Author: Momo Chan

The donor heart I’d waited two years for was snatched away and given to Leo, the son they pretended was theirs. My doctor, Dr. Davies, told me I had just one week left to live. So, I decided to have my body cryopreserved. I donated my body to Leo’s research lab. The day I signed the donation papers, my daughter Lily rushed into my arms, saying, “Daddy, you and Uncle Leo are finally getting along again!” My parents, Eleanor and Richard, praised me for finally understanding “brotherly love” and being helpful. Serena, my wife, looked relieved, saying I’d finally put aside our differences and saw reason. I just smiled faintly. Yes, I really learned my lesson this time. I was going to give Leo back his identity as the Mo family’s son, and make all of you happy. … “Your time is short. Now, say your goodbyes to your family.” Dr. Davies’ voice was gentle, full of pity, but it felt like a boulder crushing my chest. I knew this was coming, but when the death sentence was finally pronounced, my eyes still welled up. I’m only twenty-eight. I’ve fought so hard to live. But the donor heart I finally found was stolen by my wife. She had it transplanted into Leo, the son who wasn’t really ours, who only had a mild heart condition. In a daze, I made my way to Leo’s hospital room. There were my parents, Eleanor and Richard, my wife Serena, and my daughter Lily, all gathered around him, fussing over him. When I walked in, Serena, who was just feeding Leo water, quickly put down the cup. She walked over to me. “What did the doctor say?” I looked at her. Her eyes flickered away, a tell-tale sign of guilt as she stammered, “It was an emergency, Alex. If Leo hadn’t gotten the new heart, he would have died from the pain.” My mom, Eleanor, immediately chimed in, “Serena’s right, Alex. It was a life-or-death situation. You’re not going to be so unreasonable as to resent us for this, are you?” The words I was about to say died on my lips. I just said flatly, “I’m not angry. The doctor said there would be good news in a week.” I paused, then added, “Good news for all of us.” Serena’s captivating eyes instantly lit up with a smile. “A suitable donor heart so soon? I knew our decision that day was the right one.” My dad, Richard, also let out a sigh of relief, smiling. “Our Leo is truly blessed. If you hadn’t given him your heart, he wouldn’t have made it another week.” My mom nodded repeatedly, gently stroking Leo’s hair. “Our Leo’s blessings are still ahead of him.” “Unlike some people, who could have waited for another donor heart, but chose to make a huge scene instead, embarrassing our family.” Even though I was already beyond disappointed with them, at that moment, my heart still ached. I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth would shatter, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. Serena looked at me tenderly, but her words were chilling, sending shivers down my spine. “You were too impulsive that day. I think you should apologize to Leo.” I stared at her, utterly disbelieving. Leo stole my heart, and she wanted *me* to apologize to *him*? My mom seconded her. “That’s right. And if you hadn’t bullied Leo that day, he wouldn’t have had those chest pains in the first place.” “You should be grateful he’s lying here, recovering. Otherwise, I would never have acknowledged you as my son.” I remembered that day. Leo stood in front of me, triumphantly displaying the marks on his neck, boasting about his intimacy with Serena and her passion… I couldn’t help but punch him. They walked in just as it happened. Serena furiously rushed forward and pushed me away. I was shoved to the ground, the room spinning around me, as my mom charged in and started hitting me. My dad stood coldly a short distance away, as if he also thought I deserved a lesson. Right after that, my heart flared up, and I could barely breathe. My mom, initially worried, asked what was wrong, but then Leo suddenly clutched his chest, gasping, “It hurts so much!” My mom immediately abandoned me and ran to his side. Everyone believed I was faking it, and he was genuinely in pain. Thinking of this, I twisted my lips into a bitter smile. I said flatly, “My apologies. It was my fault.” Everyone was surprised by how docilely I apologized. Serena looked at me with a hint of suspicion, a seed of unease beginning to sprout in her heart. Leo also frowned, giving me a look that screamed, “How can you be such a good actor?” My parents watched me warily, as if afraid I would cause more trouble. Only my daughter Lily rushed into my arms. “Daddy, that’s great! You finally admitted you were wrong.” “Don’t bully Uncle anymore, or I won’t like you, just like Grandma and Grandpa.” I lowered my gaze, looking at her. My parents’ and wife’s coldness, their misunderstanding and favoritism, I could endure all of it. But her, my own child, whom I raised with my own hands and poured all my love into – she also favored Leo. That was something I couldn’t bear. But, I no longer had the strength to fight. I gently stroked her face, smiling. “Daddy will listen to you.” My mom, Eleanor, finally nodded in satisfaction. “Good. It seems you’ve finally learned your lesson, Alex.” Serena also let out a complete sigh of relief. “My husband has finally grown up.” Watching her feign affection, I only felt a wave of nausea in my chest. Just then, Leo suddenly cried out, “It hurts!” Serena immediately rushed to his side. My daughter, who had just been hugging me, let go and ran over too, calling out, “Uncle Leo, where does it hurt? Lily will kiss it better!” My parents’ eyes were red with concern. Standing there, a distance away, I felt like a clown. I couldn’t stand the atmosphere anymore. I used being tired as an excuse, turned, and left the hospital room. 2 The moment I reached the door, the pain in my chest nearly made me pass out. I leaned against the wall and crouched down, frantically searching for my potent painkillers. I swallowed several pills before the pain subsided. Inside the room, I could still hear my mom scolding me for my coldness. She thought I didn’t care about Leo. But I knew that as long as I was there, Leo would always feel “unwell.” It was his usual trick to grab attention. But he didn’t even need to do it, because from the very beginning, my parents, my wife, my daughter — they only ever loved him, the son they pretended was theirs. And I, just like the name my parents gave me, “Alex,” was meant to be kept away. This was the name they gave me the day I returned, sixteen years after I went missing. My mom said she hoped I would be cautious, never getting lost in sudden wealth. But that night, I overheard Mom comforting Leo. She told him that in her and Dad’s hearts, he was their only son. The name she gave me, Alex, was actually a play on words, a subtle hint: ‘Don’t come close.’ That night, it was as if someone had doused me with a bucket of cold water. I fully woke up from the joy of having found my parents. I should have known all along. I was, and always had been, the unwanted child. Dazed, I left the hospital and took a taxi to Leo’s research lab. I had already arranged to donate my body for their cryopreservation and revival experiments. When I signed the agreement, the staff member asked, “Mr. Alex, do your parents and wife know about your decision?” I smiled faintly. “They are all very respectful and supportive of my decision.” The staff member said enviously, “That’s wonderful. Your family must love you very much, hoping you’ll have a chance to be revived one day.” Looking at her admiring gaze, I almost felt like I really was a man deeply loved by his parents and wife. My lips curved up involuntarily. I smiled. “Yes, who doesn’t love their own family?” With that, I handed over the agreement. After confirming everything, I left and returned home. The moment I walked in, I saw my belongings piled up in the living room. I frowned, looking at Brenda, who was standing there directing everyone. She was Leo’s nanny, who had raised him. Why was she here? Brenda, like my parents, clearly disliked me, the real son. Seeing me, she gave a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Mr. Alex, Leo is being discharged today. Mrs. Eleanor asked me to come and take care of him, and to pick a room for him to recover.” “I thought the master bedroom, being so bright and spacious, would be perfect for Leo to recuperate.” “All the other rooms in the villa have a purpose, so I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with the downstairs utility room.” I said flatly, “Alright.” Brenda probably didn’t expect me to be so agreeable. All the words she was ready to say got stuck in her throat. She looked at me suspiciously. “You’re not angry, Mr. Alex?” I shook my head and turned, walking towards the utility room. Brenda scoffed disdainfully. “Well, it seems Mr. Alex has finally learned some sense. If only he had been like this sooner.” “If you had been like this sooner, the master and madam wouldn’t have disliked you so much.” I didn’t say anything. As I entered the utility room, an overwhelming stench of mildew hit me. The cramped space was filled with all sorts of items. There was only a cramped twin-sized bed, half-covered with books, the other half empty. I just lay down on it and drifted off into a heavy sleep. I was so tired. I just wanted a good night’s rest… But even that small wish couldn’t be granted. I don’t know how much time passed, but I was suddenly pulled awake by a strong force. When I opened my eyes, I saw Serena’s face, filled with panic. Seeing me awake, her worried expression instantly turned cold. She angrily demanded, “Why did you post about our marriage online?” “Don’t you know Leo is being cyberbullied right now? He just had surgery, his body is already fragile.” “Because of this, the shock and stress caused him to collapse!” “I actually thought you had learned your lesson. Turns out you were just silently planning how to get revenge on us!” My head felt like it had a hammer pounding inside it. The intense pain made it hard to understand her words. I could only say weakly, “I didn’t do anything… If you don’t believe me, check my phone.” Serena roared furiously, “Enough! Those reporters admitted you paid them to publicize this! “How long are you going to keep up this act? Come with me now, go kneel and apologize to Leo!” 3 Serena roughly yanked me off the bed, dragging me out. She moved too fast. My leg slammed hard against the doorframe, making a dull thud. The pain instantly made me tremble. But she only glanced back at me before continuing to drag me outside. When we reached the living room, she threw me violently to the floor. My whole body felt like it was falling apart. Just as I tried to stand, my dad, Richard, rushed over and slapped me several times. A foul, metallic taste like decay bubbled up, overwhelming me. I looked up to see Leo clinging to my mom, Eleanor, looking incredibly frail. My mom, meanwhile, glared at me with a contorted face. Her dark eyes were filled with disgust and hatred for me. As if tearing me limb from limb wouldn’t be enough to satisfy her. Perhaps my gaze was too cold, because my dad swung another punch at me. I couldn’t hold it back anymore. A mouthful of blood sprayed out. Blood splattered all over his hands and face, making him freeze. I collapsed exhaustedly, blood also starting to trickle from my nose. Serena rushed forward in horror, asking anxiously, “What’s wrong with you? Why are you spitting up so much blood?” I looked at her. Her hands were trembling. She almost looked genuinely worried about me. I pushed away her hand as she tried to help me up. I tried to stand, but then I started to shamefully vomit large mouthfuls of blood again. A hint of fear finally appeared in my dad’s eyes. He shook his head. “I… I only slapped him a few times! I didn’t do anything else!” Then, with rare concern, he asked, “Alex, what’s wrong? Dad… Dad will take you to the hospital right now…” My mom also walked over. “What’s happening? Quick, help Alex up first.” My daughter Lily also ran over, crying. “Daddy, you’re bleeding so much! Are you going to die?” My dad sternly said, “Don’t say such nonsense!” Just then, Brenda, the nanny, suddenly walked out. She was holding a bag of something and said angrily, “Mr. Alex, how could you use a fake blood pack to scare the master, madam, and Ms. Serena?” A fake blood pack? What fake blood pack? Before I could process it, my mom had already rushed to Brenda’s side. She looked at what was in Brenda’s hand, then furiously threw it to the ground. She screamed in anger, “Alex! You truly are devious! You actually tried to use a fake blood pack to trick us into pitying you!” I smiled bitterly and shook my head. I had already learned my lesson, so why wouldn’t they leave me alone? Serena crouched down, looking at me with disappointment. “Alex, how could you have become like this?” My dad furiously kicked me, saying in disgust, “You ungrateful brat! You’re truly an unruly street kid, cold-blooded and unscrupulous!” “You’re not even a fraction as good as our Leo! No, you’re not even worth a single hair on Leo’s head!” I said nothing, just desperately swallowed the blood that threatened to surge up. Lily, who had been hugging me, now pushed me away in disgust. She frowned. “Daddy, I thought you’d changed. You’re so bad, I don’t like you anymore!” Then, she ran to Leo’s side, leaning on his lap. “I want Uncle to be my daddy!” My heart withered to dust. I gripped my hands so tightly that my fingernails dug deep into my palms. Serena sighed, then reached out and wiped the corner of my eye. “You know how awful it feels to be betrayed by the person closest to you.” “So why did you do such a thing? Now Leo’s reputation is ruined, and our company’s stock is fluctuating.” “All of this is because of you. So, you not only need to apologize, but also take responsibility.” I wanted to say I knew nothing, but Leo started to cry. He sobbed, “It’s alright, Serena… My brother has hurt me repeatedly. I’m afraid if I make him apologize again, he’ll hate me even more.” “Even though I don’t know why he dislikes me so much, I… I’m willing to overlook it for Mom and Dad, and for you, Serena.” My mom, Eleanor, said with concern, “Leo, you’re just too kind, that’s why he bullies you.” “Don’t worry. Dad and I will always stand by you. With us protecting you, he won’t have another chance to hurt you.” Then, she turned to me with a cold face. “Listen closely. For the sake of our families’ reputations, we’ve already discussed a solution.” “You and Serena will get a divorce tomorrow. Then she’ll marry Leo.” “We’ll announce to the public that Serena and Leo were already married.” “It’s just that you weren’t well and were infatuated with her, so they kept it from you.” I looked at Serena. “You agree to this?” Serena avoided my gaze, frowning impatiently. “There’s no other way. Who else caused this mess but you?” She paused, then added, “But don’t worry, this is just a temporary measure. Once the storm passes, I’ll divorce Leo.” I looked at her. Though I had a thousand words, I no longer had the strength to speak. Perhaps it was guilt, or perhaps she saw my silence as defiance, which made her very displeased. She said coldly, “Whether you agree or not, I will…” I slowly began to speak. “Congratulations. Happy wedding.” 4 Serena’s voice caught in her throat. She stared at me blankly, a strange panic blooming in her heart. She felt like the current me was a light piece of paper, liable to be blown away by the wind to a place she could never see. I slowly got up, leaning on the wall and wiping the blood from my face. I looked at my mom, Eleanor. “Serena and I never actually got married.” “So, she can go ahead and marry Leo directly.” My mom looked a little surprised. “You didn’t get married?” Serena’s face was grim. She frowned and explained, “We were too busy before, and then we just forgot.” But my mom clapped her hands. “That’s even better!” Lily, my daughter, tentatively looked at me. “So, Uncle will be my daddy now?” I nodded to her, smiling. “Happy?” Lily jumped up excitedly. “That’s wonderful! Uncle is going to be my daddy now!” Then, as if afraid I’d be upset, she added, “Daddy, oh, I mean, Mr. Alex, as long as you promise not to bully Uncle anymore, I’ll still like you.” I lowered my eyes. “Understood.” Leo was overjoyed, on the verge of tears. “Brother, are you really willing to let Serena marry me?” I said calmly, “Yes. Don’t call her ‘Sister-in-law’ anymore.” Leo glanced at Serena, a look of longing in his eyes. He thought Serena would be thrilled, but she was just staring at me. He instantly clenched his sleeves, hiding the jealousy in his eyes. When he looked up again, his eyes were full of innocence. He said sincerely, “Thank you, Brother.” I shook my head. “We’re family. No need to be so polite.” “Besides, I’ll need to rely on your care in the future.” Leo didn’t know that I had donated my body to his research lab. He thought I was just being polite and immediately chuckled. “We’re brothers. I’ll definitely take good care of you, Brother.” My mom, seeing us “reconciled,” finally nodded in satisfaction. “That’s right. If you had been this sensible earlier, how could your father and I have been angry with you?” I looked at her, wanting to ask her, *Was I really insensible?* I was the actual son of the Mo family, but everyone thought I was their adopted son. Serena was the one who insisted on marrying me, but everyone thought I was the disgusting third wheel. I willingly took care of her and Lily without a title, all for Serena, but everyone thought I was manipulative… I slowly closed my eyes, forcing back the surge of tears. I didn’t want to appear pathetic in front of them anymore. Because I knew if I showed any dissatisfaction, Leo would immediately feign injury. Then, even my pain would become a mistake. When I opened my eyes again, the constant ache in my heart felt completely numb. Like an old clock, it had simply stopped ticking. I looked at Serena. She was still watching me, and her eyes held a hint of pity. The feeling struck me as absurd. I quietly asked, “Can I go back and rest now?” Serena nodded. “Yes, go rest.” I breathed a sigh of relief and slowly shuffled towards the utility room. But my mom said, “Pack your things and go back home.” “There are reporters everywhere outside. If people find out you’re still living at your sister-in-law’s house, who knows what rumors they’ll start.” I obediently nodded. “Alright.” My mom told Serena to drive me back. Once we were outside, Serena suddenly grabbed my hand. “I’ll go with you into surgery in a week.” “After your surgery, we’ll talk properly.” “Leo and I… it’s really not what you think.” I saw Leo’s face suddenly change. I smiled at Serena and said, “Okay.” But she didn’t know that I wouldn’t have a chance to hear her hollow explanations. Serena looked at me strangely. She felt as if the person standing in front of her was a block of emotionless wood. She said impatiently, “Let’s go.” Once in the car, the ride was silent. Serena tried to speak several times, but each time she saw my pale, blood-stained face, her desire to talk vanished. The car had only gone halfway when she received a call from my mom. The next moment, she pulled over to the side of the road. She said anxiously, “Leo suddenly fainted. It might be a severe rejection reaction.” “I have to rush back. You can take a taxi.” I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was 3 AM. And this was a deserted overpass. A taxi? Where would I find a taxi? But I didn’t say anything, just obediently got out of the car. Before I could even steady myself, Serena stomped on the gas and drove off. The roar of the sports car tore at my heart, making it ache. I clutched my chest, taking a long time to recover from that excruciating pain. But just as I started to feel better, a dull rumble of thunder echoed overhead, as if even the heavens were enraged by my weakness, roaring in fury. Soon after, large raindrops began to fall, some hitting my head, stinging painfully. Hearing the “thump, thump, thump” sounds, I realized it was hailing. I quickly covered my head and walked forward. Hard hailstones relentlessly pelted my hands and face. As I walked, my vision suddenly went black, and I collapsed to the ground. A long, long time later, I think I heard an ambulance, and then Dr. Davies’ familiar voice. He sounded like he was crying, repeatedly demanding, “What happened? He still had a week to live! How… how could he suddenly be gone?” My ribs hurt so much, Doctor. You’re pressing down too hard on me. Are you performing CPR? But… it really hurts… Living hurts so much… Please, just let me go… “Beep…” Patient Alex Mo was pronounced dead at 5 AM on June 1st, aged 28. Simultaneously, the renowned Ingenuity Medical Research Lab received his body and initiated cryopreservation.

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The first thing I did after my rebirth was to dump my devoted boyfriend and immediately accept the pursuit of the obsessive guy. Why? Because in my previous life, my best friend Emma had bound an app that could transfer all my boyfriend’s love for me to herself. The 999 golden roses he prepared for me ended up in her arms. The hotel he bought for me was registered under her name. His gaze towards me changed from passionate to cold and distant, yet when he turned to look at her, it was filled with the tenderness I once knew so well. When I cried and asked him why he had changed, he looked at me with disgust. “We broke up long ago. Stop harassing my girlfriend!” On my birthday, Emma livestreamed, showing off the entire amusement park my ex-boyfriend had rented for her, with fireworks blazing behind her. As for me, they joined forces to send me to a mental hospital. They said I was a madwoman who couldn’t accept rejection. I died in despair amidst endless electroshock therapy and drug injections. When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn. This time, I didn’t invest an ounce of true feelings in my ex-boyfriend. Instead, I played along with the obsessive guy’s pursuit. When Emma opened the app again to absorb all of the obsessive guy’s overwhelming love, I smiled. I wanted to see if she could handle it. 1 “Lily, I love you!” The deafening confession, accompanied by the screams of the crowd around us, yanked me back to reality. My boyfriend, Lucas, was holding a bouquet of golden roses, professing his love to me. Cheers erupted from all sides. “Say yes! Say yes!” I was momentarily dazed before realizing I had been reborn. I had returned to the day when Lucas was about to publicly declare his love for me in front of the entire school with 999 roses. In my previous life, I had waited here, full of anticipation, for him to approach me. But just when he was one step away from me, he suddenly turned and handed that bouquet to my best friend, Emma, who was standing behind me. I could never forget that moment. The love in Lucas’s eyes that was originally meant for me extinguished in an instant, only to reignite when he turned towards Emma. Later, I learned that Emma had an app on her phone that could steal love. It was her, like a thief, who stole Lucas’s love for me. And now, history seemed to be repeating itself. I could even sense Emma behind me, quietly raising her phone, ready to use her old trick again. The cheering around us grew louder, and Lucas’s smile became more radiant. I beat him to the punch, saying in an extremely calm tone: “Lucas, let’s break up.” Everyone’s expressions froze, and the cheering came to an abrupt halt. Lucas’s smile stiffened, and he looked at me in disbelief, as if he hadn’t heard clearly. “Lily, what… what did you say?” “I said, let’s break up,” I repeated, my tone as cold as ice. “I don’t like you anymore. I’ve lost feelings for you.” These words exploded like a bomb in the crowd. “What the hell? What’s going on? Has Lily gone crazy?” “Lucas treats her so well, everyone knows that. How can she say break up?” “Is she playing hard to get? That’s too cruel!” Lucas’s face instantly turned pale. His hands holding the flowers trembled slightly, and the deep affection in his eyes was replaced by immense shock and pain. “Why? Lily, tell me why? Did I do something wrong? I can change!” In my previous life, I had also pleaded with him like this, only to be met with his disgust. Now, it was his turn to experience this pain. “Lily!” A hand grabbed my arm. It was Emma, looking at me anxiously. “Don’t be impulsive! You and Lucas have such a good relationship, how can you break up just like that? Quickly apologize to him, stop fooling around.” I looked at her hypocritical face and laughed coldly in my heart. She was panicking, as expected. I suddenly understood that her app probably could only transfer the love of my current boyfriend. Once I broke up with Lucas, she wouldn’t be able to steal anything. That’s why she was so anxious to persuade us to reconcile. I forcefully shook off her hand, abandoning the weakness of my previous life, and stared at her with a piercing gaze. “My business is none of your concern.” With that, I turned and pushed my way through the crowd, leaving behind a commotion and Lucas’s heartbroken calls. 2 The news of me dumping Lucas spread like wildfire across the campus. I became a heartless woman in everyone’s eyes, ungrateful and playing with feelings. Wherever I went, I could feel the pointing fingers and whispers behind my back. “That’s her, the one who dumped Lucas, such a good boyfriend.” “I heard she’s just riding a donkey to find a horse, must have found someone richer.” “Who would have thought, she seemed so quiet usually, but she’s so manipulative.” I didn’t care about any of this. These rumors and gossip, compared to the electroshock therapy and torture I endured in the mental hospital in my previous life, were like a gentle breeze. Emma had been buzzing around me like a fly these past couple of days, earnestly trying to persuade me to get back together with Lucas. She kept hinting at how miserable Lucas was, how he couldn’t live without me. “Lily, Lucas hasn’t been able to eat for days. He’s lost so much weight. Can you really bear to see him like this?” She held my hand, speaking with apparent sincerity. “You two were the campus’s golden couple. Don’t give up because of some small misunderstanding.” I pulled my hand away, looking into her hypocritical eyes, finding it all so ridiculous. “If you care about him so much, why don’t you date him yourself?” I said flatly. Emma’s face froze for a moment before she quickly recovered. “I’m saying this for your own good. I’m your best friend. I can’t stand by and watch you make a mistake.” “Oh, really?” I smiled. “Then I should thank you for your kind intentions.” I ignored her and walked straight towards the campus basketball court. On the court, one figure stood out. He was tall, with skin so pale it was almost sickly. His eyes were startlingly black, with a beauty mark under them that gave him an otherworldly allure. He wasn’t playing basketball, just leaning lazily against the hoop. Within a three-meter radius around him, there was no one else. This was Ethan, from a prestigious family background, but with a volatile temperament and unpredictable mood swings. He was the epitome of a yandere. In my previous life, I had heard about his exploits. A girl who had dated him for less than a month was forced to transfer schools. I took a deep breath, walked across the court, and stood in front of Ethan. He seemed to sense someone’s presence and lazily lifted his eyelids. Those pitch-black eyes fell on me, carrying a hint of scrutiny and impatience. “What do you want?” His voice was as cold and indifferent as his person. I looked straight into his eyes and said word by word: “I’ve broken up with Lucas. Now I’m agreeing to be your girlfriend.” As soon as I finished speaking, Ethan was stunned. He slowly straightened up, looking down at me with a playful smile tugging at his lips. “Didn’t you say you were deeply in love with Lucas when I pursued you before?” “What, now you’re willing to break up with him?” Ethan’s words suddenly reminded me of the time I had spent with Lucas over the past few years. Back then, we were very much in love, but that was before Emma transferred Lucas’s love away. I tried to keep my voice as calm as possible, “Not interested? If not, forget it.” I was about to turn and leave when he suddenly chuckled softly. “Of course I’m interested.” As soon as he finished speaking, Ethan’s lips came crashing down on mine. 3 The news of me getting together with Ethan spread even faster and wider than when I had dumped Lucas. The entire school was in an uproar. “Oh my God, has Lily lost her mind? Dumping Lucas to go after Ethan?” “Does she think Ethan is as good-natured as Lucas? Just wait, she’ll be a wreck within three days.” “I bet a week before she comes running back to Lucas, crying for reconciliation.” I became the laughingstock of the entire school, with everyone waiting to see how this drama would unfold. Lucas, whom I had ruthlessly dumped, finally couldn’t take it anymore when he heard the news. He burst into my classroom, his eyes bloodshot, and confronted me in front of everyone. “Lily! What the hell are you trying to do?!” He pointed at me, his voice filled with the anger of betrayal. “You broke up with me just to be with him? Why are you torturing yourself like this?!” Before I could respond, Emma immediately stepped forward, putting on an act of deep concern. “Lucas, calm down.” She held Lucas back but turned to scold me, “Lily, how could you be so foolish!” “Throwing away someone as good as Lucas, and for what? To go after someone like Ethan? What’s he worth that makes you do this?” “As your best friend, no matter how much you hate me, I have to knock some sense into you!” She stood on her moral high ground, speaking righteously, as if she truly had my best interests at heart. The classmates around us chimed in. “That’s right, Lily. Emma’s right, you should break up with Ethan right away!” “Lucas treats you so well, don’t be stupid.” I looked at this farce unfolding before me and found it laughable. “Lucas, you’re already in the past. Why can’t I start a new life?” I then turned to Emma, my eyes full of mockery: “And you, Emma, do you live by the sea? Why are you so concerned with everyone’s business?” Emma’s face turned pale instantly, probably not expecting me to publicly embarrass her like this. Lucas was so angry he was shaking all over, trembling so much he couldn’t utter a word. Suddenly, a male voice rang out. “Since when did my girlfriend become someone you could lecture?” Ethan was leaning against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, looking at everyone present. He slowly walked to my side, naturally shielding me behind him. His gaze fell on Lucas, and he immediately launched into a tirade of mockery. “Losing to me isn’t shameful.” “After all, whether it’s family background or looks, you’re far behind. Instead of barking here like a defeated dog, why don’t you go look in a mirror and see why you got dumped?” Lucas was humiliated to the point of turning red, he glared at me fiercely before turning and running out. At this moment, I noticed Emma’s gaze was glued to Ethan, even more intensely than when she used to look at Lucas. I smirked coldly. The fish had taken the bait. From that day on, she no longer tried to persuade me to get back together with Lucas. Instead, she began to do everything she could to promote my relationship with Ethan. She revealed almost all of my preferences to Ethan. From small things like my favorite color to big things like what kind of person I liked. Ridiculously, Ethan actually listened to Emma’s advice and molded himself into a perfect boyfriend. Until one day at a class gathering, Emma deliberately locked me, who had drunk too much, in an empty private room with Ethan. As she closed the door, she turned back and gave me a meaningful smile. She thought that after tonight, Ethan’s love for me would reach its peak. Then she could reap the benefits and steal all of this intense love. She wasn’t wrong. But what she didn’t know was that I had been waiting for this moment too. 4 In the private room, only Ethan and I remained. He was indeed drunk, his eyes unfocused, his usually pale face flushed an unnatural red. He approached me step by step, calling my name in a low voice. “Lily, you’re mine, only mine…” He wanted to forcibly possess me. At this moment, I was eerily calm. Just as his lips were about to fall, I didn’t dodge. Instead, I raised my hand and, using all my strength, delivered a precise chop to the back of his neck. Bang—! Ethan’s tall figure collapsed softly, unconscious. I panted heavily, looking at him lying on the ground, without a shred of pity in my heart. The night was long. I sat on the sofa, quietly watching Ethan sleeping on the floor. During this time, I felt that suffocating love emanating from him. It was a hundred, no, a thousand times more intense than Lucas’s. It felt like countless invisible chains binding and suffocating me. In my previous life, it was in the mental hospital that I felt Lucas’s disgust after his love was stolen, dying in despair. And in this life, I wanted Emma to personally experience what it was like to be wrapped in this kind of distorted love. Time passed minute by minute, second by second. Finally, just before dawn, I felt the heavy feeling on my body suddenly being forcibly pulled away! What followed was an unprecedented sense of lightness. I smiled. Emma, you finally made your move. Almost at the same time, there was a soft click from the door lock. The door opened. Emma stood in the doorway. Seeing me unharmed, she was visibly stunned. “Lily! Are you okay? I… I accidentally lost the key last night and spent all night looking for the spare key.” “You and Ethan… how are things?” As she spoke, she anxiously looked into the room, searching for Ethan. I played along with her act, putting on a heartbroken expression, my eyes instantly reddening. “We… we broke up,” I choked out. “When he woke up, it was like he had become a different person. He said he had no feelings for me anymore and told me to get lost.” Hearing this, Emma’s eyes instantly filled with poorly concealed triumph and wild joy. She forcefully suppressed her upturned lips and came over to hug me with fake concern. “Lily, don’t be sad. You’re better off without a man like that! He doesn’t deserve you! It’s not worth crying over someone like him!” “Mm…” I buried my face in her shoulder, revealing a victorious smile where she couldn’t see. “I’m going to leave now. I need some time alone.” I pushed her away and walked out, looking lost and dejected. Emma almost eagerly saw me off. I didn’t actually go far, but hid around the corner of the hallway, coldly observing. Sure enough, as soon as I left, she immediately tidied her hair and clothes, and with a smile of certainty on her face, pushed open the door and entered the private room. The door wasn’t completely closed, leaving a small gap. Soon, I heard a man’s deep, suppressed voice, and a woman’s coquettish laughter from inside. “Mr. Ethan, you’re awake?” “…Who are you?”

My wedding with my boyfriend of three years was just around the corner. But then, I found so many texts on his phone. Every single word, sent by him to another girl. “I’m getting married.” “Any regrets?” “I’m happier than you.” … The night before our engagement, he sent her four final texts: “Fine, you’ve really got guts.” “Stop being so stubborn, okay?” “The wedding date’s set, the dress is ordered.” “Just come back, and you can be the bride.” It was my birthday when Scarlett Thorne returned. A crowd was celebrating with me, showering me with birthday wishes, when she pushed the door open. The woman wore a plush fleece jacket, her long hair cascading. She strode up to us in high heels, just a few steps. Then, she raised her hand and simply flung the contents of the teapot in front of her right onto my face. After dousing me, she crossed her arms, a smirk playing on her lips. She looked at the man sitting beside me and sneered, “Is *that* the kind of person you’re dating now?” “Terrible taste.” The private room fell silent. The lively chatter that had filled the air just moments before vanished completely. She held her head high, smiling triumphantly, as if absolutely certain the man beside me would pamper her just like old times. After an eternity of silence, Liam Carter reached for a few napkins. He gently wiped the tea stains from my cheek. He cupped my face, his gaze serious yet tender, as if his eyes could only hold me. “Oh? I think my taste is excellent.” “Ms. Thorne, my wedding with Bella is next week. I hope you can make it.” As if unable to believe these words could come from his mouth, she took a step back, then stormed out, slamming the door shut. But even after she left, no one in the room dared to breathe. Liam lowered his eyes, still gently wiping the tea leaves from my face. Yet, as he wiped, he suddenly lifted his hand and violently smashed the priceless teacup on the table. A deafening crash echoed. Still, his smile remained perfectly composed, almost angelic. He scanned everyone present. Including me. His thin lips curved slightly, and he said softly, “Everyone, get out. Now.”

If time could rewind four years. Everyone would have assumed Liam was destined to marry Scarlett. He, who was always so cold and detached, would travel halfway across the city just to buy flowers for Scarlett. He, who hated socializing, willingly mingled with the entire art world for Scarlett. Even for Scarlett’s exhibitions, he would cancel important meetings, personally attending every single one. Our friends used to joke, “Who would’ve thought Liam had a romantic bone in his body?” But their ending was anything but good. So bad, in fact, that Liam came to despise Scarlett. So bad that Scarlett didn’t return for four whole years after leaving the country. And I, somehow, picked up the pieces. Everyone knew Scarlett Thorne hated me the most during our school days. I still remember that night, one of his friends, drunk, pointed at me and said, He was only marrying me to spite Scarlett Thorne.

The temperature dropped a few days ago, and Liam started coming home later and later. But I couldn’t demand anything from him, even though we were getting married. Liam paid off my loans. Liam paid my tuition. My life… Liam saved it. So, I didn’t even have the right to resist, not even a little bit. I stared at the dinner on the table, wondering if I should microwave it again, when Liam returned. He casually hung his suit jacket on the hanger by the door. He leaned in slightly, smiling at me. “Help me untie my tie, wife.” His tone was both flirtatious and natural. As if the man who’d exploded in rage yesterday because of Scarlett’s appearance wasn’t him. As if the man who’d calmly told everyone to get out wasn’t him either. I walked up to him, tilting my head to study the structure of his tie. I knew he was looking down at me, his gaze as bright as the overhead lights. Until he raised his hand and gently took my wrist. He whispered into my ear, “Clumsy.” “…” After becoming an adult, I’d only ever done that with Liam. He was always unhurried. This time, though, he paused when his hand brushed over a scar on my back. How that scar got there. Both of us knew perfectly well. Scarlett Thorne had made it, with an X-Acto knife, cut by cut.

Back in school, I had a friend everyone envied. That was Liam. Perhaps even then, the concept of class had already divided us. A poor student like me was worlds apart from Liam and Scarlett’s circle. They were a group no teacher could control. Fights and brawls? Someone always covered for them. Every day, people flocked to fawn over them. It was in this environment that Liam got very close to me, a girl who couldn’t even afford the school buns for all three meals. I thought, during that time, Liam truly considered me a friend. He gave me his unused textbooks. He gave me his meal card so I could eat. He eagerly discussed homework problems with me. Back then, a group of girls used to bully me. He stepped in front of me. He said I was *his* person, and they shouldn’t bully me anymore. —Everything was so perfect before that, wasn’t it? He was my savior. Until one day. He told me he had a crush on a girl. It was Scarlett Thorne. The very girl… who used to bully me. “She’s actually quite interesting.” “Stubborn, I like that.” That was his evaluation of Scarlett. It was only then that I realized he never really saw me as a person either. That night, he took me out for drinks. Scarlett called a group of people and cornered me in the restroom. She used an X-Acto knife to carve my back, over and over. I still remember her face, refined, perfect, Like a demon from hell. She said she hated people like me who thought they were hot stuff because of someone else.

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For seven years, **Alistair Vance** still called out his **Sera’s** name when he was drunk, even to me. “Sera, please, don’t leave me.” I’d softly agree, then take out his hearing aid. And whisper **Liam’s** name to him. He always believed I was so madly in love with him that I’d willingly play the substitute. Until **Liam**, who was supposed to have died seven years ago, suddenly returned. Seeing the divorce papers I handed him, **Alistair’s** eyes blazed. “You never loved me?” “Of course not.” “Don’t you have anything to say to me?!” I smiled gently. “Thanks for the five million. Otherwise, I still wouldn’t have found him.” 1 The day news of **Seraphina Hayes’s** divorce spread back home. I was with **Alistair Vance** at the hospital for his follow-up. His permanently damaged hearing was beyond recovery, and his legs still couldn’t walk. But hearing that the culprit behind it all was back in the country. A flicker of joy still crossed his usually indifferent eyes. That evening, he got drunk. His eyes hazy, he held my hand and whispered, “Sera, now that you’re back, don’t ever leave me again.” I obediently said, “Okay, I won’t leave you.” But he looked at me again, his expression slowly fading. “You’re not Sera.” My movements stilled. **Alistair** grabbed the small blanket draped over his wheelchair and flung it at my face. “Just because you have a face like Sera’s, you think you can *be* her?” “You don’t deserve her, **Audrey**.” “If there’s nothing else, get out.” His tone was calm, unhurried, as always. The blanket didn’t hit hard, but it felt like a slap across my face. A wave of intense humiliation washed over me, pulling me back years. I was eighteen, the night before my art school auditions. It was **Seraphina Hayes**, **Alistair’s** white moonlight, who tore up all my paintings. She took a small silver hammer, studded with jewels, and systematically broke my fingers, one by one. Even after they healed, my hands would tremble uncontrollably the moment I picked up a paintbrush. I could never paint again. **Alistair** found me, acting as **Seraphina’s** protector. He pushed a check across the table. “If it’s not enough, name your price.” I gripped my trembling hands, biting back the urge to scream at him. “What’s the use of your money? My dreams, my future, she destroyed them all!” Then, **Alistair**, sitting across from me, smiled. He looked at me with an expression of gentle contempt. “Just take it. Aren’t your ‘dreams’ just a way for people like you to earn a little more cash?” Back then, he was aloof and aristocratic, just twenty-three, already the youngest head of the Vance family. He looked down on me, completely. Neither we, nor anyone else in the Vance family, would have guessed then— **Alistair** and I would marry two years later. 2 On my twentieth birthday. It was also **Liam Carter’s** fourth year as a police officer. He fell into the open sea while rescuing our citizens kidnapped by pirates. The country searched that sea for a month afterward, but he was never found. They all said **Liam** was dead. I was in a daze for two months, on the verge of a breakdown. But then, in the corner of a blurry photo on a hidden overseas website, I saw his figure. The image quality was terrible. But **Liam** and I had known each other for over ten years, and I had a gut feeling—that was him. Still, finding him based on that photo was like searching for a needle in a haystack. I needed a lot of money. That’s when it happened. **Seraphina Hayes** abandoned **Alistair**, who was injured because of her, and went abroad to get married. And **Alistair**, once healed, found me. … **Seraphina Hayes** returned seven nights later, late at night. **Alistair** had specially sent people to wait at the airport for a whole day to pick her up. Compared to her triumphant departure, **Seraphina** looked considerably more haggard. She wore a simple white dress, her expression stubborn. “Alistair, you still remember me.” Her gaze shifted to me in the corner, and she suddenly froze. A moment later, she shrieked, almost losing control. “Audrey Stone, you poor, cheap knockoff, what are you doing here?” I silently watched her. **Alistair** calmly stated, “She is my wife now.” **Seraphina** looked incredulous, her eyes red as she demanded, “What do you mean by this?” “You said you’d wait for me forever, and now? You can like *this* kind of person?” She stood stubbornly, tears streaming down her face. That face, which was seventy percent similar to mine, held a fragile beauty. **Alistair** turned his head and ordered me, “Push me over there.” The wheelchair was pushed in front of **Seraphina**. **Alistair** took her hand, sighing softly. “Sera, you were gone so long. I missed you too.” “She’s just a cheap stand-in, don’t mind her.” “Oh, so she’s just a stand-in.” She picked up the steaming cup of water from the table and threw it straight at my face. “Now that I’m back, can I be annoyed by this knockoff face?” **Alistair** didn’t spare me a glance, just looked at her with indulgent understanding. “Of course, you can.” The liquid streamed down my neck, soaking my clothes, leaving a burning sensation on my skin. I was in so much pain I could barely stand. Tears welled up instantly. “Why are you crying? Playing pitiful again, are we?” **Seraphina** looked at me with disgust. “It’s sickening.” **Alistair** finally spared me a glance. He looked at my scalded red face, frowning slightly. And calmly said, “**Audrey Stone**, get out.” 3 The next morning, I received five hundred thousand dollars in my account from **Alistair**. No memo, no explanation. But I knew perfectly well. It was his compensation to me for **Seraphina’s** actions. I was no longer as naive and stubborn as I had been at eighteen, fantasizing about getting justice. I accepted it calmly, even sending him a text saying thank you. After my injuries healed, **Alistair** looked at my face and suddenly smiled. “**Audrey**, I thought you’d always be so proud.” I meekly lowered my gaze. “Mr. Vance, people always change.” There was a gala tonight. **Alistair** had specially prepared it for **Seraphina**. After she went abroad and married, the Hayes family’s influence back home had waned. **Alistair** was using his connections to pave the way for **Seraphina**. During the dinner, **Seraphina’s** old rival, **Mason Reid**, suddenly stood up with a drink in hand. “Seraphina Hayes, weren’t you supposed to be a princess for some royal family overseas?” “How did you end up sneaking back like a stray dog, looking so pathetic?” **Seraphina’s** face instantly turned pale. **Mason** had someone bring a bottle of high-proof liquor and pushed it in front of her. “I know what Mr. Vance’s purpose is for this party tonight.” “Alright, Seraphina. You drink this whole bottle, and all our past grudges are settled.” “If you want to establish yourself here in the future, maybe I can even help you out.” **Seraphina’s** eyes reddened. She looked at **Alistair**, tears trembling on her lashes. “This is hard liquor, I’ll die if I drink it all.” “Alistair, didn’t you say you’d always protect me?” **Alistair** reassuringly squeezed her hand and looked at **Mason**. “Sera used to be stubborn and she probably offended you, so it’s normal that you want to get even.” “How about this drink, someone else can drink it as an apology.” He paused, then looked at me. “**Audrey**.” “Go drink it, then apologize to Mr. Reid.” **Mason** leaned back in his chair, one hand on the backrest, looking amused. “If your wife agrees, I have no problem with it.” The wounds on my face hadn’t fully healed yet. The doctor had specifically told me not to drink. I froze in my chair, pinching my slightly trembling wrist, silently meeting **Alistair’s** gaze. He calmly said, “I’ll have my assistant transfer you a million after this.” The atmosphere was still for a moment. I stood up, picked up the bottle, and tilted my head back, chugging it down. The intense burning sensation from the strong alcohol spread from my throat all the way to my chest. The potent fumes surged up, climbing my windpipe, making my eyes stream with tears. **Mason’s** buddies applauded and cheered. “What a drinker! What a woman!” “Mr. Vance’s wife is so fond of money, what, was she poor in her last life?” Their tone was full of mockery. After I finished, I put down the bottle and bowed deeply to **Mason**. “Mr. Reid, I apologize for any past offenses. Please forgive me.” **Mason** toyed with his glass and smiled. “A million dollars, Mr. Vance certainly has deep pockets.” “Alright, Seraphina. Our grudges are settled.” 4 The restroom outside the banquet hall was dimly lit, permeated with a faint, sweet scent. I clung to the toilet, throwing up until my vision blurred. My stomach and throat were numb with pain, so much so that when I saw streaks of fresh blood in the vomit, I realized— It seemed I was quite seriously hurt. I forced my aching body to call 91

It wasn’t until I was hooked up to an IV drip that I received a call from **Alistair**. “Where are you? Did you get lost throwing up, or are you throwing a tantrum?” His tone carried an implicit note of displeasure. I paused. “At the hospital, on an IV.” He chuckled. “Spending all these years with me has made you quite delicate, hasn’t it?” I didn’t say anything, just looked up at the flickering fluorescent light above me. Perhaps the light was too harsh, stinging my eyes, filling them with tears. “I’ll have my driver pick you up from the hospital later. No one else takes care of me as thoroughly as you do.” With that, **Alistair** hung up. He had injured his legs and ears saving **Seraphina** back then. **Seraphina** abandoned him and went abroad, and I married into the Vance family in her place. Because **Alistair** was paralyzed, we didn’t even have a marital life. I, his wife in name only, was nothing more than his personal caregiver. When I got home late that night, **Seraphina** was already asleep. **Alistair** was waiting for me in his study. He’d had some wine, looking at me hazily. “The money has been transferred to your card.” “Okay.” “Audrey, don’t blame me. Sera has never suffered any grievances since she was a child. She’s not like you.” I sniffled and softly said, “I understand.” “Mr. Vance, I’d like to go abroad next month to see an art exhibition, if I may?” **Alistair** smiled. “Of course, you can.” “Audrey, see? Your so-called dreams are only worth this much money, aren’t they?” I said yes. Perhaps due to the alcohol, he leaned back in his wheelchair, eyelids heavy with drowsiness. Looking at that face, which was maybe thirty percent similar to the one in my memory. I reached out, took off his hearing aid, and spoke in a hoarse voice. “Liam.” Just that one name, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. “It’s been seven years. Please, let me find you next month, okay?” 5 Perhaps because I was going to look for him. That night, I dreamed of **Liam** again. We grew up in the same orphanage. He was always brave and had a strong sense of justice. Later, he became a SWAT officer. I wanted to study art, to go to art school, and he sent me all his income. “Go to a good art studio, don’t skimp on materials.” He came to visit me at school, ruffled my hair, and slipped me a debit card. “You just pursue your dreams. Leave everything else to me, Audrey.” I wanted to become a famous painter, to make **Liam** proud of me. But all of that was destroyed by **Seraphina Hayes**. The second month after my fingers were broken, **Liam** returned from a mission. He almost lost his mind. The unit’s expert marksman, capable of shooting accurately from thousands of yards away, his bullet never deviating from its trajectory. But he held my hand, trembling uncontrollably. He couldn’t suppress the anger in his voice. “I’ll kill them.” “Don’t say such things, **Liam**.” I rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes wearily. “I’m so tired.” “I need to sleep for a bit.” For that entire month, my injuries healed slowly. **Alistair** kept sending people to torment me mentally. Every day, I woke up repeatedly from pain and nightmares. It wasn’t until I leaned against **Liam**, smelling his familiar scent, that I finally relaxed. The Hayes family’s influence was too great, and they had the Vance family allied with them. They produced a psychiatric diagnosis certificate for **Seraphina**. And paid me a large sum for medical expenses. **Liam** was a man of integrity and honor, risking his life to protect others. But he was helpless against **Seraphina Hayes**. After I recovered, he returned to his unit. Before he left, he held me and promised, “One day, I’ll see **Seraphina Hayes** brought to justice.” “You believe me, Audrey.” Tears streaming down my face, I nodded desperately. I had always believed him. I just… didn’t wait for him. 6 With **Alistair’s** relentless help, **Seraphina Hayes** perfectly integrated back into the social circles within half a month of her return. The night before I was to leave the country, I dropped them off at a business meeting and prepared to head back. “My flight is early tomorrow morning.” I softly told **Alistair**, “Mr. Vance, I’ll head back and rest now.” He nodded, his expression indifferent. **Seraphina**, standing nearby, suddenly spoke up. “Hold it.” She held a glass of red wine, tilting her head slightly as she looked at me. “I heard you’re going abroad to see an art exhibition?” “Your hands are useless, you can’t even hold a paintbrush. **Audrey Stone**, are you still dreaming of being a great artist?” I ignored her and continued towards the door. She directly smashed the wine glass against my back. The wine splashed out, staining the back of my dress. “Did I say you could leave?” **Seraphina** lowered her voice. “Get back here and help me drink tonight.” “Anyway, you common folk, you’re born to serve.” I froze in place, unmoving. **Alistair** sighed softly, speaking to me with a resigned yet indulgent tone. “Listen to Sera, Audrey.” “Otherwise, I’ll have to cancel your flight for tomorrow.” In that moment. I suddenly thought of **Liam** again. Back in the art studio, the first time **Seraphina Hayes** publicly humiliated me. She pinched her nose, standing several feet away, and said loudly, “It stinks.” “How dare people like you stay in the same art studio as us?” That night, I called **Liam**. “Are people born with different statuses, high or low?” He was on his way to a mission then. The car window was open. The wind from the open field whistled through the phone into my ear. **Liam’s** voice was slightly muffled, but it seemed to carry the force of a thunderclap. “Audrey, all humans are born equal.” “No matter where they’re born or raised, for example, right now, the same moon shines on all of us.” 7 Under **Alistair’s** protection, no one dared to mention **Seraphina Hayes’s** messy divorce anymore. Everyone praised her instead. “I hear Ms. Hayes is a renowned painter and artist abroad.” “Her works are priceless, even royal families from various countries compete to buy them.” **Seraphina** was very pleased, her smile elegant. “You all flatter me. I just have a bit of talent for painting.” She was allergic to alcohol, so she couldn’t drink. I had to drink for her. That night, I went to the restroom several times to throw up. My neck broke out in red rashes. When I went back, I happened to hear people quietly discussing. “That woman Seraphina is with, is that Mr. Vance’s wife? She looks so much like her.” “What wife? She’s just a servant. She sold herself to be a stand-in for money, lost all her dignity.” “That knockoff will be kicked out of the family soon, won’t she?” A few people laughed, their eyes full of scorn. My back was soaked with cold sweat. I leaned against the hallway wall, trying to catch my breath. I opened my phone. **Alistair** had transferred another million. “I hung ‘Moonlight Over the Wild’ in the exhibition. Sera is in a bad mood, don’t blame her.” I knew. Recently, she was holding an art exhibition, and someone offered a high price, wanting her to paint another piece exactly like ‘Moonlight Over the Wild.’ But that painting wasn’t by **Seraphina Hayes**. It was a piece I’d painted after that phone call with **Liam**, when I was seventeen, staying up all night. Later, to raise money, I sold it for twenty thousand dollars. After marrying **Alistair**, I found out he was the anonymous buyer. The wind in the wilderness had shape, and the moonlight shone equally on every piece of land. This was something **Seraphina Hayes**, who constantly called people “inferior,” could never paint. 8 The seventh year. I finally found the photographer who took that picture. “Do you know where he is now?” He shook his head. Seeing my disappointment, he hesitated, then lowered his voice. “Actually, I photographed this person again six months ago.” I stiffened abruptly. “But the place where the photo was taken is very dangerous. If I expose it to you, I’ll have to move from here immediately and move across the ocean.” “If you want it, you’ll have to pay a high price.” I was still two million short of the money I needed. After returning home, I found **Alistair**. Before he could say anything, **Seraphina Hayes**, who was beside him, laughed. “How shameless. Do you really think you’re worth that much money?” I ignored her, my gaze fixed on **Alistair**. “Mr. Vance, whatever your terms, just name them.” He met my desperate gaze, a slight愣. But still said, “**Audrey**, Sera isn’t happy lately. I need to console her.” “This matter, she’ll decide.” **Seraphina** looked at me, smiling slowly. “Audrey Stone, aren’t you proud that your talent is higher than mine? Don’t you despise us rich people the most?” “You want money? Fine, then get on your knees and beg me.” The moment I knelt before her. My lips were chapped and bleeding. **Seraphina** suddenly burst into laughter. “You actually believed that? How stupid can you be?” She narrowed her eyes. “Just kidding.” “Back when I broke your hands, your brother went to my uncle just like that, saying he’d bring me to justice—he didn’t know that when he was begging like that, I was sitting right next door, enjoying the show.” “Your brother is just like you, naive and foolish, one of those common folk.” “I heard he died? Well, that’s truly—” She leaned slightly closer, her smile as sweet as a poisonous flower, mesmerizing. “Per-fect.” The taut string in my mind snapped. Before I even realized what I was doing, I was grabbing her hair, slamming her head against the edge of the table. I bit into her shoulder, wanting to tear a piece of flesh off. **Seraphina** had never suffered like this. Tears streamed down her face from the pain. But she was used to living in luxury, utterly no match for my strength. “Audrey Stone, are you insane?!” She struggled desperately to push me away, screaming hysterically, “You rabid dog!” Finally, **Alistair**, sitting in his wheelchair, called for the butler and servants. His face was cold, for the first time dropping his facade of gentle politeness in front of me. “Audrey, you’ve been married into this family for seven years, and you still haven’t learned what decorum means.” “I’ve been too good to you, letting you lose your sense of proportion.” When I was forcibly pulled away by several people, my mouth was full of blood. **Seraphina** was nearly hysterical. She slapped me twice, then ordered the others to drag me into the bathroom. The bathtub was filled with cold water. My face was shoved in. Water flooded my nostrils and eyes, making me tremble and convulse with pain. Just as I was about to suffocate, I was yanked up by my hair. And shoved back down again. In the second before I lost consciousness. I wondered. When **Liam** fell into the open sea. Was it like this too? Was he this desperate too? Did he think of me like this? 9 **Seraphina Hayes’s** attack was too brutal. In the end, I was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. I fell seriously ill. As compensation, **Alistair** transferred three million dollars to me. He said, “It’s more than what you asked for, so don’t make a fuss with me anymore, Audrey.” I didn’t bother arguing with him. I transferred the money, wanting to buy that photo. But the money was sent back. The photographer’s account was deactivated. I sat blankly in the hospital. The sunlight poured in like molten gold through the window, illuminating me. But I felt like I couldn’t perceive any warmth at all. I don’t know how much time passed, but then there was a knock on the door. I looked up and saw a serious-looking middle-aged man. On the day I was discharged, he led me into an unassuming, secret small building. “The situation is very dangerous. Don’t look for **Liam** anymore. We can’t even contact him right now.” He said, “Whether he’s alive or dead, we’ll have an answer in at most a month.” I looked at him blankly. “So, he’s not dead?” “He wasn’t before, but now it’s hard to say. His mission is extremely dangerous. He went off-grid a week ago.” Tears streamed down my face. My voice trembling, I asked, “Then why didn’t he let you tell me?” “Liam knew you were married, and that you married… **Alistair Vance**.” “He said it was to avoid disturbing you.” “He wanted you to believe he died seven years ago.” … When I left the small building, darkness had fallen. I looked at the setting sun, feeling as if fate had played a cruel joke on me. When I returned, **Alistair** was waiting in his wheelchair in the villa’s courtyard. Seeing me, he spoke in a low voice, “Where did you go after the hospital, Audrey?” “Are you mad at me?” I looked at his arrogant face, subtly hinting at displeasure. In truth, it bore only a fleeting resemblance to **Liam’s** sharp, battle-hardened face after going through so many life-or-death situations. I just… I just missed him too much. Even that small resemblance was enough to pull me back from the brink of suffocation. But after today, it seemed everything was meaningless. I walked past him numbly, ignoring him. But my wrist was grabbed. “If it’s about Sera, I admit, I did favor her a bit.” His tone was deliberately softened. As if he’d made a huge concession for me. “As compensation, I’ll have my assistant transfer another sum of money to you.” “Don’t make a scene anymore.” I didn’t speak, just stared into the distance, at the setting sun during twilight. It was swallowed by the distant mountains, little by little. The moment night fell, I spoke quietly. “Alistair, let’s get a divorce.” 10 He frowned, warning me, “These years, I’ve really spoiled you, made you forget your place.” “Who else would give someone in your position this much money if you leave me?” I covered my face and laughed. “What use is money to me?” “Useless? Did you forget how you knelt and begged me before?” I ignored him, simply placing the drafted divorce papers on his desk. And moved out of the Vance mansion. Days passed. A month later, I received an invitation from the orphanage where I grew up. To attend their charity fundraiser. These days, **Alistair** initially thought I was just sulking, not wanting me to push my luck. Later, he seemed to realize I was serious. And started lowering himself to coax me. “Don’t make a fuss with me, Audrey.” “Come back, and I’ll have Sera personally apologize to you.” I never replied. On the day of the fundraiser. I walked onto the stage and immediately spotted **Alistair** in the audience. He was staring intently at me. The host asked me, “I hear Ms. Stone grew up in this orphanage and has made multiple donations since.” “Yes, I want the children who come after to have a better life.” This was something **Liam** had been doing ever since he graduated. He was gone, so it fell to me. “As far as I know, Ms. Stone had a brother who grew up with her here, working a very commendable profession, named **Liam Carter**?” Hearing **Liam’s** name, I suddenly froze. My gaze swept across the room, then settled on a dim corner of the hall. The heart in my chest suddenly began to pound wildly. It took a long time to find my voice. “…Not my brother.” “He’s not my brother.” “Liam is six years older than me, but I never called him brother, because I love him.” Below the stage, **Alistair**, sitting in his wheelchair, his face abruptly turned ashen. The most fervent, unmasked affection of my life had always been reserved for **Liam** alone. The host was stunned. “But… Ms. Stone seems to be connected to Mr. Vance, who is also here tonight—” “It was just a transaction. **Alistair** and I are already divorced.” I said, “Thank you, Mr. Vance, for the compensation all these years, which gave me ample funds to search for **Liam**.” “Whether he’s alive or dead, I had to find him.” “He will always be a hero in my heart.” As I said these words, I didn’t look at **Alistair**, whose eyes were red. I just stared intently at that dim corner. Watching that familiar figure step out of the shadows. Into the light. Walking step by step toward me. He was so much thinner, his cheeks slightly sunken, and exposed skin was covered in scars. But those cold, sharp eyes were fixed on me, bright as stars, softening in an instant. “Now, you’ve found me.”

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“Aria, I’m over it.” Leo rolled off the couch, chin tilted defiantly, an arrogant smirk playing on his lips. I froze, my hand instinctively flying to my shirt buttons. “Okay.” “Okay?” “It’s too late now. Taxis are expensive,” I said, reaching for the bag he’d tossed onto the table, pulling out my phone to check the time. “You can leave tomorrow morning.” His beautiful eyes fixed on me, saying nothing. “If you can’t wake up,” I added, my voice incredibly soft, “tomorrow afternoon works too.” He reached out, grabbing my outstretched hand. His six-foot-plus frame suddenly loomed, an overwhelming presence. “You’re something else, Aria,” he whispered close to my ear. The next morning, squeezed onto a packed subway during rush hour, my SnapChat groups exploded with messages. The reason? A famous actress had been caught on camera late at night, spending time in a wealthy heir’s apartment. I work in entertainment media, and this concrete proof was absolutely explosive. Blake Davis, from the Davis family, worth hundreds of millions. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth. “Maybe she’ll actually marry him,” a colleague grumbled to me. “No, she won’t,” I replied curtly. “How do you know?” Because I’m Blake Davis’s wife. Or, to be precise, his ex-wife. It took everything I had to marry Blake. The subway pulled into the station, and I squeezed out like a sardine, accidentally dropping my earbuds. I turned back to see them on the ground, stepped on a few times. Before I could even pick them up, the train doors closed. Rushing to clock in, I sped to the office, barely catching an elevator. But then it beeped loudly, overloaded, and under everyone’s watchful eyes, I had to step out, defeated. Ah… my perfect attendance bonus… With a sigh of resignation, I waited for the next elevator. Pulling out my phone, I saw a text from Leo from fifteen minutes ago. He’d ordered breakfast delivery to my office and told me to remember to answer the rider’s call. I swiped up and saw a missed call from an unknown number five minutes ago. Must be the delivery rider. I’d missed the call. I called back, but it was immediately hung up. After a moment, a text came through: “In a meeting. Hold on.” A meeting? I texted back: “Delivery rider? Just leave it at the front desk, thanks.” I turned to walk towards the front desk when my phone rang. I answered, speaking quickly, “Hi, I’m at the company entrance. You can just bring it over.” There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a calm, unbothered voice. “Rider?” Blake Davis. My feet froze. The last time we’d spoken felt like a lifetime ago. Six months, to be exact. “Is there something you need?” I asked. “Come back to the family estate tonight,” he said. Divorcing him was my idea. He, however, thought I was throwing a tantrum. “Is that all you’ve got?” His eyes held an impatient sneer. “Short on cash again?” He’d found a convenient reason for my actions. Meeting my serious gaze, his brow furrowed. “Is this supposed to be amusing?” He leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes. I handed him the divorce papers. He stared into my eyes, like a dangerous predator, and I felt his anger slowly radiating from him. Provoking him, it seemed, had become my source of perverse pleasure in our dysfunctional marriage. But now, it all felt so utterly meaningless. “Stop the drama, just sign,” I said, my voice flat, lightly tossing the agreement onto the table. He watched my actions, then actually chuckled, as if he’d seen right through me. His tone was full of mockery: “Sign? Why wouldn’t I sign?” He seemed convinced I was just trying to manipulate him into staying. I watched as his pen quickly scrawled across the agreement. Once he was done, I reached for it, but he grabbed my wrist, pulling me hard into his embrace, a sensation both strange and unsettlingly familiar. “Leave with nothing but the clothes on your back,” he whispered in my ear. “Let’s see how long you last without me.” “Aria, coming over tonight?” I received Leo’s text just before leaving work. I didn’t reply, putting my phone away and heading to a ride-share with two large bags of groceries. In the car, I thought about it, then picked up my phone to text back. “Busy.” The car pulled up to the outer perimeter of the upscale gated community. The security guard at the gate wouldn’t let us in. I rolled down the window and greeted the guard. He immediately broke into a smile. “Mrs. Davis, it’s been a long time!” As soon as I stepped inside the front door, I caught the rich aroma of pork rib and lotus root soup. Mrs. Davis, the housekeeper, carried the groceries into the kitchen. Then Mrs. Davis, Blake’s mom, quickly untied her apron and rushed into the living room. “Aria, you’re back?” “Mom,” I said, changing into slippers as I walked over. “Smells like pork ribs. So good.” “Yes, it is! I specially simmered it for you this afternoon.” Mrs. Davis was meticulously well-preserved, her skin smooth and glowing, making her look no older than her early thirties. “Oh, Aria, why are your dark circles so heavy? Is work very tiring?” “It’s fine,” I said, sitting on the sofa. “Just used to staying up late.” “Well, that won’t do,” Mrs. Davis said, sitting beside me, her expression serious. “Your health is the most important thing. I always tell Blake to stop making you work so hard, but he always says I’m being meddlesome. Oh, I’ve watched you grow up since you were little, you’re dearer to me than a daughter. It’s just Blake’s personality isn’t good, he doesn’t know how to care for people.” Mrs. Davis held my hand, talking softly and incessantly. “Mom.” Blake’s voice came from behind us. “You’re back?” Mrs. Davis turned. “Oh, why are you two still arriving separately?” “I came from the office,” Blake said, turning to go upstairs. Six months had passed. His voice felt almost like a stranger’s to me. My phone vibrated. It was Leo. “Can’t sleep without you, Aria.” I turned off my phone screen. Mrs. Davis turned back to me. “Are you two staying at the family estate tonight?” “Depends on him,” I said. Mrs. Davis nodded, then remembered something and got up to go to the kitchen. I opened my phone and replied to Leo. “Then don’t sleep.” Blake handed me a bowl of lotus root soup. When my fingertips brushed his, there was a strange, uncomfortable sensation. His gaze flickered to my face for an instant, then away. “Stay at home tonight,” Mr. Davis, Blake’s grandfather, said. “I have something tomorrow,” Blake said, “so no.” Mr. Davis put his bowl down with a thud, which prompted a few coughs. The air suddenly thickened. Blake continued eating as if nothing happened. “Her company is on the north side of the city. Commuting from the family estate would take two hours.” The atmosphere eased slightly. Mr. Davis turned to me. “Still doing that job, dear? “Are you adapting well?” Mr. Davis asked with concern. “If it’s too much, just let Blake lighten your load.” “It’s fine, Grandpa. I’m very used to it.” Blake drove me home. “You’re driving yourself?” I asked from the passenger seat, awkwardly breaking the silence. He said nothing. Always like this. My words, he’d selectively answer. I ran my fingers along the right car window frame. It had been too long since I’d ridden in such a nice car. The feel was so smooth. He turned his head to glance at me, just a fleeting look. Like a royal decree. We drove through the city night, the car silent. Suddenly, a phone rang. Blake answered it. The car was too quiet, so I, sitting in the passenger seat, heard the woman’s voice on the other end crystal clear. She was whining, begging for company. His beautiful eyes flickered to me, an imperceptible glance. Not from guilt, just a test. “I’ll be there tonight,” he said, his tone neither warm nor cold. The woman on the other end was clearly overjoyed, rattling on endlessly. “Don’t call while driving,” I said, my voice low, but it instantly silenced the woman. Blake, however, chuckled. He said a few more words, then hung up. “Deliberate?” He couldn’t help but ask, turning the steering wheel. Heaven’s honest truth, I was only thinking of my own life. “When we were married, I never cared about you seeing other women,” I raised my eyebrows. “We’re divorced now, what business is it of mine?” His car was as cold as he was. I reached out to turn on the heating, but he slapped my hand away. “Outside air circulation,” he said, pressing a button, glancing at me. “Your perfume is suffocating.” “I’m not wearing perfume,” I retorted. Red light. He reached to touch my head. I instinctively flinched back. His hand paused, then he sneered coldly, quickly pulling it away. “Your hair.” I touched my hair, brought it to my nose, and sniffed. Ah, I understood. It was the smell of shampoo from Leo’s apartment. A men’s fragrance. I lowered the strand of hair I’d picked up and looked at Blake. He was waiting for my explanation. I turned my head to the window. “We’re divorced.” Things I didn’t care about before, there was even less reason to care about now. He remained silent. The car was terrifyingly quiet. “Subway station, get out,” he said. I opened my phone to check the time. “The subway’s not running now.” Twelve thirteen AM. “Can you call a taxi?” He pulled the car over to the side of the road, his voice laced with annoyance. “Get out.” He saw I hadn’t moved. “What? Can’t you understand me?” His tone was harsh, like a prelude to an explosion of anger. I met his dangerously intense gaze. He was waiting for me to back down. But I only wanted to challenge his limits even more. I smiled, my fingers lightly tapping on the comfortable window frame. “You get out,” I said. “What?” He didn’t react, turning to look at me, still with that impatient expression. “What? You don’t understand me?” I smiled back at him. He finally understood, his eyebrows furrowing. “What’s wrong with you—” He didn’t finish his sentence, putting on a look of not wanting to argue. “Stop messing around, get out. “I’ll reimburse you for the taxi,” he sighed faintly. I laughed. “You get out, I’ll reimburse *you* for the taxi.” That really pissed him off. “What are you doing?!” “Oh, you don’t know how to call a taxi yourself?” My voice was gentle. “Then I’ll call Mr. Chen to come pick you up, okay?” I made to call, but his large hand covered my phone. “What do you mean?” His breath brushed my ear. I leaned back slightly, pulling away from him. “We’re already divorced. If you want to wait for the right moment to tell your family, I can help you play along. “But that doesn’t mean I have to put up with your terrible temper anymore.” I shook my phone at him. “How many years have you used this trick of telling me to get out of the car?” He tried to snatch my phone, but I held it tightly. He stared deeply at me, as if recalling something, his grip leaving a red mark on my wrist. He snatched my phone, brushing past my ear, and slammed it against the car window. “Keep messing around if you dare.” Then he turned and got out of the car. I picked up my phone, moved into the driver’s seat, and drove off without looking back. I drove the car to Leo’s apartment’s underground garage. I turned to him. “What happened to your forehead?” He rubbed his forehead. “Nothing, just bumped it.” Ouch, his face is so handsome, it’d be a shame to scuff it. “Worried about me?” He leaned in closer. Seeing I didn’t speak, he asked again, “Where did you get the car?” I turned off the engine and handed him the car keys. “It’s yours.” He raised an eyebrow. “Got guts now? Where’d you steal it from?” I pressed the car keys into his hand, ready to get out. My wrist was suddenly grabbed. But he didn’t dare use force, afraid of hurting me. “What do you want?” I asked him. “Don’t you want to try?” “Try what?” “What do you think?” He smiled broadly, rubbing my wrist. The next morning, I was woken by my phone ringing. Muffled under the covers, I didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to go to work, didn’t want to get up. Leo got up, took the phone, and handed it to me. Then he pulled me into his arms, his warmth enveloping me. “Hello, who is this…” My voice was muffled from under the blankets. “Do you know there’s surveillance in my car?” That woke me up. I tried to push Leo away and get up, but his big arms and legs bundled me in, holding me down. I coughed abruptly, glancing at the caller ID. Blake Davis. Ugh. “I didn’t,” I cleared my throat. “Now you do,” the voice on the other end said. What kind of person is that? Installing surveillance in his own car. “Aria, can I drive you to work?” Leo drowsily leaned against the bathroom door frame, following me like a puppy. “You have morning classes,” I said, washing my face. “Hurry up and go to school.” Leo walked behind me, unable to open his eyes, just resting his head on my shoulder. “No, you’re heavy,” I nudged his head away. His hair was fluffy, truly like a dog’s. “Beep, beep, beep,” he murmured, his voice slightly deeper in the morning. “What are you doing?” I splashed warm water on his face. He rubbed against my neck. “Hold on, I need to recharge.” I pushed him away, exasperated. I grabbed my bag, ready to brave the subway. “Oh, right,” I said before leaving. “You can drive that car whenever you want, but there’s a camera inside. Find it and take it out.” “Camera?” He leaned against the door, seeing me off. “Aria, you really have a lot of tricks up your sleeve.” **Part Two** At eight PM, Julian returned to the country. S11 Club. Just before clocking out, I received a SnapChat from Blake. Read, then deleted. “Can’t find it.” Leo called me when I had just gotten back to my own apartment. “Can’t find what?” I asked, wedging the phone between my ear and shoulder as I changed shoes. “The camera,” Leo said, his voice laced with amusement. “Alright, Aria, are you messing with me?” I paused. “You really can’t find it?” “I’ve searched everywhere,” he said. Music was loud on his end, like someone was calling him. “Are you coming to see me tonight?” he asked. “No.” I hung up. My phone showed exactly eight PM. Time for my online class. I opened my TOEFL notes and began speaking English to my kind foreign teacher on the computer. “Why not?” Blake’s voice held no discernible emotion. “There’s no camera in your car,” I said, taking a sip of water, changing the subject. “Were you testing me?” “Why are you so guilty?” he asked me. “What do you care?” I countered. “I care?” His emotions finally showed some fluctuation. “You *want* me to care?” He’d stated a question as a declarative sentence. It was his usual blind self-confidence. The foreign teacher on the computer called my name, pointing to his watch, signaling that the break was over. “Are you seeing foreigners now?” Blake sneered. “Is this all you have left? “It won’t work,” he said. “When did you start English classes?” He looked displeased, the car stopped at a red light. Outside, the city night was cold under a fine, misty rain. “Six months ago,” I said, looking out the window. Blake’s profile was reflected in the glass. Half an hour ago, he’d appeared at my apartment door, wearing the same expression. Only angrier. “Why are you learning English?” he asked me. “Why are you at my apartment?” I asked him. He turned to look at me, his eyes carrying the unique mist of a cold night. The mist would spread, clinging to my skin in the confined space of the car. “Why do you think?” he said, his tone mocking. Green light, the car moved. His expression cleared, returning to his usual calm and restraint. Julian was still as youthful as ever. “Let’s wish CEO Sterling a happy thirty-third birthday!” As soon as I entered the private room, I heard people shouting inside. Julian looked over the crowd and saw me, and then he saw Blake standing behind me. “Well, CEO Sterling’s sister is here,” someone called out. I was pushed forward, facing him directly. He was wearing a cream-colored cashmere sweater. He raised his hand as if to place it on my head, his eyes briefly sweeping over Blake, then settling on my shoulder.

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I woke up and found myself the heroine of a brutal romance novel. The day I slashed my wrists, the male lead was picking up his idealized first love, Genevieve, who had just returned from overseas. He sneered, “Didn’t you say you’d put up with anything just to marry me? Can’t even handle something this trivial?” Genevieve purred, “He loves me. If you hadn’t threatened his mother’s life, he would never have been with you. It’s time to return what was mine.” His mother, Patricia, whose life I’d saved, coldly added, “Here’s your money back. Can you please just let my son go? It’s better for everyone if you two divorce.” But I wouldn’t leave him. Because he was about to die. I woke up lying in a bathtub. Blood was everywhere. My phone was on speaker, and Julian’s angry voice blasted from it: “I’m home. Where the hell are you? Is it fun constantly creating drama like this?” I hung up, dialed 911, and the next time I woke, I was in a hospital room. The doctor said, “Another five minutes, and we wouldn’t have been able to save you. Luckily, your will to live is strong.” “Yeah, I know.” I had transmigrated into a dark romance novel. The original heroine, Maya, had desperately loved Julian, but he never returned her feelings. His constant emotional abuse had left her with severe depression and strong suicidal tendencies. Tonight, Julian was throwing a lavish welcome-home party for his idealized first love, Genevieve. Maya, pushed to her breaking point, had felt she couldn’t take it anymore and called him to come home. He was the one who had ignored her desperate plea for help. Her life was supposed to end today. But not anymore. “Your phone kept ringing. The caller ID said ‘Husband.’ We notified your family, and he’s on his way.” “Doesn’t matter. How’s the baby?” Maya had been pregnant when she tried to kill herself. “The fetal heartbeat almost stopped, but fortunately, the baby’s will to live is as strong as yours. For now, it’s out of danger. The detailed report will be ready soon.” “Thank you.” A while later, Julian, impeccably dressed in a suit, pushed open the door. He took one look at my bandaged wrist and scowled, his handsome brows furrowed. “Playing this game again? Maya, you try to kill yourself every other day. Why aren’t you dead yet?” “You’re not dead, so I’m not in a hurry,” I calmly looked at him. “I’ll be sending you off first, Julian.” In the original novel, after Maya lost both her and the baby, Julian seemed to suddenly fall in love with her. He was filled with belated regret. All that belated, overflowing affection. A year later, Julian died of stomach cancer. A year. Not long. I could wait. Julian had never heard such venomous words from Maya. He froze for a second. “I just went to a reunion with an old friend. Is it really that big of a deal?” His “old friend” was his idealized first love, Genevieve. Of course, I didn’t care. “The desire to kill someone can’t be hidden. Whatever you do, I want you dead. It has little to do with who you meet or what you do.” Julian shook his head in disbelief. “Maya, are you crazy? Constantly talking about dying, but don’t drag others into it.” “What kind of talk is that? She’s a depression patient. And you keep saying ‘die.’ How is that any different from attempted murder?” The doctor scolded him, then softly said to me, “Here’s the report. The baby is fine. You two are incredibly lucky. Mother and child are both safe.” “You’re pregnant?” Julian was stunned, then his face turned cold. “I told you I didn’t want kids. I always used protection. What did you do to the condoms?” “The best birth control is not to do it at all. Don’t you know that basic fact? Or are you saying I deliberately forced myself on you? If so, go call the police. Accuse me of marital rape.” Maya had always been a gentle, quiet woman. This was the first time Julian had seen her so sharp-tongued. He was so furious he could barely speak. “…You’re being unreasonable.” “Men who are terrible at arguing are boring. They’re useless beyond a pretty face, just annoying.” I pulled the covers over me and went to sleep, wondering what Maya ever saw in him. Julian stared at my back. His phone rang, and I faintly heard Genevieve’s voice: “…Julian, I’m drunk. I don’t know how to get to the hotel…” Julian glanced at me. “It’s not a good time tonight.” “It is. Go on, get lost,” I interjected. Julian was supposed to be with Genevieve tonight anyway. And Maya was supposed to bleed out, slowly. “Haven’t you made enough of a scene?” Julian’s voice was always laced with annoyance when he spoke to me. “You’re truly impossible to please. When I clung to you, you found me disgusting. Now that I don’t want to see you, you stick to me like superglue. What, have you fallen for me?” Julian glared at me, then stormed out, slamming the door. A moment later, he brought in a bedside chair, set it next to me, and lay down without a word.

I stayed in the hospital for a while, and Julian remained stone-faced during his visits. One day, I went for a psychological therapy session. My attending physician, Dr. Alex Thorne, spoke with me for a bit, then asked me to undergo a full battery of organic lesion tests and a new psychological evaluation. He looked at my reports as if he’d witnessed a medical miracle. “Your depression… it’s completely cured. Both your psychological assessment and test results are perfectly healthy.” “Depression often begins when a patient becomes overly fixated on a single goal, leading to narrowed focus, accumulated frustrations, and eventually self-attack and self-loathing. I used to love Julian, and my eyes were only on him. When he didn’t love me back, I felt worthless. Now that I’ve let go, my life force has naturally begun to flow again.” Dr. Thorne smiled and shook my hand. “Congratulations. I say that as a friend.” Dr. Thorne was the only one who truly cared about Maya. He had witnessed how this poor woman had sunk deep into the mire of love. All her efforts had been for naught. The most sincere emotions, had brought nothing but pain. “So, what are you going to do now? Divorce him?” “No,” I curled my lips into a smile. “He is a CEO, after all.” When he dies, the company will be mine. Why would I divorce him?

The day I returned home, Julian said he was busy and didn’t come to pick me up. Instead, I received a text from an unknown number. It was a picture of Julian. His eyes were slightly glazed, and he smiled gently at the camera, two buttons of his shirt undone, revealing his sculpted collarbone. Maya had never seen him look like that. But I was completely unfazed. I forwarded it to my lawyer, asking him to archive it. I had just stepped inside when I heard the lock click open again. It wasn’t Julian who entered, but his idealized first love, Genevieve. “All these years, his door code has remained my birthday, Maya. What makes you think you can compete with me?” She looked at me with the arrogant disdain of someone who felt deeply cherished. “Does playing doorman for us make you happy?” Genevieve never expected me to hit back: “Genevieve, if I hadn’t gone abroad to study five years ago, none of this would have happened. You see, the moment I came back, Julian couldn’t wait to see me. If you had any self-awareness, you’d pack your bags and leave immediately.” I dropped two lemon slices into a glass of warm water. “If I recall correctly, Ms. Genevieve, you went to New York? That’s not exactly far, a 25-hour flight. Why did it end up like a parting of the ways for eternity, forcing you to break up?” “Five years, 1800 days, 43,800 hours. He wouldn’t even spend 25 hours on you, never once visited you in America. How dare you believe he loves you? Were you being manipulated by him?” Genevieve froze for a second. “Julian couldn’t afford a plane ticket back then! If he had money, would he have let you leverage his mom’s life to force him to marry you?” “So you knew Julian was a guy who couldn’t even afford a twenty-five hundred dollar plane ticket five years ago? A man who clawed his way up from nothing?” I turned, holding my glass. “Now that he’s the CEO of Sterling Group, you’re telling me to get lost? Heh, you’re trying to commit grand theft in broad daylight!” As soon as the words left my mouth, police sirens wailed outside. Genevieve frowned. “You called the cops?” I raised my glass to her. “Any normal person calls the police when they’re being robbed. Just so you know.” As she was being led away by the police, she was still yelling, “Let’s see what charge you can pin on me!”

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Eighteen years old, I accidentally killed a privileged jerk to protect Vanessa Thorne. But she took a bribe from his family and gave false testimony in court. My self-defense became intentional murder… I was sentenced to death. After I died, she went to my mother, knelt, and swore she was sorry. She begged my mom to adopt her as a goddaughter, promising to take care of her in her old age. In the end, she conned my family out of all our assets and ran off with some guy. And my mom? Because I was a death row inmate, she lived a life of discrimination, looked down upon, poor, sick, and died heartbroken. Then I opened my eyes again— I was back to that evening, the day she invited me to the small alley on South Street. “Alex Reed, are you coming or not?” Vanessa Thorne’s voice drifted into my ears. Clear and sweet. I fought hard to control the rage boiling inside me. How *dare* this conniving bitch show her face to me again? Wait, what?! Where was I? School? Besides Vanessa’s voice, I heard the noisy laughter and shouts of my classmates. The sound of reading from the next classroom, echoing clearly. The setting sun, a cascade of golden light, spilled across the school windows. I double-checked, triple-checked. I was back. Reborn to my senior year, the blackboard at the back of the classroom read: “99 days left until college entrance exams.” Back to square one, like a reset button on my life! “Alex Reed, if you don’t come, I’ll just ask Cole Miller instead,” Vanessa said, a hint of challenge in her gaze, pouting. Her unzipped school uniform revealed a tight top that clung to her curves, a clear invitation for hungry eyes. In my past life, I was absolutely obsessed with her, just like this. Now, in my eyes, she was nothing more than a piece of rotten, decaying flesh. “I’m not going,” I stated, my voice firm. As I spoke, I stuffed my remaining textbooks into my backpack. I glanced at the classroom, both strangely unfamiliar and intimately known, then turned to leave. Vanessa blocked my way again. “Alex Reed, what’s your deal?” she demanded loudly. “I got bullied, and you’re just going to ignore it? “I’m telling you, if you don’t come today, we’re breaking up.” I stopped, my face cold. “We never even started, so what are you breaking up from?” Vanessa’s mom and my mom were classmates, best friends… In my past life, I naturally believed that too. But after I died, what Vanessa and her mom did made me realize I’d completely misplaced my trust. And my mom had simply picked a fake bestie. Vanessa, knowing I was infatuated with her, manipulated me again and again. Cole Miller was the school bully, and he’d harassed Vanessa several times. I’d been furious about it. But Vanessa didn’t see it that way. She even told me that a guy liking her meant she was desirable. “Vanessa Thorne, whether you ask Cole Miller or any other guy, it has nothing to do with me.” With that, I walked around her and headed out of the classroom. The sky was blue, the air fresh. Freedom. It felt so good. “Coward!” Vanessa’s sneering voice came from behind me. “Alex Reed, I dare you to never step foot in my house again!” “Fine!” I turned, my voice calm and icy.

As I wheeled my bike out of the bike shed, I saw Cole Miller with his arm around Vanessa’s waist. He was with a couple of his buddies, bouncing his leg as he spoke to me. “Alex Reed, from now on, Vanessa’s my girl. You spineless loser, stay away from her. Otherwise, I’ll beat you up every time I see you.” I scoffed internally. Let’s see if Cole Miller even makes it back from that South Street alley tonight. Then we can talk about “from now on.” In my past life, at eighteen, I was just a hot-headed kid, full of reckless youth. I didn’t understand anything. It wasn’t until I accidentally killed Brandon Hayes, the rich kid, that I learned Vanessa had been deeply entangled with him from Westridge High. She’d spent tens of thousands of his money, all on eating out and having fun. For a high school student, that was a hefty sum. Brandon wanted to take things further, but she actually told him she had a boyfriend. And I was that unlucky “boyfriend” she mentioned. She played both of us, infuriating Brandon and making me mad too. So, in my past life, in that South Street alley, I accidentally killed Brandon. This life, let her take Cole Miller there. “Cole, don’t worry, I’ll stay far, far away from her from now on,” I said with a smile. “And please, keep a close eye on her. Don’t let her bother me. “Also, maybe ask her if she has any *other* boyfriends?” As expected, the moment I said that, Vanessa completely blew up. She pointed at my face and yelled, “Alex Reed, what is that supposed to mean?! “It’s bad enough you’re a coward, but now you’re slandering me? “I only hung out with you because we grew up together. “And you? Cole Miller tries to ask me out, and you throw a tantrum, even threatening to take back our house?! “Are you trying to make it obvious that my family’s broke and we’re renting your place? “Are you serious with this?” With that, she squatted on the ground, sobbing pitifully. Right. I had indeed once said I’d tell my mom to take back the house we rented to Vanessa’s family. After all, they’d lived there for five years without paying a dime of rent. And they’d privately torn down a wall, a load-bearing wall, without my family’s permission. The HOA had complained to my mom multiple times. Given all that, I’d once suggested to my mom, “Maybe we should take the house back. “We don’t need to rent it out anymore. Anyway, the Thornes never paid rent.” Now, in Vanessa’s mouth, this had become my excuse to manipulate her? Cole saw her crying and immediately looked pained. He rushed to help her up, loudly announcing, “My sweet Vanessa, I’ll rent you another place myself…” I couldn’t care less about what happened next. I pushed my bike and left.

That evening, I heard that a massive fight had broken out between guys from Westridge High and Central High in the small alley on South Street. A guy from Central High, Cole Miller, had used a switchblade and stabbed Brandon Hayes in the abdomen. Just like in my past life. The knife was Vanessa’s; she had given it to Cole. What was slightly different from my past life was that after it happened, Vanessa grabbed Cole and tried to run. But Cole, who’d been fighting his whole life, knew better. He didn’t run. He immediately called 911, then emergency services. The next morning when I got to school, everyone was talking about it. Cole wasn’t in class, and neither was Vanessa. I heard they were both at the police station. I didn’t pay too much attention, just focused on my practice problems. In my past life, during college entrance exams, I was in prison. My first trial verdict had already come down—death sentence. I was terrified. My mom sold our house and company to appeal. Days in prison felt like years. When I saw the news about the college entrance exams on TV, I cried… That afternoon after class, I was putting away my English textbook to return it to the teacher’s office. I accidentally noticed student files on Ms. Albright’s desk. I quickly flipped to Cole Miller’s and saw his birth date. Cole was two months younger than me. Also, the biggest change this life was that Brandon Hayes hadn’t died. I suddenly realized that by refusing Vanessa’s invitation to the South Street alley, the butterfly effect had taken hold, and things were unfolding differently than I’d expected. Brandon not dying meant he’d keep bothering Vanessa. After all, he’d spent tens of thousands on a girl. Now, the girl had gotten someone to stab him? Anyone would be pissed. Cole Miller wasn’t me. I was just a regular student, educated, sensible, and though I admired Vanessa, I respected her. But Cole Miller was the school bully. When he said he admired Vanessa, most likely, he was just after one thing. Now, he’d stabbed Brandon because of her? Vanessa surely had to show some appreciation, right? I settled in, ready for the drama to unfold. But I never in my wildest dreams imagined that after school, Vanessa would stop me right at the school gates. “Something wrong?” I asked calmly. “Alex Reed, lend me one hundred and fifty thousand dollars,” Vanessa stated directly. Seeing I didn’t respond, she seemed to make a desperate decision. “Your mom’s not home tonight, is she? I’ll come to your place.” “You don’t know what you’re saying,” I shook my head. “You’re a grown woman now, what are you doing coming to my place this late, especially when my mom’s not home?” Vanessa stomped her foot. She was still just a student, and a bit shy. But she still said, “Alex Reed, do you really want me to spell it out? Do you need me to write it down? “Lend me one hundred and fifty thousand, and tonight… I’ll be yours.”

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Chloe and I fell in love. She was gentle and caring, incredibly devoted to me. Soon, we moved in together. One night, I was deep in sleep when a faint sound of running water woke me. I turned over and saw the bathroom light on in our bedroom. *Must be her*, I thought, and drifted back to sleep. But quickly, a cold sweat drenched me. *Why would a blind person turn on the light to use the bathroom at night…?* I lay still, my back to the bathroom, deliberately slowing my breathing. My heart hammered faster and faster. “Click.” It was the sound of the light switch. I felt her slide back into bed, wrapping her arms around me from behind. Her light breath brushed my neck, chillingly cold. The next morning, I was still reeling from the strange incident last night. She sat across from me, eating breakfast. There was no way she could see. I had seen her eyes before; they were like an ink wash painting, the black swirled within the iris as if bleeding in water, incredibly surreal. But why did she turn on the light last night? My mind heavy with worry, I needed to get out and clear my head. I wolfed down a few bites of toast, and even though it was early, I muttered something about being late and headed for the door. Just as I turned to leave, I thought I saw her glance up towards the wall clock. *A blind person… needs to check the time?* A day of frantic work left me exhausted, body and mind. After much thought, I figured I was just overthinking things. Maybe I was still getting used to living with a blind girl. Things would surely get better after we’d lived together for a while. I drove to Chloe’s workplace to pick her up. It was a music studio, where she taught the pipa. She was already packed up, waiting for me by the door. I walked over, took her hand, and she smiled knowingly. No words were needed between us; we understood each other. I took her bag, helped her into the back seat, placed her bag next to her, and carefully buckled her seatbelt. She always sat in the back; the spaciousness made it easier for her. The car passed an intersection when a child on a bike suddenly darted out. I slammed on the brakes, swerving the steering wheel hard. The car spun in a circle on the road. Thankfully, I didn’t hit the mischievous kid. She asked what happened. I said it was nothing, just a kid who popped out at the intersection. It was fine now. As we continued driving home, I saw her through the rearview mirror bending down. She picked up a small hair clip and put it into her bag. It must have fallen out when I braked suddenly. *But how did she know the hair clip had fallen out?* After dinner, I took her hand, and we walked to the park downstairs. This was something she loved to do, something she loved doing with me by her side. The park was lively, with many kids practicing rollerblading and elderly people dancing. She didn’t talk much, and I quietly held her hand. Her long, waterfall-like black hair gave off a faint, sweet scent. Ahead, a little girl on rollerblades stumbled and plunged headfirst into the roadside bushes, only her small legs flailing wildly. I was about to tell Chloe about the comical sight, but when I turned to face her, I saw a faint smile on her face. Not her usual gentle smile, but the kind of suppressed amusement when someone sees something truly funny. A growing unease settled in. Was this gentle, beautiful woman truly blind? Everything felt so strange, so illogical. Should I ask her directly? But would that make her think I was crazy? Girls like her often lacked a sense of security; would it hurt her? During lunch break, I told Liam, my best friend, about some of the strange things that had been happening. Liam found it hard to believe too. “If what you’re saying is true, she’s definitely got issues,” Liam said. “But why would she pretend to be blind and get close to me?” I asked. “First, we need solid proof that she’s faking, not truly blind,” Liam stated, confident in his words. “That’s hard. I don’t want to hurt her. What should I do?” I was caught in a dilemma. Finally, Liam offered a plan: First, I’d tell Chloe I had something to do that evening and couldn’t pick her up, so she should take a cab home. Later, Liam and I would go home together. Liam would go inside, and I’d wait outside. If she was truly blind, she’d just assume it was me coming home. Liam wouldn’t speak, so she wouldn’t notice anything unusual. If everything was normal, Liam would quietly slip out, and I’d go in, acting as if nothing happened. But if she was faking, and saw a strange man in the house, she’d surely be startled, revealing her deception. Then I’d rush in and demand the truth. “That’s a masterstroke, absolutely brilliant!” I exclaimed. The sky had already darkened, a blue shroud covering the earth. Liam and I exchanged glances in the hallway. Liam took out the keys, unlocked the door, and entered my apartment. The hallway was eerily silent. After the motion-sensor lights flickered off, only the dim blue light from outside the window illuminated everything before me. I anxiously clutched my phone, waiting for the results of the test. Three minutes later, the door opened, and Liam stepped out. “No one’s home,” Liam said. I quickly grabbed my phone and called Chloe. Chloe said it was too boring at home by herself, so she was sitting in the small park downstairs, getting some fresh air and waiting for me to get off work. My heart warmed. I deeply understood how important I was to this seemingly blind girl. Since I had chosen to be with her, it was natural that I would be her lifelong support. Liam and I went downstairs together. In the small park, we saw Chloe sitting on a bench, her simple white dress strikingly bright in the dim night. I said goodbye to Liam and walked over to sit beside Chloe. Hearing my voice, she naturally leaned her head on my shoulder. I squeezed her hand tightly. How could anyone not adore a girl like her? After sitting in the park for a while, I took her hand, and we walked back home. As we walked on the gravel path in the complex, a figure suddenly darted out of the greenery ahead. In the dim light, I couldn’t make out their face. As we got a little closer, I realized it was Liam! He hadn’t left after all. He gave me a shushing gesture, signaling me not to show any alarm. I said nothing more, just continued walking forward, holding Chloe’s hand. Liam stood directly in Chloe’s path ahead. If she didn’t dodge, she would collide right into him. Under the cover of night, our footsteps were remarkably clear. The early autumn breeze was refreshing, but it couldn’t wipe away the fine sweat on my forehead. Just as Chloe was about to collide with Liam, he swiftly stepped aside. Nothing happened. I dared not show any reaction, only glancing back. Liam made a phone gesture at me, then turned and left. After we got home, I made a simple dinner. Our life together was peaceful yet happy. She lay sleeping soundly on my arm, her soft snores carrying a hint of a woman’s unique charm. I remembered Liam’s departure and picked up my phone. The faint glow of the screen was a bit harsh. I opened the message Liam had sent; it only had two words: *Something’s wrong.* *What’s wrong?* I texted back. Soon, Liam’s reply came: *Can’t explain it. Talk tomorrow. Stay safe.* With that, Liam’s profile picture turned gray. He was offline. I put my phone down, and suddenly realized: Chloe’s soft snores in my arms had stopped. The phone’s light vanishing left me briefly blind in the darkness. I couldn’t make out Chloe’s face, wondering if, in the pitch black, she was now watching me… Soon, my eyes adjusted. Her eyes were tightly closed, and she was no longer snoring, her breathing even, her face serene. The next day, I arrived at work early. Liam was already waiting at my desk. “You said something was wrong last night. What was it?” I asked. Liam explained that he had lived with his grandmother in a senior community for a while, and many residents there, including his grandmother, were blind. He knew what it felt like to be around blind people—it was a deep, intuitive understanding that permeated every detail of life, almost like a subtle energy field. But yesterday, with Chloe, he hadn’t felt that sense, even though she genuinely appeared to be blind. I couldn’t quite grasp what he meant. I just chuckled and said maybe young people were different from old people. Liam didn’t seem convinced. He suggested inviting Chloe and me out for dinner, so he could observe her more closely. I agreed, but reminded him, “Don’t hurt her, and don’t go too far.” All day, I couldn’t focus on work. All sorts of thoughts swirled in my mind. Was she truly blind or not? If not, how could I explain her strange actions? If she was, why would she pretend to be blind? Did she see the message on my phone last night? But she hadn’t harmed me. What did she want? Liam had reserved a table at a boat restaurant on Lake Serenity. Such a fancy place was beyond my expectations. As I led Chloe onto the boat, the slight rocking of the gangplank on the water made her nervous. Once aboard, she clung tightly to my hand. I instinctively put my arm around her, comforting her softly. Entering the main hall, elegant orchestral music echoed around us. The hall was lively; this restaurant was packed every night. I inquired about our table with the hostess. As I turned, I noticed Chloe, standing beside me, was facing directly towards Liam’s table. *Had she recognized Liam? Recognized him as the one who tried to test her in the apartment complex?* Liam, however, showed no signs of alarm. Throughout dinner, his humorous conversation kept Chloe giggling. The harmonious atmosphere made me relax quite a bit. A server brought over three drinks. Liam thoughtfully took them and placed them in front of each of us. Chloe fumbled to pick up her glass, taking a small sip.

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On the day of my wedding to Dominic Thorne, he called the police and personally sent me to prison. Three years later, he personally came to pick me up. He stood before me, his voice coiling around my ears like a malevolent ghost: “Anya Vance, how was your time inside?” My whole body trembled, and I didn’t dare look up. Until he slowly crept closer, his body brushing mine like a phantom: “Don’t rush. It’s not over yet!” Later, I endured his endless torment until I was diagnosed with a terminal illness, collapsing in a pool of blood, taking my last breath. But Dominic, the man who had sought to destroy me, clung to me like a madman, sobbing, “Anya, I was wrong. Can you please look at me again?” The day I was released, a heavy snow fell across the city. The moment the iron gate creaked open, a bone-chilling wind howled, and I wrapped my arms tightly around myself, the warmth quickly stolen from my body. I stumbled out, my steps unsteady, the surroundings utterly silent, save for the soft whisper of falling snowflakes. Standing by the gate, all I saw was a blanket of pristine white. Behind me, the prison guard’s voice faded in and out, barely audible, only Dominic Thorne’s name reaching my ears in a blur. Dominic Thorne… Dominic Thorne… I mumbled his name under my breath, my steps faltering as I instinctively veered to the right. And then, I unexpectedly collided with a cold, hard chest. A dull ache flared on my forehead. I tapped it, then looked up, instantly meeting a familiar face. It was too clear, and my mind went blank for a second. I rubbed my eyes, but he was still there. The guard’s words, spoken just moments ago, suddenly pieced together in my mind. “Anya Vance, just stay by the gate and don’t leave. Mr. Dominic Thorne will come to pick you up.” Dominic Thorne. It was him! The man who had personally sent me to prison three years ago now stood before me again. My body trembled. I dared not make another move. I was terrified he would kick me to the ground like he did three years ago, then drag me straight back to hell. The prison was behind me. I couldn’t go back inside. Dominic seemed satisfied with my terrified reaction. I stood in the snow, dressed in a thin jacket, frozen stiff. Dominic had been staring at me for so long that my limbs were numb and my entire body was shaking. But I still didn’t dare move. After a long silence, Dominic seemed to lose his patience and finally spoke. “Anya Vance, how was your time inside?” He stood before me, his voice, like a malevolent spirit, coiled around my ears. My whole body trembled, and I didn’t dare look up. For three years, that voice had haunted my nightmares every single day, impossible to shake off. I tried my best to curl myself up, to minimize my presence in front of Dominic, hoping he would lose interest and just let me go. Until he slowly crept closer, his body brushing mine like a phantom: “Don’t rush. It’s not over yet!” That single, airy sentence almost made me collapse onto the ground.

Like a puppet, I was lifted by Dominic into the car and taken back to his mansion. I had thought about hiding, about escaping, but looking into Dominic’s terrifying eyes, and remembering my three years inside, I knew that no matter how deep I hid or how far I ran, I probably couldn’t escape his grasp. Besides, I still had my family. Dominic was ruthless. If I truly escaped, my family would suffer the consequences. Numbly, I followed Dominic into the Thorne residence. It was a place I once knew so intimately, but now it made me flinch and hang back. All the maids and housekeepers at the Thorne residence were new faces. Of course. After what happened three years ago, they had stood by me and spoken up for me. Dominic, incandescent with rage, had fired them all long ago. Clutching the corner of my jacket, I cowered by the entrance, like a starving beggar. Dominic paused while changing his shoes, scrutinizing me with a peculiar gaze. As if remembering something, he suddenly pulled me close. “Anya Vance, get my shoes.” I recalled saying those very words to him once. But back then, our relationship was good. Mostly, I’d tease, and he’d just smile. I didn’t dare disobey. I bent down, half-kneeling on the floor, took out his slippers, and put them on him. Dominic scoffed softly, then paid me no mind, going straight to the living room sofa. I hesitated for a few seconds, then changed into the housekeeper’s slippers and followed him in. An older maid came forward to ask him how he wanted me arranged. Dominic shot a disdainful glance my way. “Whatever.” It was like casually discarding a trifle he didn’t care about. I clenched my fists, but still gathered my courage, stuttering, “Mr. Dominic… when can I leave here?” As if he’d heard a joke, Dominic suddenly stood up, looking down on me. “You want to leave?” “I told you, don’t rush!” “Anya Vance, you don’t actually think I’m joking, do you?” I looked up, meeting his cold eyes. For a moment, I suddenly wanted to explain what happened three years ago all over again. The words I was about to say were abruptly cut off by a sweet, gentle female voice. “Dominic, you’re back.”

That voice was too familiar. I said nothing more, looking up towards the stairs. Willow Shaw now looked radiant with happiness, a stark contrast to the timid girl she used to be. I watched her, carefully holding the banister as she stepped slowly, one step at a time, towards Dominic. As if she were the lady of the house, she feigned surprise: “Dominic, who is this?” Though her tone was soft, her eyes stared at me like a venomous snake. A wave of terror washed over me, and I stood frozen to the spot, chilled to the bone. After Dominic sent me to prison three years ago, she would come to visit me. Each time she left, I would face even harsher retaliation. I was kicked so hard that three of my ribs broke. As I lay on the ground, bloody and barely clinging to life, the triumphant voices of those thugs echoed in my ears: “You deserve to die, you bitch! How dare you steal from others?!” “Pah! Look at yourself, you trash!” Later, Dominic had those people send another message. “Stay there and reflect. Don’t make it easy for her.” Those painful memories felt like yesterday; the scabs on my body throbbed faintly. I tugged hard at my sleeve, and cold sweat beaded on my forehead. Dominic’s gaze was entirely on Willow, his voice gentle and considerate as he asked, “Why are you down here? Shouldn’t you rest a bit longer?” They were too intimate in front of me. I had expected to care, to feel pain, but after three years, I no longer craved Dominic’s attention. I cowered to the side, my mind a blur. The maid came over to ask Dominic about me. She glanced at Dominic and Willow, then cautiously asked, “Mr. Thorne, everything is ready. This young lady…” My face was ghostly pale. I almost collapsed, but the maid beside me steadied me. Dominic’s face instantly darkened, his tone angry: “Take her. No special treatment!” Dominic emphasized those last few words heavily. I forced myself to stay upright, circled around him, and followed the maid out. Willow seemed to be waiting deliberately, staring at me with a hateful gaze. “Anya Vance, how dare you show your face here!” I never understood why she harbored such intense animosity towards me. Our relationship hadn’t been that bad before. Until she approached me in the darkness and threatened: “You’d better behave yourself and not get any ideas. Otherwise, I don’t know what worse things Dominic will do to you because of our child!”

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My father was a grifter. Out of 365 days a year, I was lucky to see him for 65. The rest of the time, he was darting between casinos. During the rare times we spent together, my father taught me a lot about the art of cheating. I learned quickly and mastered the techniques, but he always warned me: I could learn all the tricks, but I could never use them. If he ever found out I stepped foot in a casino, he’d break my legs. Life went on like that. Until that night. A frantic knock at the door startled me awake. When I opened it, the first thing I smelled was blood. Several burly men dragged a man covered in blood, dumping him at our doorstep. The man, drenched in crimson, his right hand severed, was my father! 0I couldn’t reconcile the man before me, covered in blood, his face swollen beyond recognition, with my once dashing and charming father. I froze, feeling as if all strength had been drained from my body by an unseen hand. My mother had passed away early, and in my father’s absence, it had always been just my younger brother, Finn, and me, relying on each other. Now, seeing our father drenched in blood, Finn and I were both completely panicked. My father was rushed into the ER. The doctor, stone-faced, presented the bill and told me to pay. “Three thousand dollars for the surgery, not a penny less, or we can’t proceed. If you want him to live, pay up.” But where was I supposed to find three thousand dollars? Mom was gone… if Dad died too, our family would fall apart. I glanced at Finn. He’d just stumbled at a crucial point in his life, unsure of his future. Expecting him to produce that much money was absurd. I stood by the hospital window, feeling desperate and helpless. Through the glass, I saw a bright neon sign hanging on the building across the street. It read: Card Room. Those two words felt like a mystic master, pointing the way. As if they were telling me, *Come on in.* *Step inside, and you’ll have the money to save your father.* The words “Card Room” seemed to possess an immense magic, pulling me in, as if all I had to do was walk through the door… and I’d have the cash to save Dad. I handed Finn my savings book, which held a few hundred dollars, and told him to handle things at the hospital for now. “I’ll figure out the rest of the money. If the doctors ask, tell them I’ll have it by tomorrow morning.” Clutching the last few hundred dollars I had, I quickly walked into that card room. Inside, cigarette smoke hung thick in the air. People sat at card tables like zombies, their eyes hollow, as if their souls had been sucked out. “A haze of smoke and raw despair” was the perfect description for this place. I stood near the door, observing carefully, finally settling my gaze on a table in the corner. They were two players short, needing a third for a fast-paced card game. The minimum bet was fifty dollars, the maximum two hundred. This was within my budget. I pulled up a chair and sat between the two players. I looked them over: one with a round face, the other with messy, instant-noodle hair. Both had dark circles under their sunken eyes. They were clearly seasoned gamblers, regulars here. I nonchalantly pulled out a cigarette and put it in my mouth, feigning ease. Rocky, the round-faced one, was the dealer. Spike, with the messy hair, was my downstream player. I was caught in the middle, like prey between two predators. We started placing our bets. The first hand began. We each held sixteen cards. The first one out took all the money from the last one remaining. The second one out broke even. So, whoever was last lost the most. 0

Three gamblers, including myself, sat around the cramped card table. Since we were playing a fast-paced game, two Kings, three 2s, and one Ace were removed from the deck. Each player received sixteen cards. The card combinations included singles, pairs, three-of-a-kind with a kicker, four-of-a-kind with two kickers, straights (like a “plane with wings”), and four-card bombs. Among all cards, three Aces were the highest, able to beat any combination. Among single cards, the 2 was the highest. Among four-card sets, the King was the highest. Whoever held the 3 of Spades led the first hand. While drawing cards, I meticulously watched Rocky’s hands. I was absolutely certain he’d get the lead. As he shuffled, he’d subtly hooked a card with his pinky finger. Though he was quick, it didn’t escape my notice. Sure enough, Rocky chuckled. He tossed out a 3 of Spades. I was next. I played a 5. Then it was Spike’s turn. He did something completely unexpected: he slammed down a King. I noticed Rocky’s brow furrow. He couldn’t help but curse. “A 5, and you waste a King on it? What a needless sacrifice of a strong card!” With that King played, no one could top it. The lead passed to Spike. In that brief hand, I saw it: Spike and Rocky were putting on a show for me. The more they acted, the more I felt something was off. My father once told me that in this world, whether it’s Pai Gow, Mahjong, or Poker, Ultimately, you’re playing against people. For a grifter, technique always comes second. First is reading people. But you can’t truly see into a person’s heart; you can only rely on your gut. When you feel like the people at the table are trying to trick you, Trust your instincts. I glanced at my hand; my cards weren’t great. That’s why I needed to seize the lead, to buy myself time to think. I had to find a way to prolong this hand. The longer it lasted, the more likely Rocky and Spike were to slip up. In this world, no cheating technique is foolproof. If you cheat, you will eventually be found out. The only way not to lose is not to gamble at all. From the moment I sat down at that table, Rocky and I, only one of us was walking out of this card room intact. So, when Spike threw out a pair of 5s, I slammed down a pair of Kings. Rocky hissed, like he had a toothache. He licked his dry lips and squeezed out a single phrase from between his teeth: “Can’t beat it.” Spike also shook his head, letting me lead. After gaining the lead, I immediately played a pair of 5s, discarding my weak cards. Rocky then played a pair of 7s. Spike waved his hand, couldn’t beat it. I played a pair of 10s. While Rocky was thinking, I quickly started recalling the cards still in play. No Aces. No 2s. Now, I was certain Rocky and Spike were working together to cheat. That meant 80% of the high cards were in Rocky’s hand. When he dealt the cards, he must have swapped them. In grifter’s slang, that’s called “card-switching” or “palming”—stealing crucial cards during the deal, then restoring the deck. This technique only works in small card rooms like this. In larger casinos, with hidden cameras and surveillance everywhere, such methods are impossible to pull off. If the hidden cameras caught you in a big casino, they’d chop you to bits. Breaking such a cheat isn’t impossible, though. I needed to take a gamble… But if I lost… I might end up just like my father. 0

The best way to counter a cheat is to crush them with a superior technique. I pretended to pick up my lighter and light the cigarette in my mouth. While I was taking a drag, I watched Rocky. During that time, he made no small movements, just impatiently tapped the table, urging me to play faster. My role right now was the prey. I needed to wait for Rocky, the hunter, to make a mistake, then devour him whole, leaving not a single bone. It looked like a simple card game, but the fate of all three of us was tied to this table. I couldn’t afford to be careless, not for a second. After gaining the lead, I thought for a full thirty seconds, then threw out a three-of-a-kind with a pair. Seeing me play such a hand, Spike couldn’t help but make a clicking sound, seemingly displeased with my move. I leaned back in my chair, the nearly burnt-out cigarette dangling from my lips, and mimicking Rocky, tapped the table, signaling him to make a decision quickly. “Can’t beat it. Your turn.” I instinctively touched my nose, then played a seven-card straight (3-4-5-6-7-8-9). Now I had five cards left: two 6s, two Js, and a single 5. Rocky shook his head, didn’t play, passing the lead to Spike. I knew Rocky was intentionally letting me play. He hadn’t intended to take the lead in this hand; he wanted to lure me deeper. He would make me believe his hand was weak, then, when I had only one card left, he’d sweep the whole game. A true grifter plays the long game, baiting big fish, letting you nibble at the hook bit by bit until you’re deeply ensnared and can’t escape. Of course, a grifter must never be greedy; no greed, no mistakes. I wasn’t greedy, and neither was Rocky. He was a tough opponent. One wrong move, and I’d be utterly crushed. Compared to him, Spike seemed very one-dimensional. He was more like an automated machine. Looking at it that way, the situation became clear. Rocky was the brain; Spike was the hand. They were teaming up to fleece me like a fat pig. The cards in the deck, Rocky and Spike could manipulate through their methods, turning them into any card they desired. This was the grifter’s craft. With a teammate’s cooperation, it was almost unstoppable. If they continued working together, I would definitely lose. But I couldn’t lose!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297212”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantasy