Author: Momo Chan

On the day my husband’s terminally ill first love gave birth to his child, my parents-in-law hired ten bodyguards to stand guard outside the delivery room. They were terrified I would show up and make a scene. But I never showed up. Not even after the baby was born. Inside the room, my mother-in-law, Martha, held the woman’s hand, her voice filled with emotion. “Chloe, sweetheart, don’t worry. As long as Robert and I are here, Elena won’t dare to hurt you or the baby!” My husband, Julian, looked at his weeping “white moonlight” with pure heartache, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead. “Rest easy, Chloe. My dad has men blocking the hospital entrance. If Elena tries to cause trouble, we’ll have her thrown out!” Only when the hours ticked by and I still hadn’t appeared did Julian finally let out a sigh of relief. He honestly couldn’t understand me. He was just trying to fulfill his dying first love’s final wish to be a mother. Why did I have to be so difficult and dramatic about it? Looking at the crying newborn in the nurse’s arms, a relieved smile spread across Julian’s face. He figured if I came to apologize to Chloe tomorrow, he would let our past arguments slide. He might even graciously allow me to raise the child as my own. But he had no idea that I had just submitted my final deployment papers to Doctors Without Borders. In one week, I would deauthorize my local medical practice license, pack my bags, and disappear into a warzone. We would never see each other again, in this life or the next.

On the day Julian helped Chloe out of the luxury postpartum recovery suite, I had just finished handing over my remaining patients at the hospital. As I approached the door of our shared apartment, the sound of laughter and joy drifted out. “Oh, look at him! He has Julian’s exact brow. Chloe, darling, you are the absolute savior of the Miller family!” Martha was cooing at the baby in her arms, while Julian walked out of the kitchen holding a bowl of steaming hot chicken soup. “You worked so hard, Chloe. I made this soup myself to help you recover. You’re still so weak; you need to nourish your body.” He sat on the edge of the bed, gently blowing on the soup before feeding her. They looked like a picture-perfect, loving family. My father-in-law, Robert, was shaking a rattle to entertain the baby, his face stretched in a massive grin. “This little guy is just as lovely as his mother. Thank God he didn’t inherit Elena’s boring, robotic personality. Having a workaholic doctor for a mother would have been a nightmare.” My hand froze on the doorknob. I remembered the first time I met Robert. He had proudly patted my shoulder, telling everyone how boasting about a doctor daughter-in-law made him feel like a king. Now, he was claiming a doctor didn’t deserve to have a family. I had only been away on a one-year medical exchange program, and already, this house had no room left for me. I lowered my head, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. Julian and I had been married for three years. We used to have a baby on the way, too. But due to a terrible accident, I lost the pregnancy and suffered severe uterine damage. I was declared permanently barren. When the doctor delivered the news, I cried until I choked. Julian had held me tight, swearing he would never want anyone else to bear his children. For my sake, he willingly chose to be child-free. But now, he had broken his vow. He had shattered his own principles just to satisfy his first love’s dying wish. I still remembered the day I left for my overseas training. He had cried like a child, holding me so tightly at the gate that he almost missed his flight. Throughout the year, we had called each other every single day on WhatsApp, sharing every detail of our lives. My colleagues used to tease me that after three years of marriage, we were still acting like teenagers in the honeymoon phase. But a month ago, when I finally got a short leave to surprise him—enduring a grueling nine-hour flight without a single complaint—I walked into our neighborhood only to see Julian holding hands with Chloe. And Chloe was heavily pregnant. “Elena? When did you get back? Why are you just standing at the door?” Chloe’s soft voice snapped me back to reality. The other three people in the room instantly whipped their heads toward the entryway. When Martha saw the resignation letter in my hand, her face immediately hardened into a scowl. “Why on earth did I ever let Julian marry a freeloading curse like you? Resigning? Are you planning to sit on your lazy butt and let my son support you?” Robert chimed in with equal disgust. “You can’t even keep a stable, prestigious job. What are you good for? If we knew you were this useless, we would have never let you cross our threshold!” “Chloe’s body is fragile right now, and raising a baby costs a fortune. Instead of helping Julian ease the financial burden, you’re just adding stress. What kind of wife does that?” I looked at them, finding the whole situation incredibly dark and hilarious. “What about Julian, then? He knocked up another woman while his wife was away saving lives. What kind of husband does that?” “Elena, that’s enough! I did this for us!” Julian stood up, his brow furrowed, his eyes turning ice-cold as he glared at me. “You can’t have kids. So I let Chloe have one for you. I was trying to give you the chance to be a mother without the physical pain. Why can’t you appreciate my good intentions?” “This was a win-win! Chloe gets to fulfill her lifelong dream before she passes away, and you get to be a mother. I don’t get why you’re being so incredibly bitter!” “If Chloe hadn’t pulled me out of that car wreck two years ago, I’d be dead! Both of her parents are gone, and she has late-stage cancer. In a few months, she won’t even be in this world anymore.” “As a woman, shouldn’t you have some empathy for her? Why are you always attacking her? Or do you honestly think I’m some cheap, cheating bastard?” Chloe looked at Julian with tearful, adoring eyes, then turned her pitiful gaze to me. “Elena, please don’t fight. I know this is all my fault. I promise I will disappear from your lives as soon as I can, but please don’t let me ruin your marriage.” Looking at the four of them standing united against me, I realized something. They were the real family. I was just the outsider. Julian spoke up again, his voice dropping into a threatening tone. “Elena, my patience has limits. If you dare to target Chloe again, don’t blame me for what happens next!” “If you want to keep this marriage, fall in line. At the baby’s welcome party next week, I’ll publicly introduce you as his mother in front of all our family and friends.” Next week? I glanced at the sleeping infant in the stroller. Next week, I would be boarding a flight to the Middle East. But before I left, I didn’t mind giving them a little farewell gift they would never forget.

I nodded slowly, my face completely expressionless. “Fine.” Without waiting for their reaction, I turned around, went into the bedroom, and closed the door to pack my things. Since I had decided to leave for good, I didn’t want to leave a single trace of my existence in this apartment. The joyful laughter from the living room drifted through the door. My hands paused as I folded a sweater. “Chloe, let’s name him Leo Chloe Miller. That way, even if he has to call someone else ‘mom’ in the future, he’ll never forget his real mother.” Even without looking, I could picture Julian’s deeply emotional face as he said those words. My heart had already been torn to shreds by him anyway. I felt nothing. My mind drifted back to last month when I had rushed home, carrying souvenirs I had carefully picked out for Julian. But at the entrance of our building, I ran into them returning from their evening walk, hand-in-hand. Unlike Julian, who looked utterly terrified, Chloe had looked at me with smug confusion, questioning if I had gotten the wrong apartment. “Are you lost? This is my home.” I hadn’t said a word. My eyes were glued to her swollen belly. I had been away for ten months. My husband had moved his first love into our bed, and she was pregnant. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they had been doing. Julian had quickly scrambled to step between us, nervously stammering, “Chloe, this is… Elena. My wife.” Even after knowing who I was, Chloe didn’t back down. Instead, she put on the air of the lady of the house, condescendingly inviting me in for tea. As we brushed past each other, she whispered in a voice only I could hear: “I heard you’ve been married to Julian for three years? A substitute is just a substitute, babe. You can’t compare to the real deal.” “Now that I’m back, it’s time for you to pack up and get out.” The rage had consumed me. I couldn’t hold back. I swung my arm and slapped her across the face with all the resentment, longing, and betrayal of the last ten months. The neighbors heard the commotion and ended up calling the cops. Because it was a domestic dispute, the police didn’t press charges and told us to settle it privately at home. The moment we got back, my in-laws arrived and immediately unleashed a torrent of verbal abuse on me. They screamed that I had humiliated the family in front of the entire neighborhood. They called me an uneducated brute for hitting a pregnant woman, swearing they would ruin me if anything happened to the baby. It turned out they had known about the affair the entire time. They had fully supported it. In just one year, Chloe had become their dream daughter-in-law. I was the only one kept in the dark. I tasted copper in my mouth from biting my lip so hard. Julian had walked over, his eyes red, trying to grab my hand to play the peacemaker. “Elena, I never wanted to betray you. But Chloe’s health is failing. The doctors said she has six months at most. Her only wish was to have a child of her own.” “She saved my life. I couldn’t let her die with such a massive regret…” “I wanted to tell you, but you were so far away, and I didn’t want to ruin your studies. I figured we could talk about it when you returned.” “If you’re willing, we can raise this baby together, okay?”

Something so monstrous sounded so incredibly casual coming from his mouth. I packed the last item into my suitcase. Just then, Martha pushed the door open. Seeing the suitcase at my feet, she smirked, looking pleased. “Well, at least you have some self-awareness. Since you weren’t here, I let Chloe sleep in your bedroom. The study has been turned into a nursery. You can sleep on the couch tonight. If you don’t like it, go pay for a hotel.” I was too exhausted to fight or look for a hotel, so I just nodded and decided to crash on the sofa. But in the middle of the night, the baby’s crying kept echoing from the master bedroom. I tossed and turned, about to put in my earplugs, when I heard Chloe complaining. “Julian, make the baby stop. He’s keeping me awake.” Then came Julian’s soft, doting laugh. “You’re my only baby, Chloe. I only care about keeping you happy. Let the kid cry a bit; it’s good for his lungs.” I pulled the blanket over my head, trying desperately to block out their happy domestic sounds. But the moment I closed my eyes, I remembered the way Julian looked when he first confessed his love to me. He had been so bright, so full of life, with eyes that saw only me. But that Julian was dead. I drifted through a sleepless night and left the apartment with my suitcase at dawn. I went straight to the government office to deauthorize my domestic registry and finalize my international travel permits. Because my deployment with the NGO was pre-approved, the paperwork went through incredibly fast. The clerk didn’t ask many questions. Right before I left, she handed me a small handful of fruit candies with a warm smile. “Safe travels, doctor. Thank you for your service.” I smiled back, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders. I booked a cheap hotel nearby to store my luggage. After dropping my bags, I went out to find something to eat, only to run straight into Julian, Chloe, and his parents. Chloe was wearing a brand-new Patek Philippe bracelet, looking radiant and smug. She didn’t look like someone on her deathbed at all. “Elena! I told Julian that was you, but he insisted you wouldn’t be around here~” Her eyes locked onto the flyer in my hand, and her smile widened. “Oh… are you looking for a job? But why on earth are you looking at waitress gigs?” “Even if you’re mad at Julian, you shouldn’t degrade yourself like this…” I stayed silent. The flyer had just been shoved into my hand by a young girl shivering in the cold. I had accepted it out of pity. Seeing my silence, Chloe’s eyes flashed with triumphant glee. “You should have told us you needed work! I could have helped you find something decent.” “We’re family, after all. If you have a good job, Julian and the baby will have someone to rely on after I’m gone. It would give me peace of mind.” My silence was taken as a confession of defeat. Julian’s puzzled expression instantly hardened into pure disgust. His brows knit together, his lips curling into a sneer of utter contempt. “Why bother helping her? She chose to throw away a perfectly good residency at the hospital. If she ends up starving on the streets, she deserves it.” “Elena, I can’t believe you’d resort to playing the victim just to make me feel guilty about the baby. You are pathetic!” I looked at his familiar face, now feeling absolutely nothing but detachment. I remembered when we first got married. I had faced some heavy political drama at the hospital and wanted to quit medicine altogether. Julian had held me in his arms, stroking my hair, whispering: “We’re a team, babe. Whatever you decide, I’m with you.” “Who cares about the hospital? I’ll support you forever.” Yet here he was, standing by and letting another woman humiliate me. He had forgotten every promise he ever made. He had forgotten the love we once shared. Even Robert and Martha shook their heads in disgust. “Elena, you’re just a barren woman who can’t even carry the Miller family legacy, and you’re never home. How could you ever compete with Chloe?” “It’s no wonder Julian had to look elsewhere. You only have your own lack of charm to blame!” They spoke louder and louder, drawing stares from the pedestrians passing by. My hands clenched into tight fists, my nails digging into my palms. Before I could speak, Chloe stepped forward with a sweet smile. “We’re actually on our way to get family portraits taken. Elena, why don’t you join us? After all, you’ll be the one taking care of Julian and the baby in the future.” I gave her a flat look, refusing to say a word. Julian scoffed, wrapping his arm protectively around Chloe’s shoulders. “Chloe, you’re too sweet for your own good, but some people just don’t appreciate kindness.” “Elena, drop the attitude. Nobody’s begging you to come. Frankly, you’d just ruin the aesthetic of our family photos anyway.” With that, he pulled Chloe away toward the photo studio. “We’ll be off then! Good luck with the job hunt, Elena~” Chloe waved, throwing one last condescending smirk over her shoulder. Watching them walk away, my heart remained entirely still. To any passerby, they looked like a perfect, happy family. If this was the life Julian wanted, I was more than happy to let him have it.

Three days before my scheduled departure, I received a text on WhatsApp from Director Jenkins. He told me that the specialist I had asked him to contact was in the city for a medical forum, and he could squeeze in an appointment to look at Martha’s chronic asthma. Martha had suffered from severe asthma for years. Though it had been managed, she still had violent flare-ups that had sent her to the ER in the past. Even while I was busy with my intensive training program abroad, I had spent my free time consulting colleagues and gathering case files to find a cure for her. Despite everything, we had been family for three years. I wanted to do this one last thing so I could leave with a clean conscience, owing them nothing. But when I told Martha I wanted to take her to the clinic, her face twisted in anger. “Why the hell would I go to the hospital? Just because I scolded you, you’re trying to curse me with a terminal illness?” “Elena, how can you be so malicious? My latest check-up said I’m perfectly healthy!” “This is a world-renowned asthma specialist who rarely takes appointments. You should really get a scan, just to be safe—” Before I could finish, Martha snatched her mug off the table and threw it at me. “Cut the crap! As if an unemployed loser like you could book a world-class specialist! You’re nothing but a liar. When Chloe stayed up all night to get me a specialist ticket, where were you?” She compared me to Chloe at every turn. Her attitude made it clear. No matter what I did, I was wrong. No matter how hard I tried, I would never measure up to Chloe. I let out a soft, hollow laugh. “If you don’t want to go, then don’t.” I was stupid for caring in the first place. Soon, the day of the baby’s one-month celebration arrived. I showed up late. The banquet hall was packed with distant relatives and acquaintances whose names I couldn’t even remember. The scale of this party was grander than my wedding with Julian. Right at the entrance, there was a massive, blown-up portrait of their “perfect family.” Julian, Chloe, the baby, and his parents. I was completely erased. The moment the relatives saw me, they began whispering and pointing. I didn’t need to hear them to know what they were saying. My aunt grabbed my arm, her face tight with fake curiosity. “Elena, dear! When did you get back? Julian never mentioned it. And when did you guys have a baby?” “I heard you finished your advanced fellowship. Are you getting promoted to Chief of Surgery at the hospital soon? Your future looks so bright!” I didn’t explain. I just gave her a polite nod. But I could see the pity and mockery in her eyes. After all, I wasn’t in the family portrait. And the woman standing next to Julian, greeting guests as the hostess, wasn’t me either. A nosey cousin pointed to Chloe, who was currently feeding Julian a piece of cake. “Elena, who is that woman?” I smiled faintly. “Julian’s new wife.” The surrounding relatives gasped, immediately crowding together to whisper the fresh gossip. Since Julian’s family didn’t care about my dignity, why should I bother saving theirs? Just then, Julian stepped up to the podium and took the microphone. “Thank you all for coming to celebrate my son’s one-month milestone.” “Before this, I never imagined myself as a father. I didn’t think I could handle the responsibility.” “But the moment I heard his first cry, I realized what it truly means to protect someone.” My aunt shouted from the crowd, “Let the baby’s mother come up and speak! Where is she?” The atmosphere in the hall instantly froze. Everyone’s eyes darted back and forth between me and Chloe. The elephant in the room was finally being dragged into the light. The guests were waiting to see who Julian would claim. I locked eyes with Julian, then slowly walked up to the stage. Before he could react, I smoothly took the microphone from his hand. “What are you doing? Don’t you dare make a scene, or I’ll destroy you,” he hissed under his breath, grabbing my wrist. I pulled my arm back with a cold glare. If he hadn’t done anything shameful, why was he so terrified of me speaking? I turned to the crowd, my voice calm and clear over the speakers. “First of all, thank you all for coming today.” “Many of you were there when Julian and I swore our wedding vows. I’ve carried your blessings with me for three years. But as you probably noticed from the portrait at the entrance, things have changed.” Julian’s face went completely pale. He lunged forward, trying to snatch the microphone back. I stepped aside quickly and kept speaking. “To be honest, I was shocked too. I spent a year saving lives abroad, only to return and find my husband living with another woman who was carrying his child.” “They even had the audacity to ask me to raise this child as my own to ‘help me experience motherhood.’ But I’m afraid I have no interest in raising another woman’s baby.” “Julian, I want a divorce.”

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My wife locked me in the bridal suite on our wedding day. All because she ran into her college sweetheart. I sat in the locked room, watching the suite’s smart TV screen. On it, she and Austin were embracing and kissing, completing the entire wedding ceremony in front of all our guests. When the reception finally ended, Chloe walked into the room. The lipstick on her lips was smeared all over her face. Yet, she looked at me with complete nonchalance. “Ethan, I couldn’t get ahold of you. We couldn’t just cancel the wedding. Besides, it’s just a ceremony anyway.” I looked at the screen again. The live feed had moved to the after-party in the suite. Austin was pinning Chloe down on the couch, his hands all over her. I smiled. Later, her company was ruined by that very man. She came crawling back, crying and begging for my help. But she seemed to have forgotten one simple fact. We were already divorced. The wedding was over, and the door to my hotel suite was finally unlocked. Chloe walked in, carrying the scent of another man’s expensive cologne. The smeared lipstick on her face made her look both pathetic and cheap. I looked at her quietly. Then, my eyes drifted back to the TV screen, which was still casting the Snapchat live stories of her and Austin. Austin was practically on top of her, and their movements were disgusting. I remembered how much effort I had put into planning this wedding. I had spent sleepless nights dreaming of our future. To find the perfect wedding ring she wanted, I had traveled to three different cities. To design the dream venue, I personally drew every single sketch. Countless nights of anticipation had led to this trash show. The pain washed over me like a tidal wave. It was the kind of agonizing betrayal that rips your chest wide open. But strangely, after the initial shock, a cold calm took over. When did Chloe start changing? I didn’t say a word. I just looked up at her. She seemed to know what I wanted to ask. She rolled her eyes, her gaze filled with annoyance. “It was just a show for the guests. You weren’t there, so should we have just canceled the whole thing? Austin was only helping me out. Don’t be so narrow-minded.” Just then, Austin walked into the room. He had a fake, apologetic smile on his face. “Ethan, don’t be mad. It’s all a misunderstanding.” I laughed out of pure anger. I pointed at the TV screen. “A misunderstanding? You call this trashy behavior a misunderstanding?” Chloe instantly stepped in front of Austin, defending him. “Don’t yell at him! If you hadn’t messed up and disappeared at the last minute, would this have happened? Austin was just trying to save my reputation. What did he do wrong? Stop throwing a tantrum!” Where did my phone go? Why was my door locked from the outside? Why couldn’t I contact the hotel staff? And why was the TV casting their live feed? The answers were screamingly obvious. Watching Chloe pretend to be innocent made her look like a clown. I didn’t say another word. I walked past them, got into my car, and drove back to our apartment. I lit a cigarette. The smoke drifted slowly under the warm yellow light and disappeared into the air. You can never hold onto smoke. Just like I could never hold onto Chloe’s heart. The wedding portrait on the wall stung my eyes. We looked so happy and in love back then. Everyone used to say we were a match made in heaven. Now, looking at it, I felt nothing but cold emptiness. Chloe didn’t come home that night. I wondered if she even remembered who she had actually married today. She sent a text saying Austin had helped a lot, so she had to buy him dinner to thank him. I lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Memories flashed in my mind like a movie on repeat. Her beautiful smile when we first met, our romantic walks on the beach, the sweet excitement of planning our future… Now, those memories were nothing but sharp knives. I pulled out my phone, posted the screenshot of her and Austin kissing at the altar on Instagram, and captioned it: “Wish you two a lifetime of happiness.” The next evening, I came home from work and saw Chloe sitting on the couch. Her face was incredibly dark. I hung my briefcase on the rack and walked right past her. I had no energy left to play her games. “Ethan Carter!” She slammed her hand on the coffee table, stood up, and glared at me as if I were the one who had committed a crime. “What is wrong with you? What is this attitude, Ethan? What is the meaning of your Instagram post?”

I looked at her and laughed. The laugh was empty and cold. “What does it mean? Exactly what it says. You had your wedding with him, you spent your wedding night with him, and now you’re asking me what it means?” She frowned. A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, but she quickly covered it up with her usual aggressive tone. “Can you stop being so insecure? Austin and I are just old college friends. Yesterday was an emergency. Nothing happened between us!” Then, she sat back down on the couch, fake-wiping tears from her dry eyes. Every time we fought, she did this. Whenever she was in the wrong, she would play the victim. In the past, I always fell for it. The moment she cried, I would panic and do everything to make her happy. But this time, I just looked at her coldly. I didn’t move an inch. Seeing that I wasn’t backing down as usual, she stopped her fake sobbing. Her eyes filled with disbelief. During our years together, I had given Chloe everything she wanted. I tolerated all her whims. Maybe that was why she thought she could walk all over me without caring about my feelings. “Can’t you show me some trust? Fine, stop acting like a child. Delete the post. Don’t make us look bad in front of everyone,” Chloe said. It was laughably pathetic. I had seen the live streams. The way they touched on stage was not something you could explain away with “an emergency.” Besides, she knew exactly how much those actions would hurt me, but she did them anyway. “I’m not deleting the post,” I said. I reached into my briefcase, pulled out the divorce papers I had prepared, and slammed them on the table. “Sign this.” My voice was dead calm. Too many disappointments had turned my heart to ice. Chloe’s eyes widened as she stared at the divorce papers. “Ethan! Are you insane? We just got married yesterday, and you want a divorce over this little thing?” Yes, I felt like I was going insane. Since we got together, I had sacrificed everything for her. I turned down a high-paying job in New York just to stay in Chicago to help her build her startup. I worked day and night to give her a luxury lifestyle. I took care of her family. And in return, she trampled on my dignity. I remembered one time she went to take a shower and left her phone on the table. It lit up with a text from Austin. I caught a glimpse of it. The message was incredibly flirtatious. When I confronted her, she simply shrugged it off. “It’s just an inside joke between college friends. Don’t be so dramatic.” Back then, because I loved her too much, I chose to believe her. I even blamed myself, thinking I was working too hard and neglecting her. So, I made more time for her. I bought her expensive gifts. I took her on trips she always wanted to go on. But she just accepted everything as her right, never changing her behavior. Austin was her college sweetheart. She had never gotten over him. Back then, Austin was broke and had no stable job, so Chloe’s parents forced them to break up. Later, I met Chloe at a business gala and fell for her. She pursued me, and we naturally started dating. She was sweet and caring back then. We had good memories. But Austin’s return shattered everything. Pulling myself back to reality, I pointed at the papers. She stared at them for a second, and then a sneer appeared on her face. “Ethan, do you really think this reverse psychology works on me? It’s so old-school! You’re just jealous of Austin. Do you have to make such a big deal out of it? Stop acting up!” She swept the divorce papers off the table, grabbed her purse, and slammed the door as she went to her room. As she brushed past me, the scent of men’s cologne hit my nose again. It wasn’t mine. It made me want to throw up. My phone rang. It was my best friend, Marcus. I looked at my exhausted face in the mirror before answering. “Hey Ethan, how’s life? Any new plans lately?” Hearing his familiar voice made a lump form in my throat. “Lately… it’s been okay. Everything is… normal.” I tried to keep my voice steady, but the words felt empty. Marcus seemed to sense something was wrong. He didn’t press me. Instead, he changed the subject. “I’m looking for a partner for a few of my tech startups in New York. You know you’re the smartest business mind I know. Besides, your family has deep roots in New York. Why don’t you come back and build this empire with me?”

My heart skipped a beat. Years ago, because of Chloe, I had a massive fight with my family and stubbornly chose to stay in Chicago. But now that this marriage was dead, it was time to reclaim my life. “Alright, count me in,” I said without any hesitation. I trusted Marcus completely. I had distanced myself from my old friends because of Chloe. It was time to fix that. After hanging up, I started packing my bags. Before leaving Chicago, I went to Chloe’s company to pack up my personal belongings. When I walked into the office, my former colleagues gave me weird looks. Whispers echoed around me. I walked straight to my desk and realized Chloe wasn’t there. I asked around and found out she had gone out with Austin. Without wasting any time, I packed my things and left the office where I had poured years of sweat and tears. An hour later, I was on a flight back to New York. When I arrived, Marcus had already set everything up. He booked me into a penthouse suite at a five-star hotel. I dragged my suitcase into the room, freshened up, and got ready to meet him. As I walked down the hallway past the neighboring suite, I noticed the door was slightly ajar. It was shaking. Then, disgusting sounds came drifting out. “Austin… faster… I love you so much.” The voice was hauntingly familiar. My body froze. My mind went blank. Even though I didn’t want to believe it, I knew that was Chloe’s voice. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. But I took a deep breath and forced myself to stay calm. I used to cry over her betrayal. Now, I felt nothing but cold indifference. This woman wasn’t worth a single drop of my emotion anymore. Over the next few months, Marcus and I poured all our energy into our new venture. The company grew at a breakneck speed, dominating the market and drawing massive attention from Wall Street. Meanwhile, Chloe’s company, which used to rely entirely on my business strategies, began to tank. During that time, Chloe tried to reach out to me countless times. My phone blew up with her calls and messages, but I blocked her. I was too busy. After months of sleepless nights, our company was finally ready to launch its first massive round of series-A funding. We threw a grand gala. The venue was magnificent, lit by crystal chandeliers. I was chatting with some major venture capitalists when I caught a familiar figure out of the corner of my eye. It was Chloe. She was wearing a tight black dress. Her makeup was heavy, but it couldn’t hide the deep dark circles under her eyes. I later found out that a new intern in our PR department had made a mistake and accidentally sent an invite to Chloe’s struggling firm. And Austin was standing right next to her. Chloe spotted me and marched over, her high heels clicking loudly on the marble floor. She stopped right in front of me. Ignoring the crowd, she yelled, “What is your problem, Ethan? Why aren’t you answering my texts? Do you have any idea how ruined my company is because you left?” Her voice was shrill. Instantly, the chatter around us died down. Everyone turned to look at us. Austin patted her shoulder, and she calmed down a bit. “Oh, look at you,” Chloe sneered, crossing her arms. She looked me up and down with pure disgust. “Did you lose your job and come here to find a sugar mommy?” Austin laughed along, his voice dripping with malice. “Probably. He knew he had no future in our company, so he came here to beg for scraps. But honestly, a loser like him will never make it big.” The two of them laughed together. I frowned slightly, feeling a spark of annoyance, but I kept my cool. “Chloe, Austin. Long time no see. But I’m afraid things aren’t quite what you think.” Chloe scoffed. “What’s there to think? Don’t tell me you’re the CEO of this company?” She and Austin burst into laughter again. It was incredibly grating. Just then, Marcus ran over. He walked straight to me and spoke loudly. “There you are, Ethan! Come on, the lead investors from Goldman Sachs are waiting to sign the contract with you.” Chloe’s laughter cut off instantly. Her face turned pale, and then a dark, vicious look crossed her eyes. “Hmph, stop putting on a show! Even if you are the boss here, don’t forget we are still married! Half of this company belongs to me!” She took a step closer, her chin raised in a scheming sneer. “Ethan Carter, you better pack your things and come back to Chicago right now to pay off my company’s debts. If you hadn’t abandoned me, my company wouldn’t be in this mess! This is your fault, and you have to pay for it!” She spoke with such self-righteousness, as if I truly owed her. But she seemed to have completely forgotten that she had signed the divorce papers on the night she got drunk. I took a deep breath, suppressing my anger, and looked at her coldly. “Chloe, you really have no shame. But let me remind you—we are already divorced.”

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On the day of our engagement, my fiancé’s childhood best friend showed up in a black funeral dress and a lace veil. The banquet hall went dead silent. Marcus, my fiancé, quickly pulled me aside to explain. “Nora’s baby boy just passed away three days ago. She’s still drowning in grief…” “Just be the bigger person, Chloe. It’s already a huge favor that she even dragged herself to our engagement party. Don’t be so petty.” I stared at Marcus and his precious childhood friend, Nora, completely speechless. Did he seriously just use the phrase “be the bigger person”? I wasn’t an idiot. If Nora wanted to mourn a freaking dog, that was her business. Even if she wanted to call that dog her biological father, what did it have to do with me? But now, Marcus was openly taking her side at our own engagement party. He even had the nerve to tell me not to get worked up over a dead dog… I grabbed the edge of the VIP dining table and flipped it. *Crash!* Champagne glasses shattered, and the expensive cake splattered all over the floor. Screw this engagement!

The table lay in ruins, food and drinks scattered everywhere. Everyone in the hall gasped, their eyes locking onto us. Marcus stared at me, his face a mask of utter disbelief. He probably never imagined that I, the girl who had always been gentle and submissive for the past six years, would do something so wild. “Chloe! Are you out of your mind?” “Today is our engagement party!” I looked up, my eyes ice-cold as I swept a glance over him. Then, I let out a soft laugh. “Oh, right. Our engagement party.” “Too bad. I don’t feel like getting engaged anymore.” The moment those words left my mouth, Nora, who was standing right behind Marcus, swayed on her feet. It was as if she had just received a fatal blow. She weakly grabbed Marcus’s arm, her eyes instantly welling with tears. “Chloe… sweetie… is it… is it because of me? Did I do something wrong?” She bit her lower lip, her voice trembling as she sobbed. “I… I really only came here today to give you guys my blessings.” With that pathetic, victimized look, she made me look like some kind of heartless monster. I was too tired to play along with her little drama. “Your blessings?” “Tell me, Nora. What kind of sane person wears a literal funeral gown to someone else’s celebration to offer ‘blessings’?” My question cut through the room like a knife. Instantly, every guest’s eyes zipped right to her. Actually, the murmurs had started the second Nora walked in. But she had ignored them completely, doing nothing but squeezing herself closer and closer to Marcus. Under the harsh glare of the crowd, Marcus’s face turned a violent shade of crimson. He instinctively stepped in front of Nora to shield her. “Chloe! Stop making a scene!” He lowered his voice, his tone laced with a harsh warning. “I already told you, Nora’s baby boy just passed away! She is absolutely devastated right now!” “You should show some empathy!” Hearing the word “baby boy,” the surrounding guests gasped in understanding. “Oh… so she lost her son. That’s heartbreaking.” “Yeah, her own child just passed, yet she still forced herself to attend her friend’s engagement. That is true loyalty.” “Still, though… wearing black to a celebratory party? It’s a bit of a bad omen, isn’t it?” The whispers weren’t loud, but they were crystal clear. Hearing the crowd tilt in her favor, a flash of smugness crossed Nora’s eyes. She leaned weakly against Marcus’s chest, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls. “Marcus… it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have come.” “I just… I just wanted to see you be happy with my own eyes. We grew up together. You’ve always been like a big brother to me…” She cried so delicately, looking completely helpless. Marcus’s heart practically broke for her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. Then, he turned to me, his eyes filled with deep disappointment. “Chloe, apologize to Nora. Now.” “She’s already going through hell. How can you be so malicious and twist her pure intentions?” Watching this disgusting display of “brotherly-sisterly love,” the last bit of warmth in my heart died. I let out a cold sneer. “You want me to apologize to her?” Under everyone’s bewildered stares, I slowly lifted my chin. “She chose to put on a funeral dress for a dog, and then she brought her little circus to my engagement party!” “Marcus, let me ask you. Why the hell should I care about her dead pet?” The entire banquet hall erupted into a frenzy.

Marcus’s face flushed from red to white, then to a sickly green. I decided to throw more gas on the fire. Taking a step forward, I raised my voice so everyone could hear. “Everyone, I am truly sorry for the clown show you had to witness today.” “But I think there’s something you all should know.” “This ‘baby boy’ my dear fiancé keeps talking about…” I dragged out my words, watching with satisfaction as the color drained completely from Nora’s face. “…is just a dog.” “Nora wants to treat a dog like her child? Fine. That’s her business. I don’t give a damn.” “But bringing her funeral attire to my engagement party to curse my relationship? No way in hell.” The moment the truth came out, the chatter in the room doubled in volume. But I was done listening. I clapped my hands twice. Right on cue, two of my family’s private bodyguards stepped into the hall. I pointed a manicured finger at Nora, who was cowering behind Marcus. “Go.” “Strip that depressing black rag off her.” Nora shrieked, trembling violently as she tried to hide behind Marcus. “Marcus! Save me! I’m scared!” Marcus finally snapped out of his shock. He shielded her fiercely. “Chloe! Don’t you dare!” He glared at me with a ruthlessness I had never seen in him before. “If you go this far today… we are done. Permanently!” “Done?” I let the word roll around in my mouth, and then I laughed. “Marcus, get one thing straight. You are the one who is done.” By now, the guests had fully processed the situation. “Oh my god, a funeral dress for a dog? Is that girl crazy?” “There are all kinds of freaks in this world. Treating a dog like a kid is one thing, but wearing black to an engagement? She did that on purpose to ruin the day.” An older woman who did business with my family—known for her bluntness—snorted loudly. “Honestly, sweetie. You call a dog your son, but does the dog even know who its daddy is?” The roast was brutal and precise. The crowd fell into a hushed, amused silence. Nora’s face was no longer just pale; she looked like a walking corpse. But I only had eyes for Marcus. We had been together for six years. From college campuses to the corporate world, I thought today would be the beginning of our forever. But who would have thought he would turn on me at our own engagement party, all for Nora? What normal man doesn’t protect his own fiancée? Was I too blind in the past, or did he just hide his true colors too well? Suddenly, I realized I needed to re-evaluate his entire history with Nora. Before today, he had sworn to me a thousand times that they were just childhood friends. And they indeed kept their distance in public. But now, the mask was off. I took a deep breath, pulled out my phone, and sent a text to my dad. [Dad, the engagement is canceled.] My parents had just wrapped up a $500 million deal in Europe. Right now, they should be on their private jet back to the country. Seeing that I wasn’t backing down or apologizing, Marcus felt like he had completely lost face in front of everyone. His expression turned icy cold. “Chloe, I’m asking you one last time. Are you going to apologize?” “If not, this engagement is off!” He thought he could use the engagement to control me. After all, he knew how deeply I loved him. Behind him, a flash of pure ecstasy lit up Nora’s eyes. Too bad for her, I caught it. I smirked, raising my phone to my ear. “Fine with me.” I tapped a contact, and the call connected instantly. “Hey, Mr. Davis.” “Yes, it’s Chloe. You don’t need to come over for the signing ceremony.” “The engagement is canceled.” Marcus’s eyebrows knitted tightly. A wave of confusion and unease washed over his face. He stared at me. “Chloe, what the hell are you doing?” “Why are you calling a lawyer?”

Looking at Marcus’s confused and anxious face, I found it hilarious. “Why am I calling a lawyer?” I repeated his question, my voice light and airy. “To handle the aftermath of our canceled engagement, of course.” “For example, the engagement gifts my parents prepared for us.” I paused, my eyes drifting to the pale-faced girl behind him. “You remember those two 20,000-square-foot commercial retail spaces in the luxury downtown district?” “My dad was going to transfer them to our names so we could collect the rent as pocket money.” “Oh, and one more thing.” “My dad was going to bring you into his company. Direct entry as a Vice President.” I watched Marcus’s pupils dilate in pure shock. I smiled, delivering the final, crushing blow. “Now, all of that is void.” For a second, Marcus was stunned. But then, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world, he burst into loud laughter. “Hahaha!” He laughed so hard he almost doubled over. “Chloe, have you completely lost your mind?” “To save your pathetic pride, you’re fabricating stories about your parents now?” “Giving us prime retail properties? Making your man a VP? Who do you think you are, a character in a Netflix drama?” His mocking reminded me of something. For the past six years, I had indeed been “lying” to him. But that was my parents’ idea. Years ago, I rejected all the arranged matches my family set up. I insisted on finding true love on my own. So, my dad made a bet with me. He said that human hearts are unpredictable. Only love without the filter of extreme wealth can show someone’s true character. Thus, I became Chloe, the daughter of an ordinary working-class family. Even when our parents met before the engagement, my parents wore simple clothes and drove a battered old sedan. I had asked them why back then. My dad had only said one thing. “Men change, Chloe. The ultimate test of his character must last until the wedding day.” “Right now, it’s only an engagement.” Looking back, my dad was incredibly wise. Unfortunately, Marcus couldn’t even pass the engagement test. Oh well. Since things had reached this point, there was no need to hide it anymore. Last night, I had begged my parents to let me tell Marcus the truth today to give him a surprise. But they had to fly out suddenly for a major international client. They only promised they would make it back in time for the ceremony. Though they hadn’t arrived yet, I was more than happy to reveal the truth myself. I couldn’t wait to see the regret on Marcus’s face. I looked at him, speaking clearly and deliberately. “Marcus, listen carefully.” “I am the sole heiress of the Vance Group.” A three-second dead silence fell over the room. Then, the entire hall erupted into roaring laughter. “The Vance Group? Haha! The multi-billion dollar multinational conglomerate? This girl’s lies are getting out of hand!” “Did Chloe snap under pressure? Just because her last name is Vance, she thinks she’s *the* Vance heiress? What a joke.” “I mean, the guy was wrong first, but there’s no need to make up such an embarrassing lie. This is painful to watch.” At that moment, Marcus’s aunt, Brenda, who had been watching the drama unfold from the crowd, finally stepped out. She sneered, looking me up and down with utter disdain. “Chloe, sweetie, I know you’re hurt. We might not be rich, but we have morals. You can’t just stand there and lie through your teeth.” “The heiress of the Vance Group? How do you even say that out loud without blushing?” I sneered inwardly. When we were discussing the wedding budget, Marcus’s family cried about how poor they were. Brenda wept, saying Marcus’s parents died early and she had a hard time raising him alone. My heart softened. I lowered my expectations, agreed to a cheap venue, and even promised to support her after the wedding. And yet, on the day of our engagement, they trampled my dignity under their feet. I didn’t want to waste another breath on them. “Believe it or not, I don’t care.” I swept my gaze across the room, locking onto a few specific corners. “Some of the guests here today are actually business partners of the Vance Group.” I slowly raised my hand, pointing to a middle-aged man holding a champagne glass not far away. “For instance, Mr. Donald, the CEO of EastGroup.” Mr. Donald’s hand froze mid-air. I shifted my finger to the other side of the room. “And him. Mr. Harrison, the Chairman of Apex Realty.” Hearing his name, Mr. Harrison’s expression changed instantly. The guests’ gaze flicked back and forth between me and the two business moguls. The laughter of Marcus and Brenda died in their throats. I crossed my arms, looking at them with a smirk. “Is my identity real or fake?” “Why don’t you ask them yourselves?”

“Mr. Donald! Mr. Harrison! Please say something!” Marcus’s aunt, Brenda, practically lunged at the two moguls like a stray cat. “What she’s saying… it’s a lie, right? Don’t let this crazy girl fool you!” Mr. Donald and Mr. Harrison exchanged a look, both looking slightly awkward. After all, this was someone else’s family drama. Eventually, Mr. Harrison put down his glass and spoke in a calm, authoritative voice. “Miss Chloe Vance did indeed identify us correctly.” He paused, studying me with a look of curiosity. “However, while we know the Chairman of Vance Group has a daughter, he keeps his private life extremely guarded. We… have never had the honor of meeting her in person.” His response was politically perfect. He didn’t confirm my identity, but he didn’t deny it either. Yet, it was enough to spark the whispers of doubt again. “I knew it! How could she be…” “Just because she knows who the local CEOs are doesn’t make her a billionaire’s daughter. She has some nerve.” The last bit of worry in Marcus’s eyes vanished, replaced by deep disgust and mockery. “Chloe, how much longer are you going to keep up this act?” Nora whimpered on cue, tugging at Marcus’s sleeve with a fragile look. “Marcus, don’t blame Chloe. She’s probably just… in shock. That’s why she’s talking nonsense.” What a textbook green-tea bitch. Watching them play their roles, the smirk on my face only grew colder. “An act?” I chuckled, my gaze bypassing them and landing on the two moguls again. “Then I have a question for you gentlemen.” “Mr. Donald. Mr. Harrison.” “Why did you two bother to show up at a low-end engagement party like this?” That one question silenced the entire room. The moguls froze. The guests were stunned. True. EastGroup and Apex Realty were massive names in the business world. Meanwhile, Marcus’s family was barely lower-middle class. How on earth did they manage to invite these high-profile figures? Mr. Harrison and Mr. Donald exchanged another look, a sudden realization dawning on them. Mr. Harrison cleared his throat, an apologetic smile on his face. “Well, Chairman Vance booked a meeting room on the third floor of this hotel to discuss a bidding partnership with us this afternoon.” “On the phone, he casually mentioned that there was an engagement party on the first floor at noon. He suggested that if we were free, we could drop by to liven up the place.” “We figured anyone who could get Chairman Vance to speak up for them must be a close relative. So, we came.” His explanation plunged the hall into a suffocating silence. All eyes locked onto me once more. But a second later, the crowd erupted again. “Wait! If she’s really the Vance heiress, why would the engagement party be in a basic four-star hotel? That makes zero sense!” “Exactly! And she hid her identity for six years? For what? Because she liked how poor and messy he was?” “But why would Chairman Vance mention this party then? And if it’s his own daughter’s engagement, why isn’t he here? The math isn’t mathing!” The waves of doubt crashed over me. This time, the look Marcus gave me was pure, unfiltered disgust. He took a step forward, pointing a finger directly at my face. “Chloe, I really misjudged you.” “I thought you were just a bit stubborn, but you’re actually a vain, pathological liar!” “Just to save your pathetic pride, you played everyone in this room!” He took a deep breath. “You ruined this engagement party.” “You are paying for every single cent of the bill!” “From today on, I, Marcus Miller, never want to see your disgusting face again!” With that dramatic declaration, he turned around, holding Nora protectively as he made a move to leave. I watched his retreating back, coldness radiating from me. I was about to speak. Suddenly, the heavy double doors of the banquet hall were slammed open from the outside. A loud, booming voice echoed through the room. “Chairman Arthur Vance of the Vance Group has arrived!” “Make way for our distinguished guest!”

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My stepdaughter won first place in the state science competition, so I bought her the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max she had been begging for as a reward. That night, she happily took the phone. But the second she turned her back, she was on Snapchat complaining to her bestie: “Ugh, the old hag is so desperate to take credit!” “She’s literally handing me a gift my dad prepared for me ages ago and claiming she bought it.” “She does absolutely nothing all day except blow my dad’s money!” “Thank god I slip hormone-disrupting birth control pills into her water tumbler every day. If the stepmonster actually gets pregnant and has a kid, she’ll ruin my inheritance.” “My dad’s money and this house are mine! She’s not getting a single cent!” Reading this, I felt like I had been plunged into a frozen lake. Lily had no idea. To take care of her properly, I had gotten a tubal ligation years ago. And her supposedly wealthy father? His company went bankrupt four years ago, and he’s been living off my charity ever since. Since that’s how they feel, they won’t get another dime from me.

The box of the brand-new iPhone was carelessly tossed at Lily’s feet. There was no excitement on her face, not even a genuine smile. My heart sank. Did she not like it? To test my theory, I plated some freshly cut fruit and walked into her room. Lily was in the shower. I was about to set the plate down and leave when my eyes caught the glowing screen of her phone. It was a Snapchat chat history with her bestie, Maya. [Omg, Lily! Your dad actually got it for you?] As if possessed, I picked up the phone. Under Lily’s Bitmoji, a string of freshly sent messages stared back at me. “Yeah, but the old hag is so desperate to take credit!” “She’s literally handing me a gift my dad prepared for me ages ago and claiming she bought it.” “She does absolutely nothing all day except blow my dad’s money!” I froze. Marcus’s money? He had lost every single penny in the stock market four years ago. I was the one keeping this entire family afloat. Swallowing the bile rising in my throat, I kept scrolling. “Thank god I slip hormone-disrupting birth control pills into her water tumbler every day. If the stepmonster actually gets pregnant and has a kid, she’ll ruin my inheritance.” “My dad’s money and this house are mine! She’s not getting a single cent!” I felt numb. Instinctively, I touched my slightly bloated stomach. Over the past two years, I had gained nearly forty pounds. I had cut out all junk food and worked out like crazy, yet the weight wouldn’t budge. I thought it was just my metabolism slowing down with age. So, this was the real reason. The hilarious part was, to make Lily and Marcus feel secure, I had secretly undergone a tubal ligation during our second year of marriage. I literally could never have children again. Memories of the past seven years flashed through my mind like a horror movie. When Lily craved those organic cronuts from a trendy bakery across the state line at 3 AM, I drove two hours without a second thought to get them for her. When she was bullied at school, I walked away from a multi-million-dollar business deal to go to the principal’s office. I stood up to the school board and those wealthy, Karen-like parents like an absolute mama bear to protect her. And every time she threw a tantrum, Marcus would always say the same thing: “Chloe, she’s just a kid. Cut her some slack.” Yeah. She was just a kid. A kid who poisoned my water every day and plotted to kick me out of my own home. At that moment, my heart turned to ash. With trembling fingers, I scrolled further up the chat history. The log went back years—all the way to the day I married Marcus. [The dress she wore today is so tacky. What is my dad’s problem?] [The dinner she made tonight was disgusting. I threw it straight into the trash.] [She actually tried to redecorate my mom’s old study. I screamed at her until she backed off. Too funny.] [My dad actually complimented her today. Gross.] Every single text was a knife twisting in my chest. I held the phone, barely able to breathe. Just then, the bathroom door opened. Lily walked out, wrapping a towel around her wet hair.

Seeing me, her brow furrowed in instant annoyance. I forced a smile and handed her the fruit plate. “I brought you some fresh fruit.” My voice was quiet, completely void of emotion. Lily’s eyes darted instantly to the phone on her desk. Seeing that the screen was back on the lock interface, she visibly relaxed. Once she felt safe, she immediately put on her usual arrogant, spoiled-teenager attitude. “Knock before you come into my room next time,” she ordered. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, she added, “Actually, don’t come in at all without my permission.” I looked at her, suddenly wanting to laugh. She seemed to have forgotten that this house was my pre-marital property. To make her feel welcome back then, I had hired the best interior designer to turn this sun-drenched bedroom into her dream princess suite. The ceiling featured a hand-painted starry sky by a renowned art professor, costing six figures. The bed was fitted with imported Italian silk velvet sheets that had to be sent to a specialty dry cleaner. The Swarovski crystal music box on her vanity was a rare collectible I had someone import directly from Austria. Even that limited-edition designer Barbie was something I had fought for at a private auction. Every single item in this room was bought with my hard-earned money and care. And now, the “princess” of this house was banning me from entering. I said nothing. My mind was screaming, but my face was a mask of dead silence. I turned around and quietly closed the door behind me. I walked back to my master bedroom, locked the door, buried my face in the pillows, and finally let the tears sob out. Lily’s cruelty broke me. But… she was only sixteen. Marcus and I were high school sweethearts, each other’s first loves. If not for a misunderstanding back then, we wouldn’t have wasted ten years apart. After his first wife died in a car accident, we crossed paths again. We cleared up the past and got back together. I cherished this second chance at love. I loved Marcus, so I loved Lily by extension, treating her like my own flesh and blood. I really believed that if I gave them my heart, they would eventually return the warmth. I was dead wrong. Crying solved nothing. I wiped my tears and stood up. In the mirror, my face was pale, my eyes swollen. I couldn’t live like this anymore. I needed to make a choice. But first, I had to see where Marcus stood. Taking a deep breath, I called him.

The phone rang a dozen times before he finally picked up. “Hey.” I gripped the phone, my knuckles turning white. “It’s me,” I said, my throat feeling like sandpaper. There was a second of silence on the other end. “What’s wrong? Have you been crying?” Marcus asked. “Did you and Lily have another fight?” Before I could even answer, he sighed. “She’s just a kid, Chloe. Cut her some slack.” Those words felt like a needle driving straight into my brain. I smiled bitterly. “Marcus.” “Yeah?” “Do you love me?” The air instantly froze. Over the line, I heard the sound of papers shuffling, followed by the metallic click of a lighter. He was lighting a cigarette. “Why are you asking that now?” his voice was laced with impatience. “We’re married.” Right. Married. When I emptied my savings to bail his company out, he said we were married. When I stepped back from my career to raise Lily, he said we were married. But now, when I asked if he loved me, all he could say was that we were married. My heart grew colder by the second. “Oh, by the way,” he said, as if suddenly remembering something. “I have a new project coming up, and I’m short two million dollars.” “Wire it to my account tomorrow.” It wasn’t a request. It was an order. I said nothing. Only his shallow breathing and the sound of my dying heart filled the silence. “Chloe? You there? What’s wrong with you?” He finally sensed something was off. I took a deep breath. “Nothing.” “Get back to work.” I hung up. The phone slipped from my palm. Two million dollars. He said it so casually. Suddenly, everything clicked. Marcus and I weren’t two high school sweethearts reunited by fate. This was a meticulously planned financial rescue mission. He knew I was wealthy. So, he brought his daughter into my house, drove my cars, spent my money, and spent every waking moment prioritizing his daughter over me. And what was I? A walking ATM. A free nanny. Details I had willfully ignored for years came rushing back. For his birthday, I bought him a Patek Philippe. The first words out of his mouth weren’t about whether he liked it. It was: “How much is this worth?” When Lily skipped school and the principal called, he was always “in a meeting,” always “too busy.” I was always the one who went. I bowed my head, apologizing to the teachers and taking the blame. Yet when we got home, Marcus would pat Lily on the shoulder and say, “Your stepmom is just making a big deal out of nothing. Just be careful next time.” See? In his eyes, I was always “your stepmom.” An outsider. This father-daughter duo enjoyed my warmth while laughing at my stupidity. No more tears came out. My heart felt dry. I had given up the golden years of my career for him. I had given up my right to be a biological mother for him. I had given him all my love and money. Now, I wanted none of it back. I picked up my phone, scrolled through my contacts, and found a number. I sent a text: *Draft a divorce agreement. I want to see it tonight.*

Marcus didn’t come home last night. The next morning, just as the sun was rising, a sharp scream echoed from downstairs. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling for three seconds. I hadn’t slept at all. I got out of bed, didn’t bother putting on slippers, and walked downstairs barefoot. In the living room, Lily was kneeling on the carpet. In front of her lay a shattered pile of colorful porcelain and metal. It was her Swarovski music box. “Mom…” she sobbed, her shoulders shaking violently. I stood on the bottom step, watching her. Hearing my footsteps, she whipped her head around. The moment she saw me, her fake sorrow instantly morphed into pure hatred. “It was you!” she screamed. “You did this!” I said nothing. “This is the only thing my mom left me before she died! Why would you break it?!” she shrieked. “How can you be so evil?!” I walked down the final step and stood before her. Bending down, I picked up a small brass key from the shards. It was the winding key for the music box. I recognized it instantly. On Lily’s tenth birthday, Marcus had given it to her, claiming her late mother had prepared it for her before she passed. She had been thrilled. But she didn’t know that I was the one who had spent weeks picking it out. “I didn’t break it. And for the record, I was the one who bought this music box for you,” I said, dropping the key into her open palm. “You’re lying!” She slapped my hand away, sending the key clattering onto the hardwood floor. “It was you! You’re just jealous of my mom, so you destroyed her memory!” The front door clicked open. Marcus was back. Lily’s eyes lit up, and her tears began to flow twice as fast. “Dad!” She scrambled over, throwing her arms around Marcus’s legs. “Dad, look at her! She broke the music box Mom left me!” Marcus froze mid-step while taking off his shoes. He looked down at his sobbing daughter, then raised his head to glare at me with deep disappointment and anger. “Chloe, what are you throwing a tantrum over *now*?” *Now.* In his mind, I was always the unreasonable villain. Lily was always the innocent victim who needed protection. “I didn’t touch it,” I said flatly. “She’s just a kid! Her mother is gone, do you have any idea how much that music box meant to her?!” Marcus’s voice boomed with rage. “Even if you hate her, you don’t take it out on a child!” I laughed. I laughed so hard tears almost came out. “Marcus,” I said, staring directly into his eyes. “In your mind, is she ever capable of doing anything wrong?” Marcus was taken aback. He helped Lily up and pulled her behind his back. That single movement spoke volumes. “Apologize to Lily,” he demanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Why should I apologize?” “Because you hurt her!” he yelled. “Apologize! Now!” I looked at Lily, who was hiding behind her father’s shoulder. She flashed me a smug, triumphant smirk. Her lips silently mouthed: *You can’t steal him from me.* She was right. I couldn’t. And frankly, I didn’t want to anymore. Who wants to fight over a piece of trash? “Fine,” I nodded. Marcus’s expression softened slightly, thinking I was backing down. “I’ll apologize,” my gaze bypassed him and landed straight on Lily. “I apologize for ever expecting fairness from your father when you framed me.” “I apologize for thinking your father had a shred of decency while you played your cheap mind games.” “And,” I paused, turning my eyes to Marcus, “I apologize to myself for ever marrying you.” Marcus’s face turned incredibly pale. “Chloe! What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” “It means…” I took a deep breath, feeling the absolute resolve I had found last night. “Marcus, I want a divorce.” The anger on Marcus’s face froze. Even Lily’s smug grin vanished. “What… what did you just say?” Marcus stammered, unable to believe his ears. “I said, we are getting a divorce,” I said, pronouncing each word with crystal clarity. “My lawyer will contact you today. This house was bought before our marriage; it’s in my name. The Mercedes downstairs is in my name. I want both of you packed and out of here by tomorrow.” I looked at Lily. “And your princess room, designed by a top professional that cost me eighty thousand dollars? Too bad. You don’t get to live in it anymore.” “You have two options.” “One: pack your bags and get out today.” “Two: I call security and have them throw your trash onto the curb.” “Are you insane?!” Marcus finally snapped, pointing a trembling finger at me. “Over a stupid music box? You’re divorcing me over *this*?!” “A stupid music box?” I chuckled as if I had just heard the funniest joke in the world. “When you made me drive three hours on Thanksgiving morning to get your daughter a specific cake, that was a ‘small thing.’” “When I sat in the principal’s office taking the heat for Lily’s behavior, that was a ‘small thing.’” “When your company went bankrupt and you casually took five hundred thousand dollars from me to cover your debts, that was a ‘small thing.’” “And yesterday, when you demanded another two million dollars as if it were pocket money, that was also a ‘small thing.’” With every sentence, I took a step closer to him. With every word, his face lost more color. “Marcus, what actually qualifies as a ‘big thing’ to you?” “Would I have to die for you to think, *oh, this is serious*? Though I suppose you’d just be thrilled to inherit my estate.” He backed up until his spine hit the door, completely speechless. Behind him, Lily looked utterly terrified. I didn’t give them another look. I turned around and walked upstairs. Behind me, Marcus’s panicked voice echoed, “Chloe! Wait, let me explain… I didn’t mean it like that…”

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I was just an ordinary IT guy living a boring life. After a routine company physical, a pale-faced nurse secretly slipped me a note. “Run! Your health report was swapped. They are preparing to legally harvest your heart!” At first, I thought it was a sick prank. Until I found out that my company was falsifying my critical condition data in real-time. And an unmarked black SUV actually tried to run me over, staging an “accidental” death. Now, I am hiding in the freezing morgue of the hospital, holding a scalpel that could prove everything. Outside, the heavy footsteps in the corridor are getting closer and closer… *** ### “Dammit, search every inch! He must be hiding on this floor!” “Boss, this place is too creepy… Do we really have to search the morgue?” “Don’t miss a single corner!” Two savage voices echoed down the hallway outside. I gripped the stolen scalpel so hard my knuckles turned white. Just hours ago, I was a regular IT tech. Now, I was a “blood bag” on the run. It all started with that note. During my checkup, a pale little nurse squeezed a crumpled piece of paper into my hand, telling me someone wanted my heart. I didn’t take it seriously. Until I discovered my health monitoring data was being remotely hacked and altered. Until that black SUV tried to crush me into the brick wall of an alley. Terrified, I fled to the nearest hospital and ran blindly down into the basement morgue. *Thud!* Someone kicked the metal door of the freezer cabinet next to mine. I held my breath, pointing the scalpel at the gap in the door, ready to strike. But then, the footsteps began to fade. “Boss! I heard something upstairs! Let’s go check!” As the footsteps vanished, I let out a shaky breath and slumped against the cold metal inside the body tray. As I was trying to figure out how to escape, a faint scratching sound came from the cabinet next to me. *Scratch… scratch…* It sounded like fingernails scraping against steel. My entire body went rigid. Was it a rat? Or… The sound came again, this time with a clear rhythm. Clutching the scalpel, I slowly pushed my cabinet door open a crack. The hallway outside was empty. But the handle of the neighboring freezer tray was turning. *Click.* There was someone alive in there? A faint groan echoed from the metal box. I kicked my door open and pointed the scalpel forward. The neighboring tray slid open. A pale young guy sat up, coughing violently. “Did you escape too?” he gasped, his eyes wide with pure terror. “Did they list you as a ‘spare part’ too?” I stood there, lowering my scalpel slightly. Another victim? Suddenly, the young guy’s eyes went wide, staring right behind me. “Watch out!” I spun around, but I was too late. The prongs of a taser slammed into my chest. Thousands of volts of electricity surged through my body. Before blacking out, I saw two men in tactical gear and a man in a white lab coat standing at the door. “Take them both,” the doctor said coldly. “Patient Zero’s condition is deteriorating. We need to prep for surgery immediately.” Every nerve in my body screamed in agony. I wanted to scream for help, but my lips wouldn’t move. When I opened my eyes again, my vision was a blurry, clinical white. I was locked inside a clear pod filled with a milky white liquid. Only my head was exposed. An oxygen mask was strapped to my face, and my wrists and ankles were secured by thick metal bands. Over a dozen electrodes were glued to my bare skin. On the monitor connected to me, my heart rate was spiking wildly in bright green lines. And the guy who had been captured with me? He was already lying on a steel table nearby, his chest cavity cut open, discarded like trash. “Vitals stable. The donor is awake.” “Administer the pre-op sedative. Move him to OR-1 in thirty minutes. Patient Zero is already under anesthesia.” The doctor picked up a syringe filled with a cloudy fluid and walked toward my IV line. It was over. Utter despair washed over me, colder than the medical fluid. Once that needle went in, I would have no strength left to fight. I would have to watch them carve my heart out while I was wide awake! Just as the needle was about to pierce the tube— My vision suddenly distorted, like a glitching TV screen. Several rows of glowing text flashed right across my eyes. `[The syringe contains a high-strength muscle relaxant and sedative! Do not let him inject it!]` `[Use the physical emergency port under your right foot! Smash it! Short-circuit the system!]` `[Hurry! No time!]` *** ###

AR text?! I froze. This wasn’t a hallucination. Was it the nurse? How was she doing this? There was no time to think. Survival instinct kicked in, and I chose to trust this sudden “guardian angel.” With my right foot bound by the metal ring, I slammed my heel downward with all my might. *Bang!* I hit an inconspicuous gray cover plate on the inner wall of the medical pod! The plate popped open, revealing a messy bundle of wires and circuit boards. “Stop him!” the guard yelled, lunging forward to pin my legs. Following the glowing text prompts in my eyes, I used my toenails to snag and rip the red and blue data wires. *Sparks flew!* The metal bands locking my wrists and ankles instantly snapped open due to the power overload! The doctor slammed his hands onto the control panel, but the screen flickered wildly. The system was failing. The two guards lunged at me again. I grabbed the live, sparking wires and whipped them directly across the face of the nearest guard. `[Go to the main console! Override code: Delta-Seven-Zero-Alpha! Now!]` I scrambled out of the pod, my wet body sliding across the floor. The doctor tried to block me, but I slammed my elbow into his jaw, knocking him back. With wet fingers, I tapped the code onto the touchscreen. The master system override popped up! `[Environmental control! Fire sprinklers! High-frequency strobe light!]` I hit activate! *Swoosh—!* A freezing deluge of water rained down from the ceiling, flooding the room. The emergency lights began flashing at an blinding, nauseating speed. The guard who had grabbed my shoulder let go to shield his eyes. `[Access database! Look up your ID: B-737!]` Squinting through the pouring water, I frantically typed on the screen. I entered B-737. The screen flashed: *Donor status: Quarantined. Physical sample location: Sublevel 2, Cryo-Storage, Sector 7, Shelf C-17. Access level: Omega Lock.* My original blood samples were in the cryo-vault! `[Remember the location! Cut the power! Create chaos! Exit through the east corridor!]` I grabbed the main power cable of the console and ripped it out of the wall. I picked up a metal stool and hurled it at the nearest ceiling light. Total darkness and pouring water engulfed the room. Amidst the screaming alarms, I burst through the door and ran into the hallway. `[Left! Go straight fifty yards! Avoid the security camera!]` `[Guards coming from the right! Duck into the janitor’s closet!]` `[Go! Get out! Keep moving! Turn left at the end, take the emergency stairs down to B2!]` I ran like a madman, the AR text in my eyes updating every second. It predicted every obstacle and guard patrol route with terrifying precision. Finally, I slammed into a heavy blast door marked “B2 – Restricted Area.” `[Authorization temporarily bypassed! Get in! They’ve initiated lockdown!]` I pushed, and the door clicked open. I slipped inside, and the heavy door locked behind me with a solid hiss. But before I could even catch my breath, new red text flashed in my eyes, blinking with desperate urgency. `[Warning! Dynamic biometric scanners active in the vault! Unauthorized entry will trigger a silent alarm!]` `[They know you’re here! They are setting up a perimeter!]` `[Watch out! There’s something else inside… not just guards…]` *** ###

The heavy metal door sealed shut behind me, blocking out the shouting of the guards. `[Go straight, take the second right. Avoid the motion sensors on the ceiling.]` I hugged the wall, barely making a sound. Turning right, I saw the alloy door of the cryo-vault at the end of the hall. Next to the door was an authorization panel. I crouched down and took the wire I had ripped from the pod, carefully jamming the exposed metal threads into a green port on the panel. `[Keep it there. Bypassing authorization… Need ten seconds.]` The text flickered. The person on the other end was putting everything into hacking the lock. Behind me, the guards were already breaching the B2 main blast door. `[Success! Access granted. Status spoofed as ‘Emergency Sample Retrieval.’ You have three minutes! Go left, Shelf C!]` *Hum—* The alloy door slid open silently. I bolted inside. The temperature plummeted. My breath turned into thick white mist. The room looked like a futuristic library, filled with towering metal shelves emitting cold vapor. Thousands of labeled cryo-boxes were stacked neatly in rows. I sprinted down the icy aisle, scanning the tags. There! A standard cryo-box sat quietly on Shelf C-17. The label read: *Ethan, B-737.* Just as I reached for it— `[Stop!]` The text flashed in a violent, bloody red. `[Weight sensors active! Any weight discrepancy or illegal opening will trigger a Level 5 Lockdown!]` My hand froze in mid-air. Cold sweat broke out on my neck. They were this meticulous! `[Scan the side of the box! Look for a passive RF transmitter!]` I leaned in, using the dim blue light of the shelf to inspect the box. Sure enough, hidden in a tiny crevice on the side was a transparent micro-chip. `[Found it! It’s a real-time GPS and alarm trigger! If you move the box, they’ll know instantly.]` What now? Time was running out. My heart hammered against my ribs. `[Change of plan! Do not take the box! Use your wire to connect to the data port on the bottom of the box. Download the original sample spectrum data and storage log. That’s enough to prove your sample hasn’t been contaminated and belongs to you. We have to leave the physical sample behind.]` Leave it? I had gone through hell to get here! `[Hurry! No time to argue! This is the only way to clear your name! The port is at the bottom.]` Clenching my teeth, I realized she was right. I plugged my wire into the tiny port at the bottom of the box. `[Connection established! Downloading data… 1%]` The progress bar crawled upward painfully slowly. `[Oh no! They are brute-forcing the B2 master door! Faster than expected! Accelerate!]` The distant thud of an explosion echoed. They were in the sublevel! `[Download complete! Disconnect! Run! Use the waste disposal chute at the far end of the vault!]` I ripped the wire out and turned to run. *Click…* A mechanical whirring sound came from above my head. I looked up. At the very top of the shelf, a black automated syringe gun crept out of the ceiling. It aimed directly at my neck. The AR text in my vision began to violently warp and glitch. *BZZZ—* `[System… bypassed… by admin…]` `[Firewall… breach…]` `[Run… Ethan… run… they found m…]` The last words faded into static. And then, the AR overlay vanished from my eyes completely. She… she got caught?!

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I was diagnosed with cancer, and my entire family urged me to give up on treatment. My sister-in-law, Hailey, was thrilled and immediately started introducing matchmakers to my husband. My husband, Jason, said, “Once you’re gone, someone has to take care of our daughter, Lily.” He even started openly bringing other women to our house. I divorced him, took my half of the assets to pay for my medical bills, only to discover it was a massive hospital mix-up. The one who actually had cancer was him. When he came begging me for money to treat his illness, I gave him the exact same advice. “Once you’re gone, I can’t be left with no money to take care of our daughter.” Both Jason and I had been feeling some discomfort in our stomachs lately. Since it was the weekend, we decided to go to the hospital together for a checkup. To our surprise, Jason only had mild indigestion, while I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. When the doctor handed me the report, I felt like I had been plunged into an ice bath. I was still so young. Why was life so cruel to me? I grew up as an orphan and had a rough childhood. When I met Jason, he was so warm and caring. We had worked so hard to build a comfortable life, and just as things were getting better, this piece of paper was handed to me like a death sentence. Before I could even process my grief, my mother-in-law, Brenda, called. She didn’t even say hello before she started nagging. “Hailey said you two went to the clinic today. What a waste of money! You’re both so young, what could possibly be wrong with you? If you have cash to burn, you should have bought Hailey a new iPhone instead!” I swallowed my tears and whispered, “Brenda…” Hearing the tremble in my voice, Brenda instantly got tense. “Is something wrong with my son?” My voice shook. “No… it’s me. I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Brenda, I don’t want to die.” I had been married to Jason for ten years, and I had always treated Brenda like my own mother. Having never experienced parental love, I poured my heart and soul into his family. Even when we were broke right after our wedding and had to eat cheap instant noodles, I would save up to buy Brenda premium steaks to help her nutrition. I thought Brenda would comfort me and tell me to stay in the hospital for treatment. Just like every time she got sick, I would quit my job and stay by her hospital bed twenty-four hours a day. But instead, her voice turned cold and sharp. “Don’t you dare check into that hospital! That’s just a giant scam to steal your money! Trust me, I’ve lived long enough to know how these things work. Cancer can’t be cured anyway. Get your butt home right now and don’t let the hospital rob us!” It felt like a lightning strike. It took me a long moment to realize that my mother-in-law was actually telling me to give up and die. I practically screamed into the phone, “But I don’t want to die!” But my desperation didn’t earn an ounce of pity from Brenda. She scoffed. “Getting sick is your own bad luck. Don’t you dare drag our whole family down with you! Besides your mortgage and car payments, you promised to pay for Hailey’s college tuition. She’s only a sophomore. Do you want to throw her tuition money into a hospital black hole?” I was shaking with rage. I grabbed Jason’s arm, begging him to speak up for me. I couldn’t believe that after ten years of marriage, he could remain so indifferent. But Jason just stood there, staring at the floor. After a long silence, he finally spoke. “I think Mom is right. Even if we don’t count Hailey, Lily still needs to go to school. You can’t be so selfish that you leave me broke and alone.” What a line! “Broke and alone.” I had poured all my money and energy into this family for years, never spending a single dime on myself. Is this what I got in return? I stared at him. “If you were the one diagnosed with cancer today, would you refuse treatment?” Jason looked at me right in the eye, acting all righteous. “Yes, I wouldn’t treat it. I know how heavy our financial burden is. If I got sick, I would spend my remaining days working to make as much money as possible, leaving every cent to you and Lily.” I almost laughed out loud. He only said that because he knew he was perfectly healthy! It’s easy to act like a martyr when it’s not your flesh on the line! Last winter, when a severe flu swept through the city, I was the first to fall ill. Jason refused to let me go to the clinic, claiming that “someone had to take care of our daughter.” I had to drag my feverish body around the house, cooking three meals a day for the four of them. If I was even five minutes late, Hailey would roll her eyes and call me dramatic. But when Jason and Brenda caught the flu a few days later, Jason was the very first to call an ambulance and check himself into a private ward. He even demanded that I deliver hot, homemade soup to him and Brenda three times a day. If he were the one with cancer today, he’d probably already be lying in a hospital bed, demanding I sell my organs to pay for his treatment!

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. “Leave every cent to me and Lily? That sounds beautiful, Jason.” “I only agreed to help pay for Hailey’s college because I felt bad that your mom was getting old. But ask yourself—has a single dollar you earned ever been spent on me or our daughter?” “You complain when I buy Lily a thirty-dollar dress, yet you didn’t hesitate to spend three hundred dollars on a pair of designer heels for Hailey just so she could show off at school!” “If you were the one with cancer today, you would have transferred all your money to your mother and sister already. You wouldn’t give a damn about me and Lily!” Jason looked guilty. His lips trembled as he tried to defend himself, but I cut him off. “Save it. I don’t want to hear your excuses. My cancer is still in its early stages. The doctor said there’s a high chance of recovery. I’m still young, and I am not giving up. We are going to sell our house, and I am taking my half of the money for my treatment.” We bought that house together after years of hard work. I had every right to my half. But Jason reacted like a cornered animal, instantly flaring up. “Absolutely not! If you sell the house, where is my family supposed to live? Renting an apartment?” “Mom is getting old, and Hailey doesn’t even have a job yet. You’re forcing my entire family onto the streets!” “And what about Lily? Do you really have the heart to take her out of a premium school district and send her to some sketchy public school?” “So your entire family is just going to watch me die? I can be cured! Why can’t I get treated?!” I threw his hand off and screamed at the top of my lungs. Jason’s face hardened into cold annoyance. “If you’re going to insist on throwing our life savings into a medical black hole, then let’s get a divorce. I am not going to let my mother and sister suffer because of your selfishness.” I stared at this hypocritical man. It felt like I was seeing him for the first time in our ten years of marriage. I never could have imagined that the man I loved with all my heart would one day tell me to go home and wait for death, all because he didn’t want his standard of living to drop. I remembered how he had sworn to cherish me forever before we got married, calling me the only woman who was willing to build a life with him from scratch. I had endured so much struggle with him, yet at the first sign of a real storm, he was ready to throw me overboard without a second thought. I blinked back my tears and nodded. “Fine. We’ll sign the divorce papers tomorrow.” Jason stared at me coldly. “Don’t regret this. Once we’re divorced, you’re on your own. Don’t come begging me when you run out of money. This is your own choice.” With that, he spun around and stormed out of the hospital. I watched his retreating back, and the tears finally spilled over. This man was never worth my ten years of devotion. How pathetic that it took a terminal illness for me to finally see his true colors.

By the time I got home, I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I wanted to pack some essentials and head back to the hospital to check in. But the moment I unlocked the front door, Hailey rushed up to me, holding a thick stack of printed photos. “Hey, Chloe. I heard you and my brother are getting divorced. Come on, help me pick. Who do you think would make a better stepmom for Lily?” “You’re going to die anyway, so don’t be so bitter and selfish. Once you’re gone, someone has to take care of the house.” The thought of my daughter calling another woman “Mom” made my chest throb with agonizing pain. Hailey couldn’t hide her smug grin. “If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t even waste money on chemo. I’d leave all the cash to my brother and Lily. At least then, Lily might actually visit your grave and buy you a decent tombstone.” “But look at you, insisting on selling the house just to keep yourself alive. How can you be so incredibly selfish? You don’t care about your own daughter at all. No wonder she won’t want to support you when she grows up!” She sounded so proud of herself. After spewing those venomous words, she exchanged a smirk with Brenda. They clearly thought I was still the same submissive pushover they could walk all over. But now, I just gave her a cold, empty smile. “Actually, Hailey, since I’ve been paying for your college tuition and credit card bills out of my own pocket for the last few years, don’t you think you owe me some financial support now?” Hailey’s face flushed with anger. She raised her hand, aiming a slap right at my face. “How dare you! I only called you ‘sister’ out of respect for my brother! Without him, you’re nothing but trash! You deserve to get cancer and die early. Selfish people like you always get what’s coming to them!” Look at that. This was the girl I had raised and supported for nearly eight years. Even a dog would have shown more gratitude. Brenda chimed in from the couch. “You’re going to die sooner or later anyway. This house is worth a lot of money. Why can’t you just leave it so the family can live comfortably? You just have to cause a scene with this divorce. You got cursed with this disease, and now you want to drag all of us down with you!” Lily was sitting on the sofa, sobbing loudly. “I don’t want to move! I want to stay in my princess room! Mommy, please don’t sell our house!” I swallowed the bitterness in my throat, walked over, and tried to hug her. “Sweetheart, Mommy is very sick. I need the money to see a doctor. If I don’t get treated, you won’t have a mommy anymore.” But Lily kicked my hands away with all her might. “You bad mommy! You just don’t want me to have my room! Daddy said if we sell the house, I won’t be able to go to my school anymore! Why do you have to get treated? Why don’t you just die?!” I froze, completely paralyzed. I never, in my wildest dreams, expected my own daughter to tell me to die. I could ignore the rest of them, but this was the child I had carried for nine months and raised with my own two hands. How could she turn into such a heartless monster? What had all my sacrifices been for? What did I even mean to this family? Tears completely blurred my vision. Jason walked out of the bedroom, looking at my pale, devastated face with a cold sneer. “Do you get it now? If you stubbornly insist on throwing money into the hospital, you’ll end up with a daughter who doesn’t even recognize you. Think carefully about the consequences!”

In the midst of my overwhelming despair, I stood up. For a split second, I really wanted to just end it all and find some peace. But then my eyes fell on the stack of photos in Hailey’s hands, and a sudden spark of defiance flared up inside me. If I died, this disgusting family would just live happily on my hard-earned money. Why should I make things easy for them? I wiped my tears and walked firmly into the bedroom to grab our marriage certificate. “We’re not waiting until tomorrow. We’re going to the court clerk to file for divorce right now.” Since no one in this world cared about me anymore, I had to learn to love myself. Once I got cured, I was going to watch every single one of them get exactly what they deserved! Jason didn’t expect that his threats would make me even more determined to divorce him. Infuriated, he kicked the coffee table, sending it crashing to the floor. “Think carefully, Chloe! If we divorce, I’ll marry someone younger and prettier immediately! I’ll make sure Lily calls her ‘Mom’! You’ll have given birth to her for absolutely nothing!” I let out a cold, mocking laugh and looked down at Lily. “Let me ask you, Lily. If your dad was the one who got cancer today, would you refuse to let him get treated too?” The entire room went dead silent. But Lily didn’t hesitate for a second. She threw herself into Jason’s arms. “Daddy got divorced just so I could keep my room! He’s a good daddy! I don’t want Daddy to die!” Brenda burst into a proud laugh, hugging her tight. “Good girl! That’s my sweet granddaughter. You’re a million times better than your ungrateful mother!” Hailey sneered. “Lily, do you want a new, better mommy?” “Yes!” Lily excitedly grabbed the photos from Hailey and actually started flipping through them. I stood in the middle of the living room, feeling like a complete joke. I walked into my room and quickly packed my belongings. Jason followed me, leaning against the doorframe, trying to hurt me with more vile words. “I heard chemotherapy makes your hair fall out and makes you look hideous before you die. Don’t expect me to show up at your funeral. Since you don’t have any parents, I’ll just let the city cremate you. I don’t want to see a disgusting corpse.” “Don’t worry, Lily’s new mom will treat her way better than you ever did. You can just watch our happy family from six feet under. And don’t expect me to buy you a tombstone—we’ll be divorced, and I won’t spend a single cent on you.”

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### 1 I was reborn. And of all things, I had swapped bodies with my golden-boy, blood-sucking brother. In my past life, to pay for Leo’s luxury downtown apartment and his endless credit card bills, I had to take a high-paying, deadly job as a skyscraper window washer. But my parents and Leo set a trap for me. They loosened my safety harness, causing me to plunge from the thirtieth floor. They used my massive accidental death insurance payout to live like royalty. They even sold off my intact organs on the black market. By the time I was buried, I was nothing but a pile of bones. But in this life? I will play along with their little game and throw every single one of them behind bars myself. … “You useless bitch, give me the money right now!” Before I could even open my eyes, Sarah’s screeching voice pierced my ears. I was long used to these toxic insults. But when I opened my eyes and looked around, I froze. I was in Leo’s spacious, well-decorated bedroom. Then, I looked down. When I pulled back my waistband and saw his male anatomy, the truth hit me like a truck. I was reborn. And I was in my brother’s body. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed outside. Something had slammed onto the floor. I got out of bed and opened the door, only to see Leo—currently in my female body—sprawled at my feet. His eyes widened in sheer panic. He scrambled up and grabbed my collar. “You crazy bitch, give me my body back!” he screamed, his voice trembling. Before I could even speak, Sarah rushed over. She grabbed Leo by the hair and yanked him backward. “You’ve lost your mind,” Sarah sneered, looking at Leo with utter disgust. “How dare you speak to your brother like that?” Ignoring Leo’s desperate struggles, she shoved him hard against the wall. “If you dare lay a finger on my precious son, I’ll make you regret being born!” The scene was all too familiar. In my past life, this was the exact day Sarah had beaten me to the ground. At that time, I was just a fresh graduate making barely enough to cover my rent in a sketchy neighborhood. But Sarah wouldn’t stop hounding me for money. She wanted cash so Leo could buy thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts for TikTok e-girls. When I refused, Sarah started tearing my clothes off in public to search for cash. Leo had sat on the sofa, watching with cold indifference. He even pulled out his phone, filmed the whole thing, and sent it to his frat-boy Snapchat group. To them, I wasn’t family. I was just an ATM. Thinking of this, I looked at Sarah and said coldly, “Let her go.” Then, without a second thought, I slapped Leo hard across the face. His head snapped back, his cheek immediately flushing bright red. I grabbed his chin, squeezing it tightly. “No money? Then don’t even think about leaving this room.” He tried to fight back, but I slammed him face-first onto the carpet, pinning his hands behind his back. I was in a man’s body now. The physical strength was intoxicating. I looked up at Sarah, putting on Leo’s signature whiny face. “Mom, look at her! Chloe has a job now, but she refuses to help her own family. She’s such an ungrateful parasite!” Hearing my words, Sarah’s heart melted. She quickly patted my head comfortingly. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I’ll get your money.” Without a shred of hesitation, she began aggressively searching Leo’s pockets. She stripped his jacket and emptied every single pocket. In the end, she only found less than fifty bucks. In my past life, that fifty bucks was my entire grocery budget for the month. Because of their greed, I had to scavenge for expired food behind the local supermarket just to survive. While I lived in agony, they lived high on my misery. A bitter wave of anger washed over me. “Useless trash! Only this much?” Sarah spat. Disappointed by the small amount, she began violently pulling at Leo’s shirt, ripping the collar and exposing his skin. Watching Leo undergo this public humiliation, I sat back and watched with cold eyes, just like he had done to me. In this life, I will make sure every single one of you pays the ultimate price. ### 2 The pocket change Sarah took from Leo didn’t last long. Since Sarah didn’t have a job, she quickly turned her sights back on Leo’s apartment—the run-down studio I used to rent. It was located in the most dangerous, damp alley on the edge of the city. I didn’t want to relive those dark memories, so I waited down on the street while Sarah went up. The walls of that building were paper-thin. Even from the street, I could hear Leo screaming and begging Sarah to leave him alone. But Sarah showed no mercy. She ransacked the place, grabbing anything she thought was worth a dime. But since I had been broke, she came down pretty quickly with nothing but a few cheap electronics. Still, she had a triumphant smile on her face, like a hunter returning with prey. She ruffled my hair and said, “My sweet boy, today is your birthday. Let’s go get something nice to eat!” Today was Leo’s birthday. It was also mine. We weren’t twins, but we shared the exact same birth date, years apart. Our old neighbors used to say I was a lucky charm. They said Sarah had tried for years to have a son, and right after I was born, Leo finally came along. But Sarah would always snap back angrily, “My precious son is the only lucky charm in this house!” Back then, I would just stand there awkwardly, enduring the pitying looks of the neighbors. That was Sarah. She always showed her ugliest, most abusive side to me, while reserving all her maternal warmth for Leo. Sarah bought a cheap cake and took me home. She cooked a massive feast, all of Leo’s favorite dishes. It was a luxury I had never once experienced. She clapped her hands, singing “Happy Birthday” to me, her eyes overflowing with love. Looking at her, a strange, suffocating feeling filled my chest. In my entire past life, Sarah had only celebrated my birthday once. And that was only because it was convenient to lump my celebration in with Leo’s. I had stood in the corner, watching Leo blow out his candles. The entire family’s attention was locked onto him. I was just an uninvited ghost at my own party. After I moved out, I stopped celebrating my birthday altogether. To me, birthdays were just a painful reminder. A reminder that no one in this world loved me. I always pretended I didn’t care. But the more you pretend, the more it hurts. Pulling myself back to reality, I blew out the candles. The melting wax looked like the tears I refused to shed. I took a bite of the cake. The sweet vanilla frosting felt completely tasteless in my mouth. The cake I had craved for years finally lay before me, but the joy was gone. Perhaps the years of waiting had already killed whatever happiness I could have felt. Suddenly, the front door burst open. Leo was back. He grabbed the cake from the table and threw it right at my face, screaming, “You thief! You stole my life!” I froze for a second, then laughed out loud. Slowly, casually, I wiped the frosting from my face. I stood up, towering over him, and looked down. “I stole your life? Do you have any proof?” Leo had no proof. He could only scream and throw a tantrum like a toddler. I watched his pathetic performance with complete indifference. Losing his mind with rage, Leo pointed a shaking finger at me. “Get out of my house! Get out of my room!” I burst out laughing. “Your room? Is there a room in this house that actually belongs to you?” ### 3 This house was bought with the money I had scraped together for years—academic scholarships, financial aid, and my grueling night shifts. The house had three bedrooms. I had planned for one for Leo, one for my parents, and one for me. But Sarah had refused to sleep in the same room as Richard, demanding they sleep separately. When I suggested sharing a room with Leo, Sarah lost her mind. She claimed Leo was a growing boy, and it was inappropriate for a sister and brother to share a room. Instead, she forced me to share a room with Richard. She had said so casually, “What, are you actually suspicious of your own father?” To keep the peace, I compromised. I gave the only bed in the room to Richard and slept on a thin cot on the floor. But in the dead of night, I always felt someone touching me. One night, Richard came home completely wasted. He threw himself onto my cot, pinning me down with a sickening strength. His hands began sliding under my shirt. In a panic, I grabbed the heavy metal lamp from the nightstand and smashed it over his head. With a loud crack, blood began pouring down Richard’s forehead. Sarah rushed in at the noise. Without asking a single question, she slapped me hard across the face. She screamed that I was a whore, accusing me of seducing her husband. Richard, of course, blamed everything on me, playing the innocent victim. No matter how much I cried and explained, Sarah refused to believe me. She preferred to believe a disgusting, abusive drunk over her own daughter. Desperate, I pulled out my phone to call 91

But Sarah snatched my phone and smashed it onto the floor. “You want to ruin this family!” she shrieked. “What will the neighbors think of us?” “Even if you don’t care about us, think about Leo!” “Leo needs to find a good wife. If people find out his sister is a loose whore who calls the cops on her own family, no decent girl will ever marry him!” That was the breaking point. My face flushed with rage, and I screamed at the top of my lungs, “I didn’t do anything wrong! Why do you never believe me?!” From beginning to end, she only cared about their precious reputation. My safety, my trauma—none of it mattered. I packed my bags and moved out that very night. With almost no money left, I had to rent that filthy, run-down studio in the slums. Before Leo could say another word in the present, the front door rattled open again. We turned our heads. Richard was home. His eyes instantly locked onto Leo. He smiled warmly and walked toward him. Leo, currently trapped in my body, had no idea of the danger he was in. He opened his mouth to say, “Dad…” But it was cut short by a blood-curdling shriek. Richard grabbed Leo by the hair, yanking his head back violently. “You little bitch, you actually dare to show your face here?” “You smashed my head with a lamp and ran away, and now you walk right back into my house?” Without another word, Richard slammed Leo’s face directly into the remaining birthday cake. As Leo gasped for air, his face covered in cream and blood, Richard laughed hysterically. Then, he threw Leo to the ground and kicked him hard in the stomach. Sarah stood by, watching the violence with complete indifference. I secretly pulled out my phone to record the scene. But Richard caught me. He snatched my phone, waving it in my face. He narrowed his eyes, studying me. “You… seem a bit different today, son.” ### 4 I played it cool, leaning in to whisper in Richard’s ear. “I just got a notification. Chloe’s accidental death insurance policy is officially active. It’s time to make our move.” Richard froze, then burst into a sinister laugh, patting my back. “That’s my boy.” He finally stopped kicking Leo. He took a napkin, casually wiping the blood off his hands. Then, he looked down at Leo and said coldly, “Get your ass back to work. If I don’t see the money next month, you’re dead.” Hearing the word “work,” Leo panicked. He crawled to Richard’s feet, begging, “No, please! I can’t work there! I’ll die!” Hearing this, I knew for sure—Leo had indeed been reborn too. I knelt down beside him, staring into his terrified eyes. “Are you going to be ‘accidentally’ pushed, or will you just ‘slip and fall’ on your own?” Leo quickly looked down, his guilt written all over his face. He knew exactly how I had died in the previous life. Richard didn’t want to waste any more time. He dragged Leo up by his collar. He kicked the front door open. Before Leo could even react, Richard threw him out onto the concrete corridor. Just then, our neighbor, Helen, was walking up the stairs with a grocery bag. She frowned, immediately rushing over to help Leo up. She glared at Richard. “How can you treat your daughter like this?” “No matter what she did, you can’t just throw her out like garbage! She’s a young girl, aren’t you worried about her safety?” Hearing her stand up for me, my eyes welled with tears. Helen was the only person in my entire life who had ever shown me unconditional kindness. I remembered when I was a kid, Leo and I got into an argument. He had intentionally smashed a glass cup Sarah had given me. I screamed at him, asking why he did it. He just shrugged, saying it was just a cheap, ugly giveaway cup Sarah got when she bought his expensive thermos. Sarah had thought it was too ugly, so she threw it to me. But what was garbage in Sarah’s eyes was a treasure to me. Hearing the noise, Sarah had rushed in. Leo immediately started crying, claiming I was bullying him. As long as Leo cried, Sarah would always take his side, no questions asked. That day was no exception. Sarah demanded I apologize to Leo. I asked why I had to apologize when he was the one who broke my things. In Sarah’s eyes, my defense was just “talking back.” She threw me out of the house into the freezing rain. “Oh, you think you’re tough?” she sneered. “Don’t bother coming back until you apologize!” With a loud slam, the heavy wooden door shut in my face. The echo of that slam seemed to ring in my ears for years. I sat on the cold concrete steps alone, unable to comprehend why my own mother hated me so much. I kept waiting for that door to open. I promised myself that the moment she opened the door, I would swallow my pride and apologize. But I waited for hours. The sun went down, the temperature plummeted, and I eventually fell asleep, shivering. Suddenly, someone tapped my shoulder. I woke up instantly. I looked up, expecting to see Sarah, but my smile froze. It wasn’t Sarah. It was Helen. Her eyes were filled with deep sorrow and pity. She gently patted my head and took me to her apartment. She cooked a warm meal for me and gently wiped the food from my mouth. That was the first time in my life I felt what a real home felt like. Back in the present, Richard completely ignored Helen. He slammed the door shut, muttering, “Mind your own business, old hag.” He then turned and walked back to his room. Three days later, I received a Snapchat message from Leo. In my past life, to get cash for Sarah and Leo, I had taken a salary advance. The contract required me to work for at least four months, or pay a massive penalty. Leo was currently broke, and no one in the family would give him a dime. With no other choice, he had to go to the construction site and work my high-rise job. The message read: “I know you’re reborn too. I know exactly where Mom keeps the bank transactions and the contract for the insurance policy.” “You’re in my body now. If you don’t come meet me, I will take the evidence to the police and make sure you rot in prison!” “Fine. Tomorrow at 1:00 PM,” I replied. The next day, I arrived at the familiar construction site. The terror of my past life seemed to play out before my eyes. I stood at the exact spot where my “accident” had occurred. Just as Leo reached out to push me, I proactively let myself fall backward over the edge. I saw the sudden terror and confusion in Leo’s eyes. But I didn’t fall to my death. I landed safely on a massive giant inflatable rescue cushion that the police had set up below. The police immediately surrounded the area. *You’re still as stupid as you were in your past life, Leo.*

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### My boyfriend had been missing on his business trip for three days, so I finally called 911. Right after I hung up, the doorbell rang. He stood there, holding a bunch of red roses, smiling. “Hey baby, did you miss me?” My entire body froze. Cold sweat broke out across my back. We had a secret code using rose colors. Red roses meant… *Danger. Run.* I stared at his face. It was identical to the one in my memory. But he never said such cheesy things. This man was absolutely not my boyfriend. 1 “Liam?” My voice forced its way out of my throat, sounding as dry as sandpaper. He tilted his head, thrusting the roses into my arms. “Only gone for three days, and you already forgot what I look like?” The thorns pricked my palm. The sharp sting forced me to stay sharp. I stepped aside to let him in, my eyes locked onto his every move. Taking off his shoes, setting down the suitcase, hanging up his coat. Every single movement matched Liam’s habits perfectly. He even remembered the exact spot for the grey slippers on the second shelf of the shoe rack. I bought those slippers just last month. Liam had only worn them twice before he left. “Claire, why do you look so pale?” He turned around, reaching out to touch my forehead. Instinctively, I took half a step back. His hand froze in mid-air, but his warmth quickly returned as a smile. “Are you mad because I went off the grid? The reception out there was terrible, and my phone broke. It took forever to get it fixed.” “Oh, really?” I forced a smile, casually setting the roses on the entryway cabinet. I tried to keep my movements natural, but my fingers were trembling. “Yeah, the project had some last-minute issues. I had to work overtime to pull it off. I wanted to call you sooner, but my phone died. It was driving me crazy. You have no idea—there wasn’t even a decent repair shop nearby. I had to drive forty miles to find one.” He spoke smoothly and naturally, even pulling out his phone to show me. There was indeed a brand-new screen protector on it, with a tiny chip on the corner. The last time Liam dropped his phone, it had chipped in that exact same spot. Even the details matched. I stared at his face. Every feature told me this was Liam. The same brow bone, the same jawline, even the way his left eye squinted slightly more than his right when he smiled. Yet, the cold sweat on my back refused to dry. “I’m gonna take a shower. I smell like outdoor sweat,” he said, patting my shoulder before heading toward the bedroom. I leaned against the wall, my heart hammering so hard it felt like it would burst. Before Liam left for his trip, we had one last phone call. His voice had been incredibly low, as if he was terrified of being overheard. He had said, “Claire, if there ever comes a day when I tell you to run, don’t ask questions. Just run.” I asked him why. He was silent for a long time—so long that I thought the call had dropped. Then he said, “Because my dad didn’t run in time.” Liam’s father was a cop who died in the line of duty ten years ago. Liam never brought it up, always avoiding the subject. Over time, I stopped asking. But now, I was beginning to doubt everything. I pulled out my phone and opened the call log. Three minutes ago, I had dialed 911. It rang twice, and then I hung up. If the man in the other room wasn’t Liam, where was the real Liam? And if I called the cops now, what would I tell them? I had absolutely no proof. He hadn’t made a single slip-up. No, wait. He did. The red roses. — ###

2 During our second year together, we were curled up on the couch watching a crime show. The characters in the show used flower colors as secret codes to pass messages. Liam was fascinated. He turned to me and said, “Let’s make one too. Red roses mean danger, white means safe, and yellow means be careful.” I thought he was being overly dramatic at the time, but I played along and nodded anyway. That agreement was a secret only Liam and I shared. If the man in my house wasn’t Liam, why did he bring red roses? Unless… This slip-up was left for me on purpose. The sound of running water came from the bathroom, mixing with the rapid thudding of my heart. I quietly pushed open the bedroom door. Liam’s suitcase was open on the floor. His clothes were folded neatly. He always traveled like this—every shirt rolled into the exact same shape, lined up perfectly in the suitcase. I knelt down, my fingers shaking as I rummaged through the side pockets. His passport, a charger, a half-used pack of tissues. Nothing. Just as I was about to stand up, my eyes caught a piece of fabric peeking through the closet door. I pulled the closet door open. It was the grey jacket Liam wore before he left. He had owned this jacket for years. The cuffs were starting to fray, and though I offered to buy him a new one, he insisted this was his most comfortable piece. I reached my hand into the pocket. My fingertips brushed against something soft and slightly damp, like it had been sitting there for days. I pulled it out. It was a red rose petal. The petal was slightly withered, its edges curling and turning a dark, bruised color, as if it had been soaked in something. Written on it in black ink were two words: *RUN.* The handwriting was messy and rushed. The last stroke of the ‘N’ dragged out long, as if he had been interrupted mid-write. I recognized this handwriting. It was Liam’s. His handwriting was just like him—seemingly neat and orderly, but if you looked closely, the final stroke of every word always flicked upward. The water in the bathroom stopped. I quickly shoved the petal back into the jacket pocket, shut the closet door, pushed the suitcase back to its exact spot, and retreated to the living room. Just as I sat down on the couch, he walked out, drying his hair with a towel. He had changed into loungewear—a grey T-shirt and dark blue shorts. They were all Liam’s clothes, and they fit him perfectly. “Claire, can you check if I left my charger brick in the suitcase? I can’t find it,” his voice called out from the bedroom, carrying the lazy warmth of someone who had just showered. I called back an answer and stood up to walk over. His back was turned to me as he rummaged through the suitcase, exposing the skin of his neck. The overhead light was bright—bright enough for me to see every detail of his skin. I stared at his neck, and my heart seized. — ###

3 Liam had a mole on the back of his neck. It was tiny and very light. You wouldn’t notice it unless you were looking closely. The only reason I knew about it was because we were messing around on the couch once, and my nail accidentally grazed it. He flinched, laughing, and told me that was his most ticklish spot. The man in front of me didn’t have it. The mole was completely gone. There were no scars from laser removal either. It was as if the mole had never existed in the first place. My fingers started to tremble. I hid my hands behind my back, clenching my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. The pain cleared my head a little. “Find it?” He turned around, his eyes scanning my face. I forced a smile. “No. Did you leave it at the hotel?” That smile took every ounce of my energy. My face felt stiff, but I knew if I didn’t smile, he would notice. He frowned. The angle of his brow, the expression—it was identical to Liam’s. “Maybe. I’ll call them later. The hotel staff seemed nice, so they probably found it.” He stood up and stepped closer to me. A drop of water from his wet hair fell onto the back of my hand. “Claire, did you miss me?” His warm breath brushed against my ear. I froze, the blood in my veins turning to ice. “Of course I did,” I said, keeping my voice as steady as possible. “Then why aren’t you hugging me?” He opened his arms, offering a warm, gentle smile. The exact same smile Liam always gave. Every time Liam came back from a trip, he would open his arms like this and say those exact words. It was our little routine, starting from our very first year. I stepped forward and lightly wrapped my arms around his waist. His body was warm. His heartbeat was steady and strong, pulsing against my palm through his thin T-shirt. But all I wanted to do was throw up. “You lost weight,” he said, stroking my hair with genuine concern. “Just stressed at work.” I buried my face in his chest to hide my expression. His chest smelled like body wash—the exact brand I used. Liam never used that brand. He complained it was too floral and always used unscented soap. But this man used it. Did he not know Liam’s preference, or was it intentional? Liam, where the hell are you? Who is this man? He made dinner that night. Garlic butter pasta, roasted asparagus, and grilled chicken. These were Liam’s signature dishes, and they tasted exactly the same. “Eat up. Look how thin you’ve gotten.” He placed some chicken on my plate. He was holding his fork in his left hand. Liam was a lefty. He wrote with his left hand, ate with his left hand, and shot hoops with his left hand. I used to tease him about being a lefty freak, and he’d joke that left-handed people had more developed right brains, making them smarter than average. I kept my head down, shoving pasta into my mouth as my mind raced. How long had this man watched him? How long did it take to copy Liam’s habits to this degree? Many of these details weren’t things you could learn just by watching from afar. Unless he and Liam had lived together. “By the way,” he said suddenly. “Did you call the police?”

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The day my mother was wheeled into the ICU, Ethan Sinclair didn’t lend me a single cent. He said:”My money is for venture capital, not for throwing money into a black hole.” “I sent you those personal loan platforms with low interest rates. Figure it out yourself.” I crouched in the hospital corridor clutching the insurance denial letter, but I could hear him standing by the window on a phone call. “The five million in seed funding has already been wired to your account.” “Even if it’s a loss, it’s on me. Consider it a learning experience for you.” That was his company’s fresh-out-of-college management trainee. I gripped the letter so tight my nails dug into my palms. Ethan turned around and saw me standing there calmly. No crying, no scene, no more begging. He nodded approvingly: “That’s more like it. Stop acting like a child running to someone else every time something goes wrong.” “Learning to be independent is being responsible for yourself.” I said a quiet “mm.” He didn’t look at me again. He turned and left. In that moment, I finally understood. When someone truly gives up, they don’t cry. They don’t scream. They don’t even have the strength to demand answers. I reached into my bag and pulled out the divorce papers I’d prepared long ago. Stroke by stroke, I signed my name. From now on, he was him. And I was me. …… By the time Ethan came home, it was nearly one in the morning. I sat in the living room. In front of me were the hospital bills, the critical condition notice. And the signed divorce agreement. He walked in, saw me, and only frowned. “Why are you still up this late?” I looked up at him. “My mother is still in the ICU.” He hung up his coat and walked to the bar counter to pour water. “I know.” His tone was as calm as if he were commenting on the weather. “But proper rest can help you solve the problem better.” I stared at the glass in his hand, and suddenly thought of that afternoon in the hospital corridor. The way I’d looked when I begged him for money. I’d said: “Ethan, thirty thousand dollars. Just to save her life.” He’d said: “Amber, people have to learn to accept reality.” Then he’d turned around and wired five million to Nora Chase. I thought I was already numb, but seeing him come home as if nothing had happened— something still slammed hard against my chest. Ethan finished his water. His gaze fell on the table. “What’s all this?” “Divorce papers.” His movements froze. A few seconds later, he looked as if he’d heard some absurd joke. “Amber, what are you throwing a fit about now?” I pushed the papers toward him. “I’ve already signed.” He didn’t pick them up. He just looked down at the words, his eyes going cold by degrees. “Because I didn’t lend you money?” “No.” My voice was very soft. “It’s because I finally realized today—you’re not broke, and you’re not incapable of helping people.” “You just won’t help me.” Ethan’s expression darkened. “The Nora project is a company investment. It’s not personal.” “I’ve seen the contract.” I looked at him. “Wired from a personal account. Personal guarantee. You cover the losses.” “You call that a company investment?” A flash of impatience crossed his eyes. “You went through my things?” I smiled. So his first reaction wasn’t to explain. It was to blame me for finding out. Ethan set the glass down hard on the table. “Amber, you’re out of control right now. I’m not discussing this with you.” “Your mother’s situation—I understand. But you can’t take your stress out on me just because you’re under pressure.” I looked at him. “She’s the woman you called ‘Mom’ for six years.” Ethan looked away. “I never said I wouldn’t help.” “I just don’t think we should throw money into something with no foreseeable outcome.” After he said it, as if realizing how harsh it sounded, he added: “I can help you find specialists. Help you ask around for resources.” “But the money—you need to figure that out yourself.” I suddenly felt my stomach lurch. I stood up, picked up the divorce papers, and slid them into the folder. “Tomorrow morning. Ten o’clock. Your attorney’s office. We sign together and file uncontested.” Ethan stared at me for a long time. “Amber, if you leave me, how will you pay for your mother’s treatment?” The moment those words landed, my fingers clenched hard. He knew exactly what I feared most. And exactly what I needed most. So he used it to force me to submit. I looked up at him. “I’ll figure it out myself.” Ethan seemed stung by my resolve. His expression turned even colder. “Then don’t come crawling back to me.” I said nothing more. I turned and went to the bedroom. Before I closed the door, I heard him answer a call in the living room. His voice dropped much lower. “Nora, I’ve read through the materials.” “Don’t worry. I’ll be there with you for tomorrow’s pitch.” I shut the door, leaned against it, and slowly sank to the floor. A dull ache pulsed in my lower abdomen. I’d been so consumed with my mother these past few days, I never went back for the follow-up. A reminder from the hospital still sat unread in my phone. [Ms. Thorne, you are currently 7 weeks pregnant. Please schedule your prenatal checkup.] I stared at that line for a long time. Then I pressed the screen dark.

The next day, Ethan didn’t show up at his attorney’s office. I waited for him two hours. I called. He didn’t answer. It wasn’t until eleven-thirty that he finally sent a message. [Nora has her investor pitch today. Can’t step away.] The next one popped up right after. [If you really want this divorce, file a petition yourself.] I stood outside the attorney’s building, still holding the unsigned papers. Wind swept up from the street below, stinging my eyes. I didn’t reply. I went to the hospital. The doctor said my mother’s condition had worsened. Insurance had denied coverage for the experimental treatment she needed, and the out-of-pocket cost was crushing. Without it, they could only keep her on the basic protocol. “The family really needs to sort out the funding for the advanced treatment. The longer you wait, the greater the risk.” I looked down and said okay. I listed my premarital studio apartment for an emergency sale and maxed out my credit cards. The realtor went quiet for a few seconds when he heard my asking price. “Ms. Thorne, this is way below market value.” “Can it close today?” “It can, but—are you sure?” I said: “I’m sure.” After I hung up, I crouched in the hospital stairwell, palms slick with cold sweat. A notification popped up on my phone. Nora Chase had posted something new on Instagram. In the photo, she stood on the pitch stage in a white blazer. Ethan sat in the front row, looking up at her with a patience I hadn’t seen from him in a very long time. The caption read: [Starting my first venture with someone who has my back. So this is what it feels like to be chosen.] Someone commented below: [Mr. Sinclair is so generous.] Nora replied: [He just said he didn’t want to see me lose too badly.] I stared at those words, my fingertips going cold inch by inch. That afternoon, Ethan came to the hospital. He stood in the corridor, suit impeccably pressed, holding a stack of papers. “My assistant put this together. Loan platforms.” “A few of them have decent limits. Should help you bridge the gap.” I stared at the papers. I didn’t take them. He pressed them into my hands. “The money situation—that’s your call.” Then he turned and left. I looked down at the loan application forms in my hands, tore them up one by one, and dropped the pieces into the trash. A few minutes later, a nurse came running. “Ms. Thorne, your mother’s blood pressure is dropping. The doctor needs you to sign off immediately.” My legs buckled. I grabbed the wall just in time to keep from falling. The pain in my lower abdomen flared again. This time, sharper than last night.

They worked on my mother for four hours. When the doctor came out, his mask was still on. “She’s stable for now.” “But she needs the advanced treatment protocol. Without it, we can only do so much.” I nodded. My throat was too dry to speak. The apartment sale closed that same evening. Fire-sale price. The buyer barely hesitated. The moment the funds hit my account, I called the hospital’s financial counselor to authorize the treatment. She glanced up at me from her desk. “Just you, then? No other family?” I said mm. “Your husband?” I didn’t answer. In that moment, I felt a sudden, sharp humiliation. I was married. Yet I was like a person with no one in the world. That night, I went back to the house to get my documents. The moment I pushed open the door, I heard a woman’s laughter in the living room. Nora Chase was sitting on the sofa. In front of her was a celebration cake. Ethan was cutting her a slice. When she saw me, Nora jumped to her feet immediately. “Amber! You’re back.” She said it sweetly. But around her neck hung a diamond pendant. I recognized that pendant. Last month, on my birthday, I’d lingered at the jewelry counter for a moment too long. Ethan had said: “The markup on those things is ridiculous. That’s not your style.” Now it was on Nora’s neck. Ethan frowned at me. “Why are you back?” I looked at him. “This is my home.” Nora’s expression froze for a second. Ethan set the cake knife down. “Nora’s pitch went well today. I brought her back to grab some files.” “And to celebrate, while we’re at it.” While we’re at it. My mother lay in the hospital with tubes in her body. I’d sold my apartment to scrape together the money. And he was here, in our home, celebrating with another woman. Nora ducked her head, voice soft. “Amber, please don’t misunderstand.” “Mr. Sinclair was just worried I’d be nervous for my first fundraise, so he encouraged me.” She touched the pendant at her throat. “This was a team reward. It’s not what you think.” I walked over and looked at the writing on the cake box. It read: [To Nora — First victory down, limitless future ahead.] The handwriting was Ethan’s. He’d once told me even a birthday cake was an unnecessary expense. Said that kind of sentimentality was pointless. I didn’t cry. I didn’t yell. I just went to the bedroom, opened the drawer, and collected my documents. Ethan followed me in. “Who exactly are you putting on this face for?” I gathered my passport, my Social Security card, and my important papers into my bag. “Move.” He blocked the doorway. “Amber, you’re becoming completely unreasonable.” “Nora is so much younger than you. She’s out here in this city with no one. As her superior, is it so wrong for me to look after her?” I looked up at him. “My mother is alone in the ICU too.” “Have you looked after her?” He was caught short. His expression quickly turned cold again. “Your mother’s situation is different from hers.” “How is it different?” “Nora still has a future.” After those words left his mouth, the room went silent. Ethan seemed to realize it himself. But he didn’t apologize. He just turned his face away and said quietly: “What I mean is—investment has to factor in return.” I looked at him. My chest felt as though something had been carved out of it with a blade. My mother had no future. So she wasn’t worth it. I had no future either. So I didn’t deserve it. I picked up my bag and walked past him. In the living room, Nora was eating cake with a fork. Seeing me, she seemed to gather her courage and said softly: “Amber, honestly? A woman really should be more independent.” “You can’t rely on a man for everything.” I stopped. Ethan stood behind me. He said nothing to stop her. I looked at Nora, and I actually laughed. “Did he teach you that line?” Her face flushed. I nodded. “Then remember it well.” “The day he decides you have no return on investment either, you’ll hear that exact same speech.” Nora’s smile froze. Ethan’s voice cut in, cold: “Amber. That’s enough.” I didn’t look back. On my way downstairs, a sharp, dragging pain pulled through my lower abdomen. I braced myself against the elevator wall and stayed there a long time. My palms were drenched in sweat. My phone rang. It was the hospital. “Ms. Thorne, your mother’s condition has deteriorated again. Please come back immediately.” My vision went black. I nearly collapsed right there in the elevator.

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Three years ago,at our engagement party at the Plaza Hotel,my future sister-in-law,Scarlett,made a flippant bet.She dared her godfather—my fiancé,Julian Thorne—to give me an unforgettable“surprise”in front of all of New York’s high society. To make his precious goddaughter laugh,Julian walked out in the middle of my speech.He chuckled to his friends: “She’s a pushover.Let her cool off for a few days,buy her a bag,and she’ll get over it.” His friends whistled and jeered,mocking me as just another gold digger trying to marry into a rich family,claiming I could never survive without the Thorne family’s protection. Scarlett even walked onto the stage and“accidentally”spilled red wine on my white Vera Wang gown,then exchanged a knowing smile with Julian across the room. Amidst countless looks of pity and contempt,I was unnaturally calm. From a distance,Julian raised his glass and mouthed to me: “That’s the kind of poise a Thorne matriarch should have.Wait for my call at home.” Hearing that,I just felt a sense of absurdity. Poise? No.I was just numb. Three years later,Julian blocked the street in front of my art gallery with a fleet of black Cadillacs and a massive yellow diamond,staging a grand,dramatic proposal: “Are you done being angry,darling?I’m here to keep my promise.” I didn’t even spare him a glance,carefully shielding my very pregnant belly. “Excuse me,please move.My husband is waiting for me at my prenatal appointment.” … “Hiring someone to make a custom silicone belly for this act?Is this really necessary,Evelyn?” Julian Thorne stood with one hand in his trouser pocket,his gaze casually sweeping over my swollen abdomen. His tone was full of certainty and the kind of innate arrogance that came with being a Wall Street titan. I met his gaze without flinching. “Mr.Thorne,please move.” The entrance to the Sotheby’s building,where I worked,was completely blocked by his six gleaming black Cadillacs. Drones flew overhead,holding a giant banner that read“Evelyn,Marry Me Again”in a fancy script. A crowd of office workers and tourists was gathering,their whispers reaching my ears. Julian didn’t care.He stepped forward,holding out a bouquet of Ecuadorian red roses. “It’s been three years.Your cooling-off period should be over.” He stared at me.“You know I hate it when women make a scene,but for you,I’ve already made an exception and given you three years.”

I looked at the vibrant roses. Three years ago,when I was at a private clinic getting an IV for a pollen allergy,he had his assistant send me the exact same flowers. He’d said on the phone that Scarlett picked them out and told me not to be ungrateful. I didn’t reach for them. I just placed a hand on my belly and took a small step back. “Julian,I’m not throwing a tantrum.” I looked him in the eyes,my voice soft. “I’m married.And I’m five months pregnant.” Julian let out a short laugh. He casually tossed the bouquet to his assistant. “You’d even make up a lie like this just to get me to bow down?” He took a blue Tiffany box from his suit pocket and snapped it open. Inside was a yellow diamond ring worth an estimated ten million dollars. “I owe you a ceremony from the engagement party three years ago.I’m making it up to you today.” He didn’t even get on one knee.He just held the box out. “Put it on.My assistant will take you to pick out a wedding dress tomorrow.This time,I promise I’ll see it through to the end.” He said it so matter-of-factly,as if he were doing me a huge favor. I looked at the brilliant diamond,feeling nothing. At the party three years ago,he abandoned me on stage for Scarlett’s childish bet,in front of all our business partners and the city’s elite. His goddaughter,Scarlett,had stepped on my gown with her high heel,leaving a clear footprint. What did he say then? He said I had poise and told me to wait for him at home. That night,I took off the dress alone,cut off the stained hem,and threw it,along with the engagement ring,into the Hudson River. From that moment on,the name Julian Thorne was dead to me. “I don’t need it.” I walked around him,heading for the street.

Julian’s brow finally furrowed. He reached out to grab my wrist. I sidestepped,and his hand met empty air. “That’s enough,Evelyn.” His voice grew heavy with a warning tone. “My patience is limited.Who are you putting on this act for?” Just then,his phone rang. It was a special ringtone.A girl’s saccharine voice whined,“Julian,did you get Evelyn?I think I have a fever,I feel so dizzy…” It was Scarlett. Julian’s expression softened instantly. He replied with a voice message. “Sweetie,take some medicine.I’ll bring her back to see you soon.” After sending the message,he looked back at me. “Scarlett is sick,and she’s still worried about you.You shouldn’t be so hostile towards her.” His tone was chiding. “What happened three years ago was just a joke.She’s young and doesn’t know any better.As her sister-in-law,are you really going to hold a grudge this long?” I looked at his self-righteous expression and suddenly felt a wave of nausea. It was a normal part of pregnancy,but this man’s presence made it worse. I took a deep breath,trying to calm my stomach. “Julian,do you not understand English?” I pointed to a Lincoln sedan waiting for a passenger by the curb. “My husband is waiting for me at the clinic.Get out of my way.” Julian’s face turned to ice as he stared at my stomach. “Evelyn,are you ever going to stop?Do you have to use such cheap tricks to humiliate me?”

“Cheap tricks?” I repeated the words,finding them laughable. “Think whatever you want.” I was done arguing with him.I walked straight to the Lincoln. I opened the door and eased myself in,protecting my belly. Julian quickly slammed his hand on the door to stop it from closing. “Which clinic?I’ll take you.” He looked down at me. “I want to see for myself which bum you hired to play this part with you.” I stared coldly at his hand on the car door. “Let go.” “Evelyn,don’t push it.” His patience seemed to have run out.He opened the passenger door and sat down. Defeated,I gave the driver the name of a top-tier private OB-GYN clinic on the Upper East Side. The driver glanced at me,then at the imposing figure of Julian,and hesitated. Julian pulled a few hundred-dollar bills from his wallet and tossed them on the dashboard. “Drive.” The car pulled smoothly into the Manhattan traffic. The silence in the car was suffocating. Julian leaned back,turning his head to look at me. “You used to be afraid of needles.Now you’re wearing a fake belly just to spite me?” His gaze scrutinized my abdomen. “Take it off.Aren’t you hot in that thing?” I zipped my coat up to the collar and closed my eyes,ignoring him.

Half an hour later,the car stopped in front of the clinic. I got out,and Julian followed close behind. The private clinic’s lobby was quiet and luxurious. I went to the front desk and gave them my appointment information. Julian stood behind me,watching as the nurse handed me my maternity chart. His eye twitched,but he quickly regained his composure. “You’ve really committed to the act.” He sneered. I took the chart and walked to the elevator.He followed me,step for step. On the third floor,in the VIP waiting area,I found an empty seat. Just as I sat down,the elevator doors opened again. Scarlett emerged,wearing Jimmy Choos and carrying a bouquet of white lilies. She spotted us immediately and hurried over. “Julian,Evelyn.” She held the bouquet of white lilies—the flowers of mourning—in front of me,a look of innocent delight on her face. “I heard you were pregnant,so I came to congratulate you.” The strong scent of the lilies hit me,and I couldn’t help but sneeze. Julian immediately frowned at Scarlett. “She’s allergic to pollen.Get those away from her.” Scarlett bit her lip,looking hurt. “Oh,I’m so sorry,Evelyn.I forgot.I was just so happy for you.” She placed the flowers on the empty seat next to her and sat down beside Julian. “But Evelyn,getting married so quickly?” Scarlett eyed my stomach. “The baby’s already so big.You didn’t just marry some random guy to get back at Julian,did you?” She giggled,covering her mouth. “And for such an important appointment,why isn’t your husband here with you?” “He didn’t just leave you here all alone,did he?How irresponsible.”

Julian listened without saying a word. Instead,he looked at me,as if waiting for my reaction. “Her husband’s busy.He doesn’t have time for her,”Julian answered for me,his voice dripping with mockery. “How dedicated can you expect a hired actor to be?” I watched them,their words a coordinated attack,and felt surprisingly calm. This was the man I had loved for seven years. He watched as others humiliated me,not only refusing to help but joining in. “Is there an Evelyn Reed here?”a nurse called out,holding a chart. “Here,”I said,standing up. The nurse looked at me,then at Julian and Scarlett behind me. “A family member needs to be present to sign some forms.Who is the patient’s family?” Julian instinctively stepped forward. “I am.” I turned and cut him off coldly. “He’s not.”

The nurse paused,her eyes darting between Julian and me. Julian’s hand,which had been reaching for the chart,froze in mid-air. His face darkened. “Evelyn,stop it.” He lowered his voice,a clear warning in his tone. “This is a hospital,not a place for you to throw a fit.” I didn’t look at him.I addressed the nurse. “I don’t know them.They’re just strangers.My husband is on his way.” The nurse nodded and took the chart back. “Okay,then please wait out here for your husband.Some of these documents must be signed by your spouse.” The nurse turned and went back into the exam room. Julian slowly lowered his hand,jamming it into his pocket. He looked at me,his eyes turning dangerous. “Strangers?” He let out a cold laugh. “Three years and you’ve grown bold.Now I’m not even allowed to be your family?” Scarlett saw his anger and quickly stood up,grabbing his arm. “Julian,don’t be mad.” She turned to me,her eyes instantly welling up with tears. “Evelyn,are you still upset about that joke from three years ago?” She sniffled,her voice full of grievance. “I just made a little bet with Julian that day to liven things up.” “Who knew you couldn’t take a joke and would just run away from home.” She called his abandonment a joke,and my heartbreak an inability to take one.

I looked at her pitiful face and found it absurd. “Using an engagement party for a bet was a joke?” I looked at Julian. “Leaving me alone on stage in front of all of New York’s high society and the media was a joke?” I turned back to Scarlett. “Staining my dress,pulling off my veil,and mocking me for being a social climber was also a joke?” Scarlett flinched and hid behind Julian. Julian’s brow was tight as he protectively shielded her. “That’s enough,”he snapped. “Scarlett was spoiled growing up;she can be thoughtless.You’re older than her.Can’t you be a little more generous?” He looked at me with disapproval. “It was a small thing,and you’ve held a grudge for three years.Evelyn,you were never this petty.” Never this petty?I stared at him. I had spent two weeks working sleepless nights to plan that engagement party,personally overseeing every detail. I waited until two in the morning for him to try on his suit,only to be told he was“too busy.” I thought our engagement was the start of our happiness.Instead,it was a cup of poison he handed me himself. “Julian.” I said his name softly. “Do you really think that all you have to do is snap your fingers,and I’ll come crawling back with no self-respect?” Julian’s gaze flickered. “I never said that.I just don’t think you needed to marry some random guy to spite me.” He paused,his tone softening slightly. “This supposed husband of yours can’t even show up for a prenatal appointment.Does he really know you better than I do?” He even remembered my old habits. “You’re afraid of getting your blood drawn;you always needed someone to coax you.Does he know that?” I looked at his self-proclaimed deep affection and found it pathetic. “He doesn’t need to know.” I touched my belly. “Because he would never make me face these things alone.” The exam room door opened again. The nurse came out with a stack of papers. “Ms.Reed,this is your initial intake report.Please confirm the information.” She handed the file to me. Julian,using his height advantage,glanced over the report. His eyes suddenly froze on the signature line for the spouse. A name was signed there in a strong,confident script. It was undeniably a man’s name.

The color drained from Julian’s face. “You’d even forge medical records to trick me?” He looked up,his eyes filled with disbelief and rage. “Forging medical documents is a felony,Evelyn.Have you gone insane?” He reached out,trying to snatch the report from my hands. I turned,protecting the documents against my chest. “Mr.Thorne,have some self-respect.” I looked at him coldly. “This is my private information.It has nothing to do with you.” Julian’s hand hung in the air,his fingers twitching slightly. He gritted his teeth,his chest heaving. “Fine.Great.” He laughed coldly again and again. “I’m going to see for myself what kind of coward this is,who doesn’t even dare to show his face.” At that moment,Scarlett,who was standing nearby,suddenly cried out,“Oh!”and stumbled towards me. “I twisted my ankle!” She yelled,her arms flailing as she fell directly at me. The waiting area hallway wasn’t wide. Behind me was a row of hard,wooden chairs. Seeing her fall towards me,I instinctively wrapped my arms around my protruding belly and tried to back away. With a dull thud,my lower back slammed hard against a chair’s metal armrest. A searing pain shot through me.

Immediately after,my abdomen began to tighten. I gasped,a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead. Clutching the chair,I slowly slid to the floor. “Evelyn!” Julian cried out. He didn’t move to help me first. Instead,he instinctively caught the falling Scarlett,holding her securely in his arms. “Julian,it hurts so much…”Scarlett whimpered in his embrace,tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t mean to.I just lost my balance.” Julian soothed Scarlett while frowning at me. “Evelyn,you knew she twisted her ankle.Why didn’t you help her?” His voice was thick with blame. “Why did you dodge?So what if you got bumped?Did you have to sit on the floor and be so dramatic?” I clutched my stomach,too much in pain to even speak. The tightening in my abdomen grew more intense,and a terrible sense of foreboding washed over me. The nurse heard the commotion and rushed over. “What happened?Why is the patient on the floor?” Seeing my pale face,the nurse immediately hit the emergency button on the wall. “We need help in here!Get a gurney!The patient is showing signs of premature labor!” The hallway instantly descended into chaos.

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