Author: Momo Chan

Every pack knew me as the perfect mate. I gave Ezra Sylvan six years. I stayed quiet and swallowed it all while he slept around. That day, in his den at Alpha’s Peak, I caught a scent that wasn’t mine—wild roses and desire. He wasn’t even sorry I caught him. Just leaned back against the stone wall and smirked. “Be a good girl. Go chase off that wild little bitch.” His Betas and inner circle were already betting on how long I’d last this time. Ezra, chin in hand, said, “She’s tame. Give her two days, and she’ll drop it.” He expected me to crawl back and beg. Just like always. But Ezra didn’t know: when noble females come of age, we send our souls out to seek our true mate, just as the old laws require. So while he sat there full of himself, I found the courage to ask the suitor my family had chosen for me: “If our pups must carry the Obsidian Moon name and bloodline, can you accept that?” … I showed up at Ezra’s den. The guards blocked the entrance. They told me the Alpha was “resting.” I stepped back against the cold stone wall, a heavy scroll in my arms— the latest trade map I’d drawn for the two packs. It dug into my shoulders. After a long while, the stone doors finally opened. Ezra stood there half-naked. Water on his chest. A pelt loose around his waist. Ezra leaned against the doorframe, his golden eyes narrowing. “Why not wait until the next full moon?” I held the scroll tighter and looked up. “Sorry. The border wards acted up. It delayed me.” Ezra stepped aside to let me in. He scoffed. “Does your little paperwork put meat on the table? Just quit already.” I slipped inside before the heavy doors shut. Then the scent hit me. I froze. Ezra’s den was a massive cavern. A long dark hallway led to the main chamber. I turned the corner. A silk dress lay torn to shreds on the fur rug. And scattered everywhere… lace lingerie that smelled of roses.

I always knew Ezra was wild, never truly mine in all six of those years. I told myself I could live with it, as long as I didn’t see it or breathe it in. So I avoided the traces of his intimacy with other she-wolves. Trained myself to forget and move on. When I looked up, he leaned against the liquor cabinet with a glass of bourbon in hand, the hot spring splashing behind him. No panic in his eyes. Not a shred of guilt. “You’re late.” He gave a lazy shrug. His voice was dead calm. I clutched the scroll tighter. If I let go, it would hit the floor with weeks of work inside it. I parted my lips to speak— The hot spring doors hissed open.

A shapely she-wolf strolled out, Ezra’s bathrobe hanging loosely off her shoulders. She barely reacted when she saw me, as if my presence meant nothing. “Alpha—” In a syrupy voice, she pressed herself to Ezra’s chest. “About that hunting territory you promised me…” Ezra gave a slight shift, peeling her off. He took a sip of his bourbon. “Go see my Beta. We’re done here.” The female flashed a blinding smile. “Thank you, my Alpha!” She reappeared fully dressed moments later. I watched her go. Selene—the latest favorite among the younger wolves. She reached the door. I stepped aside. Maybe she wanted to please Ezra. She paused, looked me over, and smirked over her shoulder. “Great taste, Alpha. You picked the ultimate obedient little Luna. A century ago, her bloodline would’ve been prized for bearing strong heirs.” Ezra didn’t even glance my way. He didn’t shut her down. Just let out an annoyed sigh. “Get out.” She grabbed her bag and strutted out.

Ezra got dressed, walked over, and took the scroll from my hands as if nothing had happened. He hooked an arm around my waist. “Hungry? What prey do you want tonight? I’ll hunt it down myself.” I didn’t move. He arched an eyebrow, like something had just occurred to him. He flashed a lazy smile, his fingers circling my hip. “Mad? You want me? I’ll have the guards prep another hot spring on the Moonlight Terrace—” None of this was new. I’d always known. I knew he slept around. I knew he was wild. But I walked into his territory anyway. I played the fool. I was the one who gave him the power to hurt me. So I couldn’t blame anyone. I didn’t hate anyone. Not even Ezra. I always knew we would end one day. But I kept holding on. Just a little longer. Now the end was finally here. And to my surprise, all I felt was relief. Maybe my heart had already gone numb. I pulled Ezra’s hand away. Took the scroll back without looking up. “Ezra.” “I am breaking our mating bond.”

The words hung in the air. The den went dead silent. I looked up at Ezra. He studied me as if weighing whether I was joking. Then he let out a low chuckle. “Break the mating bond?” He bent down. My reflection looked tiny in his golden eyes. “Cressida.” He clicked his tongue, as if thinking. “How old were you when you first saw me? Sixteen? Seventeen?” He shook his head. “I forget. Back then, obedience was the only thing you had going for you. You hid behind your brother Dorian like a scared little rabbit.” “I asked if you wanted to come with me.” He straightened up. He adjusted his cuffs. “You blushed. You nodded. You didn’t even hesitate.” “I also told you I’m a born conqueror. I don’t force females to stay. And they can’t force me to belong to just one.” He let out a sigh. He looked at me with a trace of pity. “What did you say back then? You said you were willing.” “And now you’re threatening to break the bond.” He brushed a tear from my cheek. He tilted his head. “Isn’t that a bit unfair to me?” “Alright. Enough crying. You’ve handled this just fine all these years. Today was my mistake. Next time, I won’t get caught.” He dug his fingers into my shoulders and turned me toward the massive obsidian mirror, where his smug face stood beside my tear-soaked one. “Know how old that little bitch was? Twenty. And you’re what… twenty-six this year? Stop using cheap tricks to keep me around. Spend your time waking up your Moon Goddess powers instead…” “After all, our bloodlines are the best match. Those other girls are just passing flings. They don’t matter.”

He had always been this awful. But his Alpha aura and beautiful face hid it so well that even words like these could sound like love. All the fight drained out of me. I felt like a puppet on invisible strings, with Ezra holding the ends. I slipped out of his grip. My voice was dead calm. “Ezra. We’re done.” He gave a lazy smile. “Fine. Break it.” He glanced at the heavy iron clock on the wall, grabbed his coat, and crushed his mouth against mine. “Be a good girl. Wash that foreign scent off. I’ve got an Alpha Council meeting.” “I’ll have the new moonstones and imported silks delivered to your room.” “I’ll make it up to you tonight. Properly.” Maybe we had used the words “break the bond” too many times. They had lost all weight. In the beginning, Ezra used it first. He weaponized those words long before I did. “Cressida. If you can’t handle this, the door is right there.” “You know I hate seeing you miserable.” I used to be easy to soothe. A smile and a few soft words were enough. But not this time. I made a vow to myself. No caving in. No backing down. Besides. Breaking an unblessed mating bond didn’t require his consent.

Emotional wounds cut fast and deep. A brutal fever hit me after I left Ezra’s den. My wolf’s energy was falling out of balance. I sank into a fever dream. I saw my sixteen-year-old self. The girl Ezra had already erased from his mind. Ezra Sylvan. A born Alpha. He didn’t need an elite bloodline. His power and charm alone were enough to make females flock to him. And to top it off, he was the undisputed leader of the apex pack. He had a type—wild and stunning. He slept with everyone from foreign envoys to his own frontline warriors. No one thought he’d ever look twice at a “good girl” like me. I had nothing to offer but obedience. But he had already had every kind of female he wanted. At the height of his power, he was bored. And then his eyes landed on me. Shadows stretched across the border valley the first time I saw him. He was flirting with Liana, the undisputed beauty of the packs. Liana wanted to become a movie star. Ezra pulled the strings to make it happen. As Liana clung to him and begged for his attention, I happened to glance up. Ezra’s face was unreadable. Thick smoke curled from the cigar between his knuckles. He looked bored. Then he jerked his chin in my direction. He cut her right off. “Who is that?”

Liana stiffened. She stepped into his line of sight. “Her? Just the little good girl from the Obsidian Moon Pack. She doesn’t run with our kind.” I ducked my head. I hurried past them. Ezra just flashed a lazy smirk. He didn’t say a word. Growing up, I was the easiest child to raise. My mom raised me alone. Her love came buried under layers of suffocating rules. Curfews by midnight. Hair no longer than my shoulders. Skirts down to the ankles. Under her suffocating care, I grew into exactly what she wanted—obedient in every way. Rigid. Docile. I followed every single pack law to the letter. I thought I’d live my entire life strictly by the book. Until Ezra reached out his hand. That hand was temptation itself. And like a fool, I took it.

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The day my mother became critically ill, my Alpha husband, Ronan Blackthorn, refused to lend me even a single dollar. He said coldly, “The pack already has enough projects draining its funds. Try the black-market lenders. Figure it out yourself.” Then he lifted the phone back to his ear. His voice softened immediately. “The five million in seed money is already in your account. Consider it a trial run. If you lose it, you lose it.” On the other end of the call was Selene Vale, a young Omega who had recently joined his investment firm. I gripped the medical bill so tightly that my nails dug into my palm. I didn’t cry. I didn’t argue. And I didn’t beg him again. He nodded in satisfaction. “You’re my Luna. You should know how to control your emotions. Stop acting like a helpless pup and expecting everyone else to clean up after you.” I gave a quiet hum and said nothing.Maybe it was time to end our mate bond. He still did not know that I was carrying his pup. By the time we finally severed our mate bond, the once-untouchable Alpha was on his knees before me, his eyes red as he begged, “Evelyn, please don’t do this. My wolf is going feral without you.” … It was nearly one in the morning when Ronan returned to the estate. I sat in the living room with the medical center’s invoice and my mother’s critical-condition notice spread out before me. Beside them lay the petition to dissolve our mate bond, already bearing my signature. He frowned when he saw me. “Why are you still awake?” His calm expression dragged me back to that afternoon, when I had begged him to save my mother. He had refused to pay for the treatment that could keep her alive, then turned around and wired Selene five million dollars. I had thought I was already numb. But seeing him come home as though nothing had happened still sent a silver needle straight through my chest. Ronan’s gaze fell on the table. “What is all this?” “A petition to dissolve our mate bond.” He stopped moving. A few seconds later, he looked as though he had heard an absurd joke. “Evelyn, What are you pulling this time?” I pushed the papers toward him. “I’ve already signed them.” He did not pick them up. He merely stared down at the words as his expression slowly hardened. Alpha authority edged his voice. “Because I refused to lend you money?” “No.” My voice was quiet. “Because today I finally realized that it isn’t that you have no money or that you refuse to help people. You simply refuse to help me.” Ronan’s face darkened. “I reviewed Selene’s proposal. It is a pack investment, not a personal favor. If it succeeds, it will generate substantial returns for the pack.” I looked at him. “The money came from your private account. You personally guaranteed it, and you agreed to absorb every loss. You call that a pack investment?” Six years ago, the first time Ronan caught my scent, his wolf had roared one word inside him: Mate. I was the fated mate chosen for him by the Moon Goddess. We had once believed the bond between fated mates was strong enough to withstand any betrayal. Only later did I understand that the Moon Goddess could arrange for two wolves to meet, but she could not force either of them to cherish what fate had given them. Now he had almost no patience left for me. “You went through my things?” I gave a faint laugh. His first instinct was not to explain. It was to blame me for discovering the truth. Ronan set his glass down hard on the table. “Evelyn, you’re emotional right now. I’m not discussing this with you.” “I understand that you’re under pressure because of your mother, but you don’t get to take your anger out on me.” I looked at him. “She is your family too.” Ronan looked away. “I never said I would do nothing.” “I simply don’t believe we should keep pouring money into a treatment plan with no foreseeable result.” As though realizing how cruel that sounded, he added, “I can help you contact better werewolf physicians and ask around for healing resources.” “But you will have to find the money yourself.” Ronan had not become the youngest Alpha in Nightfall Pack history because he was merciful. No matter who stood before him, he judged only results and value. Every decision was as precise as a business transaction. The pack praised him for his rationality. But he had not always treated me this way. Once, he had listened patiently to every word I said. If I so much as frowned, he would immediately ask what was wrong. I had believed I was the one exception to all his rules. Now even my mother’s life had become, in his words, a loss “not worth further investment.” I forced down the nausea twisting in my stomach, rose, and slipped the petition into its folder. “Be at the council hall at ten tomorrow morning. We’ll begin the bond-dissolution process.” Ronan stared at me for a long moment, clearly taking none of it seriously. “Evelyn, once you leave me, how will you pay for your mother’s treatment?” My fingers clenched the instant the words left his mouth. He knew exactly what terrified me most. He also knew exactly what I needed. So he was using it to force me to bow my head. I met his gaze. “I’ll find a way.” My answer seemed to offend him. His face grew colder. “Then you had better not come crawling back to me.” I knew he thought I was bluffing again. During past arguments, I had threatened to leave many times, but our mate bond had never truly been severed. This time was different. I turned and walked back to the bedroom. Before closing the door, I heard him answer a call in the living room. As if afraid I might overhear, he lowered his voice, but he could not hide the tenderness in it. “Selene, I reviewed the materials.” “Don’t be nervous. I’ll attend tomorrow’s pack pitch with you.” I closed the door and slowly sank against it. A dull ache pulsed low in my abdomen. I had been so consumed by my mother’s condition that I had not gone back for my follow-up appointment. A reminder from the medical center still waited on my communicator: [Ms. Evelyn Hart, you are seven weeks pregnant with a pup. Please attend your scheduled fetal-vitality examination.] I stared at the message for a long time before silently darkening the screen.

Ronan did not appear at the council hall the next day. I waited for him for two hours. I called him repeatedly, but he never answered. At eleven thirty, he finally sent a message. [Selene is presenting her project today. I can’t leave.] Another message appeared immediately afterward. [If you truly want to dissolve the bond, file a petition with the Werewolf Tribunal.] I stood outside the council hall with my appointment number still in my hand. The winter wind swept up the stone steps, stinging my eyes. I did not reply. I went straight to the medical center. The physician told me my mother’s condition was critical. Because yesterday’s bill had not been paid in time, several expensive healing medications had been suspended, leaving them no choice but to continue with the basic treatment plan. “Her family should settle the balance as soon as possible.” “The longer this goes on, the weaker her wolf spirit will become, and the greater the risk.” I quietly said I understood. I listed the studio apartment I had bought before the mating for sale and dropped the price almost as low as it could go so it would sell quickly. The real-estate agent fell silent for several seconds after hearing my price. “Ms. Hart, this is far below market value.” “Can it sell today?” “Yes, but are you absolutely sure?” “I’m sure.” After ending the call, I crouched in the stairwell of the medical center, my palms slick with cold sweat. A social-media notification appeared on my communicator. Selene had posted an update. In the photograph, she stood on the presentation stage in a white suit, the silver-moon emblem of Nightfall Pack pinned to her chest. Ronan sat in the front row, his gaze fixed directly on her. In his eyes was a patience I had not seen in a very long time. Her caption read: [Starting my first company, and someone is already willing to catch me if I fall. So this is what it feels like to be chosen without hesitation.] Someone commented: [I’m so jealous! Your Alpha spoils you!] Selene replied: [Not at all. He only wanted to help because I’m here on my own.] My fingertips trembled as I stared at the words. That afternoon, Ronan came to the medical center. He stood in the corridor in an immaculate black suit, holding a file. “My assistant compiled a list of lenders.” “You’re a Luna, after all. If you appeal to them, one of them might lend you enough to cover the immediate costs.” “And stop talking about dissolving our mate bond whenever you’re angry. You are the fated mate the Moon Goddess chose for me.” Yes. Even though I was his fated mate, he still would not spend a single dollar to save my mother. How absurd. I stared at the file without taking it. He shoved it into my hands. “What you do about the money is your decision.” Then he turned and left. I looked down at the loan documents, tore them apart one page at a time, and dropped them into the trash. A few minutes later, a nurse hurried toward me. “Luna, Ms. Maeve’s blood pressure has suddenly dropped. The physician needs you to come sign the consent forms.” My knees buckled, and I caught myself against the wall. The pain in my lower abdomen returned, sharper than it had been the night before. I was in terrible condition, and my pup was becoming increasingly unstable too.

My mother’s resuscitation lasted four hours. When the attending physician came out, he said, “We have stabilized your mother for now, but there can be no further interruption in her treatment.” I nodded, my throat too dry to produce a sound. The sale contract for my apartment was signed that same evening. Because I had priced it for an urgent sale, the buyer had barely hesitated. The moment I received the deposit, I went straight to the medical center to pay the bill. The woman at the payment desk glanced at me. “Are you her only family member here?” “Yes,” I answered. “Where is your mate?” I did not respond. In that moment, humiliation washed over me. I had an Alpha mate, yet I looked like a lone wolf with no family protection at all. I had even overheard people whispering about me. “She must be the most pitiful Luna in the pack. Her Alpha husband won’t even come to the medical center with her.” “Exactly. She looks like she might be carrying a pup too. A she-wolf is at her most vulnerable then.” … That evening, I returned to the estate to collect my documents. The moment I opened the door, a woman’s bright laughter drifted from the living room. Selene sat on the sofa with a celebration cake in front of her. Ronan was cutting it for her. The moment she saw me, Selene stood. “Luna, you’re back.” Her tone was sweet and obedient, while the moonstone-and-diamond necklace around her throat glittered beneath the lights. I recognized it. On my birthday the previous month, I had fallen in love with that necklace the moment I saw it in the jeweler’s display. Ronan had said at the time, “The brand markup is ridiculous. It’s impractical and doesn’t suit you.” Now it hung around Selene’s neck. Ronan frowned at me. “Why are you back?” I looked at him. “This is my home. Why shouldn’t I be here?” Selene’s expression stiffened. Ronan set down the cake knife, his voice devoid of emotion. “Selene’s presentation went well today. I brought her back to pick up some documents.” “We decided to celebrate while we were here.” While they were here? My mother was still lying in the medical center with tubes running through her body. I had sold the only property I owned to raise money, while he celebrated another young Omega in our home. Selene lowered her head, her voice gentle. “Luna, please don’t misunderstand. Alpha only thought it was brave of me to start a business that could generate income for the pack, so he bought a cake to encourage me.” As she spoke, she touched the necklace at her throat. “This was a team reward too. It isn’t what you think.” I glanced at the cake box on the table. Written across it were the words: [Congratulations on a brilliant first victory, Selene. Your future is limitless.] Ronan had written them himself. He had once called even a birthday cake for me a waste of money and said gestures like that were meaningless. I had argued with him then, and the fight had ended, as always, with me giving in. This time, I still said nothing. I simply returned to the bedroom, opened a drawer, and began gathering my documents. Ronan followed me in. “Who are you putting on this attitude for now?” I slipped our mate-registration certificate into my bag. “Move.” He blocked the doorway. “Evelyn, you’re becoming more unreasonable by the day.” “Selene is much younger than you. She only recently completed her first shift, and she came to Nightfall territory alone as an Omega.” “I am her Alpha and her employer. What is wrong with looking after her a little?” I looked up at him. “My mother is lying alone in intensive care. Have you ever looked after her?” For a moment, he had no answer. Then his expression hardened again. “Your mother’s situation is different.” “How?” “Selene is still young. With support, she can have a bright future. Your mother’s illness cannot be cured.” The room went completely silent. Regret flickered through Ronan’s eyes, and his tone finally softened. “Evelyn, that isn’t what I meant.” He pulled me into his arms. “Don’t look at me like that. I hate it when you look at me that way.” “What I mean is that investments have to be judged by their returns. Your mother’s medical bills could become a bottomless pit…” It felt as though someone had carved my heart from my chest. I pushed him away. Looking at the calm composure on his face, I could only find it ridiculous. In the end, my mother’s life was something he could measure by its value. And dismiss as unnecessary. I picked up my bag and walked past him. … In the living room, Selene was eating cake with a fork. When she saw me, she seemed to summon her courage before speaking softly. “Luna, you should learn to be more independent too. You can’t expect your Alpha to solve everything for you.” Ronan stood behind me and made no attempt to stop her. The approval in his eyes was unmistakable. I looked at Selene and suddenly smiled. “Did he teach you to say that?” The smile at the corner of her mouth froze. I smiled again. “Then remember it well. One day, when he decides you no longer offer a worthwhile return, he’ll say the same thing to you.” Selene’s eyes immediately reddened with grievance. Ronan spoke coldly. “Enough, Evelyn. If you have a problem, take it up with me. Don’t target her.” I did not turn around. As I went downstairs, a sudden dragging pain seized my lower abdomen. I caught the railing weakly. Ronan frowned. “What’s wrong with your stomach?” As though a thought had struck him, joy flashed in his eyes. “Are you carrying my—” “No,” I cut him off. Since I had already decided to end our bond, there was no reason for him to know I was carrying his pup. Ronan’s expression returned to normal. “As Luna, I expect you to give me a pup soon. The pack needs an Alpha heir.” The ringing of my communicator interrupted him. It was the medical center. “Luna, your mother’s condition has deteriorated again. You need to return immediately.” My vision went black, and I nearly collapsed inside the elevator.

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Ten years into our marriage, I was making the bed when I found a photograph tucked beneath my Alpha’s pillow. In the picture, he was cradling a pup with eyes identical to his own, one hand laced with the fingers of a woman whose face glowed with tenderness. That woman was his first love, the she-wolf Vanessa Sinclair. Photograph in hand, I drove straight to Damien’s company. But when I reached the door of his office, I heard tangled, breathless sighs drifting through the door. Vanessa was straddling Damien’s lap, arms looped around his neck, voice soft and coaxing. “I’m pregnant again. When are you going to throw out that worthless human bitch at home and make me your Luna?” It felt as though I’d been dropped into an icy pit, and the words he’d once said to me echoed in my ears. “I hate children.” That was why, in ten years of marriage, I had been pregnant three times—and each time, I had been forced to abort. I am human. Carrying an Alpha’s child is no easy thing, and every termination drained me to the bone. After the third procedure, the doctor told me my uterine wall had grown dangerously thin. The next surgery, he warned, could bring catastrophic bleeding. I begged Damien. I pleaded with him to let me bear the child and hand it over to my parents to raise. But he answered me with cold detachment. “If you keep it, we divorce.” And now, watching him stroke the woman in his arms with such doting affection, I heard him say: “Since you’re carrying it, then have it.” At last I understood. Damien didn’t hate children. He hated my children. I closed the door without a sound. Then I booked a flight out of the country for that very night. …….. I clutched the photograph and stumbled out of the building like a ghost. The downpour drenched me through and through. I saw Damien’s assistant shielding a small boy in a raincoat as they hurried toward the entrance. “Slow down, sir—careful, don’t slip.” The little boy turned, lifted his face into a beaming smile, and chirped in a sweet child’s voice. “I’m not scared of falling. I can’t wait to see Daddy and Mommy!” I stared at that face—an exact copy of Damien’s—and my breath froze in my throat. My hand drifted instinctively to my stomach. When I discovered the third pregnancy, the baby had already been five months along. The Pack Healer had performed a detailed prenatal scan, and on it I had seen a face whose brow and eyes were almost identical to Damien’s. Carrying the scan home, I had begged Damien on bended knee to let me keep the child. He hadn’t so much as glanced at the picture. He’d simply moved his things to the study. After that, we hadn’t spoken for half a month. I couldn’t bear the silent cruelty of his indifference. I scheduled the abortion. At last he was satisfied. The first words he spoke to me in two weeks were: “Good girl. I don’t like children.” I looked at the boy now. He had to be about five years old. And the fully formed child I had lost—that had been three years ago. So all along, the reason he refused my children was simple. He already had a child with his first love. Tears blurred my vision. I bit my lower lip until it bled, fighting down the urge to wail aloud. A moment later, Damien came out carrying the child. There was nowhere for me to hide. Through the curtain of rain, our eyes met. The boy frowned and shook the umbrella in his small hand. “Daddy, why is that lady standing in the rain?” “Can I give her my umbrella? She looks so sad.” I said nothing. I caught the warning in Damien’s eyes and stayed exactly where I stood. He had the assistant bring me an umbrella, then ushered the boy into the car. Vanessa appeared, schoolbag in hand. She took in the wretched sight of me and laughed in delight. Faintly, I heard Damien’s tender voice. “Liam, people who stand foolishly in a storm usually aren’t right in the head.” “They snap easily. From now on, if you see her, walk around her. She might hurt you.” The car rolled slowly past me, throwing up a spray of muddy water. Through the window, I saw Damien and Vanessa fingers intertwined while the little boy built blocks beside them in excitement. My phone vibrated. A message from Damien. “Go home first. I’ll explain everything.”

I scrolled through our messages. For half a year now, every message in the thread had been sent by me. “Dami, I made your favorite beef stew tonight. Coming home for dinner?” No reply. “Dami, I slipped on the stairs and sprained my ankle. Could you pick up some medicine on the way back?” Still no reply. With trembling fingers, I selected every message between us. And deleted them all with a single tap. At the same moment, a red dot bloomed beside a new contact—Vanessa. I hadn’t accepted her request, but as though pulled by some unseen hand, I tapped into her Instagram. Picture after picture of a blissful family of three. The day I lost my first child, Vanessa had posted a selfie, flashing a peace sign. In the corner, a trash can overflowed with empty cigarette packs. “We’re getting ready ~ my Alpha quit smoking. He promises to be the best daddy.” The day of my second miscarriage, there was a photo of Vanessa lying weakly in Damien’s arms, holding a wrinkled newborn pup. “Welcome to the world, my little one. My Alpha cried harder than I did during labor.” I traced the red rims of Damien’s eyes in the photo, and suddenly I remembered the trip we’d taken years ago to negotiate with another wolf family. There had been a sudden car crash. Without hesitation, I’d thrown my body over Damien’s. He had been untouched. A length of rebar had pierced clean through my chest. Damien had clutched my hand, his eyes anxious—yet still, somehow, distant. Even at the edge of death, he had called me by my full name. “Scarlett Rosewood, stay awake.” I had told myself he was simply cold by nature, unable to love, and I would warm him through. But the truth was, I had never set foot inside his heart. I couldn’t tell anymore whether what ran down my face was rain or tears. I only wanted to flag a cab and disappear. But I was soaked to the bone. Taxi after taxi refused to take me. So I walked. Tears slid down my cheeks. I slipped the wedding band off my ring finger and tossed it into a hedge. By the time I reached the house, there were just three hours until my flight. I shook my dizzy head, braced myself against the wall, and punched in the door code. The electronic lock buzzed, then released a piercing alert. “Incorrect password.” The next moment, the door swung open from inside. Vanessa looked me up and down with a provocative smirk, then offered an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I happened to mention that I couldn’t remember the password, and Dami just went ahead and changed it to my birthday.” I stood frozen in the doorway, staring as the household staff packed up and threw out the furniture and decor I had chosen with my own hands.

Damien took one look at my drenched, bedraggled state and frowned in displeasure. “I just had the living room cleaned. And now you’ve gone and dirtied it again.” My heart turned to ice. The tears I had only just managed to stop spilled over again. A gust of cold rain slipped in through the open door, and Vanessa sneezed. A flash of tender concern crossed Damien’s face. He immediately stripped off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. “Why haven’t you closed the door? What if Nessa catches a chill?” Numbly, I shut the door. Each step sent needle-sharp pain through the soles of my feet, blood seeping out with every footfall. Damien didn’t spare me a single glance. He instructed the staff to start a pot of beef broth. He guided Vanessa carefully into a chair, as if she were made of porcelain. She laughed coquettishly and pushed his hand away. “I’m not that fragile.” Then, as if only just noticing the blood on the floor, she gasped and covered her mouth. “Dami, Scarlett’s feet are torn up. Hurry, have someone bring the first aid kit.” At last the man’s gaze fell on my mangled feet. His brow furrowed. Just as I was bracing myself to refuse his help, certain he was about to call for the medicine box— He swept Vanessa into his arms with an expression of disgust and snapped at the staff. “Bring the alcohol! Disinfect everything.” The maid hurried over and poured alcohol all across the floor I had walked. It splashed into the wounds on my feet, burning like a thousand ants gnawing at the bone. The look Damien gave me was the look one gave a pathogen—as if he wanted nothing more than to throw me out at once. After a moment of thought, that was exactly what he did. “Housekeeper. Pack a few of Scarlett’s things and send her to a hotel.” Vanessa nestled smugly into Damien’s chest, fingers brushing her faintly swollen belly. “Sorry, Scarlett. He’s just worried you might carry germs that could harm the baby.” “You’ll have to put up with moving out for now.” I lifted my eyes. The home I had once known was now unrecognizable. Our wedding photo, once hung proudly on the wall, lay shattered in the trash. The custom fridge magnets I’d made from our pictures were strewn across the floor. Even the flowers I had planted on the balcony had been uprooted by someone’s hand. To make Vanessa feel comfortable, Damien had personally erased every trace of me—he’d even switched out the scent diffuser to mask my smell. I stared at the childish couple’s mugs on the dining table. It felt as though an invisible hand was crushing my heart, squeezing the breath out of me. After I’d induced labor at five months, I had hired a specialist to fashion my child’s ashes into a small silver crescent-moon amulet. I had wanted to keep it with me always, as though my baby had never left. I had hung it on my bedpost that night, and for the first time in a long while, I’d slept well. But when I opened my eyes, the amulet was gone. I had torn the room apart looking for it, finding nothing. Damien had emerged from the study and said, with casual indifference: “It was just a childish little trinket. I tossed it. It was an eyesore.” He had found my child’s ashes childish, an eyesore, and thrown them away without a word. And now—now he was using childish matching mugs with Vanessa, childish couple’s stickers… I curled my lips in a bitter smile and met Damien’s frigid gaze. “No need to trouble the housekeeper. I’ll pack my things myself.” “I’ll disappear soon enough. You won’t have to see me again.” I hurried upstairs, wanting only to grab my documents and the keepsakes my mother had left me and flee this loveless house. But as I rounded the corner, the sound of glass shattering rang from the bedroom.

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Ferran Moretti.Don of the Moretti family.My husband. At a Mafia gathering held on the Moretti estate, before the five great families, he ordered me to paint him in bed with his mistress, Nina Lombardi—an intimate portrait of the two of them tangled together. It was the eighteenth time he had paraded a mistress in front of me to provoke a reaction. Everyone expected me to lose my composure. Instead, I finished the painting, my face perfectly still. One of his friends drawled, half-joking, half-mocking: “Ferran, your Donna has nerves of steel. She isn’t even angry.” Ferran scoffed. “She wouldn’t dare.” “The Sheridans are nothing but ash. I paid off her debts. Her mother’s studio, the Rosa estate—they’re all in my name.” “Without me, she is nothing.” I set down my brush and quoted the price, the way I always did. “Custom commission, intimate setting—three million.” Ferran slid a check and a set of divorce papers across the table. “Nina is timid. She’s been with me without a title, without recognition, and she’s felt slighted because of it.” “So we divorce first.” “Don’t worry. Once she settles in, you can stay by my side as my mistress.” The whole room waited, hungry for my collapse. Instead, I picked up the pen and signed. The smile slipped from Ferran’s face. “You’re serious?” I nodded. “I’m serious.” “Ferran, may you and Nina be together forever.” Three years had been long enough for me to gather every shred of intelligence on him. I will never spare you again, Ferran. … Ferran’s fingers rested on the divorce papers for a long while. He looked up at me, as if only now realizing I wasn’t joking. After a moment, he twisted his lips into a sneer. “Fine.” “But remember this: nothing inside Rosa Manor is to leave with you. Not a single item.” “Understood.” I’d never intended to take anything from that house. I knew he hated me. I only wanted what my mother had left behind. For three years, Rosa Manor had been little more than a cage around me. The designer bags, the expensive jewelry, even the title of Donna—they were chains he’d thrown around my neck while calling them gifts. But my calm clearly didn’t satisfy Ferran. He was about to say something else when the Underboss beside him gave a soft laugh. “Ferran, Serafina knows exactly what she’s doing. Whenever Nina threw a tantrum, you softened. Now Serafina’s learned to sign her name and act unbothered—she’s waiting for you to come coax her back.” At those words, whatever complicated emotion had flickered in Ferran’s eyes vanished. He looked down at me, regal and contemptuous. “Sera, isn’t it a bit late to start playing this game?” “Nina is young. When she’s willful, it’s charming.” “You threatening me with divorce only makes you look pathetic.” He caught my chin and forced my face up. “Do you really still think you’re that pampered heiress of the Sheridans?” “The Sheridans turned to ash long ago. Without me, how exactly do you plan to live?” My fists clenched. I swallowed down the fury of hearing my family insulted, and kept my voice level. “I’ll paint.” “Paint?” He laughed as though I’d told a joke. “All of New York knows you’re my woman. After our divorce, who would dare buy a painting from you?” I’d heard variations of this so many times I’d lost count. Ferran hated me for breaking off our engagement when he had nothing. He hated that I’d once said, I don’t want to marry a man who has nothing. So after he rose, after he built his empire, he married me—just so he could grind me into the dirt over and over again. I didn’t want to argue. I simply met his gaze. “I signed.” “Now return my mother’s studio keys, and the deed to the Rosa garden.” Ferran sneered. “You want the keys? Fine. Nina wants a maternity portrait.” “Paint until she’s satisfied. Then I’ll give them back.” The room went still in an instant. Nina, leaning into Ferran’s chest, curled her lips into a delicate smile. “Ferran, don’t be cruel to Sera. She only just signed.” Ferran steadied her, his palm settling protectively at the small of her back. “You’re carrying a child. Don’t worry yourself over things like this.” At the word child, my hand stilled. Ferran caught it. He let out a low laugh. “Surprised?” “Nina isn’t like you. She can give me a family.” “You—you’re just a useless thing.” He led Nina to the main sofa and lifted his chin toward me. “Paint.” The servants brightened the lamps. Nina nestled against Ferran’s side, one hand on her belly, a small smile at her mouth. And I stood at the easel and, numbly, captured every inch of their intimacy. Someone snickered. “The ex-wife paints the future wife, and a maternity portrait at that. Don, you’ve won this round in spectacular fashion.” “If I were Serafina, I couldn’t hold the brush steady.” I might as well have been deaf. Then Ferran had a servant bring out a canvas draped in white cloth. The moment they pulled the cloth away, my pupils contracted. It was my mother Rosa’s portrait. Her final self-portrait, painted before her death. Ferran held out a palette knife to me, his tone light, careless. “Nina likes the composition of this piece.” “Change the face to hers.” The room fell utterly silent. Then someone laughed under their breath. “Don, this is crueler than a divorce.” “Making Serafina paint over her own mother with Nina’s face—that’s something else.” Nina nibbled her lower lip. “Ferran, don’t. Sera will hate me.” Ferran tilted his head and smoothed her hair. “She wouldn’t dare.” His eyes turned on me, cold as winter. “Serafina. When you finish, the keys are yours.” I looked at my mother’s gentle face in the painting, and something thick lodged in my throat. It was the last piece of her I had. And Ferran intended me to destroy it with my own hand. I drew a long breath and took the palette knife. Stroke by stroke, I scraped away her eyes, the bridge of her nose, the corners of her mouth. Soon, her face was buried under white paint. Then I painted Nina over her. When I finished, I set down the brush. “Mr. Moretti. Are you satisfied?” Ferran stared at me, something furious and unreadable churning behind his eyes. A few seconds passed. He took a manila envelope from his assistant’s hand and hurled it at me. The corner scraped my cheek before falling to the floor. The keys and documents inside scattered across the marble. “Take them and get out.” His voice had gone heavy with ice. “Let’s see what kind of price a woman cast out of the Moretti family can fetch for herself, without me.” I knelt and gathered the papers one by one, then turned for the door. Behind me, Ferran’s voice rang out again. “Serafina Sheridan.” “Walk out that door today, and even if you come crawling back on your knees, I won’t take you.” I smiled, faintly. “I won’t.” This time, I wouldn’t look back. I left with the studio that had been my mother’s. I left the cage that had held me for three years.

I returned to Rosa Manor. In the small studio at the end of the second-floor corridor, my mother’s belongings still waited. Studio was a generous word. It was really just the storage room Ferran hadn’t bothered claiming. After the wedding, the estate my mother had left me was seized by him. For three years, in either Moretti Manor or my mother’s Rosa Manor, I hadn’t had so much as a bedroom of my own. The master suite was Ferran’s—the same suite where he brought Nina home, again and again, and ordered me to paint them. He’d humiliated me in the very places my mother had left to me. I pushed open the door. By the bed sat a painting whose paint was still drying. Ferran, half-undressed, with Nina in his arms. She was curled against him, the corners of her eyes still flushed pink. That session, halfway through, she had melted boneless into his embrace. “Ferran, my back aches.” He’d bent his head to massage her. “Sitting too long? Or wore yourself out earlier?” Nina had glanced at me, blushing. “Sera’s still here.” I’d mixed paint behind the easel, my expression unchanged. She hadn’t been willing to let me go. “Sera used to be a prodigy, didn’t she? All those awards. Your parents must have been so proud.” Ferran’s face had twisted with disdain. “The Sheridans worship money. They sent her to study art so they could sell her off at a higher price when the time came.” “Now that she can’t get a cent out of any of it, they must be turning in their graves.” I’d nearly spoken then. I’d nearly told him that when the Moretti family was on the verge of collapse, it wasn’t his poverty that drove me away. That I had sold my own paintings, leveraged every scrap of Sheridan intelligence, mortgaged my mother’s studio—and funneled it all into his family, anonymously. That the cruel things I said were because I was terrified the Sheridan debts would drag him under. But Ferran would never believe me. In his eyes, I was filthy. Greedy. Deserving of every cruelty. There was one thing, though, that he’d been right about. I had failed my mother. After the Sheridan family was ambushed, our enemies hunting us day and night, the Morettis’ cash flow also broke. I sold my paintings in secret. I paid down both families’ debts. I hid the true strength of mine, and I sent the money to him with no name attached. When my mother discovered what I’d done, she was heartsick. She was already ill. The worry deepened, and within a year, she was gone. So when Ferran later rose to power and asked to marry me, I felt more shame than joy. My mother had died because of me. What right did I have to be happy? But I never imagined that he had married me only to punish me. I dug through the corner and pulled out an old suitcase. Inside were my mother’s well-worn sketchbooks, and an iron tin. The tin held mementos from when Ferran and I were young. The first time he secured outside investment, he’d written me a note. Sera, when I have money, I’ll build you the biggest studio in the world. I’ll make sure you only ever paint what you love. Back then I had believed our love was unbreakable. That was why, when the Sheridan family collapsed, I’d been willing to leave under a cloud of slander rather than drag him down with me. But now—I tossed the note into the ashtray. I watched it shrivel to nothing, then shut the suitcase and went downstairs. Outside, it had begun to rain. I had just reached the front door when two of the bodyguards stepped in front of me. “Donna. The Don gave instructions. Nothing inside Rosa Manor is to leave with you.” “What’s in this case belongs to me.” Behind me, Nina’s voice rose like silk. “Sera, if it’s only your own things, surely a quick check won’t hurt?” I turned. She had changed into a loose white dress, with Ferran’s coat draped over her shoulders, standing at the top of the stairs. Ferran stood beside her. “The studio keys and the deed—I gave those to you myself.” “Anything else in there belongs to me.” His expression was cold, his eyes scrutinizing me without mercy. “Whether or not it’s yours, we’ll see when we check.” I tightened my grip on the suitcase handle. “Ferran. Do you really need to take it this far?” His gaze hardened. His voice was a quiet command. “Open it.”

I clutched the handle of the case, my knuckles whitening one by one. “Ferran. There’s nothing from Rosa Manor inside.” He stepped closer. There was no warmth in his eyes. “Serafina. How much of what you say is still worth believing?” “You once swore you’d never leave me. And what happened then? When I was ruined, you ran faster than anyone.” I didn’t explain. Ferran didn’t want my explanations. He flicked a look at the bodyguards. The next second, the suitcase was wrenched from my hand and slammed onto the floor. The zipper tore open. Clothes, brushes, document folders spilled out. I reached instinctively for my mother’s sketchbook, but a bodyguard blocked my arm. The little book, with its grey-blue cover, rolled to a stop at Nina’s feet. She bent, picked it up, flipped through a page or two—and her eyes lit. “Ferran, these are beautiful. Could I have it?” The color drained from my face. I lunged forward and shoved her back. “Don’t touch it!” Nina jerked, as if frightened. Her fingers trembled. The sketchbook tumbled, thunk, into the rainwater outside the doorway. A buzzing filled my head. Inside that book were the last sketches my mother had ever made. I rushed forward to grab it. But Nina’s heel came down first—pressed firmly onto the cover. I looked up at her. Her eyes were full of venom, even as she affected innocence. “Sera, don’t look at me like that. You’re scaring me.” Ferran was at her side in an instant, sweeping her behind him. “It’s just a worthless book.” “I’ll replace it.” “Ferran. You can’t.” His face darkened. “Serafina. Don’t push your luck.” I didn’t look at him again. I bent down and reached for the sketchbook. The moment my fingers touched the cover, Nina let out a small cry and stumbled backward. “Ferran, she pushed me—” Before she finished, Ferran’s eyes had gone cold. He seized my wrist with a grip that felt as if it would crush bone. “Serafina. Are you done losing your mind?” I winced, but didn’t let go of the soaked book. “Let go.” He didn’t. He yanked. I lost my footing. My shoulder slammed into the glass cabinet beside the door. The cabinet shattered. Glass exploded across the floor. Instinctively, I caught myself with my right hand. Pain detonated from my wrist outward. Blood pulsed down my arm. The world went silent. The anger froze on Ferran’s face. He stared at my right hand, at the blood dripping between my fingers, vivid and red. For the first time, panic flickered behind his eyes. He moved to speak. I only looked at him. “Ferran. Are you satisfied now?”

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On our fifth wedding anniversary, I caught my husband kneeling in the VIP section of the mall, carefully helping his first love slip on a pair of flat shoes. The woman was five months pregnant, smiling sweetly at my husband. My hand trembled as I held the tray. The perfume bottle clinked against the glass with a sharp sound. He whipped around. The moment he recognized me, his smile froze. “What are you doing here?” He stood up, his tone thick with irritation at being caught. “Did you forget, Mr. Blackwell? I work here as a sales associate.” “Lillian just got back from overseas. Her husband passed away. I’m just helping her out.” He lowered his voice. “Don’t read into this.” I stared at the shoes he had put on her feet. Suddenly the two theater tickets in my purse felt like a joke. “Nathan,” I said. “Let’s get a divorce.” I stood at the counter on the first floor of One World Trade Center, pain shooting up from my heels. My calves felt like they were filled with lead. Today was my fifth wedding anniversary with Nathan Blackwell. In my purse were two theater tickets. I’d worked overtime for half a month straight, earned my full attendance bonus, just to afford them. Nathan used to love this play. But ever since his company in New York had grown and his net worth had skyrocketed, we hadn’t set foot in a theater together in three years. “Frost, what are you spacing out for? There’s a customer in the VIP lounge who wants to try the new perfume. Take this over there, quickly.” My manager pushed me from behind, her voice urgent. I responded and forced myself to focus, carrying the velvet tray toward the VIP area. As I approached the frosted glass door that stood slightly ajar, my feet froze in place. On the leather sofa in the lounge sat a pregnant woman. She was looking down at a product catalog, her long hair draped over her shoulders. Her profile was gentle, her entire demeanor radiating the kind of refinement that comes from being pampered. And Nathan was kneeling in front of her, holding a pair of flat shoes, carefully lifting her foot to change them for her. “These have soft soles. You’re not as mobile now. High heels will tire you out.” Nathan’s voice carried a tenderness I hadn’t heard in years. The woman laughed softly and touched her belly. “Nathan, you’re too anxious. The baby’s only five months along. It’s not that fragile.” “Lillian, how could I not worry about you?” Nathan looked up at her, his gaze so focused it made me jealous. My hand holding the tray trembled violently. The glass perfume bottle knocked against the edge of the tray with a sharp clink. Nathan turned at the sound. The smile on his face completely froze the moment he saw me. The air seemed to solidify. I looked at this man who’d shared my bed for five years and suddenly felt nauseous. Lillian. I knew that name all too well. She was Nathan’s first love. When he was at his lowest, struggling financially, she didn’t hesitate to leave the country and marry someone else. During the years she was gone, I’d been by Nathan’s side, soothing the hurt in his heart bit by bit. I’d stayed with him as he built his business, step by step, until now. The years Nathan’s company thrived happened to coincide with my brother’s serious illness. He needed ongoing hospital care and astronomical medical bills. I refused to be seen as a leech. I insisted on working, supporting my brother myself, not wanting to add any burden to Nathan. Because my background wasn’t impressive enough, I was afraid of embarrassing him. I kept myself hidden, careful not to draw attention. Few people knew I was Mrs. Blackwell. Only those close to Nathan knew. But even they looked down on me… I loved him. I didn’t mind the humiliation. I thought of him in everything. But what did I get in return? Lillian had come back, and she was pregnant. “What are you doing here?” Nathan stood up, his brow furrowing slightly. His tone instantly returned to its usual coldness, as if that tender, caring man moments ago had been my hallucination. I took a deep breath and forced a smile that looked worse than crying. “Did you forget, Mr. Blackwell? I work as a sales associate at this mall.” A flash of displeasure crossed Nathan’s face. He strode over to me and lowered his voice. “Lillian just got back to the country. Her husband died in an accident recently. She’s alone with a child on the way. It’s not easy. I’m just helping her out as an old friend. Don’t read into this.”

“An old friend?” I stared straight into his eyes, my gaze full of doubt. “So you need to personally change her shoes for her?” “Frost!” Nathan’s voice dropped noticeably. “Don’t make a scene in public.” Those words cut into my heart like a knife. Lillian stood up, supporting her waist, and walked to Nathan’s side. Her eyes looked timidly at me. “Frost, don’t misunderstand. Nathan only helped me because it’s hard for me to bend down. If it bothers you, I won’t ask him for help anymore.” “Lillian, sit down. Don’t stand.” Nathan immediately reached out to support her. When he turned to look at me, his eyes had gone completely cold. “Go back to work. We’ll talk when I get home tonight.” I watched their shoulders pressed together and suddenly felt like the two theater tickets in my purse were a joke. I set the tray down heavily on a nearby table. My voice was oddly calm. “Nathan, today is our wedding anniversary.” Nathan froze for a moment. Regret flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly covered by irritation. “I said we’ll talk when I get home. Lillian needs someone with her right now.” I didn’t say anything else. I turned around and walked out of the VIP area, step by step. The pain in my heels had gone numb. It was replaced by an unbearable ache in my chest. At eleven that night, I sat on the living room sofa. The two theater tickets I’d spent so much money on were torn to shreds, lying quietly in the trash can. The door lock turned. Nathan walked in, bringing with him a faint smell of disinfectant. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?” He loosened his tie and glanced at the cold food on the table, his brow furrowing. “You went to the hospital?” I caught the faint antiseptic smell on him. I didn’t look at him. My voice sounded especially jarring in the empty living room. Nathan’s movements paused. He walked over and sat across from me. “Lillian’s stomach wasn’t feeling well. I took her to the hospital for a checkup.” “Nathan, let’s get a divorce.” I raised my head and looked at him calmly. Nathan’s expression darkened instantly. He laughed coldly and leaned back against the sofa. “Frost, are you done throwing your tantrum? I told you, Lillian is a widow now, and she’s pregnant. What’s wrong with me helping her? Do you have to be this petty?” “You want to help her, does that require you to buy her a luxury apartment in the best part of New York?” I slapped a copy of a property purchase agreement on the table. I’d found it by accident in Nathan’s study that afternoon. Nathan’s expression shifted, but then he spoke defensively. “I used my personal funds for that apartment. I didn’t touch any of our marital assets. She just got back to the country. She needs somewhere to live, doesn’t she?” “Nathan, do you think I’m an idiot?” My eyes reddened. “Do you dare tell me that you and her are just friends?” Nathan fell silent. After a moment, he stood up and looked down at me. “Frost, the position of Mrs. Blackwell is yours. No one can take it from you. But I’m warning you, don’t go after Lillian. She can’t handle stress right now.” With that, he turned and walked into the guest room, slamming the door shut. I sat in the darkness. Finally, my tears fell. Turns out five years together couldn’t compete with one tear from his first love.

The next day, I went to work at the mall as usual. I hadn’t slept all night. My head felt heavy, and waves of nausea rolled through my stomach. I’d barely taken my position at the counter when a familiar figure approached. Lillian wore a loose silk dress and carried the limited edition handbag Nathan had bought her yesterday. She stopped in front of me with a smile. “Frost, Nathan told me your counter has great skincare. He asked me to come pick out a few sets.” I suppressed the nausea and handed her a product catalog with a blank expression. “Choose whatever you want, Ms. Reed.” But Lillian didn’t take it. Instead, she extended her pale wrist. “I’m pregnant. My skin is sensitive. You should test it for me.” I bit my lip and took out a bottle of serum. I dropped some on the back of my hand, preparing to apply it to Lillian’s wrist. Lillian suddenly leaned in close and laughed quietly, her voice low enough that only we could hear. “Frost, do you know? Last night when Nathan was in the guest room, he was actually on the phone with me the whole time. He said your marriage has been an empty shell for a long time. He never loved you.” My hand went rigid. “He also said that once I have the baby, he’ll give you some money and let you leave with dignity.” Lillian’s tone was full of a victor’s pride. My head buzzed. My fingers trembled. The glass bottle slipped from my hand and shattered against the glass counter with a crash, fragments scattering everywhere. “Ah!” Lillian suddenly screamed and clutched her hand, stumbling backward. Her eyes instantly reddened. “Frost, even if you’re angry at me, you can’t cut me with broken glass!” I froze. I hadn’t touched Lillian at all. Before I could explain, a cold voice cut through the crowd. “What’s going on?” Nathan appeared in a custom-tailored suit, striding toward us surrounded by a group of mall executives. He was here to inspect the World Trade Center today. The crowd automatically parted. Nathan’s eyes immediately found Lillian clutching her hand with tears streaming down her face. His expression changed drastically. He rushed over and pulled her into his arms. “Nathan, it hurts…” Lillian leaned against his chest and showed him her hand. There was indeed a small red mark on the back of her hand. Whether it came from glass fragments or she’d pinched herself, I couldn’t tell. Nathan’s eyes turned ice cold. He whipped his head toward me, his voice suppressing fury. “Frost, what did I warn you about last night?” His low roar drew attention from everyone around us. All my coworkers looked at this scene in confusion. “I didn’t touch her.” I straightened and looked directly into his eyes. My voice was hoarse. “If you didn’t touch her, how did she get hurt?” Nathan didn’t believe me. His eyes were full of disappointment and disgust. “You usually act out at home, fine. But now you’re hurting customers at work? Frost, when did you become so vicious?!” The onlookers gasped. This didn’t sound like a manager reprimanding an employee! I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. When I ate instant noodles with him, when we lived in a basement apartment, he’d said I was the kindest woman in the world. Now that he was successful, one tear from his first love and I’d become a vicious, jealous wife… Nathan, who’d never publicly acknowledged my identity in five years, was now losing control in public over a scratch on Lillian’s hand, letting strangers speculate about our relationship. It felt like being slapped across the face. My cheeks burned. “Mr. Blackwell, this might be a misunderstanding…” My manager stepped forward, trying to smooth things over. “A misunderstanding?” Nathan laughed coldly, his eyes boring into me. “Apologize.” I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “I told you. I didn’t do it. I won’t apologize.” “Frost, don’t make me humiliate you in public.” Nathan stepped closer and lowered his voice so only I could hear. “If you don’t apologize, you’re leaving the World Trade Center today. And that brother of yours in the hospital? He won’t be able to use any of my resources again.” My whole body shook. I looked at him in disbelief. He was threatening me with my brother’s life! For Lillian, he was willing to push me to the brink! My heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible hand. The pain made it hard to breathe. All around me, coworkers and customers watched like it was a show. Their whispered conversations rose like a tide, drowning me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened them again, the light in my eyes had completely died. I bent at the waist and bowed deeply to Lillian. My voice was wooden. “I’m sorry, Ms. Reed. It was my carelessness.” Lillian hid in Nathan’s arms, a barely perceptible smile playing at her lips. But her voice remained aggrieved. “It’s fine. You didn’t mean it. Nathan, let’s go. My stomach feels a little off.” Nathan immediately grew concerned. He wrapped his arm around Lillian’s waist and turned to leave without giving me a single extra glance. I maintained my bowed position until their figures completely disappeared from view. I slowly straightened. My stomach churned. I covered my mouth and rushed to the restroom. Leaning over the sink, I dry-heaved for a long time but couldn’t bring anything up. I looked up at the pale, disheveled woman in the mirror. She suddenly seemed like a complete stranger. I took out my phone and called the hospital. “Dr. Stevens, how much more do we need for my brother’s medical bills?” After hanging up, I leaned against the cold tile wall and slowly slid to the floor. Nathan, since you’re this heartless, there’s nothing left between us worth holding onto.

After apologizing at the mall that day, I never spoke to Nathan again. I quit my job at the mall. During the day, I worked at a coffee shop. At night, I promoted drinks at a bar. I needed to save up enough for my brother’s medical expenses as quickly as possible and break free from Nathan’s control completely. Two weeks of nonstop work made me lose a lot of weight. Clothes that used to fit now hung loosely on my frame. Late one night, I dragged my exhausted body through the front door. The living room light was on. Nathan sat on the sofa, his expression dark enough to drip water. “You’ve been leaving early and coming home late for two weeks. What kind of tantrum are you throwing now?” Nathan slammed the documents in his hand onto the table. “You quit the mall too. Frost, are you trying to test my limits?” I didn’t stop changing my shoes. I didn’t even lift my eyelids. “Didn’t you not want me there anyway? I’m just doing what you wanted.” My cold attitude stung Nathan. He shot up and walked over to me, grabbing my wrist. “If you need money, why won’t you ask me? I’m your husband!” “Husband?” I laughed softly and looked up at him. “The husband who threatened me with my brother’s life?” Nathan froze. Regret flickered across his face. He softened his tone and tried to take my hand. “I was impulsive that day. I’ve already transferred this month’s medical expenses to the hospital account. Quit the bar job tomorrow. That kind of place isn’t suitable for you.” “No need.” I pulled my hand back. My voice was as flat as still water. “I haven’t used your money all these years. This time is no different. I’ll pay you back every cent.” Nathan’s brow furrowed again. He was about to lose his temper when the guest room door suddenly opened. Lillian walked out wearing an oversized men’s dress shirt, rubbing her eyes. Her voice was soft. “Nathan, you’re home? I’m a little thirsty.” My eyes fell on that shirt. It was Nathan’s favorite shirt. Even the housekeeper had to be careful when ironing it. Nathan noticed my gaze. He looked somewhat uncomfortable as he explained. “Lillian’s new place just finished renovations. The formaldehyde levels are too high, not good for pregnant women. I’m letting her stay here temporarily.” “Temporarily?” I looked around. The living room now had Lillian’s favorite lilies. Lillian’s maternity pillow was tossed on the sofa. Even the cup on the table had been replaced with Lillian’s personal mug. This wasn’t temporary. This was an invasion of my territory. “Also, the guest room mattress is too soft. Lillian’s back hurts when she sleeps on it. Move to the guest room and give her the master bedroom.” Nathan spoke in a tone that suggested this was completely reasonable. I looked at him. I suddenly found it funny. This was the man I’d loved with everything I had for five years. For another woman, he was trampling my dignity into the ground step by step. “Fine.” I didn’t make a scene. I simply nodded calmly. Nathan froze. The next day, I moved my things into the cramped guest room. When I came home from work that evening, my steps stopped short near the trash can. In the trash lay a pair of shattered ceramic mugs. They were cheap, the edges chipped with peeling paint. Five years ago, when we’d just gotten together, we’d bought these matching couple’s mugs from a street vendor for ten dollars. Nathan had pointed at those mugs and sworn he’d treasure me for the rest of his life. “Oh, Frost, you’re home.” Lillian came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of fruit. She glanced at the trash can and said casually, “Those two mugs were so broken and old. They really didn’t match the decor. I threw them out. You don’t mind, do you?” I crouched down, my hands trembling as I reached for the fragments. The sharp ceramic edges cut my finger. Blood immediately welled up, dripping onto the white shards, a shocking sight. The front door opened. Nathan walked in. Seeing this scene, he strode over and grabbed my hand. “Are you crazy? Why are you picking up garbage?!” “Garbage?” I looked up, my eyes red, staring at him intently. “Nathan, this was the first gift you ever gave me.” Nathan paused, his eyes falling on the pile of fragments. He seemed to finally remember something. But he quickly covered it up, his tone impatient. “It’s just a broken mug. It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow I’ll have my assistant buy you a set of Hermès tableware from the boutique. Don’t make such a big fuss over this junk and scare Lillian.” I looked at his cold face. Suddenly I laughed. I laughed so hard tears streamed down my face. “You’re right.” I yanked my hand back violently, letting blood drip onto the floor. Right in front of Nathan, I picked up the largest fragment I’d been holding and threw it hard back into the trash. “It is garbage. Should have been thrown out long ago.” Along with my pathetic devotion from these five years. All of it should be discarded. An inexplicable rage rose in Nathan’s chest. “Frost, who are you putting on this show for?! Keep treating me with this attitude, and don’t blame me for being heartless!” I looked at his twisted face, feeling more and more cold toward this five-year relationship. I didn’t say another word. I walked past him and went straight to my room. The moment the door closed, I heard Lillian’s gentle voice comforting him outside. He’d already become heartless long ago.

My brother Sebastian’s condition suddenly deteriorated. He needed a bone marrow transplant immediately. The surgery plus post-op anti-rejection treatment would cost at least eight hundred thousand dollars. I went to every lending company. I even tried to sell our family’s old house. But the money still wasn’t enough. The hospital notified me that if I couldn’t pay within three days, the surgery would be postponed indefinitely. I had no choice but to go to Nathan. His phone went straight to voicemail every time I called. I had to call his assistant and learned that Nathan was hosting a dinner tonight at Nightfall, New York’s most exclusive private club. When I arrived at the private room, the lighting was dim and cigarette smoke hung in the air. Nathan sat in the main seat. Lillian was leaning against him, holding a glass of juice. Around them sat a circle of Nathan’s business associates, laughing and talking. The door to the private room opened. Every eye turned to me. I wore a faded old jacket. My hair was messy. My face was pale as paper. I looked completely out of place in this decadent setting. “Well, if it isn’t Mrs. Blackwell. What are you doing here dressed like that?” One of the wealthy men who’d always looked down on me spoke mockingly. “What are you talking about? Can’t you see who Mr. Blackwell is holding? I have been saying all along, only someone like Lillian, a true socialite, is worthy of our Mr. Blackwell.” “What is Frost? A sales associate. Like she belongs in our circle.” Another person chimed in, drawing laughter. “Mr. Blackwell, you should have listened to us long ago. Dump this sales girl already! She’s an embarrassment to you!” Nathan frowned, looking at me with clear displeasure. “What are you doing here? Who let you in?” I ignored the mockery and walked straight up to Nathan. My voice was hoarse. “Nathan, Sebastian’s condition got worse. He needs eight hundred thousand for surgery. Can you… lend it to me?” Nathan laughed coldly. He pushed Lillian aside and leaned forward to look at me. “Lend? Frost, weren’t you so proud a few days ago? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t spend a single cent of my money? What happened? Can’t keep up the act anymore?” I bit my lip hard. Humiliation gnawed at my heart like a venomous snake. But for my brother’s sake, I had to endure it. “I’m begging you. I’ll pay you back for sure.” “Pay me back? With what? By selling drinks at a bar?” Nathan’s words stabbed at my pain like knives. The laughter around us grew louder. Lillian tugged at Nathan’s sleeve, looking understanding. “Nathan, Frost is desperate. It’s someone’s life. Just help her.” Nathan patted Lillian’s hand. His gaze returned to me, carrying a hint of cruelty. “Fine. Since Lillian’s pleading for you, I’ll give you the money.” He poured a glass of red wine and pushed it to the edge of the table. “That day at the mall, you frightened Lillian. Then at home, you kept giving me attitude and making Lillian uncomfortable.” “Today, in front of everyone here, kneel down and pour Lillian a drink. Consider it a formal apology. As long as you drink it, I’ll have finance transfer eight hundred thousand to the hospital account immediately.” The room went silent. Everyone stared at me like I was part of a show. My whole body went stiff. I looked at Nathan in disbelief. He wanted me to kneel in front of all these people and pour a drink for his mistress? He wanted to crush what little dignity I had left under his heel! “What? You’re not willing?” Nathan looked at me coldly. “If you’re not willing, get out. Don’t ruin everyone’s fun.” Tears welled in my eyes, but I forced them back. An image of my brother in the ICU, tubes running through his body, flashed through my mind. What was dignity? Compared to life, it was worthless. I took a deep breath. My legs bent. I dropped to my knees on the cold marble floor with a thud. A few sharp intakes of breath sounded around me. Even the wealthy man looked away, unable to watch. With trembling hands, I picked up the glass of red wine and held it up to Lillian. My voice was numb, devoid of any inflection. “Ms. Reed, I’m sorry.” Triumph flashed in Lillian’s eyes. She reached out to take the glass. Just as our hands were about to touch, Lillian suddenly cried out. Her wrist twisted. The entire glass of red wine splashed across my face and body. The red liquid ran down my hair, as glaring as blood. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Frost. My hand slipped.” Lillian covered her mouth, putting on a look of panic. Nathan immediately grabbed Lillian’s hand to check it anxiously. “She’s definitely fine. Are you okay? You’re pregnant. Be careful.” From start to finish, he never once glanced at me, kneeling on the floor, completely humiliated. After confirming Lillian was fine, Nathan pulled a bank card from his wallet and tossed it at my face like he was dismissing a beggar. The sharp edge of the card grazed my cheek, leaving a red mark, before falling to the floor. “The password is Lillian’s birthday. Take the money and get out. Stop embarrassing me.” Nathan’s voice was utterly ruthless. I slowly lowered my head and picked up the wine-stained bank card. I didn’t wipe the wine from my face. I didn’t look at Nathan again. Supporting myself on the table, I stood up and dragged my stiff legs one step at a time out of the room. The moment the door closed, I heard Lillian’s sweet voice inside. “Nathan, weren’t you too hard on her?” “It’s the punishment she deserves.” Nathan’s voice held no warmth at all. I leaned against the hallway wall, gasping for air. My heart felt like it was splitting apart. Nathan, what you owe me, I don’t want it anymore. Consider this eight hundred thousand the price for my five years of youth. From now on, we’re even.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “418496”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I was the adopted daughter of the Ford family, New York’s most prominent household. No one knew that every night, I would spend the hours entangled with my uncle, Mark Ford. We had been in a secret relationship for three years, hidden from the world. In the attic, in his car, in his bedroom or mine. We did countless secret and wild things. “Mark, I…” The man, usually so cold and reserved, suddenly grabbed my waist, thrusting forcefully, and my words were shattered. Sweat dripped from his chiseled face onto my neck as I was sent soaring once more. After we were thoroughly satisfied, Mark held me close, speaking lazily. “Grandpa arranged an engagement for me.” “She and I are just putting on a show for Grandpa. Be a good girl, don’t get mad, okay?” I froze. He didn’t know that in two weeks, my biological parents would be taking me abroad. Aurora POV I was the only daughter of the Ford family, New York’s most prominent household. But no one knew that every night, I would spend the hours entangled with my uncle, Mark Ford. We had been in a secret relationship for three years, hidden from the world. In the attic, in his car, in his bedroom or mine. We did countless secret and wild things. “Mark, I…” The man, usually so cold and reserved, suddenly grabbed my waist, thrusting forcefully, and my words were shattered. Sweat dripped from his chiseled face onto my neck as I was sent soaring once more. After we were thoroughly satisfied, Mark held me close, speaking lazily. “Grandpa arranged an engagement for me.” “She and I are just putting on a show for Grandpa. Be a good girl, don’t get mad, okay?” His large hand casually stroked me, as if everything was under his control. I was exhausted and didn’t say anything. Yesterday, I had excitedly run to Mark’s study, wanting to tell him something important. As I reached the study door, I heard voices from inside. It was Mark talking with a few of his friends. I considerately didn’t interrupt. But I was so eager to tell him, I couldn’t bring myself to leave, so I waited outside the door. “Fiona Caldwell is coming back soon, Mark. How are you going to deal with Aurora?” “Yeah, you and Fiona grew up together, and you’ve been waiting for her all these years. The alliance between the Ford and Caldwell families is crucial. If Aurora finds out, can she handle it?” In that moment, I was completely stunned. Who were they talking about? Me? What alliance? A rush of blood went to my head, and my ears buzzed. Then another voice asked. “Didn’t you say she was just a plaything, and you’d get rid of her once Fiona came back?” “You even stayed in New York for college instead of going abroad, all for Fiona!” Mark’s unhurried voice drifted out. “Aurora is obedient, easy to placate. She won’t cause trouble.” I heard it. He said my name. They were talking about me. To me, the world might as well have ended. I wasn’t a true member of the Ford family. I had grown up in an orphanage. At the orphanage, I was always small and frail, easily bullied. One day, Mark’s older brother, Richard Ford, visited the orphanage for a charity event. He saw me being bullied by other kids and felt sorry for me. Richard and his wife, Eleanor, didn’t have children. So, Richard discussed it with Eleanor, and they adopted me. I was only eight years old that year. My adopted parents hadn’t expected that shortly after adopting me, they would receive a confidential research assignment that required them to be isolated for five years. Though Grandpa Robert, the Ford family patriarch, didn’t object to his son adopting a girl, he never quite warmed up to me, his non-blood-related granddaughter, and largely ignored me. Seeing that I had no one watching over me, the staff didn’t treat me well. They took advantage of my young age and innocence. When my adopted parents were home, they would pretend to be kind to me, but as soon as they left for their research, my treatment immediately declined. Breakfast was often stale leftovers, and no one made sure I had warm clothes in winter. Once, I developed a fever, and it took three days for anyone to notice. That winter was particularly cold. I was playing in the Ford family’s yard when I accidentally fell into the artificial lake by the rockery. The water was deep and bitingly cold. I struggled to swim but couldn’t surface. Just as I thought I was about to sink, Mark happened to come home. The young man saw me in the water and jumped into the icy cold without hesitation, pulling me to shore. Mark noticed that his non-blood-related niece was even thinner than when she first arrived. Mark was furious. The usually quiet heir punished the negligent staff and even fired the butler. He told everyone that I was the only daughter of the Ford family, and anyone who dared to disrespect me was disrespecting him.

Aurora POV From then on, he personally took care of my every need, meticulously. He insisted on coming home every weekend to help me with homework, explain complex math problems, and gently pat my back to soothe me when I cried. Even after high school, Mark, who was supposed to study abroad according to the Ford family’s arrangements, stubbornly stayed, attending a local university. I once asked Mark why he didn’t go abroad. Mark poked my nose and said, “I was afraid you’d be home alone and hide away crying again.” It’s fair to say I was raised by Mark. I was the princess he held in the palm of his hand. My walk-in closet was filled with designer brands’ latest seasonal collections, limited-edition bags, and jewelry worth millions. On my eighteenth birthday, Mark allowed me to drink alcohol. Drunk, I clung to Mark and wouldn’t let go. After Mark carried me back to my bedroom, he picked up a stack of my sketches from my desk and looked at them. My drunkenness instantly faded. I rushed over and snatched the drawings away. “Don’t get the wrong idea, I just drew them for fun.” I thought Mark would despise me, after all, it was morally wrong. But to my surprise, Mark pinned me between his arms, a slight smirk on his lips, and looked at me gently. “You like me that much?” In my panic, I forgot to answer, just staring blankly at him, my innocent eyes blinking. Moments later, a flood of kisses descended upon me. And then we were together. Mark had been my uncle for eleven years, and finally, on my eighteenth birthday, he became my boyfriend. But no one in the Ford family knew about it. We often spent the nights together, returning to our own rooms before everyone else woke up in the morning. This secret relationship lasted for three years. During those three years, Mark’s affection for me grew even stronger. Gifting jewelry and designer bags was just routine for him, and he also bought plenty of limited-edition sports cars, yachts, and villas. No one in all of New York dared to look down on me anymore. Mark said that once he inherited the family business and fully took over the company, he would help me become independent from the Ford family, change my name, and then publicly announce our relationship. I believed him implicitly. In my twenty-one years of life, Mark was everything to me. The conversation in the study continued. One friend scoffed, “Even the easiest woman to please can be stubborn when it comes to love. If she makes a fuss, it’ll be a mess. Aurora has been in love with you for so many years, you’d better be careful.” Another asked, “You haven’t actually fallen for her, have you? Everyone in New York knows how much you spoil your little niece.” My heart lurched violently, and I placed all my hope on Mark’s next words. However, my hope was quickly extinguished by him. “How could I? Fiona wasn’t here, and I was bored. Just messing around with a young girl.” I didn’t hear anything else they said afterward; that one sentence filled my mind. My body swayed, and I almost collapsed. I had originally wanted to tell Mark that my biological parents had found me yesterday. It was a family even more prominent than the Fords. Once I returned to my biological parents, I would no longer be his niece. His father wouldn’t be able to look down on my background anymore. We would have no more obstacles. We could be together openly. But I never expected that I was merely a distraction for him when the person he loved wasn’t around. Mark, you truly played me for a fool. Now, it seemed there was no need to tell him this news. After a moment to compose myself, I silently left the study. Wiping my tears, I called my biological father. “Dad, I’ll come home to the Sterling family. I’m ready to leave immediately.” “That’s wonderful, Aurora!” My dad was ecstatic. “I’ll start your paperwork right away. A private jet will pick you up in two weeks!”

Aurora POV The next day at noon, my adopted parents, Richard and Eleanor, surprisingly returned. I was delighted because their research assignments were demanding, and I rarely got to see them. Eleanor embraced me the moment she walked in, her voice soft and full of emotion. “Aurora, your biological parents met with us early this morning.” It turned out that after learning I was willing to go home yesterday, my biological parents had flown specifically to their research institute this morning to meet them. Richard patted my shoulder. “Aurora, Dad checked it out. Your biological parents are wonderful people, and they’ve been searching for you all these years. It’s a good thing you found them, and we’re happy for you too.” He paused, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. “We were so busy with work all these years and didn’t take proper care of you. We always felt we let you down. Now that you can return to them, we’re relieved.” My tears welled up. My adopted parents had given me the best they could within their means. Regardless, I was grateful. “No matter where I am, you’ll always be my parents. You took me from the orphanage and gave me a home.” They both smiled. Eleanor wiped my tears. “Good, good. Come back and visit often when you have time.” Richard asked, “When are you leaving?” “In two weeks.” “Who’s leaving?” Mark walked in, habitually running his hand through my hair. My heart tightened. Why was he home so early today? Eleanor was about to speak, but I quickly interjected, “Nothing, we were just talking about a movie. The main character leaves in two weeks.” My adopted parents looked surprised and exchanged glances. They clearly didn’t understand why I wasn’t telling Mark. But they didn’t say anything more. Mark had only asked casually and didn’t think much of it. He quickly sat down and started talking about other things with Richard. I went back to my room. I called for the butler. “Please sell all my jewelry and bags.” The butler nodded and soon had people come to collect and itemize everything. I stood in my empty walk-in closet, lost in thought, when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around me from behind. “What are you thinking about?” I instinctively pulled away, stepping back two paces. “You’ve been smoking again. It smells awful.” Mark didn’t seem to care. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it nonchalantly, scanned the room, and his gaze finally settled on me. “Why are you getting rid of all these things?” I avoided his gaze. “I don’t like them anymore.” Mark smirked. “Then buy new ones.” He exhaled a puff of smoke, his expression growing a little more serious. “Fiona is coming over tonight. We’re having dinner at home.” He reached out and lifted my chin, making me look him in the eye. “Be a good girl, don’t make a scene.” So, he had rushed home early today specifically to warn me. The smoke made my eyes tear up, and I turned my head away, coughing violently. Mark watched me silently, seemingly waiting for my response. “Don’t worry, I won’t make a scene.” I said, still coughing. A faint smile finally appeared on Mark’s face. He put out his cigarette, ruffled my hair, and then went to pour me a glass of water. “Drink slowly. You cough like this from a little smoke. You’ll have to get used to it.” Get used to it? I took the glass but didn’t reply. There wouldn’t be a “later.” Before dinner, Fiona arrived. She lived up to her name. Tall, strikingly beautiful, clearly a socialite. Fiona and my adopted parents obviously knew each other. After a few pleasantries, she locked her gaze on me, smiling sweetly. “This must be Aurora, right?” I wasn’t in the mood and gave a few perfunctory responses. Mark came forward, saying softly with a smile, “Fiona, this is Aurora, my niece.” Ever since Mark and I got together, he never liked me calling him uncle, nor did he ever refer to me as his niece. I hadn’t expected him to change so quickly when faced with Fiona. I pulled a faint smile. Fiona, however, playfully pushed Mark, frowning. “You’ve been smoking again? It smells bad. You should quit.” Mark nodded. “Okay, I’ll quit.” With that, he tossed the half-empty pack of cigarettes from his pocket into the trash can. My hand, holding the water glass, froze. Everything became clear with a comparison. I had countless times asked Mark to quit smoking. Because I thought smoking was bad for his lungs, and because I truly couldn’t stand the smell of smoke. But each time, Mark would look at me like I was an ignorant child, gently ruffling my hair, as if he was tolerating my immaturity. Then he would still smoke, telling me to get used to it. Yet, a casual remark from Fiona, and he smiled, threw away the cigarettes, and quit. The result of the comparison was so stark, I had to admit it, however unwillingly.

Aurora POV At dinner, I looked at the table full of seafood and immediately understood. Mark had specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare it for Fiona. Fiona loved seafood. Mark remembered Fiona’s preferences, her eating habits, and even arranged everything in advance. His thoughtfulness, it turned out, was never exclusively for me. I had misunderstood him for so many years. Fortunately, today I finally understood completely. I wouldn’t misunderstand him again. At the dinner table, Fiona was poised and articulate, chatting happily with my adopted parents. Mark sat beside Fiona, occasionally serving her food, his demeanor natural and intimate. I quietly ate my dinner, barely speaking throughout the meal. After dinner, Fiona stayed for a little while longer before getting up to leave. Mark picked up his car keys. “I’ll drive you.” Before leaving, Fiona added my contact details, smiling. “I’ll be coming over often from now on. Let’s keep in touch.” I nodded distractedly. After seeing them off, I returned to my room. My hand involuntarily clicked on Fiona’s Ins profile. Her earliest posts dated back to college. It turned out they had been together during their university years. Back then, they were inseparable, attending classes, going to the library, and traveling together every day. Their classmates called them the happiest couple. The Mark in the photos was a few years younger than he was now, but the smile in his eyes was more vibrant and alive than I had ever seen. For Fiona’s birthday, Mark rented an entire yacht and filled every corner with flowers. The caption read: The most romantic proposal rehearsal in the world. Someone said this was just a rehearsal, the real one would come later. I thought of the gifts I received on my birthdays. They were valuable, but they were always just bought and handed to me directly. He had never done anything so elaborate and romantic for me. On Valentine’s Day, Mark said he had a business trip and couldn’t be with me. It turned out he had taken Fiona to Iceland to see the aurora borealis. Mark had waited for several days with her until the most spectacular aurora appeared. The caption read: He said he would show me the most beautiful light in the world, and he did. On Fiona’s graduation day, Mark held a large bouquet of flowers and embraced her. All the comments below were well wishes, calling them a couple blessed by God. Mark had also come to my university graduation ceremony. But he sat in the parents’ section, his identity as my uncle. After graduation, Fiona returned to her family’s company to work. Later, the Caldwell family expanded into overseas markets, and Fiona had to go abroad to manage their overseas expansion. Mark couldn’t convince her to stay, and they had a big argument, eventually breaking up. And the time they broke up was right before my eighteenth birthday. So, I really was just Mark’s replacement. I felt a coldness on my face; tears had streamed down at some point. I was about to close Fiona’s Ins when one post caught my eye. It was last Christmas. Fiona had posted a limited-edition handbag. The caption read: Considering someone flew halfway across the world to bring it, I’ll reluctantly accept it. I recognized that bag. It was a global limited edition, only one piece. I had also wanted it at the time, and Mark had flown to France overnight to get it for me. That bag had been sitting in my walk-in closet, and I had just had the butler take it to be sold this afternoon. How could a globally limited-edition bag appear on Fiona’s Ins? A knock sounded at the door. The butler came in to report, “Miss, all the jewelry and bags you asked me to handle this afternoon have been taken care of, but…” The butler paused, saying cautiously, “One of the bags was identified as a replica.” My heart jolted. “Which one?” My voice trembled slightly. The butler handed over the replica bag. I didn’t take it. I turned my head, averting my gaze. “Since it’s fake, just throw it away.” The butler quietly exited. The room fell silent again. The single, globally limited-edition authentic bag, Mark had given to Fiona. The one he gave me was fake. For so many years, I had lived under Mark’s protection, in a fairy tale. Now that the truth was revealed, I found how rotten the inside of this happy facade was. Mark had certainly been good to me, but today I finally understood that his kindness came with a condition. That was, it had to be in situations that didn’t conflict with Fiona. My place and Fiona’s place in Mark’s heart had always been clear. That night, Mark didn’t come home. This was the first time he had spent a night away without a reason since we’d been together. In the past, no matter how busy he was or how late his business engagements ran, as long as he wasn’t on a business trip, he would always come back to me. He used to say, “Aurora is afraid of the dark, afraid of being alone. You’ll be scared if I’m not home.” But with Fiona back, he had forgotten all of it. I turned off the lights, lying in the dark with my eyes open, not sleeping all night. The next day was the anniversary of Richard adopting me, which we designated as my birthday. From the age of eight, every year on my birthday, Mark would personally organize it. He’d prepare gifts in advance, invite many guests, and throw a grand celebration. But this year, Mark forgot.

Aurora POV Without Mark’s planning, my birthday this year was much quieter. I only invited a few close friends. However, Richard and Eleanor specifically stayed home to celebrate with me this time. To avoid any discussion about my background, my biological parents, Arthur and Sophia, and my brother, Leo, purposely didn’t show up, only calling early in the morning and sending numerous gifts. A good friend asked as soon as she walked in, “Where’s your uncle?” I said, “He’s busy.” My friend added, “He never missed your birthday before.” I smiled and didn’t answer. I had seen on Fiona’s Ins that Mark was out shopping with her. In the past, no matter how good Mark was to me, he would never go shopping with me. When I asked him to go shopping, he would always ruffle my head and say that he’d have someone buy whatever I wanted because shopping was too tiring. But now, Fiona wanted him to shop, and he did. Although this year’s birthday wasn’t as extravagant as previous years, with the company and blessings of my dearest friends and family, I was still very happy. Richard personally cut the first slice of cake. My friends laughed and joked, teasing me playfully. It turned out that my happiness wasn’t contingent on Mark. Mark returned very late that day. Fiona had kept him company all day. When he entered the house, the guests had already left, only a pile of unopened gifts remained in the living room. He looked at the pile of gifts, puzzled, and asked the butler, “What’s going on?” The butler respectfully replied, “These are Miss Aurora’s birthday gifts.” Mark froze. Listening to their conversation, I turned and went back to my room. Mark seemed annoyed and quickly went upstairs. Without knocking, he walked straight into my room, only to find me busy, head down. “What are you doing?” Mark embraced me from behind. But I was hit by the unfamiliar scent of women’s perfume on him. I pushed Mark, but couldn’t get him off. Mark looked down and saw I was packing things. Those sketches of him, our secretly taken photos, my romance diary, and the small wooden carving Mark had made for me. All were being packed into a box. Mark panicked, hugging me tighter, and gently coaxed, “Are you mad? Are you taking it out on these things?” My tone was perfectly normal. “I’m just putting them away. Ms. Caldwell often comes over. What if she sees them and gets the wrong idea?” Mark, convinced I was just jealous of Fiona, relaxed. His hand restlessly explored under my clothes. “It was my fault for missing your birthday. I’ll make up for the gift next time. Don’t take it out on these things. What kind of gift do you want?” I didn’t want to waste any more words on the subject. “Anything is fine.” Mark lowered his head, trying to kiss me. I turned my head away, reminding him, “My parents are home. Be careful not to get caught. You should go back to your room.” Mark had no choice but to give up. Before leaving, he still seemed worried and picked up the box of packed drawings and carvings. “It’s safer if I keep these.” I watched his retreating back, gently clenching my hand. It was fine if he took that box. I didn’t need it anymore anyway. The next morning, my adopted parents rushed back to the research institute. In the afternoon, the butler informed me that Grandpa Robert was formally hosting the Caldwell family for dinner, and all Ford family members who could attend must be present. I had never been close to Grandpa and never actively went to the old mansion to bother him. But this time, I had to go, whether I wanted to or not. In the evening, I arrived at the old mansion. Fiona and her parents were there, and Mark was also present. I found a corner seat and sat down by myself. Grandpa Robert sat at the head of the table, chatting with Fiona’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell. “Mark and Fiona grew up together. I’ve been looking forward to their marriage for many years. When our two families unite, God will bless them.” Mr. Caldwell nodded repeatedly. “You’re right, these two children are a perfect match. Our Caldwell family feels the same way.” Mark unconsciously glanced at me. I was focused on eating fruit, not even lifting my head. As they spoke, Grandpa ordered someone to bring a delicate wooden box. The box opened, revealing a beautiful antique bracelet inside. I recognized that bracelet. Only the wife of the heir was permitted to wear it. My adopted father, Richard, was dedicated to scientific research and didn’t manage the family business, so my adopted mother, Eleanor, was never eligible to wear the bracelet. Once, I had even playfully asked Mark when I would be able to wear that bracelet. Mark had only ruffled my head and said, “You’re being naughty again.” It turned out he had never intended for me to wear that bracelet. Grandpa Robert smiled and called Fiona over, handing her the bracelet. “Fiona, from now on, you’ll be part of our family. Wear this bracelet.” Mr. Caldwell quickly said, “You’re too kind. It’s Fiona’s good fortune to marry into the Ford family.” Fiona happily accepted the bracelet and put it on. Then she turned and walked over to me, intimately taking my hand. “I’m only a few years older than Aurora. I’ll need your guidance in the future.” Her words were beautiful, her expression flawless. But her sharply manicured nails, hidden from others’ view, dug cruelly into my hand.

Aurora POV Blood immediately rushed to the surface. The pain was so intense that I instinctively shook off her hand. Fiona swayed backward, and the bracelet on her wrist hit the marble floor with a heavy clatter, shattering into several pieces. Silence fell across the room. Mark rushed to help Fiona up, his worry clearly visible. “Are you okay?” He glared at me. “Aurora!” I instinctively blurted out, “It wasn’t me, it was her.” “It’s not Aurora’s fault, I was just clumsy myself,” Fiona quickly interrupted me. “It’s just a shame about the bracelet.” Her eyes reddened as she apologized to Grandpa, appearing self-reproachful and wronged. Grandpa Robert angrily slammed his hand on the table. “Aurora was rude and made you suffer. How could it be your fault?” Mark looked at me, his face filled with disappointment. I opened my mouth, wanting to explain something, but facing the room full of accusing gazes, the words got stuck in my throat. No one saw the wound on my hand. Even though the injury was so obvious, blood dripping onto the floor. I was taken to the yard to be punished. It was the deep winter season, with temperatures dropping to below zero. My knees had suffered from the cold when I fell into the water as a child, making them sensitive to cold ever since. Kneeling on the icy, hard flagstones, the pain was excruciating. The coldness spread upwards from my knees, quickly permeating my entire body. I clenched my teeth, refusing to collapse. Beyond the wall, the old mansion was brightly lit and warm. Through the glass, I could see the scene inside. Mark was attentively serving Fiona food and pouring wine for her parents. Grandpa Robert looked kindly, Fiona looked bashful; they all seemed happy. Only I was kneeling in the snow. Throughout the entire night, Mark didn’t cast a single glance in my direction. Actually, Grandpa had never liked me, ever since I was a child. He thought I was of unknown origin, from a humble background, and would bring shame to the Ford family. When I was nine, I came to the old mansion to play and accidentally broke one of his antique vases. He also wanted to punish me by making me kneel. At that time, Mark pleaded for me. When his pleas failed, the young man simply took the punishment for me instead. Sixteen-year-old Mark knelt in the yard, his knees bruised and purple, but he turned back and smiled at me, who was secretly crying behind the door. He had clearly said then, Aurora, I’m here. I won’t let you be punished. I was cold and in pain. Perhaps I wasn’t a strong person. The pain stripped away my pride. I even thought, Mark, just look at me. If you just look at me, if you save me, I’ll forgive you. But then, Fiona’s laughter drifted from the window. Mark was leaning in, peeling shrimp for her. He didn’t see me, and I wasn’t in his heart. At this very moment, his eyes and heart were solely on Fiona. For more than ten years, Mark’s kindness to me had made him an indispensable part of my life. Cutting him out would kill me. But in this moment, I felt that the pain of cutting out Mark was far less than the pain in my knees, and even less than the pain in my heart. The night grew deeper, and the temperature continued to drop. My body began to shake uncontrollably, and my consciousness gradually blurred. I don’t remember when I passed out. When I woke up again, I was lying in my own bed. The butler said Mark had carried me back. I nodded faintly, saying nothing. What good was being carried back? He didn’t come when I was kneeling. He only remembered me when I collapsed. The family doctor examined me and said my old knee injury had worsened, and I had new injuries too. The doctor prescribed medication and advised me to rest well and stay warm. During my recovery, Mark never returned once. Lying in bed, I replayed the last three years’ events over and over again. Then, I had someone transfer all the sports cars, villas, and yachts Mark had given me back to his name. I didn’t want any of these things anymore. That day, Mark’s assistant suddenly arrived. “Miss Aurora, Mr. Ford asked me to bring you to him.” I asked, “Where?” The assistant said, “You’ll know when you get there.” From his demeanor, it seemed if I didn’t go, he would force me. My knee hadn’t fully healed, and walking still hurt. But I knew Mark’s temper. Not going would only cause more trouble. Helpless, I followed them into the car. The car drove to a private resort estate. A server led me through a long corridor to the door of a private room. Just as I was about to push the door open, I heard voices from inside. “Mark really spoils Fiona. Fiona just said one thing, ‘Your niece is still sick,’ and he brought your niece over.” Mark took a sip of wine. “My niece is ignorant. She hurt Fiona last time, but Fiona doesn’t blame her and even wants to bring her along to have fun.” Fiona smiled gracefully. “Aurora is still young. How could I blame her? Why isn’t she here yet? Could it be that she resents me because of what happened last time?”

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My sister, Stella, had a string of bad relationships that convinced her all men were jerks. The day I introduced her to my boyfriend, Ethan, she didn’t hold back. “He’s no different from the rest,” she said, “he’ll betray you in the end.” Under the table, I tugged at her sleeve. But Ethan didn’t get angry. He looked Stella right in the eyes and said, word for word: “If I ever betray Luna, I’ll lose everything.” Stella just scoffed. “We’ll see about that.” After that, their relationship was icy, and I was stuck in the middle, torn. Then I went away for a six-month work trip. The night before I was due back, I was scrolling in bed and stumbled upon an anonymous confession thread. [I fell for my sister’s boyfriend. What do I do?] The comments section was flooded with hate. Until I scrolled to a reply from a burner account: [Don’t yell at her, everyone. It’s not her fault; I was the one who pursued her.] [She looks tough on the outside, but she’s so fragile inside. The more I see that, the more my heart aches for her.] My finger froze. I instinctively tapped on the profile. It only had one video of a cat. But a chill ran through me, and I couldn’t stop trembling. That cat was the one Ethan had given me.

I zoomed in on the video again and again. Afraid to miss a single detail. But every detail told me. This was the cat from our first anniversary. Ethan had braved a snowstorm to deliver it to me exactly at midnight on my birthday. He said the kitten’s name was Happy. He hoped I’d be happy every day after that. A massive sense of absurdity washed over me. I could barely breathe. I exited the profile. And scrolled back to the beginning of the confession thread. It had been posted an hour ago. [First time I met him, I hated him. I’d been betrayed before, so I had zero good feelings for men.] [But he was good to my sister. She has a sensitive stomach, so he kept a note of what she could and couldn’t eat.] [Whenever she worked late, he’d pick her up, no matter how late it was.] [He remembered all her likes and dislikes. His profile picture, his social media posts, his background — it was all her…] I bit down hard on my lip, tasting iron. Ethan was so good to me. He remembered my period every month, always keeping pain meds in his bag. Once, I was writhing in pain from cramps in the middle of the night, and he immediately bought the earliest flight to come to me, just to bring me medicine. Things I’d casually mention, he’d take to heart and make happen the next day. He was an atheist, but for me, he’d even visit a church and pray for my safety. I’d always felt lucky to have found the best man in the world. My hands shaking, I continued to scroll down: [Later, my sister went on a business trip and told me to go to him if I needed anything, saying he was reliable. I said I’d rather die than ask him for help.] [That night, there was a heavy rainstorm, and the light bulb in the house suddenly blew out. I’m afraid of the dark, and no one answered when I called maintenance.] [I had no choice but to dig out the number my sister left and called him.] [Half an hour later, he appeared at the door, soaking wet, smiling as he said, “Turns out you get scared too.”] [In that moment, I felt something I couldn’t explain.] I remembered that. Ethan would update me daily. That night, when we were on FaceTime. He’d brought it up himself. “Stella looks fearless, but she’s actually afraid of the dark.” He talked about Stella for a long time. Laughing as he spoke. His laughter held a hint of fondness. At the time, I didn’t think much of it and even told him that if Stella ever needed anything, he had to help her immediately. [After that, whenever something broke at home, I’d instinctively think of calling him.] [We started seeing each other more often, and I guess I didn’t hate him as much anymore.] [He often waited for me to get off work, then accompanied me to the grocery store or to watch a movie.] [He even learned how to cook my favorite dishes, and just like with my sister, he wrote down what I liked and disliked in his notes.] [I once said, “Could you please stop using Luna’s picture as your avatar when we talk?” and he immediately changed it to an avatar with the same color scheme as mine.] [My feelings for him became more and more complicated.] That avatar was the first photo he took of me when we first started dating. I’d even teased him about it back then. “Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at you for using my photo?” He gently squeezed my cheek, a proud look on his face. “My girlfriend is so beautiful, of course I want to tell everyone.” He’d used it for five years, never changing it no matter what anyone said. The day he changed his avatar, I’d asked him about it. He said it was for work reasons. I believed him. Turns out, it was because of one sentence from Stella. Tears welled in my eyes, blurring the screen. [Tonight, he and I went to see a movie. At the end, he suddenly turned to me and asked, “Do you like me?”] [I heard my own heartbeat, and then I heard him say, “I wish I had met you sooner.”] [I couldn’t control myself and kissed him. He didn’t pull away.] [I feel disgusted with myself for doing such a thing to my sister’s boyfriend, but I can’t control how I feel about him.] [My sister comes back tomorrow. I don’t know how I’m going to face her.]

My stomach churned, a wave of nausea rushing to my throat. I hunched over the bed, dry heaving, but nothing came up. Our parents died in a car crash when I was eight and Stella was thirteen. Stella went to all my parent-teacher conferences. She braided my hair every morning. Stella taught me how to use a pad when I first got my period. When I brought Ethan to meet her. I desperately wanted her approval. Because in my heart, she had already surpassed even my mom. But now. The person I loved most, the person I cherished most. Both of them had been hiding so much from me. My heart felt like it was being ripped open, and I curled up on the bed, only able to whimper. The confession thread’s popularity soared. The hateful comments grew more and more intense. [Gross. Flirting with your sister’s boyfriend, and acting all innocent here? How disgusting is that?] [My heart goes out to the sister. The two people she loves most, getting together behind her back. It’s suffocating just thinking about it.] [“Can’t control yourself”? Why don’t you just die? And this guy, what a total piece of trash!] Underneath every hateful comment, there was a reply from Ethan. [She’s in more pain than anyone. She hates herself more than anyone. You have no right to judge her.] [Yes, I’m trash, but even as trash, I want to protect her.] [If I had met her first, I would have chosen her.] The latest update on the confession thread was from a minute ago. [You’re right to curse me. I’m disgusting, I’m vile. I’ll stay away from him from now on. I can’t lose my sister.] My phone slipped from my grasp and clattered to the floor. I had been so excited, thinking I’d be home tomorrow. Now, I didn’t know how I could face them. The city lights glowed outside, and I spent a sleepless night. After a painful internal struggle, I still dragged my luggage to the airport. Stella’s message arrived promptly. [Luna, I’ll be waiting for you at the exit.] Ethan’s message came a minute before I boarded. [Luna, be careful on your way. I’ll be waiting for you.] This was the only message since our hasty call last night. Normally, he’d call me half an hour beforehand to wake me up. He’d fuss over me, reminding me not to forget my ID, not to forget my things, not to forget to eat breakfast. Then he’d text me constantly throughout the journey, telling me to be safe. But now, it was just a brief sentence. I didn’t reply. I turned off my phone and closed my eyes. When the plane landed, I saw Stella and Ethan at the exit. Standing two meters apart, one on my left, one on my right. Like strangers. Stella’s eye makeup was heavy; it was almost impossible to tell she’d been crying last night. She was always like that, never showing her vulnerable side. Not even to me. Ethan didn’t rush over excitedly like he used to. He adjusted to what looked like a natural smile and pulled a bouquet of flowers from the trunk. “Luna, welcome back.” When he handed me the flowers. Both Stella and I froze. Because he was holding white roses. Those were Stella’s favorite flowers.

I fought hard to control my expression, to keep myself from breaking down. Stella only liked white roses, and I was the one who told him that. I only liked baby’s breath; he had never gotten it wrong all these years. He finally realized he was holding white roses. His eyes darted nervously for a moment, then he quickly tried to cover it up: “I was in such a rush this morning, I didn’t even notice I grabbed the wrong flowers. I’ll get you a bigger bouquet later.” He said, then instinctively glanced at Stella. Stella didn’t look at him. She walked straight over and took my suitcase. “Come on, I’ll take you to get something good to eat.” Normally, Stella, Ethan, and I would go out and feast on all our favorite foods. But those words from the confession thread kept replaying in my mind. I managed a strained smile: “You two go ahead. I need to go back to the office first.” Ethan stepped forward: “I’ll drive you.” “No need!” I refused without thinking. Perhaps my emotions were too intense. Ethan and Stella furrowed their brows, their eyes filled with confusion. I lowered my head, took my suitcase back from Stella, and steadied my voice: “The company is waiting for my report. I won’t be back until a bit later.” Their brows relaxed, and Stella smiled: “Okay, then I’ll make your favorite dinner tonight.” Ethan curved his lips: “Then call me when you’re done, and I’ll pick you up.” I nodded. Pulling my suitcase, I fled the airport like a phantom and hailed a taxi to the company. Outside the window, familiar streetscapes sped past. I had lived in this city for twenty-five years. Every road held a trace of both of them. Stella would always rip into Ethan over something he said. Each time, Ethan would raise his hands in surrender, muttering, “My bad, my bad.” Then he’d quietly lean into my ear and complain: “Stella is so fierce.” Those days were truly happy. Snapping back to reality, I realized my face was streaked with tears. The taxi driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Ma’am, nothing’s impossible to get over. You gotta look forward in life.” I gave an embarrassed smile. And wiped away the tears from my eyes. I got out at the company building, paid the driver, and took a deep breath, looking up at the office tower. I’d been on a business trip for six months, temporarily assigned to an out-of-state project. Because of my excellent performance, my manager had even wanted to send me to participate in a secret overseas project. I had refused. Because Ethan said he wanted to get married soon. Before my trip, he’d said we’d look at wedding venues when I got back. But now, no need for wedding venues. But this project, I would take it. Walking into the office, the manager was coming out of a meeting room with a stack of documents. He saw me and paused: “Luna? Aren’t you supposed to be back tomorrow?” “Came back early.” I forced a smile: “Manager, that overseas assignment you mentioned earlier, I want to apply for it.” The manager’s eyes lit up: “Really? I tried to convince you for so long, and you wouldn’t budge.” “What, did you change your mind?” Changed my mind? Even now, I still couldn’t believe Stella and Ethan would betray me. But I knew some things didn’t need to be understood. Only accepted. I nodded. The manager grew serious. “This project is highly confidential. You won’t be able to return home or contact your family for the three years you’re overseas. Can you truly accept that?” “Yes, I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning.”

At ten that night, I went downstairs. Ethan was leaning against his car, smoking. Cigarette butts littered the ground. The crimson glow of the cigarette reflected on his face, his brows deeply furrowed. In five years of dating, I’d only seen him smoke twice. The first time was the year we graduated, when his parents forced him to go back to his hometown for development. And I only wanted to stay and be with Stella. Ethan then, just like now, smoked one cigarette after another. In the end, he chose me. And now, what choice was he making? I didn’t want to think about it. Seeing me, he immediately put out his cigarette and walked toward me, taking my suitcase. “Just got back and they’re already making you work late. Your company is so inconsiderate.” I replied, trying to sound normal: “There was a lot to report.” He opened the passenger door, and I bent down to get in. A faint perfume scent wafted into my nose. I stiffened. That scent was Stella’s favorite perfume. I instinctively turned my head, my gaze falling into the seat crevice. A lip balm had fallen there. It was the one I’d given Stella last month. He walked around to the driver’s seat, saw the lip balm in my hand, and paused. The car was silent for two seconds. Then he smiled. “Stella must have left it when she rode in my car today. I’ll take it back to her later.” I stared at the lip balm: “Did Stella often sit in the passenger seat when I was away?” His motion of buckling his seatbelt paused. He turned to look at me, his eyes unreadable. Then he reached out, touched my head, and chuckled softly: “What, are you getting jealous of Stella now?” I didn’t smile. His tone became serious. “You wanted Stella and I to get along, right? So sometimes she rides in my car.” He added at the end: “If you don’t like it, I won’t let her sit there anymore.” I didn’t want to hear anymore, so I closed my eyes: “I’m tired.” He gazed at me for two seconds, then said: “Last night, did you… scroll past anything?” I opened my eyes and looked at him: “Scroll past what?” He was silent for a moment, then gave a light laugh: “Nothing. I just noticed you don’t look well today, your eyes are red.” I closed my eyes again. “I was too excited last night, didn’t sleep a wink.” He started the car, shaking his head resignedly: “Still acting like a kid.” Then he casually turned on the air conditioning. It was two degrees higher than usual. Whenever Stella rode in the car with us, the AC always had to be two degrees higher. Because she got cold easily. When we got home, Stella was already waiting at the door. “Must be starving, right? Hurry and wash your hands, dinner’s ready.” I walked straight inside. The table was filled with all my favorite dishes. I still sat in my usual spot. Stella was on my left, Ethan on my right. Both simultaneously put food on my plate. “Luna, your favorite steak.” “Your favorite chicken wings.” For a moment, I was disoriented, as if I was back in the past. But reality told me. Everything had changed. So many words were stuck in my throat. I wanted to tell them, I saw the confession thread. I wanted to ask them, why did you do this? But the words stayed unspoken. The meal was tasteless. Until Stella raised her glass and looked at me: “Luna, let’s raise a toast.” She tilted her head back and drank. “Welcome home, Luna.” Then, she glanced at Ethan: “You two have been together for so long. I used to be against it, but now I’m not. Pick a date and get married.”

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It was Annie’s birthday, and we were heading to the amusement park. Suddenly, a luxury car sped past us. That instantly enraged my husband, a former racing champion. He slammed on the accelerator, giving chase, completely ignoring that Annie and I hadn’t buckled our seatbelts. I don’t think I’d ever seen him lose control like that, except for the time he lost the Underground Racing Championship to a mysterious racer. Eventually, to avoid a child who darted into the road, he swerved sharply, crashing into a tree. Annie and I died instantly. But as my soul left my body, I saw him get out of the car, immediately embrace the female driver of the luxury car, and kiss her passionately. “She’s dead. Let’s get married!” That woman was my best friend. It turned out the so-called accident was nothing but their meticulously planned murder. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the car, just before we drove off. This time, I buckled Annie’s seatbelt and quickly slipped into the driver’s seat. If they loved racing so much, then I’d show them who the real Underground Racing King was.

Seeing me smiling at him, Johnson’s eyes flickered with a hint of nervousness. He quickly covered it with a doting smile, ruffling my hair. “Honey, I told you I learned to drive so I could be your chauffeur for life. You haven’t touched a car since you got your license, and it’s Annie’s birthday today. How can I possibly let you drive!” If it weren’t for the horrific memory of how he’d killed Annie and me in the previous life just to be with another woman, I might have been touched by him again at that moment. After all, in everyone’s eyes, Johnson loved his wife and daughter most; racing only came in third. Years ago, I’d jokingly said I wanted his desert rally championship trophy as a dowry. He went out, fought a 104-degree fever, and left everyone in the dust in the desert to win that world-class, devilish competition. After crossing the finish line, he was immediately rushed to the ambulance. Before he even fully recovered, he struggled off the hospital bed and onto the podium, proposing to me with the trophy in front of global media. At that moment, I truly felt like the happiest woman in the world. After we married, whenever we went out together, he always insisted on driving, saying it was the only way he could ensure Annie and my safety. It wasn’t until my best friend, Eve, returned from overseas and I introduced them that all his past affection turned into a long-planned scheme! But what he didn’t know was that my delicate wife persona was also an act. Before I met him, I was the undisputed Masked Racer, the queen of the underground racing world. Because racing was dangerous, not even my closest friends knew about my glory. For his ego, I reined in my true nature in front of him, becoming a champion’s wife who seemed to only care about being a dedicated wife and mother. But starting today, I wouldn’t spare him an ounce of dignity! I instinctively dodged his hand, my expression still firm. “You trained too late last night. I was worried you’d be tired.” Annie also played along perfectly, clapping her little hands in the back. “I’ve never ridden in a car Mom drove! It’s my birthday today, so let me experience it!” A cold sweat broke out on Johnson’s forehead. He instinctively looked back in the direction where Eve’s car had appeared in the previous life. Clearly, it was almost time for her grand entrance, and he was afraid of messing up his plan. He sighed, giving in, and sat in the passenger seat. He was so busy sending messages on his phone that he didn’t even bother with his seatbelt, his mind solely focused on informing that bitch. Unfortunately, he was still a step too slow. I glanced at the pink luxury car suddenly appearing in the rearview mirror, a cold smirk playing on my lips. So, you love racing? This time, I’ll give you a real show!

The pink car flashed past, and the gust of wind it created actually made our car sway. Johnson panicked, fumbling to buckle his seatbelt. “Karen, your driving isn’t good enough, don’t try to be like that car just now…” But before he could finish, I imitated his actions from the previous life, my face serious, the accelerator floored. “Johnson, don’t worry, I won’t let any car get ahead of you, the champion! The media all recognize your car. If you’re photographed, your future will be ruined!” As I sped off, the car lurched violently, and he couldn’t get his seatbelt buckle to click. Eve, unaware it was me driving, was still aggressively swerving in front of my car. Johnson, terrified, had to grab the door handle. Guilty but daring not to speak harshly, he tried to sound patiently persuasive. “Karen, it’s your first time driving in ages. Don’t get into a road rage with someone like this! If your license gets revoked, you really won’t be able to drive again!” Remembering how Annie and I had cried and pleaded in the previous life, only for him to ignore us, I gave a cold laugh. “You’ll be driving anyway from now on. Even if my license gets revoked today, I won’t let you lose!” Annie, securely buckled in, sat steadily and even clapped excitedly, cheering. “Mommy is amazing! Faster than Daddy! So exciting!” Seeing that I wasn’t slowing down, and even tried to accelerate into the pink car a few times, Johnson’s eyes were filled with worry for Eve. Finally, he couldn’t keep up the act any longer and roared. “Karen, are you insane? Annie is in the car! Even if you don’t care about me, think about her!” But I had cried just like that, clutching his arm until my voice was hoarse. He had coldly shaken me off, his eyes only showing the grim determination to get rid of us. “I’ve been good enough to you two. Today, can you really bear to see me get overtaken by another car and become a laughingstock?” Even when we crashed into the tree, Annie and I bled out on the spot, and he didn’t spare us a second glance. Instead, he took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood I’d splattered on his designer clothes, his eyes full of disgust. “Even when you’re dying, you still have to dirty the custom-made suit Eve gave me. You really deserve to die!” Only then did I realize that my month-long trip abroad with Annie, where I’d asked him to help take care of Eve, who had just returned, had become a hotbed for their affair. Well, today was the day to settle scores! With a scream from Johnson, I squeezed through an impossible gap, shot past the pink car, And lightly tapped her front wheel, performing a perfect pit maneuver. Her car instantly lost control, spun several times, and crashed into a tree. Though Johnson was also injured, he couldn’t bother to hide his feelings anymore. Before our car even fully stopped, he flung open the door and rushed out, heading straight to the pink car to check on Eve. Seeing that she only had a scratch on her forehead, he hugged her protectively in front of the onlookers, then glared at me. “Karen, if anything happens to Eve, I swear I’ll kill you!”

Everyone quickly recognized the popular, multi-championship winner and began whispering. “Didn’t the pink car cut off Mr. Johnson’s car first? Why is he comforting the one who caused the accident?” Hearing the murmurs, Johnson realized he’d lost his composure. Afraid of damaging his image and plan, he carefully placed Eve on a roadside bench. He even thoughtfully took off his jacket and placed it on the bench before letting her sit. “You’re hurt, and the bench is cold. You might catch a cold.” Then he turned to me, his gaze icy. “You drove recklessly and startled Eve, which caused her to swerve into your car in a panic. You were wrong first. Apologize to her immediately!” I was about to protest, but the people around us suddenly looked enlightened, glaring at me with contempt. “So she’s just relying on her status as the champion’s wife to drive like a maniac and provoke people!” “No wonder Mr. Johnson always drives. He’s truly spoiled her rotten, making her think the road is her own living room!” “She ruined such a beautiful car. Hurry up and apologize to Miss Eve!” I shook my head, speechless. “She maliciously cut me off first. Why should I apologize?” Eve’s eyes instantly reddened. She pulled at Johnson’s angry arm. “Johnson, Karen only crashed into me because she saw you were too concerned about me. Don’t blame her!” Then she tugged at my hand. “Karen, you misunderstood. He was just taking care of me as you asked him to…” I coldly shook her hand off. “Taking care of you to the point of giving you cars, houses, and even our child?” Eve froze, speechless, tears welling up in her eyes. A flicker of unease crossed Johnson’s face too, But the sight of Eve’s tears filled him with distress. Mindful of the many eyes watching, he suppressed his anger and frowned at me. “Considering it’s your first time driving in a while, get down on your knees and apologize to Eve. Take full responsibility, and this matter will be over.” I laughed, enraged. “Me, kneel? I might have sped up, but it didn’t affect her driving. She deliberately cut me off, endangering my family’s safety!” Several witnesses also stepped forward to speak fairly. “Mr. Johnson, are you mistaken? Eve was driving fast, but within traffic rules. It was this pink car that maliciously cut off your car while speeding. She’s the one at fault!” Seeing everyone’s accusations turn towards her, Eve put on a tearful, wronged expression. “I understand. Just because I’m not the champion’s wife, I’m being ganged up on. I don’t blame anyone, only myself for not having a name or status…” Johnson couldn’t bear to see her like that. Ignoring the paparazzi’s flashing cameras, he raised his hand and slapped me across the face. “Karen, do you have any humanity left?! You constantly told me to take care of her, yet you didn’t hesitate to put her in danger! How can a hypocritical bitch like you be worthy of being my champion’s wife! Get down on your knees and apologize, or I don’t mind finding a new one!” Annie, seeing her father so angry for the first time, burst into tears. “That bad lady bullied our car! Why should we apologize?” Johnson actually kicked Annie, knocking her down. “And you! How dare you be rude to Eve in public, you ill-mannered brat!” My anger flared. I pushed him away, picked up Annie, and glared fiercely at the wretched pair. “If I hadn’t crashed into her, it would have been Annie and me hitting that tree! If I hadn’t been driving today, your wife would probably be someone else by tonight, wouldn’t she?” “You think when I told you to take care of her, I meant sleeping with her and buying her this luxury car to take my daughter’s and my life?!” Johnson’s eyes widened. Only then did he realize I’d seen through their little scheme. He was about to argue when police sirens blared. Seeing the police begin to investigate the scene, Johnson immediately stepped forward to report. “I can confirm, Karen drove recklessly first, which angered Eve and caused her to cut off her car! If you’re going to arrest someone, arrest this ungrateful woman first!”

After reviewing the dashcam footage, the police frowned and gave their assessment. “The video shows your car had no issues; it was clearly the pink car that cut you off first. They are fully responsible for…” Seeing Eve about to be held fully responsible, Johnson immediately raised his hand, cutting the officer off. “No need to say more. Both cars are mine. Eve is magnanimous; she won’t pursue the matter.” Eve’s eyes were full of resentment. She was about to argue, but Johnson gave her a look, and she bit her tongue. I didn’t want to get tangled up anymore. To avoid being targeted by their schemes again, I immediately took Annie home, packed our things, and filed for divorce. But just as we got into a taxi, barely two blocks away, a car suddenly sped towards us. I instinctively shielded Annie in my arms. After a violent collision, I completely lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was bruised and battered, lying in the outskirts of the city. The blinding race lights made it hard to open my eyes. Annie was tied in the passenger seat of the badly wrecked pink car, crying hysterically. “Mommy, save me!” Johnson, dressed in a racing suit, his arm around Eve, who was in a hot outfit, gestured at me with his chin. “I always thought you’d become useless after staying home for so long, but you’re surprisingly clever! Since you know our intentions, I’ll give you a chance to save yourselves today.” “As long as you win against me in this car, I might let you continue being my wife, giving you and Annie three thousand a month to barely survive. If you lose…” He patted the pink car, whose bumper was held on with duct tape. “Then you two are on your own!” I gave a bitter smile. So, his downplaying the accident in front of the police was to complete his unfinished plan— To drag me to this underground racetrack and make us disappear this way. After all, in his arrogant mind, Even if I had managed to stop Eve earlier, I was just a reckless amateur who got lucky. And with a wrecked car that had just been in an accident, tonight would surely be our end. Then he could portray me as an irresponsible mother who took her child street racing, making us bear the blame even in death! The others also chimed in, jeering. “A useless woman who can’t even drive, how could she be worthy of Brother Johnson! Just die gracefully and make way for his true love!” “He’s giving you a respectable way to die, but you have to act tough and even scare Eve. You don’t deserve it!” “Pants are wet now, aren’t they? Hurry up and kneel down to Eve and apologize!” Everyone burst into laughter, certain I would break down crying and beg for mercy. Eve even leaned in, provocatively stroking my face. “Karen, don’t blame Johnson for falling for me. After all, I’m a professional racer from overseas! We are on the same wavelength. How could a useless homemaker like you understand?” “This pink car as your coffin is quite a blessing. After all, the baby in my belly was conceived right in this car…” I was furious. I spat at her fiercely. Eve couldn’t dodge in time and jumped back in disgust. Johnson immediately slapped me hard. “I thought if you showed some humility and apologized, I might even give you a different car, a more dignified death. But you spat on my kindness. Dying in this car is too good for you! I warn you, if you dare refuse, my boys are itching for a good time! If we ‘handle’ you here, record it, and post it online, I’ll have even more reason to kick you out. By then, your reputation will be ruined, and your child won’t be able to hold her head high. That’s truly worse than death!” Seeing that he was afraid I would refuse, I gave a cold laugh and staggered towards the battered pink car. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s start!” The scoundrels burst into laughter. “Look at her acting all tough. Thinks she’s the Masked Racer!” Johnson also gave a dismissive smile, pulled out a document, and threw it at me. “Sign this first. It proves you’re voluntarily participating in this race, and we’re not responsible for any life-threatening injuries!” I gave a cold smile. “Fine, but on one condition: you sign one too.” He sneered, picking up a pen and signing his name immediately. After all, in his eyes, I was the one destined to die tonight. He then had Eve sit in the passenger seat and raised an eyebrow at me. “As husband and wife, I’ll send you and Annie off on your final journey!” A hot girl walked in front of the two cars, took off her small jacket, spun it, whistled, and tossed it into the air. The instant the jacket hit the ground, Johnson shot off like an arrow from a bow. Eve even smugly stuck her hand out the passenger window, giving me the middle finger as I remained motionless. Everyone mocked and laughed. “That useless woman isn’t scared stiff, is she? Can’t even find the accelerator? How embarrassing!” But I wasn’t in a hurry at all. I slowly shifted into neutral, stomped on the accelerator, then released… As a rhythmic roar filled the air, the smiles vanished from everyone’s faces, and a terrifying memory simultaneously flooded their minds. “Isn’t that… the Masked Racer’s habit before starting a race?” No sooner had the words left their mouths than my car shot forward at a speed they couldn’t comprehend. All they could see was a blurry afterimage…

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The night before the wedding, Lucas Miller’s father, Carter, and his mother, Mary, caught my husband, Lucas, in the act. When I arrived, Lucas was pinned to the ground by Carter and Mary, beaten and covered in blood. Seeing me, Lucas dropped to his knees in front of me. “I couldn’t control myself, I betrayed you!” “I’m willing to cancel the wedding tomorrow and divorce you.” “I just beg you not to blow this up…” I glared angrily at the man I had loved for five years, about to speak. Suddenly, a series of bullet comments popped up before my eyes. [Don’t listen to him! He won $300 million in the lottery yesterday!] [That $300 million is community property, half of it is yours!] [If you divorce, you won’t get a single dime!] Half of $300 million! I reached out and helped Lucas up from the ground. With a pang of fake heartache, I wiped the blood from his face. “I love you so much, how could I possibly divorce you?” Lucas stared at me, stunned. A flicker of disbelief crossed his eyes. After all, I’m not one to tolerate even a speck of dirt. Last time, he just gave a drunk female colleague a ride home. After I found out, I argued with him for a whole week. In the end, I still felt so stifled I wanted a divorce. Mary cried and begged me, and Carter kept promising that Lucas would never do it again. That’s how I reluctantly gave him another chance. This time, I caught him red-handed. According to my usual personality, I would have divorced him without hesitation. But now, I was forgiving him… Seeing this, Carter and Mary immediately rushed towards Lucas. Mary slapped Lucas hard across the face and burst into wails. “You heartless man!” “How could you do something so despicable again!” “That time you cheated on Fiona with that colleague,” “Carter and I went against our consciences begging Fiona to give you another chance.” “What did you promise us back then?!” “Why can’t you keep it in your pants and mess around outside!” Hearing Mary’s words, my heart ached. I instinctively let go of Lucas’s hand. So he had betrayed me even that time! But he had sworn to God that he and Mia were just colleagues. He had sworn that he would only ever love me… My lips trembled with pain, about to speak. Lucas knelt down again. “Fiona, I’m an asshole! I’m sorry!” “Not only did I cheat with Mia, but I also have a child with her.” A child! I stared at him, stunned, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. Lucas and I had been lovingly together for five years. The man who would call my name in his sleep. Not only did he cheat on me with another woman. He even had a child! I stepped back two paces, the words “divorce him” on the tip of my tongue. The bullet comments scrolled again. [Don’t be impulsive! That child is Mia’s with another man.] [You can ditch the man, but you can’t ditch hundreds of millions!] [Lucas has 58 days left to cash in his lottery ticket.] [For these 58 days, the protagonist just has to put up with a disgusting situation.] I took a deep breath. Forcing myself to squeeze out a smile at Lucas. “Honey, your child is my child.” “If you and Mia don’t mind, I’ll raise this child.” Lucas’s face went pale. He jumped up from the floor as if he’d seen a ghost. He grabbed his clothes, threw them on, and ran out in a panic.

Carter and Mary stared at me, horrified, and quickly chased after him. Watching their retreating backs, I let out a mocking laugh. … The next day, I didn’t receive any notification from Lucas about canceling the wedding. Nor did Lucas’s bridal party arrive. I stared at myself in the mirror, fully made up and wearing a wedding dress. My nose stung. “Fiona, don’t be sad.” “You’re marrying money, not this scumbag Lucas!” So, I took my marriage certificate and drove to the hotel myself. But I still didn’t see Lucas. Even Carter and Mary didn’t show up. I wasn’t angry, nor did I cry. I followed the Emcee, step by step, through the ceremony. The guests below whispered and gossiped. “What’s going on? Why hasn’t the groom shown up?” “Did he get cold feet and not want to marry Fiona after all?!” “Fiona was the one who pursued Lucas, so it’s normal for him to have regrets, right?” “What are the Miller family relatives saying?” “Back then, Lucas’s family was struggling so much. If it weren’t for our Fiona, he wouldn’t be where he is today?” I stared at the relatives from both families arguing below. Scenes from back then instantly flashed through my mind. Many girls liked Lucas back then. But he was aloof, distant, and kept everyone at arm’s length. No one dared to directly confess to him. The only time I dared to approach him was when I was drunk. I chased him for several blocks. “Lucas, we’re in our junior year. If we don’t start dating now, we’ll be old before we know it.” “Lucas, I’m different from them.” “It’s not just your looks I like.” “Lucas, are you not dating because you don’t have money?” “I’m easy to support… I have a lot of money.” After that day, Lucas suddenly vanished from my life. The year before graduation, Lucas’s dad suddenly broke his leg. It needed a lot of money for surgery. Lucas found me for the first time, and spoke up himself. “Fiona, aren’t you rich?” “If you help pay for my dad’s treatment, I’ll be your boyfriend.” At that time, I joyfully put in money and effort to help Lucas through his difficulties. After graduation, I begged my dad to help Lucas invest. From nothing, he built up the small company he has today. Although not extremely wealthy, we were comfortably well-off. I always thought Lucas and I were partners who’d been through thick and thin, with deep feelings. But I never expected that the most important thing in his heart was only money! I snapped back to reality, and took the Emcee’s microphone with a bitter smile. My voice trembled slightly. “Lucas drank too much yesterday and hasn’t woken up yet.” “I asked Carter and Mary to stay home and take care of him.” I looked at the hundreds of guests present and pulled out my marriage certificate. “Lucas and I got our marriage license a year ago.” “Today’s wedding is just to celebrate.” “Please eat and drink well, I thank you all on behalf of the Miller family!” After that, I returned the microphone to the Emcee and left the wedding venue. Half an hour later, I stopped at Carter and Mary’s house, carrying a bag of supplements I’d bought for Lucas. I entered the electronic lock password as usual, but it told me the password was incorrect. I stared at the red electronic lock screen, laughing mockingly. Just as I was about to try another password, the bullet comments appeared again. [The password is 135790] [Lucas and his family are currently figuring out how to force you to divorce him.] [Go in quickly and give them a surprise.] I immediately entered the new password. The lock clicked open.

I pushed the door open quietly, and Mary’s voice immediately reached my ears. “Fiona is truly shameless.” “We didn’t even go to the wedding.” “She actually went through the whole ceremony by herself.” “Last time you took Mia home and she found out, she wanted a divorce.” “Yesterday we said such terrible things, and she still didn’t react.” Mary suddenly lowered her voice. “Could she possibly know about your lottery win?” Carter immediately interrupted Mary. “Absolutely not!” “I think she just can’t bear to leave Lucas.” “After all, she’s almost thirty. If she really divorces him,” “She won’t find another good man like Lucas.” Mary nodded. “Our Lucas, he’s a gem you’d be lucky to find.” I twisted my lips in disgust, about to speak. Lucas, who was leaning on the sofa, suddenly sat up straight. He stared at Carter and Mary with a sinister gaze. “If she still won’t divorce, then…” He leaned closer to Carter and Mary, lowering his voice. But fragmented words still reached my ears. He said: “Then let’s make Fiona the one at fault, so she gets nothing in the divorce!” The one at fault, and gets nothing? He’s dirty himself, and he wants to throw mud at me? No way! I deliberately cleared my throat. All three of them looked at me in horror. Mary shrieked, “How did you get in?!” “I clearly changed…” Carter forcefully pushed Mary. Mary immediately put on a vicious expression. She was about to speak. I immediately interrupted. “You didn’t go to the wedding today because you must have been too tired yesterday.” “I don’t blame you.” “I already showed everyone the marriage certificate.” “Even if Lucas wasn’t there, everyone knows we’re legally married.” Legally married. That means community property, half for each. Lucas’s face instantly darkened. He frowned at me. I didn’t give him a chance to speak. I shoved the supplements into his arms. “Lucas, these are supplements I bought for you all.” “You’ll have plenty of *effort* to expend going forward, so you’ll need to keep your strength up.” Lucas stared at the box of supplements, his temple visibly pulsed a few times. “Fiona, what do you mean?” I suppressed my disgust and intimately linked my arm through Lucas’s. “Lucas, I’ve thought it over.” “No matter what you do to me, I won’t ever bring up divorce.” “I’m almost thirty, and if I divorce you, I definitely won’t find a man as good as you.” “Before, I was young and impulsive.” “From now on, you can do whatever you want, I won’t interfere.” Lucas’s face turned white, and he angrily pushed me away. The bullet comments scrolled wildly. [Fiona is amazing!] [Lucas is panicking. He’ll go cash in the lottery ticket in the next few days.] [Once the prize money is in hand, the protagonist will immediately file for divorce!] [Don’t give him an inch!] For the next week, Lucas didn’t show his face. But Carter and Mary clung to me like demons. Even when I took a shower, Mary would stand guard outside the bathroom door, afraid I would disappear. Until the eighth night, my room door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. I opened my eyes in horror and switched on the light.

I saw a big, corpulent man staring at me with a lecherous grin. I shrieked in terror, frantically grabbing a pillow and throwing it at the man. The man was unfazed and chuckled suggestively. “Don’t panic. I’m Lucas’s friend.” “He said you’re scared of the dark at night, and asked me to keep you company.” “I’m very gentle.” Lucas! That scumbag! To make me leave with nothing, he actually did something so sick and twisted! I clenched my fists, forcing myself to calm down. The bullet comments appeared again. [Lucas has already cashed in the prize money.] [As soon as this creepy man succeeds, Lucas will rush in to take evidence and make you leave with nothing!] [Fiona must leave here immediately and find a lawyer to divorce him!] Leave! Find a lawyer to divorce him! I repeated these two sentences over and over. Looking up, the man was already by the bed. He tore off my blanket and sat down next to me. “Beautiful, I’m here!” I stared in horror at the man lunging at me, grabbed the vase from the bedside table, and smashed it hard on his head. He cried out in pain, clutching his head and falling to the floor. I seized the opportunity to jump out of bed, and kicked him hard in the groin. A more agonizing scream filled the entire bedroom. I cowered in the farthest corner, trembling with fear. Terrified tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. The bedroom door was suddenly thrown open. Carter, Mary, and Lucas stood at the doorway, each holding a phone, their faces excited. But when they saw the man lying on the ground, covered in blood, they all froze. Lucas was the first to react. He rushed forward, quickly playing the victim. “Fiona, you’re so shameless!” “You’re bringing other men into our home!” “What exactly did I not provide you with,” “that you’re playing such perverted games with another man!” Mary snapped back to reality, pressing the camera button repeatedly. “You shameless bitch, you’re cuckolding our Lucas!” “I’m going to make Lucas divorce you!” “I’m going to make you leave with nothing!” Carter chimed in. “That’s right! Leave with nothing! You won’t get a single dime!” I stared at Carter, Mary, and Lucas, trembling all over. For the past five years, I had treated them like family, giving them my whole heart. What I got in return was their cold indifference today. My body shaking, I painfully moved to stand in front of Lucas. I raised my hand and slapped Lucas across the face. “Lucas, *you’re* the one who should leave with nothing!” Lucas stared at me, bewildered. It took him a while to react. The next second, his palm landed on my face. “Make me leave with nothing? In your dreams!” He held up his phone. “Even though I didn’t capture the most ‘exciting’ moments.” “But a man and a woman alone in a room, everyone knows what that means.” “This video alone is enough to prove you cheated!”

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Just as I lay down on my bed, my best friend’s call came through: “Ethan, where the heck are you? The wedding’s about to start! Why aren’t you here yet?” I was stunned. “What wedding?” Liam sounded furious. “Yours and Chloe’s wedding, of course!” I thought he was joking, but then he turned the camera to the wedding venue. In the city’s premier hotel ballroom, my parents and a host of relatives and friends were all seated. The welcome sign at the entrance clearly read: 【Ethan Miller & Chloe’s Wedding Ceremony!】 My scalp instantly prickled. Chloe? Wasn’t she the goddess I’d secretly adored for years? She was the city’s wealthiest CEO, and I was just a guy barely scraping by on minimum wage. I hadn’t seen her since high school graduation; I didn’t even have her SnapChat. Get married? Get married to whom? But Liam was so insistent, everyone was urging me to hurry to the wedding. To find out what was going on, I rushed to the hotel. But the moment I stepped out, I was hit by a runaway truck and died on the spot. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the moment Liam called me.

When I opened my eyes again, I was drenched in cold sweat. The pain of being hit by the truck in my past life still lingered. Even as I died, I couldn’t understand why everyone was saying today was my wedding to Chloe. I quickly searched: “Chloe wedding.” But there wasn’t a single piece of information about her dating or getting married! My contacts, my chat history, even my Ins and photo gallery— there was no information about her anywhere! My phone vibrated frantically. Liam’s anxious voice came through: “Ethan, the wedding’s about to start, where are you?” “Everyone’s getting impatient, hurry up, you need to make your entrance!” His voice was full of frantic urgency, but I felt ice-cold all over. I, stone-faced, sent him screenshots of the information I’d gathered: “Liam, there’s a limit to jokes! Chloe and I have zero connection. What wedding are you talking about?” Liam paused, then immediately turned his phone to the grand ballroom. Chloe, in a flowing white gown, and a crowd of guests appeared before my eyes. “Dude, are you okay? You already signed the papers, and you’re saying you’re not married?” “The ceremony’s about to begin! Why are you using some ancient news from a burner account to pretend you’re single? What’s your deal?” “Stop stalling! Everyone’s waiting for you to make your entrance!” The groomsmen also crowded around: “Ethan, where did you go? You just disappeared, we’ve been looking everywhere!” “Chloe proposed to you 99 times! This wedding alone cost millions! What more could you possibly want?” Chloe proposed to me 99 times? What a joke! She was known as the Ice Queen, untouchable and aloof. What pull do I have with a multi-billionaire tech CEO like her? Chloe’s clear, cool voice suddenly cut in: “Did you find Ethan? Is his phone connected?” “No, not yet…” Liam quickly covered his phone, answering guiltily. Chloe’s eyes darkened. She turned and coldly instructed her bodyguards: “Check the hotel surveillance. Find Ethan immediately!” Seeing this, Liam immediately lowered his voice and warned me: “You moron, did you hear that? Chloe’s been looking for you all morning!” “Stop messing around and get out here! No matter how much she spoils you, you’re leaving everyone hanging here today. Where’s her dignity in that?” “If you don’t come soon, I can’t cover for you anymore!” As he spoke, he raised his phone again. My parents stood anxiously by the door, looking around, and guests were buzzing with chatter.

Chloe’s expression grew colder by the minute. Everyone’s anxious, worried faces didn’t look fake at all. But in my last life, I believed them and died on the road. Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but clench my fists: “Liam, I’ve never even dated Chloe, let alone married her!” “Joking around with AI videos, I’m genuinely getting angry!” Liam froze, then laughed in exasperation: “AI? Ethan, are you out of your mind? Look closely, is that AI?” “Get this straight, today is *your* wedding, not mine! Whether you want to get married or not, I’m done dealing with it!” With that, he angrily sent me a screenshot and then hung up. I was dumbfounded. In the screenshot, I had officially announced my marriage! And on that marriage certificate, my and Chloe’s photos were clearly visible! I looked at it several times; there were no signs of Photoshop or AI manipulation. But I had never posted a marriage certificate, nor had I seen this post on Ins before! My mind was a mess. Liam and I have been best friends since childhood. He always stutters when he lies. But his rant just now clearly wasn’t an act. And my parents had no reason to conspire with them to trick me. If all of this was real, why did I have no memory of dating Chloe? Why was everyone insisting today was my wedding to Chloe? Just then, I suddenly remembered someone. My Aunt Carol works at the marriage registry. If the marriage certificate was fake, she’d definitely find out! I immediately sent her the marriage certificate: “Aunt Carol, I need to ask you something! Is this marriage certificate real?” Aunt Carol immediately snapped in anger: “You little rascal, trying to fool me with a fake certificate? You’re doing this on purpose to annoy me!” “I introduced you to so many potential partners, and you didn’t like any of them! Now you’re trying to wind me up!” Hearing Aunt Carol’s familiar grumbling, the knot in my stomach finally loosened a bit. “So, this certificate is fake?” “Of course it is!” Aunt Carol shoved her computer screen right in front of the camera. “Look at the system yourself. Does it say ‘married’ anywhere in your marital status?” “The registrant’s name on there is mine! If you were getting married here, wouldn’t I know?” I stared intently at the screen. Sure enough, it said ‘single.’ Aunt Carol’s colleague also leaned over, joking: “Honestly, it’s a pretty good fake!” “Ethan, your aunt has been worrying herself sick about your marriage, don’t mess with her like this! Hurry up and find someone to marry, your aunt will personally register you!” Listening to their familiar chatter, I let out a long breath. Yes, my aunt had always doted on me since I was little; there’s no way she wouldn’t attend my wedding if I were truly getting married. The official government system even showed I was single, so I definitely wasn’t married! But the next second, a SnapChat group called “Operation Wedding” exploded on my phone. Countless people were furiously @-ing me: “Ethan, where the hell are you? The MC has called for you a dozen times, why aren’t you making your entrance?” “Hurry up! If you don’t start soon, the guests will riot!” My head buzzed. When did this group appear? I have no memory of it at all! Just then, a voice message popped up: “Ethan Miller, are you getting married or not?” It was Chloe. Her tone was clearly tinged with anger. My parents also sent voice messages: “Ethan, what are you doing? Marriage is a serious matter, why are you disappearing now?” “Hurry up and come in! Everyone’s waiting! Chloe has been looking for you everywhere. Don’t mess around at a time like this, hurry up, if you don’t come, we’re going to get angry!”

I was instantly infuriated, and I directly sent them the video recording of my call with Aunt Carol. “Mom, Dad, what’s going on with you? Why are you all in on this trick?” “I’m not married at all! Why are you playing such a joke? This isn’t funny!” I thought they’d back down, but then my mom’s scolding voice came through. “Carol, what are you doing! My son is acting up, but are you losing your mind too? Is this really something to joke about?” Aunt Carol’s pleading voice followed: “Oh, Honey, I’m sorry!” “I thought Ethan was having cold feet, so I just wanted to tease him! How was I supposed to know he’d hide and skip his own wedding!” “Ethan, your aunt was wrong! You really are married! I processed your marriage certificate myself! Hurry up and come in, Aunt Carol has been waiting for ages to celebrate your wedding!” I widened my eyes in disbelief. Didn’t Aunt Carol work at the civil affairs bureau? How could she be at the wedding venue? I quickly video called Aunt Carol. But Aunt Carol was sitting primly at the marriage registry, looking impatient: “You kid, I’m busy right now! Why are you calling again?” I instantly felt a chill run through me. What was going on? How could there be two Aunt Carols at once? But neither of them seemed fake. Which one was real? I felt like my head was going to explode. Trembling, I sent the call history into the group chat. “I’m not married at all! What exactly are you trying to do?” The previously buzzing group chat suddenly fell silent. Then, Chloe sent a voice message: “Ethan Miller, what are you trying to prove by constantly sending AI images?” “My patience has limits. I’m giving you five more minutes. If you don’t show up, you’ll face the consequences…” Hearing that, I stiffened. Chloe, the city’s ultimate power player, who dared to cross her? But would someone like her play along with a nobody like me? This wedding was incredibly lavish and dreamy. Just the imported peonies alone, flown in from overseas and worthy of a royal wedding, cost over a million dollars. Who would spend such a fortune on a prank? The group was still buzzing with urgent messages, and my phone kept ringing. My emotional defenses slowly crumbled; I desperately wanted to rush to the venue to confirm. But the fear of being hit by the truck in my past life once again choked me. No! I couldn’t gamble. Just then, my phone rang urgently: Chloe! My pupils constricted instantly, and I almost dropped my phone. Impossible! I had searched countless times just now; Chloe’s name wasn’t in my contacts at all! Why was her name appearing on my phone now?! My heart pounded wildly. Trembling, I pressed the answer button. Chloe appeared on the screen, her face a mask of frost: “Ethan Miller, time’s up. Are you… still not coming?” A strange pang of sadness hit me, and I cautiously began: “Ms…. Ms. Chloe, we’re not… not married, are we?” As my words fell, her eyelashes trembled violently for a few seconds on the video call. She let out a bitter, sarcastic laugh. “Ethan Miller, you really outdid yourself!” “We’ve been together for three years. I thought if I loved you unconditionally and fulfilled your every need, I could win you over…” “But now, it seems I was wrong…” Seeing her forlorn expression, I almost reflexively denied it: “No, it’s not like that…” Marry her? I’ve dreamed of it! I’ve had a crush on her since high school. All these years, I hadn’t dated anyone because my heart was always set on her!

But logic told me that this was all fake. How could an ordinary man like me make the ‘Ice Queen’ burn with passion? Moreover, in my previous life, I died tragically at that intersection; I couldn’t gamble with my life! I took a deep breath and looked at her with a mix of seriousness and complexity: “Ms. Chloe… we really aren’t married! Please stop messing with me… okay?” Hearing this, the warmth in Chloe’s eyes slowly froze. She gave a desolate smile, nodded, and then simply hung up. Before I could react, my parents’ call immediately came in: “Ethan Miller, are you insane? A wife like Chloe, you wouldn’t find even if you searched with a flashlight, and you’re letting her go!” “Why are you so willful? You always took her love for granted when you were dating, constantly making her prove how much she loved you. Now that you’re married, you’re still acting up like this? What exactly do you want?” I was so anxious, I almost cried. “Mom, Dad, what’s wrong with you? I’m not married to Chloe, I…” My parents immediately erupted in anger, delivering harsh threats: “Still playing dumb!” “Let me tell you, Ethan Miller, if you don’t show up, we won’t acknowledge you as our son!” The call was immediately cut off. When I tried to call back, the number was disconnected. I was on the verge of a breakdown. Suddenly remembering the hotel’s name, I immediately called them. “Excuse me, is Chloe and Ethan Miller’s wedding being held at your hotel today?” The voice on the other end was decisive: “I’m sorry, we don’t have any wedding banquets today. Are you looking to book one?” The knot in my stomach finally loosened. See? They were indeed lying to me! It must be Chloe who had bought everyone off, deliberately playing a cruel trick on me! Only she would have such immense power to make everyone listen to her. But what was her motive? Before I could figure it out, Liam suddenly sent me a link. I instinctively clicked it open, and the sight that greeted me made my vision go black! It was Chloe standing at the ballroom entrance! Her eyes were bloodshot as she publicly announced the cancellation of her wedding to me. Countless reporters swarmed her, their cameras flashing wildly. News of me ditching my wedding flooded the internet. Everyone was calling me an arrogant jerk, ungrateful, saying I turned down the city’s wealthiest CEO. My parents and Liam were frantic, sweating profusely, constantly trying to dissuade her: “Chloe, Chloe, please wait a little longer, okay?” “Ethan isn’t someone who’d be so inconsiderate, he must have run into something. Can we please wait a little longer?” “I’ll go find him myself right now, I’ll drag him back and make him explain, okay?” Aunt Carol eagerly chimed in from the side: “Yes, Chloe, Ethan definitely didn’t do this on purpose!” “You don’t know, Ethan might be willful around you, but he’s always liked you! He’s acting up because he feels you’re too amazing, he feels insecure, like he’s not good enough for you!” “That kid, Ethan, has liked you since high school, he dreams of being with you! He cried with joy the day you got your marriage certificate. How could he intentionally not show up for such an important occasion as his wedding?” Chloe, her eyes bloodshot, let out a low laugh. “Not on purpose?” “Three years ago, the moment I met him, I swore I wouldn’t miss him again.” “To be with him, I gave my whole heart. This wedding has been planned for a year. I thought he was as excited as I was, but it seems it was all just my own self-delusion…” “He’s been treating me like an idiot, trampling my dignity into the dirt!”

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