Author: Momo Chan

When the billionaire found me, my adoptive parents were in the middle of a drunken rage, lashing out at me with a belt. I didn’t run. I didn’t cry. I looked at the man in the expensive suit with eyes that were three parts innocent and seven parts hollow. I looked exactly like a broken porcelain doll. I knew the truth: I was a replacement. Or rather, I was the original they had lost. In my past life, I told them the truth immediately. I begged for their love. In return, I was framed, my reputation ruined, and I was eventually burned alive in a “tragic” gas explosion. This time, I decided to play the role of the girl who knew nothing. I would become the perfect, tragic daughter of the Sterling empire. “My foster parents only hit me because they loved my brother more,” I whispered. “If you love your ‘other’ daughter more than me, what will happen to me?” “I just can’t take any more hits.” Three sentences. That was all it took to push the billionaire’s guilt to the breaking point. I smiled inwardly. The stage was set. Now, the real show begins. 1 When my biological parents found me, I was in the middle of a “lesson.” My foster mother had pulled a metal poker from the fireplace. It was glowing orange-red. She was swinging it toward my back, screaming about some chores I hadn’t finished. In the air, I could almost smell the faint, sickening scent of charred skin. That was the exact moment the Sterlings burst through the door. “Stop! How dare you lay a hand on my daughter!” My foster mother was far gone in her rage. She didn’t stop. My biological mother, desperate to intervene, took a hit to her arm while trying to shield me. She let out a sharp cry, her eyes instantly welling with tears. I watched them, my expression completely blank. Does it hurt? I’m sure it did. But it didn’t hurt nearly as much as being burned alive in a basement while my family watched from the lawn. 2 My biological mother and I were both rushed to the hospital. By the time we arrived, my biological father—a man whose face was on the cover of every business magazine—and his two children had arrived. The hospital bed was surrounded by people. “Mom, how could that woman be so vicious? What did she use to hit you?” I didn’t need to open my eyes to know who was speaking. That was my “big brother,” Caleb. In my last life, he was one of the people who helped pour the gasoline. “Mom, does it hurt? If I had known, I would have gone with you. I would have protected you.” That was Brooke. She was sobbing, sounding as if she were the one who had lost a mother. Brooke was the Sterling’s “foundling” daughter. The girl they adopted to replace me. Actually, she was the biological daughter of my abusive foster parents. All the beatings I took for eighteen years? They were meant for her. I shifted slightly. A sharp, stinging pain radiated from my back, making me gasp. The sound was loud in the quiet VIP suite. The family finally remembered I was there. My biological mother looked over, her expression awkward. “Avery… are you okay?” I wasn’t okay. But I wouldn’t die. Not yet. I looked down, a self-deprecating smile touching my lips. “I’m used to it. But you… your skin is so delicate. That burn must be excruciating.” I made sure to emphasize the word “excruciating.” My biological father finally walked to my bedside to check my injuries. I didn’t hide. I let the gown slip just enough to show the horrific patchwork of scars on my back. 3 The moment they saw the damage, a collective gasp filled the room. Brooke turned away, hiding her face in Caleb’s chest as if she couldn’t bear the sight. “Oh my God,” Caleb whispered. “How can a human being have a back like that?” He acted like a protective older brother, covering Brooke’s eyes so she wouldn’t be “traumatized.” Is it really that scary? I couldn’t see it, but I knew. It was a map of every mistake my foster father made while drunk, and every bad mood my foster mother had. My mother ignored her own burn. she practically threw herself at my side. Warm tears fell onto the back of my neck, sliding into the raw wounds and making them sting. “Avery, come home with us. We’re never going back to those monsters. They aren’t human. How could they do this to you?” My father looked shaken. “Come home. We’ll get you the best doctors. We’ll make you whole again.” I let my eyes fill with a desperate, fragile hope. I stared at them for a long moment, then slowly shook my head. “My foster parents only hit me because they loved my brother more,” I whispered. “If you love Brooke more than me, what will happen to me?” “I just can’t take any more hits.” The room went silent. The guilt radiating from my parents was palpable. I lowered my gaze, hiding the cold glint in my eyes. In my last life, I was submissive. I was a “good girl.” And I died like a dog. This life? I’m going to make Brooke feel every single thing I went through. 4 Despite their pleas, I didn’t go home with them immediately. I knew that something given too easily is never cherished. I retreated to my tiny, cramped studio apartment. It was barely two hundred square feet, but it was mine. The only problem was reaching my back to apply the ointment. It didn’t matter. I was used to sleeping on my stomach. Just as I was drifting off, my phone rang. It was my biological father. I knew exactly why he was calling. I let the phone ring seven or eight times before answering with a voice thick with feigned sleep. “Avery, we’ve already retained a team of lawyers. We’re filing criminal charges against those people. We need you to come in tomorrow to give a statement.” I yawned silently. A lawsuit. Typical. But… I wouldn’t allow it. If they were behind bars, how would Brooke experience the “quality of life” I had endured? “Sue my parents? I… I don’t think I can.” “A child without a mother is like a blade of grass in the wind. They hit me, yes, but at least I had a home.” “I don’t want to lose my family.” “Avery…” There was a long, heavy silence on the other end. “If that’s all, I’m going to hang up. Please don’t bring this up again. I don’t want to be an orphan.” Click. If I guessed correctly, that billionaire couple wouldn’t be getting a wink of sleep tonight. But what did that have to do with me? In my last life, they weren’t the ones who lit the match, but they were the ones who handed Brooke the gasoline. 5 The next morning, at 7:00 AM sharp, my biological parents were at my door. Their eyes were bloodshot. They looked at me with pure desperation. “Avery, please. Come home.” “You silly girl, what were you saying last night? We are your family. We are your blood! You will never be an orphan as long as we breathe.” To show their sincerity, they brought two maids and three massive suitcases full of designer clothes. But my apartment was too small. With all of them inside, you couldn’t even turn around without bumping into someone. My eyes welled with tears. I looked at them like a kicked puppy. “Really?” “Will you… will you love Brooke more? She’s been with you for twenty years.” My parents shook their heads in unison, their faces firm. In my last life, I didn’t know how to fight. I let Brooke’s “sweetness” win them over. They lectured me. They scolded me. Eventually, they loathed me. This time, I’m making sure they stay on my side forever. 6 Coming home this time was much more lucrative than before. My father called a family meeting. In front of everyone, he produced two black credit cards and a deed to a property in the city. “Avery, you’ve suffered too much.” “There is ten million dollars in this account for your ‘pocket money.’” “This penthouse is in your name. You can move in whenever you want. We are never going back to that tiny apartment again.” I acted panicked. “This is too much… I… I’m not worth this.” The more I refused, the more distressed they became. They practically forced the cards into my hand. “Avery, take it. This is yours. Eventually, we will transfer your share of the company stock as well…” I bit my lip. “Then… thank you, Dad. Thank you, Mom.” Hearing those words, the two of them were moved to tears again. I joined them, letting my own tears fall. It was a picture of domestic bliss. But Brooke wasn’t happy. She sat on the edge of the velvet sofa, her knuckles white as she gripped her skirt. She was staring at me with a gaze that could kill. I flashed her a tiny, secret smile and slid over to sit next to her. I handed her one of the cards. “Brooke, let me share half with you. I’ve been through a lot of trauma, and sometimes my emotions might get a little… out of control. You won’t be mad at me, right?” The keyword: out of control. My parents didn’t catch the threat. They only saw a sister being “generous.” My father spoke up. “Avery is right. She’s been through hell because of those monsters.” “From now on, nobody is allowed to bully Avery!” Brooke forced a smile but didn’t speak. Caleb’s brow was furrowed, his gaze on me cold and suspicious. I didn’t care. I’m smart. I’ll wait. Once these “fake” siblings reach their breaking point, that’s when I’ll really start my rampage. 7 My mother wanted to show me around the estate, but Brooke cut in. “Mom, I know the house best. Let me show Avery around.” “You should go rest. You usually take your nap at this time. I already put your warm milk on your nightstand.” I smiled. Milk on the nightstand? I lived here for years in my last life. I knew for a fact my mother didn’t have a “milk before bed” habit. Brooke was marking her territory. She was showing me she knew our mother’s “habits” better than I did. My mother blinked, a bit surprised, but she looked touched. She patted Brooke’s hand. “Thank you, Brooke. I am quite exhausted today.” “You’re such a thoughtful girl. I’m so lucky to have you…” Before she could finish, I spoke up, my voice full of longing. “Mom… is the milk sweet?” “Back at my other house, only my brother was allowed to have milk.” I licked my lips. It worked. My mother’s hand dropped from Brooke’s. Her eyes turned red again. “Brooke, go… go warm a glass for Avery too. Bring it to her room.” I shook my head obediently. “No, Mom. I’ll go learn how to do it. I’ll warm a glass for Brooke. I’m the big sister. I should take care of her.” Three minutes later, under our mother’s watchful eye, Brooke was forced to choke down a glass of warm milk she clearly didn’t want. I looked down, hiding my smile. Drink it. The more you drink, the easier it is for my plan to work. I looked up, my expression innocent. “Mom, from now on, I’ll warm the milk for you and Brooke every day.” Brooke looked like she wanted to scream, but my mother just stroked my hair and smiled weakly. “Okay.” Brooke’s face turned ugly for a split second. She glared at me. Angry already? I almost laughed. In my last life, I never had this kind of intimacy with my parents. I was timid and small. I just wanted peace. In less than a week, I had fallen into every one of Brooke’s traps. My parents tried to defend me at first. But after Brooke framed me over and over, they looked at me with nothing but disappointment. Then came the fire. The mansion burned. It was only because of their “pity” that they sifted through the ashes and found a few pieces of my bones. We’re even now. I don’t love these parents, but I don’t quite hate them either. But Caleb? He was the one who made sure the doors were locked from the outside. 8 Without the siblings’ interference, my relationship with my parents was actually quite stable. My mother, trying to make up for eighteen years of lost time, insisted on tucking me in every night. This seemed to drive Brooke insane. That night, Brooke called my mother, sobbing. “Mom, I feel so sick. I think I have a fever.” “Mom, can you come stay with me? Like you used to when I was little…” My mother’s brow furrowed. She didn’t even put on her slippers before running to Brooke’s room. I followed at a leisurely pace. This was Brooke’s show, after all. She was performing for me. If I didn’t show up, who would appreciate her acting? By the time I got there, Caleb was already in Brooke’s room. The family doctor was packing his bag. “Mrs. Sterling, Brooke is just suffering from ’emotional stress.’ She’s probably been overworking herself lately. That’s why the fever hit her so suddenly.” I let out a soft chuckle. Overworking herself? More like she was fuming because I’ve been hogging our mother’s attention. Brooke’s face was flushed red, her eyes watery and pathetic. My parents were devastated. They hovered at her bedside. “Brooke, why are you so stressed? What’s bothering you?” “Are you in a lot of pain?” Brooke’s voice was weak, sounding as if she were about to draw her last breath. “Mom, I’m fine. Go take care of Avery.” Classic. She used this same trick in my last life. And just as expected, Caleb shot me a cold, venomous look. “Brooke was always perfectly healthy. She never got fevers. How ‘coincidental’ that the moment you show up, she falls ill.” I leaned against the doorframe, listening. This was nothing. In my last life, Caleb accused me of stealing Brooke’s necklace and nearly broke my hand “interrogating” me. My father barked, “Watch your tone with your sister!” A simple scolding. Meaningless. I took a step back. “It’s okay. Mom should stay with Brooke.” My mother looked torn, but she also looked relieved. I turned to go back to my room. “But Mom, you should probably keep your distance. The flu has been going around lately.” My parents looked confused. Caleb growled, “Why are you so dramatic?” I turned back and explained seriously, “The doctor said I’m malnourished and my immune system is weak. He told me to avoid ‘sources of infection’ whenever possible.” To prove my point, I shook my sleeve. The pajamas were the smallest size available, but they still hung off my skeletal frame. My parents’ eyes filled with pity. Caleb gritted his teeth. “You’re just trying to compete with her!” “I’m sick too. Is it wrong to want my own mother?” I said softly. “If I’m in the way, I’ll just go. Each daughter can just go back to her own mother.” 9 Brooke’s eyes flickered when she heard that. I knew that was her greatest fear. She had tasted the high life. Who would ever want to go back to being beaten in a trailer park? Caleb took two long strides toward me, using his height to loom over me. “You’re so vicious. You just want an excuse to kick Brooke out, don’t you?” I took a half-step back. Remembering my last life, my gaze toward Caleb turned icy. “Vicious? If life were fair, she would be the one with the scars on her back, not me.” Caleb’s jaw tightened. He pointed at me, looking at our parents. “Is this the daughter you fought so hard to find?” “She comes back and immediately starts trying to push Brooke out. She’s just like those monsters who raised her—pure trash!” I laughed out loud. I am vicious. When did I ever claim to be a saint? But Brooke and I are two of a kind. I just wondered which would win: the nature of my bloodline, or the nurture of her upbringing. In the end, my mother chose me. She followed me back to my room. She tucked me in, but her face was full of worry. “If you want to go to her, just go. I’m fine.” “No, honey. Mom is staying here with you…” I gave her a sweet, fake smile and closed my eyes. I needed my rest. Knowing Brooke, tomorrow was going to be an even bigger headache.

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When my biological parents finally tracked me down, I had already joined the neighborhood aunties’ line-dancing squad at the local community center. They stared at me—dressed in a bedazzled, loud floral knit set—with expressions of pure, unadulterated disgust. 01 “Are you… Maya? This outfit…” The well-dressed woman before me hesitated, her gaze raking over my “Blooming Florals” knit tracksuit. Ignoring the flicker of disdain in her eyes, I dropped the heavy bag of rice and the gallon of cooking oil I was lugging on my shoulder. I pulled a scratched thermos from my shopping bag. I took a slow sip of tea before looking at the group. “So, you’re the biological parents?” Mr. Sterling frowned but eventually nodded. “We are.” “And who’s she?” I looked at the fragile-looking girl standing behind them. Her eyes welled up instantly. The two men flanking her—one older, one younger—immediately stepped in front of her like human shields. “Don’t you dare bully Serena,” the younger one snapped, his impulsiveness getting the better of him. I looked at her face. We shared about sixty percent of the same features. Then I looked at the way the Sterling family reacted to his outburst. This family was going to be interesting. I leaned back against my dilapidated sofa and watched them like a spectator at a play. Perhaps realizing his tone was inappropriate, the older brother explained, “We know you’ve suffered these past years, but none of this was Serena’s fault. She’s innocent…” Before he could finish, the door to my cramped apartment was shoved open. A mob of neighborhood aunties, all wearing the same bedazzled floral tracksuits as me, swarmed my biological parents. They started shouting over one another, airing my grievances: “So you’re Maya’s real parents?” “What took you so long? Do you have any idea what this girl has been through?” “Let me tell you, that foster mother of hers was a monster! You see those heavy wooden laundry rollers? That woman would beat her with them for no reason!” “Exactly! Half the time she wasn’t even allowed to eat. In the dead of winter, that woman purposely shredded Maya’s school jacket and made her go to class in a torn T-shirt! During her SATs, she locked her in a room so she couldn’t take the test!” “We always knew no real mother could be that cruel. Turns out she wasn’t the real one!” “You better have that woman arrested. And that fake daughter of yours? You better check her, too. I bet she knew her mother swapped the babies on purpose…” “Wait, who’s crying?” Auntie Sarah, the leader of the squad, froze. The group of women looked around for the source of the sobbing, finally landing on the girl in white. “I’m… I’m so sorry,” the girl sobbed, her shoulders shaking. “I didn’t mean to steal your life. I…” “And who might this be?” Auntie Sarah narrowed her eyes, making a ‘shushing’ gesture to the group. I nodded. “That’s Martha’s biological daughter. Serena Sterling.” 02 “Maya, Martha is Martha. What she did has nothing to do with Serena.” My “big brother,” Marcus Sterling, spoke up. The rest of the family nodded in agreement. But these were the South Side Line-Dancing Aunties. They had seen every trick in the book. A few looks exchanged between them, and they had the whole situation pegged. Before the Sterlings could say another word, Auntie Bev—who hadn’t even pampered her own son this much—cut them off. “Oh, please. Give me a break.” “Whether she’s ‘innocent’ is one thing, but her crying like this? What is Maya supposed to do? Comfort the girl who’s been living her life?” Bev reached out and yanked up my sleeve, exposing the jagged scars on the back of my hand. “Look at this. Her ‘mother’ did this with a red-hot set of fireplace tongs.” “Then look at this girl. Dressed in designer labels, skin as soft as silk.” “And you want Maya to apologize to her? To comfort her? Does that sound right to you?” Bev turned her glare toward Serena. “Listen, kid. Maybe you can’t be blamed for what your mother did, but Maya lived through hell for eighteen years because of it! Have some decency. Stop the crocodile tears. You’re just stabbing Maya in the heart.” With that, Bev wiped a stray tear with her sleeve and pulled me into a hug. “My poor, silly girl. You always keep everything inside. No one loved you before, but now that your real parents are here, surely they won’t be biased against you, right? These are your parents. If you’ve been wronged, you speak up!” “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, am I right?” The squad’s eyes were all locked on the Sterling parents. They smiled awkwardly. “Yes. Of course. Maya, tell us if anything is bothering you.” Serena, choked into silence by Bev’s bluntness, could only stare at the family with wide, red eyes, biting her lip. 03 Before I got into the Sterlings’ car, Bev shoved a shopping bag into my arms. She said it was the new “team uniform.” Inside was a high-end, trendy athletic set. I knew the aunties were worried I’d have nothing “classy” to wear at the Sterling estate, so they had pooled their money to buy it for me. I whispered a thank you and handed over the discounted eggs I’d fought for at the supermarket earlier. I locked up my new oil and rice. Marcus reminded me I didn’t need to lock them up—I wasn’t coming back. I tilted my head, glanced at the parents and the younger brother who were currently whispering comforts to Serena, and smiled at Marcus without saying a word. Marcus looked back, unable to help himself. “Maya, Serena didn’t do it on purpose. She feels truly guilty. She’s cried about this multiple times at home…” “Sure, sure. Whatever you say.” I brushed him off, clutched my new clothes and my backpack, and slid into the car. During the drive, I looked at my phone. The family looked at me. Auntie Sarah sent $500 to the group chat: [A little something from the squad. Don’t you dare refuse it!] Bev messaged me privately: [Maya, if it’s not comfortable over there, just come home.] The others echoed her. We lived in a rough neighborhood. Most of these women were retired on tiny pensions. Bev and Mrs. Higgins still worked stalls at the flea market to make ends meet. Every cent they had spent on me over the years was money they had saved by skipping meals. They were sending me this money now because they saw my “real” parents were biased. They were terrified I’d be mistreated in that mansion. “Maya, that outfit…” Eleanor Sterling, my mother, looked at my bedazzled tracksuit with a furrowed brow. She finally couldn’t help herself. “From now on, you are a Sterling. Your clothes and behavior must be appropriate.” “And at your age, you should be making friends your own age. Expand your horizons, socialize. Don’t spend all your time with… those community center ladies.” “Serena can help you with that. It’ll be a good way for you two to bond.” Eleanor spoke with such “sincerity” that Serena immediately played along. She reached for my hand, her intimacy making my skin crawl. “Mom’s right. I’ll teach you everything, Maya.” “Sister, when we get home, I’ll pick out some things from my closet for you. As for what you’re wearing… we’ll just have the maid throw it out.” “Exactly,” said Leo, the younger brother. “I don’t even know what that trashy set is. It’s hideous. If you keep dressing like that, don’t tell people you’re a Sterling. It’s embarrassing.” I paused my typing—I was in the middle of thanking my dear aunties—and looked at them with a bright smile. “Do you know why I always wear these ‘auntie’ clothes?” 04 “Because her mother—Martha—shredded every piece of clothing I owned to keep me from going to school. Not just that, but when the neighbors felt bad and gave me hand-me-downs, she burned them or cut them up.” “Eventually, those ‘trashy’ ladies you look down on found a way. They recruited me to help with their dance squad. They told Martha that the clothes I wore were team property—the squad’s assets. They told her if she destroyed them, she’d have to pay the community center back. That was the only way I was allowed to leave the house looking like a human being.” “By the way, Serena, do you know why your mother didn’t want me going to school?” I stared directly into Serena’s eyes. “It was because of that regional academic competition in eighth grade. She realized we were assigned to the same testing center. She realized that if I kept going, someone might eventually see us together and notice the resemblance.” “Oh, and one more thing. The aunties were too polite to say it earlier. Do you know what Martha did on the day of the SATs? She locked me in my room.” “She let a local creep into the house. She told me she’d sold me to him for three hundred dollars so he could ‘make me his wife’…” “Stop! Stop talking!” Eleanor went pale, clutching her chest as if she couldn’t breathe. The rest of the Sterling men looked sick, unable to meet my eyes. “Heh.” I let out a sharp laugh, ignoring their discomfort. “So, you should actually be thanking those aunties. If they hadn’t broken down the door, dragged me out, and personally driven me to the exam site, I’d either be dead or I’d be the mother of three kids in some shack in the woods by now.” The car went deathly silent. I curled my lips into a smirk, leaned back against the leather seat, and closed my eyes to rest. Maybe my little story was too much for them. As soon as we reached the Sterling estate, the parents made excuses about work and fled the scene. Serena and Leo also couldn’t handle my gaze and scurried upstairs. Only Marcus remained to lead me to my room—a converted guest bedroom on the first floor. I watched Serena and Leo run up to the second floor, then looked at Marcus and smiled. Marcus looked awkward. “This is just temporary. I’ll have the contractors renovate the spare room on the second floor. You can move up there once it’s done.” I just kept smiling. His face darkened. “Maya, we know you’ve been through a lot, but that’s in the past. Mom, Dad, and I are going to make it up to you. There’s no need to cling to the past and make everyone uncomfortable.” “Is it uncomfortable?” I asked, walking around the room. “Didn’t you see Mom and Dad’s faces?” His tone was accusatory. “And Serena. How do you think she feels, hearing those things while trying to live in this house…” I saw a heavy, long decorative brass statue on the nightstand. My eyes lit up. I grabbed it and swung it with everything I had, slamming it into Marcus’s shoulder. Marcus grunted in pain, clutching his arm and glaring at me. “Are you insane?!” I weighed the statue in my hand and grinned. “Does it hurt?” “What do you think?!” He looked at me like I was a maniac. “Maya, apologize to me right now!” “But that hit happened in the past,” I said, mimicking his tone perfectly. “And compared to what I’ve endured over the years, that little tap was nothing. Why are you clinging to what just happened? Why are you trying to make me feel uncomfortable, Brother?” Marcus choked on his words. I just waved him away and slammed the door. “Bye-bye, Brother.” 05 At dinner, perhaps out of a sense of guilt, my mother specifically asked what I liked and had the cook prepare a feast. When she saw me eating without a fuss, the tension on her face eased slightly. “Maya, you’re a Sterling now. Tomorrow, I’ll have my lawyer take you to change your legal name,” my father said. I looked around the table, my gaze lingering for a second on Serena’s puffy eyelids. “And what about her? Is she changing her name back to Miller?” The parents froze. Serena’s expression faltered. She bit her lip. “If Maya really dislikes me that much, I can move out.” She looked at my parents with eyes full of tears. “Maya, don’t be a bitch!” Leo shouted, jumping to his feet. “I just asked if she was changing her name to her biological mother’s name,” I said, glancing at Leo with indifference. Hearing that I didn’t explicitly demand she move out, the parents visibly relaxed. I couldn’t help but laugh at their reaction. “But since she brought it up.” “Let’s go with her plan. Have her move out. She’s right—I really don’t like her.” “Maya!” Leo glared at me. “How can you be so vicious? Serena even offered to give you her bedroom! She’s doing everything to accommodate you, and you just keep attacking her!” “It’s okay, Leo. I know she hates me. I should give everything back to her anyway,” Serena sobbed quietly. “Maya…” Eleanor looked at me, torn. I didn’t say a word. I simply pulled a photo from my pocket—one I’d prepared long ago—and tossed it onto the table. The family stared at the face in the photo, then instinctively looked at Serena. Serena looked exactly like her biological mother, Martha. “Now do you understand why I don’t like her?” I rolled up my sleeves, resting my chin on my hands, exposing the criss-crossing scars on my forearms for the whole table to see. My parents had seen the scars on my hands, but they hadn’t seen the rest. I turned my arm over, showing them the words Martha had carved into my skin with a knife: BITCH DOG. The Sterlings finally went silent. 06 I happily helped myself to two large pieces of steak. Serena, stuck in limbo, looked at the Sterlings for help. Marcus finally let out a sigh, attempting to “reason” with me. “Maya, we know it’s been hard. But Serena grew up with us. She’s family. We aren’t going to just throw her out. We hope you won’t take your anger toward… that woman out on her. You need to learn to get along.” I put my fork down. I didn’t address Marcus. I looked at Serena with a mocking smile. “What about you? Do you want to get along with me?” Serena blinked, immediately putting on her tragic, misunderstood mask. “Sister, even though I know you hate me, I’ve wanted to be your friend from the very beginning.” “So, you never actually intended to leave the Sterlings, did you?” I said. “In that case, why do you keep offering to move out? Just to make me look like the villain?” Panic flashed in Serena’s eyes. “I didn’t… that’s not…” I didn’t stay for the rest of her performance. I stood up and said, “I’m done,” and started walking toward the stairs. Leo realized what I was doing and blocked me. “Where do you think you’re going?” “Serena offered me her room, didn’t she? I’m accepting the offer.” I narrowed my eyes, giving them a pleasant, terrifying smile. “That wasn’t a lie, was it? You weren’t just saying that to mock me because I was put in the guest room, were you?” Serena stammered, “No… no, I really wanted to give it to you, it’s just…” “Good.” I looked at the housekeeper. “Mrs. Gable, please move Serena’s things to the guest room immediately. If I have to do it myself and things go missing, I won’t be held responsible.” Mrs. Gable looked at my parents, unsure. “What? Serena agreed to it. Does anyone have an objection? Or do you think I don’t deserve it?” I asked. “No, Maya. Don’t overthink it,” my father told Mrs. Gable. “Do as she says.” “Dad…” Serena looked at him, her world crumbling. My father guiltily looked away. He told Marcus to speed up the renovations on the other upstairs room. They hadn’t been in a rush to renovate a room for me before I got back. Now that Serena was displaced, they were frantic. How poetic. But even more poetic was the flash of pure venom in Serena’s eyes. She was finally losing her cool. Good. That looked much more like the girl who had “accidentally” dialed the wrong number and vented to a “stranger” (Martha), subtly hinting that Martha needed to keep me away from my real family. 07 I first found out about the swap on the day Martha’s nephew got into a decent college. Martha had gotten blackout drunk. She spent the whole night laughing and bragging. She talked about how her parents had always favored her brother. To pay for his house, they had sold her to an old cripple for thirty thousand dollars. After the cripple died, they stole her insurance payout to give to their grandson. “But look at me now. Their precious grandson worked himself to death and only got into a state school. My daughter? She’s a princess. She’ll always be a princess.” “As long as this jinx is out of the way! Yes, as long as you’re gone.” She had tried to find a stick to beat me with, but she was too drunk to stand. Usually, Martha was a quiet drunk. But that night, she kept rambling about how her “princess” was living the high life with my parents, and how her princess was cleverly guiding her to keep me far away from the Sterlings. The aunties from the community center heard everything. They took me to the police station immediately. Afraid of what Martha might do next, they pooled their money to buy me a burner phone. But by the time we got back from the station, Martha had vanished. … Serena’s things were moved out. I had to admit, she had a lot of stuff. Her clothes and jewelry alone filled two guest rooms. Compared to her, my single backpack and shopping bag looked pathetic. Eleanor Sterling stood in the middle of the empty, massive master suite, watching me hang my two outfits in a walk-in closet the size of a bedroom. The annoyance she’d felt over me “stealing” Serena’s room turned into sharp guilt. “Maya…” she began. I ignored her, putting on my cheap Bluetooth headphones and FaceTimeing the aunties to check in on their line-dancing progress. She stood there, hovering, before turning to leave. I turned my head. “Mom.” She looked at me, eyes instantly filling with tears. It was the first time I’d called her that. “Maya.” She rushed over and grabbed my hand. “Maya, I’m so sorry. I’ll make everything up to you. I promise you’ll never be hurt again.” For a second, my heart actually twinged. “If I told you Serena and Martha have been in contact this whole time, would you believe me?” I asked. The silence was deafening. The tears stayed in her eyes, but the emotion vanished. Just as I thought. From the first moment I saw how they looked at Serena, I knew. “Even if you don’t believe me, will you investigate it?” “Maya… that’s… that’s impossible,” she stammered. I smiled—the same flat, indifferent smile I always wore. “Fine. I get it.” I pushed her gently toward the door. “I need to rest, Mrs. Sterling.” I shut the door. And I shut the door to my heart, too. I pulled out my phone and messaged a contact: [Let’s do it.] If the Sterlings wouldn’t give me justice, I’d take it myself.

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On the day of our third anniversary, my husband Liam was obsessed with a young college student. Their love was intense and public. I continued to play the role of the gentle, understanding wife of a wealthy man, even thoughtfully covering for him in front of both our families. Until he went to an exclusive club to find his rebellious little “canary,” and saw me sitting on a male model’s lap, holding him and kissing him wildly. The usually composed, aloof man saw red, his eyes bloodshot, and smashed the club to pieces. 1 The little canary Liam kept on the side had been getting a bit restless lately. She actually went behind Liam’s back, sneaking to his family’s estate, demanding that his grandfather acknowledge her status. His grandfather was furious. I played along with Liam to defuse the situation, successfully getting her out of there in one piece. The young girl followed behind us, her eyes red. The moment we stepped outside the estate’s carved iron gates, she immediately reached out and grabbed Liam’s sleeve: “Liam, I’m not with you for the money!” She looked up at Liam, tears streaming down her face instantly. She looked so fragile and pitiable; it was no wonder Liam was completely infatuated with her. Obviously, the attitude of his grandfather and parents made her realize how massive the gap was between her and the Thorne family. That’s why she was so desperate to explain herself the second she got out. Liam frowned slightly, but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to scold her. He reached out and ruffled her hair, his tone a mix of helplessness and indulgence: “Alright, stop crying. I know.” With that, he looked at me, standing off to the side, looking a bit awkward: “She’s probably scared from what just happened. I’ll take her home first. You…” I had come here in his car, so if he was taking his new flame home, I naturally couldn’t go with them. But if I asked the estate driver to take me, his grandfather would definitely find out. I gave him a slight smile and proactively offered, “I’ll just call an Uber.” Liam was clearly very satisfied with my understanding nature. He nodded, wrapped an arm around the girl, and walked away without looking back. He didn’t even remember that the area around the main estate was some of the most expensive real estate in the city, exclusively residential. You couldn’t even get an Uber around here. 2 Liam didn’t come home until the following evening. He still had a few faded hickeys on his neck. They were intentionally placed right where his collar couldn’t hide them, like a bold declaration of ownership. Such childish little tricks; only a naive girl without an ounce of subtlety would do something like that. I lowered my eyes, pretending not to notice, and smiled as I took the coat he had just taken off, playing the role of the virtuous, perfect wife to the hilt. I even magnanimously showed concern for his mistress: “How is she?” He tugged at his collar, his tone light: “Just throwing a childish tantrum. A little coaxing and she was fine.” Seems like she was coaxed back to her senses. I hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to tell him what I had been considering for a long time: “Have you ever thought about giving her a proper title?” Liam’s tall frame froze in place. It took him a few seconds to process what I said. He asked, confused, “What do you mean?” “What I mean is, Liam, let’s get a divorce.” I was tired of playing the good wife. I didn’t want to do it anymore. 3 Clearly, Liam had never expected me to bring up divorce. He pinched the bridge of his nose, that handsome face I had swooned over for years now filled with irritation: “Chloe, you should know very well that divorce isn’t that simple for us.” I could hear that he was trying to suppress his frustration, keeping his voice as level as possible. In the past, this attitude meant he didn’t want to continue the conversation, and I should drop it. But this time, I was dead set on getting a divorce. My marriage to Liam was a corporate alliance. A divorce wasn’t just about the two of us; it involved both of our families. Getting a divorce really wouldn’t be easy. I bit my lower lip and continued, “It might be a little complicated, but…” “Enough!” He violently cut me off, reaching out and pulling me into his arms: “I know I’ve neglected you lately, and I’ll make it up to you, but don’t ever mention divorce again.” “Chloe, it feels like it’s been a long time since we…” With that, he lowered his head, his slightly parted lips moving closer to mine. I quickly slapped my hand over his mouth, making up an excuse: “It’s my time of the month! It’s not a good time!” Screw that! Who wants your sloppy seconds! Disgusting! 4 Since the divorce talk fell apart, I quickly packed my bags and moved out of the house. Liam, thinking I was just throwing a jealous fit, called me constantly. When I didn’t answer, he bombarded me with texts. Honestly, I was just worried he’d try to sleep with me again. As for jealousy… I’ll admit, when we first got married, any rumor about him made me physically ill. But as time went on, I slowly got used to it. My deep love for him was worn away by his constant betrayals. Still, I didn’t mind letting him misunderstand. I could use this opportunity to max out his credit cards, considering it my compensation for his infidelity. 5 A week after running away from home. My best friend, Sarah, and I walked into the most exclusive, high-end private club in the city. Naturally, Liam was footing the bill. As soon as we walked in, we ran into the little canary, wearing a server’s uniform and carrying a fruit platter: “You…” Never mind, I couldn’t even remember her name. I cleared my throat and asked, “What are you doing here?” The little canary pressed her lips together tightly, glaring at me with those pretty, big eyes, looking absolutely furious. Sarah hooked her arm through mine, looking her up and down: “Is this the little toy Liam keeps on the side?” “What, is Liam not giving her an allowance? Why is she working here?” The tray in the little canary’s hands trembled slightly. She looked like a cat with its back arched: “Liam and I are together because we love each other! It’s not for his money!” She directed her anger at me, continuing her outburst: “Liam says he only loves me! He’s only with you for the family business!” I waved my hand dismissively. “Got it, got it. Well, I wish you both happiness.” 6 I ignored her and led Sarah into our private room. Sarah laughed until she was breathless: “Where did Liam find this precious gem? Actually talking about ‘love’ with a married man in Liam’s social class.” “Does she actually think she can successfully replace you like that? She’d be better off taking whatever money she can get while she’s still young.” I smirked. “That’s why she’s young.” In old-money families like ours, legacy is more important than wealth. That’s why marriage is taken so seriously. If a marriage partner needs to have exceptional qualifications and a very high social standing, then it has to be a corporate alliance. Liam wasn’t stupid enough to give up everything he had for her, which is why he wouldn’t agree to the divorce. Sarah continued, “I heard that girl has been throwing tantrums with Liam the last couple of days.” “Apparently, because you moved out, you took up a lot of Liam’s attention, and the little girl wasn’t happy about it.” Our social circle is small; if someone wants to find something out, they will. I rolled my eyes at her. “You’re such a gossip.” 7 I have to say, spending my cheating husband’s money to hire male models is incredibly satisfying. Especially when the models are gorgeous, sweet-talking, and have amazing bodies. It would have been even better if my husband hadn’t caught me. When Liam kicked the door open, I was straddling a male model I had been seeing for the last couple of days, my arms wrapped around his neck, passionately kissing his face. I had on heavy, glamorous makeup, big, sexy waves, and a tight outfit that showed off my figure. Hearing the noise, I instinctively looked toward the door. Before the sultry look in my eyes could fade, I saw Liam’s face, dark as a thundercloud. I gave the male model one last peck on the lips before slowly climbing off him. Liam’s face was black as pitch, and he glared at the male model with a murderous intensity, looking like he wanted to hack him to pieces. I smoothed my hair, breaking the silence first: “Why are you here?” He ground his teeth, speaking in a low, slow drawl: “Chloe, how dare you?” “Why wouldn’t I dare? You play your games, I play mine.” The more I spoke, the guiltier I felt. “Let’s be fair, you have a mistress, and I never threw a fit about it.” I wasn’t guilty about being caught with a male model; I was just guilty because I was cheating on him using his money. 8 “Mr. Thorne, why are you over here? I was looking for you in the VIP lounge.” “I brought Mia here for you. I’m so sorry, I had no idea she was your girl.” I leaned sideways to look out the door. A chubby man was walking over, leading the little canary. Oh, so her name is Mia. Liam stood rooted to the spot, not even glancing in their direction. Mia, on the other hand, threw herself into his arms like a baby bird returning to the nest, crying: “Hubby, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thrown a tantrum, and I definitely shouldn’t have snuck out to work without telling you.” Me: “…” After her dramatic entrance, she followed Liam’s gaze and saw me. She pouted, shrinking back into Liam’s embrace, and acted like a spoiled child, whispering again, “Hubby.” A mistress calling my husband “hubby” right in front of me, the legal wife. That’s basically an open declaration of war, right? I didn’t really care. It was just a little nauseating. But I felt bad for the chubby man who had just walked up. Even though I didn’t know him, he seemed to recognize me. He looked at me, then at the clearly ravished male model next to me, then at the furious Liam and the little mistress in his arms. In just one minute, his facial expressions went through a dozen different changes. In families with corporate alliances, it’s normal for spouses to have their own side pieces. As long as they aren’t too blatant about it, they’ll usually turn a blind eye to maintain the facade for the sake of the business. A direct, face-to-face confrontation like ours was extremely rare. 9 Liam patted Mia’s back, suppressing his temper to coax her: “Be good, let the driver take you home first. I have some business to handle here.” Mia softly replied with an “Oh,” and slowly pulled away from Liam’s embrace. She looked me up and down, then casually remarked, “Are you talking about Miss Bennett’s business?” “When I first started working here a few days ago, I ran into Miss Bennett and her friend. I heard they hired the five most expensive guys.” “I was afraid you guys would fight, so I didn’t dare tell you.” I clicked my tongue. The little girl wasn’t as innocent as she looked. Liam’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. He shifted his gaze to Mia, his eyes filled with the impatient fury he was trying to suppress: “I told you to go home. Did you not understand me?” Probably never having been spoken to like that by him before, Mia pouted and glared at him, tears welling in her eyes, acting like she was upset and waiting for him to coax her. However, Liam wasn’t in the mood to play her childish little games right now. For the first time, he lost his temper with his precious canary: “Get lost!” 10 Mia ran away crying. Liam stormed over to the couch I had just been sitting on with the male model and threw himself onto it: “Manager Chen, please bring… all the guys my wife ordered.” He ground his teeth, ultimately unable to say the words ‘male models’. The man addressed as Manager Chen wiped the sweat from his brow, bowing and nodding in agreement. As soon as he left, Liam smashed a crystal glass on the table: “Chloe, you’ve really outdone yourself!” He took off his suit jacket and threw it at me, the large garment covering my head. I could faintly smell the perfume Mia had left on it. I pulled it down, intending to throw it back at him. But he frowned, scanning me up and down before his gaze settled on my long, bare legs exposed by my miniskirt: “Put it on!” “And don’t you ever leave the house dressed like this again!” 11 He sure is bossy! I never noticed he was this possessive before. I calmly folded the jacket and looked him straight in the eye: “Liam, let’s just get a divorce. I’m truly sick of this.” Liam, who had been holding back this whole time, completely exploded after I said that. His eyes bloodshot, he kicked the table in front of him: “Haven’t I told you never to mention that word again?” I sighed, trying to communicate with him calmly: “You don’t even love me, why are you forcing this? This way, all three of us are miserable.” Liam froze for a moment, pointing at the male model who had been standing quietly to the side, his voice hoarse as if it had been scrubbed with sandpaper: “Miserable? You seem pretty happy messing around with this cheap trash!” The male model raised an eyebrow and shot back, “You tell me if she was happy. Just think about how happy you are when you’re messing around with your own cheap trash.” I silently gave him a thumbs-up. What a hero. 12 By the time Manager Chen brought in a line of male models, Liam had already smashed the private room to pieces. The flesh on the fat man’s face jiggled as he cautiously glanced at the hero standing in the ruins: “Mr. Thorne, what is…” Liam threw his cigarette on the floor, crushed it with his foot, and said flatly, “Calculate the damages and send the bill to our finance department.” With that, a cold sneer played on his lips as he surveyed the dozen or so handsome male models: “I didn’t realize you had such a big appetite.” “My fault, I guess I didn’t satisfy you!” I glared at him angrily: “Liam, are you sick? You’re humiliating them!” As soon as I yelled that, the sound of loud, sharp slaps echoed behind me. Liam’s sneer deepened: “Looks like they’re perfectly happy being humiliated by me.” I turned around stiffly. The guys Manager Chen brought in were slapping each other, but the hero who had talked back to Liam was still standing to the side, looking defiant. Truly the one I was most satisfied with so far. 13 Liam had no interest in watching them perform. He grabbed my arm, trying to drag me away, but was stopped by the hero who had been watching the spectacle. Liam narrowed his eyes: “Know your place. You’re just a cheap toy for people’s amusement. Get out of my way!” I frowned, annoyed: “Liam, do you have to be so nasty?” Liam, surprised that I was defending someone else, tightened his grip: “You’d better shut up and come home with me right now.” “Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what I might do!” The hero’s handsome face also darkened, looking like a storm was brewing. I was afraid they were going to start a fight, so I quickly shook my head at him. After all, I was still Liam’s legal wife, and given Liam’s social standing, dealing with a simple male model would be child’s play. I didn’t want to cause him any trouble. 14 Outside the club, Liam hailed a cab, shoved me into the backseat, and got in right behind me. The ride was silent. When we got home, he immediately locked the bedroom door, then pulled out his phone and made a call to someone: “Bring some guys and smash ‘The Oasis’ for me.” “And there’s a guy in there named…” He looked at me, and I quickly shook my head. It wasn’t that I wouldn’t tell him, I genuinely didn’t know his name. I was just there to spend money, why would I care what his name was? “Go find Manager Chen, he knows who it is. After you smash the place, find that kid and break his hands.” 15 Liam has a bad temper; I knew that. But he usually has incredible self-control, so I rarely saw him enraged. I certainly never expected him to be so ruthless. “He’s innocent, Liam, you can’t do this!” He leaned forward, pinning me down, his beautiful eyes filled with jagged, bloodshot veins: “He dared to set his sights on you, so he’s not innocent.” “Chloe, be good. Don’t let me hear you beg for him again.” “Otherwise, it might not just be his hands next time.” In the end, I had implicated an innocent person. 16 I pushed against him with my hands, but he grabbed them and pinned them above my head. “Did they touch you?” he asked in a low voice right next to my ear. I tried to kick him, but he pinned my legs with his own. Completely immobilized, I ground my teeth and snapped back, “No! They don’t offer that service!” Being able to kiss and touch but not go all the way—it was very frustrating. He clearly knew that too. He burst out laughing, his expression softening considerably: “You look pretty cute when you’re angry.” He held both my wrists with one hand and used his free hand to pinch my cheek: “Let’s just say you were playing around these past two days. We’ll forget about it and go back to normal, okay?” It seems he’s gotten a lot of practice coaxing his little girl; he can switch on this doting tone effortlessly. “Sure, once you end things with your college student, I’ll go back to normal with you.” Liam went silent for a few seconds, let go of me, and sat up straight. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration: “You know she’s no threat to your position as Mrs. Thorne.” “If you really don’t like her, I’ll make sure she never appears in front of you again.” To put it bluntly, he just didn’t want to end it. I nodded, signaling that I understood. Thank goodness. Thank goodness I stopped loving him a long time ago, otherwise, my heart would be breaking right now.

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My husband, an A-list Hollywood actor, and I are a fake, affectionate contract couple. In front of the cameras, he loves me more than life itself, even throwing punches at other men on the red carpet to defend my honor. Behind closed doors, he hates me to the bone, keeping a beautiful young mistress tucked away in a penthouse. He slipped a diamond ring on her finger and called her his “good little wife.” His entourage of bros all respectfully called that girl “Sister-in-law.” I didn’t cry, and I didn’t make a scene. I just silently deleted the old text messages where he swore he would love me forever. We were each other’s first loves, our lives violently tangled together for years. Until I got sick, and piece by piece, began to forget everything about him. That was when he finally panicked. He exhausted his resources to create romantic surprises, trying every possible way to cure me. But all he could do was watch helplessly as I, in my final moments of clarity, fell in love with someone else. 1 In the seventh year of my toxic, love-hate relationship with Asher Montgomery, he met the woman he truly liked. Her name was Lily Thorne, a fresh-faced actress who had just graduated from drama school. She was innocent, adorable, and the way she smiled looked exactly like I did when I was younger. Friends in our circle whispered that Lily was just my stand-in. They said Asher’s obsession with her was just a fleeting novelty, just for fun. After all, Asher and I had a wildly public on-and-off history over the years. Everyone watched as a man that arrogant and proud laughed for me, cried for me, and broke his own unyielding spine for me. Everyone knew he loved me. They thought he couldn’t live without me. I suddenly remembered the night we got back together after a particularly brutal breakup. Asher had torn my designer gown to shreds, relentlessly claiming me in the dark. I melted into a puddle in his arms. In a daze, I heard his lips press against my ear as he coaxed me in a low voice: “My sweet girl, we are going to entangle and torture each other for the rest of our lives.” I genuinely believed Asher Montgomery would never love another woman the way he loved me. Until the third year of our marriage, when our relationship entirely shattered. And right on cue, Lily Thorne appeared. 2 At first, Asher acted like he hated Lily. They were co-stars in a blockbuster movie, playing romantic leads. Lily was a massive fan of Asher. Every time they held hands or hugged for a scene, her face would flush burning red. She couldn’t hide her crush at all. Back then, Asher and I were still on good terms. He would constantly complain to me, saying he hated how starstruck and pathetic Lily acted around him. When Lily wore graphic cartoon tees, Asher called her childish and ridiculous. When Lily wore hot denim shorts, Asher called her tacky and tasteless. Whatever Lily did, Asher found it annoying. But, perhaps even he didn’t realize it, every time he brought up Lily, he was smiling. During our nightly phone calls, his mind started to wander. Most of the time, it was because Lily was “too stupid” and was constantly bothering him with questions about the script. Asher would act disgusted, yet tirelessly stay up late explaining her scenes to her. Before hanging up one night, I asked him, “Tomorrow, can we please not talk about Lily Thorne anymore?” He flashed a wicked grin and asked me, “Is my wife getting jealous?” While teasing me, he pulled up his phone and blocked Lily’s number. Until a few days later, when Lily posted a photo on Instagram: “A passionate kissing scene, two hearts moved. I can’t sleep tonight. I want to talk all night with the person I like!” That night, Asher didn’t come back to our hotel. I called him, but the line was constantly busy. I realized then that this time, Asher was blurring the lines between acting and reality. He had given her his heart. 3 After that night, it was as if Asher suddenly stopped loving me. We entered a cold war. He offered no explanations and made no effort to coax me. For an entire month, we completely ignored each other. Until the day the movie wrapped, and the cast did a live press interview. A reporter asked him, “Now that filming is over, what do you want to do the most?” He unlocked his phone, showed the camera a photo of me wearing an apron and smiling at him, and said tenderly, “Right now, I just miss my wife. I want to eat her home-cooked food.” To some extent, Asher was my Hollywood safety net. If he didn’t love me anymore, I’d just hide my true feelings away, play the obedient wife, and rake in the PR money. That was fine too. That night, I cooked a table full of his favorite dishes. But Asher never came home. I didn’t wait up for him. I went to bed early. In the middle of the night, my phone rang. He sounded drunk, mumbling and whining into the receiver. “Be a good wife, my sweet wife, I miss you so much. Come pick me up and take me home.” He hadn’t called me “wife” in a long time. My eyes stung. I didn’t say a word. In the background, I heard his frat-boy friends cheering: “Who is the A-lister calling? Is it Lily?” They yelled into the phone: “Sister-in-law! Tonight Asher made a wish to be with you forever, till the end of time…” So, Asher had dialed my number by mistake. He meant to call Lily. He called her his good wife, and his brothers called her sister-in-law. He had already seamlessly integrated Lily into his private life. A sudden, splitting migraine hit me. I aggressively hung up the phone, buried myself under the covers, and wrapped them tightly around me. It didn’t matter. I could pretend I didn’t care. My acting had always been flawless. 4 The rumors of my fractured marriage with Asher spread quickly through the industry. Insiders whispered that he had fallen madly in love with Lily. He took her to candlelit dinners, bought her a penthouse in Beverly Hills and a sports car, and occasionally rented out the Santa Monica Pier just to ride the carousel with her. He liked her so much he wanted to give her every beautiful thing in the world. Even the ruby necklace I had been dying for but couldn’t secure at auction was recently bought by Asher. I assumed he was going to gift it to Lily. But one morning, I opened my eyes to see that very necklace resting quietly on my nightstand. Next to it was a note: “Happy Anniversary.” It was Asher’s handwriting. I stared at it in silence, then crumpled the note and threw it into the trash. I couldn’t figure out Asher’s mind anymore, and I didn’t want to try. 5 A few days later, at a private charity gala, I ran into Lily for the first time. The moment she saw me, she smiled. Staring at my necklace, she said in her soft, breathy voice, “Mr. Montgomery bought me a mountain of jewelry a few days ago. I thought this necklace looked a bit old-fashioned, so I told him to give it to you. I knew it! Scarlett, you have a much more mature look than I do, so it suits you perfectly. In the past, Mr. Montgomery said he spoiled me like a child, and I always argued back because I’m already twenty-two. But standing next to you, Scarlett, I suddenly realize I really am just too young.” I froze for a second, suddenly feeling incredibly pathetic. The anniversary gift I had cherished so much was just a hand-me-down that Lily didn’t want. Seeing my expression darken, Lily’s smile grew sweeter. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and continued to show off: “Scarlett, don’t feel embarrassed about taking the necklace. Wear it well. Mr. Montgomery buys me so much stuff I can’t even wear it all. If you see anything else you like, just let me know. You can take whatever you want.” I smiled along with her and asked softly, “As long as I like it, you’ll give it to me?” Lily nodded smugly. I reached out, touched the dazzling diamond earring on her ear, and yanked downward with brutal force. Lily let out a blood-curdling scream. She clutched her ear and bent over as bright red blood seeped through her fingers. I looked down at her with heavy, half-lidded eyes, maintaining my smile. “Thank you for the gift. You have another earring… can I have that one too?” 6 Lily’s pupils trembled violently. She looked terrified of me. Her blood splattered across the marble floor, causing a commotion among the guests. Asher arrived moments later. Seeing the blood on the floor, his expression turned instantly cold and ruthless. He yanked me into his arms, checking me over from head to toe. The concern and panic in his eyes looked so real. Lily lowered her hands, letting the blood drip down her ear and stain her white designer gown. She reached out to grab Asher, whimpering softly, “Mr. Montgomery… it hurts so much…” Asher lifted his arm, dodging her touch, and shot her a freezing, deadly glare. That single look froze Lily in place. She bit her lip, looking utterly humiliated. She didn’t understand. Asher came from a powerful, old-money family. Keeping a mistress for fun was one thing, but making a public spectacle of it at a high-society event was a massive loss of face. In public, Asher could only ever love me. His thumb smoothed over my furrowed brow as he coaxed me gently, “Who upset you?” I didn’t answer, and no one else dared to breathe. Two seconds later, Asher grabbed a crystal vase off the nearest table and smashed it against the floor. He roared, “Are you all fucking deaf?! Who upset my wife? Speak!” The atmosphere was suffocating. Lily clenched her fists and finally broke down, screaming, “It was me! It was me! Everything is my fault, are you happy now, Asher?!” She couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears rolling down her face, she stared stubbornly at Asher and choked out, “It’s my fault for trying to be friendly with Scarlett and getting hated for it! It’s my fault for falling for someone I shouldn’t have, for risking everything to be with him even if they call me a homewrecker! It’s my fault for being delusional enough to think he actually liked me. It’s my fault for being a total idiot!” She lifted the glass of red wine in her hand and dumped it over her own head. The wine mixed with the blood, completely staining the front of her dress. Crying hysterically, she asked Asher, “Mr. Montgomery, is this enough? Is your beloved wife satisfied now?” Asher’s grip on my shoulders tightened, his fingers digging into my skin. He was probably heartbroken for her. He asked me, “Are you satisfied?” I found it so funny I actually laughed until tears pricked my eyes. I asked Asher, “Pretending to love me must be exhausting, right? Asher, I have a great idea. I can give you a perfectly legitimate reason to go love the woman you actually want. Give me money. I want a massive settlement. And then, we divorce.” Asher’s eyes grew colder and colder. He leaned down, his lips brushing my ear as he spat venomously, “Scarlett, I should have seen clearly long ago. You’re nothing but a gold-digging liar. You betray genuine love, and you’re going to die a miserable death.” I smiled, pushed him away despite the throbbing in my skull, and turned to leave. Asher, you really have a cursed mouth. I hadn’t told you yet. The doctors said there’s a tumor growing in my brain. It will hurt. I will lose my memory. And I might… actually die. 7 Asher was right about one thing. In the beginning, I only agreed to date him for his money. Before him, I had loved another boy with everything I had. Asher knew all of this, yet he still desperately tried to treat me well, forcing his way into my life, taking us from dating to marriage. I still remember the rainy day Asher proposed. We were curled up on the sofa watching a romance movie. He suddenly leaned into my ear and whispered, “Scarlett, just tell me you love me, and I’ll marry you right now. From then on, every cent I make is yours to control.” My heartbeat was deafening. The words “I love you” were right on the tip of my tongue, but I felt a little unsatisfied. Who proposes this casually? So I shook my head, deliberately trying to annoy him. Back then, Asher was shameless and thick-skinned. I have no idea where he pulled out a massive diamond ring from, but he grabbed my hand and shoved it onto my finger. I tried to run, but he grabbed the back of my neck and pinned me into the sofa cushions. He bit my ear and threatened fiercely, “Keep acting stubborn and I’ll strangle you.” That day, Asher’s kiss nearly melted me alive. I surrendered beneath him, repeating it over and over: “Asher, I love you.” Once upon a time, I truly did love you. But it seems you never actually believed me. 8 My illness worsened by the day. I swallowed handfuls of pills, but the headaches were so severe I couldn’t eat or sleep. Soon, I realized I was beginning to forget small details about Asher. My physical condition deteriorated rapidly, and the doctor prescribed even more medication. As I was leaving, he frowned and asked, “Why do you always come to these appointments alone? Where is your family? With an illness like yours, you need the care and support of your family.” But I didn’t have a family. What was I supposed to do? When I was six years old, my mother left me on a busy street corner in Chicago. She told me she was going to buy me cotton candy. She never came back. I thought I would never see my mother again for the rest of my life. Until I ran into Lily Thorne at the hospital. The ear I had ripped was heavily swollen, and she was there to get her bandages changed. The middle-aged woman accompanying her… I almost thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. That woman looked exactly like my mother. I ran toward her uncontrollably, terrifying Lily into stumbling backward. My mother shielded her, shoving me hard and pointing at my nose, screaming, “You little bitch! Are you trying to bully my daughter again?!” She suddenly grabbed my hair and yelled, “If you dare bully my daughter, I’ll beat you to death!” She slapped me across the face. I couldn’t dodge in time. Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth, and my tears fell instantly. My mother didn’t seem to recognize me at all. She had long forgotten me. She had another daughter now. Her daughter was Lily. 9 Actually, when I was thirteen, picking up plastic bottles on the street for recycling money, I had accidentally run into my mom. She was across the street, holding Lily’s hand, laughing and talking, looking incredibly gentle. I used every ounce of my strength to run toward her, screaming, “Mom! Your little honeybee is right here! Mom, don’t go!” She stopped in her tracks, turned around slowly, and looked at me in shock. Lily tugged at her shirt and insulted me: “Mom, it’s a homeless kid. So dirty.” We were both my mother’s children. But she was wearing a beautiful little dress and holding a cute plush teddy bear. And I was wearing ragged clothes and a pair of worn-out, dirty canvas shoes. I envied her so much. I argued in a small voice, “I’m not homeless… I’m your big sister…” I reached out my hand, forcing an ugly smile, and called her: “Little sister.” Lily suddenly burst into tears. She hid behind my mom and screamed, “Mom, chase her away! She’s trying to steal my bear!” My mother finally snapped out of her daze and shoved me violently to the ground. Back then, she acted exactly like she did today. Pointing at my nose and cursing, “Where did this feral stray come from?! You scared my baby! I’ll beat you to death!” No, no, Mom. I’m not a feral stray. I’m your little honeybee too. I’m just the honeybee you threw away. 10 This time, I didn’t cry and scream for my mom like I did when I was thirteen: “Mom, I’m your honeybee.” I shoved her back, just as hard as she had shoved me all those years ago. She took the opportunity to rip off my surgical mask, collapsing to the floor and screaming: “The big movie star is assaulting people! Scarlett Hayes is assaulting people!” Lily froze for two seconds, then suddenly pulled down her own mask, fell to her knees in front of me, and begged, “Scarlett, I know you’ve always hated me. You’re more famous than I am. When you hit me and insult me, I can endure it. But my mother is old. Please, I beg you, don’t make things difficult for her.” Crowds gathered, pulling out their phones to record. Lily was truly putting on the performance of a lifetime. I should have protected my reputation, covered my face, and left immediately. But I couldn’t control myself. I grabbed Lily by the hair. Staring into her eyes, I said coldly, “You really are a filial, wonderful child, little sister.” “Then I won’t hold back. Whatever your mother did to me, I’ll pay it back to you.” I swung my heavy designer bag and smashed it into Lily’s face. Over and over. My heart was in so much agony. If I couldn’t vent it, I probably would have found the roof of this hospital and jumped off. How could simply being alive be so excruciatingly painful? My mother lunged at me, clawing and tearing at me. Perhaps when she finally found out I was the honeybee she threw away, she would never forgive me for this. But that was fine. Mom, if you don’t want your honeybee, then your honeybee doesn’t want you either. 11 The video of me beating Lily quickly went viral online. Netizens flooded my Twitter mentions: “Are you just jealous that Lily is younger and prettier than you? Look at how viciously you hit her face!” “Someone needs to dig up Scarlett’s background. She acts like someone who grew up bullying people. Typical spoiled, malicious rich kid.” “Don’t cry, Lily. I know where Scarlett lives, I’ll go get revenge for you.” I was reading these comments in my apartment’s underground parking garage. I had just parked my car and was preparing to go upstairs. Suddenly, I heard a voice call out: “Excuse me, are you Scarlett Hayes?” I turned around to see a man holding a baseball bat. His eyes were murderous as he swung the bat down toward my head. Before I could react, I was suddenly yanked into a firm embrace. Asher held me tight, and the baseball bat slammed brutally into his back. He spun around, kicked the man to the ground, and roared viciously, “You touch my fucking wife and I’ll kill you!” Asher lost his mind, beating the man half to death without any regard for the consequences. For a fleeting second, I almost forgot we were in the middle of a messy divorce. I foolishly thought he still loved me very, very much. But I had already forgotten what Asher looked like when he actually loved me. 12 Asher hadn’t been home in a long time. He only came to find me because of Lily. The house was a disaster. I suffered from migraines every day and had absolutely no energy to clean. Asher rolled up his sleeves and started cleaning the apartment. He picked up my bra from the sofa, laughing as he scolded me: “Scarlett, you really aren’t cut out to be a wife. You really need to learn how Lily takes care of people. She’s so sweet. How could you bear to hit her? Go apologize to her. She cries every single day, and it breaks my heart to watch.” Right. Because Lily was sweet, her mother loved her. Because Lily was sweet, Asher loved her too. And what about me? Because I wasn’t sweet enough, I deserved to be abandoned by everyone, time and time again? I suddenly felt an intense surge of rage. I grabbed all the clothes Asher had neatly folded and threw them onto the floor. I tilted my head back and screamed at him: “I’d rather you stab me to death than apologize to her!” Asher leaned back against the sofa, yanked me into his lap, and locked his arms around my waist so I couldn’t escape. He laughed and insulted me: “I knew you wouldn’t listen. You were never any good.” He pulled out his phone, made a call, and told the film festival committee to strike my name from the Best Actress nominations for the end of the year. I had been in the industry for ten years. Nominated for Best Actress three times, walked away empty-handed three times. Finally, this year, I was a lock to win. For that award, I had tumbled down a rocky hillside, cracking my forehead open, yet I still refused a stunt double and finished the film. That golden trophy was bought with my blood. I slapped the phone out of Asher’s hand. A tear smashed against my arm as I cursed him: “Don’t be so fucking despicable, Asher!” He was completely unfazed. He rested his chin on my shoulder, smiled, and asked, “Are you going to apologize or not? Think carefully before you answer.” I finally broke down and cried. I screamed at him: “Asher, I’m sick! I can’t ever act again! I will never have another chance to win an award! You love Lily, you want to get revenge for her, so you crush my Achilles heel! But I refuse to let her win! I will never apologize! It’s just an award! I don’t want it!” My face was covered in tears, my heart bursting with a million grievances and nowhere to vent them. I grabbed Asher’s hand and bit down as hard as I could. He furrowed his brows and endured it in silence. When I was done crying and looked up, Asher’s eyes were red too. He cupped my face and said softly, “Scarlett, rather than saying I love Lily, it’s more accurate to say I hate you. I used to be madly in love with you, but you only ever loved my money. You scammed my money to fund another man. You’re really something. But if I’m blaming anyone, I blame myself for being pathetic. Even knowing you’re a master at playing the victim, I still fell for it. I still went soft. Stop crying. It’s just a trophy. I’ll give it to her.” He pulled me into his arms and kissed my ear. Like he was making a final farewell, he said slowly, “Scarlett, this is the last time I’m ever going to be good to you.” But this time, Asher lied to me.

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I was a flight attendant. My husband was a titan of industry—successful, brilliant, and completely indifferent to me. Every month, he would book a seat on my specific route. Every time, he was accompanied by a different, glamorous woman. I watched from the galley, my heart splintering into a thousand pieces, but I bore it all in silence. The last time it happened, just as the wheels were about to touch the tarmac, I leaned over. I bent down close to his ear and whispered. “Liam, I’m agreeing to the divorce. I’m off tomorrow. Let’s go to the lawyer and sign the papers.” 1 The plane glided steadily through the clouds at thirty thousand feet. I was in the galley checking the meal counts when Sarah, the purser, walked back. I straightened my uniform. “Yes, Sarah?” She glanced at the checklist in my hand. “You have the seniority to move up to First Class service. Why haven’t you applied for the promotion?” “I don’t think I’m ready yet,” I said softly. “I still have a lot to learn.” “Humility is a virtue, Maya, but too much of it is self-sabotage. Heat the meals.” Sarah handed me the list and headed back to the front. My gaze drifted toward the passenger in Seat 1A. No one on this crew knew that the most prestigious Black Card holder in First Class was my husband, Liam Sterling. And next to him sat a stunning woman in a designer suit. That was why I stayed in the back. I couldn’t bring myself to kneel beside my own husband and his date, offering a perfect, practiced smile while serving them champagne. Even though we’d been married for a year, we had never actually been husband and wife. Not in any way that mattered. 2 I was a gift from Liam’s grandfather. My grandfather and his had been brothers-in-arms decades ago. On our wedding night, Liam had unbuttoned half his shirt before stopping. He walked out to the balcony to smoke. Halfway through his cigarette, he turned around. “I have plenty of houses,” he said coldly. “I won’t be coming back here every night. You do whatever it is you do.” He was a man of his word. He showed up at our penthouse maybe once a month. Later, when the tabloids started picking up rumors of him with various models and socialites, I hadn’t even had the chance to call and ask him about it before his office rang me. “If you want a divorce,” he said over the phone, “I’ll sign whenever you’re ready.” The words hit like a physical weight, leaving me breathless. That day, I only nodded. “I understand.” A few weeks later, he came home. “Still haven’t filed?” In that moment, I realized how desperately he wanted out. I went to bed early that night, refusing to engage. No one knew that my pillow was damp with tears. No one knew that I had been in love with him for seven years. We had met once, long before the marriage. But he had forgotten me entirely. 3 “Good afternoon, here is your grilled chicken. Please enjoy.” After finishing the meal service, I pushed the cart through the Business Class cabin. Liam was working on his laptop. The woman beside him was draped in a vibrant silk scarf, staring out the window at the ocean of clouds. Sarah went over and knelt beside him. “Sir, would you like to change into slippers? I can help you with your shoes.” “I can do it myself,” Liam replied, his tone polite but distant. “Ma’am, let me help you with your shoes.” The woman turned back. “Thank you.” For a split second, Liam looked up. Our eyes collided. I looked away instantly, pulling the cart faster as I retreated down the aisle. Two hours later, we touched down at LAX. “Thank you for flying with us. Goodbye.” After the passengers deplaned, I saw the woman hook her arm through his. The California wind caught her hair, making it wave like seaweed. 4 “Still staring? Everyone’s already on the shuttle.” I turned around to see my coworkers grabbing their bags. “Sorry, Sarah.” “You like him, don’t you?” I shook my head immediately. “No.” She patted my shoulder and smiled. “Don’t skip the next promotion cycle.” 5 Liam actually came home that night. I hadn’t expected him. I was sitting on the sofa with my hair half-dry, mindlessly watching TV. He was tall and imposing; the room always felt smaller when he walked in. I wanted to ask him about the flight, but the image of him with that woman flashed through my mind, and the words died in my throat. He sat on the other sofa, taking a work call. I could smell the faint scent of whiskey on him. I grabbed a bag of chips and started eating them, one by one, staring at the screen. “Early meeting tomorrow at nine.” He hung up and looked at me. I looked back. “Nothing to ask?” I shook my head. I set the chips down and went to the bathroom. In the mirror, my face looked pale and still. When I came out, he was on the balcony. A few seconds later, the glow from his phone vanished. He turned around, a lingering smile on his lips that vanished the moment he saw me. I stood there in silence. His happiness, it seemed, had nothing to do with me. 6 He slept in the guest room. I woke up early to head to the airport. He was up, too. In the elevator, we stood on opposite sides. When we hit the lobby, I stepped out. He kept going down to the garage. The weather was horrific that day. Mid-flight, we hit extreme turbulence. The plane dropped several times, and for a moment, the cabin was filled with the sound of screaming. After we landed safely, the crew huddled together, some of us crying from the adrenaline. The flight made national news. Standing in the terminal, watching the crowds, I checked my phone. Not a single call. Not a single text. My terror, it seemed, had nothing to do with him either. 7 I saw him again a month later. It was a cross-country flight from New York to San Francisco. The weather was perfect that day. Bright sunlight, smooth air. He was with the same woman again. She had very pale skin. Midway through the flight, she drifted off to sleep, her head resting on his shoulder. It happened to be a holiday. International Women’s Day. The airline had prepared roses for the passengers. “Ladies and gentlemen, in honor of Women’s Day, the airline has a rose for every female passenger on board. We wish you a journey of courage and grace.” “Happy holiday!” “Thank you, that’s so sweet.” “I didn’t get any flowers today, I can’t believe I got one on a plane!” “Happy holiday to you too, dear.” After I finished handing out the flowers, I looked toward First Class. Sarah was handing a rose to the woman sitting next to Liam. “Happy holiday. Would you like me to set this on your tray table?” “That would be lovely.” 8 I went back to the galley, washed the trays, and sat down at my jumpseat. I stared out the window at the clouds. I felt a strange sense of peace, even through the ache. The clouds began to part. I flexed my cold fingers. I looked up. Some people simply aren’t meant for you. Let go. Let him walk away. “Ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing at SFO in approximately thirty minutes… we hope to see you on your next journey.” As the plane began its descent, I stood up. I walked to his seat. I leaned in and spoke softly. “Liam, I’m agreeing to the divorce. I’m off tomorrow. Let’s go get it done.” 9 After my shift, I dragged a large suitcase into the penthouse. I pressed my thumb to the scanner and the door clicked open. To my surprise, he was already home. Was it because of the divorce? Did the thought of being free finally make him want to come back to this “stifling” house? I wheeled my suitcase inside. I started a pot of rice in the kitchen and then went to the bedroom to pack. He stood in the doorway for a long time. “Don’t pack,” he said. “The house is yours.” I froze. Then I turned around and shook my head. “You bought this place before we were married. I didn’t put a cent into it. I don’t want it.” I went back to packing. He stood there a moment longer, then walked away. I was glad he left. I folded my clothes, packed my toiletries, and cleared my shelves. It felt like I had been a long-term guest here. Now, the reservation was over. I didn’t feel like the lady of the house. I felt small, pathetic, and useless. 10 I hadn’t expected him to stay for dinner. I hadn’t gone grocery shopping. There was no point in cooking elaborate meals to try and “win his heart” anymore. Once the rice was done, I went to the deli downstairs and bought a few pre-made salads and cold cuts. “Dinner’s ready.” He set his book down by the window and came to the table. He looked surprised by the spread. “I didn’t think you’d be here, and I assumed we were just meeting at the lawyer’s office tomorrow. I didn’t shop. This will have to do,” I said, taking a bite of plain rice. Liam, who was usually incredibly picky, actually sat down. We ate in total silence. “Where did you get the salads?” he asked midway through. “They’re actually not bad.” He finished his bowl. 11 After dinner, I washed the dishes and scrubbed the kitchen one last time. He sat on the balcony, his hands resting on the arms of the chair. He seemed lost in thought. I didn’t know him at all. He was a CEO; I was just a flight attendant. Our worlds had no natural overlap. But seven years ago, he had been a flash of light in my life, and I’d never been able to get him out of my heart. The universe had been kind enough—or cruel enough—to put us together despite the gap in our status. But we were strangers, and we had squandered that mercy. He deserved someone better. If people were pearls, I was the one that had lost its luster standing next to him. After finishing the bedroom, I showered and packed my final bathroom essentials. He took several calls on the balcony. Occasionally, I felt his gaze on me. 12 I taped up the boxes of my things in the living room. Everything else was staying. I sat on the sofa for a moment to catch my breath. He walked in. He had long legs and a presence that commanded the room even when he was just walking. “I’m sorry about the last two years,” he said. “Take this card.” He slid a Black Card across the table. “The PIN is your birthday.” I looked at him. He actually knew my birthday? He probably had to look it up to set the code. “I don’t need it. My salary is enough to support myself. Keep the card.” He sat on the sofa. I didn’t take the card, and he didn’t take it back. “Can I ask you something?” I asked. “Anything.” “Will you get married again? Will you have a big wedding?” On our wedding day, we’d just signed the papers and had a quiet dinner with the family. It was as simple as a business transaction. If he married again, I assumed it would be for the woman he actually loved. He’d give her the grand ceremony, the witnesses, the joy. “Don’t overthink it. Get some sleep.” He agreed to let me ask, but he didn’t answer. He got up and went to the bedroom. I sat there for a while, then went to the guest room to sleep.

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My boyfriend accidentally mirrored his chats to the TV. “She’s great. Very suitable for marriage.” “No need to buy her gifts, no need to coax her, and no need to pay a bridal price.” “Even without love, I can still have a good life.” 1. “How about we go to Napa Valley? I saw this incredibly beautiful bed and breakfast online.” I enthusiastically pulled up the itinerary I had spent hours putting together. Before I could even hand my phone to Declan, he had already pushed my arm away. His handsome face was completely emotionless. No impatience, but no interest either. Just like always. As calm as a pool of dead water. “You book it. I don’t really care. I’m going to the restroom.” Declan stood up and left. I sheepishly pulled my phone back. He was great in every way. Good-looking, good temper, good job, and he treated me well enough. It was just that his personality was a bit too cold. At such a young age, he acted like a monk with no earthly desires. We had been together for so long, and I had never seen him lose his temper. Of course, I had never seen him laugh out loud either. He was a stereotypical, stoic straight man! I grumbled internally for a moment. Somehow, the B&B that looked so beautiful a minute ago now just seemed ordinary. Feeling disheartened, I put my phone down and lay on the couch, glancing at the TV. The TV was playing an American drama that Declan really liked. He had even paid for a pirated resource online to watch it. The male lead was in the middle of a monologue when the screen suddenly switched, and an iMessage window popped up. “Dec, I heard you’re getting engaged next month? That’s awesome, man. Why didn’t you tell the boys?” I recognized that avatar. Was that Declan’s college roommate, Carter? 2. My curiosity was piqued. In all the years we had been together, I had never looked at Declan’s phone. On one hand, Declan was a very disciplined person. He lived a simple life, had a clean social circle, and I trusted him. On the other hand, he was very protective of his privacy and boundaries. He deeply resented the idea of partners checking each other’s phones. But this time, he was the one who accidentally mirrored his screen. Of course I was going to take a good look. Declan was getting engaged, and he hadn’t even told a single friend? I rolled my eyes. That was so like him. Declan: “Nothing to talk about. Just an engagement.” Carter: “Same girl, right? Still Audrey?” Declan: “Yeah.” Carter: “Figured. Aside from her, who else could tolerate your personality?” “Audrey really puts up with a lot!” I nodded in deep agreement. Having a block of wood for a boyfriend—someone who understood nothing about romance or taking care of people… These past few years really hadn’t been easy. Carter: “I remember when you two got together, it was just so you could get over Lily. But Audrey’s temper is 100 times better than Lily’s.” “Audrey’s temper is seriously amazing.” “That time it was her birthday, and you couldn’t leave your raid group. She waited at the restaurant alone for two hours and didn’t even get mad.” “Back when you dated Lily, you were always 20 minutes early. If you were even one minute late, Lily would throw a massive tantrum.” 3. Lily? Declan’s ex-girlfriend, Lily? I stared blankly at the TV, my mind completely empty. She and Declan went to high school together and started dating their freshman year. Declan and I were college classmates, but I remembered they broke up during the first semester of our freshman year. Declan was devastated at the time. He got blackout drunk at a restaurant and threw up all over me as I was walking by. That was how we met, but we didn’t really start talking until we joined the same club our sophomore year. What Carter was saying… He had been broken up for over a year and still wasn’t over it, so he used me as a rebound to heal his broken heart? And the birthday incident was even more absurd. Declan didn’t even explain himself at the time. He just said he had something extremely important to do. He had been preparing for it for months and absolutely couldn’t leave. Declan loved writing. At the time, he was constantly submitting to a magazine, but kept getting rejected. I knew he had been working on one novel for a year. So when he was late, I naturally assumed it was something related to his career. I never expected it was because he was doing a video game raid… Hahahaha, yeah, some game raids do take months to prepare for. He didn’t lie to me. I let out a dry laugh. Laughing until the tears started falling. Carter’s words were truly enlightening. So Declan was the kind of person who showed up early for dates? All these years, because his job was “busy,” our dates always consisted of me waiting for him. 20 minutes, 40 minutes, an hour. I got so used to waiting that eventually, I started intentionally arriving half an hour late. 4. Declan: “She has a good temper. Very suitable for marriage.” Carter: “I’ll agree with that. When we were young, I envied the passionate, fiery love you and Lily had. But now that we’re older, I realize that being with a gentle, generous girl like Audrey, someone who doesn’t nitpick over everything, is so much easier.” I rubbed my eyes. Declan was finally complimenting me. But why were my tears flowing even harder? Declan was a very reserved and traditional person. He rarely expressed affirmation or love toward me. If I asked him if I was pretty or if my outfit looked good, his answer was always a flat “It’s fine.” In our seven years together, he had never even said “I love you.” Whenever I asked, he would change the subject, saying that real men didn’t hang romantic words on their lips, that it was boring. So the “boring” Declan actually had a passionate, fiery love once upon a time? Passionate and fiery. Passionate and fiery… Tears blurred my vision. I wiped them away fiercely, lifting my head to keep reading the screen. Carter: “Since you’re getting married, treat her well from now on.” “The guys and I had a bet going on when you’d finally drive Audrey away.” Declan: “Relax, she won’t leave.” 5. Declan sure was confident. Where did that confidence come from? That confidence… I suppose I gave it to him. Late for dates? It’s fine, I understand, it’s just work. Forgot my birthday? It’s okay, people make mistakes. Never celebrated any other holidays. I wanted to respect his preferences. If he didn’t like celebrating, I could just celebrate by myself. So for every Valentine’s Day and Christmas, I would buy myself a bouquet of flowers and go out for a nice meal. “You can like rituals, but you can’t force someone else to have rituals.” “It’s not wrong that you like celebrating holidays, and it’s not wrong that I hate them. We should understand and respect each other.” After Declan seriously said these things to me, he refused to celebrate any holidays with me, except for my birthday. Carter: “You and Audrey are from the same city, right? I remember engagement customs there are super complicated.” “You have to prepare return gifts, the engagement ring, the formal wear, and book a banquet for a dozen tables. Have you got all that sorted?” Declan: “I don’t need to manage that. She’ll handle it.” Carter: “Damn, you’re a lucky guy! You literally don’t have to lift a finger!” I smiled bitterly. Carter was absolutely right. When it came to the engagement, it really felt like I was the only one organizing everything. After seven years of dating, my parents said I wasn’t getting any younger and needed to start planning for marriage and kids. So I had my parents call Declan’s parents. Their attitude was the same as Declan’s. You pick the date, you book the restaurant. When the time comes, we will definitely show up. 6. Carter: “Oh right, I heard the bridal prices in your area are super high, like tens of thousands of dollars. How much did Audrey’s family ask for?” Declan: “Her family didn’t bring it up. What era are we in? That’s just outdated patriarchal nonsense.” Carter: “…So if her family doesn’t ask, your family just isn’t giving one?” “Wow! Does Audrey have any sisters? Can you introduce me to one?” Declan: “Boring.” I pulled out a tissue to dry my tears and took a large gulp of water. I had cried so hard my throat was a little hoarse. The “clear and detached” Declan had the same bad habit as every other man: once he went to the bathroom, he wouldn’t come out for half an hour. Regarding the engagement, Declan’s family hadn’t said a word. The implication was that I should arrange everything, and they would just show up to eat. I booked the banquet. I picked the return gifts. I even bought the suit Declan was going to wear to the dinner. Whenever I asked Declan for his opinion, it was always the same. “You decide. Whatever you like is fine. I don’t care.” Thinking back on it now, was it that he didn’t care about these things, or did he not care about me? Carter: “Oh, I almost forgot the main thing. Lily is getting married. She sent us all invitations.” “She said she deleted your contact info back then, so she asked me for your number. I figure she’ll be sending you an invite soon.” 7. The TV audio continued playing. Declan exited the chat, and the sound of the toilet flushing echoed from the bathroom. I half-lowered my head, pretending to look at my phone, not saying a word. Declan walked out of the bathroom expressionless, seemingly completely unaware that I had just read his entire conversation. He sat silently beside me, not even glancing my way. Naturally, he didn’t notice my swollen eyes and red nose. Ring, ring~ His phone rang. I caught a glimpse; it was an unknown number. Declan answered the phone, his voice trembling slightly: “Hello, speaking.” “Yeah, congratulations.” “Okay, I’ll be there on time.” Was that Lily’s call? A chilling wave spread from my heart to my fingertips. I knew Declan too well. In all our years together, the last time I saw him this nervous was when he received a call from his company’s CEO. At the time, he was competing with someone else for a VP position. He had prepared for a whole year for that role. Declan hung up the phone. His expression was calm, but his hand gripped the phone with immense force. He squeezed so hard the veins on the back of his hand bulged, a glaring sight. “Audrey.” Declan softened his tone. “Last time you showed me a few suits, I didn’t look closely. Send me the links.” I snapped my head up, staring at him dead in the eye. 8. Declan was startled by my red, swollen eyes. For once, his voice carried a trace of warmth: “What’s wrong? Your eyes are as red as a rabbit’s. Was the TV show that moving?” “You, always so sentimental.” He patted my head affectionately. In the past, I would have thrown myself into his arms and acted cute. Now, I merely shifted my body slightly, dodging his outstretched hand. A flash of displeasure appeared in Declan’s eyes. “Come here.” He patted the sofa. Declan had grown up as the “golden child”—good-looking, good grades. The teacher’s pet, the students’ role model, his parents’ pride. These experiences forged a personality where his word was law. Furthermore, influenced by his father, he possessed a heavy dose of toxic masculinity. My personality was gentle, and I rarely went against his wishes. But this time, I was holding onto a breath of suffocating anger. I absolutely did not want to entertain him. Seeing that I wasn’t moving, Declan got angry. He stood up, walked back to the bedroom, and slammed the door hard. The old me would have been incredibly anxious, rushing to comfort and appease him. The current me just sat blankly on the sofa, beginning to recall our seven years together. As a man, Declan was undeniably attractive. He had a handsome face and kept himself in perfect shape. He was a man who held himself to incredibly high standards. No smoking, no drinking, early to bed, early to rise, exercising every day. He worked hard, was highly ambitious, disciplined, and smart. 9. But if Declan didn’t treat me well, what did all his good qualities have to do with me? I lowered my head, seriously contemplating our relationship for the first time. I liked him. The first time I saw him, I couldn’t help but fall for him. Declan was my first boyfriend. First time holding hands, first time hugging, first kiss. The most beautiful, youthful years of my life were entirely spent walking by his side. He was so perfect. So perfect that when I was with him, I always carried a trace of an inferiority complex. It was this insecurity that made me retreat step by step, erasing my temper, leading to my current situation. Seven years of living together—to me, he was unforgettable. But to him, I was merely… suitable for marriage. Soon, Declan walked back out with a dark expression. “Remember to send me the suit links.” I actually laughed. He hadn’t even spared a glance at the suit he was supposed to wear for our engagement. But now that he was attending his ex-girlfriend’s wedding, he suddenly knew how to shop for clothes. “I don’t have them. I deleted them.” Declan shot me a look of pure astonishment, finally noticing my abnormal behavior. “What’s going on? Throwing a tantrum?” “Things not going well at work?” “If work isn’t going well, don’t take it out on me. We’re all adults here; process your external emotions outside.” “I don’t want to be your punching bag. You need to do some self-reflection.” Declan poured himself a glass of water and retreated to the bedroom. From today onward, we officially entered a cold war. 10. I never expected that Lily’s fiancé would turn out to be my coworker. My coworker sent me a digital invitation. I stared at the photo on it for a long time. It really is a small world… Lily’s wedding was on the weekend. Declan finally ended our cold war and spoke to me first thing in the morning. “Give me a thousand dollars.” Since graduating, Declan had proactively handed his salary card over to me. He said that a family could only maintain maximum stability if the woman managed the finances. Declan… he had genuinely intended to marry me. I pulled out a thousand dollars in cash from the drawer and handed it to him. Then, I watched coldly as he washed his hair, shaved, and meticulously styled himself. “I rarely see you dressed up this formally. Going to the office today?” Declan paused while polishing his shoes. “Yeah, I have a business meeting. It’s very important.” “I’m leaving now. I won’t be back for lunch or dinner.” I took a deep breath, sat in front of the mirror, and applied a stunningly vibrant, striking makeup look. Declan, see you at the wedding. The wedding was very modest. The groom’s family was from a rural town, and the reception was held in a massive tent set up in their community hall. This was my first time visiting Charlie’s hometown, which surprised me. Because Charlie usually spent money like water and paid a lot of attention to his appearance, I had always assumed he was a trust fund kid. Rural banquets were always livelier than city ones—aunts and uncles everywhere, eating, checking out the bride, asking for wedding favors. Lily was wearing a very fitted mermaid wedding dress, revealing her proud curves and a large expanse of pale, delicate skin. 11. I mingled in the crowd of onlookers and quickly spotted Declan. He was walking slowly but firmly toward Lily, step by step. His expression was sacred and solemn, like a devout believer on a pilgrimage. Seeing Declan, Lily also grew emotional, her eyes quickly turning red. Declan handed Lily a thick red envelope. “Long time no see. Happy wedding.” Lily bit her lip, looking at Declan with a complex expression. She seemed very happy, yet tinged with a bit of sadness. “Long time no see, Dec.” Soon, other guests began arriving. Declan stepped aside, staring intently at Lily, savoring every passing second. He looked so focused and serious, as if after today, he would never see this person again. How hilarious. If he just looked around, he would realize I was standing very close to him. “This Charlie’s wife doesn’t look like a decent woman at all. Showing so much skin, who is she trying to show off for?” “Ugh, exactly. With so many people around, showing half her chest. I’m too embarrassed to even look at her.” “People from the big city are so open. I heard they’re only getting married because she’s pregnant. Otherwise, the Smith family would never accept this daughter-in-law!” It seemed I was standing entirely among the groom’s rural relatives. In just a few minutes, my ears were filled with gossip. Um, at the time, I heard Lily was the one who dumped Declan, complaining he was cheap and unromantic. But it seemed her new in-laws were a tough crowd to deal with… I quickly found my seat and sat down. How ridiculous. Before, I was constantly fantasizing in my head about what I should say to Declan if he saw me. I didn’t expect that to be a total non-issue. He was completely lost in his own world, completely devastated. He didn’t even react when his friends called him while standing right next to him, let alone spot me in a bustling crowd. 12. The banquet soon began. I saw more expressions on Declan’s face for the first time than I had in our seven years together. In just a few short minutes. Loss, sorrow, nostalgia, joy, confusion, bitterness, regret… Looking at Declan now, I suddenly understood. He never loved me. That was why he never got angry, never argued, never got jealous. I thought he was easygoing, aloof, and stoic. The reality was simply because he didn’t love me. Because he didn’t love me, he didn’t want to spend time with me. Because he didn’t care, he had no emotional fluctuations regarding me. Because he was indifferent, everything had to be done his way. The moment I realized this, beneath the heartbreak, I mostly felt a wave of relief. Like a prisoner awaiting sentencing, finally hearing the final verdict. “Oh my god, Audrey, why are you crying?” “Hahaha, were you moved? There’s no need, absolutely no need. Don’t you know what kind of person Charlie is? The way he spends money… I heard to pursue this current wife, he maxed out over a dozen credit cards. I bet he’s close to a hundred grand in debt right now.” “Dating was romantic. Five-star hotels, global travel, designer bags.” “But after they’re married, the girl is probably going to have to help him pay off his debts.” “Cough, cough~” I choked on my own saliva, shocked as I listened to my coworkers start loudly gossiping about Charlie.

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In the fourth year of our marriage, both Arthur and I had affairs. He kept a young college student on the side, treating her like a precious treasure. Behind his back, I kept a pure, sweet college boy to relive the passion of my youth. I originally thought he had long since grown tired of our messy, exhausting marriage. But to my surprise, the day he discovered my betrayal, he acted like a madman, desperately demanding that we both return to our marriage. 1 Arthur slept in the study again tonight. When I went in to bring him some coffee, I happened to catch him working on documents while on the phone with his young mistress. His phone, placed next to his laptop, was on speaker. The girl’s voice was sweet but laced with a bit of bratty entitlement: “Why aren’t you answering my video calls? Are you with that old woman and afraid I’ll see?” Arthur coaxed her with a good temper: “What are you talking about? I’m looking at a contract. I’ll FaceTime you when I’m done. Be a good girl.” The girl was relentless: “Arthur Sterling, don’t forget what you promised me. You won’t touch her ever again.” “I know, you little jealous thing. “I’ve been sleeping in the study lately, you know that.” Hearing his unconsciously softened tone, I felt a momentary daze. Once, when I threw little tantrums, he used to lower his pride and coax me just like that. After all this time, he was still the same Arthur—once he liked someone, he would spoil them unconditionally. It was just that the object of his affection had changed to someone else. A girl as young as I was back then. 2 Arthur’s smile froze on his face the moment he saw me. Perhaps afraid I would say something harsh to his little girl, he quickly hung up the phone, frowned, and scolded: “Why didn’t you knock?” I slammed the mug down on the table with a loud clack. “Your coffee. Maria has an upset stomach, so she asked me to bring it up. “And, I did knock. You were just too absorbed in your little romance to hear it.” Arthur tugged at his shirt collar and leaned back against his chair. The expression on his face relaxed. “Sorry, my fault. “Chloe has been a little fussy the last two days. I was just dealing with her.” The moment he mentioned Chloe Davis, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, and even his voice lightened considerably. 3 Ever since I caught him cheating, Arthur stopped hiding his affection for Chloe. I had cried, made scenes, and even threatened suicide to make him cut ties with her. The result? He just watched me coldly, calling me a lunatic. Thinking back on it now, I definitely looked like a lunatic. It took me a very long time to detach myself from the trauma of that heartbreak. Even if it wasn’t agonizing, I was definitely left covered in scars. After calming down, I considered divorce. But that thought was quickly swallowed by resentment. Yes, resentment. I had been with Arthur from the very beginning when we had nothing, all the way to his current success. How could I possibly just step aside and let them have their happy ending? Moreover, from what I knew, Arthur was working on a massive project. Once completed, his assets would at least double. If I was going to divorce him, I would wait until the project was over. I didn’t care about the man anymore, but there was no reason to let a cheating bastard mess with my money. I don’t claim to be a saint. When I loved him, I gave him my all, but since he betrayed me, I had to find a way to maximize my own interests. Treating Arthur as a money-making tool made this marriage much more bearable. 4 A close friend had warned me before: never feel sorry for a man, and never try to save money for a man. Because the money you save will eventually be spent by another woman. At the time, I laughed and told her she was overthinking it. Now, it seems her words were absolute wisdom. I, who used to be frugal and calculated every penny, started spending lavishly. If Arthur could use our joint marital assets to keep a college student, why couldn’t I? So, using the money Arthur earned, I comfortably became the sugar mama to a very handsome male college student. I have to admit, having a ridiculously good-looking, fit, and clingy “puppy dog” sweetly calling me “older sister” was quite enjoyable. Thinking about this, I had no desire to stay and watch his performance of deep devotion to Chloe. These past two days, it wasn’t just his little girl making a fuss; my little puppy dog was also getting pretty jealous. 5 Back in my bedroom with the door locked, I video-called Leo Vance. Soon, a stunningly handsome face appeared on the screen. He was wearing white earbuds. He must have just taken a shower; his hair was still damp. He had a beautiful, sun-kissed complexion and perfectly sculpted muscles. He looked like an intoxicating male siren. I swallowed hard. “Pan down, let me see those abs.” Leo shyly lowered his head, his earlobe, visible on the edge of the screen, turning a soft pink. So incredibly innocent. But he obediently moved the phone further away. “There are people in the dorm,” he whispered. Even his voice was so husky it gave me goosebumps. I chuckled darkly, acting like a total creep: “Doesn’t that make it more exciting!” Leo’s earlobe turned even redder, the color spreading down his neck. Afraid I would say something even more inappropriate, he quickly changed the subject: “Sister, a girl has been hitting on me the last couple of days. She looks a bit like you.” 6 Given Leo’s looks, it was obvious he had a lot of girls chasing him. But this was the first time he had mentioned it to me. I suddenly remembered Chloe calling me an “old woman.” An inexplicable wave of irritation hit me. A six-year age gap… to Leo, I suppose I was a bit old. “So… do you like her too? If so, I’ll let you go.” He clearly hadn’t expected me to say that, and he panicked. “That’s not what I meant.” He waved his hands frantically, explaining: “My roommates told me I needed to let you know how high in demand I am, so you’d feel a sense of crisis. “I don’t want freedom. I just want you to care about me a little more. “Sister, I only like you.” He spoke with such urgent sincerity, as if he was genuinely terrified I didn’t want him anymore. I sighed. We originally started this as a mutually beneficial arrangement. The worst-case scenario was one of us actually catching feelings. “Leo, I like you a lot too. But the gap between us is too big. It won’t lead anywhere. “You should find a girl your own age and have a normal, healthy relationship. “Let’s just end it here.” Just as I finished speaking, a frantic knocking came from the door. Through the wood, Arthur’s voice sounded furious. “Maya, who are you talking to?” 7 I quickly hung up the video call. The project Arthur was working on was in its final stages. I had endured for over half a year; I didn’t want any complications at the very end. I opened the door and looked up at him. “What, you managed to coax your mistress? Does she know you ran over here in the middle of the night to bang on my door?” Arthur frowned, his face dark. He lowered his voice and asked again, “Who was it?” I rolled my eyes and couldn’t help but curse: “None of your damn business.” “Maya, are you seeing someone behind my back?!” Looking at his tightly clenched hands, the knuckles white from the strain, I found it hilarious. He was having an affair so blatantly, acting like he wished the whole world knew he was cheating on me. And now, he couldn’t handle a tiny hint of suspicion? “In what capacity are you asking me?” I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe. “As my cheating husband, or as Chloe’s boyfriend? “Is it that people who are dirty themselves think everything else is dirty too?” Arthur glared at me, his eyes looking like they wanted to slice me into pieces. He held out his hand. “Give me your phone.” I couldn’t be bothered with him. I stepped back into my room and slammed the door right in his face. 8 Arthur went crazy, pounding on the door relentlessly. Annoyed, I texted Chloe directly. [Your man is banging on my door right now. He probably wants to spend the night with me. Should I go open the door?] A few minutes later, it was finally quiet. I let out a long breath, tossed my phone aside, and collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. My phone kept buzzing with notifications. I didn’t know if it was Leo or Chloe, or maybe both of them frantically messaging me. Regardless of who it was, I didn’t want to look at it right now. It was so annoying. 9 When I woke up the next day, Arthur had already left for the office. Maria brought out breakfast, hesitated for a moment, and asked: “Ma’am, did you and Mr. Sterling have a fight? He didn’t look very happy today.” Maria was great, but a bit old-fashioned. I had told her many times to just use our first names, but she insisted. She said she couldn’t break the rules. Eventually, I just let her be. I picked up an egg, tapped it twice on the table, and shrugged indifferently. “He probably had a fight with the girl he keeps on the side.” Chloe had been acting quite entitled lately, spoiled by Arthur’s indulgence. Arthur probably didn’t have a good time last night. Maria’s expression changed a few times: “Ma’am, you can’t just let Mr. Sterling continue like this. You’ve been married for so many years, it’s time you had a child. “Maybe with a child, he’ll come back to you.” Trying to use a child to tie down a man who has already checked out… how pathetic do you have to be to resort to that? I shook my head. “That’s not fair to the child. Besides, I don’t want to win him back.” When threatening suicide didn’t make him change his mind, I had already decided I didn’t want this man anymore. 10 When the company got on track, I stepped down from the General Manager position and opened my own studio. I focused on jewelry design, which I loved, and I had achieved some minor success over the past two years. I had just parked my car in the studio’s underground garage when Leo appeared out of nowhere. His eyes were red, and his upper eyelids were still swollen. “Sister…” He called out to me, his voice noticeably hoarse. He looked at me with pitiful eyes, like an abandoned puppy. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “You didn’t reply to my messages, and I didn’t dare call you. I could only wait for you here.” He took a few steps forward and carefully tugged at my sleeve. “Don’t push me away. If I did something wrong, you can tell me. I’ll change.” 11 I started feeling irritated again, an irritation mixed with a heartache I couldn’t ignore. “Leo, think clearly. Our relationship is toxic. “If we separate, we can’t even use the word ‘breakup,’ it’s just ‘termination.’ Do you understand?” The color drained from Leo’s face. He lowered his head, refusing to speak, his hand still stubbornly clutching my cuff. Holding on very, very tightly. I took a deep breath, ultimately giving in to my softer side. “Leo, find a girl your own age and love her properly. “Go have a healthy relationship, one that can be out in the open.” Leo sniffled and rejected my suggestion without a second of hesitation. “I only want you.” We went back and forth in the underground garage for a long time, but in the end, I couldn’t dissuade him. Whatever. He’s still young. Give him time, and he’ll eventually get tired of me. Just like Arthur—he used to love me so much he would have jumped in a river for me, and now hasn’t he moved on to someone else? 12 After sketching designs all morning, I stretched and decided to take a break. As soon as I opened my phone, I saw that Chloe had sent me a barrage of messages. This mistress was getting increasingly arrogant. At first, when she added me as a friend, she didn’t even dare say who she was. She only dared to subtly show off her relationship on her Instagram stories. Now, she had the nerve to provoke me directly. She sent two photos. In one, she was wearing a very expensive necklace, smiling brightly. In the other, it was also a necklace, a very beautiful design, just noticeably less extravagant than the first one. But I recognized it instantly. It was the exact one I had loved a few years ago but couldn’t afford. That year, Arthur and I were preparing for our wedding, and he took me to pick out jewelry. I fell in love with that necklace at first sight. But at the time, our business was just getting off the ground, and we couldn’t support such a high expense. He held my hand, his eyes red from holding back tears. He said: “Honey, I’m sorry I can’t give you what you want. “In the future, I will definitely make a lot of money. When the time comes, I’ll buy out an entire mall’s worth of jewelry for you.” Later, he did make a lot of money, enough to buy dozens, even hundreds of malls. It’s just that he forgot his promise to me. 13 Below the photos were a few lines of text. [Arthur bought me two necklaces to make me happy. But I don’t really like the second one.] [I thought about gifting it to you, Sister, but I was afraid you wouldn’t like it either. But Arthur told me you actually liked this design a few years ago.] [So I told him to bring it back for you tonight. I hope you don’t mind, Sister.] This two-faced, competitive, ‘pick-me’ attitude was truly disgusting. I didn’t hold back. [My mother only had one child. Stop with the ‘Sister’ nonsense, it’s pathetic.] [From now on, just call me Mrs. Sterling.] Maybe the words ‘Mrs. Sterling’ hurt her fragile ego. She didn’t reply, but a moment later, Arthur called. “What did you say to her now? “Can you stop causing drama and leave her alone? I bought you a gift.” I cursed again: “Fuck your drama! Get lost!” Then I hung up without hesitation. I think I might have developed a phobia of massive idiots. 14 I sat in my chair, fuming, feeling increasingly disgusted the more I thought about it. I picked up my phone again, took screenshots of my conversation with Chloe, and sent them to Arthur. Even though I had already decided to divorce him once the project was over, I needed him to see clearly what kind of trash he had fallen for. Running over to lecture me? Telling me I provoked her? If you make me uncomfortable, I won’t let anyone else have a good day either. [Open your damn eyes and look closely! Who provoked who first?!] [Are you trying to tell me the gift you prepared for me is the necklace your little mistress rejected? Don’t fucking disgust me! I don’t want it!] Without waiting for his reply, I swiftly blocked him on every single platform. Rather than letting them drain me, it’s better to act crazy and drain them. It felt fucking great! 15 Arthur tried calling me from several different numbers, but I blocked them all. It started drizzling in the evening. When I got home, Arthur was sitting stiffly on the sofa. On his white collar, a smeared lipstick stain was glaringly obvious. On the table in front of him sat a beautifully wrapped gift box. Seeing me enter, he stood up and held the box out to me. “Listen to my explanation. “I specifically bought this for you. I didn’t know Chloe would sneakily try it on. And I didn’t know she would say those things to you.” I took it, turned around, and tossed it into the nearby trash can. “I find things she’s touched filthy. “Including you.” Arthur’s face darkened. He gritted his teeth and glared at me fiercely: “Maya, don’t push it.” “I’m pushing it? “Do I need to remind you of everything you’ve done?” He froze, shifting his angry gaze away from me, his hands clenching into fists and then slowly releasing. He didn’t argue back, nor could he. 16 I couldn’t be bothered to continue arguing with him. I bypassed him and went straight to my bedroom. Afraid Arthur would hear, after showering, I didn’t video-call Leo; instead, I texted him. We were in the middle of a lively conversation when there was a knock on the door. Arthur stood in the doorway, dripping wet. He awkwardly shoved a gift box into my hands again. “I just went out and bought a new one. “She hasn’t touched this one. It’s not dirty.” He wet his lips and continued: “I remember you really liked it before. I just couldn’t afford it back then. I…” I cut him off: “Oh, sorry. I don’t like it anymore.” Arthur frowned, looking confused: “Why?” I sneered: “People’s feelings change, let alone a piece of jewelry that’s out of style. “Stop bothering me from now on.” I slammed the door in his face again. 17 Because he got caught in the rain, Arthur developed a fever. He’s always been incredibly fussy when he’s sick. Maria made him various nutritious meals, but he refused to eat a single bite, only demanding the pork and century egg congee I used to make. Back when we were just starting the business, maybe because he was stressed and overworked, Arthur got sick a lot. Every time he got sick, I would make him pork and century egg congee. After he finished eating, he would rest his head on my shoulder, hugging me and acting like a baby. “Wifey, why are you so good to me? You’re the best wife in the whole world!” We had no money back then, living in a tiny, cramped apartment. But every day was so happy. But later, I don’t know how things changed. Do men really turn bad once they get money? Maria looked at me, clearly conflicted. “Ma’am, maybe you could make him some congee? He’s not eating anything, his body won’t be able to handle it.” I nodded. True, if he stays sick, wouldn’t his project get delayed? I opened the chat with Chloe again. [Your man is sick, come take care of him.] 18 Seeing Chloe at the house, Arthur’s fever-flushed face looked even worse. He coughed and asked darkly: “Why did you come to my house?” Not expecting him to say that, Chloe was stunned for a moment, forcefully suppressing her rising temper. She lowered her head, looking pitiful. “I heard you were sick, so I came to take care of you.” Arthur glanced at me, and seeing my amused expression, suddenly became very impatient. He aggressively started kicking her out: “I don’t need you here, go back.” Chloe had been treated like a precious jewel by him all this time; there was no way she could handle this kind of attitude from him now. She turned and ran out crying. She ran very slowly, though, probably expecting Arthur to chase after her and comfort her. But Arthur stood ramrod straight in place, not moving an inch. I clicked my tongue, secretly mocking them. Just the day before yesterday they were so lovey-dovey and sweet. Is he bored of her already today? “I know, you little jealous thing~” Yuck~ Disgusting! 19 Chloe felt wronged at Arthur’s place, so she decided to take her anger out on me. [What did you say to Arthur! He’s never treated me like this before!] I thought about it. [Maybe because I took screenshots of our conversation and sent them to him?] [Oh, he also said the necklace was meant for me, and you secretly tried it on yourself.] I guess that was the only thing I did. Chloe must have been furious; she started aggressively cursing me out: [You bitch!] [Filthy slut! Serves you right Arthur doesn’t want you!] [You’re old, go find a nursing home and rot there, stop making a fool of yourself!] I calmly took a screenshot and replied: [Wow~ So vulgar~] [Aren’t you afraid I’ll send these screenshots to that blind, idiotic asshole?] As soon as the message sent, she started frantically unsending her messages one by one. Too late, honey~ I unblocked Arthur, sent the screenshots, and blocked him again. Before blocking him, I didn’t forget to curse him out thoroughly. Equally destroying both the scumbag and the bitch. It felt so fucking good! 20 Before, I had never thought about causing trouble for Chloe. Even when I tried to use suicide to save this severely damaged marriage, I never said a single bad word about her. I always believed that flies don’t bite seamless eggs. The main reason for cheating is the man’s lack of commitment. But the more I acted this way, the more she thought I was a pushover. She provoked me over and over again. She even blatantly attacked me to my face a few times. I slashed my wrists and lay in the hospital, and she came to see me. She pressed her hand on my bandaged wrist, her face full of sympathy: “Arthur is so cruel to you, Sister. You’re in this state and he doesn’t even feel bad. “If I even get a tiny scrape, he gets anxious for half the day.” She brought her friends to my studio and judged my work. Several of them laughed loudly, making reckless comments. They said someone would have to have terrible taste to like the ugly things I designed. If I kept tolerating this, Notre Dame would invite me to ring their bells.

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When I was finally rescued after fifteen years of being trafficked, I discovered I was the long-lost true heiress of a top-tier billionaire family. My mother was incredibly emotional as she came to take me home. But I caught her secretly exchanging glances with my brother. And my brother, tightly holding the hand of their timid, “pure-hearted” fake heiress daughter, looked at me with open hostility. I smiled. I am a demon raised in a land that eats people and spits out their bones. By bringing me back, they’ve just invited the devil through the front door. 1. When my mother, Sylvia Sterling, arrived, a female police officer was holding me in her arms, comforting me. My body was shaking violently. Every inch of skin exposed outside the blanket was covered in dark purple and sickening green bruises. According to the officer, I was the true heiress of the Sterling family, a top-tier billionaire dynasty in New York. Coming home this time meant my suffering was finally over. From now on, no one would ever be able to bully me again. When Sylvia first saw me, she looked genuinely heartbroken. She crouched down to my eye level, her hands trembling as she touched my head. “Are you… are you Avery Sterling?” I couldn’t blame her for not recognizing me. I was incredibly ugly right now. And she was incredibly beautiful. Even in her mid-forties, she was impeccably maintained. Her face was exquisite, her aura gentle and elegant, and she even smelled of expensive perfume. This was the mother I had no memory of. I stared at her blankly, my eyes clear and pitiful. After a long moment, I hesitantly nodded. The police officer chimed in appropriately, “Little Avery has suffered unimaginable abuse out there. When we found her, she had two snakes wrapped around her neck, and those animals had stripped her naked and hung her…” At those words, Sylvia uncontrollably pulled me into a tight embrace, her voice trembling. “My poor baby, you’ve suffered so much. It’s okay now that you’re back. I will never let anyone bully you again.” Naturally, I didn’t believe a word she said. Because I saw her subtly exchange a look with the boy standing behind her when she walked in. That boy was also beautiful, dressed in immaculate, expensive clothes. With his left hand, he was holding a soft, delicate-looking girl. Both of them were glaring at me with raw hostility. As if my return was something filthy and disgusting. I buried my face into Sylvia’s neck, letting a massive, chilling smile spread across my face. 2. After I went missing at age five, the Sterling family adopted a girl and named her Chloe Sterling. I also had a twin brother named Carter. But in this moment, Carter looked like a pristine, arrogant little prince, while I looked like I had lost half my life. I actually quite liked him. If my long-lost, dear brother Carter hadn’t looked at me with such disdain and spoken so cruelly, I really could have liked him. “Mom, she’s too dirty. Shouldn’t we send her to get washed up first? The carpets at home are imported from France.” Sylvia shot Carter a reproachful look and told him not to say such things. The only thing she didn’t do was deny it. She didn’t say I wasn’t dirty. Chloe tugged at Carter’s hand. “Brother, you shouldn’t say that. It will make my sister sad.” Carter scoffed. “Just telling the truth.” I twitched the corner of my mouth, looking at Chloe’s feigned kindness and the smugness she couldn’t quite hide. This kind of trick… Was way too amateur. I grabbed Sylvia’s hand, nuzzling against her palm, and said devoutly, “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t want to be so dirty either.” No one knew how I had survived countless days and nights in that unimaginably brutal hellhole. Only absolute submission, combined with a fast, precise, and ruthless understanding of the human heart, gave you a slight chance to live like a human being. Those who have never been to hell have no idea what a demon even looks like. A single tear slipped from the corner of my eye, landing perfectly in Sylvia’s palm. Sylvia’s heart instantly ached. She hugged me tightly and scolded Carter, “This is your sister! How can you speak like that?” Carter glared at me, but he stopped his cruel remarks. Chloe was different. Her entire demeanor screamed that she felt threatened, and she stared at me intently. I didn’t care. As if suddenly remembering something, I asked out of the blue, “By the way, which orphanage was Chloe adopted from?” Sylvia was caught off guard. “After you went missing, we found her passed out under our car.” Oh. I see. 3. Chloe really was wicked. On my very first day back, she couldn’t wait to burst into my room to mark her territory. “Avery, in the fifteen years you were gone, I have completely secured the love of Mom, Dad, and Carter! Right now, you are the extra one here!” She was haughty and arrogant. I just casually sipped my tea. “Oh.” Apparently, this was top-tier Darjeeling tea, but to me, it tasted no different from the stagnant water in the dungeon. Seeing that I was completely unfazed, Chloe grew furious. She grabbed a heavy bedside lamp and swung it at my head. More than a decade of living as a spoiled rich girl had made her reckless and entitled. I let out a soft chuckle and didn’t fight back. Not only did I not fight back, but I also went with her momentum, slamming my own head into the wall to finish the job. Under her utterly bewildered gaze, I began to scream bloody murder. When Sylvia and Carter rushed into the room, this is what they saw: The room was a mess. Blood was pouring from a gash on my head. Aside from the screaming, I wasn’t even crying; I was just trembling violently in sheer terror. And Chloe was completely frozen in shock. When she finally snapped out of it, she started screaming too. “No! I didn’t do anything! She clearly could have dodged it! I just threw the lamp, she was the one who went crazy and slammed her own head into the wall…” But I acted so terrified that I shrank into the corner. Like a dog that had suffered massive trauma. Sylvia hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to pick me up and treat my wound. While comforting me, she shot a look of deep disappointment at Chloe. “Chloe, she is your older sister. Why would she… slam her own head into the wall? And the wound is so severe.” I smiled with deep satisfaction. Carter looked at me with fury. He stubbornly grabbed Chloe’s hand. “I can’t believe my sister, who’s been missing for so many years, turned out to be this kind of person. This is truly vicious. Anyway, I don’t believe Chloe would ever do something like this.” With that, he pulled Chloe away without looking back. Sylvia applied iodine to my wound, speaking softly. “Chloe has always been a filial, obedient, and kind child. We adopted her, we watched her grow up clearly and plainly. She is your sister too…” I cut her off. “You don’t believe me, do you?” She froze. I said, “Because she grew up right under your nose, you trust her. But I wanted to grow up by your and Dad’s side too…” She panicked. “No, Avery, that’s not what I meant…” Seeing her panic made me very happy. But I still deliberately pushed her out of the room, acting heartbroken, saying I wanted to be alone. I didn’t care in the slightest whether they genuinely liked me or not. My only target in coming back was Chloe. After all, if it weren’t for this “good sister” of mine, I wouldn’t have been trafficked overseas. Chloe, you personally sent me into a monster’s den. Tell me, how are you going to handle a demon’s revenge? 4. After that night, out of guilt, Sylvia constantly bought me piles and piles of clothes. Whatever toys or luxuries Chloe had, I got exactly the same. It seemed she wanted to aggressively compensate for the fifteen years of love I had missed. Probably having been warned, Carter didn’t bother me, avoiding me entirely. He just went out drinking with his rich frat-boy friends, publicly declaring that in his heart, Chloe was the only sister he would ever have. I didn’t care. I just focused on my skincare routine and meticulously nursing my body back to health. That place was so bloody and brutal that the doctors said even if I fully healed, I would be left with many savage, permanent scars. I didn’t care. I simply bided my time, waiting for the right moment to strike at Chloe. But what I didn’t expect… Was that Chloe was so ruthless to herself. She left behind a dramatic suicide note: “You all think I hurt my sister, none of you believe me! But I really didn’t do it! I truly love my Dad, Mom, and Carter so much. Please don’t stop loving me just because my sister is back…” That night, she locked herself in the bathroom crying and attempted suicide. Luckily, the maid found her in time, and she was rushed to the hospital and revived. I heard her blood dyed the entire bathroom floor red. Carter, eyes bloodshot, charged at me like a madman and slapped me hard across the face. “You bitch! This is all your fault! You framed Chloe! If it weren’t for you, why would she feel so wronged that she tried to kill herself?! If anything happens to my sister, I’ll make you pay with your life!” Why didn’t she die? I ground my teeth, which were aching from the slap. Sylvia also clearly stopped believing me. The way she looked at me was full of disappointment. “Avery, haven’t we been good enough to you? When you came back to the Sterling family, we welcomed you so warmly and wanted to make up for everything. I never imagined your heart could be so vicious. Did staying in that place for too long corrupt you?” Chloe lay in her hospital bed, staring at me provocatively and weakly, like a proud peacock. Her eyes clearly said: Avery, do you see? While you were gone, all your love became mine. I remembered when I was five years old, the first time I met Chloe. I was wearing a princess dress, feeling superior as my mom carried me out of a boutique. Chloe was covered in dirt, staring at me from a dark alley corner. My mom didn’t like me playing with “those kinds of people.” So I distracted my mom, clutching my pocket money, wanting to give it to Chloe. But I never expected that this one “saintly” act would result in me being trafficked for fifteen years. And Chloe, the cuckoo in the nest, got to enjoy everything that belonged to me. She was a demon too. I smiled and said earnestly, “It won’t happen again. I’m sorry.” Sylvia sighed, pulled me into a hug, and said earnestly, “You and your sister are both pieces of my heart. I hope you two can get along from now on.” I nodded obediently. That very afternoon, I went to a seafood market and bought a large bag of live eels. I was going to dump them into Chloe’s bathtub. Doesn’t she like committing suicide in the bathtub? Chloe was terrified out of her mind. Screaming bloody murder, she scrambled out of the bathroom stark naked and threw herself into Carter’s arms. Carter, while enjoying the view, didn’t forget to yell at me, “Avery, are you insane?!” I blinked innocently. Chloe was trembling uncontrollably, sobbing hysterically. “My sister put snakes in my bathtub…” Hearing the commotion, Sylvia rushed over and slapped me without hesitation. “You truly have no upbringing! What you’re doing is illegal! Who gave you the right to do this? Did your very soul rot away in that pile of corpses?!” Her eyes were filled with profound disappointment. I looked at her and said, “They aren’t snakes.” How could they be snakes? You can’t just buy live snakes at a fresh seafood market. Even I understood that basic fact. But Chloe had jumped up, snatched the bag of eels from my hands, dumped them into the bathroom herself, and tried to lock me inside to “dance with the snakes.” I was stronger than her. She failed to lock the door, which is why she started screaming so loudly. My dear mother and dear brother, why don’t you actually look inside the bathroom first? But Sylvia refused to listen, turning her head to softly coax and comfort Chloe. I stepped forward, slapped Chloe hard across the face, and then, remembering the slap Carter gave me at the hospital, I slapped Chloe again. Everyone froze, including Chloe. Her face visibly swelled up in seconds. After surviving out there all these years, my strength and angle were perfect. I hit much harder and better than a soft guy like Carter. It must have hurt like hell. I bared my teeth and grinned. Chloe burst into a loud wail. Her eyes clearly held deep hatred for me, but since Carter and Sylvia were there, she didn’t dare say a word. She just shrank weakly into Carter’s embrace. Sylvia’s face was livid. “You’re crazy! You’re a lunatic!” She grabbed me by the collar. “I’m sending you to the police station! I’ll let the cops teach you how to be a decent human being!” I didn’t resist. I even voluntarily got into the car. Before getting in, I looked back at Carter. “By the way, she’s stark naked. Even though I never went to school, I know men and women should keep their distance. You two aren’t trying to—” I grinned and spat out two words that made Carter’s face turn purple with rage. Sylvia almost slapped me again. Sylvia meant what she said. She dragged me into the precinct, declaring I had thrown snakes into her daughter’s bathtub and demanded to press charges. The female officer who had brought me back last time saw me and looked surprised. “Why are you here?” I pressed my lips together and didn’t say a word. The officer looked at Sylvia with sudden realization and explained, “I’m sorry, ma’am, but throwing snakes does not constitute a crime. Especially between sisters, the victim would have to come to the station to press charges herself. And even then, we could at most mediate. We can’t do anything more.” Sylvia was furious. “Is this how you do your jobs?!” The officer looked at me, choosing her words carefully. “Is there a misunderstanding? When I brought this little one back, she was very well-behaved.” Ultimately, Sylvia angrily abandoned me at the station and left by herself. The officer spoke to me gently, “What’s wrong? Are you not getting along with your family?” I stubbornly shook my head. The officer had been very good to me. When I was rescued, my body wouldn’t stop shaking. She was the one who took off her police jacket and wrapped it around me. She was the one who noticed the obscure injuries on my feet and told me: “Sweetheart, you’re back now. You have to live a good life. All those things in the past are over. You have family, you will have friends, and you have a brand-new future.” A future? Did I really possess such a thing? Back then, looking at her confident smile, I actually felt a spark of hope. I thought maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny chance my family wouldn’t despise me for what I had become. But it was only a tiny chance. I didn’t want the officer to know I was miserable. Her eyes reddened, and she softly hummed an “Mhm.” Then she looked at me, a bit puzzled. “Did you not tell them that it was because of your help that we dismantled the trafficking ring?” I shook my head. “The reward money hasn’t come through yet. I can’t tell them.” She laughed, and I smiled too. 5. Nobody came to pick me up, but I knew how to call an Uber. Relying on my excellent memory, I made it home smoothly. Carter was in the living room. Seeing me walk in, he gave me a nasty look, his tone aggressive. “Chloe and I are not blood-related. I love her, and I’m going to marry her. I hope you keep your filthy mouth shut from now on.” He thought for a moment, then added, “Chloe cried for a long time because of you.” His eyes seemed full of reproach. I sneered. “I don’t see her crying to death, do I?” I expected Carter to start screaming at me again, but surprisingly, he just looked at me hesitantly. When I grew impatient and started walking upstairs, Carter called out to me. “Hey. I know they were eels in the bathtub. I went and looked. Why didn’t you say anything?” I stopped, turning around with an amused smile. “What would happen if I did?” Carter thought about it and said awkwardly, “Chloe and I have lived together for fifteen years. I can’t live without her. She is so kind-hearted. She must have just been terrified, which is why she didn’t look closely to see if they were eels or…” “That’s exactly why I didn’t say anything.” I rolled my eyes and turned to leave without looking back. This was also the reason why I didn’t immediately tell Sylvia that the daughter she had raised for fifteen years was the primary culprit who caused our separation. From the moment I saw Carter carefully holding her hand at the police station, I knew. I was very good at avoiding and reducing meaningless arguments. Carter choked on his words, staring at me without saying another sentence. I didn’t shy away; I just let him look. When I was captive, I was locked in a cage, being a perfectly “good” girl while enduring the stares of countless men. Why would I be afraid of him? Chloe came skipping down the stairs, her eyes still red like a rabbit’s. She shot me a hostile glare, then linked her arm through Carter’s. Hearing the commotion, Sylvia came downstairs. Seeing me, she made no effort to hide her displeasure. “If you do something this outrageous again, I won’t just drop you at the police station.” Alright. I nodded, acting very obedient to show I understood. Perhaps my attitude was acceptable, because Sylvia’s voice softened a few degrees. “I know you’re rotten to the core, but people can change. Take some time to get your GED, or find an entry-level position at your father’s company. We don’t raise freeloaders in the Sterling family. Your brother and sister will both be entering management after they graduate.” She looked at me with mockery, as if she felt I had struck the lottery. I chuckled softly. I didn’t tell her that even in that hellhole where I was just struggling to survive, I never forgot to study. Because my mom once told me that kids who study hard are good kids. I thought that when I came back, my mom wouldn’t despise me if I knew nothing. Whatever. Chloe spoke up smugly, “Mom, my sister came back and we haven’t even had a welcome-home party for her. Shouldn’t we throw a banquet for her, at least to officially announce her identity to everyone?” Sylvia looked slightly repulsed. I knew Sylvia felt I was an embarrassment. A person with my background wasn’t fit for high society. I also knew exactly what Chloe was scheming. She just wanted everyone to see how ignorant and vulgar I was compared to her, the refined heiress of so many years. She wanted everyone to formally compare us, to make everyone think I was worthless. In the short time I had been back, she blindly convinced herself that if we stood side-by-side, she would easily outshine me. Unable to resist Chloe’s relentless whining and acting cute, Sylvia reluctantly agreed. I had no say in the matter throughout the entire conversation. Look, how hilarious. It was supposedly a banquet for me, the main character, yet the decision-making power rested entirely with Chloe. I chuckled softly and didn’t object. A hearty laugh came from behind me. I turned around, and the moment I saw him, I knew it was my father, Richard Sterling. He wore a tailored suit but exuded a bloated, greasy aura of wealth. He looked me up and down, his eyes filled with satisfaction and approval. Because of long-term starvation and malnutrition, my arms and legs were incredibly thin. Even though my body was covered in scars and bruises, it was easy to see that my natural skin tone was pale and delicate. With a little nourishment, I would definitely be a beauty. After all, even when I was covered in filth, many men looked at me with sheer, greedy lust. He said, “Pick a good date for the banquet. I’ll attend personally and introduce you to everyone.” His eyes crinkled into a smile. Makes sense. For an illiterate billionaire’s daughter who happens to be pretty, her only practical use was an arranged marriage. I smiled innocently. “Okay!” Even Sylvia looked at me with pity, but she didn’t stop him. I lowered my head, hiding the look in my eyes. 6. Perhaps because I was about to have “utility value” at the banquet, Sylvia took very good care of me in the following weeks. She hired top international doctors to treat me quickly. The doctor said, “The young lady’s body has suffered severe, chronic depletion. I can only do my best to rehabilitate her.” For a whole month, neither Chloe nor Carter appeared in front of me. I recovered very well during this time, actively undergoing treatment. The only thing was a long, prominent scar on my back that couldn’t be completely erased. Sylvia felt a bit of pity, but also a bit of resignation. “With your personality, you definitely suffered a lot of bullying out there.” What she didn’t know was, if it wasn’t for this personality, I would be dead. The banquet arrived as scheduled. I wore an expensive gown. Carter appeared in front of me for the first time in a month. His face softened a bit as he said, “You can take my arm, if you feel awkward.” I gave a fake smile. “No thanks, I’m fine on my own.” Chloe was thrilled. While Sylvia wasn’t looking, she deliberately leaned close to my ear. “I heard that all those men are in their fifties. Sister, you better choose carefully. Oh, by the way, I also heard a few of them are so twisted they’ve already had several wives die on them.” She sighed in mock pity. “But for you, this is already a great destination. After all… I highly doubt you came back from that place ‘clean.’” I looked at her expressionlessly. “What is your point?” She hissed viciously, “Your dad, mom, and brother are all mine. Can’t you see that yet? If you know what’s good for you, pack up and get out.” Oh. I overestimated Chloe. She kept playing the same old, repetitive games. Once at the banquet, I realized Chloe hadn’t exaggerated. Richard enthusiastically led one pot-bellied, middle-aged man after another in front of me, introducing them with great patience. “Avery, this is the Chairman of Wang Corp, in real estate.” “This is the young master of the Liu family. Although they aren’t top-tier billionaires, every single one of them is a promising rising star…” Meanwhile, Chloe stood among her group of socialite friends, watching the show, giggling and pointing at my every expression. I just nodded blankly, showing no favor toward any man, nor putting up any resistance. All the men flattered me and tried to make conversation, but faced with my awkward, introverted silence, they could only laugh uncomfortably. After a while, Richard grew exhausted. He couldn’t help but reprimand me a bit: “Can’t you give me some face? You’re acting like a block of wood. Nobody likes a girl who acts like this.” I looked him straight in the eye. “I don’t know how.” He froze. It was true. I had never attended a banquet, and I had never faced so many people at once. How could I know how to act? When I was little, I was Richard’s precious jewel. My memory of this father stopped at him putting me on his shoulders and lifting me high in the air. He said he could pluck the stars from the sky for me. But now, I was just the ladder he was using to reach for more stars. After fifteen years, I had absolutely no familial love for him left in my eyes. I sighed inwardly. Richard seemed to want to say something, but Carter stepped forward in time, grabbing my hand. “I’ll take her to rest on the side for a bit. Even I can’t handle this much networking.” Seeing us acting like supportive siblings, Richard’s expression softened for a moment, and he reluctantly nodded. Once we walked away, I pulled my hand out of Carter’s. He said, “Why aren’t you thanking me?” I walked over to a chair and sat down, casually grabbing a bottle of cider and taking small sips. “Does an unsolicited intervention count as help?” Call me heartless, call me whatever you want. After all— If I were to feel grateful to him now, wouldn’t my next actions be biting the hand that feeds me?

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When my billionaire parents and the fake heiress came to visit me in the hospital one last time, I finally gave up completely. “System, let the cancer cells spread. I want to detach from this body.” As my soul floated out, I heard them talking. “If Serena hadn’t told us, I wouldn’t even have known our biological daughter was faking an illness just to get our attention! So uncultured and pathetic.” “Let’s cut contact with her for a few months to teach her a lesson. Maybe then she’ll learn to be obedient.” Obedient? But I’m dead. 1 “Sister, do you like it? Then you can have it.” “Everything in this house is supposed to be yours anyway. I’m just grateful Mom and Dad are letting me stay.” “As long as you like it, Sister, I’ll give you anything.” Serena Miller’s beautiful face wore a faint smile, her eyes slightly red, as she offered me a diamond watch. Watching her theatrical performance, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. If I hadn’t awakened, I would have fallen for her trap again. It was only after I awakened that I realized I was the cannon fodder supporting character in a “True and Fake Heiress” novel. Serena, the fake heiress, was the female lead. I was her foil. We were switched at birth. She grew up surrounded by luxury and wealth in the Miller family. I was thrown into a remote countryside, surviving like a stray dog. Not long ago, the Miller family found me and brought me back. I was dark and scrawny, my hair was dry and yellow, and my face and hands were rough like an old woman’s. My biological father said I had “no table manners and no proper posture,” and my academic grades were even more unwatchable. Meanwhile, their adopted daughter, Serena, was beautiful, elegant, played the piano, spoke foreign languages, and excelled academically. Comparing the two of us, my biological parents really couldn’t bring themselves to love me. Even the name they gave me was lazy: Maya Miller. 2 Right now, the diamond watch Serena wanted to give me was the limited-edition reward her mother had given her for placing third in her class on the practice exams. I, on the other hand, got no reward because I bombed the test. I just glanced at the watch twice, and Serena asked if it was pretty. I casually said yes, and the very next day she was trying to give it to me. But this was actually a trap she set. According to the plot, I was supposed to happily accept the watch. Then, the watch would suddenly snap into several pieces in my hands. She would cry and say that if I didn’t like it, I didn’t have to accept it, but why did I have to destroy it? This was a custom piece her mother had ordered way in advance, a treasure she protected with her life, and I had ruined it. This manipulative speech would successfully make my mother despise me even more. Fearing I would harm Serena again, she would banish me to the servants’ quarters in the back. “Serena, if it was given to you, keep it. It’s your reward! Maya, if you like it, I’ll naturally buy you one when you get good grades. In this house, no matter who it is, rewards and punishments are clearly separated.” Hearing Serena’s “magnanimous” words, Mrs. Miller felt a pang of sympathy and spoke up, frowning. Serena acted even more considerate and humble: “As long as Sister is happy, I don’t need a reward. Sister, take this watch.” Saying that, she forcefully tried to shove the watch into my hands. I stepped back several paces: “I don’t want it, use it yourself.” I sneered inwardly: [Give it to me? You’ve already smashed the watch band and barely pieced it back together just to force it on me. The moment I touch it, the watch will shatter into pieces, and then you’ll frame me for being malicious.] [If I touch it, even if I had a hundred mouths, I wouldn’t be able to explain myself.] Ever since I returned, Serena had been especially keen on setting traps for me, desperate for the family to despise me and kick me out as soon as possible. At first, I tried hard to explain. But as soon as she cried, the family took her side. No one listened to a word I said. So now, I couldn’t even be bothered to explain. I knew Mrs. Miller wouldn’t believe me anyway. I no longer cared about parental love or family affection. I planned to avoid the female lead as much as possible, save up some money, and leave the Miller family the moment I turned eighteen. It wasn’t that far away anyway. 3 Seeing that I didn’t fall for it, Serena froze. After all, I had been naive and easy to trap since I came back. She tried to insist, but Mrs. Miller suddenly reached out and grabbed the watch. “Mom—” Serena didn’t even have time to snatch it back. Mrs. Miller took the watch in her hand and gave it a slight twist. Snap. The watch broke into several pieces, two of them falling to the floor. One look and it was obvious someone had intentionally broken it. Mrs. Miller froze. I was also taken aback: [What’s going on? This isn’t following the plot.] [Could it be that Mrs. Miller has awakened too? Does she know Serena intentionally broke the watch to frame me, so she could drive me out to the servants’ quarters, making it easier for her to torment me?] Serena’s face went completely pale. Because the watch band was extremely sturdy; it couldn’t have shattered into pieces with just a gentle twist. But she reacted quickly, putting on a face of complete ignorance: “How did this happen? This watch was perfectly fine when Mom gave it to me yesterday, right—” She turned to look at me, her face turning terrified: “Maya, what did you do in my room early this morning? It was you, wasn’t it—” “Enough!” Mrs. Miller sternly cut her off. Serena, who had never been scolded by Mrs. Miller before, was stunned. But what followed shocked her even more. Mrs. Miller called the butler over and ordered him to pack Serena’s luggage and move her to an empty room in the servants’ quarters in the back. The butler and Serena were both dumbfounded. Then, Mrs. Miller looked at me, her expression somewhat unnatural: “Maya, you move into Serena’s old room. I’ll have someone replace everything in there with things you like.” Serena’s room was right next to the master bedroom, decorated lavishly and dreamily. Even the bed alone was worth the price of a normal person’s house. I was also a bit stunned, couldn’t help but think: [Could it be that Mrs. Miller really has awakened? Then she should know who her precious adopted daughter’s biological mother is—] At that moment, Serena’s agitated questioning interrupted my thoughts. Hearing that she was being sent to the servants’ quarters, Serena panicked, asking pitifully: “Mom, did I do something wrong?” Mrs. Miller sneered: “The custom gift I got you, if you didn’t like it, you didn’t have to accept it. Why did you have to destroy it?” “I really didn’t expect that while I treated you as my biological daughter, your heart was so dark.” “Since you despise me as a mother, go live in the servants’ quarters and stay far away from me, so you don’t offend my eyes!” “Butler, hurry up and move her!” “Yes, ma’am!” The butler was startled, not daring to hesitate any longer, and led the staff to start moving her things. I felt a rush of secret satisfaction; thankfully I hadn’t taken that watch. Serena: “…” Serena burst into panicked tears, trying hard to make excuses: “It’s not like that, I really didn’t break it. I treasured it so much, how could I bear to ruin it…” Just then, the eldest son of the Miller family, Arthur Miller, arrived. Serena immediately ran to him, throwing herself into his arms: “Arthur, help me, help me explain to Mom. Mom told me to give my room to Maya and wants me to live in the servants’ quarters. I’m willing to give it to her, but I don’t want to live in the servants’ quarters, I’m scared, boohoo~” Arthur doted on this sister the most. Seeing her crying her eyes out, he immediately hugged her. He turned to look at me, scolding me without a second thought: “Maya, if you’re not satisfied with your room, just say so. We’ll change it for you. Whatever you need, we’ll buy it. Why did you have to steal Serena’s room?” I hadn’t even spoken yet. Mrs. Miller anxiously shouted at him: “Get out of here, stop sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, and get back to work!” Serena hugged Arthur’s neck, pressing her whole chest tightly against him, crying even more pitifully: “Arthur, boohoo~” Arthur naturally hugged her back: “Mom, are you confused? Serena grew up in our family. She’s pure and kind-hearted by nature, and doesn’t like to fight with others. How can you bear to let her be wronged? Butler, stop moving!” I scoffed inwardly: [Tsk tsk, what a fiercely protective brother. I hope in a few days, on the night of her eighteenth birthday, after she drugs you and climbs into your bed, you’ll still think she’s pure and kind-hearted by nature?] [But he probably won’t even live to see that day, because his health is already terrible right now. He suffers from insomnia every night, and has heart palpitations and headaches during the day, but never takes the time to go to the hospital.] [By that day, when he’s drugged with those powerful aphrodisiacs and tormented by Serena all night, a perfectly capable young man will be turned into a drooling idiot at the sight of a woman.] Smack. The other half of the watch slipped from Mrs. Miller’s hand and fell to the floor. And Arthur, who was always stubbornly protective of Serena, actually had a stiff expression as he reached out and pushed away his precious sister. [Looking at the timeline, the tumor in Arthur’s brain is probably about to turn malignant, right? I should tell him to get a checkup at the hospital.] [Forget it, last time I just handed him a bowl of soup, and he told me to mind my own business, not to be overly affectionate, and not to fight over everything. If I try to advise him now, he’ll probably think I’m just jealous of his dear sister again.] Serena never expected to be pushed away by the brother who loved her the most. Caught off guard, she almost face-planted onto the floor. After steadying herself, she moved towards Arthur again. But Arthur took two sudden steps back. He suddenly looked at me, his expression complex. After a long while, his voice sounded uncertain as he said: “Sorry, I have something to do. I need to go out for a bit.” He left in a hurry. “Arthur!” Serena cried out tragically. But Arthur didn’t even look back. Serena’s expression shattered. 4 Serena didn’t go live in the servants’ quarters. She packed a simple, small bag. She only packed a few changes of clothes. She intended to move out of this house. She bowed deeply to Mrs. Miller, tears falling like pearls, her voice hoarse: “Thank you for taking care of me all these years. I’m leaving. When I graduate, I’ll work hard to earn money and repay your kindness in raising me.” Mrs. Miller frowned: “You made a mistake, I scolded you, and you’re feeling wronged? Is this you threatening to run away from home?” Serena cried and shook her head: “I’m not throwing a tantrum, I genuinely want to leave. Maya has suffered a lot outside these past few years, so please dote on her. You don’t need me anymore.” “Eleanor, there was a shipment of fresh fruit at Tim’s today. I picked out a few for you, come have a taste.” Bursting in like a whirlwind was Mrs. Miller’s best friend, Brenda Davis. Eleanor was Mrs. Miller’s name. She was always overbearing, so she had very few friends. Brenda was the only one who accommodated her in everything. Because of this, the two were very close. Seeing Brenda, the cold Mrs. Miller’s expression softened a bit: “Thank you.” I laughed inwardly: [What’s there to thank her for? She’s buying you fruit with your own money.] [You loaded her membership card with ten thousand, and eight thousand of it was spent by Brenda.] Mrs. Miller’s face, which had just relaxed, froze again. Brenda, oblivious to this, ran over to comfort Serena: “Oh my, what’s going on? Who upset our Princess Serena? Your pretty little face is all smeared with tears like a messy kitten.” Serena held her bag, crying even harder: “Aunt Brenda, boohoo, I’m moving out. I’ll come visit you when I have time.” Brenda looked surprised: “What happened?” Serena: “The watch Mom gave me broke. I don’t know how it broke, but it made Mom mad, and Maya felt wronged, so it’s best if I move out.” Brenda laughed it off: “Is that all? Serena, just apologize and it’ll be fine. You’re so pretty, if you go out there alone you’ll be kidnapped by traffickers. Your parents and brother would be heartbroken. Right, Eleanor? You wouldn’t bear to let this beautiful girl wander the streets alone, would you?” [Hmph, with her biological mother right here, how could Serena ever wander the streets? The luxury condo you borrowed from Eleanor, the princess room you meticulously decorated, wasn’t that all prepared for Serena?] As soon as I finished my internal rant, Mrs. Miller suddenly asked: “What did you say?” Her eyes were wide open, her voice trembling slightly. Seeing her staring at me, I was taken aback and shook my head: “Nothing, I didn’t say anything.” I continued complaining in my head: [It’s a pity we can’t choose our origins. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn’t have chosen to be born into the Miller family.] [Eleanor is blind, completely oblivious to the fact that Brenda swapped their two daughters.] [While I was in the countryside fighting dogs for food, my own biological mother was raising someone else’s daughter like a princess, and even letting her leech off the Miller family, paying for all her food, clothes, housing, and expenses.] [Later, when Serena turned the Miller family upside down and seized all their assets, she moved Brenda into the Miller family’s mansion. Do you remember what Brenda did to Eleanor?] [She called Eleanor a moron and an idiot, saying Eleanor must be blind to fall so low. She even said she never treated Eleanor as a best friend, but rather as a servant, and that now she was the master.] [When Mr. Miller fell ill, Eleanor went to Brenda to borrow money. As a result, Brenda forced Eleanor to kneel and lick her shoes clean.] [Even though Brenda and her daughter are barely human, specializing in inhumane acts, and Serena never said a word even when she knew about her true parentage early on. Even if I told Eleanor these things, she probably wouldn’t believe me. Better not be overly affectionate again. I’ll just watch how things unfold for them. Anyway, I must get out of this house as soon as possible.] [Speaking of which, this isn’t my home at all. I’m just a pitiful ghost temporarily lodging here. No one considers me family anyway.] At this time, Brenda pushed Serena in front of Mrs. Miller: “Eleanor, it’s not a big deal. Why kick the child out? Everyone envies you for having such a daughter—beautiful, smart, and elegant. You couldn’t find another like her in all of New York. If she runs out and something happens, wouldn’t you cry yourself to death?” Brenda urged Serena: “Go on, apologize to your mom.” Serena looked softly at Mrs. Miller: “Mom—” Before she could say another word, Mrs. Miller abruptly interrupted her: “Serena, since you want to leave, then move out.” Both Serena and Brenda were dumbfounded. Mrs. Miller stepped aside to make a phone call, then took my hand: “Come with Mom to the hospital to see your brother.” I was confused and bewildered. This was the first time she had held my hand, and the first time she used the words “Mom” and “Brother” in front of me. I was led away by her in a daze. Mrs. Miller drove, and I sat in the passenger seat. She fastened my seatbelt for me with unprecedented gentleness. As we drove out of the garage, Brenda pulled a sobbing, stumbling Serena to block the car: “Eleanor, is Arthur at the hospital? What’s wrong with him? Serena is very worried about her brother too. Let us ride with you—” Mrs. Miller locked the car doors immediately and said coldly: “No need. Arthur isn’t her biological brother, so there’s no need for her concern.” With that, she maneuvered the car around the stunned Brenda and Serena, hit the gas, and sped away. In the rearview mirror, Serena’s cries grew even louder. 5 Arthur said he wasn’t feeling well and went to the hospital for a checkup, where they found a tumor. Thankfully, it was caught early and wasn’t a major issue. After surgery, he would be fine. We had just arrived when Serena and Brenda followed right behind us. “Arthur, are you okay?” Serena’s eyes were red and swollen again, her face full of concern. She handed an exquisitely packaged bag to Arthur and said considerately: “This is lotus dew from Shangji, your favorite, Arthur. It’s still hot. Drink some, and you’ll get better faster.” Hearing “lotus dew,” I instinctively glanced at the packaging box a few more times: [The drug Serena slipped to Arthur on his birthday was mixed into this lotus dew. Turns out it’s his favorite. No wonder he was completely oblivious to being drugged.] [With a fake sister this attentive, it’s no surprise Arthur likes her.] [Too bad this affection won’t last. Later, when Arthur turns into a fool, his dear fake sister will immediately send him to a mental asylum with the worst conditions.] [He tried everything to make a phone call to her, but this fake sister found it annoying and had the asylum orderlies electrocute him to death with stun batons.] Crash. The lotus dew fell to the floor, splashing milky liquid everywhere. It turned out that when Serena handed it to Arthur, he outright refused it. Because he pushed it away too fast, the lotus dew fell to the ground. Not only did he refuse it, but he also looked terrified, backing up continuously on his hospital bed. If there wasn’t a wall behind him, he would have retreated even further. Serena froze, tears “whooshing” out again, looking on the verge of a breakdown: “Arthur, am I a ghost? Why are you hiding so far away from me?” Arthur had a “you’re scarier than a ghost” expression and said coldly: “Leave. I’m fine. I don’t need your concern.” Serena looked pitifully at Mrs. Miller again. Mrs. Miller looked away and also said coldly: “Hurry up and leave.” Serena was even more heartbroken. “Then get some rest, Arthur.” Brenda gave Mrs. Miller and Arthur a deep look and pulled Serena away. As she passed by me, Serena glared coldly and drove me away: “My brother needs to rest, and he doesn’t want to be disturbed. Stop being so full of yourself and lingering around here. Get out.” Just as she finished trying to kick me out. Arthur called out: “Maya, you don’t need to go.” I originally didn’t want to stay, but with Serena right there, I intentionally stayed and smiled slightly at her: “He insists on me disturbing him.” Serena: “…” Serena’s face turned green with anger. 6 After Brenda pulled Serena away. Arthur grabbed a carton of milk from the bedside table—delivered by his assistant—opened it, and handed it to me, saying somewhat unnaturally: “Maya, want to drink this?” I refused without a second thought: “No thanks.” [What are you pretending for? Eleanor already knows you find me annoying and hate me, so what’s the point of playing the loving sibling act in front of her? Besides, she hates me to death herself; why would she care how you look at me?] Arthur froze, his face inexplicably turning red, looking guilty. And Mrs. Miller’s eyes inexplicably turned red too. She took my hand and choked back a sob: “I’m sorry, Maya. Since you came back, Mom hasn’t properly cared for you…” Arthur suddenly apologized to me as well: “Maya, it’s my fault too. I don’t even know what you like to eat. Tell me, and I’ll buy it all for you from now on.” His eyes were also red: “Maya, I don’t hate you. We’re biological siblings. You’re my biological sister.” He deliberately emphasized the words “biological sister,” as if afraid I wouldn’t believe him. Me: “?” This drastically different attitude before and after made me suspect they had both been possessed. I gave an awkward smile and played along: “Haha, right, we’re siblings.” [Whatever, I’m only staying for a few days anyway. Once I turn eighteen, I’ll have saved up some money. Then I’ll move out and stop hoping for some supposed blood relation.] I didn’t say anything overly harsh. For some reason, Mrs. Miller and Arthur looked even sadder and more guilty. 7 Serena actually started trying hard. She didn’t return to the Miller family for several days in a row. Without her causing trouble at home. My treatment in this house instantly skyrocketed. The biggest room was now mine. Every day, the chefs prepared food tailored to my preferences. A Rolls-Royce with a starlight headliner was assigned to pick me up and drop me off. Seniors barely had any days off, let alone time to go shopping, yet Mrs. Miller bought me heaps of clothes, shoes, and bags. Mrs. Miller gave me a card, and Arthur gave me a card too. They both said it was my allowance. I checked; both cards had over a million dollars each. And they both said they would transfer money to the cards every month, telling me to spend it freely. Actually, when they brought me back, they didn’t give me any pocket money. Like Serena, they probably felt that since we were kids, giving us large sums without restriction wasn’t a good idea, so they never gave me such huge amounts before. Earlier, when I first returned, seeing my poor grades, my parents originally planned to hire private tutors for me. But Serena volunteered to tutor me. Mom and Dad were very pleased and agreed. But when she tutored me, she intentionally threw in foreign languages that I couldn’t understand at all. Naturally, I didn’t improve one bit. Serena would then show my tests, covered in red ‘X’s, to our parents, smiling helplessly and saying I gave her headaches. Her expression practically etched the words “naturally stupid” on my forehead. My parents probably assumed my academics were beyond saving. After that, they never mentioned hiring tutors for me again, only asking Serena to continue paying closer attention to my studies. But these past few days, Mrs. Miller hired several private tutors for me in a row, all of them top-tier professors. Before, problems that sounded like gibberish to me became understandable once these professors broke them down into simple terms. Although the Miller family was treating me very well right now, I still didn’t dare let my guard down. I studied desperately with the professors while continuing my master plan to save money. Except for essential expenses, I didn’t dare spend a single extra penny of the money the Miller family gave me, carefully saving it all. 8 Serena returned a week later. Brought back by Mr. Miller, Richard Miller. He had returned from a business trip and, because he hadn’t eaten for a day and a night, he went to a restaurant near the airport with his trusted assistant to eat. There, he ran into Serena and brought her back. Serena was still wearing the same outfit she had worn when she left. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her complexion was sallow. Her hands were covered in band-aids. Mr. Miller held Serena’s hand tightly, his heart clearly aching for her. As soon as he got back, he confronted Mrs. Miller, demanding to know why she let a high school senior move out alone over such a trivial matter. He angrily accused Mrs. Miller: “Do you have any idea what she was doing out there? She was washing dishes in a restaurant! Going to school during the day, washing dishes at night, and washing dishes on holidays too! If I hadn’t run into her, her whole life would have been ruined by your hands!” Surprisingly, Mrs. Miller didn’t feel sorry for the miserable-looking Serena. Instead, she asked skeptically: “What a coincidence? Out of all the restaurants, she happened to be washing dishes at the exact one you went to eat at after your business trip?” [Is it really a coincidence? They planned it all out beforehand.] [Brenda and her husband, Kevin Davis, are relying on this daughter to leach off the Miller family. How could they let her suffer?] Kevin Davis was Mr. Miller’s trusted assistant, and also Brenda’s husband—Serena’s biological father. [Looking at Serena’s dark circles, she probably went through several palettes of eyeshadow.] [Tsk, and her hands. To play the victim, how many band-aids did she waste?] I was just complaining internally when Mrs. Miller suddenly picked up a pot of tea and splashed it right at Serena’s face and hands. Splash. The makeup on Serena’s face was ruined. Serena screamed, raising her hands to cover her face. Because she had applied it so thickly, the eyeshadow started running down. And the band-aids on her hands, soaked through, fell off. Revealing smooth, completely unblemished fingers underneath. The air instantly went dead silent. Mrs. Miller sneered: “Act! Keep acting! I’m the one who failed as a mother. I meticulously raised you for eighteen years, only to raise a deceitful liar!” Mr. Miller was stunned. Serena, completely caught off guard, was also dumbfounded. I was in awe of Mrs. Miller. She actually recognized that Serena’s “pitiful look” was just makeup. 9 Mr. Miller stared at Serena in disbelief, speaking with disappointment: “So, you even lied to me? The dark circles, the band-aids on your hands—it was all an act?” Seeing she had been exposed, Serena dropped to her knees with a thud: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean it. Mom was very angry with me, and I was afraid… I was afraid you guys really didn’t want me anymore. Dad, you love me the most, you definitely won’t stay mad at me, right?” [What Dad? She already reunited with her biological parents five years ago. She intentionally kept it from you because you’re rich and she wanted to use you as an ATM.] [I also don’t know why Richard Miller chose Kevin Davis as his confidant. Kevin is even more disgusting than his wife, Brenda. He secretly runs a small company, embezzles company funds to gamble, and loses millions in a single game. And that’s not even the worst of it.] [He also uses his position as the CEO’s confidant to hook up with countless mistresses at the company. The employees below hate him to the core. With him causing so much trouble, Richard Miller is completely clueless. Truly impressive.] [No wonder the company was later seized by Serena and her biological father, Kevin. At his age, Richard is too easy to fool.] “What?” Just as I was ranting, Mr. Miller suddenly seemed unwell. His face and lips turned pale, and he collapsed onto the sofa. Mrs. Miller quickly had someone call the family doctor. When the doctor arrived, the examination revealed a blood pressure issue. They gave Mr. Miller some blood pressure medication. Once he stabilized, Mr. Miller stared at me for a long time, his eyes full of complex emotions. [Why is he staring at me like that? Does he still think I’m bullying his precious adopted daughter?] Mr. Miller’s expression froze. Serena tried to move closer to Mr. Miller again. But he pushed her away. He slowly stood up, looked at me, and spoke with unprecedented gentleness: “Maya, there’s no school today. Do you want to come play at Dad’s company?” Before I could answer, Serena eagerly interrupted: “Dad, I want to go! I’ll go with you right now.” There was an unspoken rule in the Miller family: if the children were chosen by the head of the family to be taken to the company, it meant they were intentionally being groomed to pave the way for their future entry into the business. And Serena had been waiting for this day. She thought she would only have a chance after she officially turned eighteen. She didn’t expect the opportunity to present itself now, and she was eager to seize it. However, Mr. Miller ruthlessly rejected her: “You don’t need to.” He turned back to me, his expression softening: “Maya, can you accompany Dad to the company? Think of it as an internship. Dad will pay you an hourly wage, is that okay?” I couldn’t figure out what he was up to, but hearing I could earn money, I agreed. “Dad!” Serena’s face contorted with anger, her voice trembling. “How could you treat me like this too? Are you trying to force me to die? Boohoo~” [You won’t die. Your biological parents are waiting right outside the mansion.] As soon as I finished my internal commentary, Mrs. Miller, who had regained her composure, picked up her phone, dialed a number, and said coldly: “Brenda, come pick up your goddaughter.” Brenda had become Mrs. Miller’s best friend in order to stay close to Serena, and had even acknowledged Serena as her goddaughter. Brenda quickly ran in, out of breath. Seeing Serena’s ruined makeup and the removed band-aids, she tried to smooth things over: “Eleanor, is Mr. Miller home too? You all know? Well, I couldn’t bear to let the child wander outside, so I let her stay at my place for a few days. She cried every day because she missed you all.” “I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I came up with this bad idea. Don’t blame her. If you want to blame someone, blame me, okay?” “You see, you guys were such a happy, perfect family before. You were the envy of everyone. Now you’re arguing like this. Aren’t you just letting people laugh at you for no reason?” After Brenda finished, she glared at me, her eyes filled with such resentment that they almost shot daggers: “Maya, you caused all this, didn’t you? You intentionally drove a wedge between Serena and her parents, trying to drive Serena out?” I scoffed in anger: “Are you crazy? What does this have to do with me?” Brenda’s voice grew louder: “Heh, look at your manners. Is that how you talk to your elders? Country bumpkins truly can’t present themselves in public! Do you think you can win just by being loud and throwing tantrums?” “Let me tell you, Serena is the meticulously groomed heiress of this family. You have no grades, no grace, you can’t compare to her in any way. Just because you’re lazy, you stir up trouble in the Miller family, driving a wedge between Serena and the family. You’ve completely disgraced the Miller family—” Before she could finish her sentence. Smack! Mrs. Miller slapped her hard across the face. Mrs. Miller trembled with anger: “Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to dictate matters in my family? Get the hell out!” “Eleanor, you hit me?” Brenda stared at Mrs. Miller in disbelief, clutching her cheek as tears welled up. “I hit you! If you say one more word about my daughter, I’ll hit you again!” Mrs. Miller roared even louder, “Get out!” 10 Since the day Mr. Miller took the initiative to bring me to the company. Except for my class hours, whenever I had free time, he would continue to take me to the company. The salary he paid me was very high. I didn’t have to do anything difficult, he just introduced me to some uncles and aunts in the company. They were all veteran shareholders and executives of the company. During this time, he suddenly broke from the plot and uncovered all of Kevin’s illicit activities in the company. He implemented sweeping reforms, making Kevin pay the price for his actions. The price was spending the rest of his life working behind bars. Every employee in the company who had been oppressed by Kevin rejoiced. Watching the changes in each member of the Miller family, I realized that all the plotlines were being rewritten by them one by one.

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I sent a text to my online boyfriend: “Off work yet, hubby?” He replied instantly: “Not yet. Give me a minute, be good.” But can someone please tell me… Why is it that the exact message I sent to my online boyfriend… Is the exact same message the mega-star Silas Young just answered on his livestream? I stared at the #1 trending video, my hands shaking. I silently shared it with him, adding a single question mark: “?”. Silas replied quickly: “Sorry, forgot to turn off message notifications.” 1 “Let’s break up. We’re not right for each other.” I held the phone to my ear, looking at the keys to the brand-new Porsche I had just picked up, feeling like a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head. Today was my two-year anniversary with Julian. I had planned to come clean today and tell him the truth: I was actually a trust-fund kid. And as an anniversary gift, I was going to give him the Porsche he had always dreamed of. Who could have guessed he would dump me instead? “Why?” Julian sneered. “You spend every day obsessing over celebrities. Your Instagram and TikTok are full of Silas Young. And you’re asking me why? Are you my girlfriend, or Silas Young’s?” I tried to argue: “That’s just because Silas had a new movie coming out recently…” Julian cut me off: “I only started gaming in the first place because of you. Now, I’m a top-200 streamer on the whole platform. And you? How long has it been since you played a game with me?” A wave of guilt washed over me. “I’m sorry.” “Don’t bother.” Julian continued, “We’re seniors in college now. You’re an adult. Stop obsessing over celebrities all day and put some effort into your own future.” With that, he hung up. I stared at my phone, unable to articulate the bitterness in my mouth. Is it that I don’t want to put in effort? It’s that I literally don’t need to put in effort! 2 That night, I started doing some soul-searching. Have I really been neglecting Julian too much lately? But… he was the one who was always busy with streaming and his career. If he hadn’t been too busy to spend time with me, I wouldn’t have gotten bored enough to start obsessing over a celebrity. Last month, he even forgot my birthday. I waited at his apartment all night. The next day, he came back with his clothes all wrinkled, acting cute and saying he had a company dinner. He claimed there were a lot of big shots there, and to secure more resources, he drank too much and ended up sleeping in his boss’s office. I was originally angry, but seeing the dark circles under his eyes, I felt bad for him. In high school, because my family was so wealthy, I was used by my best friend. Since college, I’ve always kept a very low profile. After getting together with Julian, knowing he came from an ordinary background, I never told him about my true financial situation to protect his ego. But I couldn’t bear to see him working so hard anymore. Secretly tipping him in his livestream wasn’t enough. So, I ordered the Porsche he had always wanted, planning to come clean on our anniversary, beg for his forgiveness, and give him a huge surprise. When my best friend, Chloe, found out, she mocked me: “Even the most tragic heroines in history would call you pathetic. He makes a bunch of money and buys you a $300 bag, and you turn around and drop $150,000 on a car!” “He’s just being frugal!” I defended him. “He’s wearing a $1,500 Balenciaga jacket.” “He finally made some money, of course he wants to treat himself a little!” Chloe just sneered: “Heh.” I had never experienced much hardship growing up. My biggest setback was in high school, hearing the friend I had practically subsidized talking trash about me behind my back. This led to a situation where I was great at everything… except that I was hopelessly, tragically romantic. That night, I decided to make one last struggle to apologize and get back together with Julian. But before I could send the message, a push notification from the streaming app popped up. “J-God confesses his love live.” ? Who? The J-God I’m thinking of? Who is he confessing to? Me? With trembling hands, I opened Julian’s stream. I watched as the guy who had just dumped me that morning stared earnestly into the camera: “Serena, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?” My brain buzzed. The live chat was scrolling at light speed, filled with two distinct voices. The first was cheering for this Serena to say yes. The second was exposing Serena’s identity. She was the owner of Julian’s streaming agency. The very same boss whose office he claimed to have slept in last month. Wow. I laughed out of sheer anger. Dumping me in the morning, confessing to someone else at night. This seamless transition speed was faster than a bullet train. 3 Chloe was absolutely furious. “We cannot let him get away with this!” “We definitely won’t.” I might be a hopeless romantic who tends to assume the best in people, but that didn’t mean I was a pushover. If he wanted to make me suffer, he needed to make sure I was actually the suffering type. Back then, Julian only started gaming to pursue me, to have a common interest. But the fact that he got a little famous was also, ironically, because of me. My gaming skills were maxed out. I was a god-tier Akali player in League of Legends, capable of diving into a team fight and getting a Pentakill. After I reached the Challenger tier with Akali on my main account, I used his account to climb the ranks, pushing it to Challenger as well. The game automatically saved the highlight reels. He edited those clips and posted them on TikTok, and unexpectedly, they went viral. From then on, he started streaming, but he never played Akali again. Was it because he didn’t want to? No, it was because he couldn’t. His Akali was thoroughly average, completely incomparable to my mechanics. There were loud doubts at first, but he excused it by saying he wouldn’t play champions he had already taken to Challenger again, and that his game sense and macro play were actually quite good. Plus, he had a handsome face. As time passed, those doubting voices faded away. I was a bit uncomfortable at the time, but Julian had said, “My grades aren’t great. If I wait until graduation, who knows how long it’ll take before I can give you a stable life? Right now, the streaming income is pretty good…” He then bought me a $300 bag. A bag our housekeeper wouldn’t even carry. But I, like a tragic romantic idiot, took that $300 bag and forgave the world. Chloe asked me, “What’s your plan?” “My plan?” I let out a short laugh. “To send him out to eat dirt.” That night, I recorded an Akali gameplay video. The zigzag movement pattern was identical to the viral video Julian had posted back then. Originally, this was an alt account with only a handful of followers; nobody paid attention to it. But I had way too much money. I bought some traffic, and “accidentally” bought my way to the #1 trending spot. The top comment was from Chloe. “This movement looks exactly like J-God’s famous highlight reel.” I replied, deliberately stirring the pot: “How do you know his famous highlight reel was actually played by him?” Julian called me that very night. “Audrey, what exactly are you trying to do?” 4 He actually had the nerve to call me? “Julian, don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” “I thought we had already made things very clear.” “Clear?” I scoffed. “You cheated, and then blamed the breakup on me to make me feel guilty. I’ve never been slapped in the face like this.” Julian’s laugh was even more obvious than mine: “Who do you think you are? Audrey, considering we used to be together, I didn’t want to make this ugly. Name your price.” Name a price? Julian was actually asking me to name a price? That sentence jolted me completely awake. Suddenly, everything I had done over the past few days felt absurd and meaningless. I had actually liked a piece of trash like him, and wasted so much time on him. I must have been truly blind. “If I name a price, I’m afraid you won’t be able to afford it!” “Take your filthy money to the grave with you, and never show your face in front of me again!” With that, I hung up directly. Online, I stopped paying for traffic. The topic was clearly suppressed, and the heat died down. The public outcry receded like the tide, gradually disappearing without a trace. After deleting a few posts trying to dox me, Chloe asked what my next move was. I just said I didn’t want to waste another minute on that scumbag. I thought the situation would blow over, but unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, the topic’s popularity suddenly surged again. The reason? The mega-star Silas Young had liked my post. He unliked it half an hour later and posted a half-hearted explanation: “Finger slipped.” To be acknowledged by your own idol in such a way… I was probably the first. The internet was filled with “Hahahaha,” calling Silas cute and happily eating popcorn. But Julian was instantly thrust back into the eye of the storm. The whole internet was saying Julian was a liar, making a huge fuss, demanding he play Akali live to prove his innocence. The next day, I went back to campus to meet with my advisor. As I was walking out, a white BMW blocked my path at the school gates. 5 A slender woman stepped out of the car, looking around thirty years old. She had a great figure, but her makeup was so thick you couldn’t tell what she actually looked like, and her perfume was strong enough to knock someone over. She stood in front of me, looked me up and down, and acted incredibly haughty. “Let me introduce myself. I am Serena Vance.” I hadn’t seen this kind of dramatic scene before, so I froze for a moment. My stunned silence translated as fear in her eyes. She grew even more confident, her tone dripping with contempt: “Julian is a top streamer heavily promoted by our agency, and now, he’s also Serena Vance’s boyfriend. Name a price. How much will it take for you to come forward and clear this up?” I snapped back to reality, feeling it was utterly unbelievable: “Clear what up? What I posted was the truth!” “The truth isn’t that important. Little girl, listen to some advice from an older sister: know when to quit while you’re ahead! You haven’t entered the real world yet; you don’t know how hard it is to make money. The price I can offer you right now is more than you’d make working for ten years without eating or drinking. How about it? Do we have a deal?” “Know when to quit?” I sneered. “Calling me ‘little girl’—you sure didn’t have a problem getting your hands on a ‘little boy.’ You want me to help you clear his name? Keep dreaming!” Serena’s face instantly turned ice cold. “Audrey, is it? You just wait! I’ll make sure you can’t survive in this city!” With that, she brushed past my shoulder, knocking me off balance, turned, got into her car, and sped away. My hand gripping my textbook trembled with anger. A circle of students had gathered to watch the drama, pointing and whispering at me. “What happened?” “Looks like a wife catching a mistress…” I roared: “Mistress my ass! Are you blind?!” The person who just spoke was startled by my sudden outburst, and they hurried away, whispering. I’ve been pampered my whole life. When have I ever suffered this kind of humiliation? Make me unable to survive? Let’s see who fails to survive first. I pulled out my phone and called my brother. “Connor, I want to acquire a streaming agency.” “Well, look who finally called me.” Connor chuckled. “Sure, not just one. You can acquire ten if you want.” 6 My brother moved fast. In less than a month, the contract was placed in black and white right in front of me. The streaming agency Julian was signed to wasn’t very large; he was their star gaming streamer. Looking at the few pages of the contract and their small company’s annual financial report, I truly didn’t understand where Serena got the confidence to challenge me. My brother tapped the contract with his finger: “What’s the plan next? Want your big brother to take you for a spin around your new company?” “It’s not time yet,” I said. “We’re not going to find them. I’m going to make them come begging to me.” Connor rubbed my head: “You really are pissed off.” Damn right I was. I almost died of anger. My brother had recently taken over the family business and was very busy. He didn’t stay long before leaving. I was going to implement the next step of my plan. First, I screenshotted my chat history with Julian, including the times I bought him gifts and my transfer receipts. Although I pretended to be poor, the amounts weren’t large, but they were consistent. And his replies… were few. The further down I scrolled, the more I realized that the signs of his infidelity had been there all along. For the past few months, I had been the one initiating conversations, and his replies weren’t just impatient, they were incredibly perfunctory. I had been so blinded by love that I didn’t even recognize his cold violence. After saving the chat logs, I prepared to open the game and record another Akali gameplay. Last time, some people doubted if I was really the one playing. This time, I was going to use three camera angles and record a full, unedited version. Before I could open the game, a message notification popped up. It was from someone I hadn’t contacted in years. S-Boy: “Quite the drama.” I replied: “Here to laugh at me?” “How could I? I told you long ago that guy was no good.” Seeing that sentence, my eyes inexplicably teared up. 7 I met S-Boy through gaming. Two years ago, I had a lot of free time in college. Aside from classes, I barely participated in any extracurriculars, using all my time to climb the ranks. After my main assassin reached the top tier, I couldn’t resist trying the support role, so I picked a healing champion. Although I usually played damage dealers, I had good game sense and knew champion skills well, so playing support wasn’t hard for me. But the ADC on my team was terribly incompetent. Their pacing and mechanics were a total mess. Before reaching level four, they had already been ganked and killed twice. I couldn’t save them before I hit level four either, and the gold gap widened instantly. Before I could say anything, the ADC spoke up first. ADC: “A girl?” “Only knows how to play support? Getting carried up the ranks, right?” “So annoying getting girls in my games.” He was incredibly toxic, and my anger flared up immediately. “With a 0/2/0 score right at the start, you have the nerve to talk trash?” “What’s wrong with being a girl? Sprinkle some birdseed on the screen and a chicken pecking at it would play better than you.” “Even the grim reaper can’t save a ghost rushing to die. Forgot what kind of trash you are, huh, you little punk?” ADC: “Heh.” Then followed a string of asterisk symbols, and he was finally muted by the system. The ADC eventually gave up and went AFK in the base. I was about to say something else when the Jungler spoke up: “Support, come follow me.” I was stunned: “But you’re playing a stealth assassin.” The assassin’s most crucial skill was invisibility. I wasn’t as good at support as I was at jungle, and I was worried a misstep would reveal his position. “It’s fine,” the assassin used voice chat this time. His voice was young and pleasant: “The enemy team comp can’t handle the late game.” I glanced at the enemy team, realized he was right, and followed right behind the assassin, helping him check vision in the jungle and shielding him during team fights. The assassin’s ID: S-Boy Invincible. Facts proved he really was somewhat invincible. When the game ended, the assassin dealt 50% of the team’s total damage, hard-carrying that toxic ADC to victory. I added him as a friend and thanked him. S-Boy Invincible: “You’re welcome. Just helping out against injustice.” I had a sudden idea: “Wanna climb the ranks together? I’m a Jungle god, my Akali is slick.” S-Boy waited a while before replying: “Challenger Jungler? Impressive.” Me: “Just love the feeling of carrying.” I said, inviting S-Boy into a lobby. Then, remembering something, I asked: “But do you main Jungle? Will I be stealing your role?” This time S-Boy used voice chat again. His tone had a hint of arrogant cockiness typical of young boys: “Nope. I play everything.” 8 After that day, I added S-Boy on WeChat. He never posted anything personal on his moments, just shared various indie songs. During that time, we played games together almost every day. 1v1s to practice new champions, sending each other skins; later, we occasionally shared life updates and sent each other gossip threads. S-Boy had a nice voice, was patient and sunny. He sounded very young, but whether it was in the game or talking, you could tell he was quite mature. Once, during my period, S-Boy invited me to play, but I wasn’t online. Knowing I wasn’t feeling well, he directly asked for my address and ordered me brown sugar ginger tea and some warm, nourishing soup. My roommate, Candy, saw me smiling dreamily and knocked me on the head: “You’re in love! Why are you smiling so creepily?” I argued: “How is it creepy!” Candy looked at the table full of food: “Who ordered it? Must be that guy you game with every day, right?” I didn’t deny it. Candy was incredulous: “Are you crazy! Giving out your address and contact info so easily? Across an internet cable, do you really know what kind of person he is? What if he’s a creep?” “He doesn’t seem like a creep…” “How doesn’t he? Because he’s good at games?” Her words left me speechless and suddenly brought me back to reality. Yeah, I didn’t even know S-Boy’s real name. What kind of person was he in real life? He sounded young—was he a college student too? Candy sighed: “Audrey, no matter what, he’s a person behind a screen. It’s hard to say what he’s really like. Look at all those stories online… Ugh, stop burying yourself in games all day! Return to the real world! Tomorrow, your big sister is taking you to watch a basketball game.” I hesitated for a moment, then nodded: “Okay.” It was at that basketball game that I saw Julian for the first time. Before the game, Candy took me over to say hi, and his eyes kept darting my way. Until the game ended, he sank the final three-pointer, the crowd erupted in cheers, and he instinctively looked toward my side of the court. 9 After that day, Julian launched a fierce pursuit of me. Every morning, he delivered breakfast to the girls’ dorm, saved seats for us in class. He practically bribed my entire dorm room. Candy dramatically lifted my bed curtain to investigate: “How are things with Julian?” I lay there and casually replied: “Nothing much.” Candy: “Comrade, you still need to work harder.” Candy added: “But I’ve noticed you haven’t been gaming much these past few days.” I sighed. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to play, it was that S-Boy hadn’t been around lately. I had gotten used to climbing the ranks with him during this period. When he wasn’t there, my designated gaming time felt empty. Playing alone felt surprisingly boring, and I was momentarily lost, not knowing what to do. I stared at my chat log with S-Boy. We used to chat every day, but this time, it stopped last night. I asked him if he wanted to play, and he said he was too busy with work lately and apologized. So he was already working… “Damn it!” My roommate, Fish, cursed from the bunk below. “Silas Young actually got hurt!” “Who?” Candy popped her head out. “That actor who’s really popular right now?” “Yeah,” Fish said. “Too many action scenes, he injured his leg. Waaaah, he was hospitalized yesterday, and fans have been hounding the studio all day until they released a statement. My poor baby, Mommy’s heart aches.” Candy rolled her eyes at Fish’s maternal fandom terminology. It went in one ear and out the other for me; I didn’t take it to heart. Right at that moment, Julian suddenly sent me a WeChat message: “Wanna play a game together?” I glanced at the inactive chat with S-Boy and replied: “Sure.”

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