Author: Momo Chan

I thought my online boyfriend and my college professor were the two biggest disasters in my life. One argued with me online almost every day. The other loved making me suffer in class. Until the day I was kicked out of the lab. That night, someone followed me through a dark street,I dialed my online boyfriend’s number. The very next second. My professor’s phone rang. Only then did I realize— That’s when I realized I’d been dating my professor for the past six months. Three minutes ago, I had just broken up with my online boyfriend. Now, Julian Sterling walked down from the lecture stage, his face incredibly dark. He ordered all of us to stand up and clear our desks. He seemed to be looking for something. Then, he confiscated my Nintendo Switch and took my seatmate, Chloe, out of the room with him. We all held our breath as we watched Chloe being led away. Once they left, the classroom collectively exhaled. Whispers immediately broke out among the students. “What happened to Chloe?” “She’s probably going to get ripped to shreds by Professor Sterling.” “Someone better prep some tissues for her. She’s going to cry a river.” Everyone had good reason to think so. The Sterling family was filthy rich. Julian could have easily gone home to inherit a billion-dollar empire, yet he chose to pursue academia. He used to advise Ph.D. students at a top-tier research institute abroad. Rumor had it that because the academic atmosphere at our department had been declining lately, the Dean had personally begged him to come back and teach undergrads. Handsome, brilliant, and with a killer physique—that was our first impression of him. For a while, Julian was the ultimate fantasy for every girl on campus. Students had to show up early just to fight for a seat in his lectures. But on his second day of teaching, he gave us a brutal reality check. Show up late? Automatic absence. No phones allowed in class. And the worst part: his final grading system was downright sadistic. To put it in perspective, we used to be able to pull an easy B+ in this class with our eyes closed. Now, he graded on a strict curve where only the top 10% could get an A, while the bottom 30% automatically received an F. When it came to grading research papers, he was ruthless. He was like a cold, emotionless academic executioner. Anyone summoned to his office might walk in with a smile, but they would definitely leave in tears. If there was even a tiny logical loophole in your paper, his only response was a cold: “Rewrite it.” He was the ultimate GPA assassin of the entire department. Under such immense academic pressure, I ended up getting an online boyfriend. Our relationship started with a random matchmaking queue in a game. One night, after being tortured by Julian’s paper draft until 2 AM, I completely snapped. I opened Steam and joined a random survival game. The system matched me with a teammate who didn’t say a single word but played with terrifying precision. Meanwhile, I was running around like a headless chicken. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and turned on his mic. “Your positioning is completely chaotic. Honestly, it’s worse than an undergraduate’s final thesis.” That sentence instantly triggered my PTSD. I aggressively typed back: *Who asked you? I like playing this way.* He replied coldly: *Suit yourself.* When the game ended, my stats were indeed a total disaster. But to grind my rank, I had to swallow my pride and send him a friend request. Fortunately, he didn’t hold a grudge. After playing together a few times, I realized this guy was a genuine gaming god. It was that rare feeling of finding a soulmate without ever having met in person. We didn’t need to know each other’s names or what we looked like. We were chasing a connection of the minds. Naturally, we transitioned into an online relationship. Even though we never met, we had a tacit agreement that we were exclusive. He was actually really sweet, though his most adorable trait was his occasional pettiness. For example, if I replied to his messages too slowly, or forgot to text him goodnight, he’d get sulky. Sometimes, if I snapped back at him, he would get genuinely angry. And strangely, every single time he got angry, Julian would call on me in class the next day. It was the weirdest thing. Once or twice was fine, but who could survive this happening every single time? So, I broke up with him. If I didn’t, I was literally going to fail my finals. Oh my god, who would dare to keep dating under these conditions? There had to be some kind of curse on us. We were clearly not meant to be. And now, poor Chloe was summoned to Julian’s office just because of the Switch he had bought for me. He was the one who gave me that console and insisted I carry it with me. Yesterday, I had lent it to Chloe. Dating him was truly a hazard to myself and everyone around me.

After a while, Chloe walked out of the office. She wasn’t crying. She didn’t even look upset. In fact, there was a faint, smug smile on her face. Julian’s teaching assistant, Marcus, walked out behind her. Marcus was just like Julian—cold, unapproachable, and practically a grim reaper in a suit. Marcus cleared his throat and made a solemn announcement: “The paper deadline has been extended by one week. Also, Professor Sterling is treating the entire class to dinner after lectures today.” He paused, then added, “Additionally, Chloe has officially been appointed as the Professor’s new teaching assistant.” The entire room went dead silent. Chloe had just transferred to our major this semester, and she was already Julian’s TA? I had been practically living in the library just to get a shot at that position. But who dared to say a word? A cold, arrogant man like Julian was openly showing favoritism to Chloe. More than jealousy, everyone felt pure envy. Students immediately crowded around Chloe, showering her with compliments. “Chloe, you’re amazing! How did you manage to tame a cold man like Professor Sterling?” “Thanks to you, we survived the deadline! And we get a free gourmet dinner!” … Chloe stood there elegantly, smiling shyly as she chatted with them. I had no interest in joining the hype. I quietly opened my Snapchat. It was completely empty. My online boyfriend hadn’t tried to win me back. We were officially over. Wanting some fresh air, I started to walk out, but Chloe pushed through the crowd and walked straight up to me. “Avery,” she called out politely. “Yes?” She hesitated, looking a bit sheepish. “I just wanted to ask… that Switch you lent me, did your boyfriend give it to you?” “Yeah.” “My online boyfriend.” Chloe pressed further, “Do you know what he looks like?” “No. If I did, it wouldn’t be an online relationship, would it?” “Did the console cause any trouble with the professor?” I asked cautiously. “No, Professor Sterling didn’t say much.” Chloe smiled, then added, “I really like the Switch. Do you think you could sell it to me?” I did like the console, but I didn’t care about the money. Indifferently, I said, “No need. If you like it, you can have it.” We were broken up anyway. Keeping it would only annoy me. “But… your boyfriend gave it to you.” “We broke up.” “Why?” I whispered, “We weren’t a good match.” Chloe looked thoughtful. “I see. Tell me more about him.” Realizing that sounded a bit intrusive, she quickly tried to soften her expression. “Men are all pretty much the same, I guess,” she mumbled, then lowered her voice significantly. “To be honest, Avery… Professor Sterling and I are dating now.” “I know you’ve taken a lot of his classes. I just wanted to ask… is he always this cold?” Holding my coffee, I smiled. “You’re beautiful, Chloe. I’m sure you know exactly how to handle men.” “I’ll head out first.”

Julian treated us to dinner at the most expensive restaurant in the city. It was obvious he was doing this so we would look after his new TA. Chloe sat right next to him. Julian looked at her with a remarkably soft, almost doting expression. I never expected such a ruthless man to be such a fool for love. After dinner, the weather turned bad, and a torrential downpour started. Students with umbrellas shared with those without, and everyone gradually left. I had forgotten my umbrella, so I was stuck waiting at the entrance for the rain to stop. “I can give you a ride.” I looked up at the sound of the voice. Marcus gave me a gentle look, holding his umbrella halfway over me. “Professor Sterling left with Chloe. My car is parked over there.” “Thank you, Marcus.” Once we got into the car, Marcus glanced at me through the rearview mirror. “Avery, do you have a boyfriend?” “Just broke up.” Marcus wasn’t usually a talkative guy. Why was he being so warm and conversational today? “Chloe just transferred to our department. Try to help her out more.” Ah. So that was why… “Sure. She’s Professor Sterling’s girlfriend, after all. I get it.” “Avery, that’s not what I meant.” Marcus sighed. “On the contrary, there is an open spot in the main research lab. I was hoping it would be you.” What was Marcus trying to hint at? With my grades, of course it should be me. “Yeah, I’ll do my best.” Chloe and I were in the same research group, working on a core NSF-funded project led by Julian. We were each responsible for 50% of the project. She handled the first half; I handled the second. Once completed, the report had to be submitted to Julian personally. Chloe insisted on taking over the submission. Usually, turning in data to Julian was no different from stepping into a minefield. So we always passed the task around like hot potatoes. Since she was Julian’s girlfriend, I was glad to catch a break. But after she turned it in, Chloe came back looking extremely pale. She walked toward me, looking deeply troubled. I got a bad feeling in my gut. Could it be that even his girlfriend wasn’t safe from his temper? “Chloe, are you okay?” I stood up from my chair, asking out of concern. “Avery, I need to ask you a huge favor. Please, say yes.” Chloe begged, looking incredibly pitiful, as if she had been deeply wronged. “What’s wrong?” “I made a stupid, basic mistake in the first half of the report.” “I really didn’t know the data statistics had to be based on this year’s latest standards. I thought last year’s would be fine.” “I was so scared of his reaction… so I told Professor Sterling that you were the one responsible for that section.” I stared at her, completely dumbfounded. “And?” Chloe grabbed my arm, trying to pull me close. “Professor Sterling wants you in his office right now.” “Please help me out, Avery. I’ll buy you dinner next time!” Maya nudged my elbow from behind, giving me a warning look. I sighed and nodded helplessly. “Thank you so much, Avery!” Chloe’s face instantly lit up. Maya gave me a sympathetic look of solidarity. “She’s the Professor’s new TA. We can’t afford to mess with her. Good luck, Avery!” She clenched her fist in an encouraging gesture.

Bracing myself for the worst, I walked into the office with a sense of impending doom. Julian’s private office. The grey-toned decor gave off a suffocating, clinical vibe. Julian himself was practically radiating a murderous aura. Hearing me enter, he didn’t even bother to look up. “You took your sweet time. Are you physically incapable of walking faster?” I chanted in my mind: *He’s yelling at Chloe, he’s yelling at Chloe.* “How long have you been in my research group?” Julian asked, his voice dripping with impatience. “Two years,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “Two years? And this is the kind of garbage data you compile?” Julian threw the report right at my feet. I bent down to pick it up, locking eyes with his cold, ruthless gaze. His sharp eyes felt like they could rip me to shreds. “Two years in my lab and you still make such amateur mistakes? Do you think there’s any point in continuing your research stipend next month?” Terrified, I blurted out, “Yes, yes, it’s my fault.” Marcus knocked and walked in, carrying a stack of files. He glanced at me, frowning slightly. “The latter half of this report is actually excellent, but the beginning is a complete disaster. If you don’t want to do the work, you can leave the project,” Julian continued to hammer down on me. “Avery has been in the group for two years, and she’s always been the most meticulous. This doesn’t make sense. I heard she worked on this report with Chloe?” Marcus tried to speak up for me. Julian shot him a freezing glare. In that brief distraction, my eyes fell on the fountain pen Julian was holding. That pen looked incredibly familiar. It was almost identical to the one I had gifted my online boyfriend. I had handpicked it at a vintage store, and the owner had assured me it was a one-of-a-kind piece. On some weird instinct, I blurted out, “Is that pen nice to write with?” Julian’s already icy expression hardened even further. “Mind your own business.” “You’re pulling an all-nighter in the lab tonight. You don’t leave until the data is fully corrected.” Julian’s word was law. If I didn’t finish, I definitely wouldn’t be going home. Chloe was nowhere to be found in the lab all afternoon. Since I couldn’t reach her, I had to completely redo her half of the report myself. Collecting data, searching through literature… I worked through the entire evening. Soon, all the other lab members left. I was the only one left in the lab, illuminated by the glow of my computer screen. Alone, keeping company with the dark night. I took a massive gulp of my mint-infused cold brew to shock my brain awake. Once finished, I took the updated report back to Julian’s office. He had a mountain of his own research to do, so he hadn’t left his office all evening either. Julian suddenly looked up, his brow furrowing. “What is that smell on you?” “Mint cold brew. I was too tired, so I used it to wake up.” “I hate that smell.” He stopped, his eyes narrowing. “It smells like…” He seemed to struggle to find the words. Without thinking, I finished his sentence: “Like burnt tires.” I suddenly remembered my online boyfriend using that exact description with me. That’s why it was on the tip of my tongue. Julian looked momentarily dazed, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. He stared at me intensely, his eyes locked onto mine. “Who did you hear that from?” “I heard it from…” Before I could answer, Chloe pushed the door open and walked in. “Julian, you must be exhausted. I bought you some…” Seeing me there, Chloe froze. She was carrying several designer shopping bags. So that was where she had been all afternoon. “Oh, Avery, you’re still here.” *Yeah, thanks to you.* Julian casually flipped through my report. “I don’t expect to see such amateur mistakes again.” “It’s late. You can go home.” As I turned to leave, I heard Chloe ask Julian in a sweet voice, “What were you guys just talking about?” I didn’t care to look back at her expression.

At lunch the next day, Maya quietly slipped into the seat next to me. She looked around suspiciously, then whispered, “Avery, everyone is gossiping. They’re saying you stayed late in the lab last night to try and seduce Professor Sterling.” I nearly choked, spitting out my food. “Who said that?!” “Everyone is talking about it. But don’t worry, I know you wouldn’t do that.” Only Chloe and I had been in the office last night. What reason would she have to spread such a rumor? I chose not to let the baseless gossip distract me and went back to work. Later that afternoon, when I went to hand in some new data, I overheard Chloe and Julian talking inside his office. “Professor Sterling, you’ve heard the rumors going around the department,” Chloe was saying. “I think removing Avery from the research group is actually for her own protection.” Julian replied, “She’s been in the group for two years. It’s not appropriate to just kick her out.” “But her academic performance is pretty average anyway. Most of the work we did together on the project was actually done by me,” Chloe lied smoothly. “Removing her won’t hurt the project, and it’ll stop the negative rumors about her.” Hearing this, I quietly walked back to my lab bench and started packing my things. Sure enough, a few minutes later, an automated email popped up in my inbox. *System Notification: You have been removed from the NSF Research Project roster.* “Avery, can you organize this file for me?” Sylna, another lab member who didn’t know I’d been kicked out yet, handed me some papers. I quietly finished my tasks for the day. Suddenly being forced to leave made me feel a heavy pang of sadness. By the time I finished packing up all my personal belongings, it was already 8 PM. With my backpack loaded with my things, I walked alone through a dimly lit, quiet street just off campus. Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. They were getting closer. I could even hear heavy, ragged breathing. Instinctively, I quickened my pace, my heart hammering against my ribs. I pulled out my phone and went to my contacts. The first contact was the phone number my online boyfriend had given me. He had told me: *If you’re ever in danger, call this number. I’ll show up instantly.* With no other choice, I dialed the number.

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I went with my boyfriend, Ethan Brooks, to watch the World Cup final. But when we reached the ticket check, the system showed no ticket purchase record under my name. Ethan smacked his forehead. “I accidentally filled in your best friend Lily Carter’s information when I bought the tickets.” “Perfect timing, since Argentina is her favorite team today, so I’ll go pick her up, and we can’t let first-row VIP tickets go to waste!” I froze and watched helplessly as my boyfriend led my best friend inside without even sparing me a glance. And I was left alone, standing outside in the cold, listening to the excitement inside. Half a month later, during our honeymoon trip, I was stopped outside the airport again. Ethan once again looked full of regret. “Nora, I filled in Lily’s information for the entire itinerary again.” “Why don’t we just go with the mistake and let me take her abroad for a trip?” “She’s not like you, since you’ve been to so many places!” As soon as he finished speaking, Lily appeared at the airport entrance. “Nora,” she said naturally as she handed her luggage to Ethan. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him for you during this trip.” “And I’ll teach him how to be a good husband while I’m at it.” In the seven years I had been with Ethan, he had filled in my best friend’s information instead of mine countless times. Every time, he apologized and said he would make it up to me next time, then turned around and left with my best friend. I thought I was being sensitive and suspicious, and I always told myself, what could possibly be going on between them? But this time, as I watched their backs while they walked away together, I didn’t want to lie to myself anymore.

Ethan did not notice my darkened expression at all. He was busy checking the documents Lily needed to bring. “Good, you brought all your documents.” “You’re much better than Nora, since she’s always careless and I always have to pack her bags for her.” As he complained about me, he put their documents together. “Nora is so lucky, since no matter where she goes, someone takes care of her.” “Unlike me, I’ve only ever had myself to rely on since I was little.” Lily’s tone was sour. I stayed silent and quietly listened from the side. After all, every time they met, the two of them would take out my flaws and discuss them. And Ethan had long since cared for her more than he cared for me. “Nora, we’re leaving! Don’t miss me too much!” “Aren’t you going to wish us a safe trip?” Lily’s voice was cheerful. When I did not answer, Ethan finally noticed my cold expression. “Nora, don’t be immature and ruin everyone’s mood, and I’ll make it up to you properly when I get back.” “Besides, we’ve been to Hawaii once before, so it won’t mean much for you to go again.” Five years ago, Ethan confessed his feelings to me in Hawaii. This time, I had wanted to find that original beauty again, but the person beside him had already changed. Returning to the same place was just me trying to chase something that was already gone. I laughed at myself. “I wish you both a safe trip.” I turned and walked out of the airport, then took a cab home. When I got home, the traces of yesterday’s wedding were still there. Confetti all over the floor, red roses, the wedding dress spread across the couch… It was not until the wedding that I found out Ethan had custom-ordered two identical wedding dresses. Lily wore the other one to my wedding. I threw a tantrum and refused to go onstage. “Nora, you and Lily grew up together, and you usually buy matching clothes all the time, so why can’t your wedding dresses be the same?” “Didn’t you two even say when you were kids that you wanted to hold your weddings together?” Ethan frowned. “Maybe Nora forgot a long time ago.” “If you don’t like it, I’ll take it off right now.” After Lily said that, she took off the wedding dress right in front of both of us. Ethan immediately took off his own jacket and wrapped it around her. “Can we hold the wedding now?” He asked me, his tone carrying anger. I swallowed the grievance in my heart, but I still nodded. I made an appointment with a housekeeping company to come pack my luggage. I had them throw the wedding dress away directly. I did not want anything that did not belong to me alone. People included. I called the city hall staff, wanting to cancel the marriage license appointment. We had originally planned to officially register the marriage after the honeymoon. Now there was no need at all. “I’m sorry, Ms. Hayes, but we couldn’t find your appointment information.” “However, the Mr. Ethan Brooks you mentioned has already made an appointment to register a marriage with Ms. Lily Carter.” Ethan had deliberately filled in the wrong information again. Although Lily and I were born on the same day and our ID numbers differed by only one digit, if the name and ID did not match, the system would not recognize it at all. I wanted to see how long Ethan would keep pretending to be stupid.

After I got up the next day, I came across a post. “Does anyone know this couple? I found their camera in Hawaii.” I tapped it open, and it was a photo of Ethan and Lily together. The two of them stood side by side by the ocean. There were also many solo photos they had taken of each other, and every moment looked beautiful. “These two are way too perfect together!” “He’s handsome, she’s gorgeous, they’re a match made in heaven!” The comments section was full of praise. I casually forwarded it to Ethan. His call came quickly. “Nora, don’t listen to the nonsense in the comments section, we only took a photo together.” Lily laughed and cut in from the side. “But the public has sharp eyes, and we really do look good together.” She snatched the phone. “Nora, relax, I’d never be interested in him.” “But he already promised me he’d quit smoking, and I don’t know how you used to stand kissing him with that smoke smell on him.” “Ew… just thinking about it is disgusting.” I replied coldly. “The important thing is to bring the camera back, since that was a gift from Grandma to my mom.” I opened the file folder on the table and took out the materials I had previously prepared for my study abroad application. Because of Ethan’s proposal, I had given it up. Now, I was going to start my life over. A few days later, it was Ethan’s mother’s birthday. I arrived at his mother’s house early, put down the gift, and was about to leave. I did not expect to still run into Ethan, who had just returned from the honeymoon. He slipped a crudely made shell bracelet onto my wrist. “What do you think? Do you like it?” “I picked these up one by one from the beach under the blazing sun, so they’re especially meaningful as a keepsake.” Lily was sitting cross-legged on the couch playing on her phone, and she came over too. “To drill holes in these stupid shells, I even stabbed my hand.” “Ethan was afraid you’d think he hadn’t taken good care of me, so he specially gave me a bracelet as an apology.” She spread both hands in front of me. The wound was smaller than a needle prick. The bracelet was bright and eye-catching, but I only found it blinding. The gifts Ethan gave me were always little handmade things. A dress he made by hand, a ceramic spoon… Every single one showed a careless kind of ugliness. But Lily often received expensive gifts from him. Once, I questioned him with red eyes. “Do you like Lily?” “Who would like her? She’s so silly. I only give her gifts on your behalf, and if you hadn’t said Lily was your best friend since childhood, I wouldn’t even bother trying to please her.” He held my hand, his eyes full of sincerity. “The things I give you can’t be bought with money, and sincerity is priceless.” I let out a scoff. I was laughing at my old lovesick self. “Nora, here’s your camera.” Lily took the camera out of her bag and threw it straight at me. The distance was too far, and I did not catch it. The camera fell to the floor and shattered into pieces. “Why didn’t you catch it?” Lily complained at me. “If it’s broken, then it’s broken, since that old antique was hard to use anyway.” Before I could say anything, Ethan pushed me straight into the kitchen. “The housekeeper took the day off, so I’ll have to trouble my wife to cook today.” He handed me a list. “These are all dishes Lily likes, and she’s worked hard taking care of me these past two days, so we need to reward her properly.” Not wanting to ruin Ethan’s mother’s birthday, I quickly made a whole table of food. Lily sat beside Ethan. She chatted and laughed with Ethan’s family. There was no longer any seat for me at the dining table. Ethan tugged my hand. “Honey, there are too many guests today, and we can’t fit everyone, so go eat in the kitchen.” When Lily heard that, she made a show of standing up. “How can that be? Only servants eat in the kitchen, so let Nora sit here.” Ethan pressed down on her leg. “You’re the guest, so just sit here with peace of mind.” “Nora isn’t that fussy, and she can eat in the kitchen.”

I carried a big bowl of food back to the kitchen. I opened the trash can and poured it in. I also threw the shell bracelet in with it. As soon as I turned around, Lily smeared a huge piece of cake across my face. “Why did you suddenly turn around, Nora?” She casually picked up a dirty rag nearby and tried to wipe my face. “Enough!” I shouted and knocked her hand away, then fumbled around to find the faucet. Ethan rushed over after hearing the commotion. Lily spoke first. “I just wanted to bring Nora some cake, but she turned her head and bumped into the cake, so it’s all my fault.” Ethan roughly pulled me over. “Apologize to Lily.” “I didn’t do anything wrong!” My gaze swept back and forth between the two of them. One was the friend who had grown up with me, and one was the person I had once loved most. But neither of them remembered I was allergic to cream. I shook off his hand and strode toward the door. Two minutes later, I got a call and hurried back to Ethan. “Take me to the hospital, my mom suddenly fainted.” Maybe it was panic, or maybe it was the allergic reaction, but I could not breathe properly, and the hand gripping his was trembling. Ethan’s mother lived in the suburbs. It was already very late, and there was no way to get a cab. Ethan’s face was calm. “Apologize to Lily first, and then I’ll take you to the hospital.” I looked at Lily, who was sitting among the crowd and constantly wiping away tears. I was clearly the one who had been wronged. With the situation urgent, I walked up to her. “I’m sorry.” “It’s okay, Nora, but when you yelled at me just now, it made me feel uncomfortable…” I completely ignored what she said and pulled Ethan out the door. Inside the car, the atmosphere was terrifyingly quiet. “Honey, you and Lily have been best friends for over twenty years, and I don’t want to see you two fight, so I wanted to help you, and that’s why I asked you to lower your head first…” “Focus on driving.” I interrupted him and turned my head to the other side. A few minutes later, Lily called. “Ethan…” Lily sobbed on the other end of the phone, “I really didn’t want to bother you, but I don’t have any other friends.” “I’m scared to drive home by myself, since the road is so dark and quiet, just like the scene in that horror movie we just watched, and I’m so scared…” Ethan slammed on the brakes, and my head hit the windshield. He got out of the car, opened the passenger door, and dragged me out. “Go to the hospital yourself.” “Lily is very timid, so I have to send her home safely first.” “My mom is still waiting for me at the hospital…” I was beyond anxious. But Ethan had already driven far away, and the car lights disappeared like fireflies. This godforsaken place did not even have a signal. There was only the faint light coming from my phone. The thick darkness made my scalp tingle. Ethan had long forgotten that I was the one afraid of the dark. Once, he would install automatic night-lights in every corner of our home and prepare lots of candles in advance. He had made sure there was always light in my world. But now, that light had long since shone on someone else. I ran desperately toward the main road. Half an hour later, I finally found a car that could take me. After I reached the hospital, the doctor told me, “The patient has had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage, and the condition is very serious, but we are doing everything we can to save her.” In the next second, I lost consciousness. When I woke again, the sky was just beginning to lighten. The doctor told me that my acute shock had been caused by the allergy. “If we had found you a few minutes later, your life would have been in danger.” Luckily, Mom’s surgery was also very successful. Otherwise, I would have blamed myself for the rest of my life for not making it to her side when she needed me most.

Early the next morning, Ethan and Lily pushed open the door to my hospital room. Ethan was still wearing yesterday’s clothes, and when he came close to me, a heavy scent of perfume drifted from him. They had been together all night. “Nora, today is the day we get our marriage license.” “Ethan,” my voice trembled slightly, “my mom is still unconscious.” But Lily said, “Nora, don’t throw a tantrum, since getting the license is more important, and the date was already set, so you can’t delay it.” My emotions were on the edge of losing control. “Are you two addicted to acting?” “Ethan, you filled in Lily’s information for the appointment again this time, didn’t you? How many more times do you want to play this trick?” Ethan’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper. He opened the appointment page and froze in place. Lily tilted her head at us and smiled. “Nora, I changed the appointment information, and I just wanted to give you a surprise, so please don’t be mad at me and Ethan.” “Besides, we can just change it back when we get there.” Ethan had never let me touch his phone. But Lily could log into his account whenever she wanted. His so-called respect for privacy was nothing more than giving favoritism to someone else and leaving suspicion for me. Ethan also let out a breath of relief and rubbed the top of Lily’s head. “You little troublemaker, how could we possibly be mad at you?” Ethan took my hand. “Let’s go, Nora, you’re about to officially become my wife.” “Ethan, I want to break up with you.” I said each word slowly and clearly. After my words fell, Ethan froze. “Just because Lily changed the appointment information?” “Nora Hayes!” He gripped my wrist so hard it hurt, “Can you stop being so willful, since we’ve already had the wedding?” “Where are you going to leave my family’s reputation?” “Wherever,” I replied. Ethan was so furious that he carried me over his shoulder and went to city hall. Lily followed behind us too. Ethan’s relatives and friends had arrived a long time ago. They had even set up a small area and hired a photographer. But then they saw the big screen display: Please have Mr. Ethan Brooks and Ms. Lily Carter come to Window 2 to complete the marriage registration. Everyone looked at one another. Then they began whispering. “What’s going on? The person he had the wedding with and the person he’s getting the license with aren’t the same?” “The Brooks family wants to marry two daughters-in-law? On the wedding day, there were two brides in wedding dresses too, so isn’t this bigamy?” “A few days before the wedding, I even saw Ethan go to the OB-GYN with Lily.” Ethan hurriedly explained, “Everyone, please don’t misunderstand, the appointment information was filled in wrong, and the only wife I’ve had from beginning to end is Nora.” Lily also grabbed my sleeve. “My period was late, and since I saw you were busy with work, I asked Ethan to go with me to the hospital for a checkup.” I laughed. “The person getting the marriage license with Ethan today really isn’t me.” “Let me officially announce that Ethan and I have broken up, and from now on, I have nothing to do with him.” “Nora Hayes! Are you determined to make a scene?” “You’ll regret this!” He dragged me tightly and forced me to watch with my own eyes as he and Lily completed the marriage registration. “Are you satisfied now?” Ethan asked me with red eyes. “Happy wedding.” After saying that, I broke free from his hand and walked outside. But he grabbed me by the hair. Lily tried to stop Ethan. But she only barely brushed his arm, looking as if she had failed to stop him. During the struggle, I fell down the stairs. I sank into unconsciousness again. “I’m the patient’s family member, and the patient’s ID number is…” “Wrong? I didn’t remember it wrong.” That was Ethan’s voice. “Sir, the identity information you just gave corresponds to Ms. Lily Carter.” Someone answered him. “The patient has severe internal bleeding and needs a blood transfusion as soon as possible, so what is the patient’s blood type?” “Type O? No, no, Lily is type O.” “Doctor, I forgot.” Ethan’s voice was anxious. “Nora has a rare blood type, just like me, so take mine.” A familiar voice sounded by my ear.

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The Window He Couldn’t Climb Back Through I had a crush on the football star next door for three years. The first time he climbed into my room, he took my virginity. I thought my crush had finally come true. Until the next day, when I heard him bragging to his teammates with my own ears: “The one I really want to chase is the cheer captain, and Mia was just practice.” He told me to buy emergency contraception myself, then turned around and kissed another girl in public, turning me into the laughingstock of the whole school. Crying, I deleted every memory related to him, gave up on the university I had applied to for his sake, and instead applied to Cornell University, a thousand miles away. But just when I decided to disappear completely, the man who had destroyed me with his own hands climbed into my room again and again. “Didn’t you say you liked me? Then why are you running now?” I smiled and pushed him away. “Chase, this time, get out of my life.” After I came home from cheer practice and was about to change for a shower, my bedroom window was smashed. A football rolled to my feet. Startled, I quickly grabbed my clothes and covered my chest. “Who is it?” Chase poked his head out from behind my curtains, then jumped in through the window with a charming smile. “My football.” He was wearing only a pair of gray athletic shorts, sweat rolling down his pecs to his abs, his bronze skin glowing in the afternoon sun. He took a few steps toward me, covering me in one huge shadow. When he bent down to pick up the ball, the back of his hand brushed over my ankle and calf, and his hard knuckles sent a tremor through me. I froze in place, my heart pounding like a drum. Chase’s friends whistled from downstairs outside my house. He called out the window: “Coming.” As he jumped out the window, he turned back and winked at me. “Sorry I broke your window, Mia. I’ll pay for it.” I walked to the window, and through the gap in the curtains, I saw Chase and his friends laughing and talking downstairs, making my heart race wildly. Chase was my neighbor, and he was also the school’s football star. I had liked him ever since he moved here three years ago. As an introvert, I forced myself to join the school’s cheer squad just to get closer to him. And today, he had actually appeared in my room?! The little person in my head was screaming like crazy. What I did not expect was that he climbed in through my window again that night. “Jesus! You scared me!” I jumped up from my bed. He leaned down and moved close to my face. “I told you I’d pay for your window.” “Are you insane? You came over at night just to pay for my window?” “Is that not allowed?” “Fine, then. Fifty dollars.” “Are you sure you don’t want any other compensation?” Chase hooked a finger around the Pisces necklace on my neck and pulled me closer. I smelled the lemon-scented body wash on him, and droplets of water from the ends of his hair fell onto my chest, bringing a trace of coldness. Then he bit my lower lip and reached into my nightgown from behind. Like a frightened cat, I arched my back, yet I could not help responding to his touch and kisses. But he suddenly stopped, let me go, and gave me a playful smile. “Do you want me to keep going?” I opened my eyes and looked straight into his ice-blue ones. “Yes.” Maybe my movements were too clumsy, because Chase whispered in my ear: “First time?” “Yes.” He frowned. “Are you sure you want to do this?” “I’m sure.” “I’ll be gentle.” Without warning, he shoved inside me in one hard, violent thrust. I desperately held back my moans, biting Chase’s shoulder as my fingers dug into his solid back. I listened to my parents moving around downstairs, every noise magnified in the dead of night. Thwack Thwack Thwack I felt like I had been nailed to a cross. I did not know how long passed before he finally rolled over and lay beside me. “I have to go back, beautiful.” His tone was a little cold as he put on his clothes. Then he jumped out the window. I stared at the fluttering curtains, feeling as if I had lost something. Chase’s scent, his warmth, his breathing, everything felt like a dream.

The next morning, I ran into Chase while practicing cheer with my teammates. My face was bright red, and I did not dare look him in the eye. But he acted as if nothing had happened. After practice ended, I passed by the football team’s locker room. I heard Chase chatting with his teammates. “You really slept with Mia?” I felt a little embarrassed and was just about to quietly leave. Then I heard Chase say carelessly: “The one I want is Gianna, but I was afraid Gianna would think I’m too inexperienced, so I just used Mia for practice.” Chase’s words were like a muffled thunderclap from a clear sky, striking me without warning. Gianna was the cheer captain, the object of every guy’s fantasies at school. It was a hot afternoon, yet I felt cold all over. The conversation in the locker room continued: “Sounds like you two had quite a night.” “Did Mia make all those scratches on your back?” Chase said arrogantly, “Mia should be grateful that her first time was with me. There are plenty of girls chasing me.” One guy cried out: “What the fuck? You actually took Mia’s virginity?!” “As expected of our captain!” Another guy commented: “Mia is pretty, but she’s too skinny, and her chest is smaller than a guy’s. She can’t compare to Gianna.” Chase irritably threw the football at him, cutting him off. “I was just caught up in the moment, and besides, she seemed like she was having a hard time holding back too… she was the one who asked for it.” The others understood without needing more words and started teasing him one after another. “Mia usually acts like a nun, but who knew she was that slutty in private?” “The way she looks at you normally is like she wants to eat you alive.” The laughter in the locker room grew noticeably louder. I bit my lower lip hard and clenched both hands into fists. The sound of high heels came from the end of the hallway. I suddenly snapped back to myself and fled in a panic. I hid in the restroom and cried silently in front of the mirror. My self-respect was completely destroyed. If I had not heard it with my own ears, I would never have believed that the person who had been tangled with me so intimately last night was the same person. So it turned out that people could do something so intimate without love. And even at the most emotional, irrational moment, people could still lie and deceive. What I had foolishly believed was my happy ending was nothing more than a joke in someone else’s mouth. The more I cried, the more miserable I felt. Yet I did not even dare make a louder sound, and my body kept trembling. After a long while. A notification popped up on my phone. It was from Chase. [I forgot to remind you about something. I didn’t wear a condom last night. Go buy emergency contraception yourself, and make sure you remember to take it. Good girl.] I stared at the message, not knowing what to reply. He and I had done it twice last night, and I clearly knew there would be risks, but I did not dare ask anything of him. I had even felt secretly happy that he had not worn a condom, as if we could completely belong to each other and become one. I never thought all I would get in return was his mockery. In that instant, I became much more awake. I turned on the faucet and washed away my tears. After tidying myself up, I walked out of the restroom, rode my bike, and went to a pharmacy far from home. After I got home and swallowed the pill, I sat on the carpet in my bedroom in a daze. Through the window, I could see his room. I watched him listen to music in his room and run on the treadmill. To me, that had been the most charming view in the world. Now, I only felt bitterness. And he had broken into my window, then closed it with his own hands. Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, lights came on one after another, then went out one after another. I did not know how long had passed when my best friend Lily called me on video. “Mia, why didn’t you come to my birthday party tonight? “Gianna showed up uninvited. While you’re not here, she’s trying to seduce Chase!” After Lily finished speaking, she turned the camera around. Gianna was wearing a miniskirt that barely covered her butt, sitting on Chase’s lap.

Just as those boys had said, she really was sexy, with her chest and hips like taut balloons. Gianna had her arms hooked around Chase’s neck and was saying something in his ear. Chase’s hand rested casually on Gianna’s thigh, and she made him burst out laughing. Even through the screen, I could feel the intense, flirtatious atmosphere. A sharp pain went through my chest. I had secretly loved Chase for three years and approached him carefully, yet I had become a sex toy for his practice. So it turned out that Gianna could get him so easily. Then the people at the party started playing a dare game. Gianna drew a dare to do fifty push-ups in the missionary position and needed to choose a male guest to cooperate. As expected, Chase immediately stood up. Everyone started cheering. Gianna blushed and obediently lay down on the couch. Chase braced himself above her and did dozens of push-ups in one go. Several times, their lips touched. On the last one, I did not know whether he had finally run out of strength or whether Chase had done it on purpose. He failed to hold himself up and fell directly on top of Gianna. The screams around them grew even louder, nearly lifting the roof off. “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Amid everyone’s frantic cheering, Chase wrapped his arms around Gianna and kissed her wildly. I stared at the screen, my heart feeling as if it had been cut by a knife. On the other end of the call, Lily complained: “Mia, do you see him clearly now? This is the man you’re obsessed with.” “Don’t blame me. If I didn’t let you see it with your own eyes, you would never give up.” I gave a bitter smile. “I don’t blame you. I already knew.” I only blamed myself for being too stupid. Lily said with heartache: “I’m going to help you teach that jerk a lesson. If he doesn’t love you, he could have just rejected you. Why did he do that to you last night?!” “That was your first time! Stop loving him!” “I won’t, Lily,” I said calmly. “I’ve already decided. I’m going to Cornell University with you. But you have to help me keep it a secret for now.” After hanging up, I applied to Cornell University online. I had originally wanted to apply to the University of Alabama because I hoped I could still go to the same school as Chase in college. It had the best college football team in the country. But now, I decided to stay far away from Chase, even though I was afraid of the cold and did not really like the North.

While showering that night, I saw myself in the bathroom mirror. There were still obvious hickeys on my chest. Memories of last night flooded back to me uncontrollably. I shook my head hard, forcing myself to forget everything about last night. Then I found the roughest washcloth and scrubbed my skin over and over until my whole body turned red. I clumsily tried to wash away this most unbearable memory of my life. Sure enough, Chase did not send me any more messages. I mocked myself, wondering what I was still expecting. I fell asleep in a blur through my tears. Early the next morning, while I was still fast asleep, I suddenly felt in my dream that someone was chasing me. I woke with a start. But when I opened my eyes, what I saw was a familiar jaw and Adam’s apple. It was Chase, lying beside my bed. I glanced at the pushed-open window, realizing he had broken into my room through my window again. Seeing that I was awake, Chase stroked my face with his hand. I hurriedly turned my head away and pushed him off. “What are you doing in my room again?” Chase froze for a second, then laughed at me. “Why are you still shy?” I sat up in bed, put some distance between us, and pointed at the window. “Get out!” Not only did Chase not move, he asked me with a playful grin: “Why didn’t you text me back yesterday?” I opened my phone, and he really had sent me a message at one in the morning. “Did you take the emergency contraception?” Looking at that cold message, I said sarcastically: “Don’t worry. I took a whole box. I’m more afraid than you are of getting pregnant with your bastard.” Chase’s jaw tightened, and his expression darkened. But very quickly, he gave a playful smile again. “What? Are you mad at me? How about we do it again as my apology?” He took a condom out of his pocket. “This time I’ll remember to wear one.” Then he pulled me closer and reached into my nightgown. A tingling sensation ran through me, but I quickly came back to my senses and struggled desperately. But at five foot three, I was no match for this six-foot-three man. “Chase, what exactly do you want?” “Is playing with me and humiliating me the only joy in your life?”

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My three blood brothers are going to shatter my legs and trade me to the enemy Alpha for the Omega they all share as a mate. And right now — I was tied to my own bed. The taste of the farewell drink is still on my tongue — bitter, herbal, wrong. My wrists are bound. My ankles are bound. The silver in the ropes burns my skin and keeps my wolf locked deep inside me, silent, useless. Caelan stands at the foot of my bed with a silver-laced iron rod in his hand. Marek is pinning my shoulders. Sable is pinning my legs. “Raven,” Caelan says, “don’t hate us. Elara can’t be the one they take.” He swings. The rod comes down on my right leg. My bone snaps. I’m going to hear that sound for the rest of my life. Silver bites into the break. My wolf screams inside me and can’t get out. I don’t scream. I won’t give them that. “So it should be me,” I say through my teeth. Blood is filling my mouth from where I bit my tongue. Marek’s grip on my shoulders tightens until I feel something crack in the joint. He won’t look at me. His jaw is locked so hard it’s shaking. “Raven, this is for the pack.” “This is for her,” I spit. Sable’s hands tighten on my ankles. His eyes — usually the warm ones, the laughing ones, the brother who used to braid my hair before patrols — are cold as winter stone. “You’re the Iron Wolf,” he says quietly. “You’re worth more alive than dead. They might not kill you.” “Might not.” I laugh, and it sounds like something dying. The rod comes up again. I see Caelan’s hand on the grip, steady. The crack is louder this time. Sweat soaks through my shirt. My vision tunnels. I hear, very far away, Caelan drop the rod. I hear him wipe my blood off his face with his sleeve. Slow. Careful. The way our mother taught him to clean a hunting knife. He leans over me. His hand brushes my hair back from my forehead like I’m a pup again. “Sleep, little wolf,” he murmurs. “When you wake up, Elara will be home.” I dig my nails into the bed frame. I find the last scrap of breath in my body. “Caelan.” He stiffens. “Marek. Sable.” I make them hear their names. I make them hear them in my voice — the voice that called for them when I was six and lost in the north woods, the voice that howled their victory after Bonecrag’s first defeat. I smile. Blood bubbles between my teeth. “You’re going to regret this. All three of you. For the rest of your lives.” Caelan’s face does something then. Something small. Something that breaks. But he turns away. Marek lets go of my shoulders. Sable lets go of my legs. They line up behind their oldest brother like soldiers, like strangers, like three men who have already buried me in their heads. They walk out without looking back. The door closes. The lock turns. Click. And just like that, I, the Iron Wolf of Ashfall Pack, become a broken thing chained in my own bedroom, waiting to be delivered.

They put me in an iron-barred cage and roll me toward Ghostfang Ridge. Seven days. Seven days of every rut in the road splitting my legs open again. The bandages soak through by the second day. By the fourth, the cloth has fused to the wound and I can smell my own blood going wrong in the heat. The warrior driving the cage is one of Sable’s. Young. Loyal. He keeps his head down the whole ride. When my lips crack from thirst, he passes a waterskin through the bars without looking at me. “Forgive me, Commander.” He says it every time. I drink. I don’t answer. I have no hate left for him. I’m saving all of it. On the seventh night, the cage stops. I smell the border before I see it. Pine. Cold stone. Old blood in the dirt where Ashfall and Bonecrag have been killing each other for a hundred years. Ghostfang Ridge. Two Bonecrag warriors haul me out by the arms. My legs drag behind me like meat on a hook. They drop me in the dirt between the two pack lines. I lift my head. And there he is. The reason. Elara Wren. She is wrapped in a thick fur cloak that I have seen before — Caelan’s cloak, the one our mother wove for him the year he became Enforcer. Marek is already pressing a steaming waterskin into her hands. Sable is brushing snow off her hair like she’s made of glass. She is unharmed. Not a bruise. Not a scratch. Not a single hair out of place. Beyond her stands Alpha Yvarn — in full battle leathers, his new Beta at his shoulder like a shadow. He looks down at me the way a man looks at a wolf he’s been hunting for years and has finally cornered. His smile is a slow, hungry thing. “So,” he says. “The Iron Wolf. Crawling in my dirt.” His warriors laugh. My brothers don’t say a word. Caelan steps forward and bows his head — bows it — to the Alpha who slaughtered our patrols for three winters. “Alpha Yvarn. We’ve brought her. May we take Elara home?” His voice is careful. Almost begging. I have never heard my brother beg. Yvarn laughs out loud. He points his riding crop at me. “This?” he drawls. “This is the Iron Wolf of Ashfall? She can’t even crawl.” His men howl. My brothers’ faces go red with shame — and still, still, none of them speak. They just close ranks tighter around Elara, like she’s the one who needs protecting from the humiliation. And then Elara peeks out from behind Caelan’s shoulder. She looks down at my legs. At the bandages. At the blood frozen black on my trousers. There is no guilt in her face. There is something else. Her lips curve. Just slightly. Just for me. A small, perfect, secret smile. A winner’s smile. I have known Elara since she was a pup. I carried her on my back through the first snow she ever saw. I let her cry into my fur the night her parents died. I gave my brothers permission to court her, all three of them, when the bond first sparked between them. And this is what she gives me back. A smile. I press my forehead into the cold dirt and I laugh. Quiet. Bloody. Real. I am going to live until I take it off her face myself.

Yvarn flicks his wrist and his warriors release Elara. She gathers her skirts and runs to my brothers. “Caelan!” She throws herself into his chest, sobbing like a pup who’s been beaten. Caelan catches her and wraps his cloak tighter around her shoulders. His mouth presses into her hair. “You’re safe, little moon. You’re safe now. We’re going home.” Marek closes in on her other side, hands cupping her face, checking, checking, checking. “Did they touch you? Did they hurt you? Tell me, Elara —” Sable’s hand is at the small of her back, steady, possessive, the way a mate’s hand sits on his mate. Three brothers. One Omega. One mate-bond strong enough to break a sister’s legs over. Nobody looks at me. Not one of them. I lie in the dirt at the edge of their circle. The trade is done. I’m just the broken thing they left behind. My wolf is silent. My legs are screaming. And I have never seen anything in my life uglier than this — the way my brothers fuss over her while their own blood bleeds out four feet away. Yvarn watches it all. He’s enjoying himself. “Take her,” he says. Two Bonecrag warriors hook their hands under my arms and start dragging me toward their line. My legs leave two long red trails in the snow. As they pull me past my brothers, I turn my head. I use the last of my strength. “Caelan Ashwood. Marek Ashwood. Sable Ashwood.” Three names. Three blows. All three of them go still. Elara, tucked safe in their arms, looks at me over Caelan’s shoulder. Her smile widens. “You traded me,” I say, and my voice carries across the snow like a death-howl, “for an Omega who can’t fight her way out of a den.” Caelan’s hand fists in Elara’s cloak. “One day,” I tell them, “Ashfall lands will burn. Bodies will line every border. And it will be because of what you did here today.” Marek will not meet my eyes. Sable’s face has gone dead white. “Get her out of here!” Caelan roars. Not at me. At Yvarn’s warriors. “Get her out of here.” They drag me faster. The Bonecrag line closes around me. The Ashfall gates groan shut behind me. I hear them lock. My pack is gone. They bring me to Yvarn’s war tent. He is already seated when they throw me down on the rugs. The tent smells of pine smoke and oiled steel. He’s cleaning his curved silver blade, slow, the way Caelan cleaned my blood off his face. “Three winters ago,” he says, not looking up, “at Stonehollow Pass, you killed ten thousand of my warriors. You took my Beta. He was my brother.” He lifts his eyes. They are pale and flat and full of something patient. “I swore on his bones I would make you wish you’d died on that field.” He stands. He walks to me. He crouches. The silver blade comes up under my chin and he tips my face toward his. His smile is gentle. That’s the worst part. “And now, little Iron Wolf,” Alpha Yvarn murmurs, “I have you.”

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Wren’s POV I dragged Hazel out of a rogue camp and lifted to High Priestess and tonight I caught her naked in my mate’s bed. The smoke hits first. Then the scent. Sweat, slick, heat — and underneath it, my mate’s mark layered all over another she-wolf’s skin. Neither of them even moves. Hazel sees me first. She screams, white as bone. “Wren —” Caden turns his head. His eyes find me. And before I’ve moved an inch, before I’ve made a sound, his body shifts — instinct, pure instinct — to put hers behind his. He shields her. From me. I stand there breathing through my mouth. I watch him pick her clothes off the floor. One piece at a time. Soft, practiced hands. He dresses her like she’s made of glass. He walks her to the door and murmurs, “There’s someone waiting for you outside. I’ll deal with this.” I haven’t lifted a finger. He’s already afraid I’ll go feral. The door clicks shut. It’s just me and him now. I stare at the face I’ve known since I was a pup. The boy who used to chase me through these woods. Now, it’s a stranger’s face. The past few moons, I’ve been too busy to date Caden. The moonlit hunt I won at the warriors’ draw, the festival passes I bought for the two of us, the private dinners he booked at the Ridge — every single one I had to cancel for a healing or a late shift. Hazel always offered to step in. “Don’t let them go to waste, Wren.” Honestly, I was grateful. And my mate never made me feel guilty. “I support your work, Wren. However long it takes, I’ll wait.” That’s what he told me. Always in that low, patient voice that wraps around my ribs. I never thought twice when I told Caden and Hazel to have fun. And lately, something had been off in my chest. A dull ache right under my ribs. A pull in the bond. Some nights it twisted hard enough to wake me up. I figured it was the workload. Not enough sleep. Now, I finally get it. My wolf knew. She knew before I did. Caden lights a black-leaf roll, takes a slow drag, then finally looks at me. “Got nothing to say?” He’s the one who broke the bond. So why am I the one with my hands shaking? “Caden. Are you serious right now?” He flicks ash onto the floorboards. Voice flat. “I’ll own my part. But Wren — be honest with yourself. What have you given me these past few years?” “You’re always too busy. Always a healing. Always rounds. I asked you to share a meal — you had a patient. I asked you to a hunt — you had a shift. I have to schedule a fight with you three days in advance.” He says it with a hint of self-pity. Like I’m the one who climbed into another wolf’s bed. “Hazel’s different.” His voice softens around her name. “She listens. She remembers what I say. She actually shows up. Every date you couldn’t make — she made them with me. In her heart, I come first.” Every word cuts straight through my chest. “Caden, I’ve been like this since the day you met me! I never changed!” His brow knits like I’m slow. “I know. You haven’t. But I’m done waiting.” I cross the floor and slap him. “How dare you do this to me! Don’t forget I’m your fated mate!” He doesn’t dodge. The roll falls from his fingers, sparks scattering across the bed. He looks up. Finally — finally — there’s something in his eyes. “You done? Hit me again if you need to. Just don’t take it out on Hazel.” I open my mouth. The pack mind-link pings, sharp and loud. [Healer Sutton. Emergency surgery. Thirty minutes. ] Caden laughs. Soft. Quiet. It threads into my ear like a needle. “Off you go, Ms. Healer. Your mate just bedded your best friend, and you’re running back to save a life. You’re the patientest she-wolf I’ve ever known.” My claws dig into my palms. I turn around before he can see the tears.

Wren’s POV The healing-lamps burn too bright tonight. I clench my jaw and bury the tears behind my teeth. My hands stay steady. The blade stays steady. Nobody in this room would guess that thirty minutes ago I caught my fated mate sleeping with my best friend. When the patient stabilizes, my wrists ache so deep I can barely lift them. “Healer Sutton — I haven’t congratulated you yet.” The junior healer grins as he scribbles down vitals. “Six moons of leave for a Mating Ceremony! The whole infirmary’s been talking. Alpha Caden sends flowers to you every single day— guess he finally got you to say yes.” The clay cup creaks in my grip. These last few moons I burned every favor I had to earn that leave. Every off-day. Every emergency shift I could swap forward. I went down once in the changing room, low blood, knees buckling. I drank a vial of honey-water and walked back into surgery. Caden picked me up that night. Saw my white lips and frowned, rare as a winter sun. “Could you maybe — just once — be kind to yourself?” I smiled. “Worried about me, my Alpha?” He pulled me into his chest. “Wren. I want to bring you home and keep you somewhere safe.” His arms had already held another she-wolf by then. Every drop of sweat I bled was a joke. “Mm,” I tell the junior. One syllable. Any more and I’ll crack. I slip into the changing chamber. The bolt slides shut. I slide down the door. My shoulders shake. The tears finally fall through my fingers and there is nothing — nothing — I can do to stop them. Caden has been my shadow since I was nine. Wherever I went, he went. One winter I snapped at him, “Could you stop following me?” He’d ducked his head. “I want to be your shadow. Where you go, I go.” At eighteen he slipped me a folded leaf. “I don’t want to be your shadow anymore. I want to stand at your side.” I said yes. Eighteen to twenty-eight. Ten years. Every promise — kept. Late healing? He waited at the gate. Sick? He took leave to nurse me. Every word I ever spoke, he stored like a sacred thing. The whole pack said it: That’s what a mate bond is supposed to look like. I believed it. I scrub my eyes and push to my feet. Two voices drift from the corridor — junior healers, low. “You hear? Emergency came in. She-wolf, three moons gone. Her Alpha mate took her too rough — she’s bleeding out.” “Pup’s holding. But the male—bad news. Came in barking orders, said if his pup dies, he’ll burn this infirmary down.” “Power-drunk man, I swear…” “That’s not the bit. The bit is — he looks exactly like Healer Sutton’s mate.” “Goddess! You don’t think she’s the mistress, do you?” The footsteps fade. I lean against the door, ice running down my spine. My claws split skin. Blood trickles through my fingers. I shove the door open and run.

Wren’s POV Through the glass of the chamber I see them. Caden’s voice is honey. “Slow down, sweetheart. It’s hot.” I push the door open. Hazel sees me first. “W-Wren.” Caden’s head snaps around. The instant his eyes land on me, his body shifts — automatic, animal — to put Hazel behind him. His voice ices over. “I told you. Leave her alone.” I stare at Hazel’s flat stomach. “Pup?” Tears spill down her cheeks. She turns away. She can’t look at me. “Yes,” Caden answers for her. “Mine. Three months.” Three months. Three moons ago Caden was at the border, hunting rogues. The raid hit and the bond went silent. No mind-link. Nothing. I begged for leave and tore down the trail in wolf form. Halfway there a second wave of rogues hit the road. I was thrown. My ribs slammed a stone. I hadn’t even told him about our pup, and I lost him right there on the forest floor. When Caden finally found me he knelt by the cot and crushed me to his chest. His voice was shaking. “I’m sorry, Wren. We’ll have another. I swear we’ll have another.” First time I ever saw him cry. I stroked his hair and said, “You’re alive. That’s enough. We’ll have more.” He wasn’t at the border. He was with Hazel. They made their pup that week. “Wren.” Hazel’s voice drags me back. Her eyes are red, her chin trembles. Picture-perfect. “A pup needs his father… please. Bless this for us.” Crack. My palm meets her cheek so hard my whole arm sings. The chamber freezes. Then she’s sobbing into her hands. Caden surges to his feet and locks his hand around my wrist. “Wren. Enough. You got something to say, you say it to me.” His eyes are full of fury. In twenty years he’s been angry with me — what — three times? Every single time because I worked too hard and didn’t eat. Now he’s furious. For her. “Say it to you? Caden, what makes you think you’re worth saying it to?” I rip my arm free and step back. Something slips from my pocket and clatters onto the floor. A silver dagger. He and I both go still. Three years ago on the night of our promising he slid the mate-pendant onto my throat — and pressed this dagger into my hand. “Wren Sutton. Under this moon, I swear it — you’re the only Luna I’ll ever choose. If I ever betray you, take this blade and drive it through my heart.” I stare at the silver dagger. My inner wolf is roaring. I bend down and pick it up. Something black and enormous rises through my chest. My eyes burn. My wolf is howling. I want to drive it in. I want him to feel what I felt — your own wolf clawing you apart from the inside. Hazel screams and throws her arms wide in front of him. “Wren! It’s me! It’s all me — leave him alone!” I take one step toward them. Just one. Caden’s eyes change. He yanks Hazel behind him and his hand shoots out — palm to my chest — and shoves. The back of my head cracks against the stone floor. My ears ring like bells. When my vision clears he’s wrapped around her, his voice low and tender. “Did he hit your belly? Are you alright?” She shakes her head, weeping. He never once looks at me. The corridor outside is full of pack-folk now. “Goddess! Healer Sutton!” “She’s the quiet one. What is she now, feral?” I lie there. My head throbs. I was eight when my mother handed me to my drunk, fanged father and walked off. I knelt in the dirt clutching her ankle and screamed why until I passed out. After that I never broke for anyone again. Not when I failed my first naming-trial. Not when I lost a patient on the table. Not even when I lost our pup on that forest road. It took Caden twenty years to break that shell off me, piece by piece. He’s the one who taught me a she-wolf could be loved. And now he’s the one who turned me into a feral thing on the floor. I push up onto my hands. My knees lock under me. I make it to my feet. I walk out. It’s just me now. That has always been enough.

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An ESPN special is interviewing Sienna Hayes. The hottest sports reporter in the country. She stands by the noisy ice rink. She gently tells the camera about the man who made her fearless.He is a top hockey player. She says he often flew across North America. Just for a brief reunion. Whenever her work trips ended with no set return date,he waited at the airport. Once,he waited for three whole months. I was deeply moved,watching their love story unfold on screen. Until tonight.The night before my wedding. I see the rerun. Her eyes are red.She whispers to the camera: “You said I was your courage…but I don’t have the courage to keep you.” “But I don’t regret it.At least we had our wildest youth.” She accidentally lights up her phone. The lock screen shows a man kissing her passionately. He is Caleb Vance,my groom tomorrow. … My blood freezes instantly. I turn my head. I look at the sleeping face on my pillow. Identical features. The same star athlete I thought I knew.But how?How is this possible? He is the untouchable”Gentleman on Ice.” New York’s ultimate good man. On rainy days,he’d carry me down the whole street. Just so my shoes wouldn’t get muddy. When my fingers cramped from late-night piano practice,he never just told me to rest. He’d wrap his warm hands around mine.He’d massage them gently. For a second,I even have an absurd thought. Does he have a secret twin brother? I call everyone overnight. Family,friends,wedding planners. I say my dad is sick. I delay the wedding by a week. Before I find the truth,I won’t ruin our three years of sweet memories. Three years.I at least owe those three years a real answer.

My best friend Chloe picks up on it right away.”Aurora,did you and Caleb have a fight?” “No,”I pause.I decide to tell her everything. She is a top business lawyer. Maybe she can help me. She listens to the whole story. A long silence follows. Finally,she says softly: “Don’t worry.I will find the truth.” hat night,we slept side by side like strangers.I lay awake in the dark,listening to him breathe.In the morning,Caleb woke up and pulled me into his arms. “Baby,today you’re supposed to be the most beautiful bride in the world.” I pull away and glance at the abstract painting on the wall—part of his collection. I can’t help but ask,”When will you paint a portrait of me?” He rubs his morning stubble against my cheek. His voice is lazy,teasing. “Baby,I told you.I’m an athlete.Zero artistic talent. I only know how to appreciate art.” My chest tightens. In that interview,Sienna proudly showed a sketchbook— a gift from her lover. Every single page was a sketch of her, from quiet college libraries to crowded locker room hallways. My voice comes out tight.”My dad is sick.We have to postpone the wedding.” I met Caleb at a charity gala. Even then,he was already a league superstar. Now that I think about it… Did he take every single exclusive interview just to be near her? Then why did he ever choose me?

Caleb’s throat tightens. “Baby,I know your dad’s health comes first,but can we…” I cut him off. “I already told everyone.The wedding is postponed for one week.” Just one week. Caleb visibly relaxes. He turns and heads to the kitchen to make me breakfast. I watch his figure. Just like always. I ask softly: “If I had a terrible accident on tour,would it break you?” He freezes. The avocado toast rested in his hands.His eyes are intense and sincere. “If anything ever happened to you,I wouldn’t want to go on.Heaven or hell,I will go with you.” Without that interview,I would have thrown myself into his arms. I would have kissed him fiercely. But now,I just stand still,watching him.”Do you know Sienna Hayes?”

Panic flashes across Caleb’s face. A look I’ve never seen on him before. He looks like he wants to deny it. But in the end,he nods. Even though I suspected it,the confirmation still hollows me out. I force the words out of my throat. “So,she said you two are together.Is it true?” “Of course not!” Caleb grabs my hand,his grip tight and nervous. “Where did you hear that?Sienna and I are just college classmates.” “If there is anything else…she came from a poor family. I anonymously paid her college tuition back then.” Is this really all just Sienna’s delusion? But something still feels wrong. “Caleb.Did you do all those exclusive ESPN interviews…just to see Sienna at work?” He looks at me,helpless and a little wounded. “Baby,you are overthinking this. She’s a sports reporter.We cross paths at the arena. But there are so many teams in the league,so many reporters. Why would I go exclusive with one network just for her?” He gently pinches my nose. I used to love when he did that. Now my skin feels wrong. “Are you just having pre-wedding anxiety?Don’t let your mind run wild.”

I can’t find any flaws in his words. Maybe I really was just overthinking. Just then,his phone rings. It’s an unsaved number. He listens for only a moment before rushing out. He doesn’t even say goodbye. The doubts I just buried come rushing back. I walk into Caleb’s study. I rarely come in here. But now,I begin searching,even though I don’t even know what I’m looking for. Shelves full of trophies and sports magazines. Clean,neat.No trace of Sienna. I almost laugh at my own paranoia. But then I accidentally knock a locked wooden box off the desk. It hits the floor and snaps open.My heart stops. Inside the box is a thick sketchbook. My hands shake. I cover my mouth to stifle a scream. The man who swore he had no artistic talent lied to me. A cold dread crawls over me.I flip through the pages. Page one,page two…no exceptions. Page one.Page two.Every single page is Sienna.I collapse onto the floor.I can’t even cry. My phone vibrates.A text from Chloe: “Aurora,I hacked into Sienna’s Finsta…Something is wrong.” My hands shake so hard I can barely hold the phone. It takes me a moment to tap the link. The latest post reads: 【Flew back during the Christmas break just to wish him a happy wedding in person. Didn’t expect to get trapped at JFK for three days because of a blizzard.】 Posted three hours ago. I suddenly remember a detail from the interview. Whenever Sienna’s flights were uncertain,Caleb would wait for her at the airport. With trembling fingers,I open the location-sharing app on my phone. On the map,the blue dot is pulsing clearly at: 【JFK International Airport】

Caleb’s location stays at the airport hotel for three days. During those three days,Caleb sends me only one text: “Baby,the league called an emergency meeting.I’ll be back soon.” I pack my bags,ignoring the message. Chloe thinks there must be some misunderstanding,some hidden explanation. But I don’t care anymore. I scroll through Sienna’s secret account from the very beginning.Every word hits like an ice pick straight to the heart. 【Today he learned to make my favorite vanilla roasted chicken to welcome me home.】 That was the same stretch of time Caleb spent an entire week in the kitchen,burning batch after batch until he finally got it right. At the time,he smiled and told me, “I have to practice until it’s perfect.Only the best is worthy of my baby’s precious cellist hands.” … 【I want to have a daughter with him.We’ll name her Hope.】 That night,Caleb pressed close to my ear,his breath hot against my skin. “Baby,let’s have a child.Let’s name her Hope,okay?” … 【Always secretly wishing for a forever with you.Luckily,you want the same.】 That was the day I slipped Caleb’s engagement ring onto my finger. And in the photo attached,two hands clasped together under a streetlight.I recognized the watch on the man’s wrist.It was the limited-edition watch Caleb never took off.

Every single word matched up perfectly. It turned out I had been living in Sienna’s shadow all along. I drove to the airport. Even if it was over,I wanted to say it to his face. But the moment I stepped into the arrivals hall,I froze. Through the crowd,I saw them. Caleb’s back was to me. He was down on one knee,carefully tending to Sienna’s sprained ankle. After applying some ointment,he bowed his head,held her foot,and gently blew on it. Caleb had never once knelt down for me. Not like that. Swallowing the bitter burning in my throat,I walked toward them,step by step. “Caleb,the wedding is off.” He snapped his head up,panic instantly flooding his eyes when he saw me. “Ba—”He glanced quickly at Sienna and corrected himself. “Aurora,what are you doing here?” “Don’t get the wrong idea.I just bumped into an old college classmate at the airport.” My gaze bypassed Caleb and landed squarely on Sienna. She was indeed a seasoned reporter— she didn’t show a single trace of embarrassment or shame. Instead,she gracefully offered me her hand,her smile open and candid. “You must be Aurora.Hi,I’m Sienna,Caleb’s friend from college.” Like she had nothing to do with any of it. I didn’t take her hand. I kept my eyes on Caleb and repeated,”Cancel the wedding.” Caleb stiffened. “Just because I ran into an old classmate?Stop making a scene,Aurora.” Sienna let out a soft chuckle. “Aurora,please don’t misunderstand. I’m flying back to the West Coast right after the wedding.” Almost instinctively,Caleb grabbed her wrist. “Where are you going again?” “The Finals.” “Don’t go.Those events are way too chaotic.” Sienna pulled her hand out of his grip. “I just…need to see you happy with my own eyes before I can finally let go.” What a performance.Suddenly,my stomach violently churned.I bent over,dry-heaving. Only then did Caleb shift his attention to me,helping me sit down. He reached into his duffel bag,looking for something to help. I was about to tell him I was fine,when his eyes suddenly lit up,and he pulled me into his arms. “Aurora,you might be pregnant.” I froze.What a cruel,twisted joke the universe was playing on me. I looked over at Sienna. Sure enough,the color drained from her face. But a second later,she turned to Caleb,her voice going ice cold.”Caleb,Aurora is pregnant,and you’re still stressing her out? What kind of fiancéare you!” There wasn’t a single trace of pretense in her outrage.

The two of them in front of me only leave me deeper in confusion. If they’re so clearly in love,why drag me into the middle of it? And Sienna’s reaction didn’t seem like acting at all. In a daze,I let Caleb take me to get checked. Two months pregnant. There are only three days left until our wedding. The resolve I had to walk away begins to crack. When we get back to the house,Caleb stops dead.Sienna’s sketches are scattered across the floor,right beside my packed suitcase.He stared at them like he’d been struck by lightning. Then,right in front of me,he tears the sketchbook apart. “Sienna has always had a secret crush on me,”he says,desperate. “This has to be nothing but her own delusion.” “If you don’t want me anywhere near her,I’ll block her on everything after the wedding.No contact.Ever again.” Three years together.A new life growing inside me.In the end,I give in.I take my wedding leave and stay home to rest,taking it easy for the baby.I open Sienna’s secret account. The page has just been updated. 【Received the love letter he wrote.】 A love letter? My eyes instinctively drift toward the kitchen, where Caleb is carefully preparing food for me. My fingertips begin to tremble. Could it be that they…still haven’t cut ties?

Just then,my phone rings.It’s Chloe,her voice low and heavy.”Aurora,I need to see you right now.” In a quiet corner of a café,she slides an encrypted USB drive across the table to me. Just as I am about to plug it into my laptop,her hand presses down on mine. “Think carefully,”Chloe warns,her eyes searching mine. “Once you open Pandora’s box,there’s no going back.” I don’t hesitate for a second.I plug it in and go through every file.When I finally look up,my voice comes out shaking. “Chloe,help me book a doctor’s appointment.” When we return from the clinic,Chloe’s eyes are a mix of intense heartache and burning fury.”Aurora,let’s call off the wedding.I’ll help you.” “No.”A cold smirk plays at the corner of my lips. “Caleb has prepared such a grand,romantic gift for Sienna. How could I possibly not help him deliver it?” “Chloe,on the wedding day,help me contact all the major media outlets. Let’s have everyone witness this epic romance that played out across every arena in the country.” On the day of the wedding,the entire estate Caleb booked in the Hamptons is bustling with high-society guests. I had once tried to turn down such an extravagant affair. “Caleb,a simple wedding is enough.” But he had playfully pinched my nose,his voice dripping with affection. “Aurora,I want to give you the grandest wedding.I want all of New York to celebrate us.” I used to think this was his ultimate devotion. Only now do I realize that the person he wanted the world to see him with was someone else entirely. In the bridal suite,Sienna is waiting for me. She does my makeup with her own hands, and carefully helps me slip into the Vera Wang wedding gown she personally picked out for me. The makeup is flawless,the white dress breathtaking. Even the makeup artists standing by can’t help but gasp in admiration. But Sienna has no idea. The more perfect the illusion,the more lethal the poison hidden underneath.

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Inside the VIP fitting room of Vera Wang’s New York flagship, as three assistants gave up trying to zip my six-figure custom gown, the truth finally hit me: this grand wedding Julian Thorne had spun for me was a lie from the very start. He stood a few feet away, showing no remorse. All I saw was impatience. “Ava, is your personal trainer just for show? It’s a standard size.” He looked me over like a bad investment. “Whatever. The wedding is next week. Starve yourself for a few days, and you’ll squeeze into it.” Same old bullshit. Ever since his ex-girlfriend, Chloe, moved back to town, Julian had made a habit of treating me like an afterthought. Like the custom JAR perfume I got for my promotion. He gave it away without a second thought, only because Chloe played the ‘poor girl’ card. “Babe, it’s just a symbol. Order yourself another bottle. Don’t be so petty.” Or when he smiled and handed me an almond cookie, conveniently forgetting my lethal allergy. “Try it. Chloe says these are the best in New York.” Now, watching me suffocate in this ridiculous dress, he didn’t show a shred of guilt. Instead, he snapped a picture and sent it straight to Chloe. I silently slid the five-carat engagement ring off my finger. He must have forgotten something. He was the one who gave the designer the measurements. It wasn’t some “standard size.” It belonged to someone barely five-foot-three. Chloe. And me? I’m five-foot-eight with a healthy, athletic build. He loves problem solving? Good. Because starting today, his biggest problem is finding a new bride. …… Julian took the ring out of the velvet box. He spoke to me like he was soothing a disobedient pet. “Stop throwing a tantrum, Ava. You’re acting like a child.” He reached for my hand, trying to force the ring back on. I took a step back, dodging his grasp. “Fine. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have called you fat.” He acted like he was doing me a massive favor. “But every woman drops a few pounds to look good on camera. I’m looking out for you.” I stared at my reflection. The hemline hovered awkwardly around my calves. I looked utterly absurd. I didn’t say a word. This was the 99th time he had told me to “look at the bigger picture.” The past 98 times, I sucked it up. But this time? How the hell was I supposed to compromise? Chop off my own legs to fit into a dress that wasn’t even made for me?

“It’s just a bit short.” Julian circled behind me, slipping into his corporate problem-solver mode. “Have the designer alter it. I’ll pay for the rush fee.” The head designer gave an apologetic smile. “Mr. Thorne, we can take it in, but the proportions are fixed. We can’t change the length. Unless we switch to an off-the-rack gown.” “Off-the-rack?” Julian’s jaw tightened. “The wedding is next week. If we pivot to off-the-rack now, the press will have a field day. They’ll say Julian Thorne couldn’t even get his wife a dress that fits.” “Then postpone it.” My voice was cold. “Out of the question.” He shut it down instantly. Then, his face lit up with a brilliant idea. “You can grab a backup dress to walk down the aisle. As for this Vera Wang… let Chloe wear it as her bridesmaid gown. It’s practically her size anyway. No point letting it go to waste.” I almost laughed. “Since when is Chloe my bridesmaid?” “She’s all alone in New York. She wants to be part of the big day. Don’t be like that.” “My bridal party is full. Six girls. Who exactly is she replacing?” “Simple.” He didn’t even look up from his screen. “Just cut your college roommate… what’s her name… right, Harper. Drop her. She didn’t even show up to my party last time. You two aren’t that close.” “That’s because she was litigating a big case in London.” “Then cut someone else.” He finally looked up, annoyance written all over his face. “Ava, women swap out ‘best friends’ like last season’s handbags. Don’t make such a big deal out of it.” Right on cue, his phone buzzed. A FaceTime call. Chloe. His face immediately softened. He flipped the camera toward me. “Babe, look. Isn’t the gown gorgeous?”

I stood before the mirror, trapped in the wrong gown, listening to my fiancé and another woman plan my wedding. Like it was theirs. An assistant walked over, handing me a milkshake. “Miss Hayes, you look pale. Have some of this to keep your blood sugar up.” I was about to decline, but Julian had already hung up. He grabbed the cup and shoved the straw to my lips. “Drink. You’ve been going non-stop all morning.” Cold liquid slid down my throat. Then came the smell—the heavy scent of almonds. My eyes dropped to the cup, fixing on the brown flecks swirling in the milky white. All color drained from my face.

My throat clamped shut. A searing burn crawled up my neck. I was already gasping for air. “This is… almond!” I grabbed his sleeve, forcing the words through gritted teeth. “My… EpiPen…” Julian stared at the empty cup, turning deathly pale. “How the hell is it almond…” He tore through my handbag. “The EpiPen…” His eyes darted away. “Last time you said it was expiring soon, I took it out. Chloe was stressed and sleep-deprived, so I… I gave it to her to keep by the bed. Just in case.” “I’m taking you to the ER!” He threw an arm around me, rushing me toward the door. Right then, his phone rang. Julian glanced at the screen. He pushed me aside to answer it. “What? Your stomach hurts? From that juice?” I slumped against the icy wall. The world began to blur. All I could hear was a deafening ringing in my ears. Seconds later, Julian hung up, sheer panic in his eyes. “Look, Chloe drank your strawberry juice. She’s having severe stomach cramps. She’s by herself, Ava. I need to go to her, I can’t risk it.” He shoved his Black Card into my hand. “Call an Uber. Go to the nearest private ER and put it on my card. I’ll check on you later!” And with that, he bolted. He jumped into his Bentley and took off without looking back.

The suffocation was crushing me. I fumbled for my phone with shaking hands. The screen lit up. A push notification from Instagram flashed. It was Chloe’s latest post. In the photo, Julian was standing in an apartment kitchen, awkwardly wearing an apron, cooking something for her. The caption read: “True love isn’t what he says. It’s what he does.” Posted three days ago. I had a 102-degree fever that day. I begged him to heat up some soup for me. Yet he just handed me a room service menu. “Babe, order the truffle soup from the hotel. Room service makes it way better than I ever could. I can barely boil water.” It wasn’t that he couldn’t cook. He simply wouldn’t do it for me. My legs finally gave out. Before everything went black… I heard the horrified screams of the assistants, and the distant wailing of an ambulance.

I woke up to glaring hospital lights the next morning. A nurse was swapping out my IV bag. “A good Samaritan brought you in. Your airway was shut. You barely made it. We tried calling your emergency contact, Mr. Thorne… but it went straight to voicemail.” I shook my head. The number wasn’t wrong. The man was. I pulled up Julian’s number, ready to type out two words: We’re done. But before I hit send, the door swung open. Julian hurried in. Chloe trailed close behind him, looking pale and frail. When she saw me, she rushed to the bed with an exaggerated gasp. “Oh my god, Ava! You scared me half to death! When Julian told me you were in the ER, I made him bring me straight here.” She looked me up and down. Her eyes lingered on my swollen, blotchy face. Then, a giggle slipped out. “You know… you look kind of cute like this. Like an angry pufferfish.” She laughed and leaned into Julian’s chest. His mouth twitched, then froze under my dead stare. “But seriously, Ava.” Chloe covered her mouth, her eyes darting between us. “If you’re still swollen like this… what about the wedding? We can’t let Julian be the laughingstock of Wall Street, right?”

I instantly caught her drift. So, I filled in the blanks for her. “Yeah. How do you suggest we save Julian from embarrassment?” “Well…” Chloe looked down, biting her lip. “What if someone stood in for you? You know…to walk down the aisle.” “Exactly!” Julian snapped his fingers. “That’s it! Chloe will wear the dress and walk the aisle for you. You can stay home and rest. It’s purely a PR stunt, Ava. For the sake of both our families’ reputations.” He was getting carried away. “This way, Chloe doesn’t have to take a bridesmaid slot. Two birds, one stone! The ceremony is just a show anyway. We need to do some solid damage control.” He looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to nod. My hands clenched. Blood backed up into my IV tube. Compromise? No. In his corporate sociopath brain, this was “risk management.” The “optimal solution.” A stand-in dress. And now, a stand-in bride. Right then, I was genuinely grateful. Grateful for that wrong-sized gown. Grateful for that lethal almond shake. They snapped me awake right on time. I looked at Julian. “Okay.” Julian and Chloe both breathed a sigh of relief. They smiled. I smiled too. They smiled because their little “PR crisis” was solved. I smiled because my new life was finally going to begin.

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Six years ago, to keep from dragging down my boyfriend while he was building his startup, I cruelly told him I had fallen in love with someone else. He was completely heartbroken by me, went overseas, and never came back. Six years later, he returned home with his fiancée to get married. And I had also received the death sentence from the hospital. Late-stage ovarian cancer, malignant ascites, and even a loose oversized hoodie could not hide my painfully swollen belly. When my ex-boyfriend saw me, his gaze fell on my stomach, and he let out a scoff. “So you really were in love with someone else back then. Which pregnancy is this for you now?” He looked around, and there was only me sitting alone in a wheelchair. “What, he knocked you up but would not even marry you?” I lowered my head and gently touched my swollen belly. Inside it was only more than ten pounds of malignant ascites that could never be fully drained. It was not a child. I smiled bitterly and lied, “I am almost due. He is busy with work and does not have time to come with me.” He did not know that I was dying. He also did not know that we really did once have a child.

The last trace of complexity in his eyes turned completely into mockery. “Lily, you really have not changed at all. For money, you will go with any man.” “You abandoned me back then, and now you have ended up like this. You deserve it.” The fiancée beside him gently held his arm and advised him in a low voice. “Forget it. It is all in the past.” But he gave a cold laugh. “The past? I will never forget how she looked down on me for being poor back then and turned around to get into another man’s car.” I did not explain. Because the car he was talking about was an ambulance. That day, I had just gotten my test results, and the doctor told me there was a malignant tumor on my ovary and that I had to be hospitalized immediately. And he was running everywhere, begging people for help for a multimillion-dollar project. I did not dare tell him. Back then, he could not even take three thousand dollars out of his bank account, yet he stayed up until dawn every day, just so he could save enough for a down payment sooner and marry me. I was afraid he would give up on his startup, afraid he would sell his company, afraid he would ruin his whole life to save me. So I deliberately held my attending doctor’s arm and said to him, “I have fallen in love with someone else.” With red eyes, he slammed his fist into the wall. “Lily, you are going to regret this.” Later, he really left. He went abroad and became the rising business star everyone talked about. And I stayed alone in the hospital, going through surgery, chemotherapy, relapse, and chemotherapy again. Until today. The doctor told me there was no point in continuing treatment anymore. He told me to go home, eat whatever I wanted, and meet whoever I wanted to see. But the only person I wanted to see was standing right in front of me. Yet he would never believe me again. After returning to the hospital room, I lay down on the bed with the help of my attending doctor. Ethan’s mother came to find me. As soon as she entered, she looked at me tentatively, hesitant to speak. “Lily, I… I have a favor to ask.” Looking at her flushed face, even though she did not say what came next, I knew her reason for coming was probably the same as it had been six years ago. “Go ahead.” Her eyes instantly turned red. “Ethan has really suffered so much these years.” “After you left back then, he did not recover for two whole years. Later, he went overseas alone, worked during the day, built his business at night, and collapsed from exhaustion so many times that he ended up in the hospital, but he never said a word to us.” “Now, it was not easy for him to finally have a stable career, and he has also met someone willing to stay with him. He is about to get married.” As she spoke, tears fell. “Lily, just take it as me begging you.” “Do not go looking for him again, and do not tell him about your illness.” “Just let him think that you have been living well all these years.” “That way, it is better for you and for him.” I listened quietly without speaking. But the attending doctor could not help frowning. “Ma’am, this is not fair…” I gently shook my head, signaling for him not to speak. But Ethan’s mother seemed to have caught on to something, and her eyes swept back and forth between me and the attending doctor. She suddenly lowered her voice and muttered softly. “He protects her so much…” “Who knows if the two of you have been together for a long time.” “Now this male doctor stays with her every day. Who knows what kind of relationship they have…” The hospital room instantly fell silent. The attending doctor’s face darkened at once. “Please show some respect when you speak!” “Ms. Bennett is my patient. Taking care of her is my duty as a doctor!” “And as for why she became like this today, others may not know, but you—” “Enough!” Using all my strength, I reached out with my hand that was so thin only bones were left and gently pulled the attending doctor’s sleeve. He lowered his head to look at me, his eyes already red with anger. I gently shook my head at him. I slowly turned my head and looked at Ethan’s mother. I could clearly see the guardedness in her eyes, the caution, and that tiny bit of fear that her son might be entangled with me again. So that was how it was. Even though I was already about to die. In her eyes, I was still the person who would ruin her son’s life. I held back the ache in my eyes and gave a soft smile. “I will not go looking for him.” “And I will not tell him about my illness.” “From now on, I will try my best not to appear in front of him again.” “Let him get married in peace and live his life in peace.” “Just pretend…” My voice was so soft it could barely be heard. “Just pretend we never knew each other.” “Anyway, I am dying soon.”

After seeing Ethan’s mother off, I felt as if all the strength had been drained out of my body. The nurse adjusted my IV, and the attending doctor gave me another painkiller shot. Soon, I fell into a heavy, hazy sleep. I did not know how long I had slept when a familiar voice suddenly came from outside the hospital room. “Is Lily hospitalized because she is about to give birth?” My eyes snapped open, and my breath caught slightly. It was Ethan. I stared blankly at the ceiling, and for a moment, I thought I was dreaming. Six years ago, he hated me to the bone. On the day we broke up, he knelt in front of me, his eyes red, begging me again and again. “Lily, tell me. Did I do something wrong? I will change. I will change anything.” I bit my lip hard and did not dare look into his eyes. At that time, fluid had already begun collecting in my abdomen, and my lower belly had started to bulge slightly. I lowered my head, touched my stomach, hardened my heart, and said to him, “I am already pregnant with another man’s child.” He stared blankly at my stomach, and the color drained from his face little by little. After a long time, he finally asked in a hoarse voice, “When did it happen?” I forced myself to lift the corners of my mouth. “I got together with him not long after I met him.” “He has more money than you, more ability than you, and a better future than you.” “Ethan, I never planned to suffer with you.” Every word was like a knife stabbing into my heart. After he heard it, he turned and left. I watched his back, and my tears would not stop falling. From then on, he treated me as the person he hated most. Whenever someone mentioned my name in front of him, he would cut them off with a cold face. “Do not mention her. Just hearing her name makes me sick.” Later, on the day he went abroad, I still secretly went to the airport. Through the crowd, he saw me. But right in front of me, he only smashed the couple rings we had bought together and the phone full of our photos hard onto the ground, then turned and boarded the plane without looking back again. I had always thought that in this lifetime, he would never take the initiative to see me again. But I never expected that he would actually come to the hospital. With his fiancée, Susie. Susie was already three months pregnant. So he had brought her here for a prenatal checkup. Her gaze landed on my high, swollen abdomen, and her eyes lit up as she smiled and walked a few steps closer. “Ms. Bennett, are you here to wait for delivery too?” I instinctively tugged down my hospital gown, wanting to cover my swollen abdomen. Before I could speak, Susie gently stroked her own belly and smiled with a face full of happiness. “This is my first pregnancy, so I do not understand anything.” “I heard from Ethan that you have given birth to quite a few children over the past six years.” “You must have a lot of experience, right?” I clenched the corner of the blanket tightly, and my knuckles slowly turned pale. Ethan stood to the side, his indifferent gaze falling on my stomach as a mocking curve lifted at the corner of his mouth. “Exactly.” “Since you have so much experience, teach Susie.” “After all, she is not like certain people who can casually get pregnant with another man’s child.” Susie seemed not to notice the atmosphere and still looked completely serious. “Ms. Bennett, is late pregnancy especially hard?” “Do you sleep badly at night?” “And giving birth, does it really hurt?” “By the way, where is your husband?” She looked around, and besides the doctor and nurse, there was no one else in the room. A trace of surprise flashed in her eyes. “Why is he not here with you?” Ethan scoffed. “What other reason could there be?” “Of course he does not want her anymore.” “For someone like her, it is already lucky if anyone is willing to take responsibility once.” I slowly lowered my head. My hand gently covered my high, swollen belly. My eyes turned red little by little. There had once… Really been a child living there. That was the last piece of good news the doctor told me before chemotherapy. He said I was pregnant. It was also bad news. The tumor had spread too quickly, and the baby was developing slowly. Everyone told me to terminate the pregnancy immediately, but I held my belly and wanted to keep the child. Unfortunately, in the end, my child with him was still lost because of my illness. The baby became a pool of blood. I cried so hard I could not say a complete sentence. I lost him. And I also lost the chance to ever become a mother. And now, what was swollen high in my abdomen was not a child. It was only more than ten pounds of malignant ascites that could never be fully drained. But I could not say a single word of this. I raised my head and forced out a smile. “Pregnancy… is indeed very hard.” “I hope your child can be born safely and smoothly.” At that moment, my best friend Zoey came in carrying fruit, and when she saw Ethan and Susie, her face changed. Her lips and teeth trembled several times before she roared one sentence at Ethan. “Fuck you. You and your mother are both shameless as hell!” “Do you even know that Lily, Lily she…” Hearing her choked voice, my heart tightened sharply, and I propped myself up to sit. “Zoey, I will tell them myself.”

Zoey looked at me with red eyes, her lips trembling, but in the end, she still lowered her head, gritted her teeth hard, and swallowed all her words back down. I slowly raised my head and looked at Ethan. We had not seen each other in six years, and he had become much more mature than before. The young man who once stayed up until his eyes were bloodshot for a project now wore a crisp suit, his brows and eyes cold, and every gesture carried the calm confidence of a successful man. That was good. He had finally become the person he wanted to be. It was just that I probably would not be able to watch him much longer. I looked greedily at his face, as if I wanted to carve his appearance into my mind bit by bit. After this, I would never see him again. But Ethan frowned under my gaze, and a trace of disgust flashed in his eyes. “Have you looked enough?” I withdrew my gaze, lowered my head, and gently stroked my high, swollen abdomen. Under my palm was cold and heavy ascites. But in my mind, another tiny life that had disappeared long ago surfaced. That child only stayed in my body for a short few dozen days. During that time, I secretly downloaded countless pregnancy apps. Every day, I would look up which fruits I could eat, what things I had to avoid, when the baby would start moving, and how to sleep in late pregnancy… Later, the child was gone. But I never forgot that knowledge. I gave a soft smile. “Okay. I will carefully teach you what to pay attention to during pregnancy.” Susie’s eyes immediately lit up. She pulled Ethan to sit by the bed like a student listening carefully in class. I suppressed the bitterness surging in my throat and said softly, “Do not overwork yourself in the first trimester, and do not stay up late.” “Keep taking folic acid, keep your diet as light as possible, and eat less cold and raw food…” I paused, and my voice grew softer and softer. “A pregnant woman’s emotions are very important. Her family should spend more time with her.” “Do not let her overthink alone.” I looked at Susie’s slightly swollen belly, and my nose stung. “After the baby is born, their stomach is very fragile for the first three months. Remember to burp the baby after feeding, do not make the bathwater too hot, and do not cover the baby with too many blankets at night…” These were things I had once imagined I would tell Ethan myself one day. I would tell him how we should take care of our baby in the future. But now, the person beside him was no longer me. A scoff suddenly sounded in the hospital room. Ethan leaned back in his chair and looked at me with a faint, mocking smile. “You sure know a lot.” “Looks like you have given birth plenty of times these past few years.” The air instantly froze. My fingertips tightened little by little. He said coldly, “Since you have so much experience.” “Let me ask you one more question.” He spoke slowly, his tone full of ridicule. “During pregnancy, can a couple still have sex?” My face instantly turned white. I bit my lip hard, my nails almost digging into my palm, and I was so humiliated that I could not say a word. Ethan looked at my pale face, and there was not the slightest warmth in his eyes. “What?” “Should you not have the most say in this kind of question?” “Or did none of your men teach you?” Every word was like a dull knife cutting my heart open inch by inch. I lowered my head, tears spinning in my eyes, but they never fell. After waiting a long time without getting my answer, Ethan gave a cold laugh. “Forget it.” “Asking you only dirties Susie’s ears.” After he finished speaking, he reached out and pulled Susie into his arms, the movement natural and gentle. “Let’s go.” “The air here is bad. Do not let it affect the baby.” Susie looked back at me once, hesitant to speak, but in the end, she still followed him out of the hospital room. The hospital room door slowly closed. I stared blankly at their backs as they left hand in hand. His hand was carefully protecting another girl’s belly. That place had once belonged to me. Tears rolled down without warning. Although I had known for a long time that this day would come. But when I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears, the man who once said he would stay with me for the rest of my life had already given all his tenderness to another girl. My heart still hurt so bitterly that I could barely breathe.

Ethan messaged me and asked me to help Susie choose a postpartum care center. The agreed time was nine in the morning. For this meeting, I woke up at six in the morning. Zoey washed my hair for me, carefully helped me put on my wig, and picked out the loosest cream-colored hoodie to cover my swollen belly. She looked at my bloodless, pale face, and her nose stung. “Lily, why don’t you just not go?” “Your body right now…” I smiled and interrupted her. “I will go.” “Did we not agree that I would go with them to look at postpartum care centers?” “I looked up a lot of information. I can help at least a little.” Zoey lowered her head, and her eyes slowly reddened. At eight thirty, she pushed my wheelchair and brought me downstairs to the hospital entrance. But I waited until one in the afternoon. Ethan never appeared. I called him three times. Every time, he hung up without mercy. Zoey was so angry her eyes turned red. “What does he mean? He is clearly the one who asked you to meet!” “Lily, let’s go back. Do not wait anymore.” But I gently shook my head. “No.” I looked at the people coming and going at the hospital entrance and said softly, “Going out this time has already used up so much of my strength.” “After this is over, I might… never be able to leave again.” Zoey abruptly turned her head and secretly wiped away her tears. At two in the afternoon. My phone finally vibrated. On the other end of the call was Ethan’s cold voice. “Come down. We are here.” Zoey clenched her fists, furious enough to curse. But I gently held her hand. “Zoey.” “This is the last time.” She looked at me, and in the end, she still forced all her anger down. The car door opened. As soon as I sat in the back seat, Susie turned around and smiled at me. “Sorry, Ms. Bennett.” “Ethan kept me up too late last night.” She blushed and laughed softly. “I could not get out of bed this morning, so I made you wait so long.” My fingers curled slightly. Before I could say anything. Ethan, who was putting the wheelchair away from the driver’s seat, glanced at me lightly through the rearview mirror. “Why explain that to her?” “If she is willing to wait, let her wait.” The car suddenly fell silent. Zoey’s face turned ashen, and just as she was about to speak, I gently pulled her back. I only waved at her through the car window as she stood by the road. “Go back.” Zoey gritted her teeth as tears kept falling. “Call me when it is over.” I nodded. The car slowly drove away from the hospital. Along the way, Ethan drove very fast. He pressed hard on the gas, and he did not slow down when turning. My body was thrown against the car door again and again, and my large belly filled with ascites throbbed dully with pain while my stomach churned violently. I gripped the seat belt tightly, and a layer of cold sweat soon formed on my forehead. But suddenly, many years ago appeared before my eyes. Back then, Ethan had just gotten his driver’s license. He was so excited that for an entire week, he insisted on taking me out for drives. Knowing I got carsick, he would prepare orange candy and motion sickness patches in advance. Every time he started or braked, he did it so gently that I could barely feel it. He said, “My Lily is delicate. It hurts me even if she bumps into something.” For many years after that. I would get carsick on buses, and I would get carsick in taxis. Only when I sat in his car did I never feel uncomfortable. “Screech—” A sharp braking sound suddenly rang out. My body slammed hard against the seatback. A violent cramping pain shot through my abdomen. I covered my mouth and could not help letting out a suppressed groan. Ethan looked at me through the rearview mirror and suddenly scoffed. “What?” “You do not still think I will take care of you like before, do you?” “Try not to drive fast, not brake suddenly, and not make you carsick?” I slowly closed my eyes and swallowed the bloody sweetness in my throat bit by bit. After a long while, I finally spoke softly. “No.” “The person you should take care of now is Susie.” “She is pregnant with your baby. She cannot be frightened.” A cold curve lifted at the corner of Ethan’s lips. “At least you know your place.” After he said that, he once again pressed heavily on the gas. The car suddenly shot forward. My body slammed back against the seat again. My back hurt as if it were splitting open. But I slowly smiled. This was good. He was still willing to hate me. Hate was better than forgetting. At least while I was still alive. In Ethan’s heart, I was not a complete stranger yet.

After that, I did not feel sick for long before we arrived at our destination. When I got out of the car, Ethan carried me. When I fell into his arms again, for one instant, I almost could not hold back my tears. But fortunately, after Ethan quickly carried me out of the car, he immediately placed me in the wheelchair. He even seemed disgusted by me, and after putting me in the wheelchair, he urgently asked Susie for two wet wipes and wiped his hands desperately. Susie also stood to the side and awkwardly explained to me. “Sorry, Lily. Ethan is a clean freak. Other than me, if any woman touches him, he feels disgusted.” Looking at Ethan’s actions, I lowered my head and pressed my lips together, pretending I had not seen what he did and had not heard Susie’s words. After that, I let Ethan and Susie hold hands while pushing me into a postpartum care center. As soon as we walked into the lobby, a staff member greeted us warmly. “Mr. Reed, Mrs. Reed, welcome. Thank you for coming to visit.” “This way, please. We will first show you the recovery area for mothers, then the newborn care room.” Ethan nodded. Susie happily held his arm. And I silently followed behind them. Along the way, the staff member kept explaining. “We offer twenty-four-hour one-on-one care here.” “Newborn baths, baby massage, jaundice monitoring, and postpartum nutrition meals will all be handled by a professional team.” “After the baby is born, the father can also learn how to take care of the child with us.” Listening to the staff member’s words. My heart felt bitter. Because I had looked all of this up back then. I had even bought a thick copy of a newborn care handbook. But later, that book was never opened again. The staff member led us into a model room. Inside the room were a crib, tiny clothes, and all kinds of bottles and toys. The staff member smiled and said, “Mrs. Reed, you can experience the environment for your postpartum recovery in advance.” Susie nodded with a face full of happiness. Ethan suddenly said, “I am going to the restroom.” After that, Ethan did not look at me again, nor did he look at Susie. He turned and walked toward the restroom. And as I looked at his back, waves of bitterness rose in my heart again. So. Had I messed up again? Guilt spread through my chest. But Susie, who was sitting across from me, directly picked up a cup of hot water and suddenly splashed it onto my face. “You fake little bitch, do you think I am stupid?” “You keep pretending to be pitiful again and again to seduce my fiancé.” The cheek Susie splashed with hot water began to ache. But I only clenched my palm tightly. Then I said guiltily, “I am sorry.” “If I made you misunderstand, I apologize.” Susie only stood up with a mocking laugh. After that, she walked over and slapped me across the face. “Do you think that by acting like you are about to die, you can make Ethan change his mind?” “I am telling you, Ethan will be mine for the rest of his life.” “Do not think you can take him away just because you were his first love.” My cheek hurt and went numb from Susie’s slap. I could endure her splashing water on me. After all, I was shamelessly clinging to Ethan’s tenderness. But she could not hit me. So without thinking, I pushed her away. “Susie, if you dare lay a hand on me again, I will call the police.” But the moment my words fell. For some reason, Susie suddenly fell to the ground. Then she suddenly began to wail. “Ow, my stomach.” “Help! Someone is attacking a pregnant woman.” I looked at her lying on the ground and stared at my own hands in disbelief. After all, I had been sick for six years. Even putting on clothes exhausted me. Sometimes I could not even hold a cup of water steadily. I did not have the strength to push Susie down at all. When I pushed her just now, it had only been to stop her from hitting me again. But who would have known. Susie suddenly lay down on the ground. And just when I was at a loss. Ethan suddenly appeared in the lobby. When he saw Susie lying on the ground. He rushed toward Susie anxiously. “Susie, Susie, how are you?” Susie immediately started crying. Crying, she gripped Ethan’s collar tightly. “Ethan, save me. Save the baby in my belly.” “She wants to kill me.” “As soon as you left, she started insulting me, saying you were trash she did not want, and that whenever she wanted you back, you would shamelessly crawl back to beg her.” “I could not hold it in. I could not hold it in, so I splashed a cup of water on her.” “But who knew she would get even angrier and start cursing at me, calling me a vicious fake bitch and saying I am a slut who only picks up men she threw away.” “I could not hold back, so I slapped her.” “After that, she angrily pushed me away.” “You know I am pregnant, and my health is not good. I cannot take even the slightest bump.” Listening to Susie’s words. I froze in shock where I was. My lips and teeth trembled several times before I could speak. “Ethan, listen to me. It was not like that.” “I… I really did not.” But who knew. Ethan erupted in a furious roar. “Lily, how can you be so vicious?” As he spoke. He walked over and angrily kicked me hard. My head slammed heavily into the corner of the display cabinet. Blood instantly surged out. My head buzzed. Even my body was trembling. But Ethan did not look at me once. He only anxiously picked Susie up. As Susie cried, he anxiously kissed the corner of her lips. “It is okay, baby. It is okay. Do not cry.” “I will take you to the hospital right now.” After that. He did not look at me again. He turned and carried Susie toward the door. And I looked at Susie’s provocative smile. And Ethan’s back. Suddenly, I laughed. I laughed until tears flowed out. This also made me think of the year we were eighteen. A man on the bus had harassed me and grabbed my butt. Back then, Ethan was still an impulsive young guy. Furious, he grabbed that man, who was a head taller than him and much stronger than him. Like an enraged beast. He punched that man’s face again and again. “You worthless piece of trash. How dare you touch my woman?” “I am going to beat you to death.” At that time, all the passengers on the bus were frightened. Only I cried as I held Ethan’s arm tightly. I begged him. I cried and told him to stop, and only then did Ethan stop. Before, Ethan’s woman was me. So he would protect me with his life. Now, the person in Ethan’s heart had become another woman. So he would protect her with his life. Even if the person he hit was me. My heart hurt so badly it trembled. The staff members around the postpartum care center gradually gathered around too. After that, the police came. The moment I saw the police appear. My strength suddenly drained away. I gripped the officer’s hand tightly and said, “Tell my family not to pursue this.” “This was all my own choice.” My heart felt bitter. But for some reason. I had no regrets anymore. After all, I had fought cancer for seven years. And I had waited for seven years. My greatest dream was just to see Ethan once. I saw him, so my dream came true. I could die smiling now.

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For three years, I lived a double life. Married, a baby, a cozy home it was a sweeter slice of heaven than I ever deserved. The only catch? My mother didn’t have a clue. And who is my mother? Victoria Langford, the undisputed matriarch and CEO of Langford Enterprises. A corporate titan, ruthless and absolute. If she cleared her throat in the boardroom, thirty executives would instantly applaud the melody. Her blueprint for my life was pristine: an Ivy League degree, a prestigious European internship, a strategic marriage to Charlotte Mercer heiress to the Mercer shipping empire and eventually, taking over her throne. But my actual life path? I came back to the States, quietly slipped a ring onto Maeve’s finger, had a son, and spent my nights stumbling out of bed at 3 a.m. to mix baby formula. Today, those two paths collided. Head-on. And everything shattered into a million pieces. … At exactly 7:12 a.m., my son, Ollie, woke up burning hot. 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Maeve had tried calling me six times. I missed every single one. My phone was on silent, and I was dead to the world, trying to catch up on sleep on the Amtrak Acela. I wasn’t slacking off; I was actually on a business trip. A high-stakes deal in Chicago. My mother was pulling the strings from Boston, and I was her boots on the ground. The moment I woke up and saw the six missed calls, followed by Maeve’s texts, I bolted upright so fast I nearly hit the ceiling of the train. The texts read as follows: “Willy, Ollie’s fever is at 103.” “The ER queue is a three-hour wait minimum.” “Your phone is dead.” “I’m taking him to the office.” “If you aren’t back today, don’t bother coming back at all.” The last message was from ten minutes ago. I stared at my screen, my brain scrambling to process the impending disaster. Maeve was bringing the baby to the office. Maeve worked at Langford Enterprises in the design department. The CEO of Langford Enterprises was my mother. My mother didn’t know Maeve was my wife. My mother didn’t know she had a grandson. In my head, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony started playing. “Dun-dun-dun-dun.” I frantically dialed Maeve’s number. No answer. I tried again. Still nothing. My hands began to shake. Look, I’m not a coward. Okay, maybe I am. But anyone who knows Victoria Langford knows she’s the kind of woman who can reduce a sixty-year-old board member to tears without raising her voice. Keeping a secret marriage and a child from her wasn’t just a minor omission; it was dancing on a landmine. I desperately rebooked my ticket to the next train heading back to Boston, then typed out a message to Maeve: “Maeve, please, breathe. Whatever you do, do not go near my mother. I’m on my way back right now.” The status bubble popped up: “Read.” No reply. Just “Read.” Those four letters made my skin crawl far more than Ollie’s 103-degree fever. Meanwhile, in the design department on the fourth floor of Langford Enterprises. Maeve cradled a flushed, sluggish Ollie in her arms, her face pale with exhaustion. Ollie’s cheeks were bright red, his little body limp against her shoulder, letting out occasional, pathetic whimpers. Her original plan had been simple: leave him tucked quietly in the stroller next to her desk, finish the final rendering on her design pitch, submit it, and sprint out the door. Diane, her senior colleague, leaned over, her voice a hushed, panicked whisper. “Maeve, are you out of your mind? Bringing a baby to the office? If HR or corporate sees this, they’ll dock your performance bonus in a heartbeat.” Maeve expertly patted a cool fever patch onto Ollie’s forehead. “The clinic has a three-hour wait list. His father’s phone is completely dead. And if I don’t turn in this layout today, the whole team loses their quarterly bonus.” Her voice was steady, but Diane could hear the tremor beneath it the quiet, dangerous calm before a hurricane. “Where is your husband? Where the hell is he when you need him?” “Out of town,” Maeve said, forcing the words through clenched teeth. Diane didn’t dare push further. Honestly, things could have gone smoothly. Maeve’s design was ninety percent complete, and Ollie was resting quietly, barely making a sound. And then Trevor walked in. Trevor was the newly appointed executive secretary to the Chairwoman. An Ivy League graduate in a bespoke navy suit, with every strand of hair gelled into submission. He’d only been with the company for two weeks, but he had already managed to make the entire administrative pool despise him. He had one defining trait: he was an absolute master at sucking up to upper management. And his favorite way to do that was by throwing his subordinates under the bus. As he strutted past the design department, he caught sight of the stroller through the glass wall. Ollie was inside, sleepily chewing on his own toes. Trevor’s eyes lit up. It was the look of a predator who had finally found the perfect victim to exploit for a gold star. He pushed open the heavy glass door, his leather oxfords clicking sharply against the hardwood floor. “Whose kid is this?” The room fell dead silent. Everyone looked up from their screens. Maeve’s fingers paused over her keyboard. “Mine,” she said. Trevor walked straight to her desk, pulled a sheet of paper from his leather portfolio, and slapped it down right in front of her. “Suspension notice.” Maeve looked down at the paper, then raised her head. Her eyes were chips of dry ice. “Excuse me?” Trevor raised his voice, ensuring his authority echoed across the entire floor. “Maeve, is it? Design department? What do you think this place is? A daycare?” He glanced down at Ollie in the stroller, his lip curling in disgust. “Bringing your little bastard to a corporate office. Unbelievable.” The word “bastard” hung in the air. The temperature in the design bay plummeted to freezing. Diane’s mouth fell open. Across the aisle, another designer accidentally spilled his iced coffee directly onto his mechanical keyboard. A bastard. He had actually called him a bastard. Maeve’s eyes narrowed into thin slits. Anyone who truly knew Maeve knew that when her eyes narrowed like that, someone was about to get a metaphorical throat-slash. But Trevor didn’t know her. He kept riding his high horse. “Think of the optics. Look at the rest of your colleagues ” Maeve stood up. Her ergonomic chair rolled back violently, clattering against the filing cabinet. She bent down and lifted Ollie from the stroller. He was burning up, mumble-whimpering into her neck. “Suspension, is it?” Maeve’s voice was barely a whisper. “Fine.” She picked up the suspension notice, folded it neatly into a tight square, and slid it directly into the breast pocket of Trevor’s designer suit. “Hold onto this. You’re going to need it.” Then, she turned and walked toward the executive elevators, cradling the baby. Trevor frowned, his face flushing. “Where do you think you’re going?” Maeve didn’t turn around. “To talk to your boss.” 2 Five minutes later. The executive suite. Victoria Langford was in the middle of a high-level meeting with three senior vice presidents. She sat in her black leather executive chair, twirling a classic Montblanc pen, marking up the quarterly reports. At fifty-five, she was immaculate. Her presence alone had a physical weight that made people unconsciously hold their breath. No one dared waste her time. Last month, a department head had used the word “basically” three times during a pitch, and she had immediately reassigned him to logistics. “Our Q3 margins are unacceptable,” Victoria said, flipping a page. “VP Harrison, I’d love to hear your explanation.” The executive opened his mouth to speak. “Bam!” The double doors didn’t just open they were kicked. A heel had slammed into the wood, sending the brass handles rattling against the wall. Every head in the room whipped around. Maeve stood in the doorway, holding a flushed, half-awake baby. Her hair was slightly disheveled, her breathing shallow, but her gaze was rock solid. The Montblanc pen in Victoria’s hand froze. “Who are you?” Maeve didn’t answer. She walked straight past the VPs, stepped up to the mahogany desk, and laid Ollie gently on top of the polished wood. Gently. Firmly. As if she weren’t placing a two-year-old child down, but a ticking bomb. “Mrs. Langford,” Maeve said, her voice quiet but heavy enough to crack the floorboards. “Your grandson is sick.” The air in the office died. The three vice presidents exchanged looks of sheer, unadulterated terror. Victoria blinked. Once. Twice. “What did you just say?” “The son you raised so well,” Maeve said, her words dropping like lead weights, “hasn’t been home in three months. His son has a 103-degree fever, and his phone is completely dead.” She took a step back, locking eyes with the matriarch. “This is your mess now. Deal with it.” Silence. A suffocating, five-second void. Ollie stirred on the mahogany desk, blinking sleepily at his surroundings. He looked up at Victoria. In his feverish haze, his tiny hands instinctively reached out to the nearest adult. “Up…” Victoria didn’t move. Her eyes traveled from Ollie’s face, down to his small hands, and back up. The shape of his eyes. The curve of his nose. He looked exactly like Willy had at that age. Victoria’s knuckles turned white around her pen. Then, she did something the vice presidents would talk about for the rest of their corporate lives. “VP Harrison, VP Miller, VP Cole,” she said, her voice cold enough to freeze water mid-air. “Get out.” The three men practically fell over themselves running for the exit. The moment the heavy oak doors clicked shut, they huddled in the hallway. “Did I hear that right?” Harrison whispered. “Did she say grandson?” “The Chairwoman’s grandson?” Miller swallowed hard. “Does that mean Willy…?” Cole was already pulling out his phone. “I need to call my wife. This is too big to keep to myself.” Inside the office, Victoria stared at Maeve, her gaze sharp enough to pierce steel. “What is your name?” “Maeve. Design department.” “And you expect me to believe this is my grandson?” “We’re legally married.” Maeve reached into her tote bag, pulled out a manila folder, and laid two sheets of paper on the desk. A copy of their marriage certificate. A copy of Ollie’s birth certificate. Victoria looked down. On the certificate: “Spouse A: Willy Langford. Spouse B: Maeve Langford.” Date of registration: Three years ago. On the birth certificate: “Oliver Langford.” Victoria stared at the name for ten seconds. “Willy picked the name?” “Yes. But we call him Ollie at home.” Victoria took a deep, shuddering breath. Then another. She stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, and turned her back to Maeve. A thirty-second silence filled the room. Maeve didn’t budge. On the desk, Ollie began to squirm, his little hand grabbing the Montblanc pen and shoving it straight into his mouth. “Let me ask you something,” Victoria said, her voice low and dangerous. “You married him three years ago. Which means that idiot never actually left the country.” It wasn’t a question. It was a fact. “He did go to London,” Maeve corrected calmly. “But only for six months. Once we got married, he stayed right here in Boston.” “Then what about the photos he sent me every month? The academic symposiums? The dinners with his advisors?” “Photoshopped,” Maeve said, completely unfazed. “I edited them for him.” Victoria whipped around. Her expression was a magnificent tapestry of shock, fury, disbelief, and a tiny, stubborn spark of curiosity she refused to acknowledge. “You helped him lie to me?” “He begged me.” “And you just did it because he begged?” Maeve’s lips pressed into a thin line. “When I married him, he swore on his knees he’d tell you within a year. But one year turned into two, and two turned into three. Every time I threatened to come clean, he’d literally cling to my legs and cry.” Victoria’s eye twitched. Her son. The handpicked heir to Langford Enterprises. Her pride and joy. Clinging to his wife’s legs and sobbing. Victoria marched back to her desk, picked up the landline receiver, and dialed with enough force to crack the plastic. It rang. Once. Twice. He picked up. “Willy,” Victoria said, her voice deceptively calm. On the other end, Willy was sweating profusely, standing between the train cars on the Amtrak. “Mom…” “Where are you right now?” “I’m… on my way back.” “How long?” “An… an hour…” “I’m giving you forty minutes.” She slammed the receiver down and immediately picked up her personal cell, speed-dialing her driver. “Hank, take the car to South Station. Pick up my idiot son. Tell him if he isn’t in my office in forty minutes, he shouldn’t bother showing his face in this city again.” Standing nearby, Maeve watched the execution of orders. A faint, almost imperceptible smirk touched her lips. It wasn’t a smile of joy; it was the look of a woman who had finally found someone capable of bringing her husband to heel. Just then, Ollie spit the Montblanc pen out onto the desk. Saliva coated the gold-plated cap. Victoria looked down. That pen was a limited edition. One of only a hundred in the world. Her eye twitched again.

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Thomas was the bridge between Lauren and me. I’d known him for three years before I ever met her. After Lauren and I broke up, Thomas was caught in the middle, entirely unsure of which side to take. Neither of us was willing to let go of him. On holidays, we would both reach out to him separately, and on birthdays, we’d use him as a proxy to pass along wishes. Neither of us wanted to be the first to say it out loud: “We are two parallel lines now, and we’ll never cross again.” Lauren finally broke the stalemate on a completely ordinary Tuesday night. Her text was brief: “Thomas can’t keep being there for both of us. Let him go.” I didn’t reply. I thought she was like me—just clinging to the long, beautiful history the three of us had built together. Then, last night, she called. Her voice sounded more exhausted than I had ever heard it. “I know how much Thomas means to you, Natalie. But there are things I can’t explain right now. I just… I need him here with me.” I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, there was a rustling sound on her end. Then came Thomas’s voice, calling her name. It was soft, incredibly gentle, the kind of tone that only comes from deep, quiet familiarity. Lauren immediately whispered back, “Just give me a second. I’m almost done.” I stood there on the balcony for a long time, the phone pressed to my ear, frozen. I had spent so long believing Thomas was “our” best friend. But he wasn’t anymore. He was hers. “Fine,” I murmured to the empty room. “I’m out, Lauren.” … Lauren and I were together for five years. We’d been broken up for a year and a half. The reason we ended was painfully cliché—she said she was exhausted, and I said I was too. There was no dramatic cheating, no screaming matches. We had just let our relationship turn into a stagnant pool of water, and neither of us had the energy to throw another stone to make a ripple. But even after the breakup, there was still a bridge between us. Thomas. He’d been my best friend since high school, three years before Lauren ever entered the picture. During college, I introduced them, and from that moment on, we were tethered. Every holiday, every late-night phone call, every major milestone—it was always a package deal for three. When Lauren and I split, we had a silent agreement not to make Thomas choose. I’d grab lunch with him on Fridays and casually ask, “Is Lauren still staying up late? Her stomach has been giving her trouble.” Thomas would pat my hand and smile. “Don’t worry, I lectured her last week and made sure she ate on time.” Hearing that always brought a quiet wave of relief. And on Lauren’s end, Thomas would occasionally bring back messages for me. “She asked if you finished that big project. Said not to push yourself too hard.” You see, we were still watching each other, using Thomas as our window. Last Wednesday was my birthday. Lauren didn’t text me, but at lunchtime, Thomas showed up at my office with a bouquet of white roses. “Guess who told me to bring these?” he asked, a knowing grin playing on his lips. My heart skipped a beat as I took them. “She remembered I only like white ones.” “Of course she did,” Thomas said, helping me put them in a vase. “Five years is a long time. She told me to tell you happy birthday, and to stop sleeping so late.” That night, I took a photo of the roses and saved it to my camera roll, keeping it to myself instead of posting it on social media. I thought we had an unspoken understanding—that we both still cared, we were just too proud to take the first step back. Until yesterday. Lauren’s text came out of nowhere: “Thomas can’t keep being there for both of us. Let him go.” I stared at the screen for a long time, unable to reply. I thought she was just testing me. At eleven that night, she called. Her voice sounded heavy, stripped of its usual sharpness. “I know how much Thomas means to you, but there are things I can’t explain. I just need him with me right now.” I opened my mouth, but the words caught in my throat— On the other end, there was a soft rustle of sheets, and then Thomas’s sleepy voice. “Lauren… you still awake?” It was so soft, thick with sleep. Lauren’s voice instantly softened into a tenderness I had never heard from her before. “Go back to sleep, honey. I’ll be right there.” I stood out on the balcony for a long time, letting the cold wind numb my face. So that was what she meant by “needing him with her.” I didn’t break down right away. I even went to work the next day, sat through meetings, and submitted my reports as if nothing had happened. At noon, a text from Thomas popped up: “Friday at our usual spot? A new ramen place just opened downtown, everyone’s raving about it.” I stared at the screen, my fingers hovering. He didn’t know I’d heard him. He probably had no idea Lauren had even called me. I typed back: “Sounds good.” On Friday, I arrived ten minutes early. Thomas rushed in right on time, unraveling his scarf before he even sat down. “Oh my god, you have no idea what my manager did yesterday—” He launched into a rambling rant about work, and I just listened, offering a quiet laugh here and there. When the steaming bowls of ramen arrived, he ladled a piece of tender chashu pork into my bowl. “Your favorite part.” “Thanks,” I said. “Oh, by the way,” he whispered, leaning in. “Lauren mentioned last week that she was craving that homemade lasagna you used to make. I told her she should learn how to make it, but she refused, saying she could never get the sauce right.” My fork paused. A few weeks ago, a comment like that would have warmed my chest, making me think she was still missing me. But now, it tasted different. Why was she talking about my cooking to Thomas? Was she reminiscing about an ex, or was she flirting with the man next to her? “What’s wrong?” Thomas asked, noticing my silence. “Nothing. Just tired lately.” “You work too hard,” he said, reaching over to playfully tap my forehead. “How many times have I told you to stop pulling overtime? Lauren said so too—” He froze mid-sentence. I looked at him. He avoided my eyes, picking up his glass of water and taking a slow sip. “Never mind. We’re just both worried about you.” His ears were slightly flushed. In that split second, a quiet truth crystallized in my mind. It wasn’t that Thomas didn’t care about me. It was just that alongside his care for me, a different kind of feeling had taken root. And that feeling required him to start keeping secrets from me. After lunch, as we stood at the crosswalk waiting for the light to change, he suddenly looped his arm through mine. “Natalie, no matter what, you know you’re always going to be my best friend, right?” Looking into his earnest eyes, I wanted so badly to ask: “If I’m your best friend, why didn’t you tell me?” But I didn’t. I just smiled. “I know.” The light turned green. He let go of my arm and jogged across the street, turning back to wave. “See you next week!” I stood on my side of the road, watching his back fade into the crowd. Ten years. My best friend and the person I loved most had chosen each other. And they didn’t even know how to tell me. On Sunday afternoon, I went to the grocery store alone. I was pushing my cart around the corner of the snack aisle when I ran straight into Lauren. She was wearing a black hoodie, holding a bag of Sumo oranges. She froze when she saw me. “…Natalie?” “Hey. What a coincidence,” I said, forcing a small smile. She tried to smile back, but her eyes flickered away. “Are you alone?” “Yeah, just stocking up for the week. You?” “Same, just grabbing a few things.” We walked side by side for a moment, the silence between us heavy and awkward. She finally broke it. “Thomas mentioned you’ve been working a lot of overtime. Take care of yourself.” “Yeah, the project is wrapping up.” Another few seconds of silence. Then she said, “About that text I sent the other night… don’t take it to heart. I was just talking nonsense.” I looked at her. The text that read: “Thomas can’t keep being there for both of us. Let him go.” Nonsense? “It’s fine, I didn’t think twice about it,” I lied, keeping my voice light. “Thomas is our mutual friend. Nobody needs to let go of anyone.” Her shoulders visibly relaxed, as if a massive weight had been lifted from her chest. “Good,” she said. “You two have such a tight bond. I shouldn’t have said that.” I nodded, my gaze falling on the bag of Sumo oranges in her hand. Those were Thomas’s favorite. I used to love them too, but only because Thomas had introduced them to me. She was buying them for him. “I should get going,” I said, nudging my cart forward. “See you around.” “Yeah.” She stood there, then suddenly called out, “Natalie.” I turned back. Her mouth opened, but she hesitated before finally saying, “Take care of yourself.” “You too.” I turned and walked away, keeping my spine perfectly straight. As I rounded the corner, I caught her reflection in the glass of a freezer door. She was pulling out her phone, looking down to type. I didn’t need to guess who she was texting. It was either “Just ran into Natalie at the store” or “She seems okay.” Either way, the recipient was Thomas. And I was no longer part of that closed loop. At eight that night, right on cue, a text from Thomas arrived: “Hear you ran into Lauren today? She said you’ve lost a lot of weight. Have you been eating properly?” I stared at the message, finding the whole thing absurd. They were reporting back to each other about me. Like two worried parents discussing a troubled child. Except they were a couple now. I replied with a quick “Yeah, I’m eating fine” and set the phone face down. Later that night, I lay in bed scrolling through my phone and accidentally found our old three-person group chat. The last message was from six months ago. Thomas had texted: “Escape room this weekend, who’s in?” Lauren had replied: “In.” I had replied: “Count me in.” That was the last time the three of us had gone out together. I remembered screaming in the dark of the escape room, Lauren stepping in front to shield me, and Thomas wrapping his arms around me from behind. Afterward, we had crowded into a booth at a greasy late-night diner, Thomas stealing fries from my plate while Lauren silently slid half of her burger over to me. On the walk home, Thomas had walked in the middle, his arm looped through mine on one side, his hand resting on Lauren’s shoulder on the other. “We’re going to be this close forever,” he had said. “Forever.” I exited the group chat and locked my screen. In the quiet dark of my room, I made a decision. My company was looking for someone to relocate to our Seattle office. It was a minimum six-month assignment, and nobody wanted to take it. I went straight to my manager the next morning. “Natalie, are you sure? You were just promoted to team lead here.” “I’m sure. I just need a change of scenery.” He studied my face for a moment, didn’t press, and signed the papers. I spent the next week handing over my responsibilities, ending my lease, and packing up my life into boxes. Before I left, I did one last thing—I invited Thomas and Lauren out for dinner. It was the first time the three of us had sat at the same table since the breakup. The atmosphere was delicate, fragile. Thomas sat in the middle, with me on his left and Lauren on his right. He took on the burden of keeping the conversation alive, cracking jokes and laughing the loudest. Lauren would chime in occasionally, her eyes naturally drifting to him. And in the middle of Thomas putting food on my plate, his elbow brushed against Lauren’s arm. It was light, unthinking, completely natural—the kind of touch born from daily habit. They probably didn’t even realize they were doing it. But I saw it. “You’ve really lost too much weight, Natalie,” Thomas said, placing a piece of chicken in my bowl. “Eat up. Stop trying to look like a runway model.” “Exactly,” Lauren agreed, a rare moment of alignment. “You always hated that bony look. What did you used to say? Starving yourself isn’t a lifestyle.” I offered a faint smile. “You have a good memory.” The comment seemed to catch her off guard, and she quietly sipped her wine. Near the end of the meal, I raised my glass. “To both of us.” They both froze. “Thank you for looking out for me this past year,” I said softly. “Seriously.” Thomas’s eyes welled up with tears. “What are you talking about? We’re family.” Lauren didn’t speak, but she clinked her glass against mine. When dinner ended, we stood outside the restaurant for a moment. The winter wind was biting. Thomas shivered, pulling his collar up, and without a word, Lauren took off her scarf and wrapped it around his neck. The gesture was seamless, as if she had done it a thousand times. Thomas caught himself, casting a fleeting, guilty look at me—full of panic and apology. But he didn’t take the scarf off. I looked at them, and a strange, profound stillness washed over me. “I’m going to head out. You guys should get home.” “I can drive you,” Lauren offered. “No need. I’ll call an Uber.” Thomas stepped forward and hugged me, squeezing tightly. “We’re still on for next week, okay?” I patted his back. “Yeah.” My ride pulled up. I opened the door, got in, and waved. As the car pulled away, I looked in the rearview mirror. Lauren had turned toward Thomas, whispering something, and he smiled down at her. Then, they turned and walked away together, side by side. Walking in the same direction. Heading to the same home. I pulled my eyes away, leaned my head against the cold window, and closed my eyes. Three days later, I pulled my suitcase through the airport. No grand farewells, no final texts, no warning. I simply, quietly, vanished from the city. I didn’t turn my phone back on until the evening after I landed in Seattle. The moment the signal caught, messages flooded in, making the phone buzz frantically against the nightstand. I leaned against the headboard of my hotel bed, scrolling through them one by one. The earliest was from Friday afternoon at five-thirty. Thomas: “What are we doing for dinner? I found this amazing Thai place downtown!” Five-forty-five: “? Where are you? Off work yet?” Six-ten: “Natalie???” At six-thirty, three missed calls. At seven, a voice memo from Thomas: “What’s going on? Did work melt your brain? Call me back.” At eight, two more missed calls. At eight-twenty-three, a text: “I went to your apartment. You’re not here? Why is there a ‘For Rent’ sign on your door???” Eight-twenty-four: “Natalie, did you move?? When did you move?? Why didn’t you tell me???” At eight-thirty, a forty-seven-second voice memo. I didn’t play it. But I knew exactly what it would sound like—his voice cracking, panicked, on the verge of tears. At nine, Lauren’s first message appeared. It was blunt: “Natalie, Thomas can’t reach you. Where are you? Just reply.” At nine-thirty, another flurry from Thomas: “I asked your neighbor. He said you moved out last week??? Where did you go? Why aren’t you answering?” At ten, Lauren again: “I called your office. The receptionist said you took a transfer to Seattle. Where? When did this happen?” At ten-fifteen, the messages from Thomas suddenly stopped. There was a stretch of silence for forty minutes. Then, at ten-fifty-six, his final text arrived: “Natalie… you know, don’t you?” No question mark. It was a statement. I stared at those words for a very long time. Lauren’s third text came at eleven-forty-seven: “Was it the phone call the other night?” No question mark there either. The last message came from Thomas at eleven-forty-seven: “Where are you? Please just tell me. I’ll come to you, I’ll explain. Whatever you heard, let me explain it in person… Please, Natalie. Don’t just disappear like this…” The messages stopped there. Nothing new after that. I suppose they finally realized I wasn’t going to reply. I locked my phone and set it on the nightstand. The hotel curtains weren’t fully closed, letting the soft, amber glow of the Seattle streetlights seep through the gap, drawing a long, thin shadow across the carpet. I didn’t cry. I just sat there in the quiet, watching that sliver of light for a long, long time.

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