Author: Momo Chan

I turned away after witnessing my childhood friend, drugged and burning with desire, drag the principal’s daughter into the bathroom. In my past life, I had rushed in to stop his violent act. But that only put me in danger. By the time the police arrived, my school uniform was torn to shreds. Photos of me disheveled in the bathroom went viral online. “So much for being the cold, top student. She’s just a sl*t who can’t control herself.” My reputation was ruined, and I was expelled from school. My childhood friend married me to save his own reputation. But our marriage was my true hell. I fell into severe depression and mental instability, losing eight pregnancies in ten years. People gossiped that I was promiscuous, that my body was worn out from being used by too many men. My parents, trying to make amends to my husband, poured all their efforts into supporting him. But the first thing he did after gaining full control of my family’s company was to frame my father for financial crimes. My father died of a heart attack in prison. My mother, unable to bear such a huge blow, died in a car accident. When I heard the news, I was devastated beyond words. But my husband of ten years appeared before me, arm in arm with a transfer student: “You b*tch, if you hadn’t interfered back then, Lily and I would have been together long ago. She wouldn’t have been forced by her parents to abort our child.” I coughed up blood and died with my eyes wide open in disbelief. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day my childhood friend was drugged.

After school, there weren’t many people left in the building. I took deep breaths of fresh air, trying to calm my emotions after being suddenly pulled back from the hatred and fear of my death. Lily was handing Zack a bottle of water. It contained an aphrodisiac that would inflame his desires. In my past life, I had accidentally discovered Lily pouring an unknown white powder into the water. I exposed her on the spot. But Zack didn’t believe me. He insisted on drinking the water anyway. He even asked if I was jealous because Lily was prettier than me, and that’s why I was always targeting her. This time, I didn’t try to stop him. After taking the water, Zack instinctively looked at me. “You’re not going to try to control even my drinking water, are you?” “Do whatever you want,” I said with a wave of my hand. Lily couldn’t miss any opportunity to attack me. She immediately chimed in: “Natalie, your possessiveness over Zack is too much. Doesn’t he even have the freedom to make friends?” With those words, the few classmates who hadn’t gone home yet gave me strange looks. Zack’s face darkened even more. “She’s nothing, just a bookworm,” he muttered. I gripped my pen tightly, hatred surging in my eyes. “Are you two done? I haven’t said anything from start to finish, have I?” I retorted. Zack was taken aback and fell silent, his face stony. Lily continued to stir up trouble. “You might not have said anything, but your face looks very unhappy. I just said a few words to Zack, and you’re already scowling.” Hearing this, Zack shot me an annoyed glare. As if to spite me, he drank the entire bottle of water. In my past life, I had knocked the bottle away, so he only took one sip. But even that one sip was enough to make him lose control. I couldn’t imagine what would happen now that he had drunk the entire bottle. I found myself looking forward to it, in a twisted way. Seeing him finish the water, Lily could barely contain her excitement. She grabbed Zack’s hand. “Zack, walk me home?” Of course, Zack wouldn’t refuse. The two of them left the classroom hand in hand. Ten minutes later, Penny, our class monitor, burst into the classroom, her face flushed red. By then, I was the only one left in the room. Penny stammered, clearly struggling to say something difficult. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Zack and Lily?” I asked proactively. Penny grabbed my hand: “Yes, yes, it’s them… they… they…” “What happened?” I asked, looking directly into Penny’s eyes and pretending I knew nothing. I used to trust Penny implicitly. She wasn’t just our class monitor, but had been my desk mate for all three years of high school. I thought we were best friends who could tell each other anything. But I never imagined she would stomp on me so hard after the incident. She told everyone that I had a crush on Zack and drugged him myself. She even started a livestream to denounce my actions. “I was her desk mate for three years, I always knew she liked Zack. I just never thought she would actually do something like this.” “Natalie is a sex addict. She… she once called ten male escorts in one night.” “I tried to advise her, but she wouldn’t listen. She also had an unclear relationship with the old widower next door…” This livestream pushed the whole incident to its climax. I was completely cast into the abyss, and the school persuaded me to drop out. Later, I ran into her by chance. By then, she had already climbed to a high position. “Thank you. If it weren’t for your incident, I wouldn’t have been able to take your spot for early admission to the top university and end up where I am now.” As the memories flooded back, I stared hard at Penny. In my past life, she and I had discovered Zack dragging Lily into the bathroom together. I rushed in to stop him, while Penny said she would go call for help. But she just hid to the side to watch and record videos… Seeing that I wasn’t in a hurry, Penny became flustered and incoherent. “Zack dragged Lily into the men’s bathroom. Lily kept crying, Zack… Zack is trying to assault Lily.” “But don’t they like each other? How do you know Lily isn’t willing?” I asked. Hearing me say this, Penny was stunned. Everyone in our class knew that Zack and Lily were flirting, just short of making it official. Penny anxiously grabbed my wrist. “But they’re still students, they can’t do this!” “Come on, let’s go take a look. We can’t just ignore this.”

The calculation in Penny’s eyes was about to spill over. She just wanted to ruin me to get the early admission spot to the top university. I didn’t say anything more and followed her downstairs. On the way, I secretly sent pre-written SOS messages to the principal and other school leaders, as well as contacting some influencers who were livestreaming nearby. Lily was the principal’s daughter, after all. In my past life, when persuading me to drop out, the principal had utterly humiliated me, saying I was damaged goods that had been ridden by thousands. This time, I wanted the principal to get a good look at the show her daughter was putting on. As we approached the bathroom, we could hear ambiguous sounds coming from inside. “Zack, baby, more, I want more.” “Zack, you’re so good.” The woman’s moans and the man’s grunts were nonstop. Penny’s eyes darted around: “Natalie, you go in first to stop them. I’ll go find someone to help.” “No, I can’t go in. Let’s just wait here for the teachers,” I said, shrinking my neck and pretending to be scared. Penny glared at me in annoyance. She forced down her temper and lowered her voice: “If you don’t go in now, they’ll go all the way. Do you really want to let Zack go to Lily?” The bathroom’s outer door wasn’t fully closed. Through the crack, I could see Zack pressing Lily against the wall. Lily was half-undressed, exposing herself. Zack was frantically tearing at Lily’s uniform, biting all over her body. Lily pretended to struggle, but wasn’t actually using any strength. Her coy resistance only made Zack more uncontrollable. I pressed my lips together tightly, pretending to be conflicted: “Okay, you’re right. I’ll go in now.” Just as I was about to push the door open, I turned back to Penny and said, “Hurry and find a teacher. I can’t hold out for long.” Penny nodded eagerly. She turned and ran. But after rounding a corner, she came back. She gleefully took out her phone, started recording, and wedged it into the door crack. Inside was chaotic, with lewd sounds coming out unabashedly. After doing this, Penny finally went to find teachers and security guards, feeling very pleased with herself. When a group of people rushed to the teaching building, the couple inside were still going at it vigorously. Penny covered her face and cried, blocking the principal. “Teacher, I… I don’t know why they’re doing this!” The principal’s face was dark with anger. She didn’t know her daughter Lily was inside. Penny hadn’t clarified who exactly was in there. Penny wanted to ruin not just me, but Lily as well. After all, in her eyes, we were both her competitors. Today, education bureau officials happened to be visiting for an inspection. Now, a group of education officials were following the principal to “catch people in the act”. The scene couldn’t be more dramatic. The principal was shaking with rage. With education officials watching, it seemed her chances for promotion were likely ruined. I guessed the principal probably wanted to kill the adulterous couple inside right now. The principal tried to move forward. Penny blocked the principal again, crying and wailing, “Principal, inside is… is is…” She pretended to be reluctant. The principal grabbed her shoulders, “Who is it?” Penny acted like she had been frightened to tears, and said between sobs, “It’s Natalie.” The principal naturally knew who I was. My grades were always top of the year, and I was the most promising candidate for early admission to the top university. The principal’s eyes bulged with rage. “That sl—” She abruptly cut off the insult she was about to hurl. The education officials were still watching, so the principal couldn’t speak too harshly at this moment. The people inside were still lost in their passion, completely unaware of the commotion outside. The lewd sounds coming from inside grew even more unbridled. Penny covered her chest and cried: “Natalie, how could you be so foolish! Why can’t you control yourself? Are you really that desperate for men?” With those words, the education officials’ expressions turned extremely unpleasant. They considered themselves respectable people and didn’t want to barge in at a moment like this. A group of people with varying expressions waited downstairs, looking at each other awkwardly. “Me? What about me?” I finally emerged from my hiding place in the shadows.

“Why are you here?” Penny cried out in shock. The principal eyed me suspiciously, “It’s not you? Then who’s inside?” I shrugged, “I don’t know. I didn’t see clearly who it was.” Since Penny deliberately concealed it, I naturally had no reason to expose it. At this moment, several influencers who had received my message barged in, ignoring the school security guards trying to stop them. “Wow, the students at your school are so open, having sex in broad daylight.” “Yeah, Principal, aren’t you going to take us for a look?” “Principal, what are your thoughts on this? Chat with the viewers in our livestream.” The principal’s face turned ashen. She clenched her jaw and said nothing. Penny stared at me intently, finally losing it. She grabbed my hand: “Didn’t you go in? Then who went in just now?” “I was scared and didn’t dare go in,” I said, trying hard to squeeze out tears and acting like a coward. Penny was so angry she raised her hand to slap me. Just as her palm was about to hit my face, she stopped herself abruptly, glaring at me fiercely. The influencers’ cameras zoomed in. Comments in the livestream were scrolling rapidly. [666, this is so exciting.] [You can tell how intense it is just from the sounds.] [Streamer, hurry up and go in to record. Let us bros feast our eyes.] The influencer chuckled, “I wouldn’t dare. If I went in, my stream would get banned immediately.” I turned away from the camera and flashed a smile at Penny. She stared at me in shock, her eyes wide. “You…” “What’s wrong, class monitor?” I asked innocently. An education bureau official’s face had turned red. He pointed at the bathroom: “Old Lin, go talk some sense into your students!” This incident could no longer be covered up. The principal was so angry her face was twitching. “Good, good, good. These students are really something.” As the principal charged towards the bathroom, I ran over crying and grabbed her. “Teacher, you’d better not go in.” The principal shoved me away forcefully. “Get lost! Why are you all trying to stop me? What are you up to?” Everyone frowned as they looked at me. Penny had finally reacted by now. She hid in the crowd, staring at me unblinkingly. She must have thought of something, because she suddenly ran over. “Natalie, stop interfering with them. I know you like Zack, but he deserves this,” she said. She acted like she was looking out for me as she pulled me away, her voice full of pain: “We’re just students. We shouldn’t get involved in the teachers’ business.” Seeing that I still wanted to block the way, the principal pushed me aside forcefully. I cried my heart out, wailing to the livestream cameras: “But there are so many people here. If this gets out, what will happen to the people inside?” I pretended to be very concerned about the people inside. On camera, of course I had to act like I cared about my classmates. This time, I was the only one occupying the moral high ground. Hearing this, the principal paused. The education officials also looked troubled. On camera, they couldn’t just barge in to “catch people in the act” like this. If it caused the students involved to do something drastic, they couldn’t bear that responsibility. So the group of people hesitated about 30 meters away from the bathroom in the teaching building. We weren’t very close, but we could still clearly hear the sounds from inside. The influencers tried to get closer to film, but were blocked by the security guards. And so, the group waited outside like cats on hot bricks. It took a full two hours before the noises inside finally died down. The bathroom door opened. But to everyone’s surprise, the satiated-looking man who walked out wasn’t a student from our school. The man was burly and strong, with a scar on his face. Seeing so many eyes staring at him, he spat in disgust. “What are you looking at? Keep staring and I’ll gouge your eyeballs out.” Seeing it was some thug, the principal visibly relaxed. As long as it wasn’t students involved, it would be easier to handle. But then someone cried out in shock, “Holy sh*t, inside…”

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My father gave me a choice between inheriting the family’s $30 billion trust fund or receiving a $1,500 monthly allowance. Without hesitation, I chose the $1,500 allowance. I wasn’t panicking, but my rich roommate was going crazy. In my previous life, after I chose to inherit the $30 billion, my roommate stole my family’s trust fund card and invited the entire class to Las Vegas. Overnight, the $30 billion was squandered, the family business went bankrupt, and my father, in a fit of rage, died of a heart attack. When I confronted my roommate about repaying the money, he hid behind my girlfriend with a pitiful expression. “Jack, you can’t blame me just because your family went bankrupt,” he whined. My girlfriend even kicked me, breaking my ribs, and accused me, “Jack Wilson, you’re the one who spent recklessly and got addicted to gambling. How dare you accuse Tyler! Have you no shame?” When I was about to hire a private investigator, our class president ran me over with his car. My girlfriend and the entire class testified for him, insisting that I had intentionally thrown myself in front of the car because I was suicidal after going bankrupt. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day I was to inherit the family fortune. 1 On the eve of graduation, someone in our class suggested going to Las Vegas to celebrate. “Hey everyone, let’s go to Vegas for a graduation trip. I’ll cover all the expenses!” Tyler’s words sent a shiver down my spine, the pain of broken bones still fresh in my memory. Suddenly, I realized I had been reborn! As soon as Tyler made the suggestion, the whole class erupted in cheers. “Tyler, you’re the man! That’s what being a rich kid is all about!” “If we’re going to Vegas, we have to hit the casinos! I’ve only seen them in ads, never been there myself!” Tyler grinned, “Sure, let’s go to the casinos then!” He then turned his gaze towards me and walked over. “Jack, I heard your family has VIP status at the casinos. Can I borrow your VIP card? Let the class enjoy some top-tier service.” My face turned cold. In my previous life, the tragedy of losing everything began when Tyler asked to borrow my card. Back then, under the pretense of borrowing the card, he secretly took the bank card for my family’s $30 billion trust fund from a Swiss bank that my father had left me. When the court called my phone to inform me that the company had gone bankrupt, I realized that the money Tyler had used to treat the entire class was my family’s trust fund. When I went to Tyler’s house to demand repayment, he hid behind my girlfriend with a pitiful expression. “Jack, you can’t blame me just because your family went bankrupt,” he said. My girlfriend, Olivia, even kicked me, breaking my ribs, and accused me, “Jack Wilson, you’re the one who spent recklessly and got addicted to gambling. How dare you accuse Tyler! Have you no shame?” When I was about to hire a private investigator, Tyler deliberately ran me over with his car, repeatedly crushing me until I was dead. Afterward, Olivia and the entire class testified for Tyler, claiming that I had become suicidal after going bankrupt and intentionally threw myself in front of the car. My father also died of a heart attack due to extreme emotional distress. I mechanically reached into my backpack, my fingertips touching the cold metal card, gripping it tightly. Seeing no response from me, Tyler smiled and hooked his arm around my neck. “Come on, Jack, just let everyone use it. It’s not like you’ll lose anything!” “Sorry, that card belongs to my father. I can’t lend it out casually,” I said, stuffing the VIP card back into the deepest part of my backpack. Hearing my words, Tyler’s face showed displeasure. “You’re going to inherit your father’s company anyway. Why be so particular about what belongs to who in a family?” Olivia suddenly grabbed my backpack and dumped all my belongings out. My phone, game console, and tablet scattered on the ground. Olivia immediately spotted the golden card and picked it up, handing it to Tyler. “Here it is. Just take it and use it!” As Tyler took it, he meaningfully caressed Olivia’s hand. “Olivia’s so sensible. Jack, you should learn from your girlfriend.” Suddenly his eyes lit up, fixating on the game console on the ground. “Oh, isn’t this the latest Switch 2? I heard it’s sold out everywhere. I’ve been trying to get one but couldn’t!” Noticing Tyler’s eager gaze, Olivia bent down, picked up the game console, and stuffed it into Tyler’s arms. “Take this too. Jack’s probably bored with it anyway.” “Thanks, Olivia,” Tyler’s face beamed with a smile. I frowned and snatched back my game console and VIP card. “Sorry, I’m not lending either of these!” Olivia immediately looked furious, grabbing me and scolding, “Jack Wilson, when did you become so stingy?!” “Me, stingy?” I angrily slapped her face. 2 Slap! The crisp sound of the slap echoed in the classroom. Olivia staggered back two steps, holding her face, her carefully styled bangs in disarray. Her eyes widened in disbelief, the tiny diamonds on her manicured nails flashing irritatingly in the sunlight. “Jack Wilson! How dare you hit me!” Her scream was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. I shook my tingling hand, sneering, “This slap is to teach you about boundaries. What right do you have to give away my things to others?!” The classroom instantly erupted. “Jack Wilson, have you gone mad?” “It’s just a game console, what’s the big deal?” “You even hit your own girlfriend!” “Think you’re all that because you’re rich, huh?” Tyler quickly helped Olivia up, then turned to glare at me angrily. “Jack, Olivia was just trying to do something nice for everyone. What’s with your attitude!” I bent down to pick up my scattered belongings, calmly putting the VIP card back in my pocket. “My attitude is very clear. I’m not lending anything!” Olivia suddenly broke free from Tyler’s grasp and charged at me. “Jack Wilson! You give that card back to Tyler right now and apologize to us, or we’re breaking up! I don’t want my boyfriend to be such a narrow-minded person!” “Give it back? It’s my stuff to begin with, who am I giving it back to?” I dodged her claws, a smile tugging at my lips. “If you want to break up, fine. Saves me the breakup fee.” This comment was like poking a hornet’s nest. Olivia trembled with rage. “You… you think I care about your money?” “You don’t?” I raised an eyebrow, looking at the Cartier watch on her wrist. “Then give back the birthday gift I gave you last week?” Her face instantly turned pale, instinctively covering her watch. The expressions of the surrounding classmates immediately became awkward. Mark, the class president, suddenly stood up angrily, slamming the desk. “Jack Wilson, you’re too selfish! Tyler is kindly inviting everyone to Las Vegas, can’t you think about the group for once?” “That’s right,” the study representative chimed in, “You always act so easy-going, but when it really matters, you show your true colors.” I looked around at these familiar yet strange faces. In my previous life, it was they who unanimously claimed in court that I had attempted suicide by throwing myself in front of a car. “If Tyler is inviting you to Las Vegas, go ask him. Why are you coming to me?” Tyler stepped forward again. “We’re using your VIP card, so won’t that raise your VIP status at the casino when we spend money there? It’s a win-win situation!” Olivia snuggled up to Tyler, the pain on her face seemingly gone. “You’re so considerate. Even after Jack has been so awful, you’re still thinking of him.” “Since you all want to go to Las Vegas so badly…” I slowly pulled a card from my wallet, “I’ll lend it to you then?” Tylerend it’s eyes lit up, reaching out to take it. I flipped my wrist, revealing the full card—it was my student cafeteria card. “You’re mocking me?!” Tyler’s face turned ashen. “Pot calling the kettle black.” I twirled the cafeteria card between my fingers. “Aren’t you all trying to guilt-trip me too?” Olivia suddenly grabbed the chalk box from the podium and threw it at me. “Jack Wilson! I must have been blind to be with you!” I dodged to the side, chalk scattering across the floor. 3 Seeing that I wouldn’t hand over the VIP card, Tyler’s face instantly darkened. He gave a look to the surrounding classmates, and several guys immediately surrounded me. “Jack, don’t push your luck,” Tyler lowered his voice, his eyes sinister. “It’s just a card. Do you really want to make this ugly?” I let out a cold laugh, holding my backpack in front of me. “What, planning to rob me if I won’t lend it?” “Rob? We’re just going to help you ‘come to your senses’!” Mark suddenly pushed me from behind. I stumbled a few steps, hitting a desk. My backpack fell to the ground with a thud, its contents scattering once again. Olivia stood to the side, a mocking smile on her lips. “Serves you right.” A few guys kicked my textbooks aside. One of them deliberately stepped on my game console, the screen cracking with a loud snap. “What are you doing?!” I stood up abruptly, but someone firmly pressed down on my shoulder. “Jack, don’t be so stingy,” Tyler said with fake sincerity, reaching for my pocket. “We’re all classmates. What’s wrong with borrowing a card?” I slapped his hand away. “Get lost!” This completely enraged Tyler. His face darkened as he suddenly grabbed my collar. “You want to do this the hard way, huh?” The surrounding classmates, instead of stopping him, started egging him on: “Beat him up! Think he’s all that because he’s rich?” “Stop putting on airs. It’s just a stupid card!” Seeing that I wouldn’t back down, Tyler swung a fist at my face. I dodged to the side, grabbing his wrist and twisting it hard. “Ah!” He cried out in pain, stumbling backward. Seeing this, Olivia screamed, “Jack Wilson! How dare you fight back?!” She rushed forward to claw at my face. I pushed her away and quickly pulled out my phone, dialing 91

“Officer, I’m at XX University, 3rd floor of the teaching building. Someone is trying to rob me, deliberately damaging my property, and assaulting me.” Olivia’s face changed dramatically. She lunged at me. “Are you crazy?!” She snatched my phone and, without even looking, threw it out the window. Crack! The phone shattered on the concrete below. The classroom fell silent for a second. But to their surprise, in less than ten minutes, police sirens were heard outside. When the police entered the classroom, Tyler and Olivia’s faces instantly turned pale. “Who called the police?” the lead officer asked, looking around. “I did,” I raised my hand. “They tried to rob me and smashed my phone.” The officer looked at the scattered items on the floor, then at my broken game console and the smashed phone outside the window. He frowned. “What happened here?” Tyler immediately put on an innocent act. “Officer, it’s a misunderstanding! We were just joking around!” Olivia quickly chimed in. “Yes, yes, it was just a prank between classmates!” Other classmates also started testifying. I coldly scanned the room. These people were exactly the same as when they gave false testimony in my previous life. The officer let out a cold laugh. “Smashing phones and hitting people, you call that a joke?” Mr. Johnson, our counselor, rushed in, his face ashen. “What’s going on here?! Causing such a scene at school?!” The officer briefly explained the situation. After listening, Mr. Johnson glared at Tyler. “You again!” Tyler tried to argue, but the evidence was irrefutable. In the end, under the police’s mediation, Tyler and Olivia had to compensate me for my phone and game console, and apologize publicly. As we left the office, Olivia lowered her voice, gritting her teeth, “Jack Wilson, you just wait!” Looking at her twisted expression, I suddenly smiled. “Sure, I’ll be waiting.” While packing my things in the dorm, I felt like someone had gone through my stuff, but nothing was missing, so I didn’t think much of it. Just as I walked out of the school, a black Maybach stopped in front of me. “Young Master Wilson, the old master has important matters to discuss. He needs you to come home immediately.” Mr. Wang, the butler, didn’t let me speak, just pulled me into the car. That evening, my father pushed two documents in front of me, his gaze sharp behind his gold-rimmed glasses. “Jack, this is your last chance to choose. The $30 billion family trust fund inheritance rights, or a monthly allowance of $1,500.” “The $30 billion has already been deposited into your Swiss bank card. As soon as you sign, you can access that money and take over the family business.” The crystal chandelier behind my father refracted blinding light. I squinted, momentarily seeing that car rushing towards me again, hearing the crunch of bones being crushed. Tyler’s vicious grin from my previous life’s death still echoed in my ears. “I choose the $1,500 monthly allowance,” I said.

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I gave up my identity as the heir to a multi-million dollar corporation, all to live a simple life with my wife. Then, my five-year-old son collapsed at kindergarten, his nose bleeding uncontrollably. At the hospital, he was diagnosed with “Advanced Hemolytic Syndrome.” My wife immediately demanded a divorce. She said she didn’t want our son to be a burden on me. My heart swelled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I was so touched, I decided right then and there to reveal my true identity and face this challenge with her. To save our son, I agreed to return home and inherit the family business. I wanted to negotiate with my parents to get him the best possible treatment. My dad advised me, “You can keep your identity a secret for now. Tell her that even after the divorce, you’ll share the medical costs. Just see how your wife reacts.” I didn’t quite get it, but I did as he said. That night, my mother-in-law, Brenda, rushed to the hospital. She started yelling, calling me a monster, and insisted I walk away with absolutely nothing. I was just about to enter my son’s hospital room when I overheard my wife, Chloe, talking with her father, Frank. “Don’t bother saving this dead weight. We can keep it a secret from him, though, and make him pay all the medical bills.” Chloe chuckled, a chilling sound. “I never planned to save him. I just wanted to trick him into giving me everything in the divorce.” “I’ve been sick of living with that poor guy for ages. A son born from such inferior genes is just as useless!”

I stared at them, my wife and her father, in utter disbelief. Chloe used to just run a small nail salon out of a tiny storefront. If I hadn’t been secretly propping them up all these years, they’d never have lived such a comfortable life. I pushed the door open and quickly strode to Liam’s bedside, my voice thick with emotion. “Chloe, let’s take Liam to the best hospital in the city, the capital! I’d sell everything I own, go broke trying to save him! My company… I can sell it!” Chloe and Frank exchanged a quick glance, clearly not expecting me to burst in like that. They were about to speak. But then Brenda, as if on cue, stormed in. She pointed at Chloe and started tearing into her. “You fool! What more do you want? Are you seriously going to sacrifice your entire life for this sick child? This kid is a lost cause, do you hear me! Divorce Alex, right now!” What a perfectly coordinated act between mother and daughter. They played it so well. Chloe immediately lowered her head, wiping away fake tears. She looked like a poor victim, forced by her mother. Then, she turned to me. “Alex, let’s get a divorce. You walk away with nothing, that way… that way you can start a new life without any burdens.” I’d already seen through their whole charade, but I pretended to be heartbroken, unable to believe what I was hearing. I looked at her, my voice strained. “Chloe, you… you really think that too? Tell me, do you genuinely want to get our son treatment?” Frank immediately stepped forward, looking pained as he pointed at me. “Alex! How can you even think that about Chloe? How much has she sacrificed for you, for this family? She’s doing this for your own good, afraid you’ll lose everything, financially and emotionally! And you dare question her noble intentions?!” I scoffed inwardly. This was the true face of their family. I decided to give her one last chance. I looked at Chloe, speaking each word slowly and deliberately. “I’m not afraid of losing everything. Chloe, as long as you’re willing, we can work through this together, face it head-on. We can definitely cure Liam’s illness.” A flicker of panic crossed Chloe’s eyes, but she quickly hid it. She shook her head with a chilling finality. “No, I can’t do it. I can’t accept that outcome.” After saying that, she turned and collapsed onto the bed, staring at our unconscious son. Her tears instantly gushed, and her sobs turned into a heart-wrenching wail. “Alex, don’t push me… I don’t want to hold you back. Liam doesn’t want to be a burden on you. The only reason I want these assets is because… I just want to cling to that last shred of hope. What if, what if there’s a new treatment method in the future? I could still use that money to save my son’s life! This is all for Liam!” She delivered that speech with such passion and emotion, as if she were the long-suffering, sacrificing mother. It was laughable. Beyond ridiculous. My heart, at that very moment, withered and died. Every last shred of warmth, gone. I looked at her, my face devoid of emotion, my voice as cold as ice. “Chloe, I’m asking you one last time. Are you truly set on this divorce?” Seeing how calm I was, Chloe paused, then nodded firmly. “Fine, I agree to the divorce.” I stated flatly. “The house, the car, the savings. I want nothing. I can walk away with absolutely nothing.” The eyes of Chloe’s family instantly glinted with greedy satisfaction. Then, I changed my tone, adding coldly, “But, I will have sole custody of our son, Liam.”

Chloe’s smile froze. She immediately shot back, “No way! Liam is the apple of my eye! I can’t bear to let him go!” Can’t bear to let him go? You mean, you can’t bear to let go of your cash cow, right? I was tired of playing their games. I cut straight to the chase. “Stop the act. I heard everything you said that night by the patient room. I walk away with nothing, you get all the assets, and I get custody of our son. That sounds fair to me.” Chloe and her family’s faces instantly turned chalk-white, then twisted with furious indignation. They realized their original plan was blown, but they immediately seized on my new “weakness”—my love for my son. Frank cleared his throat, speaking in a sneering, condescending tone. “Since you heard everything, let’s lay all our cards on the table. You want custody? Fine, but you’ll have to compensate Chloe for all these years she spent with you, right? Hand over half a million dollars, and we’ll agree.” “Deal.” I agreed without hesitation. My quick acceptance immediately made the shrewd Chloe realize I had far more money than they’d imagined. Her eyes gleamed with even greater greed. She subtly signaled to her parents. Brenda caught on instantly and began to wail dramatically. “Oh, my heavens! My husband and I emptied our retirement savings to pay for our grandson’s medical bills! We even sold our house back home! Where are we supposed to live now? You can’t be so heartless!” Frank chimed in, “That’s right! You need to buy us, the old couple, a house, and give us another two hundred thousand for our retirement! Otherwise, you can forget about taking the child!” “Are you even human?!” I finally exploded, trembling with rage. “Liam is your own grandson! How can you use him like this?!” Frank shot a disgusted look at my son, whose nose was still plugged with tissues, lying in the hospital bed. He pointed at him and snarled, “Just like his father, useless!” Then, Brenda glared at me. “It must be your bad genes! Our Chloe is young, she can still have more kids! Get the divorce over with, don’t hold her back!” Before our son was diagnosed, Brenda used to come to our house every day, holding Liam for hours. Now, she looked at him like he was the plague. Seeing such a stark contrast, I sighed, feeling both helpless and utterly cold. I still held onto a sliver of hope for my wife. I looked at her, pleading, “Chloe, can we please let the doctor check on Liam first?” “No! What if you go back on your word?!” She said, then threw the divorce papers directly at my face. Hearing that, my heart sank completely. I couldn’t believe my wife was so materialistic. I didn’t want to believe she had absolutely no feelings for me. So, almost begging, I said, “I can’t get that much money right away. Can you just let Liam get treatment first?” Brenda’s face contorted into a hideous sneer. “We’ve looked it up online! This ‘Advanced Hemolytic Syndrome’ thing is incurable! It’ll even consume his heart in the later stages! All that talk about treatment rates is just doctors scamming you, believe me. You’ll just end up losing everything, financially and emotionally!!” Brenda, who I once thought was kind, now looked utterly repulsive. Liam, wiping away his nosebleed, started to cry. “Daddy, Mommy, please don’t argue! I don’t want treatment if it makes you mad!” My heart ached as I looked at him. “Don’t worry, son. Daddy will save you, no matter what.” “Tch… what a useless little brat.” Brenda came over, tugged Liam roughly to the side, looking disgusted. “Come here! Don’t get in your mom’s way!” Liam was yanked off the hospital bed. I picked up the divorce agreement, pleading, “Don’t touch him! I’ll agree to everything!”

Watching Chloe act so cold and heartless, I suddenly felt like the woman I’d been married to for ten years was a complete stranger. She used to be so different. Back when I was broke, I’d hand over my entire paycheck to her, thinking I’d ask her for money every time we ate out. But she never took a single cent. I’d just finished signing the papers when Frank grew impatient. “Why hasn’t the money arrived yet?!” “Just give me a little more time. It’ll be in your account today.” But Chloe pulled out a promissory note and made me sign it. As soon as I did, she kicked Liam towards me with a disgusted look. I clutched my son, my heart aching, and immediately called for a doctor. Chloe pulled Brenda’s arm. “Alright, alright, Mom. I’ll talk to him nicely.” When the doctor came in, Brenda reined herself in a lot, but her face still looked menacing. Chloe gently wrapped an arm around Liam, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. But Liam recoiled, pulling away. Seeing that, I let out a cold laugh. Even Dr. Evans added, “The patient’s condition is quite unstable right now. This condition is extremely rare, perhaps only one case in a million. Please try not to agitate him.” After a quick treatment, Liam’s nosebleed finally slowed. He spontaneously threw himself into my arms, listening quietly. Chloe’s forced smile faltered a bit. She gave a strained laugh. “Liam is my son too. Of course, I wouldn’t just stand by. If you need help, I’ll certainly come and look after him!” “It’s just… I can’t accept the thought of my own son passing away before me. If you can’t accept such a reality, I can understand. I’ll try my best to leave you with all the best resources, so you don’t have to face such a heavy blow alone.” Brenda chimed in, “See how considerate Chloe is of you? Why can’t you be the same? Are you even a man, being so petty?” I persisted, “Why can’t we face it together?” Chloe sighed dramatically. “Not everyone can afford to waste their life like that. Dr. Evans just said Liam’s condition is one in a million! What if our future children have the same condition? What if you have a child with someone else outside of our marriage?” I challenged her, feeling utterly powerless. “You don’t trust me?” I honestly couldn’t believe my wife would suspect me to such an extent. From the day we started dating to our ten years of marriage, I had never once given her cause for concern. I’d never been involved in anything even remotely ambiguous with another person. Yet now, she was even imagining me having children with someone else… It chilled me to the bone. I was about to argue further when, at that moment, Dr. Evans rushed over, looking frantic. He said he needed to speak with me privately about Liam’s condition. Seeing the doctor’s urgency, Chloe assumed our son was beyond saving. She quickly grabbed her parents and hurried out of the room. I followed Dr. Evans into his office, my heart pounding with dread. But the doctor immediately bowed deeply to me, apologizing. “Mr. Miller, I am so terribly sorry! Your son’s diagnosis was a mistake, a grave oversight on our hospital’s part.” Once I understood the situation, I returned to Liam’s room and let out a long, shaky breath, looking at my son on the bed. Dr. Evans respectfully handed me a medical report.

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For our graduation trip, my boyfriend Jake chose South Korea, the country where Chloe, his first love, the one he always looked up to, was studying. I had my reservations, obviously. He just shrugged it off. “I’m just dropping by to say goodbye to her.” But once we landed, he completely abandoned me, sick and miserable from the foreign climate. He rushed off to deal with some “mistake” Chloe made at her part-time job. And then, he brought her back to our hotel. “Chloe is so amazing, and just because of a small mistake—using the wrong medicine on a client—her salon is firing her,” he explained, totally oblivious. “She can’t deal with that kind of injustice. So, Lily, you’ll just have to put up with finding another hotel for tonight.” I grabbed my luggage and walked. He had no idea. This trip was my way of saying goodbye to him too. Because when it came down to just love, the chasm between his community college and my Ivy League aspirations was simply too vast to cross. After Jake told me to find another place to stay, Chloe Price, clearly afraid I’d object, bit her lip and chimed in, “Lily and I are different. I’m not some delicate girl who can’t handle hardship.” “It’s just that I can’t go back to the salon’s staff dorm right now, and it’s too late for the university’s international student dorms, they have a curfew. I literally have nowhere to go.” “And it’s peak vacation season, hotels are so hard to find. Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother you guys.” I was about to say there was an empty room right next door. A couple had just checked out. But before I could even open my mouth, Jake, looking annoyed, cut me off. “Enough! Stop making things difficult for her. She’s all alone here!” “Her parents passed away years ago, her family background wasn’t as fortunate as yours.” “Now she’s having trouble in a foreign country, and I’m all she has left to rely on.” Chloe seemed deeply touched by his words. She turned away, secretly wiping tears from her eyes. Jake looked at her, his eyes filled with such heartache. So, having a happy family background was a crime now? What else could I possibly say? Besides, from the moment we landed this evening until now, since Jake had ditched me and rushed off to play the hero, I’d thrown up multiple times due to the change in environment. Now I was freezing, dizzy, and utterly drained. I just didn’t have the energy to argue with them. I packed my bag, pulled my suitcase, and started to leave. Jake must have sensed my mood. He took two quick steps, grabbed my arm, and sighed deeply. “It was just a moment of emotion getting the best of me.” “When I think about Chloe, and how she, like me, suffered from outsiders’ cold stares because of a tough family, I just lose it a little.” “You’ll understand, right?” All I wanted was to end this conversation and find a bed. So, I just nodded vaguely. His expression softened. “Okay, then you go find a new place. Chloe’s pretty shaken up, so I’ll stay and comfort her for a bit.” “Oh, and leave the spare medicine kit we brought. “Some unreasonable client splashed water on Chloe, and I’m worried she might catch a cold tonight.” I frowned, annoyance bubbling up. “Did you forget I’m the one who’s sick from the trip? I need those meds.” Just then, Chloe let out a very deliberate sneeze. “Jake, it’s fine, really.” “Like you, I’m not some delicate, pampered person. A little cold or fever is nothing.” Her words precisely hit Jake’s ego. His face turned cold. He yanked my suitcase open, rummaging through it until he found the medicine kit. “It’s just a few pills. Why are you being so petty?” “You already took your medicine, didn’t you? I’ll buy you new ones when I come find you later.” Watching his rough actions, I remembered something my mom once told me. She said, “You and Jake are from completely different worlds.” “You’re a confident, sunny rich girl, and he’s a dark, insecure poor kid.” “And extreme insecurity can make a person incredibly rude.”

I don’t know if it was my mom’s words finally sinking in, or if I had already made up my mind to give up on Jake. But suddenly, his once charmingly arrogant and wild personality now just felt irritating. At that moment, I was simply fed up. Once Jake had taken the medicine, I casually zipped up my messy suitcase. And hurried away. My mind was a blur, drowsily recalling the past. I remembered when I first transferred to a new high school in Portland my freshman year. Unfamiliar with the area, I accidentally stumbled into local thugs’ territory. Just as they were about to drag me into an alley, Jake appeared. Tall and lean, with the hood of his black hoodie pulled up, he stood at the alley entrance, radiating a casual arrogance. A fierce fight ensued. Afterward, I emptied my pockets and offered him a hundred dollars. Jake lifted his bruised eyelids, batting away the money. “What do you take me for? Get lost!” “Think your money makes you special?” From then on, like many girls who always played it safe in their youth, I found myself deeply drawn to that type of rebellious bad boy. When I found out Jake was not only at the same school but in the same class, I used the excuse of “repaying a favor.” I revolved around him like a little sun. Not only did I bring him coffee and snacks, but because of a single comment from him, I, who never cooked, ignored my onion allergy to make him his favorite braised beef dish. But no matter how much I did, Jake’s gaze always lingered on Chloe, a year older than him. Until the end of junior year, when Chloe ignored Jake’s desperate pleas and went abroad for college. Jake spent the entire summer in a slump. I was the one who stayed by his side, took care of him, and slowly, step by step, helped him out of his funk. When senior year started, Jake asked me to be his girlfriend. I happily agreed. I knew he might have been doing it out of gratitude, or perhaps to forget Chloe. But none of that mattered. Because I was so confident. I believed Jake would fall in love with me someday. But the truth proved me terribly wrong.

When I woke up again, I was in the empty room that couple had checked out of. I thought a good night’s sleep would help me adjust. But I woke up in the middle of the night with a high fever, feeling utterly miserable. I forced myself out of bed and went to knock on the next door for help. The hotel manager, who happened to be passing by, spoke in Korean, which I didn’t understand. I just kept shaking my head and waving my hands, indicating I couldn’t understand. In a strange city, unfamiliar with the surroundings, and unable to communicate, plus the vulnerability of being sick, I was on the verge of tears. Finally, I resorted to a translator app. The hotel manager told me the young couple staying there had already left to go sightseeing. The resentment and bitterness in my heart made me dial Jake’s number. But no matter how many times I called, it wouldn’t go through. “Do you need any more help?” the hotel manager asked through the translator. After the tenth call went unanswered, I numbly spoke. “Please take me to the hospital.” I spent that night in a hospital in a strange city. I almost forgot to mention. That day was also my eighteenth birthday. Originally, Jake and I had planned to climb to the top of Namsan Tower in Seoul at night. We were going to hang a lock on the love lock wall. And there, I’d make my eighteenth birthday wish. But now, that plan was ruined. My phone, lying by my bed, vibrated. It was birthday wishes from family and friends back home, trickling in. Among all those greetings, there wasn’t one from my official boyfriend. I swallowed the bitter ache in my heart. And scrolled through Ins. My body stiffened when I saw Chloe’s latest video post. I’d added her on SnapChat back in junior year when Jake asked me to take turns visiting Chloe in the hospital after she broke her leg. My fingers trembled as I tapped into her post. Chloe had posted a video of her and Jake climbing Namsan Tower at night. The caption read: [Role-playing, being a K-drama lead today.] In the video, Jake, with the mountain wind blowing through his hair, shouted at the night sky. “Chloe Price, you are my bride, and my first love. For 939 long years, I never waited for death, but for this moment, to meet you!” It was even set to the classic OST from ‘Goblin’—‘Stay With Me’. The entire video was both romantic and filled with a fated connection. Even passersby were offering their well wishes. My throat tightened. Tears silently slipped from my eyes, tracing paths down my cheeks. They then dropped, precariously, onto the two laughing faces on my phone screen. I should have known. No matter how hard a doormat tries, they can’t compare to the power of a first love. Especially since Jake and Chloe had known each other since middle school. They had seen each other’s vulnerable sides, witnessed each other’s growth. They were two broken souls recognizing and cherishing each other, a symbiotic relationship. I, a mere supporting character, couldn’t easily intrude. After realizing this, I no longer held any lingering feelings for Jake. I opened my phone. And rebooked my flight home.

I changed my flight from a week later to two days from now. All travel plans with Jake were canceled. But since I was already in South Korea, I couldn’t miss out on the aesthetic treatments I’d booked. The next day, after being discharged from the hospital and feeling better, I returned to the hotel to shower. But I discovered my silk nightgown was missing. It occurred to me that Jake might have pulled it out when he was rummaging for the medicine last night. I got dressed and went to knock on his door. However, the person who opened it was Jake, shirtless. He froze when he saw me. Before I could even ask anything, he stammered, clearly flustered. “Chloe was upset last night, so I took her hiking to clear her head.” “We were just too exhausted when we got back, and you didn’t send me your new address, so I just crashed on the couch.” I sneered internally. He said all those lies without even bothering to wipe off the lipstick marks on his neck. “Jake, is that the housekeeper? “How inconsiderate of them to come now. We’re still in bed.” Chloe’s sweet, complaining voice floated from inside. She skipped over like a little bird, looking bashful. I saw the familiar purple silk nightgown on her. My anger instantly flared. I pushed past Jake and strode in, grabbing the hem of her gown. “Are you a beggar? So poor you can’t even afford clothes?” “How dare you wear my clothes without asking!” She shrieked, clutching the hem of her gown and looking at Jake for help. Jake, who had just moments ago looked apologetic toward me, came over, his face dark. “It’s just a nightgown! And I bought it for you!” “Do you have to say such nasty things? Who are you looking down on?!” I knew the words “beggar” and “poor” stung him just as much. When we were together, I was always so careful, weighing every word for ages before speaking, mindful of Jake’s deep insecurity and fragile ego. This kind of spoiled rich-kid mentality (of a poor kid). I was now too lazy to deal with it. I let go of the gown’s hem, about to tell her to pay for it, when I noticed my palm was sticky with a white, gooey liquid. Chloe’s face flushed, and she stammered, “It’s a milk tea stain. I accidentally spilled it.” “My bad. I shouldn’t have been drinking milk tea in bed.” The more she spoke, the more wronged she sounded. And the more certain I became that it was absolutely not milk tea. It was something *they* had produced. It was so disgusting! So filthy! The moment I realized what it was, I rushed to the bathroom and threw up.

I didn’t want the nightgown anymore. Even if it was the first gift Jake ever bought me from his part-time job. Even if I had never dared to wear it. I just didn’t want it. After leaving their little love nest of deceit, Jake sent me a SnapChat message. Asking where I was. Then explaining he’d forgotten his phone last night, which was why he couldn’t answer my calls. He even apologized. And asked why I’d called so many times. I didn’t plan to reply. A little while later, Jake sent another message. [Did you come looking for trouble this morning because you’re jealous, and you’re mad I didn’t come to find you last night?] [But what happened with Chloe was for a reason. I can explain everything later. Don’t be angry.] [Today is your birthday, I haven’t forgotten. I already scoped out Namsan Tower last night.] [We’ll go up tonight. Before that, come to this address. I have a birthday gift for you.] I only skimmed Jake’s rambling message, not paying attention to the address he sent. So, when I arrived at the beauty clinic I’d booked, based on online recommendations, I ran into Jake and Chloe. Chloe’s eyes flashed with a hint of jealousy. But on the surface, she came over and warmly took my hand. “Lily, it’s great you still came. “I thought with your temperament, you wouldn’t bother with us anymore.” “I’ve felt so guilty. Luckily, Jake mentioned you wanted to get some work done while in South Korea, so I shamelessly asked my former boss for a discount for you.” I pulled my hand away, rolling my eyes. “Getting a facial counts as plastic surgery? Then what about all that Botox on your face, is that genetic modification?” Her eyes instantly reddened. She looked like she’d said something wrong and didn’t dare to speak again.

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Caleb, the billionaire who’d pretended to be dirt poor for seven years, crashed his Maybach, killing my mom and my daughter. A month later, the man finally realized something was off. He asked his assistant, “After I ran over those worthless deadbeats, the old woman and the kid, didn’t their family raise hell for compensation?” Ms. Davies, his assistant, looked grim. She whispered, “Sir, you *are* the victims’ family.” Caleb was completely baffled. “What do you mean?” “That night, when you were drunk, you ran over the old lady and her granddaughter. Your wife tried to stop you, demanding an explanation, but you were so inebriated you didn’t recognize her. You kicked her aside and drove off.” Before she finished, Caleb jolted, his face turning ashen. It all came rushing back to him: how he’d faked bankruptcy and a severe illness, how our family had worked day and night, pouring every penny into supposedly paying off his billion-dollar debt. To buy his life-saving medicine, my mother and daughter had worked themselves to the bone. But during a shift in the rich district, he, in his luxury car, had slammed into them. Their bodies were mangled, their lives extinguished instantly. I cremated Mom and Chloe’s remains in a daze. Afterward, I got a call from my husband’s assistant. His tone was as cold as a debt collector’s: “How much do you want? Name your price!”

“I know my boss ran over your mom and daughter. But they were just two worthless lives, what are they worth? A million dollars is more than enough for two cheap lives.” “My boss will meet you in person the day after tomorrow, at 2 PM.” Listening to the contemptuous male voice on the other end, I felt my blood rush to my head. The lock clicked. Caleb walked in, wearing a jacket that had been fashionable years ago. He smiled, waving a steaming thermos at me. Every cell in my body trembled. Finally, I managed to say to the person on the phone, “Okay.” Caleb didn’t notice anything amiss. Seeing me hang up, a gentle smile touched his lips as he walked towards me. “Harper! I bought you your favorite chicken noodle soup! Come, try it!” He wrapped his arm around my numb body and sat us down on our scavenged couch. He carefully broke apart the forks and handed them to me. A pained expression crossed his face. “My boss raised the price by two bucks again. That’s enough to buy Chloe a drawing book.” Caleb looked around. “Why aren’t Mom and Chloe here? Where did they go? I bought Chloe some desserts with today’s wages. Doesn’t Chloe love sweets? But you need to keep an eye on Mom; she can’t have anything sweet with her condition!” Where are Mom and my daughter? Suddenly, as Caleb’s words sank in, a chilling image flashed in my mind: Mom and Chloe being flung into the air by that Maybach that sped into the market. “Mom— Chloe—” I watched as their bodies, like discarded rag dolls, arced through the air and hit the ground with sickening thuds. Their warm blood splattered on my face. My screams and the horrifying sound of cracking bones were drowned out by the piercing screech of brakes. “What… what the hell? Where did these… beggars come from?” The blinding high beams gradually dimmed. A slurred, drunken voice drifted over. I stared blankly at the driver’s seat. The next second, I saw Caleb, his hands on the steering wheel, frowning as he peered through the window at me, sprawled in a pool of blood. My entire body froze. How could it be Caleb? Wasn’t he at the hospital? How could he be here? He rolled down the window and vomited, the pungent smell of alcohol mingling with the metallic scent of blood, assailing my nose. His eyes unfocused, he looked at me. “Who’s the idiot? Get lost!” I struggled to my feet. “Caleb!” But Caleb didn’t recognize me. He turned the car around and drove out of my sight. Disoriented, I was taken away by the police officer who arrived shortly after. He didn’t show me the accident scene footage. Instead, he sighed and advised me, “The person who hit your mother and daughter is Caleb Shen, the Shen heir. Our suggestion is to settle this privately.” Caleb Shen! The Shen heir? A choked sob escaped my throat. I pressed him, “Officer, can you tell me about… this Mr. Shen?” “Ms. Lin, I know what you’re thinking, but I still advise you not to pursue a lawsuit. The Shen family holds so much power, they could make the whole city shake with a single word. And this particular Shen heir is the most notorious playboy this city has seen in twenty years.” The officer’s eyes held a sympathetic helplessness. Then I heard him sigh deeply. “Instead of wishful thinking, you should try to get as much money as you can when Mr. Shen arrives.” No sooner had he finished speaking than a voice came from outside. “Mr. Shen, this way, please.” As the words fell, two figures emerged from the automatically opening doors. I had never seen Caleb like this. He was wearing an expensive, high-end suit from a luxury boutique, looking distinguished from head to toe. He even had a Labrador on a leash. Victoria, in a striking red dress, walked beside him. “…Caleb!” I instinctively moved forward, wanting to demand an explanation for everything. “Victoria! My bet about pretending to be poor expires next month. If you keep clinging to me then, I won’t be so polite!” What ‘pretending to be poor’ bet? Caleb’s words brought me to an abrupt halt. Victoria shrugged indifferently. “Why are you angry at me? Isn’t this *your* bet with your family?” “I don’t necessarily think you’ll win. Maybe you’ll get tired of playing house with Harper and obediently come home to marry me?” Caleb scoffed. “You’re dreaming! My wife will only ever be Harper!” I stared at Caleb in shock, but his gaze didn’t waver. Even though I stood right in front of him, he could have simply turned his head slightly to see me, the ‘only wife’ he spoke of. But he didn’t spare me a single glance. He held his head high, walking past me with an air of haughty superiority I’d never seen from him before. Soon, Caleb and Victoria entered the glass partition just a few feet from me. Their conversation in the office drifted clearly into my ears. “Mr. Shen, the victims’ family is here. Do you want to meet them?” I couldn’t help but look at Caleb. He had his legs crossed on the coffee table, eyes closed, rubbing his temples. “No need! These poor people, once they latch onto you, they’re like leeches you can’t shake off! Can’t you even handle this small matter?” Caleb’s dismissive attitude instantly ignited my fury. Just as I was about to burst in and confront him, Victoria’s voice floated into my ears. Her red lips curved into a slight smile. “Caleb, I actually have a good idea. Why don’t you have Harper pay this money? If she doesn’t help you, then you lose the bet.” Caleb opened his eyes and glanced at Victoria, sneering. “Don’t dream. Harper has stuck by me all these years I’ve been pretending to be poor and sick. I don’t want to bother her with this kind of thing!” Victoria wasn’t annoyed. She just chuckled. “I wonder if you’re scared. Could it be that Harper won’t cough up a million for you?” I couldn’t listen anymore. But as I took a step forward, a metallic taste filled my throat. I coughed up a mouthful of blood and instantly blacked out. Caleb’s voice pulled me back to reality. He held me in his arms, speaking softly. “Harper, I accidentally ran over someone while delivering goods last night. They’re demanding a million dollars, threatening to send me to jail if I don’t pay.” I stared at him, my eyes bloodshot. “You don’t even know how to drive, do you? How could you hit someone?” Caleb’s eyes darted away, his voice tinged with guilt. “I didn’t want to always be stuck in bed, burdening you. I wanted to earn some money to send Chloe to her after-school classes.” Tears instantly welled in my eyes, but I forced them back. I abruptly pulled closer to Caleb, pressing him. “Caleb! Then I ask you, do you know who you ran over?” Caleb frowned, displeased. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you so emotional?” Watching the nonchalant expression on his face, the anger in my heart burned fiercely. In that moment, I began to doubt myself. Did I truly know the man I shared my life with?! “Caleb!! I’m asking! Do you know who you ran over?!” By now, my emotions were completely out of control. Unstoppable tears mixed with my trembling voice. “It was an old lady and a little girl, I think. They just seemed like they wanted to extort money from me.” I didn’t miss the fleeting look of disdain in his eyes. My strength drained from me in an instant. I said weakly, “Caleb, I don’t have money for you.” This was the first time I had ever refused Caleb’s request. His face visibly darkened. He suddenly stood up. “You’re really that unwilling to part with a million dollars? You’d just stand there and watch me go to jail?! I’m your husband!” In that moment, I suddenly wanted to tear off his disguise. The Shen family was one of the top elite families in the city. A mere million dollars, what was that to him? “Caleb, my mom…” Before I could finish, Caleb impatiently cut me off. “It’s always your mom! How tired could your mom possibly be? She sits there embroidering all day! Selling to rich people, plus her pension, a million should be easy, right?” Watching Caleb storm out, slamming the door in a fit of rage, all my strength was sapped. I collapsed to the floor, silently sobbing, biting my lip. Tears mingled with the blood at the corner of my mouth. All I could see were images of my mother and daughter lying dead in pools of blood, merging with fragments of my seven years of life with Caleb. For a moment, I couldn’t distinguish truth from illusion. Not long after, the doorbell rang.

Mrs. Henderson, who lived next door, showed obvious delight when she saw me open the door. “Harper! Not working today? Where’s Chloe? Look what I brought for your little girl!” “This paint set is a reward for Chloe! Chloe loves to draw, doesn’t she!” “Oh, right! Where are your mom and Chloe?” Mrs. Henderson held a back brace in her hand, peering into the house, looking for my mom and Chloe. My throat tightened. I bit down hard, refusing to let the tears fall. “What’s wrong? Harper, why are you crying?” Mrs. Henderson’s smile slowly faded. As if sensing something, her eyes reddened instantly. She looked at me, incredulous, seemingly hoping for a different answer from my words. “Mrs. Henderson, my mom and Chloe already…” I closed my eyes for a moment, finally uttering the answer. “They’re gone.” “What happened?!” Mrs. Henderson gasped in horror, the gift in her hand falling heavily to the ground. Hearing Mrs. Henderson’s cries, my own tears couldn’t be held back. I choked out, “A car accident.” I dared not look up, my shoulders trembling as I quietly sobbed. A pair of warm arms enveloped me. Mrs. Henderson cried loudly, cursing, “That murderer! Your mom hadn’t even enjoyed life yet, and Chloe was still so young…” “Oh, by the way, does Caleb know?” Those words were like a sharp knife, piercing my heart. Under Mrs. Henderson’s concerned gaze, I slowly shook my head. “He doesn’t know.” To this day, Caleb doesn’t know that he, drunk, killed my mom and Chloe. Thinking about it, I could no longer control the sorrow in my heart. I burst into tears like a child. After seeing Mrs. Henderson off, I buried my face in the covers and cried for a long while, until I received a text message from the cemetery. Five hundred thousand dollars. Looking at that astronomical figure and my bank account balance, I felt utterly desperate. Where was I going to find five hundred thousand dollars for Mom and Chloe’s burial? As I scrolled through my phone book, trying to find someone I could borrow money from, Caleb’s call came in. “Don’t let Mom and Chloe go out to set up their stall tonight. I’ll be home early tonight to celebrate Chloe’s birthday.” My mind was still on the five hundred thousand. I hesitated for a moment before asking, “Caleb, do you have five hundred thousand dollars?” There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Finally, he spoke. “Harper, are you kidding me? Where would I get that kind of money? Haven’t all my wages gone to buying things for Chloe and Mom?” There wasn’t a hint of guilt in Caleb’s voice. He’d told the lie for so long, he even believed it himself. Tears brimmed in my eyes. Suddenly, I cried out loudly, “Caleb!! You’re lying to me! You do! You clearly do! You just don’t want to give it to me!” Caleb’s voice rose several pitches. He snapped, enraged, “Harper! What are you doing?! What kind of person do you think I am? If I had money, would I be unwilling to give it to you? Who have you been listening to, spreading nonsense?!” “Please! Can you just stop making things difficult for me!” ‘Stop making things difficult for me’! What a line! With that, he hurriedly hung up. To gather enough money for Mom and Chloe’s burial plot, I couldn’t afford to wallow in grief. I rushed to the agreed-upon workplace. I squeezed into a heavy mascot costume and was led into a private room. I awkwardly swayed my limbs to the music. After the performance, laughter erupted around me. “So, Caleb, how about this early birthday gift I got for Chloe?” “Caleb dotes on his daughter like she’s the apple of his eye. He stoops so low to earn money, all for his mother-in-law and daughter.”

Inside the mascot costume, it was stifling hot, but I felt as if I were plunged into an ice-cold abyss. It was then that I saw him: in the spacious room, Caleb was sprawled lazily on the sofa, casually swirling the drink in his glass, looking every inch the aristocratic young master of incomparable status. “Looks decent. I’ll call my daughter and ask her if she likes it.” As Caleb picked up his phone, my daughter’s unique ringtone chirped beside me. But soon, he frowned, his eyes instantly filling with confusion and worry, because Caleb had called Chloe several times, and each time, it went straight to voicemail. My body trembled, tears streaming down my face. Caleb, you killed our daughter! You’ll never be able to reach that number again! Victoria was close by. Hearing my fingernails scratch against the mascot costume with a tearing sound, she glanced at me. “Caleb! You truly have incredible patience. Pretending to be poor and sick for seven years, tricking Harper, a graduate from a top-tier university, into selling her eggs for you. It must have been such a sacrifice for a young master like you to play house with them.” Caleb scoffed. “Once I win the bet, I’ll bring them back to the Shen family. They won’t have to suffer anymore.” Catching the hint of guilt in Caleb’s voice, I looked at him sharply. “Now you’re putting on an act of being a good husband and father. Why didn’t you give Harper money when she asked for it just now?” “Mind your own business. She probably asked for my help because my mother-in-law’s condition worsened.” Caleb’s tone was certain. “Next month, I’ll find the best doctors to cure my mother-in-law!” “How could her mom help you pay if she’s sick?” Victoria’s laughter was grating. Caleb felt humiliated. “She’ll definitely help me! If you don’t believe me, I can call her right now and ask her for the money!” My mind went blank. I instinctively raised my clumsy arm, trying to find my phone. It wasn’t until I heard a busy signal that I realized I had left my phone in my bag before work. “Damn it! What time is it? She’s not picking up my call!” Victoria casually glanced at me. “That’s why I say poor people are all the same. When money’s involved, what’s love? There are plenty who’ll sell their dignity.” Caleb’s eyes grew colder and colder. Suddenly, he stood up and walked over to me. The next second, his cold eyes stared directly at me, as if piercing through the bulky mascot costume to see me. Had he finally recognized me?! Just as tears streamed down my face and I prepared to lift my headpiece to demand who I was to him, he suddenly spoke. “Would you sell your dignity for money?” My hand slowly dropped. I didn’t speak. Caleb took a stack of money from a box beside him and threw it at my face. “Kneel for me!” He yanked my arm, coldly laughing as he tipped the entire box of money over my head. Under his icy gaze, I slowly bent down, kneeling before him to pick up the scattered bills on the floor. I had no reason to refuse this money. With this money, I could buy Mom and Chloe a decent burial plot. “Figures, poor people. They grab money as soon as they see it! Hey, tell me, if I gave you money to die, would you obediently go and die?” “But Harper isn’t like you! She’s with me purely because she loves me, not for money. So whatever I say, she’ll believe it!” I looked up, meeting Caleb’s gaze through the headpiece. I laughed self-deprecatingly. “You’re right!” I am one of those poor people you talk about! For money, I too can sell my dignity! Caleb’s pupils constricted the moment he heard my voice. He instinctively reached to pull off my headpiece. But I didn’t dodge. I even felt a strange anticipation of his reaction when he saw me underneath. Victoria pressed his hand down, mockingly saying, “Caleb, even if Harper upset you, you shouldn’t get angry at a mascot, right?” Caleb flung Victoria’s hand away in disgust and glared at me. “Now get lost.” Caleb didn’t come home that night. It wasn’t until early the next morning that I received a text from him. “Harper, my illness relapsed yesterday, and I passed out and was sent to the hospital. I just woke up.” “How’s Mom’s condition? And have you gathered enough money for me?” This wasn’t the first time Caleb had used this excuse to explain his staying out all night. I expressionlessly packed all my belongings and shipped them away, then headed to the address Caleb’s assistant had given me. As soon as I entered the upscale restaurant, I spotted Caleb’s familiar back from afar. In my pocket, Chloe’s phone watch was still buzzing. Caleb had been calling it incessantly since last night.

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My billionaire wife, who’d been pretending to be poor for seven years, ran over my mom and daughter with her Maybach. A month later, it finally dawned on her that something was off. She asked her assistant, “After I ran over those worthless nobodies, that old woman and child, did their family not kick up a fuss about compensation?” Marcus, her assistant, his face grim, replied in a low voice, “Madam, *you* are their family.” Seraphina looked completely lost. “What are you talking about?” “That night, when you were drunk, you ran over the old woman and her granddaughter. Mr. Julian tried to stop your car, demanding answers, but you were so intoxicated you didn’t recognize him. You kicked him away and just drove off.” Before Marcus even finished, Seraphina stiffened, her face draining of all color, ghostly pale. It was then that she remembered. Back then, she’d faked bankruptcy and a severe illness, forcing our family to work day and night, spending every last penny of our savings to pay off imaginary billions in debt. To buy her life-saving medicine, my mother and daughter worked tirelessly. But while working in a wealthy neighborhood, Seraphina, driving her luxury car, had plowed into them, their bodies mangled beyond recognition, instantly killed. Numb with grief, after my mother and daughter’s bodies were cremated, I received a call from my wife’s assistant. His tone was like a debt collector’s. “How much do you want? Name your price!”

“I know my boss ran over your mom and daughter, but they were just two worthless lives. How much could they possibly be worth? A million is more than enough for a couple of cheap lives.” “My boss will meet you in person the day after tomorrow, at 2 PM.” Listening to the disdainful male voice on the other end of the line, I felt all the blood rush to my head. The lock clicked. Seraphina walked in, wearing a dress I’d bought her years ago, her eyes curved into a smile as she waved a steaming-hot insulated container at me. Every cell in my body trembled at that moment. Finally, I spoke into the phone, “Alright.” Seraphina didn’t notice anything off about me. Seeing me hang up, a gentle smile played on her lips as she walked toward me. “Julian! I got you your favorite gourmet burger and fries! Come on, try it!” She wrapped her arms around my stiff body and guided me to sit on our thrifted couch. She carefully broke open the forks and handed them to me. A pained look about the price crossed her face. “The boss hiked the price up another two bucks. That could have bought Chloe a new drawing book!” Seraphina glanced around. “Why aren’t Mom and Chloe here? Where did they go? I bought Chloe some sweets with today’s wages. Doesn’t Chloe love sweets the most? But you need to keep an eye on Mom, she can’t have anything sweet with her condition!” Where did Mom and Chloe go? In that instant, as Seraphina’s words landed. My mind was flooded with the image of my mom and Chloe being thrown into the air by that Maybach that plowed into them on the street. “Mom—Chloe—” Watching them tossed in an arc like rag dolls, hitting the ground with sickening thuds. Their warm blood splattered on my face, my screams and the chilling crunch of bones swallowed by the screech of tires. “What… what’s going on? Where did that… pauper come from?” The blinding high beams slowly dimmed, and a drunken voice drifted over. I stared blankly at the driver’s seat. The next second, I saw Seraphina behind the wheel, her brow furrowed as she glared through the window at me, sprawled in the pool of blood. All the blood in my veins froze. How could it be Seraphina? Wasn’t she in the hospital? How could she be here? The next moment, she rolled down the window and vomited, a thick stench of alcohol mixed with blood invading my nostrils. Her eyes blurry, she looked at me. “Who the hell is in my way? Get lost!” I struggled to my feet. “Seraphina!” But Seraphina didn’t recognize me. Instead, she turned the car around and sped out of my sight. Devastated, I was taken away by the Officer who arrived shortly after. He didn’t show me the accident footage. Instead, he sighed and advised me, “The person who ran over your mother and daughter was Miss Seraphina Sterling, the heiress. Our recommendation is to settle this privately.” Seraphina Sterling! The Sterling heiress? A choked sob caught in my throat. I pressed on, “Officer, can you… tell me about this Miss Sterling?” “Mr. Julian, I know what you’re thinking, but I still advise you against suing. The Sterling family could make this city crumble with a snap of their fingers, and this Miss Sterling is the most notorious for her wild antics in the last twenty years.” The next second, I saw pity and helplessness in the Officer’s eyes, then heard him sigh heavily. “Instead of dreaming big, you should try to get more money when Miss Sterling arrives.” As soon as he finished speaking, a voice came from outside. “Miss Sterling, this way, please.” As the words fell, two figures emerged from the automatic sliding doors. I had never seen Seraphina like this. She was dressed in an expensive haute couture dress from a luxury boutique’s display window, every inch of her radiating nobility. She held the leash of a pampered poodle, and Dominic stood beside her, strikingly conspicuous. “…Seraphina!” I instinctively moved forward, desperate to demand what was going on. “Dominic! My ‘poor girl’ bet expires next month. If you keep clinging to me then, I won’t be so nice!” What ‘poor girl’ bet? Seraphina’s words froze me in my tracks. Dominic shrugged nonchalantly. “Why are you mad at me? Isn’t this your family’s bet?” “I don’t necessarily think you’ll win. Who knows, maybe once you’re tired of playing with Julian, you’ll come home and fulfill your engagement to marry me?” Seraphina scoffed. “Delusional! Julian will always be my only husband!” I stared at Seraphina in shock, but her gaze didn’t shift an inch. Even if someone stood directly in front of me, she’d only need to turn her head slightly to see me, the “only husband” she spoke of. But she didn’t spare me even a glance. Instead, she walked past me, chin held high, with an arrogant demeanor I’d never seen from her before. Soon, Seraphina and Dominic entered the glass-walled office just a few feet from me. Their conversation inside was clearly audible. “Miss Sterling, the victim’s family is here. Would you like to meet them?” I couldn’t help but look at Seraphina. Her legs were crossed, propped on the coffee table, her eyes closed as she massaged her temples. “No need! These poor people, once they get involved, they stick to you like superglue! Can’t you even handle this small matter?” Seraphina’s dismissive attitude instantly ignited my fury. Just as I was about to burst in and confront her directly. Dominic’s voice drifted into my ears. A slight smirk on his lips, he said, “Sera, I have a great idea. Let Julian pay the money back. If he doesn’t help you, you lose the bet.” Seraphina opened her eyes and glanced at Dominic, scoffing. “Don’t dream about it. Julian has stayed by my side all these years, even when I was faking poverty and illness. I don’t want to bother him with something like this!” Dominic didn’t get angry, just clicked his tongue. “I wonder if you’re just scared. Is Julian really incapable of coming up with a million dollars for you?” I couldn’t listen anymore. But as soon as I took a step, a sweet, metallic taste filled my throat, and after spitting out a mouthful of blood, I passed out cold. Seraphina’s voice pulled me back to reality. She held me in her arms, speaking softly. “Julian, I accidentally ran over someone last night while making a delivery. They’re demanding an exorbitant sum, saying if I don’t pay, they’ll make me go to jail.” I stared at her, my eyes bloodshot. “But you can’t drive, can you? How could you hit someone?” Seraphina’s eyes darted away, her voice tinged with guilt. “I didn’t want to stay in bed, being a burden to you. I wanted to earn some money to send Chloe to enrichment classes.” Tears instantly welled up in my eyes, but I swallowed them back. I abruptly pulled Seraphina closer, pressing her. “Seraphina! Then I ask you, do you know who you hit?” Hearing this, Seraphina frowned, displeased. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you so emotional?” Looking at the indifferent expression on Seraphina’s face, a raging fire burned in my chest. At this moment, I began to doubt myself, wondering if I had ever truly known the woman I married! “Seraphina!! I ask you! Do you know *who* you hit?!” My emotions were completely out of control now, unstoppable tears bursting forth with my trembling voice. “I think it was an old woman and a little girl. I figured they just wanted to extort money from me.” I didn’t miss the fleeting look of disdain that flashed in her eyes. All my strength drained away in an instant. I said weakly, “Seraphina, I don’t have the money for you.” This was the first time I had ever refused Seraphina’s request. Her face instantly soured, visibly hardening. She stood up abruptly. “Are you really that unwilling to part with a million dollars? Are you just going to stand there and watch me go to jail?! I’m your wife!” In that moment, I suddenly wanted to rip off her disguise. The Sterling family was one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the city. A mere million dollars, what did that amount to in her eyes? “Seraphina, my mom…” Before I could finish, Seraphina impatiently cut me off. “It’s always your mom! How tired could your mom be?! She sits and does intricate needlework all day! She sells it to rich people, adds her pension, and a million should be easy, right?” Watching Seraphina storm out, slamming the door, all the strength drained from my body. I collapsed onto the floor, biting my teeth, silently sobbing. Tears mingled with the blood at the corner of my lips. Before my eyes, I saw my mother and daughter’s tragic deaths, lying in pools of blood, intermingling with seven years of my life with Seraphina, making me question what was real and what was false. Not long after, the doorbell rang.

Mrs. Henderson, our next-door neighbor, saw me when I opened the door, and a look of pleasant surprise crossed her face. “Julian! Not working today? Where’s Chloe? Look what I brought for your little one!” “This paint set is a reward for Chloe! Chloe loves to paint, doesn’t she?” “Oh, and where are your mom and Chloe?” Mrs. Henderson held a back support belt, peering into the house, searching for my mom and Chloe. My throat tightened, and I bit down hard, fighting back tears. “What’s wrong? Julian, why are you crying?” The smile slowly faded from Mrs. Henderson’s face. As if sensing something, her eyes instantly reddened. She looked at me in disbelief, as if hoping for a different answer from my words. “Mrs. Henderson, my mom and Chloe already…” I closed my eyes for a moment, finally uttering the answer. “…are gone.” “What happened?!” Mrs. Henderson cried out in alarm, the gift in her hand falling heavily to the floor. Hearing Mrs. Henderson’s sobs, my own tears couldn’t be held back. I choked out, “A car accident.” I couldn’t bring myself to look up, my shoulders shaking as I quietly wept. A pair of warm arms wrapped around me. Mrs. Henderson wailed, cursing, “That heartless monster! Your mom never even got to enjoy life, and Chloe was so young…” “Oh, does Seraphina know?” The question felt like a sharp blade piercing my heart. Under Mrs. Henderson’s concerned gaze, I slowly shook my head. “She doesn’t know.” Even now, Seraphina had no idea she’d gotten drunk and killed my mom and Chloe. Thinking of this, I could no longer control the grief in my heart and sobbed like a child. After Mrs. Henderson left, I buried my head in my pillow and cried for a long time, until I received a message from the funeral home. Five hundred thousand. Looking at that astronomical sum and my bank account balance, I felt utterly desperate. Where was I going to find five hundred thousand dollars for my mom and Chloe’s burial? As I scrolled through my phone book, trying to find someone I could borrow money from, Seraphina’s call came in. “Don’t let Mom and Chloe work late tonight. I’ll be home early to celebrate Chloe’s birthday.” My mind was still on that five hundred thousand dollars. After a moment of hesitation, I asked, “Seraphina, do you have five hundred thousand?” A long silence on the other end of the line. Finally, she spoke. “Julian, are you kidding me? Where would *I* get money? Didn’t all my wages go to buying things for Chloe and Mom?” There wasn’t a hint of guilt in Seraphina’s voice. She’d told the lie so many times, she even believed it herself. Tears brimmed in my eyes. Suddenly, I cried out loudly, “Seraphina!! You’re lying to me! You do! You clearly do! You just don’t want to give it to me!” Seraphina’s voice rose several octaves. She snapped angrily, “Julian! What are you doing?! What kind of person do you take me for? If I had the money, do you think I wouldn’t give it to you? Who’s been feeding you lies?!” “Please! Can you stop making things difficult for me?!” Oh, “stop making things difficult for me,” indeed! With that, she hastily hung up the phone. To gather enough money for my mom and Chloe’s burial plot, I couldn’t afford to wallow in my grief. I had to rush to the agreed-upon workplace. Encased in a thick mascot costume, I was led into a private room, clumsily swaying my limbs to the music. After my performance, laughter erupted from around the room. “How’s it, Sera? The birthday gift I prepared for your Chloe in advance, pretty good, right?” “Sera dotes on her daughter like the apple of her eye. All the money she earns by humbling herself, she spends on her mother-in-law and daughter.”

It was stiflingly hot inside the mascot suit, yet I felt as if I’d plunged into an ice bath. It was only then that I saw her. In the enormous room, Seraphina was sprawled lazily on the couch, carelessly swirling the wine in her glass, like an untouchable queen. “Looks alright. I’ll call my daughter and ask if she likes it.” As Seraphina picked up her phone, my daughter’s unique ringtone sounded in my ears. But soon, her brows furrowed, and her eyes instantly filled with confusion and worry, because Seraphina had called Chloe several times, but the calls went straight to voicemail. My whole body trembled, tears streaming down my face. Seraphina, you killed our daughter! You’ll never reach this number again! Dominic was close to me. Hearing my fingernails scratch against the mascot suit, he glanced at me. “Sera! You have such incredible patience, pretending to be poor and sick for seven years, tricking Julian, a brilliant graduate from a top university, into slaving away for you, while you, an heiress, condescended to play house with them.” Seraphina scoffed. “Once I win the bet, I’ll bring them back to the Sterling estate. They won’t have to suffer anymore.” Catching the hint of guilt in Seraphina’s voice, I looked at her sharply. “Now you’re putting on the act of a good wife and mother. But why didn’t you give Julian money when he asked you for it just now?” “Why are you meddling in my affairs? If he’s asking for my help, it must be because my mother-in-law’s condition has worsened.” Seraphina’s tone was assertive. “Next month, I’ll find the best doctors to cure my mother-in-law!” “His mom is sick, how could he possibly help you pay?” Dominic’s laughter grated on my ears. Seraphina looked embarrassed. “He *will* help me! If you don’t believe me, I can call him right now and ask him for the money!” My mind went blank. I instinctively raised my clumsy arm, trying to find my phone. It wasn’t until I heard the busy signal that I realized I’d left my phone in my bag before work. “Damn it! What time is it, and he’s not answering my calls!” Dominic casually glanced at me. “That’s why I say, all poor people are the same. What’s love in the face of money? There are plenty of people who would sell their dignity.” Seraphina’s eyes grew colder and colder. Suddenly, she stood up and walked over to me. The next second, her cold eyes stared directly at me, as if piercing through the bulky mascot suit to see my face. Had she finally recognized me?! Just as tears streamed down my face and I prepared to rip off the mascot head to demand what I meant to her, she suddenly spoke. “Would *you* sell your dignity for money?” My hand slowly dropped. I said nothing. Seraphina pulled a stack of money from a nearby box and slapped it against my face. “Get down on your knees!” She yanked my arm, a cold smile on her face, and dumped the entire box of money over my head. Under her icy gaze, I slowly bent down, kneeling before her to pick up the scattered banknotes. I had no reason to refuse this money. With this money, I could buy a better burial plot for my mom and Chloe. “See? Typical poor people, they pick up money the moment they see it! Hey, let me ask you, if I gave you money and told you to die, would you just obediently do it?” “But Julian is different from you! He’s with me only because he loves me, not for money, so whatever I say, he’ll believe it!” I lifted my head, meeting Seraphina’s eyes through the mascot head. I chuckled self-mockingly. “You’re right!” I *am* one of those poor people you talk about! For money, I can also sell my dignity! The moment Seraphina heard my voice, her pupils constricted, and she instinctively reached to pull off my mascot head. But I didn’t dodge. In fact, I was almost looking forward to seeing her reaction when she saw who was under the mask. Dominic pressed down on her hand, scoffing playfully, “Sera, Julian might have upset you, but you shouldn’t take it out on a mascot, should you?” Seraphina angrily yanked her hand away from Dominic’s grasp and glared at me. “Now get lost.” Seraphina didn’t come home that night. It wasn’t until the next morning that I received a text from her. “Julian, my condition relapsed yesterday, and I fainted and was taken to the hospital. I just woke up.” “How’s Mom’s condition? And have you collected enough money for me?” This wasn’t the first time Seraphina had used this excuse for staying out all night. Expressionless, I packed all my belongings and shipped them away, then headed to the address Seraphina’s assistant had given me. As I walked into the high-end restaurant, I immediately spotted Seraphina’s familiar back in the distance. Chloe’s phone watch in my pocket was still buzzing. Seraphina had been calling it incessantly since yesterday evening.

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A muffled voice crackled through the bus speakers, announcing the next stop. 1. **Rule number one:** Never give up your seat to someone holding a baby. Break this, and you’ll regret it forever. 2. **Rule number two:** If you accidentally break Rule One, you can’t refuse anything the woman with the baby asks. Refuse, and you’ll die. 3. **Rule number three:** Don’t easily trust people in black and white checkered shirts. What they say could be true, or it could be a lie. 4. **Rule number four:** Absolutely never trust people in red clothes. See red, look down. Avoid eye contact at all costs. They are devils, masters of manipulation. 5. **Don’t… get off… never… get off at…** “Static crackled… then silence.” The bus pulled to a stop. A woman, cradling a baby, stepped inside. The bus speakers blared again. “Westside Lane One, now arriving. Please exit through the rear door.” *Tap-tap-tap…* The woman with the baby paused right in front of me. My sleepy haze instantly evaporated. I was just about to stand up and offer my seat. Suddenly, a piercing, grating sound ripped through the bus. **【1. NEVER give up your seat to a woman holding a baby!】** **【NEVER give up your seat to a woman holding a baby!】** **【NEVER give up your seat to a woman holding a baby, or you’ll regret it forever!】** The static-filled voice grew sharper, more insistent with each repetition. I clapped my hands over my ears, my heart pounding, and glanced around at the other passengers. They looked like they hadn’t heard a thing. This sound… it felt like only I could hear it. What the hell was going on? Was I hallucinating? Just as I was brushing it off, the bus speakers flared to life again, the voice still only audible to me. **【Bus Survival Rules】** **【1. Remember, never give up your seat to a woman holding a baby. Break this, and you’ll regret it forever.】** **【2. If you accidentally break Rule One, you can’t refuse anything the woman with the baby asks. Refuse, and you’ll die.】** **【3. Don’t easily trust people in black and white checkered shirts. What they say could be true, or it could be a lie.】** **【4. Absolutely never trust people in red clothes. See red, look down. Avoid eye contact at all costs. They are devils, masters of manipulation.】** **【5. Get off at the final stop. Never, ever get off at any stop in between, no matter what you see or hear.】** **【6. If you accidentally break any of these forbidden rules, scream for the driver’s help! Remember, you only get ONE chance!】** The woman with the baby stood right in front of me. Give up the seat or… don’t? Who was I supposed to believe? Giving up my seat was the right thing to do, a gesture of kindness. Not doing it would make my conscience scream. But if I did give up my seat, what exactly would happen that I’d regret forever?

I was in the very front of the bus. The front seats faced each other. Three blue seats on the left, three blue seats on the right. Every seat was taken. My seat was right behind the driver. Mr. Thorne kept urging the newly boarded passengers to move to the back. But the woman with the baby just stood there, motionless, in front of me.

I kept my head down, pretending not to notice her. Those narrow, pointed blue embroidered shoes remained firmly in my line of sight, unwavering. Wait a second! Aren’t those… the kind you only see in old movies, meant for the dead? Burial shoes? The atmosphere quickly turned eerie. My palms were slick with sweat. Mr. Thorne barked, “Someone give up their seat for the lady with the baby!” My head was still bowed, my hands clammy. In the middle of the bus, there were yellow seats marked for priority seating. Why wasn’t she waiting there for someone else to offer their seat? Why *me*? Why was she specifically standing in front of me?

The woman with the baby swayed unsteadily in the aisle, looking ready to collapse from exhaustion. Everyone stared at her and the poor baby in her arms, their gazes burning into me, full of disgust and anger. As Mr. Thorne’s urging intensified, and under the torrent of condemning glares from the other passengers, it felt like I was being grilled alive, turning over a roaring fire. I, the one who wouldn’t give up her seat, had become the villain everyone hated. My heart pounded like a drum. Part of me worried about what would happen if I gave up the seat, while the other part was tormented by agonizing guilt. Someone, save me. I looked at the guy sitting to my left. His blue athletic jacket had, at some point, changed into a black and white checkered shirt. His features began to distort under my gaze, twisting into a pixelated mess, like a glitch in a video game. Then, a crisp voice suddenly sounded in my ear. **【3. Don’t easily trust people in black and white checkered shirts. What they say could be true, or it could be a lie.】**

My breath hitched. My scalp tingled, every hair standing on end. My neck felt rusted, but I mechanically turned my head to look at the person on my right. She was a heavily pregnant woman, wearing a white maternity dress. A pregnant woman, in white… She had to be good, right? She *had* to be! I was just about to ask her for help. Then, a bizarre, lumpy shape began to press against her taut belly. I saw a tiny fist push out, then a small foot, and slowly, a miniature face appeared on her stomach. The scene suddenly became horrifying. The baby inside her belly became violently agitated. It tore through her round belly. Blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly soaking her white dress a horrifying crimson. A tiny, bloody, wrinkled baby crawled out from between her legs, dragging a long, slimy umbilical cord. It scrabbled across the floor, leaving a glistening trail of blood. It was sickening. I felt bile rise in my throat. She had turned into someone wearing red clothes. And at that very moment, I was staring right at her. **【4. Absolutely never trust people in red clothes. See red, look down. Avoid eye contact at all costs. They are devils, masters of manipulation.】**

This was insane! Everything was insane! I wanted off! I needed to escape this bus! I shoved past the other passengers, desperately hammering on the back door. “Open up! I need to get off! Open the door!” “I’m getting off!” “Let me out!” I screamed like a madwoman. The bus speakers announced, “Westside Lane Two, now arriving. Please exit through the rear door.” With a hiss, the door opened. Through a gap in the crowd, I saw Mr. Thorne turn to look at me. His eyes were a mix of pain, sadness, helplessness, and desperate pleading. I couldn’t take it anymore. I plunged off the bus without a second thought. The moment my feet hit the asphalt, a wave of relief washed over me. I looked back. The bus full of passengers watched me with innocent eyes. As the door closed and the bus began to move again, I saw chilling, knowing smiles spread across each of their faces through the window. At that moment, I didn’t understand why they were smiling. Not until a sharp pain shot through my ankle. I looked down. A skeletal hand, bits of decaying flesh clinging to it, crawling with maggots and glistening with green slime, was clamped tightly around my ankle. The asphalt beneath me began to crack and crumble, transforming into a churning sea of blood. Darkness enveloped everything. Thousands upon thousands of ghostly hands reached for me. They dragged my ankle, pulling me down into the bloody abyss. The only light in the darkness was the bus’s tail lights. In that moment, something clicked. I thrashed wildly, stretching my hand out, trying to claw my way back onto the bus. But more and more ghostly hands grabbed me. The bus slowly drove out of sight, and I was dragged down into hell.

I regretted so much not following those rules. I regretted it so, so much… Suddenly, a cacophony of voices reached my ears. “Stop pretending to be asleep! Can’t you see she’s holding a baby? Give her your seat!” “Seriously! You’re young, how can you be so sleepy? Get up and let her sit!” “Kids these days, no respect for their elders, no sense of decency.” “This generation is doomed! Absolutely hopeless!” … I opened my eyes, looking around. The endless chatter and pointing from the crowd… that’s when I slowly realized that everything I’d just experienced was a dream. But it felt so… terrifyingly real.

I looked at the woman with the baby, swaying unsteadily. I stood up, ready to help her into the seat. Suddenly, I saw Mr. Thorne staring at me, his eyes fixed on me with a chilling glint. My blood ran cold. My breath hitched. The pain in my ankle felt as real as if it were actually there. Cold sweat trickled down my temples. Better safe than sorry. I immediately sat back down. All the passengers on the bus, including the woman with the baby, glared at me with a mix of fury and disbelief. I bit down hard on my teeth, clenched my fists, and stayed silent in my seat. The woman stared intensely at me. Even though I felt like I was about to wet myself, I stared back, refusing to back down.

The woman hadn’t said a word, not one. It was like her eyes were trying to force me to give up my seat. My own gaze firmly screamed, “No way!” She stood there for a while until someone in the crowd finally waved her over. “Please, sit here. You can have my seat.” At this, a faint, chilling smile flickered on the woman’s otherwise impassive face. Holding her baby, and wearing those narrow, pointed blue embroidered shoes, she glided, rather than walked, taking tiny, almost imperceptible steps, swaying slightly as she went. The woman sat down. The young man who’d offered his seat, Alex, stood next to her and smiled reassuringly. Suddenly, the woman turned to him and said, “Thank you. Could you hold my baby for a moment? I need to find something.” Alex, being helpful, took the baby from her arms. I watched him for a long time. Everything seemed perfectly normal. Nothing happened. I suddenly felt so foolish. It was just a seat, what could happen? What was I even so scared of? It must be all the stress from school getting to me, making me hallucinate. I let out a long breath, leaned back in my seat, and decided to rest my eyes. Just two more stops, and I’d be there.

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After showering, I lit a cigarette. Halfway through it, the hotel room door pushed open. I looked at the man in the doorway, startled and panicked. My twenty-eighth john was my husband. I finished my cigarette, stubbed it out, and calmed down. Getting up, I switched the mood lighting to purple. Then, a thought struck me, and I smiled, looking at my husband still standing in the doorway. “Maybe we should change the mood lights, since you’re already here… indulging.” Brandon’s face hardened with rage. He slammed the door shut, stormed over, and clamped his hands around my throat, pinning me to the bed before he slapped me hard. “Chloe Peterson, how *dare* you!” My head swam with stars, but I didn’t resist his furious accusation. Instead, my whole body relaxed, and a laugh bubbled out of me. For three years, they’d called me a shrew, a psycho. I’d almost forgotten. I still had a name. Chloe Peterson. I grew up in a small town. My parents, despite their modest incomes, barely scraped enough together to put me through college. The year I graduated, my parents set me up with Brandon. Brandon was a good catch. Tall, handsome, fair-skinned. His family was well-off, owning a couple of properties, and he was their only child. My mom always said meeting Brandon was like hitting the jackpot – a cosmic gift I’d earned in a past life. I was twenty-two then, Brandon was twenty-four. He was still the young man who’d brave the cold wind to bring me warm coffee and pastries. He’d never dated, and neither had I. Two clueless virgins crashing into each other, yet somehow, we ignited a fierce passion. Soon after, we walked down the aisle. I thought it was the beginning of a blissful life, but it was just the first step into hell. The very night our wedding ended, his family not only confiscated the cash gifts my family had brought but then demanded a dowry from me. I stood my ground, refusing. His mother started wailing. In the midst of the argument, Brandon slapped me. The force of it sent me sprawling to the floor, my mind a blur. That year, I was twenty-three, and two months pregnant. Afterward, I insisted on a divorce. My parents pleaded with me, begging me to forgive Brandon, for the sake of the tiny life inside me. A two-month-old fetus might not be considered a ‘person’ by some, but I could feel its presence, so vividly real. In the end, I softened. I didn’t terminate that little life, and I went back home with Brandon. * “Chloe Peterson, I’ll kill you!” “Kill your cash cow? Would you really dare?” Brandon’s anger intensified, and his grip on my throat tightened. I didn’t fight back, just stared coldly at his face. Under the purple mood lights, his furious face twisted, becoming grotesque, like a devil’s. No, Brandon *was* a devil. “Chloe Peterson, you overestimate yourself! Without you, I’ll find another!” He wasn’t falling for my taunts. He grabbed a pillow and pressed it down hard over my face. The air was instantly sucked out of my lungs. I started to suffocate, a terrible, desperate struggle. Just as I felt I was dying, I heard a rough kicking at the door, followed by chaotic footsteps. “Police!” “Get up! Hands on your head and down on the floor!” The pressure on the pillow vanished, and it puffed back up. I pulled it away, the purple ambient light blurring my vision. “Are you okay?” The officer in uniform was young, looked about twenty-three or twenty-four, and spoke with a gentle voice. I glanced at her outstretched hand but didn’t take it. Instead, I pushed myself up from the bed, tying my loosely opened bathrobe. “Officer, I’m a sex worker. You don’t have to be gentle with me.” Watching Officer Sarah’s startled expression, I smiled, even as my eyes pricked with tears.

When I was twenty-four, I lost the baby and had my uterus removed. I’d never be a mother. In the ICU, my mind was clear, but my body was completely numb, hooked up to various machines. My mom came in and didn’t say a word, just cried. Watching her, I also shed tears, struggling to push out the words, “I want a divorce.” “Child, you can’t leave him!” “You’re… different now.” My mom’s words were veiled, but I understood immediately. A fire of anger surged through me. “It was *them*! They did this to me!” I couldn’t scream; my throat was raw, my voice ragged, but the rage and despair were unmistakable. My mom wiped her tears and squeezed my hand. “This isn’t the time to be stubborn. You’re like this now; if you divorce, who will want you? Your mother knows best, Chloe. I wouldn’t lead you astray. Listen to me. When you get out of the hospital, go back to Brandon and live your life. You’re different now. You need to be even better to Brandon if you want to keep him.” I stared at her face, etched with what looked like concern, and the fury in my chest suddenly dissipated. She squeezed my hand tighter. “Did you hear me? For your sake, we even returned the dowry money to their family! Don’t make us worry anymore!” Her face was plastered with ‘I’m doing this for your own good,’ and as I watched, my tears stopped falling. All I wanted to do was laugh. I guess a woman just *needs* a man in her life, right? * “Young woman, with so many things you could be doing, why *this*? Can’t you live without a man?” The officer questioning me was an older man, maybe in his late forties or early fifties. He clanged his thermos loudly on the table the moment he walked into the interrogation room. I watched him the whole time, and when our gazes met, his filled with disgust. I just curved my lips into a smile. “That’s right. I can’t.” “Do you even realize where you are? Get serious!” Officer Miller wasn’t amused. He picked up his thermos and slammed it down again. I leaned back in my chair, getting as comfortable as I could. “Officer, I’m just answering your question. I *am* serious.” He looked about to slam the thermos down again when a younger officer called him out. I glanced over. The young officer had a good build, but I didn’t get a clear look at his face. Soon after, the young officer entered and took Officer Miller’s place. My gaze traveled from his long legs upwards, finally reaching his face. The moment I recognized him, I panicked, lowering my head and straightening up awkwardly. The handcuffs on my wrists glinted, and I frantically clasped my hands together to hide them. Ryan Stone. How could it be him? How could it be *him*?! * “Do you know who that is?” It was my freshman year of college. I was stumbling through my introduction during student government club tryouts when I heard the voice. I looked up, following the gazes of the other students. I noticed the young man sitting in the middle. He wore a dark trench coat, his posture casual, almost lazy, yet he exuded a cool indifference. When his eyes met mine, I panicked, looking down and shaking my head. I’d only been enrolled for a month; I barely knew my roommates. “That’s Ryan, our club president. You don’t know him?” “Don’t tease her! Hey, I’ve got a question for you: if Ryan broke a rule and you caught him, would you report it?” As the question hung in the air, someone else chimed in, egging me on. My mind went blank, but I nodded. “Yes. I’d report him.” They all laughed. I kept my head down, my palms sweating from nerves.

“Chloe Peterson.” Ryan’s voice was low and magnetic. I nervously looked up, met his gaze, and then quickly looked away. “She’ll do. She’s in.” “She’ll *do*? What do you mean?” I listened to the questioning, nervous but also eager for Ryan’s answer. “More straightforward than any of you.” I froze for a moment. I’d always been labeled ‘honest,’ but this was the first time anyone had ever called me ‘straightforward.’ I looked up, but Ryan had already gotten up. All I saw was his retreating back in the dark coat. * “Chloe Peterson.” Ryan’s voice was still low and magnetic, but his tone was strictly official. My gaze had nowhere to land, so it settled on my red painted nails. “Your husband claims he didn’t know you were prostituting yourself. He said he lashed out because he blacked out with rage. Do you agree with this statement?” I clenched my hands, my body trembling slightly before completely slumping, like a puddle, a deflated rag doll in the chair. “He knew. He was trying to kill me.” I looked up, but I didn’t have the courage to meet Ryan’s eyes. I just stared at the hand holding his pen. His hands were still as beautiful as I remembered. My resolve crumpled, and I shifted my gaze away from his hands. “He forced me into prostitution.” “Elaborate.” Ryan didn’t question me, which surprised me. Even my own parents didn’t believe me; they even cut ties with me. “I had a hysterectomy.” “Because of an infection from the stillbirth.” “My baby was just 97 days from being born.” I spoke with difficulty, my throat raw. As my emotions teetered on the edge of breaking, a cup of water appeared before me. The hand holding the cup had prominent knuckles. I looked up. My eyes were full of tears, and the overhead lights blurred through them, making everything swim, even Ryan, standing before me, appeared to have a double. Perhaps it was that blurred vision that gave me the courage not to look away. “They said since I couldn’t bear a son for their lineage, couldn’t give the ‘family name’ an heir, then I should earn money for their family instead.” “They forced me into prostitution.” Maybe my gaze made Ryan uncomfortable; he deliberately looked away, walked back, and sat down. “We will investigate and verify your claims. If they are true, we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law and get you justice.” Hearing his official tone, I lowered my head, no longer trying to hide my handcuffed hands. The silver surface reflected my face, heavily made up, like a ghost. I scoffed at myself. I couldn’t even remember what my face looked like without makeup in college, let alone Ryan. “Why did the baby… become stillborn?” Ryan’s voice had softened, but his question ignited my emotions. My body began to tremble uncontrollably. “They made me drink something.” “What kind of ‘something’?” Seeing the confused expression on Ryan’s face, my reason took control of my emotions, and my body stopped trembling. “Officer Ryan, do you believe in karma? In poetic justice?” Ryan paused, then his expression immediately turned serious. “I believe in the fairness and justice of the law.” I didn’t speak, just smiled. No wonder he switched schools and majors back then. But, is there any justice or fairness for *women* in this world? * “A girl? How could it be a *girl*?!” “You worthless jinx! You can’t even give birth to a son! What good are you anyway?!” When I was three months pregnant, my mother-in-law used every trick in the book to find out the baby’s gender from the doctor. Right outside the OB/GYN office, she pointed her finger in my face and screamed at me. It was a weekend, and the clinic was crowded. Everyone was staring. My face burned with shame. I tugged at my mother-in-law’s sleeve, trying to make her stop, but she just raised her hand and slapped me across the face.

“You’re a good-for-nothing, and you’re having another good-for-nothing! Don’t touch me! Such a jinx!” “What did our family ever do to deserve a woman like you?!” I covered my face, gritting my teeth, refusing to let the tears fall in front of everyone. “What are you standing there for? Aren’t you embarrassed enough? Get your worthless self home!” “I can’t stand the sight of you! Always that dead-fish face, it’s bad luck!” My mother-in-law ranted and raved, not waiting for me, and took a cab home. Penniless, I had to walk. By the time I got home, Brandon was already home from work. The moment he saw me, his face was a mask of irritation and disgust. “Where have you been so late? No dinner made.” “I worked all day and come home to no hot meal! What am I keeping you for?!” I hadn’t even had a chance to speak when Brandon grabbed my hair and dragged me into the kitchen, pressing my head against the counter. He picked up a cleaver and slammed it onto the cutting board, holding it menacingly close to my face. “If I don’t get dinner when I get home, I’ll chop your head off!” I shielded my stomach, staring at my reflection in the blade, biting my lip hard to hold back my tears. Out of the corner of my eye, Brandon’s parents sat in the living room, casually watching TV as if nothing was happening. This went on until I was four months pregnant. Just as I was about to go numb, my mother-in-law fell ill. My parents, with forced smiles, managed to get her a bed at one of the city’s top hospitals. My mom said that was all they could do for me. I wanted out, but my mom just told me I couldn’t escape anymore, not with a baby on the way. If marriage was a cage trapping me, then this child was the lock on that cage. After my mother-in-law recovered, her attitude towards me changed. Even my father-in-law and Brandon became kinder. When I was five months pregnant, my mother-in-law started preparing various nourishing soups for me. At the time, I truly believed the dark clouds had finally parted, until that night she brought me a bowl of special herbal tea, supposedly for the baby’s health.

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A low whimpering sound reached my ears from a secluded room in the warehouse. I gestured for my subordinate to pull open the door. The sight inside made my pupils shrink. *This* was the shipment! More than twenty women, barely clothed, were huddled together, their eyes wide with terror, fixed on me. Their hair was matted and wild, and their faces and bodies were bruised to varying degrees. The worst off lay motionless on the ground, silenced forever, fresh marks of brutal torture still marring her body. Seeing this, I remembered what Duke had called “handling.” A shiver of ice crawled down my spine, despite the summer air. My name is Asher. My fiancée, Skylar, and I had known each other for over a decade, practically growing up together. My second year of college, I confessed my feelings to her, promising to marry her, to love her, to make her happy for the rest of her life. At twenty-four, after a beautiful engagement ceremony, we officially tied the knot. That night, she gave me everything. I just held her close, listening to her murmur “I love you” over and over again. At twenty-five, she went on a trip with her friends, while I was buried under work, scrambling to get a company plan off the ground. That was the biggest regret of my life. A week after she left, I lost contact. Soon, more than forty-eight hours passed. Frantic, I contacted the local police department. I sent them the little information I had, and they told me to wait for news. Three days later, I couldn’t bear it anymore. I bought a flight to where she’d been traveling. I had barely stepped off the plane when my phone rang. It was the police. My eyes were fixed, unseeing, on the computer screen. In the surveillance footage, she was being dragged into a van by several men. That had been five full days ago. The officer tried to calm me, telling me not to worry, that they were investigating the matter thoroughly and had already identified the van. His words offered a small flicker of relief. A week passed. I received a message from her phone. It was a video. She was naked, violated by a group of men, trapped in a dimly lit room, her body and face a canvas of wounds. A deafening roar filled my head, and my legs gave out, sending me crashing to the floor. My face contorted in agony, but my eyes remained glued to the heartbreaking scene. Passersby recoiled from my distraught state, hurrying away. I burned their faces into my memory, etching them deeper than my own name. I didn’t go back to the police. Nor did I contact anyone else. I spent a fortune, but finally bought the information I craved. I quit my job, leaving my family and friends without a word. Alone, I headed for the borderlands.

This year marks my third year in the borderlands. Looking at the man and woman kneeling on the ground, I knew I was about to get blood on my hands again. I hated the feeling. Duke had ordered me to ‘handle’ this man and woman. Apparently, their only crime was having an affair. I didn’t bother to think twice. The faster it was done, the better. I dealt with the man quickly and cleanly. But the woman stared at me with wide, tear-filled eyes. Perhaps her tears reminded me of Skylar. In the end, I let her go. The woman whispered a trembling “thank you.” My heart remained unmoved. I didn’t look at her, just walked back to my room. I’d caught a chill last night, and my head felt heavy. I lit a cigarette, leaving the lights off, just sitting there, silently gazing out the window. This was a lawless place, home to the world’s most vicious criminals and its poorest people. I lived in this environment, day in and day out. I almost forgot why I joined this outfit in the first place… No! I wouldn’t forget! Never! I narrowed my eyes. The nicotine stimulated my nerves, making me feel much clearer. My phone vibrated on the table. I picked it up and put it to my ear. “Sterling wants to see you.” Just a few words, but I couldn’t help but tremble. I hung up the phone and laughed, a rush of excitement. The head of the syndicate wanted to see me. The ruthless leader who dealt in all kinds of dark trades, whose hands were stained with countless lives! I was escorted into his office, keeping my head down. The man stood there, his back to me. His corpulent frame, surprisingly, still exuded a formidable presence. He was the most vicious gangster in this dark territory. He turned, waving a hand. Immediately, two men rushed forward and attacked me. Heavy blows landed on my gut. Even with years of training, my body still struggled to cope. My abdomen cramped with sharp pains, and I felt something clawing its way up my throat. I couldn’t help but cough twice, blood mixed with bile splattered across the floor. Sterling raised a hand, and the two men stopped beating me. He walked toward me, step by step. “Do you know why I called you here?” His voice was thick, muffled. I said nothing, just glanced at the corner. A woman was kneeling there. It was the same woman I’d let go earlier that evening. I smiled, looking directly at Sterling. I knew he wouldn’t kill me. “You’re smart. Different from the others.” Sterling took a drag from his cigarette, then tossed a towel at my face. “But being too smart isn’t always a good thing.” Sterling turned and waved his hand, signaling that I could leave. Still silent, I gave him a slight bow, then exited the room. Standing in the hallway, I thought for a moment. Maybe I should have just killed him then. I stood there, staring at the gun in my hand, lost in thought.

Three days had passed since I met with Sterling. I hadn’t left my room. I just sat there, waiting quietly. On the fourth day, Duke knocked on my door. He walked in, carrying a bottle of whiskey and some food. Duke was my first boss when I joined the syndicate, essentially a crew chief, as they called it. Over the years, Duke had cleared countless obstacles for Sterling, earning his coveted position as a ‘manager’ within the organization. “Duke.” I stood up to greet him, but he waved me back down. He said nothing, just poured the whiskey. The liquor nearly overflowed the glass, and I couldn’t help but murmur a warning. Duke grinned. *Wham!* A glass landed in front of me. I looked up, meeting Duke’s deep gaze. “This drink is to congratulate you. You’ve got a shot at moving up.” My heart was calm, but I feigned surprise. During our casual chat, I gradually learned the situation. The head of the syndicate’s trade division had run off with a massive shipment of goods, defecting to a rival faction. Sterling’s orders were clear: retrieve the merchandise and eliminate the defector. To be honest, Sterling’s approach surprised me a little. Duke seemed to read my thoughts. He’d always held me in high regard. “It’s a good thing you let that woman go. I should have told you she was Sterling’s ‘sister’ – a plant, a test from Sterling himself. But I couldn’t. It was Sterling’s command.” He seemed annoyed as he spoke. If I hadn’t taken the initiative to spare Sterling’s ‘sister,’ I might be talking to a corpse right now. “You should know what to do,” Duke said meaningfully. “Be swift, finish it quickly. If you can’t bring the goods back, destroy them. Save yourself unnecessary trouble.” I nodded, already strategizing in my mind. After a few more drinks and a final warning, Duke left the room. I lay on the bed, my fingers tracing the cool metal of my gun. I didn’t sleep a wink. I was well-acquainted with this kind of mission, and I started preparations first thing in the morning. Even though Caleb had defected to another organization, the shipment hadn’t been moved yet. And among those who followed him, we had our own informers. I read the message, then closed my phone. Caleb was still scheduled to visit the warehouse where the goods were stored this afternoon. It might be his last visit; he planned to move everything today. I got into the van, taking a deep breath to steady myself. Surprisingly, I felt a little nervous. Fortunately, the operation went smoothly. Caleb was taken out almost the moment we stormed the warehouse. Even if we lost a few of our own in the crossfire, their lives meant nothing to me. After clearing the scene, I took two men with me to find the shipment. Duke had told me to destroy the goods if we couldn’t take them. A low whimpering sound reached my ears from a secluded room in the warehouse. I gestured for my subordinate to pull open the door. The sight inside made my pupils shrink. *This* was the shipment! More than twenty women, barely clothed, were huddled together, their eyes wide with terror, fixed on me. Their hair was matted and wild, and their faces and bodies were bruised to varying degrees. The worst off lay motionless on the ground, silenced forever, fresh marks of brutal torture still marring her body. Seeing this, I remembered what Duke had called “handling.” A shiver of ice crawled down my spine, despite the summer air. I remained impassive, deep in thought. The subordinate next to me looked at the women, then at me. Their eyes silently questioned me. A daring plan quietly formed in my mind. I smiled. Then nodded to them both. The two men with me, their eyes gleaming with greedy, depraved intent, seemed to understand my silent cue and moved toward the women. *Bang! Bang!* Without hesitation, I shot them both from behind. They died never knowing why I’d turned on them. Hearing the shots, the remaining few who could still move immediately ran toward me. I gave them no chance, firing several more shots and taking them down. One was lucky, not hit in a vital spot, his face twisted in pain and terror. I squeezed the trigger a few more times; the magazine was empty. I tossed the gun to the ground and pulled out my usual dagger. I plunged the knife into his heart, my expression blank, my eyes as calm as if I were reading a book. A book filled with sin and gore.

I returned to the syndicate, standing before Sterling. I coolly reported the outcome of the operation. Caleb and all those who defected with him were eliminated. The few men I brought with me had also unfortunately perished. As for the shipment, of course, I told them it had all been destroyed. Sterling listened to my loud report, his expression impassive, only a fleeting frown crossing his face at the news of our lost men before he returned to his usual composure. “Not bad.” Sterling just tossed a badge at me. I’d seen that badge before, pinned to the former manager, Caleb. Its meaning was crystal clear. I silently took the badge, then looked up at Sterling. This was just the beginning… I remained impassive. That night, I returned to my new place. My old, cramped room had been replaced by a sprawling, luxurious apartment. It was the standard perk for a manager. Duke still came to see me, giving me a quick rundown of things. Then he pulled a thick wad of cash from his bag. Seeing my eyes widen at the sight of the money, he clapped me on the shoulder, satisfied. Anyone who chose to live this life, to claw their way through this underworld, was chasing the same few things. And I, a seemingly insatiable money-grabber, was exactly the kind of person they thought they could control. Only, he didn’t know that after he left, I threw the entire wad of cash into the trash without a second glance. I only had one purpose for being here. It was the reason I was willing to abandon a comfortable life and a high-paying job to come to this place. They had no idea I was a patient, calculating madman. I took over Caleb’s work, rarely touching the bloody stuff myself. Sitting in front of the computer, staring at the colossal sums of money flowing in and out, the endless invoices, I finally grasped the sheer scale of the syndicate’s operations. They were involved in almost every dark transaction imaginable. I searched through the computer, scrolling through photo after shocking photo, searching. Finally, I found what I was looking for. A beautiful young woman’s photo. Her smile was gentle, like a delicate narcissus. My right hand trembled slightly as I scrolled through the woman’s information. It listed her merchandise number and details. “She’s alive,” a calm female voice said behind me. My hand instinctively shot to my hip, only to be stopped by a pair of delicate, pale hands.

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One year into our marriage. I found out my husband was actually a rich guy. It’s just… he looked exactly like a guy in the financial newspaper. When I confronted him, he just laughed and said, “Lots of people look alike, but not everyone has my eight-pack abs.” “…” Ugh, he was so right. I absolutely *loved* my husband’s eight-pack abs. “Violet.” Rhys’s arms wrapped tightly around my waist, his handsome face buried in my neck. I heard his low chuckle and reached out to push him, but my hand landed right on those solid eight-pack abs. A shock like electricity ran through my palm, my breath hitched, and my heart pounded. “Rhys…” The word slipped from my lips, soft and sweet, my eyes swimming, practically dripping with desire. He lifted his head, bracing himself on either side of me, hovering as he smiled. The slight upturn of his foxy eyes held a hint of raw desire, tinged with red. His thin lips parted, and he lowered his head, kissing mine fiercely, taking charge without a moment’s hesitation. “Good girl, call me Daddy.” … Just like that, I called him Daddy all night long. The next morning, I almost missed work. When I finally dragged myself out of bed, my darling husband was still sprawled out, sound asleep. Ugh, he looked like a god in repose, absolutely stunning. Looks like it was up to me to bring home the bacon. My best friend, Harper, said I was hopelessly gone, and I admit it. Ever since I met Rhys, I’d been a total prisoner of love. “You’re completely wrapped around his finger! That dog Rhys is like some manipulative siren, whispering nonsense in your ear, and you just do whatever he says without a second thought!” Every time I met Harper, she called my husband a dog. I just put up with it. What else could I do? She’s been my best friend since we were kids. “My lunch break is almost over. Can we talk about something else?” I checked the time. This woman had been going on for nearly an hour. Harper sighed, her expression like she was thoroughly disappointed in me. “What is that dog Rhys even thinking, letting you, a woman, go out and earn money while he hides at home sleeping? What’s up with that?” “I’m happy to.” Only I truly know what’s best for me. Rhys has his good points, and others just wouldn’t understand. Rhys and I met completely by chance. As the old saying goes, it was truly meant to be, the best possible arrangement. A year ago, my company had a team-building trip to beautiful Miami Beach. That evening, I was strolling along the shore by myself when I saw a crowd of people gathered, arguing loudly. Right in the middle was Rhys. Under the moonlight, his unfairly perfect face practically glowed like something carved from moonlight, looking awkwardly innocent. His long, slender fingers held a crab claw like it was a piece of art. He was wearing the most ridiculously loud Hawaiian shirt and baggy shorts, but on him, it looked unbelievably stunning. It was love at first sight, and I was completely, hopelessly sunk. Like quicksand, there was no pulling me out. Turns out, poor Rhys hadn’t brought any money for dinner, and the owner thought he was trying to dine and dash. Was there any justice in the world? What’s wrong with a gorgeous person eating a little food? I dug into my own wallet and helped him out. But it hurt for a while because he’d ordered a whole king crab feast. Harper said I was totally bewitched by Rhys. I couldn’t help it. He was too handsome, and I was too much of a sucker for a pretty face. He promised he’d pay me back, but I honestly never expected him to. I was playing the long game. There had to be a reason for us to meet again, right? Then I found out we lived in the same city. Fate is just like that, wonderfully mysterious. Later, we got closer and closer. I felt the time was right to take things to the next level, but then I got nervous and totally butchered my words. “Can we do, friends?”

It was like a sudden clap of thunder; we both just froze. “No, no, no! I mean, can we *be* friends? Not *do*… Why would I say something like that? I…” Ugh, explaining only makes it worse. I was just digging myself deeper. Oh no, I sounded like a pervert! Rhys reached out and took my hand. His palm was large and strong, warm and solid. He looked at me, serious and sincere. “You don’t really know me yet. The truth is, I…” “I know.” I understood his awkwardness. He still hadn’t paid me back for that dinner in Miami. And after that, whenever we went out, I always rushed to pay. Sigh, I guess the heavens are fair. They gave him perfect looks but made his life so… poor. “I’ll support you.” I was serious. More real than pure gold. From the very first moment I saw him, I was utterly captivated. I’m a total sucker for a pretty face, and I guess that means I’m doomed to give my all. Rhys’s eyes widened in surprise. His foxy eyes, usually so subtle, now popped wide open. He probably didn’t expect me to be so direct. Maybe he needed to think about it. It was a big deal, after all. My expression dimmed, and my heart sank. To be honest, I wasn’t rich either. With me, he’d have food and clothes, but it was far from a life of luxury. The next second, my chin was gently lifted, and his soft lips pressed against mine. Between whispered kisses, Rhys chuckled softly. “It’s a deal.” Once we started, there was no stopping us. It was like a fuse had been lit, and we just exploded. The most important thing was how incredibly compatible we were, especially in bed. Those eight-pack abs, in particular, were the death of me. Just being in the same room felt like a commitment, and our eyes meeting was pure intimacy. Every day was hot and fiery. As for going directly to the courthouse to get married later, I swear I wasn’t the one who suggested it. We didn’t have a wedding. We just went out for a nice dinner together the night we got our marriage certificate. The beginning was tough, but the rest was much smoother. Our lives together were sweeter than honey, so happy it made some people green with envy. Like my best friend, Harper. “Did you even listen to a word I said? You’re a great girl, but why are you so clueless? Have you really thought this through? You’re going to support him for life?” Harper scolded me too. I nodded. “For life.” The words themselves sounded happy. Harper waved her hand, telling me to get lost. “Alright, I’m going. Talk later!” I grabbed my bag and blew her a kiss. “Violet Hayes, mark my words, one day he’ll drain you dry.” I took my best friend’s “blessing.” No, thanks! Hope neither of us ever ends up like that.

I’d been at my company for four years, but my position was lower than some of the new hires. The reason? Everyone knew. I’m tall and slender, with fair skin and a pretty face. When I first joined the company, I was the center of attention for quite a while. That ended the moment I got married. Everyone here was civilized; they knew there were certain lines you didn’t cross. But some people weren’t like that. They were just predators, taking whatever they wanted. My boss, Mr. Sterling, had hinted at things repeatedly, but I always played dumb and brushed him off. Today, though, it seemed that wasn’t going to work. “Director Sterling, I need to go home and have dinner with my husband tonight.” I pulled my hand away, smiling as I politely refused my boss’s invitation. That old creep practically had his dirty thoughts tattooed on his forehead. It was sickening. He’d already taken advantage of almost every woman in the office, it was just a matter of how much. “Violet, what about tomorrow then?” “I’m on a diet tomorrow. No dinner.” I blurted out without thinking. Dealing with workplace harassment is a vital skill for modern women. The old creep’s face instantly darkened, and he slammed a file onto the desk. “Redo this! I want to see it before the meeting tomorrow morning, or else, Violet Hayes, you can forget about your bonus this month!” I kept a smile on my face as I bent down to pick up the huge stack of files from his desk. These were materials I’d spent a week organizing. He hadn’t even looked at them before tossing them back, clearly trying to mess with me. If it were the old me, I would have thrown it right back in his face and walked out. But times were different now. I had a husband to support at home. If I quit, we’d both starve. Ugh, money problems can really crush you. After a whole day of hard work, it was already dark when I got home. In early spring, the mornings and evenings still felt like winter. The wind bit at my face, making my skin sting. After an hour of battling rush hour traffic, I finally dragged my half-dead self through the door. Our place wasn’t big, a cozy two-bedroom apartment, but it was warm and comfortable. “Wifey, you’re back! Quick, wash up and change. Dinner’s ready!” Rhys was wearing a cartoon apron, his clothes a sportswear set bought on sale at the mall, and on his feet were blue bunny slippers that matched my pink ones. He came out of the kitchen carrying steaming dishes, a warm smile on his face. His smile was like sunshine after a storm, melting away all my fatigue. I sniffled hard, suddenly feeling like all the grievances I’d suffered outside didn’t matter. A good partner protects their loved one from any pain. Seeing him so peaceful and domestic, I decided I could handle anything the outside world threw at us. “What’s wrong? Hurry and wash your hands. Come taste today’s special Rhys-style home cooking.” His goofy look made me laugh, and I happily trotted off to the bathroom to wash my hands. On the dinner table were what Rhys considered “home-cooked meals.” “Are we having Boston lobster today?” I absolutely refused to believe my meager salary could afford him buying gourmet meals home every few days. Yesterday, it was abalone. The day before, ginseng chicken soup. The day before that…

Rhys skillfully cracked open the lobster and placed the tender meat on my plate. “It’s lobster alright, but it’s local. The seller’s wife just had a baby, he needed to rush home, so he sold it cheap.” It sounded suspiciously similar to his excuse yesterday. Yesterday, the abalone seller’s son got married, so it was a day for everyone to celebrate. The day before that, he’d helped someone catch a chicken, and the owner kindly gave him one. These kinds of miracles seemed to happen to him every single day. “How do you run into such good luck every day?” I was baffled, taking a bite of the lobster meat. The delicious flavor melted in my mouth. So good. Rhys flashed his perfect white teeth at me, then smoothly popped a piece of meat he’d just pried from a crab claw into my mouth. “No choice, I’m just too charming and my luck is too good. Sellers practically chase me to feed me.” I chuckled, nodding. He wasn’t wrong, but then I thought about it again and felt something was off. “Then why don’t you buy more?” Rhys shook with laughter, reaching over to wipe a crumb from the corner of my mouth with his thumb. “My dearest wife works so hard, eat more.” I giggled sweetly, thoroughly enjoying his service. Cute, he’s got some conscience after all. He fed me until I was full, but he barely ate anything himself. The fruit after dinner was plump and glistening, sweet and refreshing, not at all cloying. “Honey, what’s this fruit you’re giving me?” Rhys had me lay with my head on his lap, feeding me the nameless, delicious fruit. “I don’t know, I picked it by the side of the road.” The food in my mouth instantly lost its appeal. Didn’t this guy worry about poison? “I tasted it beforehand; it’s perfectly fine. Good, right?” He saw right through my thoughts. “I’d eat it even if it was poisoned.” I turned and wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face in his eight-pack abs. Harper was right. Rhys was a total charmer, keeping me utterly bewitched every single day. But hey, I totally fell for it. I loved it. I’d happily die in his arms, and I’d be a happy ghost. This comfortable, easy life… if only I didn’t have to be controlled by work, how perfect would that be? “No more eating. I still have work to do. If I don’t finish tonight, that old creep at my company will definitely make my life miserable again.” I reluctantly climbed off his lap. Ugh, life isn’t easy. “Is it that boss of yours again?” Rhys frowned, his expression instantly darkening. “You bet. Just looking at him makes me want to puke sometimes. Honestly, I really want to quit, sigh.” I patted his head. I didn’t tell him about the harassment; he’s a guy, I didn’t want him to feel his dignity was threatened. Rhys suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist, flipping us over so he was pinning me on the couch. His eyes bore into mine, filled with fire and fury. “Then just quit.” I froze for a second, then burst out laughing. He’s like a naive prince, totally out of touch with real-world struggles. Every single thing costs money! “Come on, I’ll go do some work. Just one hour, okay? One hour.” I coaxed him, enjoying our little game. But Rhys wouldn’t play along. Between soft kisses, he whispered in my ear, seducing me, “You know me, one hour is nowhere near enough…” “Rhys, just give me a bit, okay? Just a little while.” I blinked my eyes, a pleading look on my face. “No.” His kisses fell like rain, pouting like a stubborn child. “Honey… my sweet husband…” I gasped, feeling myself melting into a puddle, practically liquid. I tried to dodge his kisses, but he kept landing them perfectly. “I know.” He was so shameless, and I was so flustered. This husband, he was perfect in every way, but seriously, exhausting in the best way. …

The next day at the company, a bombshell dropped out of nowhere. That old creep, my boss, Mr. Sterling, was fired. I silently cheered, “Oh yeah!” I’d been expecting to get chewed out today. I hadn’t even touched the work I brought home yesterday, because Rhys had kept me pinned down, *massaging* me for hours and hours, sending me straight to dreamland. Who knew the tables would turn so quickly? In just one night, that old creep was out. It was truly cause for celebration! I immediately sent a SnapChat to my darling husband, sharing the good news. He sent me a selfie. In the photo, he was wearing the sportswear I bought him, out for a run downstairs, playfully making a finger heart at me. Sunny, handsome, full of energy. And the best part? This man was *mine*. A powerful sense of satisfaction washed over me. My subconscious urged me to work even harder, to keep him pampered and perfect, so he could continue to bless my life. The new boss was a woman, in her early forties, and very kind. To get off on the right foot, she was treating everyone to dinner after work. I couldn’t refuse, but I was really worried about Rhys back home. I called him and sent him messages, but I couldn’t relax during dinner. Tonight, the boss was treating us to a buffet, which was nice. Everyone could pick what they liked. But nothing here was as good as what we had at home. The abalone wasn’t big enough, the chicken soup wasn’t fresh enough, and I had to wait in line for lobster. A colleague next to me chatted, but my mind was entirely on Rhys, so I was a bit distracted. “Violet, have you heard that our company is going to be acquired?” I shook my head, listlessly poking at the food on my plate. Ugh, not as good as what my husband makes. “How can you not care? Our department is buzzing about it!” My colleague looked completely surprised, making me feel bad for not asking. “What happens if we’re acquired? Will I be laid off? Will I get a raise? Is the new boss handsome?” My colleague shook her head like a bobblehead, totally confused. “Exactly! Everything’s unknown, so I don’t get why you’re all whispering about it.” My colleague scratched her head, then nodded, seemingly agreeing with my point. I finally put an end to that topic. I speared a strawberry and popped it into my mouth. Ugh, it was… indescribable. “Why does this strawberry taste like nothing? It’s nowhere near as good as what my husband buys, and it’s even worse than the wild berries he picks from the roadside.” My colleague leaned in, intrigued, bumping my shoulder. “Tsk, tsk, look at you, Ms. Big Shot. Three sentences and it’s all about your husband. You’re such a husband-bragger! Violet, you’ve been married for about a year, right? We’ve never met your husband. Why don’t you invite him to join us tonight?”

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