Author: Momo Chan

The day I returned home after a long trip, the news of my lawyer husband, Julian, throwing a lavish birthday party for me was all over the news. But the night before my birthday, a message popped up on his phone: “It’s been five years. I’ve been waiting for you.” Julian pushed me away, his face etched with guilt. He claimed the firm had an urgent case, and he was specifically requested to handle it. “Sera, I’m so sorry. My managing partner just notified me about an emergency business trip. I won’t be able to celebrate your birthday with you tomorrow.” Seeing him leave without a moment’s hesitation, I secretly activated the tracking app on his phone. Watching the red dot on the screen slowly move, I discreetly hailed a cab and followed right behind him. I had just been appointed as the firm’s managing partner myself, and I’d specifically approved his leave. How could there be an “emergency case” assigned to him? I was going to find out who he was so desperately rushing to see at midnight.

Julian’s car finally stopped at the Grand Ballroom of the Riverside Manor. I immediately drove over. From a distance, I could hear countless fireworks exploding. As I got closer, I saw ribbons filling the air, blurring everyone’s faces. Two servers pushed a cake, taller than any person, towards the main table. “Happy Birthday, my wife! Happy Fifth Wedding Anniversary!” My heart lurched violently. That was Julian’s voice! And he was calling the woman in his arms his wife! Fifth wedding anniversary? Wasn’t that with me? As the ribbons fell, my breath caught in my throat the moment I clearly saw the woman’s face! Chloe! How was the daughter of our housekeeper here? The compliments of the crowd erupted: “I heard Mr. Julian’s doting wife is the heiress of the prominent Sterling family in our city. Seeing her today, Miss Sterling is truly extraordinary!” “Yes, indeed. Miss Sterling and Mr. Julian are childhood sweethearts, a picture-perfect couple, truly made for each other!” Since when did Chloe become the heiress of my family, the Sterling family of this city?! I don’t have any older or younger sisters! It was true that she and Julian were childhood sweethearts, because Chloe’s mother was originally a housekeeper for Julian’s family. But because Julian liked Chloe, his family fired her mother. My family was the one who took them in, mother and daughter! I, out of kindness, even arranged for Chloe to work at the law firm. Though it was just for printing documents, I made sure she was well-paid. But I was gone from the city for just half a month, and now Chloe had magically transformed into Miss Sterling and Julian’s wife! “Thanks to Miss Sterling’s efforts, Sterling & Associates managed to land multi-million dollar cases!” “Mr. Julian is truly blessed!” They exchanged happy smiles, just like the hero and heroine in a syrupy-sweet romance novel, so sweet it was sickening. Just then, Chloe gripped Julian’s hand, her face blushing as she said: “Julian and I grew up together. We’ve been in love for 20 years!” “Julian was worried that media gossip would affect my life, so he kept our relationship private.” Julian smiled, silently assenting. The guests nodded, an “oh, I see” expression on their faces. I laughed. No wonder Julian always kept me out of the public eye, even hiding our relationship at the firm. It was all to let Chloe shed her identity as the housekeeper’s daughter and take my place! To solidify her status as Miss Sterling, she even had to steal my birthday! Since he loved Chloe so much, I’d grant these scumbags their wish. I’d divorce him immediately! I walked forward, step by step, and saw Julian putting his arm around Chloe’s waist, talking confidently: “Besides not wanting Chloe to be harassed, the Sterling family values discretion, especially for its daughters.” “What? I never knew the Sterling family had such a rule.” “Julian, when did you get another wife behind my back?” I shouted, and the noisy hall instantly fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Julian almost instinctively, immediately let go of Chloe. His face turned a mix of green and white, lost in thought. I quickly stepped forward, snatched the red wine glass from his hand, and splashed it all over his face: “What? Your ‘business trip’ took you straight into another woman’s arms?”

“Seraphina, what the hell is wrong with you!” Julian snapped back to reality, wiping the red wine from his face, trembling with rage. His face was flushed with anger, but his flickering eyes couldn’t hide his guilt. Before I could question him further, Mr. Davies, the chief lawyer from a rival firm, incited the crowd’s anger: “Security! Why are you letting any crazy person in here!” “This is a top-tier legal networking event. Who do you think you are, impersonating Mrs. Julian and slandering our Mr. Julian?” “You’re deliberately damaging someone’s reputation. Apologize now!” The junior lawyers, eager to follow suit, chimed in: “You’ve come to the wrong place to throw a tantrum! We deal with law here. There are plenty of legal ways to sue you!” “Mr. Julian is too kind to bother with you, but we must uphold justice!” I let out a sarcastic laugh, looking at Julian: “You want to ‘bother with me’?” “Setting everything else aside, Mr. Big-Shot Lawyer, living together as husband and wife, that de facto marriage, it already constitutes bigamy. You wouldn’t be unaware of that, would you?” “Just now you said ‘fifth wedding anniversary,’ that could get you two years, you know!” Chloe’s eyes instantly welled up, and she shrank into my husband’s arms, looking pitiful: “Sera, please don’t make trouble for Julian. It’s all my fault…” Seeing Chloe’s teary-eyed look, Julian immediately flared up, giving me a cold warning: “Seraphina, what nonsense are you talking about bigamy? Get home, now!” That phrase, “Get home,” made everyone present smell gossip, and they began to scrutinize me with renewed curiosity. I scoffed: “Afraid your fake wife can’t handle the truth?” “Sera! Even though your mother worked for Julian’s family and took care of him since he was little, you’re going too far!” Chloe raised her voice, righteous indignation coloring her tone. “Even if you like Julian, he and I have a baby on the way! Please, stop trying to ruin my family, I’m begging you!” “I felt sorry for you and got you a job at the firm. Why are you so ungrateful?” I was stunned, utterly bewildered. Weren’t those *my* lines? Chloe had no shame! Julian, seeing the suspicion in everyone’s eyes, added solemnly: “I always kept my distance from Seraphina. I never imagined she’d be so shameless, causing a scene like this. I apologize for the embarrassment!” “Seraphina, if you keep this up, don’t blame me for firing you and kicking you out of my house!” It was then that everyone finally dismissed their doubts, whispering amongst themselves: “So she’s the Julian family’s housekeeper? No wonder she said ‘get home’ earlier.” “She looks decent, but she’s just a gold-digger trying to sleep her way to the top! Spreading rumors about Mr. Julian’s bigamy, she’s got a death wish.” “Women like that will do anything to climb the ladder, forget selling themselves, they’d disown their own parents.” Listening to these words, I playfully looked at Chloe, whose smile grew increasingly stiff. To be insulted directly and still manage to smile, Chloe was quite something. I nodded, giving Chloe a disdainful look: “You’re absolutely right. People like that will disown their own parents to climb the ladder!” “Chloe, wouldn’t you agree?” “What did you say when you first seduced Julian, got thrown out by his family, and begged me to take you in?” “Is marrying my husband and bearing his child your way of repaying me?”

Chloe’s face flushed crimson. Before I could expose more of her ugly deeds, someone suddenly pushed me from behind. I fell, hitting my head on a table corner. A warm trickle of blood flowed out, and my vision blurred with pain. Opening my eyes, I saw a woman dressed to the nines smash a piece of cake into my face: “Pfft! What rubbish are you spouting!” “Chloe clearly looks like a lady from a good family. With your housekeeper’s poor, trashy appearance, how dare you lust after Mr. Julian?” Chloe’s face was full of smug satisfaction: “Exactly! I secured three multi-million dollar cases in one month. If a mere housekeeper like you could easily impersonate me, then my Oxford Law PhD would be meaningless.” Haha, Chloe was trying to steal every single bit of my identity! “Yeah! Housekeepers should stick to housekeeper duties, not try to seduce the master.” “Chloe, we can’t keep people like this around. If she dares to impersonate you today, who knows what she’ll do tomorrow!” “If you love seducing men so much, stop being a housekeeper and go sell yourself instead.” I looked at Julian. He was cold-faced, nonchalantly swirling the wine in his glass. “Julian, do you remember what you said when you were pursuing me? You said you’d love me forever, protect me forever.” “Now you just watch them humiliate me?” Julian’s expression quickly shifted, until finally, his voice, cold and unfamiliar, pierced through me: “If you hadn’t insisted on making a scene, would it have come to this?” Chloe got even more emboldened: “Julian told me you’ve been constantly harassing and seducing him. He only tolerated you because your mother worked for his family for over a decade.” “But fabricating rumors about Julian’s bigamy is just too much!” “I declare, I declare Seraphina dismissed. Sterling & Associates does not keep ungrateful vipers!” Ungrateful viper? I looked at Julian: “Are you sure Chloe was the one who secured those deals?” “For Sterling & Associates to be where it is today, who was it that went out and developed clients? Who burned the midnight oil organizing case files? And who secured ten multi-million dollar deals, one after another, to solidify the firm’s position?” “Julian, do you dare tell everyone?” Julian’s face showed a flicker of apprehension and hesitation. The next moment, I heard Chloe say: “To give you a chance to develop, we did let you talk to these clients in the early stages. But all those cases were problematic, and Julian and I had to clean up your mess in the end.” Hearing this, Julian seemed to genuinely believe that he and Chloe had saved the day and secured the deals. His expression turned cold: “Seraphina, I’ve indulged you too much. You actually dare to claim Chloe’s achievements as your own!” After Julian’s words, everyone’s gaze turned even more contemptuous: “A mere administrative assistant who just makes coffee and prints documents, trying to steal credit from Miss Chloe? That’s like a fly growing wings and thinking it can touch the sky!” Julian gripped Chloe’s hand: “If you resign now and hand over Mr. Sterling’s contact information to Chloe, we won’t pursue the bigamy rumors against you.” My heart turned cold. My husband, who had shared my bed for five years, was waiting here to scheme against me? So they were eyeing the nearly twenty million dollars in legal fees from the three massive cases I brought in! He’d played such a grand game to please his mistress! I shook my head, chuckling. Julian had miscalculated. His mistake was in underestimating my family. They were too low-status to realize that my family, the Sterling family, *was* the wealthiest family in the city! And the clients for those multi-million dollar cases? They were all my Grandfather! As Miss Sterling, it was time for me to deal with these imposters who had sullied my name. I smiled and said: “You’ll get the number right away.” “But, you two wouldn’t possibly think that a couple of incompetent fakes like you could land Mr. Sterling’s cases, would you?” “Julian, you can use me up and toss me aside? But let me remind you, ungrateful vipers never come to a good end!” “I’ll send the divorce papers to your email shortly.”

“Seraphina, are you insane? You’ve gotten addicted to acting like Mrs. Julian, like a rich heiress?” “What divorce! My wife has always been Chloe.” Julian gritted his teeth, trembling. He was in too deep now, forced to keep up the lie. I crossed my arms, watching them like a spectator at a comedy. Around me, quite a few people subtly changed their demeanor, becoming more respectful towards me. Their whispers, in the now quiet room, were remarkably clear: “Seraphina also has the surname Sterling. Could it be that Chloe is actually the mistress?” “I heard the real Sterling heiress is very low-key. Isn’t Chloe’s outfit, covered in logos, a bit too deliberate?” Hearing this, Chloe’s smile faltered, and she glared at me furiously: “Seraphina, I have an Oxford Law PhD. How dare you, a high school dropout with no real smarts, utter such outrageous claims!?” “I’m calling Grandfather Arthur Sterling right now to show you how a professional handles multi-million dollar cases!” Seeing her so confident, those opportunists started observing again. “Seraphina, I can’t believe how calculating you are. You know Mr. Sterling is notoriously hard to reach, yet you provoked Chloe into calling him in front of everyone!” “No wonder we almost fell for your tricks, what cunning tactics!” “Since you claim you handled those multi-million dollar cases, then show us proof.” “I ask you, is your name listed as the client on *any* of those cases?” My heart sank. No wonder Julian always sweet-talked me into putting the cases under his name, claiming it was to build a reputation for Sterling & Associates. It was all for this day, to steal everything from me and give it to Chloe! My identity as Miss Sterling, my status as Mrs. Julian, my Oxford PhD (which he knew I was pursuing), even the cases I handled for him—he wanted to steal it all! I laughed self-deprecatingly. How blind was I to have loved such a scumbag for five years? Seeing my silence, the entire room full of sycophantic lawyers began to attack me: “Talks a big game, but can’t produce a shred of evidence! Pathetic, stop pretending!” “This crazy dog, impersonating Miss Sterling and biting at everyone, get the security to throw her out! She’s disgusting!” A few sleazy men exchanged lewd glances and started to surround me: “No need for security. We’ll drag her out and teach her a good lesson ourselves, then she’ll be docile!” Meeting their naked gazes, I felt a chill run through me and trembled as I backed away. Julian frowned slightly, a hesitant look on his face. “It’s just a little lesson to make her remember. We’re all lawyers in this city, nobody will go too far.” Hearing this, Julian seemed to be given a green light, and turned his head, no longer looking at me. A bald man, Frank, grabbed my wrist, his eyes lingering on my chest. I used all my strength to yell: “Let go!” “I am the granddaughter of Arthur Sterling, the wealthiest man in the city! Dare to touch me, and you’ll regret it!” Everyone present froze for a second, then burst into uproarious laughter! “That’s hilarious! The little housekeeper is really getting into her acting!” “You know what, with a scream like that, she almost has the demeanor of an heiress!” Frank tugged me, dragging me out, while two other men seized the opportunity to grope me. “Alright, alright, go ahead and act like the rich man’s granddaughter. Just let us have some fun.” Tears in my eyes, I looked at Julian and screamed: “Julian!” “Stop them right now! My family, the Sterlings, can help your family rise, and we can also make you disappear overnight!” Julian turned to look at me, his eyes devoid of any emotion. He simply said, “Oh.” “Seraphina, blame your bad luck. The daughter of a servant should not dream of being Mrs. Julian, should not dream of replacing Chloe.” Frank, hearing this, became even more brazen, his hand reaching into my blouse and fondling me wantonly. “Mr. Arthur Sterling has arrived!”

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Everyone knew the acclaimed actor, Julian Reed, and the rising starlet, Fiona White, were practically smitten with each other. He spent her birthdays with her, showered her with gifts, and protected her career in the cutthroat entertainment industry. They were just one step away from making it official. Until my personal blog, filled with sweet memories of Julian and me, was dug up. Suddenly, the internet exploded with a torrent of abuse: “Who’s this nobody trying to cling to fame?” “Get lost, delusional fangirl!” But then Julian left a comment for me: “Haze, please come back. Let’s start over.” I can’t come back, Julian. I’m already gone. 【June 24, 2024, Sunny. Julian Reed, I don’t like the tenth-anniversary gift you gave me. I’m mad. It’ll take ten kisses to make me feel better.】 It was a necklace, from one of my favorite niche designers. I loved her philosophy: nothing in this world is meaningful unless it’s unique. So, she only ever made one of each piece. One of a kind, irreplaceable. I’d always wanted a piece of her work. I once showed Julian a bracelet, telling him how much I loved it. He sat there, chin propped on his hand, gazing at me with such tender affection. “Hubby will buy it for you, Haze. Anything you want, I’ll get it.” The memory was still so fresh, it could have been yesterday. But today, he’d given me a necklace. Not the bracelet I’d been dreaming of. A wave of disappointment twisted my already aching stomach, making me feel irritable. I put down the necklace, met his eyes, and asked, “Why isn’t it that bracelet?” His expression flickered with panic for a second, but he quickly covered it up. He said with a feigned regret, “I’m so sorry, Haze. I was too late; that bracelet had already sold.” “This necklace is beautiful too. It’ll look stunning on you.” I stared into his carefully composed eyes, managing a bitter smile. Julian Reed. Julian Reed. I never wear necklaces. Had you forgotten? After what happened, how could I ever dare to wear one? That night, Julian pulled me close in bed. He pressed soft kisses to the back of my neck, feigning endless tenderness. “Haze, happy tenth wedding anniversary.” In the darkness, I gave a mocking little tug at the corner of my mouth. Julian, today isn’t our tenth wedding anniversary. Yesterday was.

I knew exactly where that bracelet went. A photo of its owner, wearing it, was sitting quietly in my phone. The sender had no name attached, but I knew exactly who she was. Fiona White, the rising starlet, my husband’s on-screen partner. They’d played a couple in a TV series that became a massive hit, shooting them to stardom. Now, they were reuniting on screen for a movie. She had added me on SnapChat a year ago and, ever since, would send me messages from time to time. Showing me just how good my husband was to her. When she struggled with a scene, he’d break it down line by line, rehearsing with her late into the night. He’d shield her from aggressive toasts and the pressures of industry gatherings, making sure she didn’t touch a drop of alcohol. He’d connect her with renowned directors, helping her climb from a complete nobody to the rising starlet she was today. She didn’t miss a single sweet detail between them, sending me every last bit of it. Until yesterday. Yesterday was my and Julian’s tenth wedding anniversary. It was also Fiona’s birthday. Julian didn’t come home. He went to celebrate with her. That evening, I received another message from her. A photo. A slender wrist adorned with an antique-looking bracelet, distinctive and unforgettable. The very bracelet Julian had promised me. 【Sister, don’t you think this bracelet is beautiful?】 【Julian got it for me.】 【I just mentioned it casually, and he gave it to me without hesitation.】 【Honestly, I can’t handle him. He’s going to spoil me rotten.】 I didn’t reply. I never replied to her messages, but she still persisted, happily sending them for an entire year. Perhaps she was certain I’d read them. And I always did. I watched my husband grow closer to another woman, doting on her, pouring all his energy into her. I used to dismiss Fiona’s messages. Did she even know what Julian and I had been through? We’d been married for ten years; our lives were intertwined, our existence woven into each other’s. He’d rescued me from a bleak childhood, and he’d promised to love me forever. I thought Julian and I would endure, steadfast, against anything. After all, in this vast world, we only had each other. I never imagined that after just ten years, his heart would begin to wander. He started noticing the scenery along the path, attempting to walk with someone else.

【August 19, 2024, Cloudy. Julian Reed sent me a dress, a backless style, so dramatic. He said he wanted me to wear it for him. He’s such a pervert.】 Julian sent his assistant to deliver the dress. It was incredibly sexy, exposing a large portion of my back, definitely not for everyday wear. While my roles were often glamorous, often villainous characters, or femme fatale roles that were all flash and no substance, that wasn’t my everyday style. Julian called me, patiently coaxing, “Please, Haze, my sweet wife, I miss you. Will you wear it and come see me?” He kept badgering me for ages, and eventually, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. I agreed. He said he’d be off set late, asking me to meet him at room 1407 in the hotel at midnight. The way he enthusiastically gave me instructions reminded me of when we were eighteen. We were both just starting college, having been together for only a year. He’d always hold and kiss me, murmuring about when we’d be adults, how he was about to explode from holding back. I could feel it—his words, his touch, his gaze, even his very soul, craved me. I reveled in that craving. He made me feel like my existence in this world had meaning. He was my reason to live. Julian Reed was Hazel’s reason to live, from eighteen to thirty-two. Always. At midnight, I wore that dress and knocked on the door of 1407. But it wasn’t Julian who opened it; it was a strange old man. We stared at each other for a moment in the doorway before his gaze turned lecherous, raking over me. Julian then appeared from behind me, pulling me away as he told the old man, “My apologies, Director Thompson. My assistant sent her to the wrong room.” Back in Julian’s room, he held me close, and we spent the night wrapped in each other. Half-asleep, I heard his faint whisper: “I’m sorry, Haze.”

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From the moment I could remember, Mom called me a slut. She’d say I was shameless, always trying to seduce my own father, stealing my mom’s man. She’d curse me for being indecent, dressing like a tramp, always trying to pick up any guy I met. The night before my college entrance exams, I called her, begging for help. “Mom, please save me!” All I got in response was the cold, unfeeling sound of a busy signal. She’d hung up on me. A cold, desolate smirk twisted my lips. I looked at the man behind me, his hands reaching out, contorted in a grotesque leer. I turned, and leaped from the high-rise building. Yet, my mom, who had always hated me, went completely insane after learning of my death. She dragged the killer, frantic, demanding he join me in my grave. Perhaps my obsession was too deep; my soul didn’t dissipate after I died. I watched my own body, shattered and broken from the fall. Yet, an inexplicable joy bubbled up inside me. I was dead. Mom could finally be happy, right? After all, she’d always loathed me, never once showing affection. She had accused me more than once of being manipulative, saying she’d only find peace once I was dead. Now, her wish had come true. I drifted towards the house, hoping for one last glimpse of my mom. Even if she didn’t love me. I don’t know how much time passed, but I finally arrived at the home I hadn’t stepped foot in for ages. Mom was just as I remembered, quietly reading a book, radiating a gentle warmth. I stood there, frozen, terrified of disturbing the scene. I’d forgotten I was dead, afraid to even breathe too loudly. It had been so long since I’d seen Mom not in a rage. The few times I did see her, I had to carefully hide myself, peeking from a distance. Mom, in my memories, had endless reprimands for me, and an unquenchable anger. Over time, I slowly understood that she didn’t like me. I pushed down my disappointment, trying my best in everything, hoping to win her favor. But no matter how much I did, I was eventually cast out of the house. A sharp ache stung my eyes. But I couldn’t blink away tears like I used to. My voice trembled as I carefully called out to her. “Mom.” Mom looked up, her gaze sweeping in my direction. There was no trace of the disgust I was so used to, just simple confusion in her eyes. It was the look I had yearned for every time I called her name. My breath hitched, and my eyes widened involuntarily. Mom, could she see me? But instead of meeting my hopeful gaze, Mom looked right past me. “What is it, Mrs. Jenkins?” My body stiffened, and I let my hand fall, crestfallen. Right. I was already dead, just a lonely ghost now. How could Mom possibly see me? “Mr. Vance said there’s an urgent matter at the company; he needs to travel out of state. He asked you to go to bed early, ma’am.” Mrs. Jenkins delivered the message but didn’t leave, hesitating before asking quietly. “Ma’am, tomorrow is Lily’s college entrance exams. Do you… want to call her and give her some encouragement?” Hearing Mrs. Jenkins’ words, I lifted my bowed head, a flicker of light reigniting in my eyes. Even knowing how unlikely it was, I clung to that tiny shred of hope. What if? What if, deep down, Mom still cared about me? But quickly, that fragile, unrealistic fantasy shattered. Mom slammed her book shut, her face etched with impatience. “Her? What could I possibly have to say to her?” The more Mom spoke, the angrier she became, venting her disgust for me to Mrs. Jenkins. “You know what she’s done! Shameless! How could she even think of seducing her own father!” “She’s almost eighteen, and I have no further obligation to raise her! Our paths split long ago, and we have nothing to do with each other now!” Mrs. Jenkins tried to defend me. “Lily isn’t that kind of person… Perhaps there was a misunderstanding about what happened?” Mom looked as if she’d heard something utterly unbelievable. She slapped the table hard, stood up, and shouted. “Misunderstanding?! Putting her underwear in her father’s bag—isn’t that blatant seduction?!” “I’m her mother, how could I not know what kind of person she is?! That manipulative little witch is a master at charming people, you’ve just been fooled by her looks!” I lowered my eyes, a sharp pain piercing deep within my chest. Strange. Does a dead heart still hurt? I exhaled with difficulty. Lily Vance, you knew this all along, didn’t you? In Mom’s eyes, you were nothing but a hussy, seducing her husband.

The next day was my college entrance exams. If everything hadn’t happened. I should have been with my classmates, passing through security, and sitting in the exam hall. Mom’s phone rang, pulling me from my daze. She answered, and I heard the voice of my homeroom teacher from the other end. “Hello, is this Lily Vance’s mother? The exam starts in less than half an hour, and Lily isn’t here yet? Has something happened?” My spirit trembled, a surge of uncontrollable hope. Mom, please call me. Even if your voice is filled with annoyance, I don’t care. As I gazed at her with hopeful eyes, Mom frowned, her face full of impatience. “If Lily Vance didn’t go, then she didn’t go. Why are you calling me?!” “Teacher, just leave her alone. That wretched girl has always been a Jezebel, obsessed with seducing men. If she skipped the exam, she’s probably off with some guy.” The teacher was taken aback by Mom’s words and tried to defend me. “Mrs. Vance, Lily is always an excellent student, never causes trouble; she’s a model student. Our teachers all really like Lily; she couldn’t possibly be like you say…” Hearing the teacher’s words, I carefully watched Mom’s expression. Even if she didn’t care, I always pushed myself to get good grades. It was my way of showing Mom that all I wanted was to succeed and make her proud, never to attract boys. But Mom suddenly flew into a rage at the teacher’s words, interrupting her loudly. “Teacher, how could even you be fooled by that little girl?! I’m her mother, I know what she’s thinking!” “Lily Vance is a demon, a mistress who’s been trying to steal my husband since the day she was born!” “I kicked her out of the house long ago, and I never want to see her again. Whatever happens to her has nothing to do with me! Don’t call me about her anymore!” It felt like countless sharp thorns sprouted in my heart, piercing my chest and throat. I doubled over in pain, curling into a ball. My eyes burned with a terrible sting, but no tears would come out. Even after I died, did Mom still think I was dirty? As far back as I could remember, Mom never showed me affection, always watching me with a scrutinizing gaze. As a small, clueless child, I cried, wanting Mom and Dad to hug me, but she slapped me to the floor. “You cry if you’re a step away from your dad, you’re truly a demon reborn! How could I have given birth to a daughter like you!” Mom’s best friend, Sarah Miller, called out to her and carried me away. I clutched Sarah’s clothes, sobbing. “A-auntie, why… why doesn’t Mom like me?” “Your mom… she suffered from postpartum depression after you were born. It’s not that she doesn’t like you. Lily, don’t overthink it. She’ll be better once she recovers.” I believed her, thinking Mom would love me once she was well. But I waited and waited, for so many years. And that day never came.

The next day after I died, Sarah Miller called. Her frantic voice came through the phone. “Eleanor, has Lily called you? She’s missing!” “Her phone is off, and she didn’t leave me a note. I’ve looked everywhere I can think of!” Hearing Sarah Miller’s voice, my throat constricted. Mom had always despised me, but Sarah Miller had always treated me like her own daughter. Hearing her voice, all the grievances I’d bottled up came flooding out. Mom didn’t care; she scoffed. “How could even you be fooled by her little tricks? I stopped playing those games when I was three.” “Don’t think playing missing will make me erase the past! And don’t you dare cover for her, trying to fool me together.” Sarah Miller cried out angrily. “Eleanor, Lily is your daughter! How can you not be worried at all? It’s so dangerous out there now; what if someone did something to her…” Mom snorted coldly, cutting Sarah Miller off. “Wouldn’t that just be what that wretched girl wanted? If you still consider me your friend, don’t ever mention her to me again!” She hung up, ignoring Sarah Miller’s reaction. Mom sat on the bed, fuming for a while, then unblocked me from her contact list. “Where the hell did you go! Not a word, and now so many people are asking me about you! Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused me?!” After she sent the message, the chat screen remained silent for a long time. When I was alive, I would always reply to Mom’s messages instantly. But this time, I couldn’t. Watching Mom’s expression grow increasingly agitated, my eyes pleaded. Mom, please, just wonder. I didn’t deliberately hide to try and blackmail you into fixing our mother-daughter relationship. But Mom couldn’t see me, couldn’t hear my silent plea. She lost her patience, furrowed her brow, and angrily sent a voice message. “So you’ve found a man and dropped the act, huh? Fine, then don’t ever call me ‘Mom’ again! As far as I’m concerned, I don’t have a daughter!” Mom threw her phone violently onto the bed. I cowered in the corner, clutching my chest. Mom, when will you ever believe me? I was never, never that kind of person.

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I had my reasons for agreeing to this arrangement. So did he. It was easy money without having to get physically intimate. A germaphobe’s dream come true. This collaboration was a win-win for me. Until he saw my social media posts fantasizing about our nonexistent sex life: “Tried position #99 with my CEO hubby last night! 99/100 complete!” “OMG! I called him ‘boss’ in bed and he went wild. Can’t walk straight today~” … “So Lily likes to play like this?” “I can fulfill all your desires.” Was the playboy trying to settle down? Time to make a run for it! “Boss, I’m curious – how many women have you slept with?” Even after getting married, I still called him “boss”. Calling him “hubby” would cost extra. “99,” Ryan replied without hesitation. “Damn, that’s precise!” Only 99? I thought players bragged about thousands of conquests. “Interested in being number 100?” It did sound like a nice round number. “Ah no, I’m a germaphobe,” I said, not for the first time. He didn’t get angry. Our arrangement had always worked well. Honestly, Ryan was a good guy and a good boss. Just a bit of a player, but otherwise no major flaws. If he hadn’t proposed this fake marriage deal, I’d still be going on awful Tinder dates and getting ghosted. Plus Ryan was easy on the eyes, which was his best quality. I got to enjoy the view at work and at home. Who could complain? I was basically getting paid double, with eye candy as a bonus. Most importantly, no need to actually get physical. A total win for a germaphobe like me. This was living the dream as far as I was concerned. I started a secret social media account to write steamy fiction about my fake relationship with the boss. It got pretty popular. Username: Naughty Yellow Duck (will change name after unlocking 100 positions) “What’s it like having your husband as your boss?” “The thrill of pretending not to know each other at work every day.” “Another day of calling him ‘boss’ at the office and ‘hubby’ at home~” These posts got hundreds of thousands of views. My followers kept begging for updates. They had no idea these “daily life” posts were just the fantasies of an imaginative writer. But I was raking in the views and building a social media following. In my fictional world, my husband and I pretended not to know each other at work, then got wild at home every night. “He” liked me to call him “boss” in bed. “I” sent him sexy photos during meetings. When he was on video calls, “I” hid under his desk to “service” him. … No one at work knew how steamy our nights supposedly were. My internet followers ate it up. I’d open my notifications to 99+ comments. “Did you and the CEO hubby have fun last night? We need an update!” “Staying up late waiting for big sis to feed us more juicy details~” “We’re all begging for illustrations of the new positions!” … I churned out updates, feeding my followers’ imagination daily. What can I say, I’m a people pleaser with a vivid imagination. I got lost in my writing, unable to stop. But the real eye candy in front of me was more tempting than internet followers. Ryan looked so sexy in his bathrobe after showering. I wanted to interview his past conquests about what it was like to get intimate with him. My followers would love those details. I needed material. I also really wanted to touch his chest muscles, but I was too chicken. Afraid he’d charge me and dock my pay. But Ryan had been giving me these heated looks lately. It started after he asked if I was interested in being his 100th conquest. I looked down at my own chest. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. I gave my butt a squeeze. Not bad either. No way, was the boss looking to try something new? “What are you doing?” Oh god, his eyes looked hungry and his voice was so sexy. Help! “Oh, um, I’ve been having some irritation down there lately. Hemorrhoids, you know.” A writer’s imagination comes in handy. The fire in Ryan’s eyes died down. Close call. I had zero interest in being just another notch on his bedpost. This germaphobe was staying single. Gotta focus on the money! I drank the warm milk Ryan prepared before bed as usual. I had to admit, Ryan was a good guy. And I’d get to hear some live action through the walls at night. Gave me material for my steamy fiction to feed my followers. Speaking of which, the noises were starting up again. “Did you hear the boss got married? But they’re keeping it quiet~” 9am was breakfast and gossip time. 10am was when we wage slaves had to start actually working. “Secret marriage, of course. Rich people love that stuff.” “He’s not a celebrity, why keep it secret? Being married would suit his image better.” “We plebs can’t understand the world of the wealthy.” An hour passed. 10-11am was spent deciding what to eat for lunch. Hollywood Reject: “Boss, can we expense crab for the team lunch? Pretty please~” World’s Best Boss: “Reason.” The boss was all business over chat. Hollywood Reject: “I’m craving it + I’m broke~ Don’t judge me!” World’s Best Boss: “Call me hubby, I’ll give you a raise.” I didn’t hesitate for even a second out of respect for money! Hollywood Reject: “Yes hubby~ Kisses!”

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In my past life, Lily, Ethan’s adopted sister, burst into our engagement party naked, kneeling and begging me. “Sister-in-law, I’m so sorry! I won’t chase after my brother anymore. Please forgive me, I don’t want to sleep with those old men again!” Ethan firmly defended me and kicked her out. But on our wedding day, with all our family and friends gathered and the city’s elites in attendance, he played videos of different men entering my room and being intimate with me every night. My father, a respected doctor who had saved countless lives, coughed up blood in shock. My mother rushed to turn it off, but Ethan smashed the remote, his eyes full of contempt. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Johnson, but my family has strict standards. I can’t marry someone who’s been passed around like a public bus.” My father collapsed and died on the spot. My mother silently took me home and turned on the gas. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I confessed to Ethan. The next moment, I saw his eyes swirling with complex emotions. I knew then – he had been reborn too. 0

In the dim private room, my friends’ teasing words echoed around me. “Hey, Aria’s here! Ethan’s over here! Make way for Aria!” Everyone’s gaze darted between Ethan and me suggestively. He sat on the couch, staring at me intently. Those eyes were so deep and loving, as if they could only contain me. I clutched the bouquet of his favorite irises, my palms sweating. Looking at these familiar faces, I belatedly realized I had been reborn. The burned skin from my past life still ached faintly. It took me a while to lift my head. My gaze fell on the man I had loved for eight years. Suppressing the urge to rush over and tear him apart, I spoke coldly. “You’ve misunderstood. I’m not here to confess to him.” Ethan’s face was full of shock. He pressed his lips together tightly, a flash of pain crossing his eyes. My friends were also stunned. They looked at him, then at me, joking: “There are only two guys here today – Ethan and Henry. Don’t tell me we got it wrong and you actually like Henry?” The man drinking quietly in the corner suddenly looked up at me, his grey eyes instantly brightening with a glimmer of hope. Ethan clenched his fists, staring at me intently. Everyone was waiting for my answer. I curled my lips, flashing Henry a gentle smile. His Adam’s apple bobbed unconsciously as he stood and walked towards me. But just as he was about to get close, I shifted my gaze away. “Who says flowers can only be given to others? I bought these simply to please myself.” Ethan let out a subtle sigh of relief. Henry’s figure instantly froze, rooted to the spot. I apologized to my friends and was about to leave when I suddenly heard Ethan speak coldly. “Aria Johnson, do you have to ruin everyone’s mood like this?” I couldn’t help but shudder, meeting those reproachful eyes. This was the expression only the 28-year-old Ethan would have. A thought suddenly flashed through my mind – he must have been reborn too. The next second, I walked up to him. He frowned at me. “Realized your mistake? If you drink three glasses as punishment, we can forget about this…” Before he could finish, I used the flowers to violently smack his face, leaving small cuts. “Aria Johnson! Have you gone mad?” he shouted. One of my friends came over to pull me back, saying we used to be so close, and even if he made a mistake, I shouldn’t embarrass him like this. I just found it laughable. If he thought this was embarrassing, he had no idea what was coming. “Ethan Pierce, you deserved that.” I shook off my friend’s hand and walked out. How nice. Dealing with him at this age might give me some psychological burden. But if it was the 28-year-old him, I wouldn’t need to hold back at all. 0

At the bar entrance, I lowered my head to call a ride. A drunk person walking by almost bumped into me. At that moment, someone wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me aside. Henry held me protectively and said to the drunk person with displeasure: “Watch where you’re going!” I pushed him away, my face cold. “What are you doing here?” He pressed his lips together, seemingly finding it difficult to speak. Just as I was about to turn and leave, having run out of patience, he suddenly grabbed my wrist. “Aria, do you… not like Ethan anymore? Then… would you consider giving me a chance?” He seemed to have mustered great courage, the tips of his ears turning bright red. But in my heart, I felt nothing but endless irritation. “No.” Ethan wasn’t a good person, so how could his friend be any better? Rotten people surround themselves with other rotten people. On the way home, I leaned against the car window, letting the breeze blow over me. The one with reddened eyes and a dejected expression after being rejected was Henry. But on my wedding day, when I was being humiliated, the one calmly enjoying his wine without a care was also him. Although the men’s faces in the surveillance videos were blurred, I could still recognize Henry at a glance. We had grown up together, and I was all too familiar with his build. On how many nights had he pulled me down into depravity? I had even suspected sometimes that the person beside me was him, but I always quickly dismissed the thought. After all, Ethan and Henry were both my childhood friends. We were such good friends – I shouldn’t have doubted them like that. But they had taken my trust and turned it into a sharp blade, stabbing me mercilessly. Since that’s how it was, I wouldn’t consider any past sentiments either. Reaching my front door, I saw that Mom had already prepared dinner. Dad was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper. Mom urged him, “Eat something quickly when you have time. What if the hospital calls you for an emergency shift later?” Dad chuckled, “I want to wait for our precious daughter to come back and eat together.” My nose stung, and tears instantly spilled from my eyes. In my past life, I had been so focused on Ethan that I must have missed countless scenes like this. Yet they had always insisted on waiting for me. Just then, Mom heard movement and came out. “Aria’s back. Come in and wash your hands for dinner.” I quickly wiped my tears and went inside, silently vowing to myself. In this life, I would definitely protect them well. The next morning, I woke up to Mom’s gentle call. Walking to the dining table, Mom poured me a glass of milk, smiling as she said: “Your favorite fresh milk. Your dad specially ordered it for you.” As the milky aroma wafted over, I felt uncontrollably nauseous and retched into the trash can. Mom patted my back worriedly, hesitating before speaking. “You’re not… You’re an adult now, and we won’t interfere in your relationships. But you absolutely cannot get pregnant before marriage.” I collapsed onto the floor, repeatedly assuring her until she was relieved. After Mom left, my hand gripping the chair trembled non-stop. Suddenly, I understood some things. In my past life, after suffering a major blow, I had agreed to move in with Ethan after his persistent coaxing. After coercing me into sleeping with him, he would prepare a glass of hot milk for me every night. It was a bit bitter, and I didn’t like it, but he always said it was just my imagination and forcefully made me drink it. Thinking back now, that was the taste of sedatives – prescription drugs that only doctors could obtain. Ironically, he had switched from studying finance to medicine halfway through college. No hospital was willing to hire him until my dad used his 30 years of professional integrity to vouch for him. Only then did he manage to work at the hospital. Yet he had abused his position to scheme against me. A dense, stabbing pain spread through my chest. Thankfully in this life, there was still time to change everything. 0

I left for work. At lunchtime, Ethan came to find me, condescendingly placing an old jewelry box on my desk. Inside was a silver bracelet. “Aria, I know you’ve been reborn too. Nothing has happened yet. As long as you behave yourself from now on and don’t target Lily, we can have a good future together.” Lily Lambert was the adopted daughter of the Pierce family. She was extremely possessive of Ethan and always had to tag along no matter what we did. Out of consideration that she was his family, I had never minded. She had framed me time and time again, but Ethan had never believed her, always firmly standing by my side. I thought I was the most important person in his heart, but I had overlooked how he often said: “She’s just childish. Don’t take it personally.” I had seen that bracelet before, in Lily’s social media post yesterday. [Just because I liked a gold bracelet online, my brother went out late at night and bought me a whole set of gold jewelry. I’m so happy! But for such a big store to only give a silver bracelet as a free gift is really stingy. Who would still like silver when they have gold~] And that free gift was now in front of me. I almost laughed out loud. Did he think everything that had happened, all the harm he had done to me and my parents, could be erased with such a flippant statement? On what grounds? I smiled mockingly. “We’re just friends. There’s no need for gifts on ordinary days.” The year we turned 18, after the college entrance exams, Ethan had excitedly kissed me. We had been in an ambiguous relationship for seven years after that. He always said he didn’t want others to think he was living off me, so he wanted to establish his career before making our relationship public. This went on until this year. I didn’t want to wait anymore, so I carefully planned that confession. In my past life, he had been deeply moved. We got engaged not long after, but I never expected Lily to run into our engagement party naked and accuse me. At that time, he chose to believe me. I thought it was just a small incident, but I didn’t realize it was the trigger for everything that followed. “Big sister Aria, how can you say such things? My brother ran around to many stores to choose a gift for you. Anyone with eyes can see how much he cares about you.” Lily walked over, affectionately linking her arm with his. Ethan patted her hand and was about to speak when his phone rang. He walked to the side to answer it. Lily leaned in close to me, lowering her voice. “You don’t know, do you? I only had to act crazy for a few days, and my brother was able to bring different men to your bed. Every night, I cuddled in his arms watching the live broadcast of you.” “Actually, my brother really did consider marrying you. But on your wedding day, I self-harmed, and he didn’t hesitate to replace the photos of you two growing up with videos of you being intimate with different men.” “The star pupil of the legendary Dr. Meng, the goddess of medical school, becoming a slut passed around by men on her wedding day – it was truly spectacular. Do you want to experience it again?” For a moment, I seemed to return to that wedding day. My father dying before my eyes, my mother holding me as we perished in the fire. That fire seemed to ignite in my heart again. Shaking with rage, I slapped her hard across the face. Lily fell to the ground with the force of my slap, her eyes misting over as she spoke pitifully. “Big sister Aria, I just didn’t want you to misunderstand my brother. If hitting me makes you feel better, I don’t mind.” Before I could speak, an angry shout rang out. “Aria Johnson!” Ethan forcefully pushed me aside, tenderly helping Lily up. “What nonsense are you saying? With your brother here, no one can hurt you!” My head hit the counter, blood trickling down my forehead. My heart felt like it was being squeezed tight, making it hard to breathe. Once upon a time, when I was bullied by classmates for my good grades, he had protected me just as firmly. “Aria, I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Yes, indeed. So he came to hurt me personally. Ethan looked up angrily, his gaze falling on my bloodied face. A flash of panic crossed his eyes, and he instinctively reached out towards me. But Lily grasped his hand, her voice weak. “Brother, I feel so unwell.” He hesitated for just a moment before gritting his teeth and carrying Lily away. I laughed through my tears, forcing myself to stand up. My hand had an old injury, so I couldn’t use much strength. I couldn’t even leave a handprint on her face, yet it was enough to make him so concerned. I had truly been blind and foolish in my past life. I treated my wound, then took out my phone, holding back a choked sob. “Mom, I agree to go abroad.”

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Eight months pregnant, my husband, Blake, a federal agent, finally carved out some time to join me for my prenatal check-up. But just as we stepped into the hospital, his secure, encrypted phone vibrated urgently. The caller’s name flashed for a split second, and my usually composed husband instantly panicked. “Darling, urgent red alert. Another international fugitive just crossed the border. I… I’m so sorry…” He was frantic, with an undeniable, commanding air, quickly apologizing before rushing out. As I watched his SUV speed away, my nails had already dug into the prenatal report, crumpling it beyond recognition. I hailed a cab, heavily pregnant, and quickly ordered, “Driver, follow that car.” Ha, a “red notice” fugitive? That’s a hilarious lie. My dad’s National Security Agency hasn’t even been notified. What ‘top-priority criminal’ could *he*, a mere inspector assisting with cases, possibly need to catch? I was going to find out exactly which ‘boss’ was so desperate to ‘give him orders.’

I’d barely uttered the words “catching a cheat” before the driver slammed the accelerator, chasing after Blake. I didn’t know who Blake was rushing off to see, but a gut feeling gnawed at me. To my surprise, after several twists and turns, the car pulled up to the entrance of the police department’s private residential compound. I let out a long breath of relief. At least it wasn’t a hotel. This was where the force housed its high-ranking officers; Blake even had a villa here. Before my first pregnancy, I’d lived here for a few months, and the neighbors were all lovely. But now, from a distance, I saw a throng of luxury cars and festive decorations around my house. I was puzzled. Was today some special occasion? Just as I was about to follow him in, a security guard stopped me. “This is a private residential area for officers. No unauthorized personnel.” I paused, then explained with a smile, “I just went in. I’m Officer Blake’s wife.” To my shock, the guard looked at me with open disdain. “Officer Blake’s wife is Mrs. Seraphina. Who are you? You should really check your facts before you impersonate someone.” My body froze instantly. Seraphina. The ‘living blood bank’ Blake had arranged for me… Snapping back to reality, ignoring the guard’s protests, I stormed toward the villa’s entrance, my pregnant belly pushing forward. Inside the grand hall, it was packed with elegant guests, influential figures, their laughter and chatter echoing loudly. My mother-in-law, Brenda, who usually avoided social gatherings, was uncharacteristically circulating and networking. And my husband, Blake, for the first time ever, was holding a baby and feeding it, laughing blissfully with the petite woman beside him. That woman was Seraphina… In that instant, my chest felt like it was being crushed by a giant hand, stealing my breath. Tears streamed down my face, uncontrollable. During my first pregnancy, Blake had been worried about complications due to my rare Rh-negative blood type during delivery. He’d searched nationwide to find me a ‘living blood bank’ – who was then Seraphina, a student struggling financially. After our baby was born, he said he’d send her away. Out of compassion, I’d intervened, letting Seraphina stay and work as a clerk at the police department. I even often asked Blake to bring her supplements. But I never imagined Blake would cheat on me with her, let alone bring her here to live. This villa was the marital home he’d meticulously decorated for me after his promotion to commissioner. It was just too far from the hospital, and after I got pregnant, Blake, ever so cautious, bought a new house near the city hospital and we moved out. I never thought it would become *their* ‘marital’ home, complete with a child. “Congratulations, Commissioner Blake! Your wife is virtuous, and now you have a newborn son. Truly a winner in life!” “Oh, Seraphina is so lucky to have chosen a husband as doting as Blake. I’m simply green with envy!” The Deputy Commissioner’s wife gushed, patting Brenda’s hand. Brenda’s eyes gleamed with evident satisfaction as she looked at Seraphina, boasting, “It’s my Blake’s good fortune to marry such a wonderful daughter-in-law as Seraphina.” As she spoke, Blake, without shying away from the crowd, intimately leaned in and whispered something into Seraphina’s ear. Seraphina blushed shyly, then raised her glass to the crowd. “I was worried it might affect Blake’s reputation at the force, which is why we didn’t announce it publicly. Please don’t mind us, everyone.” “Today is our baby’s hundred-day celebration. Please drink up, consider it our wedding reception!” Seeing Seraphina handle the situation so gracefully, everyone laughed and offered their congratulations. “How could we possibly mind the Commissioner’s wife? We should be wishing you a happy belated wedding!” “I say, why don’t you two pretend to be the bride and groom again today and have a cross-armed toast!” Blake’s subordinates immediately started cheering, and the party atmosphere instantly soared. Seraphina feigned embarrassment and tried to back away, but Blake smoothly wrapped an arm around her waist, interlocking their arms for the toast. Just as he was about to drink, his eyes suddenly met mine at the doorway. The man abruptly pushed the woman away, startling Seraphina so much that she was drenched in red wine. “Skylar…” Wiping away the tears blurring my vision, I rushed forward, my heavily pregnant belly leading the way, and slapped him. “Slap!” The sharp sound echoed through the silent hall. “Blake!” Seraphina’s eyes rolled, and she lunged at Blake, screaming at me hysterically, “Skylar! How dare you—” “Slap—!” Another stinging slap landed. Seraphina’s face instantly swelled red on one side, and she stumbled backward into Blake’s arms, sobbing piteously. I shook my stinging palm. “Skylar…” Blake instantly reacted, roaring at me. “BLAKE—!” But my voice was even louder. I turned my head, my eyes cold and fixed on him. “THIS is your ‘red notice fugitive’!!”

Blake instantly fell silent, his mouth opening and closing, but no words came out. The numerous high-ranking officials and their families present were utterly stunned, oblivious to what was happening. In the frozen atmosphere, a baby’s cry suddenly jolted everyone. Brenda quickly took the baby to soothe him, then immediately turned her wrath on me. “Skylar! You crazy woman, you’re divorced, how dare you still come here to harass my son! Get out of here if you know what’s good for you, or if you offend some important official, you’ll end up in jail!” Mrs. Thompson then added, sharply, “No, even if you are Commissioner Blake’s ex-wife, you can’t just assault someone in public! Seriously, this is assaulting an officer!” As soon as my identity was revealed, the hall erupted. The crowd clamored about locking me up and teaching me a lesson. But I frowned, grabbing Blake’s collar, about to demand why I, his legitimate wife, had suddenly become his ex-wife. Seraphina, however, quickly burrowed into Blake’s arms, her eyes welling up with tears, on the verge of sobbing as she looked at me. “Sister Skylar… Blake has already divorced you. Why do you still keep bothering us…?” Her tears streamed down relentlessly, almost performatively. “It’s all my fault. I’ll give Blake back to you, okay…?” At her words, Blake’s face abruptly darkened. He suppressed his rage and snapped at me, “Skylar! I told you I’m not getting back together with you! Stop harassing us!” “Get out before I lose my patience! I don’t have time for this!” With that, Blake gestured, and several police officers rushed forward to forcibly escort me out. As I struggled, I stumbled, bumping into Brenda. But the moment I glimpsed the baby’s face in her arms, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning! The baby Brenda was holding, supposedly Seraphina’s child, was my Leo, my firstborn, whom I’d labored for seven agonizing hours to bring into the world! But my baby had died three months ago, and Blake himself had cremated him— Blake… My breath hitched, a wave of intense pain surging in my eyes. Goddamn Blake! He faked our child’s death to give him to Seraphina to raise! “Give me back my child! He’s my Leo!” My teeth clenched, grinding audibly, I snatched the swaddled baby, shoving Brenda aside. I gently cooed to the crying infant, my heart aching, tears streaming down my face. Seraphina suddenly panicked, crying as she lunged to snatch the baby back. Her voice was choked and trembling: “Skylar, he’s not your child!” “I know Leo died, and you’ve gone mad with grief. Even after the divorce, you kept harassing Blake to have another baby…” “I pitied your loss and was lenient with you, but you can’t steal my child!” “Please, I beg you, leave our family alone… I can divorce Blake, just please give me back the baby!” At her words, Blake’s expression tightened with pain. He tightly gripped Seraphina’s shoulders, warning her, “Seraphina, I forbid it!” “Don’t even think about divorce. No one can break up our family of three.” “What about me?!” I roared, cutting him off. Watching the two of them passionately declare their love, I pointed to my heavily pregnant belly, speaking each word to the man. “Blake, I’m carrying your child. Cheating on me right in front of my face, and calling me your ex-wife – aren’t you disgusted with yourself?!” His Adam’s apple bobbed. He looked at me, his eyes evasive. Seraphina’s tears instantly flowed harder, as if she’d suffered the greatest injustice. She turned to the guests, sobbing. “I’m so sorry, everyone. Sister Skylar is Blake’s ex-wife. After she suffered a difficult labor and lost her child, she went mad.” “Later, she kept pestering Blake to have a baby. When he refused, she found a bunch of lowlifes to… to conceive a child…” “Blake, out of lingering affection, often looked after her, but I never thought she would try to force him to acknowledge an illegitimate child, and… and threaten us to divorce…” Her words instantly ignited the anger of the crowd. The wealthy women immediately sneered and shouted, “Crazy whore, she’s trying to claim it all! Someone! Get this hussy out of here now!” Cradling the baby in my arms, I let out a cold laugh, utterly furious. My gaze turned to Seraphina, cold as ice. “Who’s the one playing innocent while being a whore, Seraphina? Don’t you have any self-awareness? Do I need to remind you how much you sold one milliliter of your blood for?” “Wasn’t it you who took thirty million from me, then knelt before me, begging for a stable, secure job?” Seraphina’s face grew paler and paler as I spoke, but I didn’t stop. “What, did Blake not pay you enough for keeping you? So you’re coming to smash my bowl now?” “You, a mistress, trying to play the part of the legitimate wife – doesn’t your face hurt from all that pretense?” Before I could finish, my heavily pregnant belly was abruptly struck, sending me stumbling.

“You’re the mistress who broke up my son’s family!” Brenda’s shrill voice screeched. My back slammed hard against the wall, and my entire abdomen clenched with sudden, agonizing pain. She snatched the baby from my arms, handing him to Seraphina. Immediately, the police officers present also swelled with indignation. “Exactly, everyone at the force knows Blake and his wife are a couple!” “If it weren’t for his wife providing clues, solving so many major cases, how could Commissioner Blake have been promoted so quickly?” “You, his useless ex-wife, only dragged Blake down. Your face should be hurting!” Providing clues? Solving cases and getting promoted? Didn’t *I* help Blake achieve all of that? Not only did he steal my identity, but he was even shamelessly attributing all my achievements to Seraphina. Giving her a prestigious, honorable facade. Why?! “Exactly! Even if you’re mentally ill, interfering with an officer’s marriage is a crime!” “You loose woman, stop pretending to be Mrs. Blake and dirtying our eyes. It’s a good thing Commissioner Blake is kind-hearted; if it were me, I would have already…” Malicious insults echoed endlessly around me. Amidst this chilling verbal assault, my face pale, I looked at the man who stood aloof, keeping his distance. “Blake.” My voice was weak. “You tell them… how did you truly get your position as commissioner?” Blake’s fingers clenched abruptly. He turned his head, looking at me coldly, a rare flicker of hatred surfacing in his usually indifferent eyes. I laughed. “You said the front lines were too dangerous, that you didn’t want to risk your life and just wanted to stay safely in the rear. I agreed.” “After we got engaged, you said your rank was too low, that you weren’t worthy of me, so I went and begged my dad.” “You complained that cases were too complicated, too hard to solve. I worked day and night, sacrificing sleep and meals, to give you clues. And this is how you—” “Enough!” Blake roared suddenly. He strode forward and grabbed my throat, his eyes bloodshot and ferocious as he screamed at me. “You’re lying! Everything I have today, I earned myself! What does it have to do with a failure like you?!” My neck screamed in pain, the intense feeling of suffocation instantly blackening my vision, my face swelling purple with congested blood. But my resolute words had provoked Blake’s sudden fury. The high-ranking officials and noblewomen, witnessing this, began to whisper, as if they had uncovered something. Seeing this, a dark glint flashed in Seraphina’s eyes. Cradling the baby, she dropped to her knees with a thud, crying mournfully. “Sister Skylar, I’ve tolerated your crazy ramblings on normal days.” “But in a setting like this, if you talk nonsense, you’ll truly ruin Blake’s future!” “I beg you, sister, I’ll kowtow to you, just please stop acting insane! Okay…?” She shuffled forward a few steps on her knees, gripping my pant leg, bowing low as if to repeatedly hit her head on the ground. Blake gasped, the hand clamped on my throat instantly loosening. He knelt to help her up. But the next second, Seraphina, still holding my leg, flung herself backward, falling to the ground. At the same time, she screamed. “Ah—! Sister Skylar, you’ll kill me with your kicking!” Before I could react, the next instant, Blake’s hysterical slap came down hard. “Skylar! You ungrateful bitch!” A dull ache flared on my right cheek. I instinctively tried to retaliate, but Brenda brutally kicked me in my lower back. Caught off guard, I was sent flying into a display cabinet. As I stumbled and fell, an excruciating pain ripped through my abdomen. A gush of crimson blood flowed down my legs. My spot on the floor was instantly drenched in red. I lay sprawled in a pool of blood, my entire body aching as if it had been torn apart. “My belly… Blake… my belly hurts…” Tears of blood welled in my eyes, and I reached out to Blake for help. But above me, Brenda’s foot brutally stomped on my hand, the pain making my bones feel like they would shatter. “Whore! Stop faking it! My son won’t be threatened by you!” My vision blurred with tears, my lips trembling. “Blake… I’m not faking… please… take me to the hospital…” But Blake didn’t even turn to look at me. He was carefully protecting Seraphina, his voice cold and heartless. “Enough! Skylar, stop pretending and apologize to Seraphina!” “Always using the baby as an excuse, do you really think I’ll believe you?!” With that, Blake angrily turned his head, but when his eyes suddenly caught sight of the blood beneath me, The disgust on his face instantly crumbled, subtly revealing a flicker of fear. Blake knew who I was; he absolutely couldn’t just stand by and let me die. Staring intently into Blake’s panicked eyes, I forced back the gut-wrenching pain, gritting my teeth as I spoke to him. “BLAKE! If anything happens to the child in my belly! YOU! His own father!” “Will be his killer!” “My dad, my brother, they will make your entire Blake family pay! Hurry! Get me to a hospital!”

Watching my words, each one bursting from my throat, filled with fury, The doubts among the high-ranking officials and powerful figures in the crowd grew even stronger. “Could it be… Skylar is actually the legitimate wife? And the mistress is Seraphina, hmm… no wonder they didn’t make their marriage public…” “Look at how guilty Blake’s eyes are when he looks at her belly. That child could very well be his…” The murmurs in the banquet hall grew louder, making Blake’s face look even more uneasy. Feeling the increasingly faint heartbeat in my womb, I didn’t want to get tangled up with them anymore; I just wanted to leave this place. “Blake! Now, give me back Leo, and take me to the hospital immediately. As long as the baby is fine, I won’t hold today against you.” “We’ll get a peaceful div—orce.” But before I could finish, Brenda smashed a wine glass against my head. The shattered glass instantly cut my cheek. Her roar thundered, “Shut up! Who would believe a lunatic like you!” “Let me be clear, Seraphina is my Blake family’s lawfully wedded daughter-in-law!” “She’s recognized by law!” With that, she rummaged through Seraphina’s bag, pulled out two brand new marriage certificates, flashed them to everyone, Then sneered and viciously threw them at my face. The entire hall gasped again, then quickly turned against me, calling me a madwoman and a venomous bitch. And when I finally clearly saw Blake and Seraphina’s names in the spouse section, along with that鲜red official stamp, my mind buzzed with a deafening hum. Then I suddenly laughed, finally understanding why Blake had always used ‘concern’ as an excuse not to let me move back into the villa compound these past few years. Turns out… I was the mistress he kept on the side. It seemed Seraphina had hooked Blake a long time ago, and I was the biggest fool of all. My laughter grew louder and louder. My body suddenly spasmed, and I coughed up a mouthful of stagnant blood. The fresh blood from below also gushed out more heavily. Blake’s body instantly trembled. He pushed Seraphina away, reaching out to touch my belly. “Sky… Skylar… I… I didn’t mean…” Seeing Blake soften, Seraphina’s eyes instantly turned venomous. She pointed a trembling finger at the blood continuously gushing from beneath me. “Sister Skylar, the color of your blood isn’t normal. Are you perhaps using fake blood packets to deliberately get revenge on Blake?” Her voice was choked, but perfectly timed. “Sister Skylar… please, truly, don’t do this anymore. Think of the baby in your belly…” With that, she leaned closer, cradling the child, her voice barely a whisper. “Skylar, you don’t know, do you? Leo was mine from the very beginning… I just let you raise him for a few days.” “As for your child… hehe.” She gave me a wicked smile. My ears rang, and my entire body froze instantly. I looked at the face of the infant in her arms. What… this child, was Seraphina’s? Then what about my child? “What did you do to my child?!” Snapping back to reality, I lunged at her like a madwoman, grabbing her and tearing at her with all my might. “Seraphina, you bitch! What did you do to Leo?! Give me back my child!” Seraphina screamed for help in terror. “Blake, sister… she’s going to kill me…” But in her eyes, there was no hiding the calculation. “Skylar! What fresh hell are you stirring up now?!” Blake’s face contorted. He roughly pulled Seraphina away, then furiously kicked me in my pregnant belly. I was sent sprawling against the wall. Immediately, a sharp tearing pain erupted from below, and large amounts of fresh blood poured out. A soul-shattering agony ripped through my swollen abdomen. It felt as if every nerve cell in my body was being tightly squeezed by tiny hands. My intestines felt like they were being ripped apart. But what hurt more than my body was Blake’s face, distorted like a demon’s in the bloody haze, and the words he uttered. “How dare you hurt Seraphina! You forced my hand!” “Guards! Strip her clothes off in front of everyone! Let me see how many blood packets she’s hiding!” “Blake, you wouldn’t dare!” I coughed violently, my bloodied mouth screaming. “Watch me!” At his words, those few officers were the first to jump forward. They forcefully and brutally tore at my clothes. “You damn whore, provoking his wife! Being stripped naked is what you deserve!” Countless hands moved over my body. “Get off me!” Pain, shame, humiliation—an unprecedented despair washed over me. My voice was hoarse. “I am Director Miller’s daughter from the National Security Agency! How dare you…” The people present burst into laughter. The Deputy Commissioner’s wife sneered sarcastically, “Do you think we’re stupid? Everyone in the circles knows Director Miller only has one son, where would he get a daughter?” “Truly a fool’s self-inflicted misery! Hurry up and pull out your blood packets! Who even wants to see your naked body, anyway!” Those officers echoed disgustedly. “Do insane people really make up such ridiculous lies?” “If you’re Director Miller’s daughter, then I’m the King of the World!” The thrumming in my belly was growing weaker and weaker. I struggled, still trying to shout, “Bastards! I am—” But the next second, Blake clamped his hand over my mouth. He looked down at me, his eyes full of warning. “You’re not! Director Miller doesn’t have a crazy daughter like you!” “Skylar, you still have the strength to talk back and argue, so I guess your belly is fine!” “Hurry up and strip her, find the blood packets, then lock her in the basement for a good long reflection!” The men chuckled obscenely. My thin summer dress was ripped with a loud tear, exposing my skin. I bit down hard, clutching the last piece of fabric to cover my body. But the large hands still came at me ruthlessly. My heart instantly sank to the depths. And the next second, “Stop!” A sharp, resonant voice cut through the air. “Touch my daughter, Director Miller’s daughter, one more time, I dare you!”

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I was so damn lonely. So, when I stumbled into this twisted game, I embraced it. The long-haired ghost who actually *listened* to me? She became my little sister. The Shadow Boss who didn’t *hate* me? He was my husband. And those ancient spirits, the ones who could slice through players like butter but actually ate my cooking? They were my parents. First time we met, my new sister and I were playing cat’s cradle. The Shadow Boss was over there, smirking. I got mad. “Don’t you dare laugh! You try it, you can’t do any better!” The Shadow Boss’s shadowy form rippled, solidifying into distinct limbs, and he glared at me, his teeth gritted. “Are you saying *I* can’t?” 0A flash of blinding white light, and I was standing in a perfectly ordinary village. A creepy mechanical voice whispered in my ear. “Welcome to the ‘Happy Hill Village’ dungeon. “Survival time limit for this dungeon: 7 days. “Initial players: 30; Currently alive: 30. “May your game be… unpleasant~” I’m a total social butterfly when I’m scared of being alone, so seeing a whole crowd of people crammed together just made me even more excited. I looked around, first spotting a student girl who was openly weeping. “Waaah, where am I? I want to go home!” I immediately rushed over, threw my arms around her, and tried my best to comfort her. “It’s okay, it’s okay! Look, we’re all here together, it’s actually pretty great, hahahaha!” Next to us, a blonde guy named Brendan, with a short temper, snapped at me. “Do you even know where this is? What’s so great about being stuck here?” Just then, a man and a woman, Seraphina and Jax, introduced themselves as veteran players. They kindly began to explain things to us. This was an infinite-flow game, only for those who had already passed away. If you cleared all the dungeons or accumulated the legendary 9999 points, you’d earn the right to be resurrected. The moment “resurrection” was mentioned, someone instantly pressed for details. “So, how many points do we get for clearing one dungeon?” Seraphina explained. “It depends on your ‘Scare Value’ when you clear it. If your Scare Value hits 100, you die instantly. If you clear it with 99 Scare Value, you only get 1 point. And so on.” Scare Value, as the name implied, was how terrified you were. Veteran players, once they got the hang of the game, could usually keep their Scare Value below 60. I rubbed my chin, then asked, “What if you clear it with 0 Scare Value? Do you get 100 points then?” The moment I said that, in places I couldn’t see, countless bullet screen comments were mocking me. [This newbie is full of big talk! Happy Hill Village is an S-rank dungeon, these new players aren’t even a warm-up for the big boss!] [Oh no, this random match-up only has Seraphina and Jax as veterans. Looks like another total party wipe. Hope they last long enough to scout some info for us.] [Wasn’t Sterling from the First Guild taken out here last time? He lasted until the sixth day, but then…] 0

Soon, it was time to pick our rooms. According to the system’s hints and requirements, Happy Hill Village was essentially a role-playing horror dungeon. The village had a total of 30 houses, stretching from the mountainside down to the foot, lined up along a narrow path. House number 1 was at the foot, closest to our gathering point at the old village hall, and the numbers got higher as you went up the mountainside. Only one player could occupy each house. Each house was inhabited by strange entities, who would take on various intimate roles related to the player. And, over the course of these seven days, they would constantly look for opportunities to scare the players. The two veteran players moved first, choosing houses number 1 and 2. Clearly, lower numbers meant safer houses. So, the smarter players quickly followed suit, snatching up the houses with smaller numbers. I, on the other hand, excitedly wandered through the crowd without picking anything, until I was the last one left. Only house number 30 remained for me. Banking on the fact that I couldn’t see them, the bullet screen comments went wild again. [This newbie is dead for sure. Everyone knows, the higher the number, the higher the Boss’s level.] [Especially number 30, it’s packed with ultimate Bosses, known as the House of Death.] I practically skipped to house number 30. Looking around, I found it wasn’t all that different from a normal house. Except for some eerie algae growing on the walls, a pile of bones in the corner, and the whole place being pitch-black since the lights weren’t on yet. But hey, it was a detached house! And it came with the family I’d always dreamed of! You see, in real life, I’d always been so lonely. Everyone thought I was crazy, and no one ever wanted to hang out with me! I walked to the door and, without hesitation, knocked loudly, shouting, “Open up! Your favorite girl is home! If you don’t open the door, I’m practically starving!” Not only were the other players waiting nearby stunned, but even the bullet screen comments were shocked. [She’s practically asking for a death wish, isn’t she? Look around, every other player is politely knocking or waiting patiently for the ghost to be in a good mood and open the door.] [I can’t watch this brainless idiot anymore, I’m out.] [No, wait! Keep watching! I want to see how she dies!] 0

I flashed a smile at the player from next door, number 29, without bothering to explain my thought process: These were my family members, after all. Of course, I’d act as naturally as possible. Would I seriously go back to my real home and politely say, “Hello, is anyone home? Please, would you mind opening the door for me?” The knocking stopped, and the door creaked open. Before I could even glimpse the interior layout, a dark figure suddenly lunged at me, its wet, long hair coiling around my neck. But I felt not a shred of fear. To me, what was the difference between this and a small animal getting close and clinging to you? Wow, so enthusiastic! Giving me such a tight hug on our first meeting. I actually felt a little shy, which was rare for me, and hugged the figure back just as tightly. “Hehehe, I *knew* you liked me too! I like you super much!” As I hugged, I started feeling a little dissatisfied. Why were there only bones under my hands? No flesh at all! “Why are you so skinny? Has someone been hurting you? Don’t be scared, Big Sis will sort it out for you!” The bullet screen comments immediately exploded in outrage: [Lady, open your eyes and see who you’re declaring love to! That’s a horror boss! And who would dare hurt *her*? She’s the one hurting players!] [Don’t worry, once *he* gets home, she’s dead.] Too bad I couldn’t see those comments. Even if I could, I wouldn’t have cared. Right now, I was holding a precious family member who hadn’t run away at the sight of me! I excitedly hugged her, my mouth chattering non-stop. “From now on, I’m your Big Sister, and you’re my Little Sister!” “Little Sis, Little Sis, do you want me to braid your hair? I’m super good at it!” The little girl’s hair, which had been wrapped around my neck, unconsciously loosened. Even her pale face, devoid of color before, flushed pink. She shyly whispered, “Yes, please.” I immediately hugged her excitedly, pulling her into the house and seating her on the couch. I started braiding her three-to-four-meter-long hair into long pigtails, even taking a clip from my own hair to secure two little top knots. When I turned back, with her hair no longer in the way, I could finally see that she was an adorable little girl. I hugged her again, even more thrilled, giggling and calling her “Little Sis.” This time, the little girl didn’t try to struggle. She even leaned in and kissed my cheek. Her tiny voice said, “Thank you, Big Sis.” She called me Big Sis! I had an adorable little sister now! This was totally epic! You have to understand, in my real life, I never had any family. Even the kids in the park, their parents wouldn’t let them play with me. Just as I finished comforting my brand-new sister, Elara, and was about to play my favorite game, cat’s cradle, with her, the system announcement came through: “Initial players: 30; Currently alive: 20.” Unbelievable. Ten people had died right after the game started. I heard my phone pinging, so I opened it. Turns out everyone was exchanging information in the SnapChat group, like how the other players had died. For instance, Brendan, the short-tempered blonde, had chosen a relatively safe number 10 house. But the moment he knocked, a grotesque monkey-spirit emerged, offering him strangely shaped food. Brendan, in his surprise, immediately ate the food, only for his whole body to suddenly begin rotting away, eventually turning into a shriveled skeleton. Through the half-open door, other players had seen more skeletons, grinning ominously at them. Witnessing all this, pretty much all the new players’ adrenaline levels shot up. Now, besides Seraphina and Jax, everyone’s Scare Value was at 50, and it was only the first day! Another player, Mr. Henderson, a middle-aged man, had died instantly the moment he stepped through house number 20’s door, his Scare Value skyrocketing to 100. The other players had died in all sorts of bizarre ways, either killed by the creepy entities or simply scared to death. Of course, none of that concerned me. I, on the one hand, marveled at how fragile these people were, and on the other, pestered Elara to play cat’s cradle with me. Just as I was trying to cheat and restart for the tenth time, an icy presence suddenly enveloped me. In the boundless, swirling darkness, a masked head floated in mid-air, staring at me with chilling indifference, letting out a cold, cutting laugh. 0

I spoke before he did: “What are you laughing at? You couldn’t even manage it if you tried!” Then, my new sister Elara’s chilling voice rang out too: “You’d better not touch her. I want to keep this Big Sister to play with for a long time.” The man let out another cold laugh, and the black mist suddenly flung Elara away, slamming her against the hard wall, leaving a human-shaped dent. “Who gave you permission to speak to me like that? Do you actually think of yourself as my sister?” I couldn’t stand it. I scrambled off the couch and pounced, muttering, “Who gave *you* permission to speak to a child like that? What kind of brother are you?” I slapped out a hand, determined to show him that violent parenting was unacceptable. But my hand slipped. Instead of knocking over the floating head, I knocked off the mask covering his face. When that handsome, stern face appeared before me, I immediately threw myself at him. “Oh my god! I knew it the moment I saw you! You’re my destined husband!” “Even if you’re a bit short and don’t have hands, it’s okay. I’ll take good care of you.” “We’re a family now, loving each other, forever and always!” The bullet screen went wild: [Help, what is she saying?! How dare she say that to the Big Boss?!] [Finally, the Shadow Boss is here! He’s supposed to be the strongest Boss in Happy Hill Village! Sterling died by his hand back then.] [The Big Boss is actually blushing! Take a bite!] [You’re just hungry.] The entire livestream was waiting for the man to snap my neck. Just like he did with other players. 0

Unexpectedly, the next second, he solidified, towering over me. The black mist gradually organized itself into the shape of his limbs. Then he leaned close, his hand, encased in a black latex glove, lifting my face. He even brushed his thumb across my chin. “You want to take care of me? And be with me forever?” “Maya, do you know what you’re saying?” The man suddenly called my name, his voice raspy, like it had been smoked, sending a shiver through my heart. I immediately clung to him, wrapping myself around him. My hand casually reached inside his black suit, only to find he was wearing a black bodysuit underneath. While it was a shame not to make intimate contact with abs, the thought of him being a darkly mysterious man with a hidden intensity, thoroughly wrapped up, made me like him even more! “Of course, I know. ‘Forever and always’ means…” The next second, my sister Elara, who I’d just peeled off the wall, came charging over. She shot the man a hateful glare, then looked at me with innocent eyes. She spoke in a tiny, sweet voice, “Big Sis, I’m hungry!” Who could possibly resist that?! I immediately tumbled off the man and scrambled into the kitchen on all fours. From behind me, I heard clanging and crashing sounds, probably the two siblings having a real heart-to-heart. I couldn’t help but marvel, what a close bond! This is exactly how a family should be, full of love and affection! When I emerged from the kitchen, all the broken things in the house had been put back in their place. Only the human-shaped dents in the ceiling and walls were a bit of an eyesore. But I selectively ignored them, placing the meal I’d prepared on the table. My cooking skills were no joke; the siblings licked their plates clean. When I went to the bathroom to shower, I thought I heard them having a brotherly-sisterly chat: “I agree to keep this woman. She’s actually quite entertaining.” “And her cooking is much better than those two. But they’re coming back tomorrow. They won’t hurt Big Sis, will they?” “They’re useless anyway. We might as well kill them.” “Hehe, agreed. You do the killing, I’ll keep watch for you.” After my shower, I confidently claimed the master bedroom. I sneakily poked my head out from under the covers, watching the dark figure sitting motionless on the couch, showing no intention of getting into bed. A lonely, cold bed for one. So, I excitedly jumped out of bed and suggested, “Husband, let me help you take off your clothes!” Bullet screen: [Is this even allowed on air?] […A friend of mine was asking.] 0

Even more absurd, the Shadow Boss, God knows what he was thinking, didn’t resist at all. He just raised an eyebrow at me. He probably thought I was all talk. But my actions speak louder than words! Before he could say anything, I’d already unbuttoned his suit jacket and was seriously trying to distinguish between his pecs and abs. The terrifying Big Boss froze, and so did the bullet screen. [Speaking of which, that Big Boss does have a really good physique, huh.] [But it feels kinda weird. Who wears a black bodysuit under a suit?] I also found it strange. Even stranger was that I couldn’t find a zipper on this bodysuit no matter where I looked; it was as if it was fused with his body. Suddenly, the Big Boss’s voice came from above me. “Don’t bother looking. That’s not clothes, it’s part of me.” He paused, seemingly waiting for me to scream in terror. But unfortunately, I guess I’m just wired differently. My eyes lit up. “A mysterious, wrapped-up hunk! I love him even more!” He gazed at me, then suddenly scooped me up into his arms, holding me close as if drawing warmth from me. “Do you want to leave, Maya?” I answered, “No, I don’t…” I had family here who didn’t shun me. Why would I want to leave? “I’ll help you,” he said, completely ignoring me. But it didn’t matter. I’d just talk louder. “I still don’t know your name!” The man seemed to recall something unpleasant. He hugged me tighter, his voice hoarse. “I don’t remember my name. If you’d like, you can give me one.” With that, he put me back in bed and went to sleep in the guest room. I widened my eyes, about to yell that he hadn’t given me a goodnight kiss, The next second, black, living-like hair spread across the entire bed, suddenly wrapping me inside it. “Big Sis, ignore that gloomy monster. Tonight, Elara wants to sleep with Big Sis.” It was Elara. I immediately forgot the sadness of no goodnight kiss and turned to hug her tightly. Who gets it? My new sister was so soft, super comfortable to cuddle. But I didn’t forget to educate the little one: “You shouldn’t call your brother an old monster. We’re family, we can’t say things that hurt our family.” Elara giggled, pushing the hair away from her face to reveal a scarred face. “But I’m a little monster too. My family never liked me either, and they even slashed my face like this~”

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Our family carries a generational curse. The more one person gives in a marriage, the more the other will pay back tenfold after divorce. So, when Julian Hayes brought his pregnant secretary home on our ninth wedding anniversary, I didn’t cry or make a scene. Instead, I greeted him with a radiant smile. Julian casually instructed me: “Serena has a delicate palate; no repeating meals for her, ever again.” “She’s easily scared and needs company when she sleeps. Pack your things, move into the guest room.” At his words, everyone burst into laughter. “Mrs. Hayes? More like the CEO’s mistress’s nanny!” I lowered my head, desperately trying to suppress the triumphant smirk that threatened to lift my lips. They had no idea. The deeper Julian wounded me now, the more devastatingly the curse would rebound on him after the divorce. I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face then. In our nine years of marriage, I never once mentioned the curse to Julian. When we first got married, we were madly in love. I firmly believed he would never betray me. And I truly believed we would never divorce. Until I caught him cheating. The first time I discovered his infidelity, I asked for a divorce. But he locked me in the master bedroom of our villa for five days and four nights, exhausting three entire bottles of something. He explained, his face a mask of helplessness, “Claire, people in our social circle sometimes need a change of pace.” My friends also tried to convince me, claiming it was an unspoken rule in elite circles. No matter how deeply a couple loved each other, the wife had to silently accept her husband having a kept woman outside. They said the others were just temporary toys, and Julian’s true heart still belonged to me. But then Serena Stone appeared, and I knew he was genuinely in love. The first time I truly realized it was on my birthday. Julian shamelessly brought Serena along to the ski resort. Serena cooed at Julian, whining that the snowstorm was too heavy and she wanted my goggles. I refused to give them to her. “Does Mr. Hayes not even have enough money to buy his little mistress a pair of goggles? Why does she have to steal mine?” Serena burst into tears the moment she heard that. Julian instantly panicked. To soothe her, he ordered his men to strip me bare and abandoned me on the mountainside. After six hours in the snow, when rescue finally arrived, I felt utterly numb, dead inside. Later, when Serena found out she was pregnant and simply mentioned wanting my peace-and-luck bangle, Julian immediately demanded I hand it over. But he knew perfectly well that the bangle was a precious relic from my deceased parents. Meeting my reddened eyes, he was coldly indifferent: “Name your price.” What was nine years of a humiliating marriage, one that dragged me through the mud, truly worth? I couldn’t be bothered to calculate. I removed the peace-and-luck bangle and placed it on Serena’s wrist. I said to Serena: “May your baby be safe and sound.” Hearing my ‘blessing,’ Julian, for once, unexpectedly offered me an olive branch: “Claire, if you just behave, my child will be your child.” No sooner had he finished speaking than the bangle on Serena’s wrist suddenly slipped off and shattered. Seeing Serena’s leg cut, Julian scooped her up like a princess. He barked orders at Mr. Thompson to call the family doctor. I turned to leave, but he gripped my wrist with a cold glare: “Apologize.” “What—” Before I could finish, he dragged me to my knees at Serena’s feet. My knees scraped against the fragments of the bangle, staining the pristine white floor crimson with my blood. Seeing the bloodstains, Julian’s eyes flickered with disgust, and he released me. “You deliberately broke Serena’s bangle and caused her injury. Don’t you think you should apologize to her?” After marrying Julian, the words “I’m sorry” had become my mantra. The soup was too bland, I’m sorry. Worried he was drunk and unwell, I bothered him with a text message, I’m sorry. Accidentally seeing Serena’s text inviting him to a hotel, thus ‘invading his privacy’—my sincerest apologies… Biting the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood, I resignedly straightened up. After bowing a full 180 degrees to Serena and apologizing three times, I looked at Julian with an empty gaze. I asked softly: “Is that enough?” Staring at the blood at the corner of my mouth, his chest visibly heaved for a moment: “Claire, Grandfather Hayes, your biggest protector, isn’t here to save you. Who are you putting on this pathetic, disgusting act for?” Before I could reply, the family doctor rushed in. Shoving me out of his way, Julian led the doctor straight to Serena.

While his eyes were filled with nothing but Serena, I quickly walked out the front door, desperate to leave. However, before the iron gate could open, two bodyguards suddenly appeared, forcibly taking me back to the villa. In the study, Julian had me bound securely. He ordered someone to pierce my arm with a needle as thick as a child’s arm. Through the half-open door, I heard the doctor say to Julian: “Mr. Hayes, while both your wife and Ms. Stone have RH-negative blood, a rare type, Mrs. Hayes has a history of heart disease since childhood. Forcibly drawing blood could trigger acute shock. I think it would be better to go to the hospital first, and then proceed with a transfusion for Ms. Stone’s anemia…” “Don’t bother trying to persuade me.” Julian said coldly: “Your only task is to ensure Serena’s health. As for the rest, I know what I’m doing.” Hearing Julian’s approaching footsteps, I slowly closed my eyes. “Does it hurt much?” His voice was uncharacteristically comforting: “Just bear with it a little longer. It’ll be over soon.” I turned my head away, unwilling to waste my breath on him. After extracting 800 milliliters of blood, my lips had turned purple. At that moment, Serena, lying in the master bedroom, suddenly coughed. Hearing the sound, Julian immediately stopped the doctor from pulling out the needle, demanding he draw double the amount of blood. The doctor, sweating profusely, informed Julian that if they continued, I would likely die. After a two-second hesitation, Julian merely said: “Serena is pregnant; the pregnant woman comes first in everything.” “But…” I cut off the doctor’s protest: “Draw it. Just let me leave once you’re done.” Looking at my bloodless face, Julian’s eyes filled with cold fury, and he opened his mouth to speak. He was about to demand if I was done throwing a tantrum. Was I really going to run away from home over such a minor issue? Serena’s sweet, whiny voice chimed in: “Julian, honey~” And instantly, he was drawn away. After that, I collapsed from blood loss and was hospitalized. I didn’t realize then that, a month later, I would be back in the hospital again.

It started one evening when Serena suddenly blocked my bedroom door. She held a black bottle in her hand, eyeing me up and down with disdain: “Claire, I didn’t think you could endure so much. I’ve brazenly taken over your life and made you the laughingstock of the entire elite circle, yet you’re still stubbornly clinging to the Hayes family, refusing to leave.” “Then again, your grandmother died last month, didn’t she? Without that powerful protector, you’d be clinging to Julian like a drowning person to a life raft, wouldn’t you?” At this, Serena suddenly remembered something amusing: “Claire, remember that day you were crying and begging Julian to fly you by helicopter to the hospital to see your grandmother one last time? Do you know why he refused? Because, darling, he’d promised to take me to the beach to watch the sunset that day. Look, this kissing photo on my phone screen? That’s when we took it.” *Smash!* I knocked Serena’s phone from her hand, my patience snapping, and gripped her neck. The bottle in Serena’s hand slipped, and I immediately caught a strong whiff of gasoline. In the struggle, a flustered Serena accidentally ignited the gasoline on the floor. Thick smoke billowed, and flames raged. Having just been discharged from the hospital, I quickly became weak from the smoke, collapsing to the ground. That’s when I heard Julian’s voice: “Claire!” Followed by the maids’ frantic shouts of protest: “Sir, it’s too dangerous inside, you can’t go in yet! Wait for security to bring the fire extinguisher before—” “Get out of my way! Claire is still in there!” He, after all, disregarded the danger and rushed into the burning house. He just didn’t expect Serena to be in there too. “Julian, darling, help—”

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The first time Julian cheated, he dragged his mistress, Celeste, in front of me, his eyes blazing, and told me to do whatever I wanted with her. Loved him with a ferocity that bordered on madness, I chose to forgive his “accidental” mistake. The second time he cheated, I sent the woman overseas, ordering her never to return. The night of our engagement party, Julian choked me, pressing a dagger against my lower abdomen. His eyes were wild as he demanded, “Where is Celeste? Do you know she’s pregnant?” “I couldn’t control my own primal urges; if you want to be mad, be mad at me. Celeste is just a young girl, she shouldn’t have to suffer for this. I’m begging you, just let the baby be born safely, and I swear I’ll never see her again.” “You’re scared of childbirth, right? So let’s just claim the one Celeste is carrying as ours, okay? Don’t worry, the child will see *you* as its mother, that’s my solemn vow to you.” The knife tip pierced my skin, a warm trickle of blood blooming on my stomach. I smiled at him, and told him exactly where Celeste was. The door slammed shut. Trembling, I pulled out my phone and dialed that familiar number. “You were right this time. Can you still help me out?” On the other end, Liam cursed under his breath, his voice laced with exasperation. “Why didn’t you say so sooner? I’m already out of the country, how am I supposed to help you now?” “Audrey, I swear, you’re brilliant, but falling for the same guy’s tricks *twice*? Did you just completely abandon all common sense when it came to love?” Pressing hard on the wound in my abdomen, my voice grew increasingly bitter. “I’m sorry. I owe you this time. I’ll give you thirty percent of the profits on our next joint project. Is that enough?” Liam immediately perked up, his interest piqued. “Send me the time, send me the location. I’ll be there, guaranteed.” “And next time you have a ‘collaboration’ like this, remember to call me! You’ll get your money’s worth, I promise.” I sent the full wedding plan to Liam. He swiftly replied with an ‘OK’ emoji. Our once-perfect bridal suite lay in ruins, smashed by Julian, a mirror image of my heart. After tending to my wounds alone, I stumbled out of the villa. I had just checked into the hotel when Julian’s call came through again. The hum of the airplane was loud, but I still caught the suppressed fury in his voice. “Audrey, I’m on a flight overseas right now, I can’t be with you tonight. Get some rest. I’m sorry, I was just too emotional earlier, I never meant to hurt you.” “Is your injury serious? Should I send my private doctor over to check on you right now—” “No need.” I cut him off, my voice chilling. Julian’s tone instantly darkened. “Audrey, didn’t I tell you? What happened between Celeste and me was an accident. I was drugged and mistook her for you. Now that it’s happened, I have to take responsibility. Do you really expect a Julian family child to be born abroad?” “You forgave me once before, didn’t you? Why are you being so dramatic this time? Our wedding is in a week, just calm down tonight.” Staring at my SnapChat conversation with Liam, I said icily, “No need. I won’t be marrying you.” “Julian, I told you, I don’t tolerate infidelity.” Just as I was about to hang up, he exploded. “Not marrying me? What kind of joke is that? The engagement party is over, the whole world knows the Julian and Peterson families are uniting. And now you say this? Are you trying to blackmail me with our alliance?” “Audrey, we grew up together, you know who I am. If I hadn’t been set up, I would never betray you!” “They say third time’s the charm, but I’ve only messed up *twice*! After the baby’s born, I swear Celeste will vanish from your life forever. Isn’t that enough?” Tears welled up, and a bitter smile touched my lips. “So what? You want me to wake up every day to a child you had with another woman, a daily reminder of your mistakes?” “Julian, I can’t do it. I’m sorry.” With that, his furious roar echoed through the phone: “Fine. Remember what you said. Let’s see if you regret it!” “What man of my standing *doesn’t* have affairs? I’ve given you Celeste to deal with however you see fit – what more do you want from me? If you can’t handle it, then leave! I’m done arguing about this!”

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For ten years, Julian built his empire on my back. And for ten years, he loathed my very existence. After my death, he seized my family’s company and married his childhood sweetheart. On their wedding day, Ryder, my childhood sweetheart who later became my arch-nemesis, detonated the venue. Before the flames consumed everything, Ryder smiled and said: “She’s dead. You two get to waltz into success? No such luck in this world.” When I opened my eyes again, I was back ten years ago. The day I dragged Julian to meet Ryder and break off our engagement. He looked at me with an indifferent expression: “Are you sure? You really want to break our engagement for *him*?” “Aria, I never go back on my word.” “Are you sure you want to break our engagement for that… *thing*?” The familiar, cool male voice echoed in my ears. I was still lost in the aftershocks of that explosion. The overwhelming, fiery red light felt like it could even scorch my soul, floating suspended in the air. Ryder, a gun in hand, stood amidst the flames, pulling the trigger. He flashed a smile at a shocked and furious Julian: “She’s dead. You two get to waltz into success? No such luck in this world.” … In that moment, the invisible shackles on me suddenly vanished. Something new clicked in my mind. Turns out, in my previous life, I was the toxic second lead in some twisted ‘redemption’ story. I fixated on Julian, then a struggling student. I leveraged his mother’s medical bills, twisting his arm into accepting my “sponsorship” and, by extension, me. Julian believed I had humiliated him with my money, and he hated me for years because of it. After we married, he plotted to seize my family’s company, all while carrying on a secret affair with his childhood sweetheart. Later, he slowly drove me insane, sent me to a mental hospital, and watched me fall to my death. Then, he reinvented himself as a newly minted mogul and married his childhood sweetheart.

I finally understood. Ryder and I were inseparable, practically joined at the hip since we were kids. So how, in my previous life, did I suddenly lose my mind and fall for Julian the moment he appeared? Snapping back to reality, my gaze swept around the room. I saw the parents from both families, each with their own complex expressions. And then there was Ryder, sitting on the sofa, his features sharp and cold, looking up at me slightly. It suddenly clicked. In my previous life, this was the day I completely broke off with Ryder. Our families, the Montgomerys and the Fosters, were old friends. Today was supposed to be one of our regular get-togethers. But I was late, and I brought Julian with me. I opened my mouth, demanding to end my engagement with Ryder: “I’ve never liked you. Besides, I already have a boyfriend.” “So, you’re here to break off our engagement, for *that*?” Ryder adjusted the gold frames of his glasses. His gaze landed on Julian beside me, openly disdainful. Julian straightened his back, retaliating: “What are you so proud of? You’re just a little better off than me, thanks to your family.” “A little better?” Ryder curled his lip, a mocking smile twisting his features. “You’d do well to remember, if Aria hadn’t brought you, you wouldn’t even have the right to stand here and speak to me.”

That jab sliced right through Julian’s already fragile ego. In my previous life, I watched his eyes sting with humiliation, and my heart just *ached* for him. I immediately stepped in front of him, lashing out at Ryder, my words venomous and unthinking. I called him deluded, clinging. “Don’t think I don’t know. That guy in high school who wrote me a love letter mysteriously got his leg broken in a car accident, you did it, didn’t you?” “Ryder, you’re disgusting. I can’t even look at you.” “Besides your family name, what exactly makes you better than Julian?” I spewed so many nasty things, but Ryder didn’t say a word in response. He just sat there, still and silent, like a statue carved from ice. After a long silence, he pressed a hand to his glasses and calmly said: “Fine. I agree to break the engagement.” … Julian turned to me, his voice icy: “Miss Montgomery, did you bring me here just to be humiliated?” I dug my nails into my palm, forcing my mind out of the chaos of rebirth. Hearing his words, I suddenly chuckled: “Humiliated? Ryder was just stating facts.” “You’re just a plaything, Julian. He wouldn’t waste his breath on you. You’re seriously overestimating yourself.” The living room fell silent. Everyone stared at me, bewildered. Two steps away, on the sofa, Ryder’s head snapped up. Behind his glasses, his eyes, as clear and fragile as polished glass, held unconcealed astonishment. “What did you say?” Julian’s expression turned utterly mortified. “I said, you didn’t actually think you were better than my fiancé in any way, did you?” “He’s always ignoring me during business deals, and I get annoyed, so I just used you to get under his skin.” I dropped his hand, recoiling as if he were something repulsive. I issued my dismissal, “Now, get out.” Julian stared at me, disbelief etched on his face. But our butler, who had quickly caught on, promptly escorted him out. Before leaving, he spat a threat: “Aria Montgomery, I’m not some toy you can pick up and put down whenever you like.” “Next time, even if you beg on your knees, I won’t take you back.”

His confidence was… hilarious. I almost choked. But I had no time for Julian. I scurried over to Ryder, dropping to my knees beside him. It was only much later, in my previous life, after we broke off the engagement, that I learned Ryder had been admitted to the hospital that very night. He’d been sitting on the sofa the whole time, not getting up, because his stomach issues had flared up while he was away on a business trip. But he’d pushed himself to rush back, despite the pain, because he really wanted to see me. And the first thing I did when I saw him was demand to end our engagement. I was such an idiot. Our eyes met, and a flicker of understanding, then mocking amusement, crossed Ryder’s face. He scoffed, “Trying to make your boyfriend jealous again?” I couldn’t blame Ryder for thinking that. In my previous life, I *had* pulled stupid stunts, using Ryder to provoke Julian and prove Julian cared about me. Now, I could only soften my voice and play dumb: “Boyfriend? What boyfriend? Ryder, I only have you as my fiancé.” He looked down at me. “I don’t feel well. Could you come with me to the hospital first?” Ryder suddenly frowned: “What’s wrong? Are your period cramps acting up again?” I blurted out without thinking: “…Yeah, period cramps.” He tilted his head, looking at me. “Today isn’t your usual cycle.” Julian and I had been giving each other the silent treatment for ages. I hadn’t expected him to still remember my period cycle. My heart swelled with a sudden rush of bittersweet emotion. “Um… well, it just came early, you know?” I gently tugged on his sleeve, giving it a little shake. “I need a pain shot. Will you come with me, please?” Ryder didn’t say anything, lost in thought for a moment. Then he calmly agreed: “Alright.”

Once we were in the car, I called the driver and didn’t let Ryder drive. He didn’t argue, just sat beside me in the back seat. But there was still a person’s width between us. I asked softly, “Ryder, are you angry with me?” He curved his lips ever so slightly. A self-deprecating chuckle, “How could I dare.” Those four words sent an overwhelming wave of guilt washing over me. In my previous life, controlled by the story’s influence, my parents couldn’t stop me and watched as I married Julian. I tirelessly propped up his company with my family’s wealth, never complaining. Because Ryder always competed with Julian, always poaching his projects. I came to see him as my arch-nemesis. In those ten years of my previous life, the few times we met, I was always cold and dismissive, never giving him a kind look. “Ryder.” I sniffed, my voice thick, suddenly saying, “It’s been two months. Did you miss me?” Ryder glanced at me. He didn’t say anything. I felt a bit awkward, so I tried to make small talk: “You didn’t even bring me a gift this time.” “Last time I did. You said my things were dirty and threw them away.” He finished coldly, then turned his head away, closing his eyes. A clear sign he was reluctant to engage with me further. The last time Ryder returned from abroad, he brought me a box of rubies. As he handed them to me, he’d casually said, “Make some little trinkets. Don’t spend all your time with low-class trash.” Both the rubies themselves and Ryder’s words had pricked Julian’s male pride. So, to make Julian happy, I had immediately thrown the box of gems back at Ryder. “I don’t want your dirty stuff!” … Thinking about it, I closed my eyes in despair. In my mind, I cursed the original plot for being so unbelievably stupid, it felt like it was scribbled by someone with a serious head injury. In reality, I could only slowly, tentatively, inch closer to Ryder. I turned my body, pressing against him, resting my chin on his shoulder, and whispered, “Actually, Ryder, I have something to tell you…” My warm breath feathered against his ear, stirring the loose strands of hair by his ear. Ryder suddenly opened his eyes, reached up, and gently but firmly pulled me away by the back of my neck. “Whatever game you and Julian are playing today, I’m not interested. Don’t waste your breath.” He frowned, then paused slightly. “And stop moving around if you don’t feel well.” Ryder’s face was stern and cold when he scolded me. But I, quick-eyed, noticed his earlobes and the curve of his neck were flushed a deep crimson. He’d even shifted into a slightly awkward position. “Ryder.” I tested the waters, calling his name. “You wouldn’t… you aren’t…” “Just sit still.” He lowered his lashes, concealing the tumultuous undercurrent of desire in his eyes, his voice a little hoarse. “My business is not yours to worry about.”

By the time the car stopped outside the hospital, the icy, tense atmosphere between Ryder and me had eased considerably. Thinking of his stomach pain, I made an excuse, wanting him to help me, and linked my arm through his. But then, a sweet voice, edged with furious indignation, suddenly cut through the air beside us: “Aria Montgomery!” I turned to see Chloe, Julian’s childhood sweetheart, storming up to me, glaring angrily. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you? You deliberately had Mrs. Davis’s medication cut off just to force Julian to bow to you!” She glanced behind me, and her eyes welled up instantly. “You said before, if I disappeared, you’d ask that renowned oncology specialist to take on Mrs. Davis’s case. Are you going back on your word now?” “Chloe.” Julian quickly walked past me, pulled Chloe behind him, shielding her. Then, he lowered his gaze, speaking in a hushed, almost groveling tone. “Aria, it’s all my fault. I’m not angry about what you did to me today, just don’t make things difficult for Chloe and my mom.” “From now on, I’ll do whatever you say.” It suddenly hit me. In my previous life, that specialist who treated Julian’s mom? I’d arranged it through the Foster family connections. “No…” I hadn’t even had a chance to speak. My arm suddenly felt empty. Ryder pulled his arm free from mine, his eyes lowered, a mocking, cold, bone-deep frost in his gaze. “So this is why you suddenly wanted me to bring you to the hospital.” “Aria, this is what you wanted to tell me, isn’t it?”

That sharp, cold look Ryder would get, yet fragile as shattered glass, was all too familiar to me. In my previous life, every time I clashed with him for Julian’s sake, he would look at me exactly like that. Back then, bound by the original plot, my mind was solely focused on Julian. I only found Ryder’s dramatic airs incredibly annoying. Now, my heart ached, and I instinctively retorted: “No, it’s not.” But he didn’t look at me again, only at Julian, his voice chillingly cold: “If you look down on me so much, then show some real capability. You’re not embarrassed, dragging my fiancée into this charade just to get treatment for your own mother?” Julian gritted his teeth, a flicker of humiliation in his eyes. “You, Foster, don’t think you’re so great.” He clenched his fist, his voice cold, “One day, you’ll pay for what you said today.” Ryder ignored him and walked away without looking back. I was about to chase after him when Julian grabbed me: “…Aria.” He looked at me, his eyes slightly downcast, his voice a little hoarse, “Aria, it’s all my fault, don’t be angry anymore.” When his chilling fingers closed around my wrist, I thought of everything in my previous life and felt like a cold, venomous snake had coiled around me. “Don’t touch me! You’re disgusting!” Thrown off guard by my sudden rejection, Julian looked utterly stunned. Clearly, he couldn’t believe it. After all, in the past, no matter how angry I was, as long as he softened his tone even slightly, I would give in without question. “Aria…” He was about to say something else, but I forcefully cut him off: “Since you’ve always felt my money was an insult, then transfer the eighty thousand dollars I spent on your mother’s medical treatment to my account within three days.” “Let me see just how much backbone you really have.”

I practically sprinted in my heels, finally catching up to Ryder at the hospital entrance. “Ryder!” I tugged on his sleeve, panting. Before I could even speak, he turned his head. “Aria, we do have a history.” “But that doesn’t mean you can leverage it to make me endlessly compromise for your boyfriend.” He finished coldly, trying to pull his sleeve back, but I held on tight: “It has nothing to do with him!” “Okay, I admit, I didn’t come to the hospital because of period cramps. I wanted to bring you here—your stomach issues flared up again, didn’t they?” “Ryder, don’t think I don’t know, you never eat properly when you’re on business trips!” He looked at me, a hint of surprise in his eyes, his gaze slowly scanning my face. As if trying to discern the truth from my expression. Seeing his expression soften slightly, I quickly pressed my advantage. I dragged him, practically pulling him into the examination room. The doctor, looking at his test results, frowned deeply: “Chronic gastritis requires special attention to diet. Especially when you don’t feel well, don’t just tough it out. Come to the hospital as soon as possible.” “You’ll need an IV drip for two days.”

Sunlight streamed through the glass window, illuminating the room. Once only Ryder and I were left in the ward, the air suddenly grew quiet. I ordered some porridge for delivery. When it arrived, I blew on each spoonful to cool it before feeding it to him. Ryder’s eyelashes were lowered, lost in thought. “The doctor said you need to eat something, or your stomach will feel worse when you get the IV.” I reminded him, and he finally looked up at me. His eyes, catching the sunlight, reflected a shimmering light. “…Okay.” He responded softly, finally opening his mouth. After he’d eaten half a bowl of porridge, Ryder motioned for me to put the bowl down. “My phone.” I handed him my phone, puzzled, and watched him key in a string of numbers. “What’s this?” “Director Harrison’s number. The oncology specialist you were so keen on hiring.” I looked up sharply, seeing Ryder’s slightly pale face and a faint, bitter smile on his lips. I suddenly understood. Even now, he thought I had an ulterior motive. “You brought me to the hospital; I’m giving you what you want. We’re even.” “I don’t want next time, when you come to beg me for his sake again, for you to bring this up and say you felt disgusted just watching me eat my porridge.” “Aria… I’m human too.” The sunlight slanted in, painting a rare fragility across his sharp features. My chest tightened painfully, and I couldn’t speak. I remembered the incident Ryder was referring to. Three months ago, Julian’s studio wanted a project, and Ryder was the client’s decision-maker. So I pestered him relentlessly, cooked him a meal, and even brought him gifts. Just as Ryder was looking pleased, I asked him, “Could you just… ease up a little and give that project to Julian’s team?” The smile on Ryder’s lips vanished instantly. He put down his chopsticks and looked at me: “So, you came to see me today, still for your boyfriend?” “Julian really is capable!” I tried to argue, but his voice, cold and firm, cut me off. “Capable people don’t need to go through the back door to secure projects.” “Go home. I’ve already reviewed the proposal and made my decision.” “I won’t choose him.” Ryder stood up, pulled out his chair, and practically threw me out. I lost my temper, pointing at him and yelling: “If it weren’t for Julian, I wouldn’t even want to see you!” “Just watching you eat my food makes me sick to my stomach!”

Through my blurry vision, a hand suddenly reached out, wiping away the wetness from my eyes. Only then did I realize I was crying. Ryder withdrew his hand, saying faintly, “Don’t feel wronged. After today, I won’t look for you again.” “Aria, we’re even.” I had a track record, so it was normal for him not to trust me. While trying to convince myself, I forced back my tears and looked at Ryder earnestly: “I’m sorry.” He paused, surprised: “Matters of the heart can’t be forced. No need to apologize.” “When we get back from the hospital today, I’ll explain everything to your parents. We’ll break—” His words were cut off by my sudden kiss. Ryder’s eyes snapped open, staring at me in disbelief. I awkwardly pressed my lips against his for a moment, then pulled back slightly, panting softly, tugging at his collar. “Don’t… don’t say break off the engagement.” I steadied myself and continued, “Ryder, whether you believe it or not, all those things with Julian before? I didn’t want to do them.” “I brought you to the hospital simply because I saw how pale you looked and was worried about you.” He looked down at me, the tumultuous emotions in his eyes obscured by his long lashes: “Is this your new tactic?” I suppressed the bitterness in my heart: “My life, our shared history—we’ve known each other for as long as I’ve been alive. So you have to believe me.” “If you don’t believe me—” “I’ll kiss you again.” I said, leaning in again. But Ryder pressed against my forehead, stopping me in time. His breath was incredibly close, his voice a little hoarse: “Aria, do you know what you’re doing right now?” I answered, “Yes, I know. I’m doing what we did when we were eighteen.” That sentence was like a fuse, igniting everything. Instantly burning away all reason between Ryder and me.

The night after graduation, my family held a special dinner to celebrate. I drank a few glasses of champagne and, feeling tipsy, dragged Ryder into my room. I asked him, “What does kissing feel like?” “…” He looked at me calmly, “Aria, you’re drunk.” I got a little upset: “Don’t change the subject! If you don’t tell me, I’ll go find some other—mph!” Before I could finish, Ryder suddenly gripped my chin, leaning in to kiss me. A faint scent of lemongrass wafted from him. It was probably the cologne I’d given him for his birthday that year. His lips and tongue, and the pad of his thumb pressing against my neck, were searing hot. My head was spinning, and soon I could only cling to his shirtfront, forced to endure the overwhelming heat that followed. Ryder’s voice was laced with a dark, surging desire: “…That’s what kissing feels like.” “Want to go deeper, Aria?”

Back then, we were so good, so incredibly close. I always thought I’d marry Ryder after college. But after I started university, the moment I saw Julian. I was possessed, as if by a ghost, and dragged into the whirlpool of the original plot.

“He’s just lying in a hospital bed, how did the IV drip get dislodged?” The nurse came to re-insert Ryder’s IV, then, still worried, reminded him, “No more moving around, okay? You only have one more bag left.” Ryder nodded calmly. It was me, sitting beside him, who rubbed my burning ears. After the nurse left, I apologized softly: “…I’m sorry.” I’d been so caught up in the kiss that I’d pressed on Ryder’s arm, dislodging the IV needle. Blood had stained the entire adhesive patch red. He glanced at me: “No need to apologize.” “So, do you believe me now?” “Depends on your performance.” Despite his words, his tone had already softened slightly. Near the end of the month, Ryder went to a neighboring city for a business trip. Even though I was back at university for classes, I made sure to text him whenever I could. I was actively proving to him that he was the only one in my heart. Ryder’s birthday was approaching. That afternoon, I wanted to go to the mall to pick out a gift for him. Suddenly, I saw a familiar figure in the distance. It was Julian. Because of the harsh words exchanged at the hospital that day, he hadn’t contacted me in days. I was actually happy about the reprieve. But now, during what should have been a busy time at his studio, he was walking into a garden restaurant with a young man. My heart tightened, and I hurried forward a few steps. The moment I entered, the man happened to look up. It was like a lightning bolt struck me, and I froze. This man… wasn’t he Marcus, the one who, in my previous life, had partnered with Julian to ruin Ryder and the Montgomery family?

I secretly followed them, hiding behind some greenery, and overheard their conversation. “Ryder’s already in Seaside City. Looks like he hasn’t discovered the project is problematic.” “Project?” Julian scoffed, his voice chilling, “I want more than just his company. I want his life.” … In my previous life, I often found it strange. Ryder, born into the Foster family, was the most brilliant child of his generation. He earned his MBA from a top business school at twenty, then returned home to take over the family company. How could such a Ryder repeatedly lose to Julian, eventually having most of his family’s company swallowed? Was it just because Julian had a protagonist’s halo? Or did he possess some special information? What was this Seaside City project they were talking about? Countless questions swirled in my mind. I desperately wanted to ask Ryder, but I was afraid that an early confrontation with Julian might accelerate the original plot, pushing Ryder towards his fated end. After much thought, I decided to start with Julian, to gather information. To prevent Ryder from falling into danger under the influence of the original plot.

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