Author: Momo Chan

My name is Eliot Gideon. I’ve just finished dinner with my childhood friend Silas Vance. But when I’m about to leave, a stranger blocks my path, insisting I pay his table’s bill. I refuse. I don’t know him, after all. But that refusal angers him. “Fuck you, punk! You should be grateful I even let you pay! In Valecrest, no one snubs Lund Group and walks away.” Before I can answer, he escalates. “Know who I am? Asher Hale. My wife, Coral Lund, runs Lund Group. Still feeling brave?” I stare at him for a second, processing the absurdity, then dial Coral. “So… you have another husband at the office?” The moment I hang up, Asher explodes. He snatches my phone and smashes it to the ground. “Calling for help? You really think you’re leaving in one piece?” “Stop!” Silas steps in front of me, shielding me. “This is Lund Group’s manners? Accosting strangers for money, then laying hands on them?” Asher’s face flushes crimson. “Manners? In Valecrest, the name Lund Group is manners!” “I was doing you a favor to let you pay, get it?” “You wanna talk about rules? My word is the rule!” I laugh, glancing toward Asher. “Even Lund Group doesn’t teach highway robbery, does it?” Asher snorts and slams a boot on the chair, like some cheap gangster. “I’m basically offering you a chance to climb the social ladder higher, idiot. People beg to buy me drinks. I just turn most of them down.” Climb the ladder, he says. Since when does the Gideon Family need to grovel to anyone in Valecrest? I glance at Silas. His face is storm-dark. The richest heir of Havenport, capital of the country, never imagined a petty Lund Group could humiliate him on Valecrest soil. Asher sneers and waves toward the door. “Let me get one thing straight: in Valecrest, I, Asher Hale, am the law. Pin these fuckers down!” The instant the words leave his mouth, seven or eight black-suited bodyguards flood in, circling us like wolves. Silas yanks me back, his fists tightening. But they’re too many. Before he can swing, two guards pin his arms. “Silas!” I lunge, only to feel a blow to the back of my neck. My vision blacks out. Through the haze, I hear Silas snarl, “Bastard!” Then a fist cracks against his cheek. Blood trickles from the corner of his mouth. They force me to the ground. Helpless, I watch Asher drive his boot into Silas’s stomach, cursing all the while. “Stick your nose in my business? Today you’ll learn Lund Group is untouchable!” Their fists pummel him like sledgehammers. Silas came here for fun, not this senseless brawl. I rasp out. “Asher Hale, I’m Coral’s lawfully wedded husband, Eliot Gideon!” I jerk my chin toward Silas. He’s still pinned. “That’s Silas Vance from Havenport! Let us go now, and I’ll let this slide!” Asher’s foot freezes mid-kick; then he bursts out laughing. “Coral’s husband? A Vance? You two must’ve lost your minds.” The table behind him roars with laughter. “Everyone knows Ms. Lund’s husband is Deputy Hale.” “Man, the lies people tell when they’re desperate.” “Vance Family? Havenport? Never heard of it, must’ve pulled the name out of thin air.” Asher crouches, seizing my jaw, eyes vicious. “Say you’re her husband one more time, and I’ll break your arm. I’ll teach you the difference between real and fake. Only I get to say Coral’s name. Only I get to claim her.” Silas, still pinned and bleeding, mocks through split lips. “Eliot, come on. So this marriage of yours is just for decoration? The guy’s declaring himself her man right in front of you, and you’re the cuckold?” His words startle a laugh out of me, dark, edged with fury. Asher still grips my jaw. I wrench my head and sink my teeth into his wrist. He howls, grip slackening. Taking the chance, I slam my knee into the guard behind me. Then I snatch a beer bottle and crack it across another’s forehead. By the time Asher realizes what’s happening, I’m on him, fist crashing into his face. He staggers back, blood gushing from his nose. “You dare hit me?” he roars, lunging. But I catch his arm instead and hurl him to the ground. I straddle him, raining punches. Lund Group thugs surge forward, reeking of alcohol. “You hit Deputy Hale? You’re dead!” Silas has somehow broken free. He kicks one attacker aside and yells at me. “Damn it! Beat him senseless! I’ve never swallowed this kind of insult in my life!” In the chaos, someone swings a chair into my back. I grunt but don’t stop. Asher shrieks, clawing at my hair. “Everyone from Lund Group, tear him apart! I’ll take responsibility, triple bonuses!” They swarm like rabid dogs, pulling my arms, holding my waist, and kicking the back of my knees. Asher lands a boot in my gut while I’m held. I stumble back, ready to charge again, when a voice cuts through the brawl. “Everyone, freeze!”

Two uniformed officers shoulder their way in, take one look at the wreckage, and frown. But the moment they spot Asher, face bruised, nose bleeding, pinned to the ground, their expressions flip like a switch. “Deputy Hale? What are you doing here? What happened?” Detective Finn hurries forward, voice oozing deference, hand already out to help Asher up. Asher sees the badges and suddenly finds his backbone. He jabs a finger at Silas and me, howling. “Detective Finn! These two outsiders are insane! They refused to pay their bill, then jumped us! Look what they did to me. And my staff!” Detective Finn glances at our injuries, dismisses them with a flick of his eyes, then turns on us, face hard. “What the hell do you two think you’re doing? Brawling in public, assaulting Lund Group personnel? You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that.” “He blocked us from leaving and threw the first punch.” Silas growls, wiping blood from his lip. “Lies!” Asher cuts in instantly. “I was being generous, letting them bask in Lund Group’s shine by picking up my tab. They flipped, then had the gall to claim one of them is my wife’s husband and the other’s some big shot from Havenport.” Detective Finn clearly buys every word. He gestures at the shattered bottles and overturned chairs. “Doesn’t matter who started it. You two did this damage, and you injured Deputy Hale. That makes it your fault. Let me spell it out: in Valecrest, nobody snubs Lund Group. Deputy Hale is Ms. Lund’s man. Touch him, and you’re spitting on the whole city’s rules.” The other officer, Declan, already has his cuffs out, twirling them. “Enough chatter. You’re coming with us. Oh, and you’re covering Deputy Hale’s tab, the restaurant’s repairs, medical bills, and emotional damages. Kneel and apologize, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll keep it out of court.” “On what grounds?” I laugh, furious. “He started the whole thing, and you’re sentencing us without a trial?” “On the grounds that you’re outsiders.” Detective Finn waves a hand, bored. “You play by Valecrest rules here. Deputy Hale letting you pay his bill was a gift. Don’t insult the gift.” Silas’s smile is ice-cold. “I’d love to see Valecrest’s ‘rules’ try to outrank federal law.” “Still got a mouth on you, huh?” Declan steps in, reaching for my wrists. “Guess you’ve never learned respect.” I sidestep; he snarls, yanks out his stun baton, and thumbs the switch. “Fine. You want the hard way?” He lunges, jabbing the crackling tip toward my ribs. Electric fire races through my limbs; my knees buckle. Silas catches me, roaring at the cops. “You’re abusing your badges!” “Abuse? I’m enforcing order.” Finn sneers, drawing his own baton and leveling it at Silas. “In Valecrest, Lund Group’s business is order. You punks need a real lesson in respect.” The snap of electricity fills the air. Silas jerks, the smell of scorched fabric rising. “Dogs with badges… You’ll regret this…” “Regret?” Detective Finn laughs, tapping Silas’s chin with the baton. “Save that for when you’re inside, getting nightly reminders from the other inmates.” He turns to Asher, all smiles. “Deputy Hale, how’s that? Hard enough? Want me to dial it up?” Asher smirks, arms folded. “Crank it. They need to learn who runs this town.” Finn kicks me in the ribs, then bows to Asher. “Deputy Hale, if you don’t mind me asking, when’s Ms. Lund due? Declan and I want to be first in line with congratulatory gifts.” Declan nods eagerly. “Absolutely. Please do grant us the honor. Maybe Ms. Lund will remember us when promotions come around.” Hearing that, Asher grins. “Four, five months. Doc says it’s a boy.” Coral… pregnant… The words hit me like a sledgehammer. After six months abroad, I just got back to Valecrest. And now she’s carrying a child. I felt a hot flush of anger spread across my face. Two years we’ve been married. She always said the company was too busy for kids. I struggle to my feet. Declan sees the movement and drives the baton into the back of my neck. White lightning blinds me. The ground tilts. Asher snatches up a chair, ready to bring it down on my skull. Then, quick and sharp, the click of high heels cut through the room from the doorway.

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I poured all the freshly boiled herbal medicine into the toilet. With a whoosh, it was all gone. Mom rushed in, trembling with anger, and slapped me hard across the face. “Fiona! We bought the medicine with the money that your father earned from selling his blood! Are you crazy?” My face burned with pain. I clenched my teeth and didn’t cry. I had to act worse, so that when I died, they wouldn’t be too sad. This morning, I saw the ultrasound report. It was twins. How nice. Our family could only afford two kids, not three. I was the extra one. “The medicine is too bitter! I hate it! I hate you two!” I shouted, shoved Dad away, and crawled into bed. Under the blanket, I pressed my hand over my mouth so I wouldn’t make a sound. It hurt again. Something inside me was biting and chewing, and I couldn’t stop it. It was okay. Ferryman had already come once. In a few days, they would be able to raise those two little babies. “Good night, Dad, Mom. This is the last time I make you angry.” *** The bathroom was full of the smell of herbal medicine, bitter and astringent. The dark liquid ran down the white porcelain and was finally swept away by the water. Mom stood at the door, breathing heavily, still holding the empty bowl. “Fiona, do you know how much this bowl of medicine costs?” I lowered my head and looked at the hole in the toe of my shoe. I’d worn these shoes for three years. My big toe always poked through. “Two hundred.” Mom slammed the bowl to the ground. The bowl broke, and one piece cut across my calf. Blood seeped out, warm and sticky, but I barely noticed. Nothing could compare to the agony twisting inside my stomach. “Your father works at the construction site and even sells blood, all just to keep you alive!” Mom rushed over and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me. She was five months pregnant. Her belly bulged, trembling under that old sweater from anger. “I’m not drinking it!” I lifted my head and tried to make my eyes look fierce. “It tastes awful, like pee!” Mom slapped me again. This time she slapped me on the other side of my face. Both sides were swollen now, perfectly symmetrical. “You heartless ingrate!” The door was pushed open. Dad came back. He was wearing dusty work clothes, holding two steamed buns. When he saw the spilled medicine and broken pieces on the floor, he froze. His eyes were bloodshot. “Bella, what happened?” Dad’s voice was hoarse, completely drained. “She poured the medicine away.” Mom burst into tears and pointed at the toilet. “Freshly boiled, all poured away. She said it tasted awful.” Dad walked over. The smell of sweat and cement rushed into my nose. That smell reminded us of his fighting desperately for this family. He looked at me. His gaze went from fatigue, to disappointment, and finally to anger. “Fiona, I was drawn 400 cc today.” He rolled up his sleeve. There was a bandage in the crook of his arm, needle marks everywhere, bruised blue and purple. “In exchange for this batch of medicine.” He squatted down so his eyes were level with mine. “You poured it away?” I looked at his bruises, my heart twisting in pain. I wanted to ask him to stop selling blood, because the doctor said I was about to die soon, and no medicine could save me. I wanted to tell them that they had to save money for the two new babies. But I couldn’t say that. If I said it, they would go borrow money again, beg people again, sell their lives again. I had to be a bad, ungrateful child. “Yeah, I did.” I lifted my chin stubbornly. “I don’t wanna take the medicine bought with blood-selling money. TV says selling blood isn’t allowed.” Dad raised his hand. That hand was rough, full of calluses and dirt. I closed my eyes and waited. But the slap never came. Instead, he punched the wall beside me. Bang! A bloody mark was left on the wall. “Get lost.” He pointed at my room. “Get back to your room! Don’t let me see you.” I turned around and ran into the storage room that was less than five square meters. That was my bedroom. I closed the door and slid down against it. My stomach churned violently. I coughed up blood into my palm and quickly wiped it away with my sleeve. I couldn’t let them see. Outside the door came Mom’s sobbing and Dad’s heavy sigh. “This child is ruined. We can’t raise her right.” “We still got two babies on the way. Gotta educate them properly. Can’t raise another kid like her.” I curled up under the blanket, tears flowing into my mouth. It was salty. That was exactly what I wanted. I wanted them to hate me and despise me. And when I died, they wouldn’t be sorry. In the corner stood a tall uncle in a black suit, his face pale, holding a notebook. He was the Ferryman, guiding souls to the other side. Only I could see him. “Fiona, three days left.” “I know.” I pulled the blanket over my head. “Can you make it faster? I wanna leave tonight.” “No. The time hasn’t come yet.” Ferryman closed his notebook and disappeared into the corner of the wall. The pain gnawed at my stomach again. I bit the corner of my pillow and swallowed my sobs. Three days left. In these three days, I had to make them completely give up on me.

The next morning at breakfast, there were only two steamed buns on the table, a plate of pickles, and two bowls of steamed egg custard. I quickly finished the bowl in front of me and then stared at Mom’s bowl. “I want more!” Ever since my illness was diagnosed, all the family’s money had gone to buy medicine for me. Our food got worse and worse, and any good food was saved for me and my pregnant mom. Dad stopped eating and frowned at me. “Your mom is carrying your younger brother. She needs the nutrition.” “I want more!” I stood up and reached out to grab that bowl. “Fiona!” Dad shouted. I ignored him and stuck my hand straight into the bowl, grabbing a handful of egg and stuffing it into my mouth. It was hot, very hot. But I chewed desperately, smacking my lips, oil dripping all over my mouth. Then I deliberately tried to knock the bowl over. Mom reacted quickly and caught the bowl, but the soup spilled all over the table, and she burst into tears from anger. Dad stood up and grabbed me by the collar. “You think we won’t hit you?” “Hit me then!” I kicked my legs and spat the egg scraps in my mouth onto his face. “Beat me to death and you won’t have to spend money on my medicine! Perfect, you can raise those two little brats!” Dad’s hands were shaking. He threw me back onto the chair. The chair overturned. I fell to the ground, my tailbone aching terribly. But I quickly got up, dusted myself off, slung on my backpack, and ran out. “Fine! I’ll go buy snacks at school!” Dad shouted behind me, “Stop! Where did you get the money?” The moment the door closed, I heard the sound of bowls and plates shattering, and Dad’s desperate roar. “This must be punishment for something I did in the past. What kind of sin did I commit?” I actually had no money. In my pocket was only that crumpled photocopy of the diagnosis report. The last time at the hospital, I secretly took it from the doctor’s desk. It said late stage and already metastasized. I tore it up and threw it into the trash. Ferryman appeared again, floating beside me. “Why bother doing this? Making them hate you, you won’t feel at peace when you go.” “What’s the use of peace?” I kicked a small stone on the roadside. “If they love me, they’ll cry sadly when I die.” “If they hate me, when I die they’ll just curse me and then go on with their lives.” When I passed by a bun shop, I wanted to eat one, but I couldn’t. If I ate, I’d keep vomiting. I walked to the school gate but didn’t go in. I didn’t want to study anymore. I wouldn’t be able to take exams anyway. I sat on a park bench all day, watching other kids run around, watching other parents wipe their children’s sweat and feed them water. It seemed so nice. In the future, my younger brother and sister could live like that too. When I got home in the evening, there was a thick stack of money on the table. It was Dad’s wages for the day, and borrowed money. Dad said while smoking, “We’ll go to a big hospital tomorrow. Let’s get you checked again. Even if we have to sell the house, we’ll treat you.” Panic shot through me. I couldn’t go—if I did, the money would be wasted. That money should be used on my little brother and sister, for their milk, their survival. I walked to the table and grabbed the stack of money. “What are you doing?” Mom looked at me warily. “I want a new phone. Everyone in my class has one except me.” “Are you crazy?” Dad crushed out his cigarette and rushed over to grab the money. “This is life-saving money!” “I don’t want treatment! It won’t work anyway!” I hugged the money tightly and ran toward the door. “I just want a phone! I wanna play games!” “Fiona!” Dad caught up and kicked the back of my knee. I fell to the ground. My knee hit the floor hard. The money was scattered everywhere. Dad pinned me down and slapped me. This was the first time he’d ever hit me this hard. “I’ll beat the crap out of you, you ungrateful brat! I sell blood and risk my life, and you just wanna play games?” “Do you know your mother won’t even buy herself a new piece of clothing?” It hurt, but I laughed out loud. “Hahahaha! That’s because you’re useless!” “Why have children if you’re so poor? You give birth to us just to suffer!” Dad stopped. He looked at me, his voice trembling. “What did you say?” “I said you’re useless. You deserve to be poor!” Dad slowly straightened up—then, in that single moment, he seemed to age ten years. His back bent, his shoulders sagging under an invisible weight. “Fine. From today on, you’re not my daughter!” He bent down and picked up the money one bill at a time, wiping each one clean. Mom sat on the sofa, holding her belly, her eyes hollow. She didn’t even have the strength to curse me anymore. I struggled up, limped back to my room and then closed the door. I took out a hundred-dollar bill hidden in my sleeve. I’d secretly slipped it in during the chaos. I pressed it under my pillow. This was the meeting gift I left for my brother and sister. It wasn’t much, but I did my best. Ferryman stood at the bedside and looked at me. “Two days left.” “Alright.” I curled up and gently rubbed my knee. That kick really hurt. But I was okay with it. This way, you wouldn’t feel sorry for me two days later.

On the third day, also the last day, I woke up from pain. My whole body hurt. It felt like ants were drilling into the cracks of my bones. I glanced out the window. The sky was gloomy. It was going to rain. Low voices arguing came from the living room. “The doctor said she has to take this medicine, or she won’t make it through this month.” That was Mom’s voice. “Take my ass!” Dad’s voice was icy. “She just wants phones and games, and you still wanna save her?” “She’s still your daughter!” “I don’t have a daughter like that! Ungrateful wretch!” I smiled. Just what I wanted. Dad had finally given up on me. I dragged out a cardboard box from under the bed. Inside were all my certificates from childhood. Outstanding Student. First Prize in Math Competition. Essay Contest Champion. Every one of them had once been my pride. Back then, Dad would flaunt these certificates to the neighbors like trophies. “Look, my Fiona is so amazing!” He used to smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes stretching wide. Now, these things couldn’t be left behind. Leaving them meant memories. Leaving them meant tears. I picked one up and tore it. I ripped it in half, then tore it into pieces. I piled all the certificates, exercise books, and the wooden little horse Dad had made for me on the floor and took out a lighter. The lighter was left by Dad. I lit it. The paper curled, blackened. Flames leapt up. The smell of smoke filled the room. “What are you doing?” The door was slammed open. Mom cried out in shock. When she saw the fire pile on the floor, her face turned white. “It’s on fire! Nick! Hurry!” Dad rushed in and threw a basin of water on it. Sizzle! Black smoke rose. The room was full of a burnt stench. The floor was a mess. Those certificates that once represented glory had turned into black ashes. “Are you crazy?” Dad stepped on the ashes, his eyes almost popping out. “Are you trying to burn the house down?” “I don’t like these useless papers.” I sat on the bed, swinging my legs. “They take up too much space.” Dad rushed over and grabbed my hair. My scalp screamed in pain as he dragged me into the living room. “You don’t like this, huh? You don’t like this house, huh?” “Get out!” “Get out of the house!” He opened the front door and shoved me out. I lost my balance and rolled down two steps. It was raining outside. Autumn rain was icy cold. The rain hit my body, mixed with mud. The door slammed shut then. Click. It was locked from the inside. I heard Mom crying inside. “It’s raining outside! She is still too weak!” “Let her get drenched! I don’t care!” Dad roared. I climbed up from the ground, soaked through. Cold wind drilled into my bones. I walked to the window in my room. I saw Ferryman standing inside, looking at me through the glass. “It’s about time.” He mouthed the words. I knew. I could feel it. My life was draining from my body. My hands and feet started to go numb. My vision blurred. I couldn’t die outside. If I died outside, it would cost money to transport the body. It would trouble them more. I had to die at home, die in that small storage room. I started banging on the door. “Open the door! I’m hungry! I wanna eat! I want meat!” I shouted desperately until my voice turned hoarse. “Get lost! Starve to death!” Dad shouted from inside. But I knew he’d soften. Sure enough, ten minutes later, the door opened. Dad stood there with a stick in his hand. “Come in. Dare to make trouble again and I’ll break your legs.” I lowered my head and slipped in, dripping water all over, dirtying the floor. Mom took a towel and wanted to wipe me. Dad barked,”Don’t bother with her! Let her learn her lesson.” I didn’t take the towel and went straight back to my room. This time, I locked the door from the inside. This was the last time I would lock a door.

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On Valentine’s Day, a real estate agent called to ask what size house I preferred. I was completely stunned. I was a researcher working on classified defense projects and spent most of my time living in on-site housing. There was only my husband and my daughter at home. There was enough room even if my mother-in-law and her whole family came to live with us. So why would we need to change houses? When I asked my husband about it, he brushed it off, saying the agent made a mistake. “I didn’t want to bother you. You’re always busy. It’s Ashley. She’s the one who wants to move to a bigger house. Can you ask them to arrange somewhere big and with a good location? Love you, honey!” After the call ended, I applied for leave for the first time. I also called my father, who was a general in the army. “Dad, Liam’s cheating on me. Put in a divorce application for me. Make it quick!” *** After hearing that my husband was cheating on me, and I was literally the busiest person in the Research Institute, the driver floored the accelerator. He got me back home from the city using only half the time that he was supposed to. I was desperate to confirm my suspicions, so I was in a rush to get home. However, the guards at the gates of military base housing stopped me. “Ma’am, please show us some ID.” “I’m Lieutenant Colonel Shaw’s wife!” I shouted. With that said, I was about to enter the estate, but the guards still didn’t let me in. “There’s only one Lieutenant Colonel Shaw that we know of. His wife is Ms. Chase, a teacher at the elementary school on the base. We all know her. We’ll have to use force if you continue to try to use someone else’s identity!” I gasped and thought, “Looks like Liam really is cheating on me!” I didn’t want to start an argument, so I took out my Research Institute work badge. Only then did the guards let me through. I wasn’t in a rush to get home now. Instead, I rushed towards the military dependent primary school that my daughter went to. I wanted to see just who had taken my place as Mrs. Shaw! Flashing the high-level security clearance from the Research Institute—a credential that opens doors anywhere—I marched straight into the principal’s office. “I’m Ashley Shaw’s mother. I’ve come to see how she’s doing,” I said. Mr. Pilkinton, the principal, stared, his jaw going slack. “I thought Ashley’s mother was Ms. Linda Chase, who’s one of the teachers here.” “Looks like Liam really is in a rush to find Ashley a new mother. Did he really think I would never come home?” I asked myself inwardly. “Where’s Linda? I want to have a word with her personally,” I said. In the classroom, the Mrs. Shaw that they were talking about was writing words that were spelled incorrectly on the whiteboard. I frowned. When Linda turned around, she saw me standing outside the classroom through the window. Her hand shook when she saw me, and the marker she was holding made a sharp squeaking sound on the whiteboard. Linda even forgot that she was giving a lesson and rushed out of the classroom to talk to me. As if afraid I would say something, she quickly grabbed my arm. “What brings you here, Molly? This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go somewhere else.” It looked like she knew full well what she did. Linda trembled as she led me home. And I finally got a chance to take a good look at the woman who had taken my place at home. The dress she was wearing actually belonged to me. She was also wearing my golden necklace and my favorite earrings. Noticing my gaze, Linda shrank back a little and explained in a low voice, “Lieutenant Colonel Shaw and I are from the same town. He pitied me as a single mother, so he hired me as a nanny. Please don’t be mistaken, Ms. Queen.” “Don’t be mistaken? I think she meant don’t expose her!” I exclaimed inwardly. I sighed and turned to look at my courtyard. The orchids that I loved have all been switched to roses. All the decorations that I had put a lot of effort into were all gone as well. My blood began to boil. I wanted to go into the house, but what I didn’t expect was that my keys couldn’t open the door! I gritted my teeth and looked angrily at Linda. “Open the door.” Tears welled up in Linda’s eyes, but she didn’t move. She only repeated in a low voice, “I can’t. I’m just a nanny. Please don’t make things difficult for me.” I was going back to my own house, but the nanny wouldn’t open the door for me. How did that make any sense? Seeing that Linda wasn’t moving at all, I nodded, took out my Colt M1911, aimed it at the door lock, and pulled the trigger.

There was a loud bang, and Linda trembled. I didn’t even bother to look at her before kicking the door open and walking right in. I couldn’t help but sneer when I saw what the house looked like. There were sweets and chocolate on the table in the living room. On the bed in the bedroom, there was a pair of stockings lying on top of the pillows. When I opened the wardrobe, all kinds of clothes and bed covers rolled out. No wonder Liam wanted to move to a bigger house. He just couldn’t fit everything into this one. Linda wrung her hands nervously. She then said in a pleading voice, “Ms. Queen, this is a big misunderstanding…” She trembled continuously, but all my attention was on the certificates on the wall. “Linda Shaw, Teacher of the Year” “Linda Shaw Outstanding Teacher” “Fiona Shaw Outstanding Student” “Fiona Shaw Model Student” Noticing my gaze, Linda moved a little in an attempt to hide something, but I pushed her aside. I was wondering why she was trying to hide something. It seemed that photos of them were all over the wall! In the photos, Linda was leaning on Liam, and a little girl was standing between them. I could guess this girl was the Fiona Shaw named on the certificates. The dress, boots, and hair clip that Fiona was wearing were things that I had sent home for my daughter. Fiona, Linda, and Liam were smiling very happily in the photos. But where was Ashley? I looked through the entire bedroom, but could find no signs of Ashley! Linda tried to stop me, but I kicked her and sent her stumbling to the side. After going through every room in the house, I finally found a nest that was built with firewood in the woodshed. Linda stood at the door with an aggrieved look on her face and trembled nonstop. At that moment, a familiar voice sounded at the entrance of the courtyard. “The neighbors were saying that there was trouble at our house. Are you alright, honey?” I squinted my eyes and saw Liam rushing into the courtyard. He pulled Linda into his arms and checked to see if she was hurt. “Why do you look so pale, Linda? What happened? Are you scared? It’s alright. I’m here to protect you. Nothing will ever happen to you.” With that said, Liam pulled Linda into a tight embrace. The neighbors who were standing behind Liam coughed awkwardly. “Lieutenant Colonel Shaw, the trouble never left your house.” Liam looked up in surprise and just happened to catch me walking out of the woodshed. There was a crowd outside the courtyard watching the show. “That’s her! She claimed to be Lieutenant Colonel Shaw’s wife!” “I just heard a gunshot coming from Lieutenant Colonel Shaw’s house. Could she be armed?” “I teach at the same primary school as Ms. Chase. I saw what happened in school. She said she’s Ashley’s mother! Things are getting really interesting!” I ignored what the crowd was saying and stared at Liam with cold eyes. “I think you owe me an explanation,” I said. Liam avoided my eyes. When he was about to step forward, Linda suddenly started crying. “She called me a shameless bitch and even beat me! I wouldn’t have known what to do if you hadn’t come home in time.” Liam froze when he heard those words. After a short pause, he gritted his teeth as if he had made up his mind about something. “Apologize to Linda first and admit that you were way out of line just now,” he said. I was gobsmacked when I heard those words. “Liam Shaw, how dare you ask me to ruin my own reputation to play along with your mistress?” I shouted. Liam panicked when he heard what I said and rushed to cover my mouth. “I was giving you a chance, Molly. Since you refused, you leave me no choice.” With that, he turned to the crowd and raised his voice. “This woman’s just a gold-digger who’s trying to force me to marry her. My wife has always and will always be Linda Chase!” Rage boiled inside me after hearing those words. I just didn’t get it. Why would the man who relied on me to get where he was today choose to betray me? I bit his hand hard. Liam winced at the pain, causing his hold on me to loosen. I then slapped him in the face. “I’d advise you to think carefully before you say anything else!” A lot of neighbors were watching us. Liam became frustrated and slapped me as well. The force caused me to fall to the ground. The crowd that had gathered to watch the show quickly dispersed. “I knew that woman was looking for trouble, but none of you believed me. Lieutenant Colonel Shaw is an honest man. He would never cheat on his wife!” “That bitch had this coming. I can’t believe she actually had the guts to set Lieutenant Colonel Shaw up. She was trying to separate a loving family! Beating her up is already going easy on her!” One side of my face had already gone numb. My hand trembled as I tried to reach for my gun. At that moment, a small figure pounced into my arms.

“Mommy!” It took me quite a while before I finally realized that this little girl, who was basically skin and bones, was my daughter, Ashley Shaw. At that moment, I forgot about everything else and quickly embraced Ashley. “Why have you lost so much weight, Ashley?” I asked. Ashley sniffed and spread her arms out in front of me. “No one is allowed to bully my mommy!” A stunned silence fell over the crowd. “Isn’t she Ms. Chase’s daughter? Why is she calling that woman Mommy?” “Did Lieutenant Colonel Shaw really cheat on his wife?” Liam didn’t expect Ashley to be off school so early. He pulled Ashley towards him. “Shut your mouth! She… she’s actually my sister-in-law! After my brother died, she seemed to have gone mad. I didn’t want Ashley to suffer, so I kept her with me. That way Ashley could keep Fiona company as well. I didn’t want to admit that because she’s mad and kept thinking I’m my brother. She even bullied Linda as well. That’s something I can’t allow.” After hearing what he said, the crowd all nodded in agreement. “Lieutenant Colonel Shaw is a good man. If it were me, I would never help this madwoman’s child.” “Now that Lieutenant Colonel Shaw has explained everything, what are you going to do about this woman? You can’t really let her stay with you and upset Ms. Chase.” A vicious smile flashed across Linda’s face. She wrapped her arms around Liam’s and said, “Honey, why don’t we have her committed for treatment? That way, she’ll never be able to interfere with our lives again!” Under everyone’s gaze, Liam nodded slowly. Seeing what Liam was doing, I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into the palms of my hands. I helped him become a Lieutenant Colonel and a battalion commander. I couldn’t believe that after being separated for so long, the first thing that came to his mind during our first reunion was to send me to a mental hospital. Everyone knew it was a place of no return. Even if I were released, I would never be able to work as a researcher ever again. Liam wanted to ruin my career and my life for good! Everyone began complimenting Liam for making a wise decision. At that moment, Fiona walked into the room wearing the dress that I had personally bought for Ashley. She pointed at Ashley and shouted, “You can send this freeloader away as well! This bitch keeps on stealing our food! My dog’s starving because of her!” I became infuriated after hearing those words. I had always given Liam a portion of my wages every month. But my daughter ended up having to fight a dog for food! My body trembled with anger, but Liam just nodded indifferently. “Fiona’s right. Let’s send them away so she won’t steal your dog’s food.” Fiona spun around happily while Ashley cried. “But I’m your daughter, Daddy! And Mommy’s your wife!” Liam furrowed his brows and pushed Ashley’s hand away. “I helped you in the past because you’re my brother’s wife and child. But you’ve hurt my wife today, so I have no choice but to send you away. Guards! Don’t just stand there!” Two armed guards from the estate marched over and stood beside Liam, their faces stern. The crowd all shook their heads. “Looks like Lieutenant Colonel Shaw is really pissed to give such an order.” “He raised her child for her, but she bit the hand that fed her. She deserves to be sent to a mental hospital! She should never be allowed to be released!” Ashley was terrified and began crying. She begged Liam not to send us away. I gritted my teeth and climbed off the floor. Then I scanned the crowd with cold eyes. “Guards, aren’t you going to arrest this Lieutenant Colonel, who’s abandoned his wife and child?” I asked. A flash of surprise appeared on Liam’s face, but he then sneered. “This is not the Research Institute, Molly! This is base housing! I’m the highest-ranking officer here! They only take orders from me!” Linda kept her arms wrapped around Liam’s with a coquettish look on her face. “You’re the best, honey! I feel so secure.” “Guards, what are you waiting for? Get this madwoman out of here!” Seeing that the guards were drawing their guns, Ashley was terrified and began crying. However, she still stood in front of me and didn’t budge an inch. “Don’t take my mommy away! My mommy’s a researcher! She’s made great contributions to the country! She’s not a madwoman!” Seeing Ashley cry, the crowd all laughed. “Looks like the little girls have gone mad too. That woman seemed to have passed her genes to her daughter. Think about it, if she really were a researcher, how could she be wandering around by herself?” “The way I see it, we should both of them to a mental hospital. That way, neither of them can continue to be freeloaders!” After hearing everyone’s insults, Liam became even more pleased. “You hear that, Molly? Once you’re in a mental hospital, there’s no getting out. This is what you get for hurting my wife!” I took a deep breath and looked at Liam with a serious face. “Very well. Looks like you’ve made up your mind. Do it, you guys. Since they like lunatics so much, then throw these three bastards into a mental hospital and let them get a taste of what it’s like to be someone who’s crazy!” After hearing my order, two guns were immediately pointed at the back of Liam and Linda’s heads. The arrogant smiles on their faces immediately disappeared. The crying child then became Fiona. “What are you two fools doing? Have you gone mad or something? Let go of my mommy and daddy!” With that said, she rushed over and started punching and kicking the guards. However, lashed out with his leg and sent her falling backwards. Fiona was too shocked to even cry. Seeing Fiona hurt, tears welled up in Linda’s eyes. “Liam! Tell them to stop! Aren’t they your men?” she cried. Linda’s cries pulled Liam back to his senses. He turned around and was about to fight the guards. “Have you two lost it as well? I told you to arrest her!” Before he could even touch the guards, he was pinned down to the ground. “We’re sorry, Lieutenant Colonel Shaw. We got our orders from the top. You cheated on your wife and had set a bad example. General Queen is on his way here. He told us to keep an eye on you and your mistress and await his orders!” The color drained from Liam’s face. “What are you talking about? Stop spouting nonsense! When have I ever cheated on my wife? I already told you, Linda’s my wife! This woman’s just a lunatic! Let go of me! Stop scaring my wife and child!” It seemed that Liam still cared about Linda and their bastard at a time like this. I stood up, pulled Ashley into my arms, and slapped Liam hard across his face. “Even a dog knows to wiggle its tail at its owner. Lieutenant Colonel Shaw, I helped you rise from a private to a Lieutenant Colonel, and this is how you repay me?”

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When I rushed to the hospital, my mother-in-law’s family was already on the brink of death. The doctor said this kind of venomous snake was extremely rare, and only my husband’s company had the special antivenom serum. I kept calling my husband, Trent Lester, but every call was rejected. When I pressed the dial button for like the hundredth time, he finally answered. “Tonight is Karen’s birthday. I’ll keep her company for one night. Stop calling me!” Worried about the people in the emergency room, I swallowed my questions and rushed to say, “Our parents and younger sister were bitten by snakes. The hospital doesn’t have antivenom for this kind of snake. Only your company has it. Hurry and bring the serum here!” Before I could finish, Trent impatiently interrupted me, his tone mocking and cold. “One dose of antivenom costs more than a hundred thousand. Bella, are you serious?” “Your family got bitten and you come to me for free antivenom? What do you take me for, a sucker?” “Leave me alone, alright?” He hung up mercilessly and blocked me. I sat there blankly in the hospital chair, unable to believe those words had come from my husband. A notification popped up on my phone. It was from a Chanel sales associate, informing me that my parents had ordered a birthday gift for me, a limited-edition bag worth tens of millions. And it had just been picked up by my husband. No need to guess. That bag was probably hanging on Karen’s arm. He had done such things before, stealing my things and giving them to his crush, Karen. Every time I objected, he would sneer. “You’re already married. Carrying such an expensive bag out to show off? No one will even pay attention to you. Let Karen have it. She’s negotiating deals lately.” “Don’t be so petty. Karen is like my own sister! If you love me, you should tolerate my concern for her.” Karen was at the very center of his world. Limited-edition bags were given to her at will. He brought her sports cars and luxury houses, one after another. He’d literally done everything he could for her. And I, his real wife, wasn’t even worth a few life-saving doses of medicines. How ridiculous. Just as I was typing a message to the Chanel sales associate, Trent posted on social media. “The most valuable bag, for the one I love most. Tonight belongs to us.” Karen soon followed with her own post. “Your medicine didn’t just save my family-it saved my heart.” The photo showed the two of them cuddling intimately. Karen had my bag on her shoulder and held the special antivenom serum in her hand, smiling radiantly. My anger surged, and I nearly fainted with rage. Trent was truly heartless. To satisfy Karen, he spent money without hesitation, yet he ignored his own family! The doors of the emergency room slowly opened, and the doctor walked out. I hurried over. “Please give me a little more time. I’ll definitely get the medicine as soon as possible.” The doctor shook his head and removed his mask. “There’s no need. The patients no longer have vital signs. Please accept our condolences.”

My nose stung, and pain filled my heart. Just two hours ago, they were still laughing and chatting. In the blink of an eye, they had become five ice-cold corpses lying in the hospital, while their son was still enjoying himself outside. He was a total dick. I forced back my tears and sent a message to the sales associate. “I haven’t been to the store to pick up the bag. It must have been fraudulently claimed by someone else. Please call the police immediately.” The doctor said the venomous snake that bit my mother-in-law’s family was almost extinct in the country. That’s why the hospital didn’t have any antivenom. It was a strange coincidence. A venomous snake rare in the country got into my mother-in-law’s family tent. And five people died at once. The police took the case very seriously and launched an investigation right away. It didn’t take long to find out that someone had bought venomous snakes in bulk online and released them. The suspects turned out to be Karen’s parents. However, Trent actually tried to save them. When he learned the truth, he would go mad. The police explained to me, “Ma’am, although we’ve established the facts, these two suspects are currently undergoing emergency treatment in the hospital. So we can’t bring them in for questioning yet.” I replied expressionlessly, “They were also bitten by snakes, but the poison has already been neutralized.” “It won’t affect your interrogation. You can go over right now.” The police looked at me again, clearly puzzled by how I knew this. But seeing my exhausted expression, they didn’t ask further questions. “Rest assured, we will thoroughly investigate and give you an explanation.” After the police left, I filed a lawsuit on my phone. A sudden call interrupted me. Trent was furious and said, “Bella, are you deliberately causing trouble? I’m your husband. Can’t I help you pick up your bag?” “And you even called the police? Were you bitten by a venomous snake too? Is something wrong with you?” His rapid-fire accusations and curses showed no concern at all for how I felt at this moment. I said coldly, “That doesn’t make sense, because I never saw that bag at all. You said you picked it up for me. Fine. Then tell me, where is the bag now?” Trent fell silent. After a long stalemate, his tone softened, and he changed tactics. “You and I have been married for so long. Why be so calculating? Isn’t it all marital property anyway?” “Karen wanted a limited-edition bag. There’s only one in the domestic boutiques. Today happens to be her birthday. I just wanted to make her happy.” “It suits her perfectly when she carries it. I’ll tell her it’s from you. Don’t be so petty.” He was utterly shameless. I shot back, “How dare you say that? Why don’t you spend your own money to buy it for her? Damn bastard!” Trent froze for a moment, his voice full of disbelief. “What did you just say? Are you crazy?” In the past, I would have spare his pride and been very careful with my words. Looking back now, there was no need for that. I didn’t want to give him a chance to argue. I snapped, “If you’re even human, hurry to the hospital morgue and see the stupid thing you’ve done!” “They’re already dead. Me going there won’t bring them back! It’s such an auspicious day. Don’t bring bad luck on me!” Trent roared angrily, then added, “Don’t cremate their bodies yet. See if they can be sent to my company to be used as cadavers for teaching.” “Karen’s parents had an accident. She’s crying nonstop. I’m gonna stay with her first.” The call ended, and I laughed. So he thought it was my biological parents who had died. I had originally planned to let his parents be laid to rest as soon as possible. Now, I directly ordered five large freezers. Just as Trent wished, I had his entire family brought out of the morgue and sent to his company in a freight truck.

After a whole morning of chaos, I had just gotten home and was about to take a nap. But Trent rushed in and slapped me across the face. “Karen cried so hard she was about to pass out! Her parents just came out of the operating room, and you actually sued them. Do you have any humanity at all?” Covering my burning cheek, I sneered. “At least they’re still alive. Didn’t you give them all the remaining serum? The people bitten to death by the snakes they released are still lying in freezers, unable to rest in peace!” Trent’s eyes flickered as he craned his neck and yelled at me, “That serum is mine. I can give it to whoever I want! Your parents were crazy enough to insist on going camping in a park. Death was just their fate!” “Karen’s parents have already been taken in for questioning at the hospital because of this. Your whole family is dead. Can’t you show a little consideration for the living?” “Maybe your parents being bitten to death is the retribution for how vicious you are!” The more he spoke, the more self-righteous he became. “They’re elderly people. How could you bear to send them to prison? They didn’t mean to do it!” “Maybe your parents were destined to face this calamity. If not snake bites, they would’ve died some other way!” “Now that your entire family is gone, I’m the only one you can rely on in the future. Don’t be ungrateful.” Seeing that my expression remained cold and that I wasn’t persuaded at all, Trent softened his tone. “Bella, I know you’re in pain. But the dead can’t come back. The living still have to go on with their lives.” “Karen is kind-hearted and willing to compensate you fifty thousand. I’ll chip in as well. Let’s make it one million for you. That’s enough, right?” He spoke so calmly as if nobody had died. Five living, breathing lives were worth only one million in their eyes. Trent had been doted on by his parents since childhood. Thinking about how he would react when he opened the freezers and saw his parents inside, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “What are you laughing at?” Trent frowned. “Stop acting crazy. Say something.” “Fine.” I wiped away the tears and held up the payment QR code on my phone. “Transfer it to me now.” “Received a transfer of 1,000,000 dollars.” Karen put in fifty thousand. The remaining nine hundred and fifty thousand that Trent covered for her was probably all the liquid cash his company could scrape together. Seeing that I’d taken the money, Trent’s expression turned smug. “I’ll be straight with you. This morning, I issued a letter of forgiveness in your name as your spouse. Karen’s parents have long been cleared.” “You should thank Karen for being soft-hearted. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even have this one million in compensation. As for the bag, go explain it to the officer and say you made a false police report. Don’t let them bother Karen anymore.” I sneered, took the divorce agreement I had prepared that morning from the bedside table, and slammed it in front of him. “Sign it. Return my bag, and we can call it even. Otherwise, I won’t let you go.” “Just for this, you want a divorce?” Trent’s face was full of anger. He was reluctant to lose my father’s connections. But he then remembered that my family was already dead. And Karen had cried to him yesterday, saying she wanted someone to rely on. Gritting his teeth, Trent quickly signed his name. He threw the divorce agreement back into my arms and turned to leave. I called out to him. I checked his signature carefully to make sure there were no mistakes. Only then did I say calmly, “Trent, even though we’re divorced, there’s still a one-month cooling-off period. After all, we were husband and wife. Let’s go to your company together and see your parents one last time.” “I’ve already followed your instructions and sent them to your company to be used as cadavers for teaching.” Hearing that I had sent them to the company, the coldness on Trent’s face finally eased a little.

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On our fifth wedding anniversary, my husband gave me a certificate that reads “Devil of the Year.” Sarah Woods, one of Tristan’s students, starts clapping and grinning like this is the funniest thing ever. “Wow, Mrs. Blake hasn’t threatened to break up or thrown a fit in almost two months. Definitely deserves a reward!” Everyone laughs. Everyone except me. Sarah’s smile turns smug. “Oops, my bad, Olivia. The print shop messed up the wording.” Tristan Blake frowns and drops his voice to that impatient tone I know too well. “Come on, it’s just a joke. You’re a grown woman. Do you really need to make a big deal out of some kid’s prank?” I push the pregnancy test deeper into my purse. That was supposed to be my gift for Tristan, but now it doesn’t seem worth giving him. *** I stare at Tristan in disbelief. “I’m making a big deal?” His other students jump in, laughing and teasing. “Mrs. Blake, seriously, can’t you take a joke?” “Sarah’s just like that, she doesn’t mean anything by it. She does stuff like this all the time. Remember last month at that escape room? She thought some random actor was Tris and wouldn’t let go of him. When she figured out it wasn’t him, she cried for like three hours straight, and Tris had to spend the whole night calming her down!” Sarah’s face goes red. “Oh my god, stop! You’re just gonna make Olivia paranoid again!” Escape room? Last month, Tristan told me he was on a work break, but when I had an appendicitis attack in the middle of the night and needed him to drive me to the hospital, he said he was too busy with work. Turns out he was busy comforting his student all night instead. Tristan won’t meet my eyes, but I don’t see any guilt or apology there. “You guys know how Olivia is. She overthinks everything.” Overthinks everything. I’ve heard that line so many times I could recite it in my sleep. Just last week, he ditched me on the street to run and buy Sarah tampons. For her birthday, this man who has zero patience for anything asked me how to knit a scarf, then stayed up half the night working on it without complaining once. When I suggested he could just buy one, he looked at his phone and smiled at her messages with a fond expression. “It’s not the same if I don’t make it myself.” When I called him out on it, he just frowned at me. “Olivia, seriously, how dirty is your mind? You’re really gonna lose it over a scarf? Sarah and I are just teacher and student. There’s nothing going on.” So that’s why his laptop has 1000 photos, and 999 of them are Sarah. In five years together, we have exactly one photo of us, and that’s on our marriage license. Even today, what was supposed to be our romantic anniversary dinner turned into a student party because Sarah said it would be more fun with everyone there. Tristan notices I’m not smiling and snaps at her. “Alright, Sarah, just get the real gift I got for Olivia.” Sarah pouts like a sulky kid and reluctantly starts digging through her bag. Then she suddenly gasps and holds up her hand, showing off this massive diamond on her ring finger. “Mrs. Blake, when I was getting your gift, I saw this ring and thought it was gorgeous, so I tried it on. You’re not mad, are you?” Tristan’s voice immediately goes soft. “Olivia’s not that petty.” Sarah gives a sly little smile. “Heh, Tris, it fits perfectly. You didn’t secretly measure my finger while I was napping on your bed, did you?” The room goes dead silent. The other students glance at each other and then look at me. One of them jumps in quickly. “Wait, Mrs. Blake, it’s not what it sounds like! Sarah had really bad low blood sugar and almost passed out, so Mr. Blake made an exception and let her rest on the office bed for like ten minutes!” Tristan looks panicked. “Honey, it was only ten minutes, and I stayed in my office the whole time. I didn’t even go in there.” I dig my nails into my palm. My throat tightens so much I can’t get a single word out. Just ten minutes. Is it really worth making a fuss over? When I had stomach cramps so bad I couldn’t stand up straight, I asked if I could rest on Tristan’s bed. He didn’t even look up. His voice was flat. “No.” I was sweating from the pain. “Just ten minutes.” He’d rather have me sit on a cold bench than let anyone see me lying on his bed. “You’re family. It would look bad if you were lying there. Just tough it out for a bit.” Same ten minutes. He could break the rules for Sarah’s low blood sugar, but all I got was a casual “tough it out.” My eyes start burning. “Tristan, don’t you have anything you want to explain to me?”

Tristan looks exasperated and pulls me aside, rubbing between his eyebrows. “Liv, can we talk about this at home? You’re embarrassing me in front of everyone.” He says he’ll handle it and turns to Sarah with a stern voice. “Sarah, you really crossed a line today. Apologize to Olivia and we can move on.” “Why should I apologize to her? She’s just some old woman who doesn’t even deserve you!” Sarah bites her lip like she’s the victim here. Tristan’s expression darkens immediately. “Sarah, who said you could talk about her like that? That’s my wife! Apologize. Now.” “Tris…” Sarah’s eyes fill with tears instantly, and she looks at me like she’d rather be anywhere else. “Sorry, Mrs. Blake. Happy now?” Tristan sighs and ruffles her hair like she’s a kid who just needs a little patience. “Alright, Sarah, give the ring back to Olivia.” But Sarah holds her hand out to Tristan instead and pretends to struggle with it and the ring doesn’t budge an inch. “Tris, look, it’s really stuck. I can’t get it off. Doesn’t that mean it’s meant for me?” Sarah shoots me this challenging look. Tristan frowns, and I’ve had enough. “Then call the fire department and have them cut it off!” Sarah’s eyes instantly fill with tears, and she turns to Tristan for help. “Oh no, Tris, your wife’s about to lose it. I can’t get the ring off, and now she’s probably never gonna let me come over to your place again, right?” Tristan’s patience snaps. “Liv, Sarah already apologized to you. What more do you want? It’s just a ring. Does it really matter that much?” Everyone’s acting like I’m being unreasonable, but I just want back what’s mine. Is that so wrong? Tristan pushes my cake over to Sarah too, like he’s punishing me. “We’re married for years. You don’t care about this stuff. Sarah can use this cake for her birthday. Tomorrow, I’ll take Sarah to a jeweler and get the ring off for you.” He turns to Sarah with a warm smile. “Sarah, come here and make a wish.” He waves her over, and they squeeze together. Sarah looks up at him with these adoring, starry eyes. “Tris, why are you so good to me? How am I ever gonna repay you?” “Alright, alright. Just study hard and don’t cause me trouble. That’s all I need.” The favoritism and affection in Tristan’s eyes stabs right through me. It feels like something is tearing me apart from the inside, making it hard to breathe. “Tristan, do you remember what you promised me when we got married?” I ask, my voice hoarse. Tristan frowns. Clearly, he’s forgotten. Five years ago when we got married, he had nothing. We didn’t have a wedding or a diamond ring. He cried and held me and made a promise. “Liv, give me five years. I swear I’ll buy you the biggest, most beautiful diamond ring.” Five years of marriage, and now that he can afford the best, he gives it to someone else. So what does that make me? I wipe away the tears burning in my eyes and look at Sarah. “You don’t just take things that aren’t yours. That’s called theft. Take the ring off or this isn’t over.” Tears immediately well up in Sarah’s eyes. “Olivia, I can’t wear it for just one night? It’s not like I don’t want to take it off. I might be poor, but I have my dignity. You can’t just call me a thief! “I promise, I’ll cut off my finger if I have to, but I’ll get you your ring back!” She grabs scissors and raises them like she’s about to chop her hand off. “Enough!” Tristan snatches the scissors from her hand, and when he looks at me, his eyes are full of disappointment. “Enough. Why have you become so cruel? Sarah already said she’d return the ring tomorrow. Why do you have to keep pushing this?” I’m cruel? The words catch in my throat, choking me. My chest tightens painfully, like something inside me is giving way. I force the words out through clenched teeth. “Am I really the cruel one here, or is there something going on between you two that you don’t want anyone to know about?” Tristan looks at me like I’m being completely unreasonable. “Olivia, look at yourself right now. You are imagining things, and you’re acting insane! Apologize to Sarah right now!” He pulls Sarah close and murmurs something soft to her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. They look intimate, like I’m some stranger. His other students jump to Sarah’s defense too. “Yeah, seriously, why are you picking on Sarah?” “Mrs. Blake, you’re being so cold and dramatic. Always making mountains out of molehills.” “You know what, that certificate was right. She really is a devil.” To Tristan and all his students, I’ve always been the outsider. I stand up, fighting back tears. “I’m not apologizing.” “Olivia, have you forgotten what happened last time?” Tristan narrows his eyes. That one sentence stops me cold at the door. I turn around slowly, staring at Tristan in disbelief. It was at another party just like this one. My dad brought his mistress to celebrate his birthday, like she belonged there, and I lost it. I grabbed a bottle and smashed it over her head until she bled. My dad demanded I get on my knees and apologize to her, but I refused. So right in front of me, he pulled the oxygen tube from my mom’s nose. Every time I think about that day, I cry. I torture myself with the same question over and over. If I’d just apologized, would my mom still be alive? Tristan used to kiss away my tears when I told him that story. He’d hold me and say, “He’s the one who cheated. He’s the one who was wrong, not you. Never you.” But now he’s using that scar, the deepest wound I have, to threaten me. All for Sarah. Tristan smiles like he’s already won. “Liv, be good. Apologize to Sarah.” I bend at the waist and bow. I bite my lip so hard I taste blood. “I’m sorry.” I straighten up and look at Tristan. “Is that good enough?” Tristan hesitates for a second and glances at Sarah. Sarah’s wearing a smug little victor’s smile. “Whatever, I’m not petty like some people. I’ll let it go.” Tristan keeps trying to reassure me. “Liv, don’t worry, I promise I’ll get the ring back from her tomorrow and give it to you.” I’m standing less than two feet from him at the doorway, but it feels like there’s a century between us. I don’t want that ring anymore. In the taxi, I break down sobbing. The driver glances at me in the rearview mirror. “Miss, it’s pretty late for you to be out alone. Shouldn’t your husband see you off and make sure you’re safe?” I stare blankly out the window instead of answering. Sarah’s leaning against Tristan, drunk and giggling. She’s begging him to share an ice cream with her. They’re eating it together, and then Sarah slowly leans in and kisses him. “Tris, this is the sweetest ice cream I’ve ever had.” Tristan suddenly seems to sober up and pushes her away. “Sarah, I’m married.” Sarah starts crying. “But do you even love her?”

Tristan goes quiet. After a long pause, I hear him say, “If it wasn’t for the responsibility, I probably would’ve divorced her a long time ago.” The dull ache in my chest turns into a sharp knife twisting inside me. I cover my mouth with my hand, sobbing so hard I can’t breathe. “So this is what you call completely innocent?” Late that night, Tristan comes home with a cake in hand. He’s humming a song under his breath, and I recognize it immediately. It’s the same one Sarah posted about on Instagram yesterday. “Come on, babe, stop being mad, okay?” He softens his tone and gently rests his hand on my shoulder. “I just see Sarah as a kid, that’s all. She’s sensitive, and I was worried she might do something stupid, so I had to make you apologize to her. Look, I brought you your favorite chestnut cake, and tomorrow I’ll get your ring back, I promise.” When I was 18, this cake would’ve made me deliriously happy. I would’ve thrown myself into his arms thinking nothing in the world could taste sweeter. But now at twenty-eight, watching this man who once promised I’d be his only one, all I feel is cold dread seeping through me and freezing my heart solid. Fifteen minutes ago, Sarah made a post on Instagram. In the photo, she’s clutching a man’s hand and won’t let go, with a cake sitting beside them. Her caption reads: I told him I was scared of the pain, and he got a matching tattoo with me. Then he bought my favorite chestnut cake to make me feel better. Is this not the most amazing teacher-student bond ever? The tattoo design shows two roses intertwined together, and it’s right there on Tristan’s arm. “Wanna explain that?” When Tristan realizes I’m staring at the tattoo, his face flushes red with anger, and he yanks his sleeve down hard. “Sarah was just messing around. Can you stop making such a big deal out of everything?” “I’m making a big deal?” His words slam into me like a sledgehammer crushing straight through my chest. Matching couple tattoos were my teenage fantasy. Tristan shot me down every single time. “Look, I’m a teacher. The last thing I need is them getting inked because they saw mine. Stop being so clingy and annoying.” But when it’s Sarah, suddenly it’s nothing? So he’s not scared of romance. He’s not afraid of pain. He just doesn’t care about me enough… “Sarah’s right. Women get so emotional and throw fits over nothing. I’m staying at the campus for a few days, and you need to cool down and think about how you’re acting.” Tristan slams the door on his way out and tosses the cake in the trash like it’s garbage. I cover my stomach with both hands as tears stream down my face and hit the floor. I pull out a divorce agreement from my drawer, one that’s already been signed. Five years ago, Tristan knelt at my mom’s grave and signed this paper. “Liv, if I ever treat you badly, you can leave me anytime you want.” That passionate love from a young man five years ago has turned into nothing but empty air. During our cold war, Tristan suddenly shows up with Sarah and doesn’t say a word before shoving me into the car. “It’s Sarah’s graduation ceremony. You’re my wife, so you have to come when my student graduates.” The first time he bothers to contact me is because of Sarah. He must feel a little guilty because he actually explains himself for once. “Sarah has sensitive skin, and she’s scared of pain, so she hasn’t had time to take it off yet. Don’t worry. After the graduation ceremony, if she won’t take it off herself, I’ll take her to a jeweler to have it cut off.” Whether she can actually get the ring off doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t need that ring back anyway. At school, the two of them stand together on stage looking like the perfect couple. Tristan, who never shows emotion, actually tears up. “Sarah, don’t cry. I wrote you a recommendation letter, so nobody’s gonna mess with you when you get there.” “Northbridge gets cold, so remember to pack extra clothes. And when you leave here, you’re by yourself. I won’t be there to fix your problems or cover for you. You’re responsible for yourself now. Understood?” Sarah’s crying too, tears running down her face. The two of them look so reluctant to say goodbye, like a couple being torn apart. I can’t watch this anymore. As I turn to leave, someone sticks their foot out and trips me. I crash to the ground hard. “Ahh!” A sharp stiletto heel grinds into my wrist, and a group of teenagers with dyed hair grab my hair and yank my head back. “You old hag, who said you could mess with Sarah?” My face goes pale from the pain, and I look at Tristan desperately. “Tristan! Help me…” But he only glances at me once before his eyes go straight back to Sarah. Someone drags me by my hair while another person picks up a metal rod and swings it straight into my stomach. The pain explodes through my entire body. “No! My baby…” I curl up from the agony, everything goes black, and I feel blood running down my legs. When I wake up, I’m in a hospital bed. I can feel the emptiness where my baby used to be, and tears just keep sliding down onto the pillow. I can’t stop them. Outside my room, nurses are whispering and glancing at me with pity. “They both got hurt, but that girl in the next room just has low blood sugar and got dizzy. Her boyfriend called in specialists from across the state and keeps fussing over her… “Meanwhile, this poor woman got beaten so badly she lost her baby, and her husband hasn’t even bothered to show up once.” In the room next door, Tristan spoon-feeds Sarah some soup. Sarah suddenly throws her arms around him. “Tris, you need to stop being so good to me. I’m gonna fall too hard to ever let you go.” The sound of the bowl shattering hits the floor. Tristan’s eyes widen slightly. “Sarah, this isn’t right.” “Tristan, are you completely clueless? Can’t you tell I’m in love with you?” He looks away from her tearful face, hesitating, but then his hands settle gently on her waist anyway. Sarah’s face flushes as she climbs onto his lap. “You have feelings for me too, don’t you?” They start kissing. I watch the whole thing with my heart turning to stone. I stop recording, upload the video online, and the post shoots straight to the top of trending topics. My phone rings over and over, but I don’t answer. I just turn around and head for the airport, catching the first flight to Northbridge. That’s it. I’m done. I’m never looking back.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260619zFPgNHQ9a1 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni097602”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

Three years after I died, nothing grew around the estate where I’d lived. Anyone who got too close ended up seriously sick within days. People said I was a curse that would last forever. The rumors spread like crazy, and eventually, the media tracked down Winslet Hayes. She caved under the public pressure and brought in a medium to perform a ritual at the estate and stop me from causing more trouble. When they arrived, the place looked expensive but completely dead. Only cold wind cut through the empty rooms. She quickly pulled Leander Blackwell behind her and rolled her eyes. “That bastard Matthias. Can’t even stay quiet when he’s dead. Should’ve dumped him on some island in the middle of nowhere and let him rot.” But she doesn’t know this—my ghost is standing right beside her, watching her every move. My cursed body is trapped in the ground under her feet, rotting beneath the soil. *** The house that trapped me for three years sits there dark and empty. It’s noon right now, but sunlight can’t get inside. The whole place just feels wrong and makes your skin crawl. The medium Winslet brought, along with her apprentice, looks around the property. Their frowns just keep getting deeper. “There’s way too much resentment here. This is gonna be tough to fix.” The medium remains silent for a moment before finally speaking, “We need to find the body first. Then we’ll use a blade made from a cursed gemstone to grind the bones into dust. That’s the only way we might be able to get rid of this energy.” The method sounds horrible and completely inhumane. Even this medium, who’s seen death plenty of times, struggles to say it out loud. But Winslet doesn’t even hesitate. She immediately orders someone to find cursed gem right away and tells the best craftsman to forge it into a blade as fast as possible. Then she leads everyone toward my grave. “Leander’s been having nightmares every single night. That bastard’s definitely behind it. So what if we dig up his grave and crush his bones? He deserves it.” They buried me in a rush, and it takes the group some time to even locate my grave. When they finally find my tombstone, waist-high grass surrounds it, wild and overgrown. The stone has toppled over long ago, its surface webbed with cracks. The ground is uneven, so Winslet has someone move the tombstone right under Leander’s feet, creating a level surface for him. Then she calls over two workers to dig up my grave. They only dig down about three to five feet before they hit a broken, rotting coffin. Everyone in town knows Winslet is coming here today to do an exorcism, and a bunch of people from the neighborhood show up to watch. They all think I’m the reason their lives have been so messed up. “You worthless bastard! Even death couldn’t make you behave!” An old man rushes up and spits at my grave. “They should’ve just thrown you in a ditch and left you to rot!” Another person steps forward and kicks the coffin hard. “Ms. Hayes was so good to you when you were alive, but you didn’t appreciate it. Now you’re dead, and you’re still causing trouble every day. How can someone be such garbage?” Yeah, everyone in Ridgemont knows Winslet “loved” me the most. Winslet waves her hand and tells everyone to back off. She’s about to signal the two workers to pry open the coffin lid when someone suddenly hugs her from behind. “Winslet, Matthias was still my brother,” Leander sighs. “Whatever he did wrong, I’ve already forgiven him. Can we just let him rest in peace?” Winslet wraps her arm around Leander’s waist and pats his back like she’s trying to comfort him. “Honey, you’re way too good to him. He stabbed you in the back, remember? Did you forget all those nights you woke up screaming from nightmares? I had him confined to this estate years ago, and I can kick him out today, too!” Leander nods, but cold sweat breaks out across his forehead. His anxiety is showing. The medium places a talisman on my coffin and tells her apprentice to open it up. The workers fear the dead too much to curse at the coffin like the others. They carefully break open each lock. After a whole lot of clanging and banging, the workers finally lift the coffin lid. But what’s inside isn’t my rotting, stinking body like they all expected. Instead, the entire coffin is filled with blood-soaked medals. Everyone just stares at all those medals in confusion. Only the medium steps forward and picks one up. The medal has tons of scratches all over it, and the blood has turned black with time. The medium searches through the coffin for a while, and then she suddenly says, “This is a dark ritual.” She pulls a pendant from beneath the medals. The gem is dark green, nearly black, with intricate patterns carved into its surface. Winslet lets out a mocking laugh. “How twisted. He died but he still left behind a ritual to mess with Leander’s sleep. We need to figure out what the hell he was trying to do.” The medium pulls out her dowsing rod, and the tip points straight at the house. The house is filled with extremely malicious energy, so the followers set up a protective circle outside before anyone goes in. Once they’re inside, the dowsing rod completely stops working. It just starts spinning like crazy and won’t stop. The medium tells everyone to search the house for my personal belongings, but they were all cleared out and burned the day after I died. Nothing of mine remains. The moment Leander steps into the house, cold sweat breaks out across his skin. He wants nothing more than to grab Winslet and leave. “Winslet, can we go? Please? I feel really sick.” Leander holds Winslet’s hand, but he can’t stop shaking. Winslet immediately tries to leave with Leander, but the medium nervously blocks their way. “Ms. Hayes, you can’t leave! To break this curse, the person who was closest to the deceased has to stay. If you leave now, the ghost will become way stronger!” No one’s ever dared defy Winslet, and now this medium actually has the nerve to stop her? Still, this woman is from the most prestigious spiritual order in the country, so Winslet can’t touch her. She forces herself to swallow her anger. Then she waves one hand sharply. An antique vase in the center of the hall topples over. The vase shatters on impact, and a notebook falls out from inside. Winslet picks it up and flips through it. There’s nothing written inside, which makes her even angrier. She’s about to rip the blank notebook to shreds when the medium snatches it away. Winslet glares at the medium like she wants to tear her apart. The medium ignores Winslet and starts chanting over the blank notebook. The apprentice came back empty-handed, but when she sees her teacher chanting over a notebook, she and the others form a circle and join in the chanting. The blank notebook slowly begins to show signs of use. “It’s the deceased’s diary!” “Read it!” Winslet’s expression darkens. “I want to see what kind of tricks you’ve got up your sleeve. And I want to know how that piece of trash Matthias even learned about this dark magic!” The medium opens the first page.

The medium begins reading from the diary. “Today is my twentieth birthday. Winslet came over to celebrate with me, and I’m so happy.” “But my brother Leander kept getting between us the whole time. He wouldn’t let me talk to her, and he kept hanging all over Winslet on purpose. It made me kind of upset.” “Maybe I’m just overthinking it. My brother would never treat me badly. I keep thinking about the day they found him and brought him home. Mom and Dad held him and cried so hard. I stood off to the side and promised myself I’d protect him too.” “But after that day, it felt like Mom and Dad didn’t love me anymore. They could only see him.” “Later, I went to the police academy, and Mom and Dad completely stopped loving me. Even when I burned my hand trying to make them breakfast, they just looked at me coldly and told someone to throw the food away.” “But my brother could bring home some cheap souvenir from vacation, and they’d treasure it like gold. They’d carry it everywhere and brag about it to anyone who’d listen.” “Still, he deserves all that love. My brother was missing for ten years, away from our parents for ten years. They can’t make up for it enough.” “At least I have Winslet. She’ll always be by my side.” The medium’s voice stays flat and emotionless, but it still makes me feel like I can’t breathe. Back then, I never imagined that one day Winslet would leave me too. After that, nobody in the world loved me. One day after we got married, Leander hurt himself doing extreme sports. He really loved that stuff. Mom and Dad told me I had to donate my right kidney to him. It was the worst possible timing. The police department was doing retention evaluations right then, and joining the force was my dream. A surgery that big meant I’d need months to recover, and I’d miss my only chance to make my dream come true. I didn’t want to do it. But my parents kept pushing me. Sometimes they’d beg, sometimes they’d threaten. They wouldn’t let it go. In the end though, it was Winslet who tied me down to the operating table. It was actually Winslet who did it. When she hears this part, Winslet gets even angrier. She grits her teeth and says, “He cheated on me first, and now he’s acting like he was so devoted? He’s got some nerve! Leander and his parents were so good to him. How could he say shit like this?” Leander lets out a small sigh of relief from his corner. He walks over to Winslet and puts his arm around her waist. “Don’t be mad, Winslet. He just got confused for a while. If… if they never found me back then, maybe Matthias wouldn’t have ended up like this…” As Leander says this, his eyes fill with tears. Winslet was already furious, and this makes her even angrier. She wipes away his tears and says angrily, “How is any of this your fault? You didn’t do anything wrong. Stop making excuses for him. This is all Matthias’s fault, that piece of trash!” Everyone watching has never even met me, but they all nod along, just as angry. The medium senses something off and keeps reading. “There’s a thunderstorm outside, and my side of the bed is empty. Winslet went to stay with Leander again.” “Ever since we got married, she keeps going over to his place. Every time she tells me not to misunderstand.” “Today the weather is terrible with thunder and strong winds. She’s always been terrified of storms, so I’m really worried about her. But when I tried to talk to her about it, she acted like it was no big deal.” “To stop me from following her, she locked me in my room. Then she left to see Leander. Leander called her and said he was scared of the thunder.” “Winslet, did you ever think that Mom and Dad might be there with Leander, but I’m here all alone?” “Today is October third. I don’t usually write down dates, but I’ll never forget this one. I can never be a cop now.” “Someone hit me, a car accident. They wanted to take me to the hospital, but Winslet wouldn’t let them.” “She said I was just using this as an excuse to go see some doctor. She keeps saying I betrayed her, but I don’t even know which doctor she’s talking about. She locked me in my room and wouldn’t let anyone treat my injuries.” “Twenty-four hours later, a family doctor finally came. The delayed treatment left my leg permanently damaged.” “I worked so hard for the police academy entrance exam, but now, none of that matters. How can someone who can’t even stand up become a cop?” “Winslet, you used to say you loved how dedicated I was to serving my country and the people. You said you’d always support me. But today, you clipped an angel’s wings with your own hands.”

I watch Winslet’s face, hoping to see even a little bit of nostalgia for what we used to have. That would at least prove she had real feelings for me once. But instead, she just grabs something nearby and throws it. “The proof you cheated is right there in front of us, and you still want to deny it? You’re absolutely shameless! Keep reading! Let’s hear what other bullshit he has to say!” The medium glances at Winslet, then continues reading. “My leg is broken, and I need to recover. But Winslet hasn’t come to see me once while I’ve been recovering. I’ve tried calling her but she won’t pick up.” “My parents did come by though. I thought they were here to check on me, but they just wanted to tell me to stop calling Winslet.” “They said Leander failed his police academy application again. He’s really upset about it, and Winslet is keeping him company while he clears his head. They begged me not to bother Leander. They said Leander had never asked for anything his whole life and wanted me to let him have it this time.” “My parents knelt in front of me and begged. It hurt so much to see them like that. They’re my parents, but here they are on their knees acting like they’re nothing.” “But I couldn’t say yes to them. My whole life, Leander took everything from me. First it was my toys, then my dreams, and then even my parents’ attention. Now he wants to take Winslet too, the only thing I have left.” “When I didn’t answer, my parents cried even harder. They were about to start banging their heads to the ground when I finally nodded. It felt like someone was stabbing my heart.” “Winslet still pulled some strings and got Leander into the police academy like he wanted. That was fine. Everything would’ve been fine if I hadn’t seen that entertainment news segment.” “On TV, a reporter asked Winslet if she and Mr. Blackwell were getting married soon. They didn’t say his name, but everyone knew they meant Leander standing next to Winslet. And Winslet and I were already married.” “Winslet just smiled and didn’t deny it. The media took that as a yes. I didn’t understand. I felt so hurt. Another reporter asked if Winslet had pulled strings to get Leander into the police academy.” “Winslet said no. She said the spot at the academy was supposed to be Leander’s all along, and that I stole it from him.” “My hands were shaking when I turned off the TV. I couldn’t listen anymore. Everything was gone. Even Winslet left me.” “In the end, they took away the one thing I was proud of, the dream that gave my life meaning. I looked down at my useless legs and cried.” After everyone hears those diary entries, they all go quiet. Only Winslet speaks up, her voice cold. “Still pretending? Aren’t you tired? Is it really that hard to admit you were having an affair?” Leander puts his arm around Winslet and rubs her back. “Winslet, Matthias was just upset because he couldn’t be a cop anymore. He was just saying things he didn’t mean. Don’t take it personally.” I watch the two of them being all lovey-dovey. The way they look at each other is so intense. I let out a quiet sigh. I remember when Winslet and I first got married. We were that sweet with each other too. But then Leander kept coming over to see Winslet. One thing led to another, and they ended up in bed together. When I caught them, I asked Winslet to explain. She didn’t even bother talking to me. She just said she was pregnant with Leander’s baby. Then she kicked me out of her company. She moved in with Leander and wouldn’t answer my calls. I had no way to reach her. Winslet gets annoyed listening to the diary entries, so she grabs the journal and starts reading it herself. “Winslet’s pregnant. She’s staying at Leander’s place now. I can’t see Winslet anymore, but Leander keeps coming around to mock me.” “He says our parents, my wife, and my career all belong to him now. He says I don’t deserve anything, that I’m just a pathetic failure.” “I didn’t want to fight with him, so I turned my wheelchair around and tried to leave. But he walked right toward me on purpose. When he passed by my wheelchair, he pretended to trip and fall to the ground.” “Winslet and my parents rushed over. Leander said I pushed him on purpose because I was jealous he could walk. I denied it, but nobody believed a word I said. They all called me ungrateful.” “Winslet was so upset that she had a miscarriage. She had people lock me up in this mansion on the estate outside of town.” “The house was huge, but I was the only one living there. The servants who took care of me just did their daily cleaning and prepared my meals. They never said a single word to me.” “The only company I had was a crow that built a nest on the eaves outside my window.” “Everyone says crows sound harsh and awful, but that crow’s voice was the most beautiful sound I heard during that whole time.”

Winslet continued reading. “But later, that crow who kept me company died in Ridgemont’s first snowfall.” “Winter in Ridgemont hits hard and fast. One night passed, and everything outside my window was covered in white. I struggled against the freezing wind to check on the nest, but all I saw were a few twigs barely hanging on.” “The cold wind had torn the nest apart. I looked down and saw the crow frozen and dead on the lawn below.” “The crow died, and I was alone again.” “I wanted to die, but they had the whole place locked down tight. Every sharp object was gone. The top floor of this mansion didn’t have elevator access, and I couldn’t get my wheelchair up the stairs.” “The only thing I could do was stop eating, but they figured out what I was doing pretty fast. So the servants stopped preparing meals and started giving me nutrition injections every single day instead.” “I couldn’t live properly, and I couldn’t die either.” “My mental state just kept getting worse. Pretty soon, I could only lie in bed, kept alive by the machines filling my room.” “Winslet didn’t want me, but she wanted to keep me alive.” “One day, a servant came into my room, turned on the TV, and then left.” “On the screen, Winslet stood in front of a crowd of reporters and personally denied every single achievement I’d earned at the police academy. She said all those awards were actually won by Leander, who just happened to look like me.” “The media goes absolutely crazy. I don’t even need to look to know how everyone is judging me.” “Sure enough, everyone says Leander was cursed to have a brother like me, and that the Blackwell family should be ashamed to have a son like me.” “Public opinion sweeps through the entire city like a tidal wave, and when it reaches its peak, my parents come out to respond. ‘We’re sorry, everyone. We didn’t raise our son properly,’ they said. ‘But we hope you can forgive Matthias for our sake. We spoiled him too much. We’re truly sorry.’” “Every single word they say just confirms those lies that were never even true. I’m lying in bed right now, and I don’t even have the energy to be angry anymore.” *** “I keep thinking about a few years ago when I was still a student at the police academy. Back when Leander hadn’t been found yet, and I was the only son in the family. Back before Winslet married me, when she was completely focused on me. Scene after scene flashes through my mind like a slideshow.” “Am I going to die? Maybe that’s better. Please let it be quick. I can’t take this suffering anymore.” “But I don’t get what I wish for. Ever since Leander came back, I haven’t gotten what I wished for even once.” I’m lost in these memories when a loud thud snaps me back to reality. Leander drops to his knees in front of Winslet. I guess Winslet just finished reading those diary entries and asked Leander if everything in them was true. Leander doesn’t try to defend himself. He just shoots back a question. “Winslet, is that really what you think of me? “He’s my own brother! I’ve always protected him! Why would I ever frame him? If you don’t believe me, just ask any servant in this house.” Winslet’s sharp gaze softens. She realizes she’s wrongly accused the person she loves. She carefully helps Leander back to his feet. “I almost got fooled again. I said those things, but I also ordered them to buy out all the media outlets. How did some reckless reporter still manage to publish that story?” After she says this, she opens the diary again and keeps reading. “A group of men broke into the house. They were stumbling around like drunk homeless people.” “The servants disappeared like they couldn’t see anything. Those men walked straight into my room. My leg was broken, and I’d been bedridden for so long. I couldn’t fight back.” “Their mouths reeked of alcohol and decay. They crawled all over me, breathing hard against my skin. And then they finished all over me.” “After that first day, someone came every day. Always drunk men.” “The servants only showed up when they needed to change out my IV. They never even bothered to clean me up or wipe away the filth on my body.” “Help me. Someone please help me. Or just kill me. Anyone, please.” “Leander came to visit, but Winslet didn’t. He said I looked disgusting now, like a dried up corpse. He said even those men didn’t want to come anymore because I was too dirty.” “He told me he wanted to preserve my best appearance, so he forced a bowl of medicine down my throat. The medicine tasted bitter, but not as bitter as my heart felt.” “He didn’t need to force me though. I would’ve drunk it on my own. I could finally die. “Winslet, I never want to see you again. Not in this life or the next.” The diary entries stop there. Everything after that is just huge dark red bloodstains covering the pages. Leander immediately speaks up. “That’s complete bullshit! What did I do wrong? Why is he lying about me like this?” Winslet, who usually treats Leander like he’s the most precious thing in the world, doesn’t move. When Winslet doesn’t answer, Leander starts to panic. “You don’t believe me, Winslet? He’s lying!” Winslet finally hugs him back. “I believe you, Leander. I believe you.” She turns to the medium. “This is ridiculous! Burn this journal right now!” Someone immediately moves forward to grab the diary. But the medium slowly lifts her head. “No, wait! Something’s wrong!”

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My name is Tabitha Wat, and my boyfriend is Remy Black. He has a girl friend named Elara Moore. Through careful maneuvering, she has schemed her way into marrying into a rich family in Briarwick, a prestigious clan. During the wedding reception, the young heirs of Briarwick bring out all sorts of props, ready to play pranks on the bride. The usually tough girl now stands with tearful eyes, casting a pleading glance at Remy. And the next thing I know, he pushes me forward. “Who cares who we play with? Don’t mess with the bride. Let’s play with the bridesmaid!” He whispers, trying to coax me. “Elara’s an internet celebrity marrying into a wealthy family. Anything posted online could ruin her reputation. You can take her place for a bit, and I’ll have her give you a big reward later.” “It’ll be more than you make in months delivering food.” Elara chimes in with a sycophantic smile. “Gentlemen, I know you love to have fun, and I won’t spoil it for you. Here’s my friend’s girlfriend, a delivery girl.” “Feel free to use all your props on her. Don’t waste them.” But she doesn’t know who I really am. I’m a big player in Briarwick. The delivery job is just a bet with my grandpa. I’ve taken down so many spoiled rich kids that they could start a parade. *** Among the groomsmen, Orson Creed, with a lip piercing, steps forward and scrutinizes me for a moment. “I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.” Of course he feels that way. After all, the Briarwick brats used to bully ordinary people. And I took them all down. But now, my once fiery red hair has turned gold, and my blazing red lips have faded to bare, unpainted skin. My leather jacket is swapped for a white dress. My dark glasses, and my sun-tanned skin from food deliveries. No one can recognize their old nightmare. Elara smiles awkwardly. “She’s just a delivery girl. Maybe she’s delivered food to you before.” Orson sneers and points to a black device behind him that is emitting electric currents. “A lie detector that can make someone lose control of their bladder and bowels.” He says, blowing a smoke ring. “Delivery girl, why don’t you give it a try?” I turn to Remy, my voice calm. “On our first day together, you said you’d always stand in front of me and protect me. Now this?” He averts his gaze, looking guilty. “Tabitha, Elara is pampered, while you work in the sun and rain. You’re tougher. Just take her place for the pranks.” Fine. I was blind to see him for who he really was. I try to ignore the sting in my heart. I press my tongue against the roof of my mouth and raise an eyebrow. “Gentlemen, enjoy your fun. I’m out of here.” I stride towards the door. Elara screams. “Remy, who will take my place if she leaves? No!” Remy quickly blocks my path. His face is stern. “You can be a little difficult sometimes.” “But now, with all these wealthy young men here, if you just walk out and offend them, what will happen to Elara? And what about my family?” I look up at him. It’s still the same handsome face. But it feels so unfamiliar. I give no response. Remy grabs my hand and says firmly. “Tabitha, if you don’t take Elara’s place today, we’re done.” He looks confident. Elara covers her mouth and giggles, explaining to the groomsmen. “In the past year, every time Remy threatened to break up, Tabitha would give in. She really can’t live without him!” “I understand, though,” she adds, her eyes filled with disdain as she looks at me. “For a nobody like you, snagging Remy is like winning the social lottery.” I sigh and check my phone. I’m genuinely trying to negotiate. “Remy, can we break up in an hour?”

I add, “One more hour and it’ll be our one-year anniversary.” It’s a matter of the successor test, and I have to give in to keep him. Remy looks like he had expected this. “I knew you couldn’t bear to break up with me. Babe, I can’t bear it either. What I said earlier was just a way to get you to comply.” He smiles, takes my hand, and places it on his chest. “Even though I’m helping Elara today, my heart is only with you.” “I promise, as long as you help Elara with this little favor, I won’t break up with you.” No wonder he’s so confident. Last week, Elara kissed Remy in front of me while drunk. She even told me smilingly that she had once snapped Remy’s dick when they were very young. She said, “If I had feelings for Remy, we would have been together long ago.” And he said, “Tabitha, we are just friends. No romance.” I didn’t break up with him at the time. Everyone thought I was head over heels in love with Remy. Thinking of this, I curse my grandpa all over again. I have to admit I regret agreeing to that bet. “Come on.” Orson loses his patience and kicks the crystal centerpiece in the middle of the hotel room. His fierce expression makes everyone’s heart tremble. “Have you decided yet? Who will play these games?” Elara tugs at Remy’s sleeve, on the verge of tears. She doesn’t even need to ask now. Remy hands her a tissue in distress, his glance warning me. “Tabitha, you go and play the games for Elara right now. If you delay for even a second, we’re done!” I can’t lose the bet at the last moment. When I look up again, there’s only a fake smile of submission on my face. “Okay, I’ll do it.” Elara breathes a sigh of relief and turns on the live broadcast. “Hey everyone, I’m live-streaming my wedding for you!” “Yes, that’s the Creed heir, the one who loves thrilling games the most.” “He’s so hot, isn’t he? Well, our other groomsmen are also powerful and good-looking!” “That’s why my bridesmaid is so eager to play those games!” The comments are all negative. “Isn’t this girl the one who appeared in Elara’s live broadcast last time, Mr. Black’s girlfriend?” “I remember she was a food delivery girl. Wasn’t it enough to seduce Mr. Black? Now she’s trying to steal the spotlight at Elara’s wedding.” “Well, that’s what gold diggers do, but she’s picking the wrong person this time. Mr. Creed is famous in the circle for only loving games and not beauties, and he’s cruel.” “She should have hooked someone else, not Mr. Creed, who doesn’t flinch at the sight of blood!” I glance at the comments and then at Orson. I can’t associate him with the person who used to cower in front of me. I sit down on the chair casually and reach out. “Go ahead and test me!” The bodyguard connects the lie detector to me. Elara suddenly speaks up. “Mr. Creed, you don’t know her well. Will you let me ask the questions?” She turns her back to the screen and lowers her voice. “After all, you also want to see her lose control and soil herself from the electric shock, right?” Orson, with a cigarette in his mouth, leans lazily on the sofa. He waves his hand in agreement. Elara smiles sweetly. “The first question.” “Have you ever killed an animal? A pet, that is.”

I think for a moment and then nod, admitting it readily. “Yes, I have.” The comments section erupts with criticism. “This woman is ruthless! She killed a pet!” “And look at her expression. She doesn’t care at all!” Remy’s eyes are full of disappointment. “Tabitha, I never expected you to be so ruthless.” Orson, on the other hand, seems intrigued. “Why did you kill it?” I reply, “To save someone.” Orson presses on. “What kind of pet was it?” It was a wolf, legal to keep abroad. I brought it home to the manor with great joy, only to find it trying to attack the delivery guy on its first day. I slashed its neck without hesitation. But I can’t share that detail. If I did, Orson might start to suspect my true identity. *** After my 16th birthday, I was sent abroad to expand the family business. I passed the heiress’s test with flying colors. But since I’d once caused chaos in Briarwick, my grandpa still thought I was too unpredictable. Around that time, I was dating Remy and working as a food delivery driver, getting a taste of life along the way. He proposed an extra challenge. “If you don’t break up with him within a year and no one discovers your real identity, you win.” “Only then will you be qualified to be the successor of our family.” *** A year has passed. I’ve been gentle and considerate with Remy, fearing he might break up with me. He and his friends all think I’m head over heels in love with him. I did like him once, but a man who’s rotten to the core doesn’t deserve a place in my heart. I shake my head. “I won’t go into the details.” Elara, with her eyes red, is stirring up trouble. “Even if a cat or dog bites, that doesn’t give you the right to kill it. How could you be so cruel? Tabitha, you’re completely heartless!” In the live broadcast, the audience is furious. “Expose her!” “I can’t stand this. If she’s a delivery girl, would she retaliate against society for bad reviews?” “Expose her! I’ll go to her doorstep and throw manure!” I can see Elara’s deliberate provocation and Remy’s subtly hurt gaze. And I understand instantly. Elara has schemed her way into a wealthy family, but she can’t stand to see Remy and me together. She’s using this chance to tarnish my image. But she doesn’t know that I’ve long stopped caring about this relationship.

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After ten years of marriage, I discovered an unfamiliar paternity test on my husband Bruce Dryden’s computer. The report says that the son I’ve raised for a decade—Gerald Dryden—isn’t biologically mine. But I raised this child myself. If that’s the case, where is my biological child? “Honey, what are you still doing in the study so late?” Hearing his voice, I quickly close the document, guilt washes over me. He notices anyway. His face darkens as he looks at me. “So, you don’t trust me that much!” I open the paternity test report and confront him, demanding an explanation. But he quickly shuts down the computer, accusing me of invading his privacy. Watching his retreating back, I realize how distant we’ve become after ten years of marriage. Calmly, I open the drawer and tear up the tenth-anniversary gift I had prepared. … I pull open the bottom drawer, revealing a signed share transfer agreement. I had planned to transfer 15% of the company’s shares to him as a gift for our tenth anniversary tomorrow. But now, it seems pointless. I take the agreement out and tear it to pieces. The shreds fall into the trash bin, mixing with the wrapping paper of the prepared anniversary gifts. Looking at those gifts, I no longer feel the joy of preparing them; instead, I feel a wave of nausea. When I return to the bedroom, Bruce is already in bed, as if nothing happened. I stand at the door for a long time, watching his sleeping back, before turning to the guest room. I don’t sleep a wink all night. The next morning, Bruce wakes me up. He stands at the door of the guest room, his face full of anger. “Thera, what do you mean by sleeping in the guest room?” I sit up and look at him. This face I’ve known for ten years now feels so unfamiliar. “I need some space.” He tries to say something, but in the end, he just shakes his head. “Whatever.” After Bruce leaves for work, I make breakfast as usual. Gerald sits at the table, drinking milk. “Mom, you look pale.” I touch his hair, soft and curly like Bruce’s. Over the years, many people have said they look alike. “I didn’t sleep well last night. Hurry up and eat, or you’ll be late.” On the way to school, I keep drifting off. At a red light, I turn around, pretending to adjust his collar, and I carefully pull a loose strand of hair caught on his collar. “There’s gray hair. Let me take it out for you.” I say, tucking the hair into a small notebook I carry with me. After watching Gerald walk into school, I head to the paternity testing center. “How soon can I get the results with an expedited service?” “Normally it takes five working days, but with an expedited service, you can get the results before 4:00 PM today. The cost is triple.” “Expedited, please.” My hand trembles a bit when I submit the sample. After taking my oral swab, I sit in the waiting area, watching the clock tick by. During this time, I contact a private detective. “I want to look into my husband, Bruce Dryden, especially his whereabouts in the past few months.” At 3:40 PM, my phone rings; the results are out. I open the electronic report and go straight to the end. “DNA analysis shows that the probability of a parent-child relationship between Thera Dryden and Gerald Dryden is 0.0001%.” “Genetic marker analysis does not support Thera Dryden being Gerald Dryden’s biological mother.” I thought I was prepared. I wasn’t. The words blur, and I slide down the wall, my legs giving out beneath me. Not my child. I’ve raised a child for nearly ten years who isn’t biologically mine. Where is my real child? I rush to the maternity hospital where I gave birth nine years ago. I meet the obstetrician from back then, who is now the department head. I get straight to the point. “Dr. Felix, I’d like to review my delivery records and hospital files from back then.” Her smile falters. “It’s been so long; the files might be archived.” After some effort, the records room staff finally bring over a folder. I flip through it and find the records are extremely brief, listing only admission and discharge dates, delivery method, and the newborn’s weight. The file is strangely thin—no nursing logs, no pediatric assessments, nothing beyond the bare minimum. “Is this all there is?” She apologizes. “That’s all in the system. Paper records for obstetric cases are usually kept for ten years, and yours is almost up.” “What about the newborn’s footprints? The blood sample records?” She shakes her head. “Those should be in the neonatal records, but we couldn’t find them.” Something isn’t right. An overly simplified medical record, missing neonatal records, and a son who isn’t biologically mine but looks like my husband. My phone rings. It’s Bruce. “Where did you go? I picked up Gerald.” I realize it’s past school dismissal time, but I had told the teacher beforehand. “I’m out running errands and will be home soon.” I hang up immediately. After dinner, I excuse myself with a headache and head to the bedroom early. Bruce stays in the living room, helping Gerald with his homework. Their voices drift in faintly. “Dad, is Mom upset?” “Mom’s just tired. Finish your homework and go to bed early.” Once they’ve both fallen asleep, I begin to quietly search the entire house. The master bedroom, the living room, and Gerald’s room, I search everywhere. But I find nothing. Finally, I look at the computer in the study, thinking the truth must be there.

Footsteps sound outside the door, and I close the document. When Bruce pushes the door open, I’m tidying up the desk. He glances at the computer screen, which is now back to the desktop, showing a photo of us by the sea three years ago. “Not asleep yet?” “Just going through some old files.” I reply, turning off the monitor as I speak. He stands there for a moment, as if he wants to say something, but in the end, he just nods. “Get some rest.” I sit in the dark, listening to his footsteps fade away. That night, I don’t turn the computer back on and lie in bed with my mind in a mess. The next morning, I tell Bruce to take Gerald to school. He looks at me, then picks up the car keys. “Alright.” As soon as they leave, I head straight to the study. I turn on the computer and type in the password, our wedding anniversary. It’s wrong. I try his birthday, wrong again. Then our son’s birthday, still dead end. Then the date we first met… His mother’s birthday… And the day the company was founded. None of them work. The system prompts me to try again in fifteen minutes. I sit in the chair, staring at the login screen. This computer, which we bought together, is now locked to me. When Bruce gets home from work in the evening, he takes off his coat. “I’m flying to Portle tomorrow. Don’t know how long I’ll be gone.” I come out of the kitchen with a dish. “So urgent? Who’s going with you?” He puts his briefcase on the table and turns to look at me. “It’s a last-minute arrangement, Thera. Could you stop it?” I look at him in silence, wondering why a casual question would cause such a reaction. “You question everything, suspect everyone. I’m just going to work.” I turn to serve the rice, my hand trembling a bit. “Just asking.” He doesn’t say anything more and goes straight into the bedroom. Dinner is done in silence. Gerald seems to sense something and, unusually, doesn’t pick at his food. After Bruce takes a shower, he comes out and picks up the coat on the sofa to hang it on the rack. A receipt falls out of his pocket and lands at my feet. After he leaves, I pick it up and take a look. It’s a perfume invoice, expensive, purchased yesterday afternoon. I don’t recognize the perfume, but I know it’s not for me. In ten years of marriage, Bruce has never given me a gift. I used to make excuses for him, thinking he’s not romantic, too busy with work. Now it seems he’s not incapable of romance. He just never shows me any when we are together. I jot down the information on the invoice. The next morning, as soon as Bruce heads to the airport, I call the boutique. “I’d like to check this invoice, yes, from yesterday afternoon.” “Let me check. Found it. The purchaser is Ms. Judith Dickey.” Judith Dickey. The name rings a bell. Bruce’s secretary, hired half a year ago, is a divorced woman in her thirties. On the way to the airport, I don’t know what I want to confirm. Maybe the perfume is for a client, and maybe I’m reading too much into it. I wait outside the international departure hall for half an hour before I see Bruce and her. Judith, in a beige trench coat and dragging a small suitcase, walks over with Bruce. Bruce’s face wears a relaxed smile I haven’t seen in a long time. Then, in front of the security checkpoint, Judith stops and naturally reaches up to straighten Bruce’s collar. Bruce doesn’t flinch. He leans down and whispers something in her ear. Judith smiles, then rises on her toes and kisses him on the lips. Bruce’s hand rests on her waist for a moment before they part, as if it’s second nature to them. The last shred of self-deception I held onto vanishes completely. So those late nights at work, those impatient looks he gave me, they all had a reason. As I watch their intimate figures, a suspicion gradually forms in my mind. Could that child who isn’t mine have anything to do with this woman? On the way back, I call the private detective I hired a few days ago. “Find out more about Judith Dickey. I want to know everything about her, especially if she has any children.”

The detective works quickly, and by the afternoon of the next day, I receive the investigation report. Judith Dickey, thirty-two years old, divorced five years ago, has a ten-year-old son named Carter Dickey, who attends a primary school in the west of the city. That date suddenly jumps out at me. Judith’s son is only a week younger than Gerald. For the first time in ten years, rage surged through me. I sit on the sofa, holding the report sent by the detective. Then, an idea pops into my head, and I rush into the study. My fingers hover over the keyboard before slowly typing in Judith’s birthday. The desktop opens, revealing only a folder named “Work Backup.” I click on it, and it’s filled with subfolders, organized by year, starting eleven years ago. The earliest folder contains scanned old photos. Bruce and Judith in school uniforms, standing under a locust tree. Nineteen-year-old Bruce smiles, his hand on Judith’s shoulder. Judith, with a ponytail, looks up at him. The next one is from college, in the library. The one after that is their graduation photo, both in academic gowns, holding hands. That year, Bruce told me the company was in trouble, and we canceled our anniversary trip. I close the folder, feeling a bit nauseous. Ten years. Every single one of them built on lies. Looking at the wallpaper of Bruce and me on our wedding day, I feel a wave of revulsion. At three in the afternoon, I drive to the west of the city. The primary school is even older than the detective described. The school bell rings, and children pour out of the gate. I sit in the car, gripping the steering wheel. Carter walks out alone, with no one to pick him up. He looks around, then slowly moves forward along the sidewalk. I hold my breath. That child, Carter. No, that’s my child. The way he walks is a bit like mine, with a slight inward tilt. When he raises his hand to adjust his hair, I see a birthmark on his wrist, in the same spot as mine. I see dust on his eyelashes, his lips a bit dry, the edge of his shoe already coming unglued. His eyes look empty, not like those of a ten-year-old. I cover my mouth to keep from making a sound. He walks away and disappears around the corner. I collapse over the steering wheel and cry uncontrollably. For that child walking home alone, for the ten years of misplaced life, and for myself, living like a fool in a play orchestrated by the traitors. Then I dry my tears and start the car. At the law firm, I place the USB drive in front of Lawyer Henley. It contains backups of all the photos, the paternity test report, scanned hospital records, the perfume invoice, and information on Judith and Carter. “I want a divorce. I want him to leave with nothing. I want custody of my blood and for him to pay the price he deserves.” As I leave the law firm, I remember what Bruce said when he proposed ten years ago. “Thera, I’ll give you a lifetime of stability.” So the lifetime he meant was only ten years. No, maybe even less. I take out my phone and call the company’s second-largest shareholder, also my father’s old colleague. “Mr. Watt, I’d like to talk to you about next week’s board meeting.” Bruce probably forgot that the company bears the Adam name.

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My name is Iris Browne. When my brother-in-law, Joseph Paul, died in my bed, everyone believed they knew exactly what had happened. To atone for my so-called crime, my husband, Gale Austin, divorced me and married my adopted sister, Carol Browne. The company I built, the shares that bore my name, all handed over by my brother, Stephen Browne, to Carol, who quickly rose to dazzling stardom. As for me? I was packed off to a mental institution, a convenient exile to dodge justice. By the time the statute of limitations expired, I had already become a ghost in their world. They came to pick me up. Gale carefully draped a coat over my shoulders, looking at me with sympathy. “Iris, it’s over now. I’ll always be here for you.” But outside, reporters swarmed like wasps around sugar. “Ms. Browne, how could you shamelessly seduce your own brother-in-law and get away with his death?” “Isn’t it an insult to the victim that you dodged prison with a fake psychiatric diagnosis and spent your days lounging in a mental ward?” I didn’t hear them. The endless electroshock therapy in the mental institution had left me with constant tinnitus. Then it happened. A fan of Carol flung a bottle of rancid animal blood straight at me. “You witch! Because of you, Carol had no one to celebrate her birthday!” “You killed her husband, destroyed her family, and now you’re trying to steal her last living relative, too? Why don’t you just drop dead?” I stood frozen as the thick liquid dripped down my face. But that wasn’t true. Back then, they’d dislocated my jaw so I couldn’t speak in my own defense. Forged evidence. Painted me as a monster. All to bury the truth: Carol was the real killer! *** Slowly, I raised a hand and wiped the blood from my eyes. No tears. No hysterics. Not even a flicker of reaction. I turned and walked away from the shouting crowd. “Iris?” Stephen’s voice cut through the noise behind me, tight with disbelief. “Where are you going?” Gale stepped in front of me, brows knitted. “Don’t make a scene here, Iris. We’re taking you home.” I stopped. Finally, I looked at them. “Home?” “Which one? Stephen, didn’t you sign over everything I owned to Carol? What home is left for me?” Stephen’s expression stiffened. I turned to Gale, whose fingers were still clamped tightly around my hand. I curved my lips into a bitter smile. “Oh, I forgot to say. Congratulations on your marriage to Carol.” “Though honestly, no need to hide it next time. If you could carry on an affair under my roof, clearly public opinion doesn’t trouble you.” “Iris!” His face darkened. “Must you talk to me with this attitude?” Stephen bristled and reached for my arm. “What kind of attitude is that? After everything we’ve done for you, this is how you repay us?” As they tugged at me, the same fan barreled forward again, eyes blazing with hatred. She raised her hand to slap me. “Bitch, how dare you disrespect Stephen and Carol’s husband? I ought to kill you!” This time, Gale and Stephen caught her. Gale turned to me, exasperated. “Iris, can’t you see you’re only making things worse? Why can’t you just talk through this?” Seriously? I stared at him. It was almost laughable. “Making things worse?” “Let me ask you something. What have I done, from the very beginning to now, that warranted any of this? She’s a murderer! You protected her, locked me away in a living hell, and wrecked my life! And now you want me to thank you? You’re no better than executioners.” “Shut up!” Stephen roared. “There was no murder! Carol is a gentle, innocent girl. Don’t you dare slander her!” “You’re just jealous! You envied Joseph’s love for her, and that’s why you concocted this sick fantasy!” “Sending you to the mental institution was mercy. It was for treatment, not punishment. The least you can do is be grateful.” Gale sighed. “Iris, please. I know you feel wronged. Marrying Carol was temporary.” “She fell into a deep depression after Joseph’s death. Being with her was part of your atonement.” “Once she’s better, we can start over. I promise. And I’ll never leave you again.” Slap! I swing my hand and strike him across the face with all the force I have. The crack echoed through the air. Gale’s head snapped to the side, a bright red handprint blooming on his cheek. He looked genuinely stunned, as if he never imagined I’d raise a finger against him. Stephen gaped at me. “Iris, have you lost your mind?” My breath hitched. My voice broke through the haze of fury. “Start over?” “Gale, you truly disgust me.” “Go live your perfect life with your dear Carol. A scoundrel and a scheming snake, you’re a match made in hell. I won’t keep you company anymore!” Stephen’s face twisted with fury. He jabbed a finger at me. “Iris, this is your last chance! Kneel. Apologize to Gale and Carol, right now. Or don’t expect me to see you as my sister ever again! Just see how you survive in Seaford without my protection!”

Just then, a sleek, understated luxury limousine glided to a halt at the edge of the crowd. The door opened silently. Carol emerged with poised grace, her assistant steadying her elbow. “Stephen, Gale, please, don’t speak to Iris like that.” The moment Gale and Stephen saw her, they practically bolted to her side. “Why did you come out, Carol?” Stephen said urgently. “It’s chaos out here. Get back in the car!” “He’s right, Carol. You don’t feel well. You shouldn’t have come.” Gale added, wrapping an arm protectively around her, shielding her from view. Their cautious demeanor was a blade in my gut. Once, they had cherished me in the same way. *** Some older students cornered me at school back then. Stephen shrugged off his backpack and threw himself into the fight, one against three. Bruised and bleeding, he’d grin like a fool and say, “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” Meanwhile, Gale removed every obstacle in silence. He leveraged family power to crush the other boys’ families, forcing them out of the city. His father had punished him for it, six lashes across his back. Yet he never told me. The clearer those memories became, the more grotesque the present felt. It was like I was watching a dream rot into a nightmare. No one was paying attention to me. The same fan who’d attacked me before seized her chance. Along with a few others, she lunged forward, yanking my hair and slamming me to the ground. “Rip that seductive face to shreds!” “Murderer! Let’s purge society of trash like you!” “She deserves it! Beat her!” Over the five years in the institution, I’d learned to absorb pain. To curl inward, shield my head and chest, and wait for it to pass. Blurred vision swam as they kicked and dragged me. Through a slit of sight, I saw Gale lean close to Carol, murmuring reassurances. His expression was softer than I’d seen in years. Stephen, meanwhile, glanced at me with undisguised disgust. Carol feigned shock, as if she hadn’t noticed the mess until now. “Stop!” She cried, stepping between them and me. Gently, she reached out. “Iris, are you alright?” Yet her fingers dug cruelly into the wound on my arm. I let out a strangled groan. She flinched as if I’d burned her, then burst into dramatic tears. “I… I’m sorry, Iris. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just wanted to help.” Before I could respond, Stephen drove his foot into my ribs. I crumpled, rolling across the pavement, vision dimming. “How much longer will you keep hurting Carol?” He snarled, grabbing my hair and yanking my head up. “Still acting? After all this time, still playing the victim? Carol barely touched you, and you clutch your wounds like martyrdom.” “Trying to pull that old trick again? Pretending to be her, saving me, then framing her and ruining her reputation? Ruining the career she has built for years?” “Let me make this clear, Iris. Carol is kind. She fears these lies. Me? I’m not so forgiving.” The agony in my scalp was blinding. “If you try those stunts again, the mental institution will welcome you back. You better believe it.” “Enough!” Gale wrenched Stephen’s wrist away. “She’s still your sister.” “Does she deserve to be?” Stephen shoved him off. “Ever since she ran from that valley and left me to die, all for her own skin, she’s no longer my sister. From that day forward, Carol is the only sister I have.”

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Seven years after graduation, Webster Hill and I—Elena Bertie—received invitations to the same New Year’s gala. At the reunion dinner, our former headmaster teased him from across the table, steam rising from the dishes between them. “Elena once gave up her entire future for you. So… when are you two finally making it official?” Webster’s glance flicked toward me. His throat tightened. “I’m getting married next month.” While the table erupted in whistles and applause, he added, almost under his breath, “To Vivian.” The name had dropped like a blade, the air had gone still. Every gaze had slid to me, soft with pity. I lifted a bite of fish, smiled upward, and said, “Congratulations.” Then I went on eating. Whatever had to do with Webster had nothing to do with me. I focused on eating—one bite for me, one for the child I was carrying. My deskmate, Lisa, watched me wolf down rice and sighed. “Well, turn grief into appetite, I suppose.” I rolled my eyes, cheeks bulging, and mumbled through the grains. “That page turned years ago. I’ve long moved forward.” “Don’t act tough. If you wanna cry, my shoulder’s right here.” Her earnestness startled me. I had no idea that my love for him was so obvious to everyone. Webster swapped seats with Lisa and settled beside me. “Dude, promise you’ll come to the wedding.” My fork paused. I had not heard the word for so long. It summoned the ghost of a girl once chased down corridors by spit and stones. I answered, polite and level. “Call me Elena, please.” The deliberate distance made his smile falter. “Elena, if we can’t be… Well, we can still be friends. I really hope you can be there.” “We used to fight side-by-side. Such good times.” We ate together, crammed together, and chased girls together. Or rather, I helped him chase Vivian Kitto. “Sorry, busy that day. I can’t make it.” The twenty-fifth was my son’s birthday. We already had a family day planned at Disney. His eyes dimmed. “You never used to refuse me, Elena.” “You said it yourself. That was before.” I rose, bag over shoulder, and took my leave of the table. “I’ve got a child to bathe and tuck in. Enjoy the evening, guys.” Webster suddenly caught my wrist. Something unreadable flared in his gaze. “What child? Are you nannying for someone?” I slipped free easily. “I’m married. I have a son.” A short, harsh laugh escaped him. “Still the same, Elena, clinging to your dignity while your soul rots.” I never bothered to recall the past. It had never been pride. He had simply trampled my dignity so Vivian could walk on it. “I trust her.” The click of stilettos approached. Vivian had arrived, radiant as ever, claiming every gaze. She tucked her hand through his arm and beamed. “Long time no see, Elena. Sorry I’m late.” “Since the twenty-fifth is impossible, bring your husband to my bachelorette on the twenty-fourth.” That would be Christmas Eve. Why should I gift it to her? I was about to refuse when she turned to the room with a lilting smile. “Surely Elena has let go of the past, right?” “After all, you and Webster practically grew up together.” The words clubbed me across the ribs. *** I was ten when my dad carried a one-legged boy into our house. His war-comrade’s only son, Webster. His parents were crushed beneath their own roof in the quake, only to save his life. Disaster had made him brittle, suspicious. I offered my favorite toy. But he smashed it. “My models are rubble. Don’t bother to remind me!” My parents spooned pork into his bowl. But he sniffed at their kindness. “You don’t have to raise me. Just send me to an orphanage.” He wanted death. His eyes were dim. I washed his twisted foot, steadying him through physiotherapy. He squinted at me, mocking me as the little foot-maid. One winter noon, I tried to support him into sunlight. Yet he shoved me into the freezing pond, and I burned with a fever for a week. In the end, even my parents talked of giving him up and sending him to the orphanage. Only my childish stubbornness kept him.

For five years, I had been his crutch. And slowly, he finally saw me as a friend. We linked pinkies. “Elena, you saved me. I swear to you a lifetime of happiness.” When I shivered, he draped his blazer around my shoulders. At meals, every rib on his plate migrated to mine. The day I vaulted into the grade’s top ten, he was more excited than I was. On that day, he hugged me so hard our fingers locked. I believed we would live happily ever after, just like Webster had promised before. But then, Vivian appeared. She would be redoing her senior year here. With long hair, she had a face every boy would sketch in his notebook. As the monitor, Webster introduced her around the class. When he reached me, Vivian smiled oddly. “Elena Bertie, your girlfriend, right? The famous power-couple.” My smile remained. But his voice cut across, slow and deliberate. “You’re mistaken, Vivian. Elena’s my buddy.” My heart clenched. Stunned, I looked at him in disbelief. Under her measuring stare, I managed a nod. “Right, we’re buddies.” I wanted to question him, but on second thought, I realized he never actually said he loved me, let alone intended to marry me. The whole drama was just my wishful thinking. I drew back without hesitation. He had no love for me, after all. He asked me to help him chase Vivian. So I covered his midnight trysts, even ghost-wrote his love notes to her. I kept my love deep inside my heart, keeping my distance. Then one dawn, he knocked at my bedroom door. “Elena, she turned me down. She said a cripple like me doesn’t deserve her…” His eyes had been road maps of sleepless nights. A sour ache rose in me. I couldn’t help but hug him. “It’s her loss if she said so. If she doesn’t want you, I do. I’ve loved you for years.” His throat bobbed. Inside his eyes were emotions I could barely understand. The next second, he kissed me. “Elena, MIT together, then we get married.” The dean informed me one day. If I ranked first in the recommendation exam, I would secure a guaranteed spot at MIT. I studied like a maniac, thinking happiness was glittering just ahead. But on exam morning, Webster had an accident. A car slammed into him at the gate, hurling him three meters. I sprinted across the asphalt, screaming for an ambulance. The dean kept reminding me, “Ten minutes to the exam, Elena. I’ll accompany him. Just go!” But Webster’s fingers clawed into my palm, blood warm. I looked up through a haze of tears. “I’ll renounce my guaranteed admission. I choose to take the SAT.” In my eyes, no future was worth more than his safety. A month later, as I helped Webster limp into the classroom, Vivian stepped forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Webster, you’re my boyfriend now.” During my bewilderment, she looped her arms around his neck, smiling with reckless triumph. “Since you were willing to take that risk for me, you must come to my send-off dinner.” “A send-off dinner?” My voice came out dry and cracked, as though a fist closed round my heart. “I’ve been accepted by MIT through the recommendation exam. So, yeah, I’m holding a party.” She looked at me, mouth curved in contempt. “And I have you to thank for it, kind enough to surrender your own place for my boyfriend.” I trembled, trying to argue, “Webster is my…” “Buddy,” he cut in, and the word dropped me into an ice cellar. A tear slid free. Webster’s body went rigid. “Elena, you want me to be happy, don’t you?” “Even without the recommendation, with your grades, you’ll still get in.” I refused to believe it and caught his sleeve, breathing in sobs. “We said we’d be together. You promised me a lifetime of happiness…” Vivian shoved me hard. “Stop scheming after my man under that cover of ‘his buddy’.” “I’ve seen your sort before, man-stealing tomboy.” My head struck the lectern. Blood seeped through my hair. Webster tried to reach for me, but Vivian pouted. “Tomboys have a trick for every occasion. It’s just a little cut. Look how she plays the fragile innocent.” With a gloomy face, he took Vivian’s hand and walked away. By the time I came home bandaged, Webster had made an excuse and moved out. Needless to ask whose idea it was. Guess I had lost my mind, still clinging to the pact we made, unable to let go. On Webster’s birthday, Vivian shook her hair loose and slipped her elastic around his wrist. “Here’s my gift. Happy birthday.” Sweetness flooded his eyes. “I love it.” I refused to be outdone. In public, I handed him the present I salvaged from five sleepless nights. It was the old plastic model buried with his house in the earthquake. His gaze faltered. When he shifted his gaze to me this time, something in him softened. Vivian’s eyes reddened, her voice shook. “Give the hair-tie back. I see, you prefer your girl-buddy’s gift.” “Are you flaunting it to shame me? To call me stingy and careless?” The air around us curdled. Her best friend jabbed a pen into my forehead. “Tomboy, what’s your game? Throwing down the gauntlet in front of the real girlfriend?” Panic seized Webster. He swept the model to the floor and ground it beneath his heel. Then, he turned to me, his voice glacial. “I’m an adult. Who keeps toys from childhood?” “Growing up together doesn’t mean we forget boundaries.” Shards littered the ground. With red eyes, I lifted my head. “But that night, you came to my room…” and kissed me. The last three words never left my lips before a vicious slap snapped my head sideways. “Elena, don’t push your luck!” The sting on my cheek was nothing beside the tearing in my chest. Vivian sneered. “Webster in your room? You threw yourself at him, didn’t you, shameless tomboy.” “I didn’t.” Unfortunately, no one believed me. Teenagers were quick to hate when a spark was offered. They branded me the slut who entangled Webster, and hatred caught like wildfire. Stones thudded against my back. My books were shredded and flung into bins. Chair legs were sawed through. Even my silence was reported as chatter that wrecked the class. One winter day, Vivian’s gang poured a pail of filthy water over me. They then locked me in the bathroom overnight. After that night, I burned with a fever for days. From my sick-bed, I still nursed a thread-thin hope that Webster would come. He never did. Then a headline flashed across my phone. At that moment, it crushed what was left of my heart.

“Betrayal for Wealth: War Comrade’s Orphan Abused and Crippled” The article turned the truth on its head, saying my father only adopted Webster because he coveted his dead comrade’s fortune. And then he tortured him, starved him, and broke his leg. The comment section screamed for my parents’ deaths. I explained again and again, telling them the money had been buried beneath tonnes of rubble and Webster’s leg was crushed in the quake. But no one listened. They found out things about me: tomboy, home-wrecker, third wheel. The cyber-storm swallowed me. My father, honest all his life, could not bear the slander. He jumped into the river and never came back. My mother was shattered. The doctors took her to the psychiatric ward. The house that once rang with the laughter of four was left to me alone. The day the college-entrance papers ended fell on the seventh night after Father’s death. Webster texted, “How did the exam go?” I blacklisted and deleted him. *** “Cat got your tongue?” Vivian’s voice hauled me back to the present. She hid a smile behind her hand. “Don’t worry. Even if you only finished high school, we won’t laugh. We’re all friends.” My face stayed blank. “Christmas Eve that day. I’ll spend it with my family. Got no time for that.” At the word “family”, Webster’s eyes lit up. “Elena, how have Mr. and Mrs. Bertie been these years?” “Before the wedding, I’d like to visit them.” The image of my mother leaping from the building flickered across my mind. I curved my lips. “I hope you see them soon, very soon.” My gaze slid to Vivian. As expected, she turned away with guilt, then composed herself and smirked. “So, Elena, no university, what have you been doing?” “I heard you served a year in prison. Is that true?” With a single sentence, the architect of my ruin tossed me to the wolves. But her own hands were spotless. Webster’s face darkened. He stared at me in disbelief. I kept my voice level. “Yeah.” *** On the seventh night after Father died, I spent my last coin on a bottle of wine for him. A mob smashed the makeshift memorial. They snapped canes that held the awning. One of them shattered the bottle against my skull. Blood in my eyes, I snatched a shard and drove it into his belly. As he fell, his phone rang, Vivian’s name flashing on the screen. *** Her best friend lifted an eyebrow. “And what, exactly, sent you to jail?” “Probably got caught brawling with the lawful wife?” “Once a homewrecker, always trash. No surprise if she’s selling herself now.” The same teachers and classmates who had been all polite smiles a moment ago changed immediately. They were studying me with a blend of pity and voyeuristic glee. It was exactly the scene that drowned me seven years ago. I looked at Webster, wondering whether, after all these years, he would finally speak the truth. The first thing he said when our eyes met was. “Elena, I won’t hold the prison term against you.” “You’re still my best buddy.” A sheet of ice slid down my spine. The man in front of me was a stranger wearing a familiar face. Seven years had passed, and he was still nailing the “man-stealing tomboy” sign to my back. I gazed at him icily, then swung my arm and gave him two ringing slaps, one for each cheek. Since they insisted on poking the wound open, I would no longer wait until after the delivery. Webster stood frozen. Vivian shrieked, features twisted. “You dare hit him?” “Parasite! You should have died with your parents!” Webster was still gaping. Vivian’s best friend, Kelly David, snatched a chair and brought it down on my head. Bang. It sounded so heavy and fierce, but the pain I had expected never came. A gentle voice drifted from above my head. “Darling, if I’d known the alumni dinner was this hazardous, I would have insisted you bring the entire security team.” It was my husband, Derrick Doyle. When he looked at them, his mellow baritone carried the chill of a magistrate’s gavel. “Assault, expect my lawyer’s letter.” Kelly, a seasoned street thug, sneered fearlessly. She kicked the splintered chair aside. “Pretty boy, which gutter do you crawl out of? Looking cute doesn’t scare me. Drag me to court if you can.” Derrick’s lip curled. In his circle, he was the infamous “Devil”. Those who talked back to him usually disappeared before breakfast. “Honey, your classmate is… so amusing.” The moment the words left his mouth, I knew the legal route had been abandoned. Kelly was doomed. A vestige of conscience made me pull out my phone to call the police. But Kelly ripped it from my hand, smashed it under her heel, and ground several times. She was even grinning. I sighed. No use healing those determined to drown. She jabbed a finger into Derrick’s chest. “Go on, lawyer, police, whatever, just try…” Before the sentence ended, two men in black clamped a hand over her mouth and clubbed her unconscious. She was carried out like a rolled carpet. Vivian yelled, “Who are you people? Where are you taking Kelly?” I answered for him, knowing he wouldn’t bother. “My husband, Derrick Doyle.” Webster’s whole body had gone wooden. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Elena… you’re really married?” Vivian gave a cold laugh. “Derrick, do you even know what your wife is?” Everyone here can testify, she played mistress, a textbook man-stealer.” “High-school grad, jailbird.” “Just dump her while you still can.” I almost smiled, imagining the scene of Vivian begging for mercy.

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