I didn’t take your money, so why should I pay you back? You’re stopping me from getting the proof. Are you scared of what I’ll find?” My words hit their mark. A nasty look crossed his face, his eyes darting around as he scrambled for a new strategy. Just then, his phone rang. “Hello? Okay, I’m on my way!” It was the hospital. Mark grabbed my arm again, dragging me out of the office. When we got to the hospital, it turned out his mother’s bill was due. A nurse was speaking to him in a soft, sympathetic voice. “Honestly, sir, at this point, you’re just throwing money away. Your mother’s condition…” Mark cut her off, his face grim, and pulled me away from the payment counter. “Please, I’m begging you,” he said, his voice dropping to a theatrical whisper. “My mom’s illness can’t wait. Just give me back the money.” For some reason, the hospital was unusually crowded today. He had pulled me into the thick of it, and now his voice suddenly boomed, drawing the attention of everyone around us. “You can keep all the profits you made from the investment! Just give me back the principal. I’m out of options. I’ll even say I’m borrowing it from you!” He looked utterly heartbroken, as if I were the villain in a Greek tragedy. A few people holding cameras, who must have been reporters, smelled a story and instantly swarmed us. “I know I had my own selfish reasons for asking you to manage my stocks,” Mark cried out to the crowd, “but you’ve made a lot of money off me, too! My mother is innocent in all this! If you just give the money back, I’ll do anything you want!” I scowled and took a step back. “Stop trying to guilt-trip me. You know exactly where your money went. As soon as I get home, I can throw the proof in your face.” From across the lobby, his wife, Linda, came running, a designer bag—my designer bag—slung over her shoulder. “You little bitch, how dare you show your face here!” she shrieked. “Look what you’ve done to my mother-in-law!” “Everyone, come and see!” she wailed. “This woman is holding our money hostage! My mother-in-law needs it to live! Is there no justice in the world?” The couple performed their parts perfectly, painting me as a heartless monster. The crowd murmured, and cameras flashed in my face. It took everything I had to push my way out of the throng and escape. I found out later that the reporters were from some tabloid, originally there to stalk a celebrity. I’d just handed them an even juicier story. I let out a bitter laugh. I was about to become famous. And I was right. It didn’t take long for my social media accounts to be flooded. The comments were a cesspool of filth. Mark and Linda gave an interview to the reporters, weaving a tale so tragic it would make a statue weep. The video ended with a direct condemnation of me. “To this Ms. Ava, how can you sleep at night, stealing money meant to save a life? Do you not fear divine retribution? We urge you to return the funds immediately. The public is watching, and you won’t get away with your lies.” The internet exploded. Self-proclaimed warriors of justice came out in droves. One user posted their location, just a mile from my apartment. “Alright, people, what do you need me to do? Taking requests. Your friendly neighborhood enforcer is on the scene.” “I looked her up. This girl graduated from a top university. Guess that school’s standards have really slipped!” “Don’t you dare lump us in with her! It’s a disgrace that we went to the same school. She probably bought her degree.” “Her parents are supposedly well-educated people. If my daughter turned out like that, I’d hang myself from the shame. And look at them, still traveling and posting pictures.” “Maybe she’s paying for their trips with the stolen money. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” “He trusted you with his money, and you steal it when his mother’s life is on the line? You’re not even human.” In no time, trolls had dug up every piece of my personal information, slinging mud that splattered across three generations of my family. On my own posts—vacation photos, pictures with friends—the same people who used to leave fawning comments were now tearing me to shreds over unproven accusations. I scrolled through the hate, a stone sinking in my stomach. This had to stop. I compiled every single transaction statement, ready to print them out and shove them in Mark’s face. Just then, my mom called, her voice trembling. “Honey, what’s going on? A group of young people just came up to us out of nowhere and started screaming at us, calling you names. Your father was so upset he could barely breathe.” “Are you being bullied? Don’t be afraid. Mom and Dad are coming home right now to stand by you.” I hadn’t cried through all the insults and accusations, but now, hearing my mother’s voice, my eyes burned. I swallowed hard, not wanting them to worry, and calmly reassured them. This was my fight to finish. But then I saw a new comment. It was a picture of my parents. “Family, I’m here. Let me know what needs to be done. I’m about to teach these two a lesson on how to raise a child so she doesn’t grow up to be a menace to society.”

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After my peacekeeping tour ended, I made a special trip back home to spend Christmas with my wife. But the moment I reached the main gate of the military base, I was stopped by a sentry. He raised his rifle, his voice a sharp bark. “Today is Commander Vincent Payne’s christening party for his newborn twins! All unauthorized personnel are to leave immediately!” I stared at him, my mind reeling. “I am Vincent Payne,” I said, the words catching in my throat. “When did I have a second and third child? How could I not know?” “You must be mistaken.” The sentry let out a cold laugh. The click of the bolt sliding home was unmistakable. “Impersonating a military officer? That’s a serious offense. We can detain you on the spot!” A laugh, raw with disbelief and fury, escaped me. I pulled out my officer’s credentials and snarled, “Do I need to impersonate myself?!” The sentry’s face was grim. He suddenly shifted his rifle, aiming it not at me, but at the large projection screen inside the banquet hall. Forcing down my rage, I followed his gaze. On the screen, my wife, Evelyn, stood beside a strange man. Each of them was holding a baby, smiling as they acknowledged the crowd. Standing beside them was a little girl, about ten years old. A happy family of five. My world went white. I looked down at the name on my military ID: “Vincent Payne.” I was stunned into silence. If he was Vincent Payne… then who the hell was I?! 1 The rage in my chest was a wildfire, threatening to burn me to ash. I had no time to argue. I lunged forward, determined to force my way in. Seeing my movement, the sentry’s face hardened. “Halt!” he roared, taking a quick step back and raising his rifle to the sky. “One more step and I’ll shoot!” A tremor ran through me, and I froze in my tracks. The fury intensified, now laced with a chilling, surreal absurdity. I was a commander, and I was being held at gunpoint at the gate to my own home. I had to get through that door. “Insubordination,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “I have the right to confiscate your weapon.” Before the words had even left my mouth, my wrist snapped forward. In the next second, his rifle was in my hands. I lowered the barrel, my tone like ice. “I don’t want to do this. Let me in.” The color drained from the sentry’s face. He stared at me, too shocked to react. Just then, a cold shock hit my lower back. The hard, unmistakable press of a pistol dug into my spine. An instant later, a searing pain shot through the back of my knee. I let out a choked grunt, nearly collapsing. I whipped my head around to see a face that was angelic yet twisted with malice. It was the little girl from the screen. She was holding a small, silver handgun, the muzzle jammed against me. Her eyes held a viciousness that was terrifying in a child so young. “Where did this lowlife come from, making a scene?” she spat, her sweet features contorted with disgust. “Can’t you see it’s my baby brother and sister’s party? Get the hell out of here!” Her features were so similar to Evelyn’s. A jolt went through me. “Little girl,” I heard my own voice, dry and trembling. “Your mother… is her name Evelyn?” The girl shot me a look like I was the stupidest person on earth. She rolled her eyes. “Duh, asshole. My mom is Evelyn Xia, CEO of the Xia Corporation.” It was like a sledgehammer to the chest. The world started to hum. Fighting down the shock and rage, I pressed on. “And your father is…” “You’re so annoying!” she shrieked, shoving me hard. “My dad is Vincent Payne, and my name is Maya Payne! Now will you piss off? Talking to an idiot like you is exhausting!” An icy chill shot up from my feet, freezing me from the inside out. My wife had cheated on me. She’d had children with another man. But why would this girl, Maya, say that Vincent Payne was her father? I knew I didn’t have any children. This was insane. Utterly insane. I laughed, a bitter, broken sound. “That’s impossible,” I said, my voice low and heavy. “I am Vincent Payne, and I don’t have a daughter.” “Pfft!” Maya spat in my direction. “A loser like you dares to pretend to be my dad?” A cruel glint entered her eyes, and she jabbed the gun harder into my back. “Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson. You’ll learn who you don’t mess with.” My eyes were fixed on the gun. I knew that weapon better than anyone. It was the gun I’d had specially commissioned for Evelyn’s thirtieth birthday. I had taught her, step by step, how to disassemble it, how to load it, how to aim. I’d told her it was her last line of defense, a way to protect herself when I wasn’t there. And now, it was in the hands of a foul-mouthed child, and it was pointed at me. A tidal wave of fury crashed over me. No more words. I spun around, my hand a blur of motion, and snatched the pistol from Maya’s grip. “You are not worthy of this gun!” As I spoke, I expertly ejected the magazine, bullets scattering across the pavement. The entire sequence was over in a flash. Maya barely had time to register that her hand was empty. “Ah—!” She froze for a second, then erupted into a piercing scream. She threw herself onto the ground, kicking her legs and wailing. “Help! Murder! Daddy, save me! Someone stole my gun, he’s going to kill me!” Between sobs, she hurled the most vicious curses she could think of at me. Her cries had barely echoed before a dark figure burst out of the banquet hall. 2 I didn’t have time to react. A powerful kick sent me stumbling back, my chest exploding with pain. I looked up and saw him—the man who was impersonating me. Not only was he a fraud, but he had the audacity to show his face so brazenly. My eyes burned with rage. Before I could speak, he swept Maya into his arms and roared, “You dare touch Vincent Payne’s daughter? You’ve got a death wish!” Looking at this man, who looked nothing like me but wore my name like a stolen coat, I trembled with fury. “Cut the crap! I am Vincent Payne! Who the hell are you, and why are you pretending to be me?!” At that, Maya pointed a vicious finger at me. “You piece of trash, still spouting nonsense!” she screeched to the man. “Daddy, not only is he pretending to be you, he stole my gun and was asking about Mom!” “The nerve!” the man snarled. “Touching my daughter, lusting after my wife… you’re begging to die! Seize him! Break his legs and throw him to the dogs!” At his command, several guards swarmed me like predators. I clenched my fists, but before I could move, a dozen black muzzles were aimed at my vital points. “Let me go!” I struggled, but I was slammed onto the cold, hard ground, my cheek scraping against the pavement. The guests who had followed the imposter out were now pointing and whispering. “Is this guy crazy? Commander Payne is right there, and he’s still trying to impersonate him.” “Right? Does he not know where he is? Causing trouble at a military base!” “Major Evans! Captain Thorne!” I roared, my voice raw, at the familiar faces in the crowd. “We were fighting side-by-side in the borderlands just last month! Have you all lost your goddamn minds?!” But the men I had once called brothers turned away in disgust, looking at me like I was a rabid dog. I scanned their faces, a dizzying wave of confusion washing over me. Why were they all acting like they didn’t know me? What was happening? I refused to accept it. With a surge of adrenaline, I broke free, flinging my military ID at the imposter’s face. “Bullshit! Look closely, you bastards! I’m Vincent Payne! You’re all insane! He’s the fake!” The imposter merely glanced at the ID with contempt. “Forging military credentials is a prison offense,” he sneered. “If you’re going to be a con artist, at least pick a better location. And of all people to impersonate, you had to pick me.” He slowly looked me up and down, then ground my ID into the pavement with the toe of his boot. “On this base, everyone knows the face of Vincent Payne.” His eyes were cold, like a snake waiting to strike. There was no fear, no panic of being exposed. A rush of blood pounded in my head. My identity had been stolen. After ten years of being child-free, I suddenly had three kids. And my wife… Evelyn! Where was she? What role was she playing in this grotesque charade? Countless questions and a bottomless rage churned inside me, threatening to swallow me whole. “I want to see Evelyn!” I screamed with every ounce of strength I had. “Get her out here!” The imposter chuckled. He walked over and looked down at me. “Heh. You really won’t give up until you’re staring at your own coffin. You want to see Evelyn? Fine. I’ll let you.” He leaned in, his voice a venomous whisper in my ear. “But I suggest you prepare yourself. Don’t come crying to me when you see the truth.” With a wave of his hand, he motioned for the guards to release me. I never expected him to be so confident. The blood drained from my face.

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The final amount of sponsorship money secured would determine the new project lead. I had hustled across half the city, bowing and scraping to countless people, and was on the verge of victory, ten thousand dollars ahead of the runner-up. But behind my back, my wealthy boyfriend invested half a million dollars in her. He said, “She’s a scholarship student. She needs this more than you do.” Fine. In that case, he could have the project. I was done with both of them. 1 The moment the project lead was announced, every eye in the room turned to me, filled with a mixture of pity and sympathy. A few of my friends had even brought a banner, ready to celebrate. Turns out, we’d popped the champagne too soon. The scholarship student, Sandra Lin, walked to the front, a look of utter shock on her face, as if she couldn’t believe such a prize had fallen into her lap. But her expression quickly changed. She turned to me, her eyes welling up. “Mia, you’re not mad, are you? I just mentioned offhand that I wanted the project, I never thought Aiden would actually take me seriously. How about… I give it to you?” I could see the challenge glittering in her eyes, clear as day. My best friend, Alice, jumped to my defense. “What a performance,” she sneered. “What are you so proud of? Aiden’s blind. He felt sorry for you and threw you a bone. It’s just one project. We don’t want your charity.” Alice knew how much this project meant to me. I had already applied to a top international university. My grades were perfect, my English proficiency score was just shy of a full nine, and this project was the final piece of my application—my stepping stone to a full-ride scholarship. Now, the project was gone. But I couldn’t lose my dignity. If I did, my status as Aiden’s “official girlfriend” would become a complete joke. Sandra looked even more wounded. “I wasn’t trying to steal it from her,” she explained, her voice trembling. “If I really wanted to compete, I would have started fundraising a month ago. I know I’m not as capable as she is, so I never even considered it. It’s just… fate, I guess. I didn’t fight for it, but in the end, it came to me.” Her words were practically begging for a slap. Almost everyone in the room had tried for this project and failed for one reason or another. Now, out of nowhere, Sandra swoops in. No proposal, no hustling—just a word to Aiden, and she had what the rest of us had worked so hard for. Someone couldn’t stand it anymore. “Didn’t fight for it? Playing the innocent little flower, are we? His actual girlfriend didn’t get a dime of his help, but all you had to do was ask, and Aiden threw hundreds of thousands at you. Who knows what you did to get it.” Sandra’s eyes widened in mock innocence. “What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything.” I had no patience for this pathetic drama. As I turned to leave, Sandra grabbed my arm. “Don’t go!” she cried. “You have to clear my name, or they’ll think something happened between me and Aiden!” I was physically and emotionally exhausted. The filter between my brain and my mouth vanished. “Even if you slept with him,” I said, my voice flat, “it has nothing to do with me.” A collective gasp went through the room. Alice stepped forward and pushed Sandra’s hand off me. “Don’t touch her—” Before the words were even out, Sandra crumpled to the floor. Alice stared in horror. “Are you serious? Are you trying to frame me?” Sandra was sobbing now, a picture of tragic beauty, as if we were the evil side characters in her sob story, bullying the helpless heroine. Just then, a tall figure pushed through the crowd. Seeing Sandra on the ground, he shoved me violently. If Alice hadn’t caught me, I would have slammed into the corner of a table. When Sandra saw Aiden, she threw herself into his arms. “I don’t want the project anymore!” she cried. “I was just joking with you! Give the investment to Mia, please! Otherwise, she’s going to hate me forever!” Aiden finally looked up and seemed to notice me for the first time. Realizing he had just shoved me, he pushed Sandra away and rushed to my side, his eyes filled with apology as he looked me over. “I’m sorry, I was in a hurry, I didn’t see it was you. Are you okay?” 2 His hand landed on my shoulder. I felt a wave of disgust and shrugged it off. Aiden’s brow furrowed. I had never rejected his touch before. This was a first. “I’m fine,” I said coolly. “You should take care of her. I’m a little tired, I’m heading home.” He offered to take me, but I refused. Suddenly, Sandra let out a small cry. Aiden immediately turned to her. “What’s wrong?” “I think I twisted my ankle. It really hurts.” Aiden glanced back at me. “I’ll call you tonight,” he said, then scooped Sandra into his arms and left. Alice was practically vibrating with rage. She was about to charge after him and land a kick while his back was turned, but I held her back. After they left, the crowd dispersed. “Why didn’t you tear him a new one?” Alice demanded, fuming. “What’s the use? You hit him, and his family, with all their money and power, can have you thrown in jail. If they’re feeling vindictive, they can make sure you never get a job. We’re normal people, Alice. We can’t win that fight.” My voice was hollow, all the fight drained out of me. Alice deflated. “So what now? Are you going to break up with him?” “Of course. But I can’t be the one to do it.” I knew Aiden too well. He was obsessed with finding a girl who wasn’t after his family’s money, someone who loved him for him. He had spent the first three years of our four-year relationship testing me. If I broke up with him now, he’d tell everyone it was because I finally lost patience when I realized I couldn’t get his money. When I found out he’d given that huge investment to Sandra, I was heartbroken. It turned out his tests were only for me. Sandra just had to say a few words, and he handed over a fortune. My genuine affection had earned me nothing but endless suspicion. A breakup was inevitable. But I wasn’t going to let him slander my name in the process. That night, I didn’t get a call from Aiden. But I did get a wire transfer. Half a million dollars. Attached was a note: This transfer is a gift given with the intent of marriage. In the event of a breakup for any reason, the recipient must return the full amount. Looking at that money, I knew one thing for sure: my education was my only way out. I called my professor and asked if there was any other way to get a full scholarship. He sent me a file. His research project needed one more assistant. If I worked for free, he would give me a co-author credit. I accepted on the spot. For the next month, I was completely buried in work. I was so busy, my phone would often die without me even noticing. At night, I was always the last one to leave the lab. Mastering the data was difficult, and I had no choice but to work harder, to put in more hours. The way back to my dorm went through a small alley. Suddenly, I heard voices. “I’m telling you, I don’t have any money. He got me that sponsorship, but he hasn’t given me a single cent.” It was Sandra. It sounded like she was being mugged, but by people she knew. “You think we’re stupid?” a man’s voice shot back. “He’s a rich kid. We saw him take you jewelry shopping last week. He bought you that ruby necklace, the one that cost over eighty grand. If you don’t have cash, hand over the necklace. We can pawn it.” Sandra was furious. “He bought that for me to wear to his birthday party,” she hissed. “If you take it, what am I supposed to do?” “You idiot,” another man’s voice said. “Just buy a fake one to wear. He’ll never know the difference.” Sandra hesitated. The two men pressed on. “That rich kid has a girlfriend, right? She’ll definitely be at the party. You can pretend the necklace went missing and blame it on her. You’ll drive a wedge between them and get rid of the fake necklace at the same time. Two birds, one stone.” 3 After a moment’s thought, Sandra pulled a box from her bag. As she opened it, a ruby necklace glittered under the dim alley light, its fire captivating. “Make sure you get a good price for it,” she instructed. The two men snatched the necklace and walked away without another word. I ducked into the shadows as they passed. A few moments later, Sandra left, muttering curses under her breath. Long after she was gone, my mind was stuck on that necklace. It was a piece I had dreamed of, a rare and expensive design from a niche artisan. I could never afford it. I remembered looking at it in the shop window with Aiden by my side. He had been silent, his expression unreadable, his gaze fixed on me. At the time, I didn’t understand what he was thinking. My mind was consumed by the necklace, by my future. I would study abroad, get a high-paying job, and on my twenty-fifth birthday, I would buy that necklace for myself. It would be a tribute to all my hard work. After we saw the necklace, Aiden didn’t contact me for a long time. Finally, I went to find him. He was with a few of his friends. When my name came up, one of them sneered, “That girl’s a total bookworm, nothing else. You’re still with her? You’re not actually thinking of marrying her, are you? Don’t be so boring.” Aiden said nothing. Another one joked, “Dude, you spent two years trying to prove she’s a gold digger. Now that she’s not digging, you look miserable. What’s up with that?” A flash of anger crossed Aiden’s face. “I thought she was different,” he grumbled. “She hid it for two years, but she finally slipped. A couple of weeks ago, she took me to see this ruby necklace. It’s a luxury item, way out of her price range. She obviously wanted me to buy it for her. I didn’t fall for it.” His friends hooted with laughter. “See? We told you. She’s just after your money. Good thing you didn’t get played.” Just then, a girl who had been quiet spoke up. “The necklace you’re talking about, is it by a designer named K? She’s been in love with that piece for years, since junior high, I think. Her birthday wish every year was to buy it for herself with her own money on her twenty-fifth birthday.” The group fell silent. Someone tried to challenge her. “How would you know? You know her?” The girl nodded. “She was famous in our high school. Top of her class. I lived in the rich neighborhood, she lived in the old, run-down apartments. But every year, parents from my neighborhood would hire her to tutor their kids. She was never shy about her ambition. She’s an amazing person.” After she finished, no one spoke for a long time. They eventually changed the subject to break the awkward silence. Before leaving, the girl looked at Aiden. “That smug, all-knowing act you just pulled? It was disgusting. She can’t afford that necklace now, but on her twenty-fifth birthday, she will. And she won’t need you to do it.” Aiden couldn’t even look at her. I had planned to break up with him that day, but his face was just too handsome, and his apology afterwards was so sincere that I let it go. The memory faded, and tears filled my eyes. It was true. Some people could get things without any effort, things that others had to fight for their entire lives. The next day, Aiden came to find me. He was holding a bouquet of flowers. “I texted you, but you didn’t reply,” he said with a smile. “Are you busy looking for a job? If you can’t find anything, I can have my dad set you up with a position. Or, you could just marry me and be a full-time wife.” He beamed, clearly expecting me to be overjoyed. Instead, he was met with my cold, empty expression.

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The night before my engagement to the ascetic heir of the city’s elite, I dreamed of a talking weasel. It claimed to be the Shen family’s guardian spirit, worshiped for a century. In honor of my impending marriage, it had come to grant me three wishes. My heart pounded. I was about to speak when several lines of text materialized before my eyes. 【High-energy moment ahead! The imposter is about to make her wishes!】 【LOL, she has no idea she’s the fake heiress who was switched at birth. The guardian spirit only protects the true Shen bloodline!】 【Whatever she wishes for, the blessings will ultimately be transferred to the real heiress, Lily Shen.】 【Grabbing my popcorn. The female lead’s journey to a life of effortless victory is about to begin!】 I masked the ice in my eyes and offered a faint smile as I made my wishes. “I wish for the ascetic heir to cancel his engagement to the Shen family.” “I wish to be cast out of the Shen family with nothing to my name.” After hearing my words, the weasel stared at me intently. “Little one, why would you be so cruel to yourself?” I simply smiled. Cruel? Oh, this is just the beginning. 1 The night before my engagement to Julian Pei, a weasel materialized in my bedroom. “I am the guardian spirit of the Shen family, worshiped for generations. In honor of your impending marriage, I am here to grant you three wishes.” I shot upright, digging my nails into my palm. The sharp sting confirmed this was no dream. My voice trembled. “Is this real? Can you grant any wish?” “You need only speak it.” A wish for “a happy marriage with Julian” was on the tip of my tongue when the text appeared again. 【Here we go! The imposter is about to foolishly wish away her blessings.】 【She thinks she’s the chosen one, but she has no idea this is all part of the real female lead Lily Shen’s master plan.】 【The spirit protects the true Shen bloodline. This one is just some stray switched at birth.】 【The better her wishes, the more our girl Lily will gain when the truth comes out.】 The words were like a bucket of ice water, shocking me into clarity. Lily? I thought she was the daughter of our deceased nanny. Through these pop-up comments, I learned that the main character of this world was the true heiress, Lily Shen. I was merely a side character, cannon fodder meant to pave her way. She had known her true identity for ten years but had kept it hidden, waiting for this exact moment. As soon as I made my three wishes, all the honor, the education, and the marriage I had fought so desperately for would be transferred to her. My hands clenched into fists. No wonder my adoptive parents had only ever shown me endless severity, never an ounce of warmth. They said a Shen daughter must be elegant and accomplished, so they forced me through daily ballet practice. One wrong step, and the switch would fall without mercy. They said a Shen daughter must have an outstanding education, so I slept only four hours a night. One point less on an exam meant being locked in the basement for three days without food. Worse, they sent me to a special institution to be taught how to please a man. I gritted my teeth, swallowing every tear and humiliation, until I finally became the person they wanted me to be. Yet, they never offered a single word of praise. All their tenderness and indulgence were reserved for Lily. More than once, I had confronted them, my eyes red with unshed tears. They would always sigh, “This is for your own good. You are a Shen. You must be the best. Only by becoming strong enough can you have everything you want. As for Lily… she doesn’t need all this.” Only now did I understand. It wasn’t that she didn’t need it. It was that they had planned all along for me to be her stepping stone. 2 Seeing me remain silent, the weasel grew impatient. “Dilly-dallying… I’ve never seen one like you. Still haven’t decided on your first wish?” The floating text scrolled again. 【This is hilarious. She’s actually thinking about it, like a prize is just going to fall from the sky. Wishes beyond your station will backfire, you know.】 【Greedy people don’t live long. This villainess is destined for an early grave!】 A fire ignited within me. According to the spoilers, Lily would eventually take everything from me and live happily ever after with Julian. I, on the other hand, would suffer a karmic backlash for my “greedy” wishes and end up dead in a ditch. I took a deep breath and smiled. “For my first wish… I wish for the city’s ascetic heir, Julian Pei, to cancel his engagement to the Shen family.” The moment the words left my mouth, the comments exploded. 【Is she insane? Didn’t she scheme for years to get this engagement? Why cancel it?】 【How is our girl Lily supposed to get together with her dream guy now?!】 【The guardian spirit won’t grant a wish that harms the female lead’s interests, right?】 【But the rules say it can’t interfere with mortal affairs. Whatever Seraphina wishes for, it has to grant!】 Seeing that, a satisfied smile touched my lips. As long as it could be done. This engagement was, indeed, something I had fought for. But it was never something I truly wanted. The Pei family was the wealthiest in the city; every elite family was desperate to marry into it, and the Shens were no exception. But Julian’s mother, Eleanor Pei, was notoriously difficult, her standards for a daughter-in-law impossibly high. For years, no one had met her approval. To win her over, I researched her every preference. I learned she loved desserts, so I studied under a master pastry chef and delivered fresh cakes to the Pei estate every morning. I heard she had a standing appointment at a beauty salon, so I would always arrive before her to ensure everything was perfect. After three months of these “coincidental” meetings, her gaze finally softened, and she invited me to a family dinner. Even seated at that coveted table, I didn’t dare drink a sip of water. I watched her every expression, placing the dishes she desired onto her plate. My devotion paid off. The engagement was mine. But no one knew that I had zero interest in my fiancé, Julian. I had thought that if marriage was my inescapable fate, I might as well wish for a peaceful one. But now that I had a chance to change it, I had no intention of sinking into that mire. The weasel froze for a moment, then asked uncertainly, “Are you sure? Once you make this wish, your enviable engagement will truly be gone.” I met its gaze and nodded firmly. “And the other two?” it asked. I thought for a moment, then shook my head. “I haven’t thought of them yet. I’ll find you when I do.” It said no more, its form flickering before vanishing into thin air. 3 I slept soundly. At dawn, my adoptive parents woke me. “Seraphina, there will be over a hundred media outlets live-streaming the engagement party today. You cannot make a single mistake.” My mother’s voice was grave as she fastened a jade necklace around my neck. The cool stone against my skin made me wonder if last night had been a figment of my imagination. Just then, a beautifully dressed Lily walked in. Seeing her, my mother immediately rose to embrace her. “Oh, my Lily, you look so beautiful today…” Lily gently tugged on her sleeve. “Auntie Shen, don’t say that. Today is my sister’s engagement. I just don’t want to embarrass the family.” Watching their natural, affectionate display, a chill passed through my eyes. My heart remained suspended until the ceremony began. Was it really just a dream? In the next second, Julian took the microphone and announced to the entire hall, “I am canceling my engagement to Seraphina Shen! She is not the real daughter of the Shen family. Her mother was nothing more than a former nanny.” He then turned to Lily, his gaze softening. “The true heiress of the Shen family is Lily, and she is the one who should be engaged to me.” The venue erupted in an uproar. A small smile played on my lips. It wasn’t a dream. My wish had come true. 【It’s over! Lily’s plan is ruined. Even though Julian likes her, he’s a total mama’s boy. If Eleanor Pei says no, he’ll definitely back out.】 【Eleanor is so picky. There’s no way she’ll accept Lily now, with her being a total nobody.】 【It’s all Seraphina’s fault for not playing by the rules! Who wishes to cancel an engagement like that?】 【Poor Lily! Julian meant well, but he messed everything up. Our girl must be heartbroken!】 You wanted to use me as a stepping stone? Then let me take a piece of you first. The Shen family’s faces turned ashen. Lily, as if startled from a trance, quickly grabbed my arm. “Sister, don’t listen to him! I have nothing to do with him, I’ll go talk to Julian right now.” I wiped away a tear that had escaped from holding back my laughter, my voice choked with emotion. “It’s alright, Lily. You are the true heiress. You are the one who deserves to be with Julian. He likes you, too. You have my blessing.” Hearing this, Julian looked at me with a flicker of appreciation for the first time. He took Lily’s hand. “That’s right, Lily. We couldn’t be together before because of your status, but now that you’re the true Shen heiress, my mother will definitely approve!” I almost laughed out loud. The heiress title was merely an entry ticket. In Eleanor Pei’s eyes, his “perfect” Lily was likely far from qualified. As expected, Eleanor’s face was a mask of ice as she turned and left without a word. Lily was left speechless, her hand clutching Julian’s woodenly. Back at the Shen villa, my adoptive mother offered hollow comfort. “Seraphina, we never imagined you weren’t our daughter. But don’t worry. You’ve called us Mom and Dad for so many years. Nothing will change. You can continue to live here.” My father chimed in, “That’s right. Your biological parents died saving us. It’s our duty to raise you. From now on, you and Lily will be treated the same. You are both our daughters.” Even my brother, Leo, looked pleased. “From now on, I’ll have two sisters to dote on me!” I should have known. They would never let me go so easily. Fine. The show, after all, was just beginning. 4 Without my help, if Lily wanted to marry into the Pei family, she’d have to do it herself. But the Pei family’s gates were not so easily opened. She tried to see Eleanor Pei several times, only to be unceremoniously thrown out by security each time. Desperate, she began to imitate me. She forced herself to learn ballet to improve her posture, but her body was as stiff as a board. After a few days, she gave up. My mother then hired tutors for her, hoping to cram knowledge into her head. But the dense pages of English text were like hieroglyphics to her. Catching the tutor’s disdainful glance, she tore all the books to shreds. Etiquette lessons were even worse. She had to bite down on a chopstick constantly to maintain a perfect smile, and even eating required tiny, delicate bites. Finally, after another dizzy spell from hunger, she exploded. “Why are you only teaching me this now? It’s all your fault!” she shrieked, shoving my mother. Caught off guard, my mother fell to the floor, her own anger flaring. “Lily, you’re the one who refused to learn! You said you had a way to make everything Seraphina had yours! Who knew things would turn out like this?” Leo couldn’t help but point a finger at her. “You have the nerve to blame Mom? You’re useless! The same teachers taught you both. Why could that bitch learn it and you can’t?” Lily hated being compared to me. She trembled with rage. “You’re one to talk, you idiot who only got into school because Dad donated a building! Without me, you’d all be nothing!” Before she could finish, Leo lunged at her, and they began to fight. My mother pretended to break them up, but she shielded her son the entire time. I stood outside the door, quietly enjoying the drama. The next second, the door was yanked open. Lily caught the smile I hadn’t yet managed to hide, and her eyes turned vicious. “Seraphina, you knew all along, didn’t you? You deliberately made that wish to the spirit so Julian would cancel the engagement!” I looked up, feigning the perfect amount of confusion. “Sister, are you exhausted? Perhaps you’re hallucinating. There are no such things as spirits in this world.” I even tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “There, there. If you’re tired, you should rest.” Failing to get a rise out of me, Lily’s lips trembled with fury. “Fine, don’t admit it! I’ll have Dad cancel your credit cards right now. Let’s see how tough you are with no money!” She immediately called our father, her voice thick with tears. “Dad, Seraphina said that even though I’m your real daughter, you only love her. She said all the family money is hers…” My father’s roar came through the phone. “That ungrateful wretch! We are merciful enough to let her stay, and she dares to bully my daughter! Don’t cry, Lily. I’ll cancel her cards right now and teach her a lesson!” After hanging up, Lily tilted her chin smugly. “Seraphina, you better learn your place. I am the rightful heiress of this family now. If you cross me again, I’ll have you thrown out.” The comments appeared again. 【Our girl is a genius! Cut off Seraphina’s money, and she’ll have to wish for more from the spirit. Then Lily will have endless cash!】 【The Shens are so cheap. They wouldn’t even buy Lily a luxury car, talking about ‘maintaining a frugal image.’ But then they bought their son a multi-million dollar yacht. Such hypocrites!】 【Don’t worry, Lily already swapped out the real Leo ages ago~ The entire Shen fortune will be hers soon enough!】 So that was it. Lily’s primary goal was Julian. But her parents, while appearing to support her, were actually paving the way for their son, Leo. And they had no idea their precious son had been replaced. A genuine smile bloomed on my face. “Well then, dear sister,” I said gratefully, “I’ll have to count on you for that.” Lily stared, confused. “What?” I didn’t answer, simply turning and walking away. Now, it was time for my counterattack.

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The Comments know I can see them. So, to help their precious heroine escape the story’s villainous male lead, they flood my vision with messages trying to mislead me: 【The First Love has no idea, does she? If she says yes to him now, he’ll never have room in his heart for the heroine again.】 【Listen, First Love, don’t be fooled because he’s broke right now. He’s going to be a powerhouse later. You’ll be getting at least a ten-thousand-dollar allowance every month.】 【And that’s not all! He’s actually the long-lost son of the country’s richest tycoon. He gets discovered tonight! The First Love is going to regret this for the rest of her life.】 When I remain unmoved, the Comments grow frantic: 【Why isn’t this woman taking the bait?!】 I look at the man kneeling before me, proposing with all his heart, and then at the stream of nonsense scrolling above his head. A smile touches my lips. Sorry, folks. Because the only person this girl has ever trusted is herself. So, as the story’s designated villainess, a little bit of money and a serious need for control should be perfectly in character, right? 1 As the only girl born into the Thorne family in eighteen generations, my grandparents, my parents, and my eight older brothers and cousins have drilled one thing into my head since birth: You can’t trust anyone in this world. Not even us. When I was little, someone tried to kidnap me from school by impersonating my father. It was a masterful disguise. Unfortunately for him, he hadn’t accounted for the fact that my father is utterly, pathologically devoted to his daughter. Dad had already bought the school and the entire surrounding district, moving his main office onto the campus just so he could walk me to and from class every single day. The moment the imposter showed up, everyone from my teachers to the hot dog vendor on the corner swarmed and cornered him. After that, the Thorne family hid me completely, officially listing me as the daughter of our head housekeeper, Mrs. Jones. To the outside world, my name was Sarah Jones. From then on, if anyone so much as breathed in my direction, their entire life story would land on a Thorne family desk within the hour. So, as Liam Evans knelt to confess his feelings for me, I held up my phone. I wasn’t taking a picture or recording a video. I was scrolling through his complete file. As far as I was concerned, he had no secrets left. 2 “Sarah, will you be my girlfriend?” Liam held out a single wildflower he’d plucked from the roadside. He was on one knee, his eyes gleaming with what looked like pure sincerity. I’ll give him this: Liam was gorgeous, more handsome than anyone I’d ever met. And on the principle of never turning away a beautiful man who offers himself up on a silver platter, I was actually considering it. That’s when the Comments flared to life above me. 【Here we go, the classic scene where the male lead confesses to his First Love.】 【She’s about to reject him. Then he’ll find the heroine, who looks just like her, and they’ll end up in bed together tonight. The start of their whirlwind romance.】 【Honestly, the First Love is going to kick herself when she sees how successful he becomes. I kind of shipped them, though. It would be nice if they got together.】 I almost rolled my eyes. So, the second I say no, he’s off to sleep with someone else? What exactly is there to regret about dodging that bullet? I quickly scanned his file for the girl the Comments were talking about. There she was. Chloe Miller, nineteen, a freshman in college. According to the file, they’d met a month ago at a bar where Chloe was working to pay for her mother’s steep medical bills. Liam had stepped in when she was being harassed. Since then, they’d been meeting up for meals. Chloe had even started an anonymous blog detailing their encounters, filled with lovelorn posts. And Liam had “liked” it. He knew it was her. Hmm? Weren’t they supposed to meet after I rejected him? Or am I just a stepping stone in their twisted little game of foreplay? My initial attraction to Liam plummeted into the negatives. As if sensing my change of heart, the Comments doubled down: 【Even though he knows the heroine, his heart belongs completely to the First Love right now! He only sees the heroine as a little sister. He’s so devoted!】 Give me a break. He’s known Chloe for a month. He’s known me for two. What “little sister”? What “devotion”? It’s nothing but a man’s self-serving fantasy. Liam, oblivious, continued his heartfelt performance. “Sarah, I know your mom works as a housekeeper for a wealthy family, and she makes good money. But I promise, one day I’ll make even more. I’ll give you everything you could ever want.” The Comments chimed in to help him: 【Listen, First Love, don’t be fooled because he’s broke right now. He’s going to be a powerhouse later. You’ll be getting at least a ten-thousand-dollar allowance every month.】 I absently picked at the thousand-dollar manicure I’d gotten yesterday. Somehow, I doubted a deeply disturbed individual was destined for greatness. The file was… illuminating. Liam once had a cat. One evening, a guest came over, and the cat innocently rubbed against their leg. That night, Liam tortured and caged the animal. The man had a possessive streak that bordered on psychopathic. 【And he’s actually the long-lost son of a billionaire tycoon! Grab onto this golden ticket, First Love!】 【Imagine having a billionaire for a husband! You’d be set for life!】 No, thanks. You can have him. Finally, one of the Comments lost its patience: 【Why isn’t this woman taking the bait?!】 And there it was. Confirmation. They knew I could see them. From the very beginning, their words had been too targeted, too manipulative, all painting Liam as the perfect man. As a connoisseur of stories, I know that every narrative has its critics and its fans. If this guy was such a catch, why were they so desperate for me to have him instead of their precious heroine? Combined with what I knew from his file, the answer was obvious. This was a dark romance, a story of abuse and obsession. Liam was an arrogant, controlling monster. And they wanted me, the “wicked villainess,” to tie him down so he wouldn’t destroy their heroine. Nice try. Did you really think I’d fall for a bunch of ghostly text messages that appeared out of nowhere? 3 “Liam, you’re handsome and you’re brilliant. I know you have plenty of women around you, and that makes me feel insecure.” My voice was soft, laced with vulnerability. “I’m a one-man woman. I can’t tolerate anyone else in my partner’s life, or even in his heart.” I let my eyes bore into his. “If there’s even a tiny space in your heart for someone else right now, you can tell me. I’ll step aside and wish you both well.” My words weren’t just for Liam. They were for Chloe, who was hiding behind a pillar just out of sight. My family’s bodyguards had spotted her the moment Liam started his little speech. Since I’d already determined Liam was bad news, I figured I’d give Chloe a chance. A chance to step out and expose him. I refused to believe, after all those blog posts, that she didn’t know he had feelings for her. If she came forward now, I’d make sure she could live a normal life, free from all this drama. But she didn’t move. Liam just shook his head vehemently, his eyes full of unwavering devotion. And Chloe remained hidden in the shadows. Fine. If you two are so determined to star in your own twisted tragedy, I’ll be happy to direct. “Okay,” I said, my voice bright and clear. “I’ll be your girlfriend.” He’s clean, for now. Might as well enjoy the view while it lasts. 【YES! I always thought he had better chemistry with the First Love! My OTP is finally sailing!】 【I feel a little bad for the heroine, but oh well. The real deal is the real deal.】 As the Comments cheered and Liam’s face lit up with joy, a sharp clatter cut through the air. Clack! The sound of Chloe’s phone hitting the pavement startled us both. We turned to see her running away, her shoulders shaking with grief. I feigned a look of curiosity at Liam. A flicker of shock crossed his face before he quickly pulled me into an embrace. “Probably just a bystander,” he murmured into my hair. “Don’t worry. From now on, you’re the only woman in my life. If I ever look at another, may I live out the rest of my days in misery.” He pressed his phone into my hand, his gaze earnest. “You can check my phone whenever you want.” I looked at the deeply emotional man before me, and at the stream of lies still scrolling above his head. I smiled. Then, in a single, fluid motion, I discreetly attached a micro-sized listening device to the inside of his phone case. Who said Liam was the only one with control issues? You two had better hide well. This is going to be fun. 4 I have to admit, as the male lead, Liam’s looks were top-tier. And his performance in other areas… was also top-tier. The novels didn’t lie! Waking up to a face like that every morning certainly put me in a good mood. I knew these heroine-obsessed fans would never tolerate an “unclean” male lead. So, the thought of the hero and heroine eventually getting together, only for her to be haunted by the memory of his first time with me… Well, that was enough to equally traumatize the hero, the heroine, and the Comments. A win-win-win. I began to subtly keep Liam confined to the house. We were in the honeymoon phase, so he was too infatuated to notice anything was wrong. For a while, he was the perfect 24/7 boyfriend, and the Comments were busy shipping us. Their praise was fake, but who doesn’t like a little flattery? Eventually, someone couldn’t stand it anymore. It was midnight. Liam was in the shower when his phone screen lit up. A message from Chloe. “Mr. Evans, I think we need to talk.” The Comments exploded. 【This heroine is so shameless! He has a girlfriend and she’s still harassing him!】 【Exactly! His heart is completely with the First Love now. The heroine should just give up.】 【Nobody is allowed to interfere with my ship! Not even the main character!】 And yet, not a single one of them told me to delete the message. They all knew what this was about. Chloe was messaging him to borrow money. Her mother was in critical condition and needed emergency surgery. In the original story, Liam sees the message and immediately transfers the funds. The surgery fails, but Chloe uses the leftover money to start a business, beginning her “strong female lead” comeback arc. These Comments wanted her to get that money and start her new life. I toyed with Liam’s phone, a smirk playing on my lips, before popping out his SIM card. Ten minutes later, the bathroom door opened. Without a word, I hurled his phone at his chest. “You’ve got some nerve, Liam Evans,” I spat, my voice dripping with manufactured rage. Before he could react, I stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind me. Standing outside, I barked orders at the household staff. “Lock him in there until he’s had time to reflect on what he’s done. Don’t let him out until he understands his mistake.” “And cut the internet. No one is to go near him without my permission.” No wonder villains in novels love staging these “misunderstandings.” This was exhilarating. The Comments, realizing Liam couldn’t get any messages out, began to panic. 【It was a one-sided message! Why is the First Love getting mad at him?】 【You can’t keep him locked up like this! You’re just a housekeeper’s daughter, you have no authority over the staff in this mansion!】 【She’s pushing her luck. According to the plot, he’s supposed to be discovered by the tycoon in the next few days. What if this makes him hate her and he falls for the heroine instead?】 Oh. But I don’t like him. Three days later, both Liam and the Comments finally made a startling discovery: I really had imprisoned him. 5 “Miss, Mr. Evans escaped through a window. Should we send a team to retrieve him?” “No need.” I wasn’t surprised. After all, I was the one who had the window unlocked. I even cleared out the guards from that section of the estate so he wouldn’t accidentally run into them. And it still took him three days. So much for the capable male lead. I frowned at the video feed on my tablet. It showed Liam finding a distraught Chloe. After a few minutes of arguing, they were clinging to each other in a tight embrace. Tsk. In my eyes, he was now tainted. The Comments were practically dripping with schadenfreude. 【See? You overplayed your hand. Now you’ve lost him.】 【Good thing it was just a hug. Go and apologize to him. He’s a romantic; a few sweet words and he’ll come running back.】 【Right! He only feels guilt for the heroine right now, no other emotions.】 I scoffed. Guilt? Was he feeling guilty for taking a shower that night? As if I didn’t know they’d been secretly texting “goodnight” to each other every evening while I was asleep. 【Text him now! Act worried! Otherwise, he’s going to get angry and send you a breakup message!】 As if on cue, a message from an unknown number popped up: “Sarah, let’s take some time apart. We both need to cool off.” I ignored it, leaning back on the sofa. “Bring them both back,” I said calmly to the empty room. Time apart? We’ll be done when I say we’re done.

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A basketball knocked me and my friend Aiden out cold. Waking up, I suddenly heard my late mother’s voice. “Sweetheart, don’t trust Aiden. He’s faking amnesia to impress Jennifer.” Stunned, I turned to Aiden as he mumbled, “Who… are you?” My mother’s voice returned, heavy with sorrow. “In another life, he left you alone in a fire to be with her. You died.” “Listen,” she urged. “Your father will ask you to pick a brother. Don’t choose Aiden. Pick Julian Shaw. He seems stern, but he’s the one who always carried your water bottle on hikes.” Before I could react, my father approached with photos of orphaned boys. “Lily, choose one. We’ll adopt him as your brother.” Without hesitation, I pointed to Julian. “I choose him,” I said softly. “I’m listening to Mom.” 1 My father stared, taken aback by my choice. “Lily, are you sure? You and Julian are usually at each other’s throats. This is a big decision. Once it’s made, he’ll be your family for life.” My dad was a big shot on the base. Whichever boy joined our family was getting a life-changing opportunity. Ms. Evans, Aiden’s distant aunt, hurried over. “Lily, dear,” she said, her voice syrupy sweet. “I know Aiden’s memory is a little fuzzy right now, but you two have always been so close. Why don’t we wait a few days? I’m sure he’ll remember you then.” My mother scoffed in my head, a sound like static and fury. “What nonsense! In that other life, that little Jennifer girl ripped your favorite butterfly ribbon. You barely said a word, and Aiden locked you out in the pouring rain. You almost caught pneumonia. It was Julian who found you, shivering under the eaves. He grumbled about you being ‘so much trouble,’ but he wrapped his own coat around you.” A sharp pang of something—grief? recognition?—shot through my chest. I didn’t understand what my mom meant by “another life,” but every word she spoke felt heavy and real, clogging my heart like waterlogged cotton. Besides, it was true that Aiden always put Jennifer first. Their games of house were an exclusive club, and I was never invited. “Dad,” I said, my voice firm. “I’ve made my choice. I want Julian to be my brother.” My father tucked the photos away and ruffled my hair. “Alright, Lily. I respect your decision. In two days, I’ll host a dinner for everyone on the base to make the official announcement.” My mother’s voice sighed with relief. “That’s my girl. This time, you’re going to be safe and sound.” Later, after my dad and the other adults had left to discuss the arrangements, I changed into a sundress and slipped out of the room for some fresh air. The moment I opened the door, I saw three familiar figures standing in the hallway. They were the other boys my dad had considered adopting, all kids I played with. Aiden was with them. The only one missing was Julian. Max sidled up to me, a grin on his face. “Lily! Heard you’re picking a brother. So, who’s the lucky guy?” Finn chimed in, “Who do you think? It’s gotta be Aiden! Everyone knows Lily follows him around like a puppy, saves all her best snacks for him.” Aiden just glanced at me, his expression coolly adult. “I honestly don’t remember the last few years,” he said, a little too smoothly. “I just remember always playing with Jennifer. But if this is what the adults want, I’ll look after you.” A cold laugh echoed in my head. “That’s the exact line he used in the other life,” my mother hissed. “Playing the amnesia card so he could keep Jennifer at his side while still taking everything you gave him. That little liar broke my baby’s heart.” I looked at Aiden’s nonchalant face. If it weren’t for my mother’s warning, I would have bought his act completely. I used to trust him so much. I thought he was my real friend. I remembered my birthday three years ago. He’d gathered all the kids from the base to sing for me, his eyes sparkling as he said, “Lily, I’ll always protect you.” I’d been so moved I cried. From that day on, I was his shadow. Now I saw it. He probably only ever nice to me because of my father. And now he was faking amnesia, a convenient excuse to openly prefer Jennifer while still positioning himself to be adopted by my dad. He couldn’t have it both ways. Not this time. You little monster. I bit back the urge to expose him right then and there. Let him enjoy his little fantasy for two more days. I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he heard my father’s announcement. Seeing my silence, Max nudged me. “So? Who did you pick?” “You’ll all find out in two days,” I said flatly. I turned to leave, but Finn’s voice followed me. “Aiden, it’s definitely you. Remember when you had that fever? Lily ran through that huge storm to the clinic to get you medicine. She got totally soaked. She’d do anything for you.” “Is that so?” Aiden’s voice was laced with a smug satisfaction. “I guess she really does care about me a lot.” A sharp sting, like a needle prick to the heart. My eyes welled up, but I refused to cry. Everyone on the base knew I adored Aiden. The other kids called me his “little shadow,” but I never cared. I’d lost my own mother so young, and with my dad away on missions all the time, Aiden was the one who stood up for me when others picked on me. When he let me be his friend, I was ecstatic. I promised myself I’d be the best friend he ever had. But now I knew. His kindness was probably just a transaction, an investment in my father’s influence. “Lily, wait,” Aiden called out. I turned. He was walking toward me, holding one of Jennifer’s Barbie dolls. “Look, I know you picked me, and I’ll be your brother. But I need you to promise you won’t interfere when I’m playing with Jennifer.” I looked him straight in the eye. “You have amnesia, remember? What makes you so sure I chose you?” He frowned. “Everyone says you like me best. Who else would you pick?” A wave of fury washed over me. He knew. He’d always known how much I cared, and he was still using it, still twisting it to his advantage. “Don’t worry,” I said, my voice colder than I knew I was capable of. “I won’t bother you anymore. You and Jennifer can play all you want.” And when he finds out I chose Julian, he’ll probably be thrilled. My easy agreement seemed to throw him. He looked stunned for a second. As I walked away, he reached out instinctively to grab my arm. Just then, a small pink bicycle came wobbling erratically toward me. The front wheel slammed into my shin, sending me sprawling onto the rough concrete. My palms scraped against the ground, instantly raw and bleeding. Jennifer hopped off the bike, her face a mask of panicked tears. “Lily! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hit you…” Before I could say a word, my mother was already raging in my head. “That little actress! She’s always pulling this stunt! Last time, she pushed you off the swing and then cried like you were the one who bullied her. And that fool Aiden falls for it every single time!” Seeing Jennifer’s tear-streaked face, Aiden’s heart melted, just as predicted. “It’s okay, Jennifer, it was an accident. Lily won’t blame you.” He helped Jennifer up, then shot me a look of annoyance. “It’s just a scrape. Don’t be so dramatic.” My hands were on fire. I fought back tears as I pushed myself to my feet. Jennifer was still sobbing. “Lily, I’m so sorry. I was being careless. Here, I’ll hit myself to make you feel better!” She made a show of raising her hand to her own arm, but Aiden quickly caught it. He glared at me, his voice sharp with anger. “Lily, she already said she’s sorry. Can you stop being so unreasonable?” My mother was even angrier. “That little brat! My sweet girl hasn’t said a single word! It’s all that little drama queen’s performance! Sweetheart, you are not letting this go.” I always listened to my mother. I raised my hand and gave Jennifer a firm, solid shove, sending her tumbling back onto the ground. Then I turned to Aiden. “This is what being unreasonable looks like. My mother taught me that.” Jennifer sat on the pavement, stunned into silence. Aiden was speechless, his young face flushing with disbelief and rage. “Lily, you…” I raised my hand again and gave him a push, too. “And this is what it feels like to cross the line.” For as long as I’d known him, I had never, ever fought back. This had completely scrambled his world. He stared at me, his face turning a deep shade of red. “Fine. You’re really something, Lily. You started it. You’ll regret this.” “Jennifer, come on. I’ll take you to the clinic.” My mother’s voice was dripping with scorn. “He doesn’t even look at his injured friend, but he’s all worried about the one who caused the accident. Being family with a fool who can’t tell right from wrong is what you’d really regret. Oh, my poor girl, does your hand hurt terribly?” I looked down at the blood welling in my palm, and the dam of my composure finally broke. A hot wave of misery washed over me. Any other time, a scrape like this would have sent Aiden into a panic, fussing over me like I was made of glass. Maybe that concern wasn’t entirely fake, but the Aiden standing here now was blind to my pain, his world revolving only around protecting Jennifer. The things my mother was telling me… they were starting to feel terrifyingly real. Even if he did become my brother, it felt like we were already on a path to repeating the tragedy she described. 2 I wiped my tears and headed to the base clinic to get my scraped hands bandaged by one of the nurses. A few of the younger nurses were clustered by the window, looking out at the playground, so I peeked too. There, tucked behind the basketball hoop, were Aiden and Jennifer, whispering. Jennifer was tugging on Aiden’s sleeve, her voice a whiny murmur I could just barely hear. “Aiden… if Lily finds out you only pretended to have amnesia so you could play with me, she’s going to be really mad.” Aiden just ruffled her hair, his voice loud enough to carry. “So what if she gets mad? She’s obsessed with me. Even with amnesia, she’ll be begging to be my friend.” “In his dreams!” my mother seethed in my mind. “My girl didn’t choose you this time, you little narcissist. Just wait until the announcement. We’ll see who’s looking so smug then!” My face scrunched up into a pained frown. Cradling my bandaged hand, I started walking toward my classroom building. Suddenly, a scream cut through the air. “The older kids are fighting! Somebody get a teacher!” The playground dissolved into chaos. I instinctively turned to run, but one of the brawling high schoolers slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. He was swinging a broken broom handle, and it was coming right for my head. I’d learned some basic self-defense from my dad, but I was small and no match for him. I saw Aiden notice the commotion. “Aiden!” I screamed. “Help me!” He started to move toward me, but Jennifer immediately wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his back. “Aiden, I’m scared! Please don’t go!” In that single moment of hesitation, the broom handle came down, cracking hard against my arm. The fresh bandages on my hand immediately started turning red as the wounds reopened. The pain was so sharp it made my vision blur with tears. “Unbelievable!” my mother cried out, her voice frantic. “That rotten kid has faked his amnesia for so long he’s lost his conscience! My sweet girl has been so good to him, and he just stands there and watches her get hurt!” The pain made my legs feel like jelly. I could barely stay upright. I summoned my last bit of strength. “Aiden, it hurts so much! Please, help me!” Before the words were even out of my mouth, Jennifer let out a piercing shriek. The other kid in the fight was now charging toward them. Without a second thought, Aiden spun around, shielded Jennifer with his body, and ran, never once looking back. I watched their retreating figures, a cold, sharp agony piercing my chest. Even if he didn’t want to be my friend anymore, we had grown up together. When I was in danger, he wouldn’t even offer a hand to help me up?

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My cousin, Jessica, asked to borrow my $12 million Porsche, promising she just needed it for a business meeting to look impressive and would return it right away. A few days later, she ran over in a panic, guilt written all over her face, and told me the car had been stolen. I just smiled, affecting an air of indifference. “It’s fine. The car has a tracker.” Jessica’s composure shattered. “Impossible! You told me it didn’t have a tracker! You lied to me!” 1 I was in the middle of detailing my red Porsche when my phone buzzed with a video call from my cousin, Jessica. The moment I answered, her face, a carefully constructed mask of cleverness and calculation, filled the screen. “Hey, Alex!” she chirped sweetly. “Whatcha doing? Polishing your car? I have something really important I need to ask you.” “Something important?” I put down my polishing cloth and settled into a nearby chair. “Go on, what is it?” Jessica’s voice was syrupy. “Best cousin ever! Could I please, please borrow your Porsche for a few days? I have a super-duper important business dinner tomorrow, and I really need your car to make a good impression!” This wasn’t just any Porsche. It was a rare collector’s item I’d acquired from a friend overseas, worth a fortune. It wasn’t registered or plated; it was never meant for driving. It was a piece of art. I frowned, but she was already rambling on. “You know how it is, cuz! I’m still getting my business off the ground. If I pull up in a car like that, the clients will trust me more, and they’ll sign the deal!” I sighed. “Alright, you can borrow it. But you have to be incredibly careful. Not a single scratch. And I’m telling you right now, if anything—” “I swear on my life, Alex! I’ll bring it back in perfect condition!” she cut in, her promise overriding my warning. I paused, a familiar unease settling in. She had a history of “borrowing” things and conveniently forgetting to return them. “Fine. One day. It needs to be back here by tomorrow evening.” “You’re the best! You’re like my real brother!” Jessica looked like she was about to jump through the screen and hug me. “Don’t worry, Alex! I’ll return it safe and sound!” she added right before hanging up. I put down my phone and stared at the gleaming red car. Jessica’s over-the-top performance left me feeling uneasy. Something felt off. Our families lived close, in the same gated community, so it wasn’t long before she was at my door, personally driving the Porsche away. I watched from my balcony as the car disappeared down the street, my mind replaying my recent interactions with her. Just last month, she’d borrowed $20,000 from my mom for her “business,” complete with a signed IOU promising to pay it back in a month. It was six weeks later, and she hadn’t mentioned it once. I stroked my chin, my eyes fixed on the villa her family owned down the road. What was she up to now? 2 The next day, just as dusk was settling, my doorbell rang. The security camera showed it was Jessica. I buzzed her in. She walked in carrying a thermal container, dressed in a designer dress that probably cost a few thousand dollars. She was dripping with gold—earrings, necklace, bracelet, and a massive diamond ring on each hand. On her wrist was a delicate, expensive-looking watch. But the Porsche was nowhere in sight. “Alex! Mom made your favorite braised meatballs. You haven’t eaten yet, right? I brought them over for you.” Her voice sounded strained. She thrust the container into my hands like she was completing a mission. I watched her carefully, noticing how her eyes darted around, refusing to meet mine. She was already fiddling with her phone, not saying a word about the car, ready to bolt. So I brought it up myself. “Jessica, where’s my car? You said you’d have it back today.” She flinched, then turned back awkwardly. “Alex… the car… it was stolen.” “Stolen?” My voice shot up an octave. Her words were a spark on the dry tinder of my patience. “It wasn’t my fault,” she explained hastily. “I was out with clients last night, we all drank too much. The security cameras were tampered with. I even called the police this morning, but they said they couldn’t find any signs of a break-in…” She recounted the story with a disturbingly calm demeanor, as if losing a multi-million-dollar collector’s car was like misplacing a cheap t-shirt. Her casual attitude infuriated me. I stared at her, taking in every flicker of her expression. “Jessica, are you sure it was stolen? Absolutely positive?” “I’m positive! Alex, I’m telling the truth! This neighborhood is out in the middle of nowhere, not like the city with cameras everywhere. How am I supposed to find the thief? Even the police are stumped…” “I see,” I said coldly, my face hardening. “Fine. You stay in touch with the police and try to get it back. I’ll see what I can do on my end.” Jessica let out a breath of relief. She muttered a quick “sorry” and practically sprinted out the door. I closed the door and looked at the container in my hand. It was true that our area didn’t have many public cameras, but the security in our gated community was top-notch. Jessica hadn’t mentioned contacting property management, and there wasn’t a peep in the residents’ group chat. Normally, she’d raise hell in the chat if she so much as lost a dog. Something was definitely wrong. We were family, and her late father had helped my mom out years ago. Even though we’d long since repaid that debt, I couldn’t just accuse her without proof. I sat down in the living room just as my mom came out of the kitchen, calling me for dinner. “Did you lend the Porsche to your cousin?” she asked as we ate. When I nodded, she sighed. “She was really showing off last night. Ever since her father passed, that girl has become so extravagant.” “I even saw some slick-looking guy with a receding hairline ask her how much the Porsche was worth.” “Jessica told him $12 million. I was worried she’d attract the wrong kind of attention, so I jumped in and said it was a high-quality replica, only worth about fifteen grand.” “It’s always better to be modest,” Mom continued. “With her spending habits, she’s headed for trouble. I think you should get that car back as soon as possible, before it really does get stolen.” I paused, my chopsticks hovering over my bowl. Mom didn’t know the car was already “gone.” Thinking about Jessica’s behavior, an idea began to form. “Mom,” I said with a casual smile, “don’t worry about it. It was a replica. I was just using it to show off. It’s not worth much.” My mom blinked, then shot me a look. “Just eat your dinner!” After we finished, I offered to clean the kitchen so Mom could have time for her evening activities. She loved her dance class, and Jessica’s mom, my Aunt Helen, always tagged along, mostly to stay close and see what she could get from our family. I had a feeling that when they met up, my mom would probably mention that the Porsche was just a replica. 3 Late that night, I went to the secure room in my study. After entering a password and scanning my fingerprint, I opened the safe. Inside was a leather folio containing the Porsche’s international certificate of authenticity. The valuation was clearly printed: 12,000,000.00. The currency unit that followed was USD. Stamped over the numbers was the personal seal of the president of the International Association of Luxury Cars. I stared at the document, then opened my laptop and searched for Patek Philippe watch prices. I quickly found the model Jessica was wearing on their official site. It was a limited edition. Price tag: $99,000. I stroked my chin, replaying the image of Jessica walking in tonight—the designer dress, the flashy gold jewelry, and her breezy declaration that the car had been stolen. Suddenly, a message from her popped up on my phone, testing the waters: 【Cuz, my mom said your Porsche is a replica? Is that true?】 I glanced at the screen and typed back coolly: 【Of course. You think I’d forgive you that easily otherwise?】 I closed her chat and found my friend Leo’s number. 【Leo, you awake? Urgent.】 A moment later, a video call came through. “Well, well, if it isn’t the busy man himself. What’s the emergency?” I shook my head and quickly explained the situation with Jessica, the “stolen” car, and how I’d lied to everyone that my $12 million collector’s item was a cheap replica. Leo, sharp as ever, immediately understood. “So you’re trying to pass off a real car as fake to see how your cousin reacts, right?” “Haha, and I forgot to tell you, a car of that caliber always has satellite tracking. I’ll share the app with you. Just download it and you’ll see.” I nodded. Leo was a lifesaver. He was a well-known broker in the world of luxury car collecting. Owners of these cars were often reluctant to sell to outsiders, worried they wouldn’t be properly cared for. That’s where people like Leo came in. Once I got the tracking app and linked my credentials, it only took a moment to pinpoint the Porsche’s exact location. “I can’t believe the car is parked at…” Seeing the location on the map, my heart sank. After a long moment, I let out a dark laugh. Since Jessica claimed the car was stolen, I might as well play along and make her return it herself. “That’s a pretty twisted plan, my friend,” Leo said, laughing. “Alright, let me know if you need anything else. Call me anytime.” After hanging up, I opened a drawer and took out a faded photo album. In the section for my aunt’s family, I found a picture of a younger Jessica. She was smiling, holding my hand, her eyes full of innocence. She never used to lie. Now, the constant stream of deceit from her was heartbreaking. I closed the album, took out that one photo, and put the album away. I let out a deep sigh. I had been ready to let it go, but seeing the car’s current location had finally pushed me over the edge. I walked to the window and looked toward her house. “Jessica,” I murmured, “whether you pull back from the brink or end up in a cell… that’s your choice to make.”

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1 I was so broke, I was eating on someone else’s boyfriend’s dime. Using his meal card, to be precise. Then a post about me in the cafeteria went viral on the campus confessions page, and the original poster showed up in the comments to let me have it. 【Ava from CompSci, right?】 【Are you that poor? Can’t even afford your own food? Gotta use someone else’s boyfriend’s meal card?】 【How does it feel to be a homewrecker? Did you know my sister is in the HOSPITAL because of you?!】 In less than a minute, the thread exploded. 【Whoa, what’s going on??!】 【Ava is a homewrecker??】 【Hospital? Seriously? What happened?】 … “Guys, you have to see this person’s profile!” On the poster’s social media feed was a series of screenshots. 【Why? The things I give you… why do you just turn around and give them to her?】 【Does she have any idea I queued up all night to get that Pikachu keychain? How can she just take something so precious without a second thought?】 【You say it’s nothing, but it’s such a coincidence, isn’t it? That you even ended up in the same elective class…】 【You told me you were going to a conference. I waited for you all alone on Valentine’s Day, like a good girl. But my friend saw you two, alone in the conference room for a long, long time. The cake I bought tasted like ash in my mouth.】 【I felt bad that you were struggling with money, so I skipped meals to top up your card. But then I saw you hand her a bubble tea with a little heart sticker on it…】 【I’m just a normal girl. I can’t compete with a campus queen like her. Sometimes, when I see you two together, I get confused. Was my happiness the stolen thing all along?】 【If you like each other, could you just tell me?… I don’t want to be the fool. I know when to walk away…】 A collection of short, fragmented entries, like diary pages, stretching from last February until today. A full year and a month. They were soaked in a young woman’s sorrow, her tears painting a world of gray, draining the color and energy from everything. The silence in our dorm was so thick you could hear a pin drop. Mia cleared her throat. Everyone’s gaze followed hers, landing on the gray Pikachu keychain hanging from my crossbody bag. On my desk, a stack of pink bubble tea bags had accumulated. “Last Valentine’s Day…” another roommate started, her voice trailing off. Last Valentine’s Day, I had spent hours getting ready before I went out. The worst part wasn’t the flood of angry comments. It was the hesitant silence of my own friends. I saw Mia’s lips part, as if she wanted to say something, but the details in those screenshots lined up with reality, one by one, with damning precision. My phone, lying face down on my desk, buzzed. I flipped it over. The screen lit up with the two most blinding words I could imagine right now: Leo. The same Leo who gave me the keychain, who bought me bubble tea, who I was in that delicate, unspoken “something more than friends” phase with. Sunlight streamed through the high window, but not a single ray seemed to touch me. “So, you were playing me? Flirting with me while you were with her, is that it?” My tone was sharp, devoid of any warmth. The face I knew so well was now clouded with a shadow I couldn’t penetrate. His eyes darted away, the line of his jaw tight. I cut through his hesitation. “I had no idea you were seeing someone. This is on you. You need to clear this up, and then we’re done. We don’t see each other again.” “And I’m truly sorry for the pain this has caused your girlfriend.” Throughout this whole mess, I never knew she existed. If I had, I would have never, ever let things get this close. Leo and I were childhood friends. He moved away in middle school, and it was a shock to run into him again at university. I did have a crush on him, I’ll admit it. But I wasn’t desperate enough to knowingly chase after someone else’s boyfriend. This was his mess to clean up. He was the one who hid the truth, the one who blurred the lines. I laid out my terms. Leo was silent for a long moment, then slowly shook his head. “I can’t do that.” I stared at him, my focus sharpening. His expression was unyielding. “I only ever saw you as a little sister, Ava. I don’t know if I did something to make you think we were… flirting, or something.” “I’m just used to looking out for younger girls, that’s all. I never had any other intentions. This whole thing has really upset my girlfriend, and I think you need to apologize to her, in person. And from now on, I’ll definitely be keeping my distance.” His words hit me like a physical blow, my head buzzing. “What are you talking about? This is your fault. And now you’re telling me you saw me as a sister?” He shrugged, spreading his hands. “What else would it be? You’re the one who’s been misreading things all along, aren’t you?” “You were the one dropping hints about bubble tea. You begged me for a birthday gift, so I gave you the keychain because I felt bad. I never thought you’d actually accept it.” “Everyone knows I have a girlfriend. How could you not know? You told me you lost your meal card, so I lent you mine out of kindness. Then you just… never gave it back. You even made sure my girlfriend saw you using it. What was that, if not a deliberate provocation?” “I was just being polite, but you kept crossing the line. Now Abby is lying in a hospital bed, and you will apologize to her.” In that moment, I didn’t recognize the person standing in front of me. Lending me the meal card was his idea. He said he was working an off-campus job and wouldn’t need it. The money on it? I put it there myself. I’m not the kind of girl who sees romance in every friendly gesture. I know the difference between friendship and something more. But the things Leo did, the way he acted… it was textbook courting behavior. The intimate nicknames, the way his entire demeanor changed when he was with me compared to anyone else. I had always thought we were in that sweet spot, more than friends but not yet official. Call me old-fashioned, but I was waiting for him to make the first move. I never imagined the reason he hadn’t wasn’t because he was shy. It was because he couldn’t. And now, all those little moments, the sweet gestures I’d cherished during our “almost-relationship,” were being twisted and thrown back in my face as proof of my shamelessness. He claimed everyone knew about his girlfriend, but I was the one person who had been kept completely in the dark. The conversation ended disastrously. I thought he was coming to me to admit his mistake, to figure out a plan. Instead, he’d pinned everything on me. It was laughable. The next day, my world imploded. My social media was a dumpster fire of notifications. An audio recording of my conversation with Leo had been posted online, cleverly edited. They’d cut out the most critical parts of the conversation, making it sound like I was confessing to everything, confirming that I was the aggressor, the homewrecker. The victim was in the hospital. Leo, crying, had apparently received her forgiveness. He’d just “made a mistake with boundaries,” he said. The only one at fault now was me. It was me who did the seducing, me who was shameless, me who used my looks to bully other students. Once the seed of doubt was planted, everything I did was put under a microscope. The way I drank my coffee, my step count on WhatsApp, even the clothes I wore were dissected on the operating table of public morality. A group photo from a club event where I happened to be standing next to the president was now “proof” that I was a “habitual homewrecker.” Leo and Abby’s silence left me standing alone in the eye of the storm. My attempts to post clarifications were drowned out, disappearing without a ripple. The campus was buzzing with the thrill of gossip. Everywhere I went, I heard the whispers, the rumors. My social media, even my parents’ TikTok accounts, were flooded with hateful comments. Some called me a fake, a phony. Some pitied the girl whose relationship I had supposedly destroyed. Others said I looked innocent, but was probably a slut behind closed doors. They called me a bitch, a near-murderer. The insults were a barrage of daggers, and every single one seemed to have my name on it, magically swerving around Leo. I even overheard guys in the hallway muttering about how lucky he was, how he had some serious game to have two beautiful girls fighting over him. All the knives, they all found me. If things were bad outside, they weren’t much better in my dorm. Besides Mia, who still spoke to me in quiet tones, my other two roommates treated me like I was invisible. “Don’t be too hard on them,” Mia said, trying to comfort me. “It’s just a shock… They have really strong morals, you know…” I pressed my lips together. “Leo never told me he had a girlfriend.” My words felt weak, pathetic without proof. All those unspoken feelings, those shy, secret emotions, had left no trace, no evidence that could prove my innocence. I tried to contact Abby, to explain what really happened. All I got back was a message saying she was still recovering and couldn’t face me right now. Every attempt to clear my name only brought more criticism. The rumors didn’t die down; they grew, fed by a steady stream of new “evidence”—a selectively cropped chat screenshot, a misinterpreted photo—all painting me as a promiscuous villain. The whole affair reached its peak at the annual campus gala. I was the host. I was always the host. But this time, it was different. People I’d worked with for years, people I thought were my friends, avoided my eyes, their smiles strained and awkward. An invisible, suffocating pressure filled the backstage area. No one said a word, but I knew. This was my last time hosting. They hadn’t replaced me only because there wasn’t enough time to find someone else. I took a deep breath and walked onto the stage. Just as I expected, I was met with a sea of appraising stares and hushed whispers. Scrutiny, mockery. The hand holding the microphone trembled slightly. I wasn’t strong enough to stand here and pretend their words didn’t cut me. Thankfully, as the performances began, the attention on me started to fade. At nine o’clock, the gala ended. I stepped forward to deliver the closing remarks. The energy in the auditorium had mellowed, the crowd’s earlier animosity replaced by a restless impatience to leave. I forced a smile. “That concludes a wonderful evening. We’ll see you all next…” My words were cut short by an icy shock that hit me full in the face. Filthy water, mixed with leaves and cigarette butts, drenched me from head to toe. My hair was plastered to my face in dripping strands, my white formal dress stained and ruined. I didn’t have to look to know what a pathetic sight I must be. For the first time, I saw the guy who made the original post. His eyes were filled with raw, naked malice. “My sister is in the hospital, and you get to stand here, all glamorous and perfect?!” he screamed. “You vicious bitch, you don’t deserve this!” The audience, who had been shuffling towards the exits, stopped dead. Phones came out, a hundred little black lenses turning towards the stage, a hundred unblinking eyes watching this trial by public opinion. No one looked at me with pity. There were only cheers, a wave of excitement at this unexpected finale. “YES! Finally!” “She deserves it! Why should Abby be in the hospital while she’s up there under the spotlights?” “This is so satisfying!” My shock and humiliation were the spark that lit their fireworks. The hall erupted. Abby’s brother and I were both hauled into the Dean’s office. This guy, all six feet of him, was the one whose eyes turned red first. Talking about his sister, he choked up. “I just couldn’t stand it…” he sobbed. “Why should my sister suffer so much while she gets away with everything… I wanted to… I know I was a bit impulsive…” The Dean spent a long time talking to him, consoling him. His voice softened, and it seemed like they’d reached some kind of understanding. But when he left, the look he shot me was anything but forgiving. In his eyes, I deserved everything I got, and even this wasn’t enough to settle the score. Silence descended on the office again, the same heavy silence that followed me into my dorm room, into my classes. The Dean took a sip of tea. It felt like an eternity before she finally spoke. “Ultimately, you were in the wrong here, Ava. While the young man’s actions were extreme, they’re… understandable.” “Let’s just leave it at that.” She tapped her fingers on the desk, a gesture of finality. I looked up at her. “I didn’t do anything.” She waved a dismissive hand. “It is what it is. Don’t dwell on it. You young people and your messy lives.” “Because of the impact of this incident, you probably won’t be getting that scholarship. There’s nothing to be done about it.” “Give it time. The rumors will die down eventually. Just let time handle it.” She said it so calmly, but I could feel my whole body trembling. Why did everyone think this was something I just had to endure? Why was every attempt I made to tell the truth drowned by this tidal wave of gossip? The truth wasn’t what they said it was, so why was I the only one being punished? I looked at the clues I’d gathered on my phone and opened up the campus confessions submission form. A few minutes later, a new post set the campus on fire all over again. 【HUGE NEWS—This Wednesday, 3 PM, Ava will be live-streaming her confession. She will admit to being a homewrecker, kneel to apologize to Abby, and offer financial compensation.】 Watching the comment count skyrocket, my eyes narrowed. Maybe I was wrong to try and explain myself from the start. When someone throws mud at you, crouching down to wipe your skirt is the most useless thing you can do.

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