Author: Momo Chan

1 I was born to perform. Melancholy is my natural palette; a cold, untouchable distance is my armor. The day I returned to the Beaumont estate to claim my place as the biological daughter, it was pouring. Rain hammered against the windows of the town car, blurring the world into a smudge of grey. I sat in the backseat, chin resting on my palm, my gaze empty and fixed on the streaks of water. I looked exactly like a woman who had just had her heart shattered, though, in truth, I felt nothing at all. My “family” waited by the car for five minutes in the deluge. I didn’t move until I felt the silence outside turn from anticipation to irritation. Only then did I step out, moving with a calculated, languid grace. Seraphina, the sister who had been raised in my place, covered her mouth and coughed three times—a delicate, sickly sound. She looked at me with wide, watery eyes. “Vesper,” she whispered, her voice a dandelion puff of faux-fragility. “Are you going to hate me… for living your life for so long? For having your name?” I didn’t look at her. I simply stood there in the rain, letting the cold droplets track down my face like silver scars. My mother, Eleanor, rushed forward, her face etched with a performative guilt, trying to shield me with a silk umbrella. I took a sharp step sideways, letting the silk shade nothing but the wet pavement. “Don’t,” I said, my voice flat. “I’ve spent a lifetime walking alone in the rain. I’m used to it.” Eleanor’s eyes welled up instantly. My older brother, Sebastian, stepped forward, his brow furrowed in a sharp V of disapproval. “You just got back and you’re already throwing a tantrum? Seraphina is delicate. She doesn’t need your theatrics.” I didn’t even grant him a glance. I simply closed my eyes, letting the freezing rain soak into my skin, savoring the drama of the moment. Harrison Blackwood, the man who was supposed to be my fiancé by some ancient family arrangement, stepped forward. He didn’t come to me. He tucked his umbrella over Seraphina’s shoulder and pulled her close. “Then stay out here and drown,” Harrison snapped. “The world doesn’t revolve around your trauma, Vesper.” I finally opened my eyes and looked at him, letting a flicker of “hurt” dance in my pupils. “But hasn’t she always been the one at the center of the world, Harrison? Even now?” “Vesper, you should take a hot bath. I don’t want you catching a cold.” Seraphina was standing inside the mahogany-framed foyer, holding a plush, snow-white cashmere towel. Her voice was so light it felt like it might dissolve. I stood on the Persian rug in the entryway, water dripping from my clothes. It pooled around my boots, staining the expensive wool a deep, bruised crimson. I didn’t speak; I just stared at the towel. It was brand new. Hermès. And in the corner, embroidered in delicate, sprawling script, was the name Seraphina. “Why aren’t you taking it?” Harrison walked over from the living room, plucking the towel from Seraphina’s hand. He was in a crisp black dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a silver Audemars Piguet glinting on his wrist. “Seraphina went to the linen vault specifically to find you something new,” he said. His voice was level—not shouting, just stating facts with the cold efficiency of a prosecutor. “She was out in the rain too, and she hasn’t even had a drop of tea yet because she was worried about you.” He stepped closer, the scent of expensive sandalwood and arrogance radiating off him. “Vesper, the Beaumont household has rules. You can keep your ‘edge,’ but you should learn to accept a gesture of kindness.” I slowly lifted my eyelids, meeting the gaze of the man I was destined to marry. He was undeniably handsome—dark, deep-set eyes and a jawline that looked carved from marble. He did moral kidnapping so elegantly, so fluently. “Is this kindness?” I asked. I didn’t touch the towel. I turned my head slightly, watching the rain continue its assault on the floor-to-ceiling windows. “To dry myself with a cloth that bears her name?” I let my gaze drift into the middle distance, looking at nothing. “Mr. Blackwood. Don’t try to use someone else’s warmth to thaw me out. My soul has lived at sub-zero for a long time.” The air in the room curdled. Seraphina’s eyes turned red with practiced speed. She recoiled half a step, her shoulders trembling. “Harrison, don’t blame her,” she sobbed softly. “She’s new here. She’s overwhelmed. It was my fault for being thoughtless. I’ll go tell the housekeeper to find a plain one.” She turned to flee toward the servants’ wing. “Seraphina, stay where you are.” A voice, warm but heavy with the weight of authority, drifted down from the landing. Sebastian was leaning against the railing in his silk loungewear, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. He descended the stairs, his gaze sweeping over me with the clinical detachment of a king looking at a peasant. “Vesper,” he said, using my name with a patronizing sort of grace. “I know you’ve had a hard decade. I know you’re bitter. But no one in this house owes you for that. Seraphina gave up the south-facing suite—her favorite room—just so you could have it. She even asked to cancel her own birthday gala tomorrow so you wouldn’t feel out of place.” He stopped a foot away from me. “You walked through that door with a chip on your shoulder. Is this how you prove you were wronged? Or are you just trying to mask how insecure you feel?” I looked at my “big brother.” His analysis was perfect. If I were actually a fragile girl from the sticks, that sentence would have shattered me. Unfortunately for him, I just found them all incredibly loud. I sighed softly. I reached into my pocket, pulled out a peppermint, unwrapped it, and tucked it into my cheek. “Mr. Beaumont,” I said, as the sharp, icy sting of mint filled my mouth. I looked up at the tiered crystal chandelier above us. “Don’t try to use your ‘breeding’ to measure the depth of my abyss. I’m not being difficult. I simply find the thread count of that towel… insufficient for my loneliness.” Sebastian’s jaw tightened. He had likely never been rejected with such casual, nonsensical arrogance. Eleanor emerged from the kitchen, carrying two cups of ginger tea. Seeing the standoff, she set the tea down hurriedly and took Seraphina’s hand. “What is going on? She’s soaking wet! Get her changed!” She felt Seraphina’s hand. “Oh, darling, you’re freezing.” “I’m fine, Mom,” Seraphina chirped, casting a timid, fearful look at me. “If Vesper doesn’t want the towel, it’s okay.” Eleanor looked at me, her expression a messy cocktail of guilt and burgeoning resentment. “Vesper, tomorrow morning I’m taking you to St. Jude’s Academy to finalize your enrollment.” She paused. “Seraphina is a junior there. You’ll be in the same classes. She can look after you.” I bit down on the peppermint, swallowing the cold fire. “Fine,” I said, shoving my wet hands into my pockets and heading for the stairs. “As long as she doesn’t mind. My rain tends to ruin people’s sunshine.” 2 The entrance exams for St. Jude’s were scheduled for the following morning. St. Jude’s didn’t care about your zip code or your pedigree—at least, not on paper. They cared about “Comprehensive Excellence” and “Family Assets.” The former determined if you made it into the Alpha Track; the latter determined if you survived the three years without being bullied into a breakdown. Eleanor had the head tailor from a Madison Avenue boutique at the house by dawn. The living room was draped in silks and cashmeres from the season’s newest collections. “Vesper, St. Jude’s has a strict code,” Eleanor said, holding a white cashmere cardigan against Seraphina’s chest. “You’ll wear the uniform for classes, but the private salons and etiquette seminars require your own wardrobe. See anything you like?” I sat on the leather sofa, legs crossed, watching the parade of vibrant colors and intricate lace as if I were observing a pile of discarded plastic. “No,” I said simply. “Excessive decoration only serves to mask a hollow soul.” The tailor’s hand slipped, the measuring tape nearly falling to the floor. Seraphina turned around, looking like a porcelain doll in the white cardigan. “Vesper, you don’t have to be polite with me.” She walked over to the rack, her finger lingering on a black velvet gown. “This would suit you.” She smiled, a perfect, seamless expression. “It’s last season, but black is very slimming. And since you’ve spent so much time working outdoors… well, the darker fabric will hide the tan.” Eleanor nodded in agreement. “She’s right, Vesper. The black is understated. It’s better for you to keep a low profile while you adjust.” I stood up and walked to the velvet dress. I ran a finger over the fabric. It was stiff, the kind of texture meant for a mannequin, not a human. “Low profile?” I withdrew my hand and pulled a stray coin from my pocket, flipping it between my knuckles. “Even when a lion closes its eyes, the sheep don’t feel safe.” I looked at Seraphina, watching her smile begin to calcify. “Sister, if you’re so worried about my complexion, perhaps you should worry more about whether the coming storm will wash off your own mask.” “Vesper.” Harrison’s voice cut through the room. He walked in carrying a stack of documents, having caught my last sentence. “Seraphina is trying to help you. Why is every word out of your mouth a blade?” He walked to her side, naturally taking the measuring tape from her hand. “Did the people who raised you teach you to treat kindness like a target?” I tossed the coin into the air and caught it blindly. “Mr. Blackwood, you really do love the view from the moral high ground, don’t you?” I looked him in the eye. “Be careful. The wind is much stronger up there. You might lose your footing.” Harrison’s eyes turned cold. He was a man who lived and died by decorum. My words were a direct assault on his sense of order. “Since you want nothing,” he said, turning to Eleanor, “I’ve already wired the endowment fee to the school under the Blackwood family name. Seraphina has her piano masterclass this afternoon. I’ll take her now.” Eleanor rubbed her hands together awkwardly. “Thank you, Harrison. I’ll… I’ll keep talking to Vesper.” Seraphina followed Harrison toward the door, but she stopped at the threshold. “Vesper,” she said, looking back with a gaze full of condescending pity. “St. Jude’s isn’t like the countryside. The students there value actual ability. If the entrance exam is too hard tomorrow… just leave the pages blank. Don’t try to cheat. It would be so embarrassing for the family name.” I watched them leave, their silhouettes perfectly synced. A small, ghost-like smile touched my lips. I looked out the window at the clear blue sky. There was no rain today. But I knew a tsunami was coming, and I was the one bringing the tide. “Mother,” I said to the hovering Eleanor. “Just give me a basic ballpoint pen. A genius doesn’t need a palette to show her colors.” 3 The gates of St. Jude’s Academy were a massive arch of white Romanesque stone. When the Beaumonts’ stretched Lincoln pulled up, it caused a stir. Eleanor had a charity brunch with the Junior League, so she hadn’t come. The driver, Arthur, opened the door for me. “Miss Beaumont, your testing room is in Building A, third floor.” He held out a clear folder containing my admissions pass. I didn’t take it. I just stepped out of the car, hands in my pockets, and stared at the Gothic-revival architecture. “Three thousand years of history, and it’s all for prestige and profit,” I murmured. “Ninety thousand miles of seeking the Way, and it ends in a garden with a bottle of wine.” Arthur stood there, the folder shaking slightly in the air, unsure of what to do. I walked past him without a word. The red-brick paths were lined with ancient elms. Students moved in clusters—girls in navy blazers and pleated skirts, boys in tailored charcoal suits. They were whispering about Wall Street trends and gallery openings. As I walked by in my plain white button-down and black trousers, the conversations died. A hundred pairs of eyes tracked me like spotlights. “Is that the ‘lost’ Beaumont girl?” “She looks like she walked off a bus. Does she even speak English?” “I heard she was a farmhand. She’s probably going to score a zero on the placement test.” “Poor Seraphina. Imagine having that as a sister.” I stopped. I turned my head and looked at a girl standing a few feet away. Her Tiffany-clad wrist held a pumpkin spice latte. Her name tag read Penelope. She was the one who had said “farmhand.” She didn’t look away. She lifted her chin, looking at me with a smirk. “Do you need directions, sweetie?” she asked in a thick, forced Mid-Atlantic accent. “The remedial wing is in the basement.” I stared at her for exactly three seconds. Then, I sighed. My eyes softened into an expression of profound, crushing pity. “Your vowels,” I said, my voice rich with a perfect, effortless French-inflected English. “They have the muddy aftertaste of a girl trying too hard to sound like old money. True nobility doesn’t need to perform on the tip of her tongue.” Penelope’s face turned a violent shade of crimson. The whispers around us evaporated. I didn’t wait for a rebuttal. I walked toward Building A. The testing hall was a tiered lecture theater on the top floor. When I pushed the heavy oak doors open, I saw Seraphina in the front row. She was surrounded by a clique of girls, a leather-bound copy of Dante’s Inferno in her lap. The room went silent. The proctor adjusted his glasses, checking his list. “Vesper Beaumont? Your seat is in the back corner.” He pointed to a dusty desk next to a trash bin. “Since you didn’t attend the pre-admissions seminar, that’s where you’ll be.” It was a very polite way to isolate someone. Perfectly logical. Entirely cruel. Seraphina stood up, her face a mask of concern. “Professor, my sister’s eyesight isn’t great. Vesper, take my seat. I’ll sit in the back.” The class erupted in murmurs of admiration. “Seraphina is an angel.” “Why is she so nice to that girl?” I looked at Seraphina. It was a flawless performance. I didn’t move toward her. Instead, I turned and walked to the back of the room. I pulled out the dusty chair and sat down. “No thank you,” I said, my voice carrying through the hall. “I prefer not to sit in a high-density zone of mediocrity. It affects my focus. Professor, may we begin?” 4 The test was a mess of calculated snobbery. It jumped from Multivariable Calculus to European Art History, from International Maritime Law to translations of obscure dialect poetry. St. Jude’s was trying to filter for “High-Quality Human Specimens.” I twirled my pen. I looked at the questions—so desperate to be difficult, so eager to gatekeep. How boring. I finished the entire packet in twenty minutes. Then, I folded my arms on the desk, watched the leaves flutter outside the window, and closed my eyes. “Miss Beaumont.” The proctor was standing over me, rapping his knuckles on the wood. “If you can’t do the work, at least stay awake. You’re disrupting the others.” His tone was restrained, but his eyes were full of contempt. I opened one eye and sat up. “Professor,” I said, sliding the test toward him. “The questions were so elementary my brain entered a state of defensive hibernation. I’m finished.” A few students stifled laughs. The proctor’s face went white. He grabbed the paper. “If you’re so confident, you’re free to leave.” I stood up and walked out without looking back. At the end of the hall was the school’s multi-purpose auditorium. That afternoon, they were holding a “Welcome Salon.” I slipped inside. It was empty, save for a few student council members setting up the stage. I found a dark corner in the back, put on my noise-canceling headphones, and tuned out the world. At two o’clock, the salon began. The freshmen and sophomores gathered. The theme of the day: “Hidden Corners: The Melancholy of the Elite.” What a parody. A group of the most privileged children in the country gathering to discuss the tragedy of their own luxury. Then, it was Seraphina’s turn. She wore a white lace dress, clutching a cello. The lights dimmed, and a single spotlight found her. She played a piece of staggering sadness—a dirge that echoed through the hall. When she finished, she walked to the microphone. A single, perfect tear sat on her cheek. “I’ve always lived in fear,” she whispered into the mic. “Knowing that I wasn’t the ‘real’ daughter. That I was taking up space that belonged to someone else. I worked so hard, played so many hours, just to feel like I had a right to exist here.” The room erupted in thunderous applause. Girls were dabbing at their eyes. Penelope stood up and shouted, “Seraphina, you are the pride of St. Jude’s! Blood doesn’t matter—excellence does!” In the front row, Harrison watched her with a gaze so tender it was nauseating. The moderator took the mic, his voice booming. “A moving tribute. And we know that the other Beaumont daughter, Vesper, is here with us today.” The spotlight began to roam, searching the crowd. “Vesper Beaumont? In the face of your sister’s honesty, her grace, and her struggle… do you have anything to share? Or perhaps you’d like to show us who you really are?” It was a public execution. They were using “vulnerability” as a weapon to force me into a corner. I took off my headphones and stood up. I walked down the aisle, step by step, until I stood in the glare of the spotlight. I didn’t take the microphone from the moderator. I just stood there, looking at them. “Melancholy?” I let out a short, sharp laugh. I pushed a stray hair behind my ear. “You call your fragile, sheltered lives ‘melancholy’ because you’ve never seen a real storm?” I looked at Seraphina. My eyes were empty, devoid of any warmth. “My sister’s playing was… pretty. But it was a performance of pain, not the thing itself.” I tilted my head, looking past the audience into the darkness at the back of the room. “I have no empathy for the common world. A woman on horseback does not need to apologize to the grass for treading on it.” The silence was deafening. I had shattered the “decorum” of the salon. Seraphina turned pale, her fake smile failing. Suddenly—CRASH. The heavy oak doors at the back of the hall were kicked open. Not a frantic kick, but a casual, bored shove. A boy in a black leather motorcycle jacket, his hair a shock of defiant silver, sauntered in. He was flipping a Swiss Army knife in one hand. The room stopped breathing. Killian Knightley. The only son of the Knightley conglomerate. The forbidden fruit of St. Jude’s. He didn’t bully people; he simply existed, and the stock prices of his enemies’ companies dropped by billions. He scanned the room until his eyes landed on me in the spotlight. He tucked the knife away and broke into a wide, strangely submissive grin. He jogged down the aisle toward the stage. “Boss!” he shouted, his voice full of a puppy-like excitement. “I didn’t know you were coming to this dump today!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “541759”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Julian, my forty-year-old Councilman husband, fell madly in love with a twenty-seven-year-old masseuse. He was so obsessed that he was willing to throw away his political career just to divorce me. At the time, my family begged me to endure it for the sake of our young son. Looking at my little boy, I gritted my teeth and refused to sign the divorce papers. Seeing no hope of marrying into the family, the mistress quickly dumped Julian for a wealthy businessman. Devastated, Julian blamed me for his heartbreak and refused to contribute a single penny to our household expenses for the next ten years. To give my son a better life, I worked myself to the bone, pulling endless overtime. The exhaustion eventually triggered ovarian cancer, and I died before I even turned fifty. Yet, barely after my funeral service ended, Julian brought that same masseuse back into our home. My son even sweet-talked her, calling her “Mom.” Julian handed her his debit card and said, “Ten years of my salary is in here. I didn’t spend a single dime on that old hag!” “From now on, our family of three can finally live happily ever after!” My son grinned widely. “That ugly monster is finally dead! Only someone as beautiful as you, Serena, is worthy of being my mom!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the very day Julian demanded a divorce.

“I’m sorry, Valerie. If you agree to the divorce, I’ll walk away with nothing. Is that okay with you?” I froze, looking at Julian’s slightly younger face in front of me. I realized I had been reborn. On the TV, the rerun of the Christmas Parade was playing. The cheerful holiday music felt incredibly mocking. My hands were still covered in flour. Our son, Leo, had begged for homemade pizza, so I had been kneading the dough since early morning. I was about to speak when Julian’s phone rang. He answered it, his voice dripping with a tenderness I hadn’t heard in years. “Okay, babe. Wait for me. I’ll be right over.” He hung up, looked at me, and said coldly, “I’m going with Serena to meet her parents today. Think about it. Give me your answer later.” With that, he hurriedly turned and left. The front door slammed shut. I walked to the bathroom and washed my hands. In the mirror, I saw the tired, sagging face of a middle-aged woman. I opened the cabinet. The shelves were filled with expensive toiletries for Julian and Leo. I only had a single, cheap jar of drugstore moisturizer. I unscrewed the lid. The cream inside was already dry and cracking. I scooped some out, rubbed it onto my hands, and walked back to the living room. I picked up my phone, opened Amazon, and ordered a premium skincare set. Then, I dialed a number. “Hi, Mr. Davis? I’d like to consult with you about getting a divorce…”

In my past life, when Julian asked for a divorce, I slapped him across the face and made a massive scene, exposing his affair to everyone. Because of the scandal, Julian was disciplined by the city council and faced countless warnings from his superiors. Yet, he still insisted on marrying her, even if it meant losing his career. Julian didn’t get elected until he was thirty-two. For the past eight years, I was the one carrying the financial burden of our home. My parents were retired, and they occasionally helped us out. But how could I keep taking their money? I took on freelance consulting gigs on the side. Overworked and exhausted, my body fell apart before I even reached forty. Julian’s political seat was hard-won. Yet, he was willing to throw it all away for a masseuse who barely finished middle school. How ridiculous. Back then, my relatives urged me to stay for the sake of our child. I listened to them and refused to sign. Eventually, Serena saw she couldn’t climb the social ladder through Julian, so she ran off with a guy in the construction business. Julian was completely broken. He hated me for driving her away. For the next ten years, he subjected me to giving me the cold shoulder. He never contributed to our expenses again. To give Leo a good life, I worked myself to death. My health deteriorated rapidly, and at forty-eight, I was diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer. I survived for only three months. But before my ashes were even cold, Julian brought Serena back. He proved his undying love by giving her all his savings. “Ten years of my salary is in here. I didn’t spend a single cent of it.” “All these years, I lived off that old hag’s money.” “Serena, you’re the only one I’ve ever loved.” With tears in her eyes, Serena embraced him tightly. As a ghost floating in the air, I stared at them, shocked. Then, I burst into hysterical laughter, blood-red tears streaming down my face. I laughed at my own stupidity. I laughed at how I had wasted my youth and love on a stray dog. Since he wanted his “true love” so badly… In this life, I would gladly hand him over.

I went to my parents’ house alone. As soon as I walked in, the rich aroma of roasted turkey filled the air. My parents were usually very thrifty and only made feast meals when we visited. Seeing me alone, my mother asked, “Where’s Julian? Didn’t he come with you?” “He had some urgent work. Let’s talk inside.” I put down my coat and changed into my slippers. My son, Leo, was playing on his Nintendo Switch in the living room. Hearing my voice, he didn’t even look up. “Grandma, is my pomegranate ready yet?” Leo yelled. “Hold on, sweetie. It’s a bit hard to peel…” My mother was struggling with the fruit, her hands shaking slightly. Her arthritis had been flaring up lately, making her fingers stiff. I heard Leo mutter under his breath, “Useless old woman.” “What did you just say?!” I snapped. I marched over, snatched the Switch from his hands, and threw it onto the couch. Leo froze, then burst into loud tears. My mother rushed over from the kitchen and pushed me back, complaining, “Valerie, what are you doing? It’s the holidays! Just talk to him nicely!” Realizing he had a shield, Leo wiped his tears, glared at me with pure hatred, and ran into his room. My father walked in carrying a cardboard box. “Valerie, Julian brought this gift basket over a few days ago. It looks expensive. He has a lot of people to please at work, so why don’t you take it back for him?” Looking at the familiar packaging, I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. That was a luxury gift basket a client had given Julian last year. None of us liked it, so it had been sitting in our pantry, completely expired. And he gave this to my parents? I remembered how, every Christmas, I would spend nearly three thousand dollars buying premium gifts for Julian’s mother. Yet, for my parents, all he offered was a box of expired trash. The signs were always there. Julian had never respected me or my family. My phone buzzed. It was a Snapchat message from my best friend, Chloe. “Valerie, I just saw Julian at a Tiffany & Co. store with another woman. After they left, I asked the sales associate. She said Julian bought two gold bracelets. He put one directly on the girl, and said the other was a gift for his mother-in-law. What’s going on?” Just last month, I asked him for five thousand dollars to treat my herniated disc, and he claimed he was completely broke. Yet, he could easily spend over ten thousand dollars on jewelry for another woman. I took a deep breath. “Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you…”

My mother seemed to sense something, and her eyes welled with tears. My father put down the expired gift basket, his face full of worry. “Did you and Julian have a fight?” “He’s cheating on me. I want a divorce,” I said directly. My mother broke down sobbing. “Oh, dear lord… Why is this happening? You had such a good life…” My father gritted his teeth and ripped off his kitchen apron. “I’m going to go find him and beat some sense into him!” “Dad, stop.” I grabbed my father’s arm. “It’s useless. His heart is already gone.” My mother choked out, “But what about Leo? He’s so young. What will happen to him if you divorce?” I looked at the tightly closed bedroom door. “He’s eight years old. He’s old enough to make a choice. I’ll let him decide who he wants to live with.” … “Serena, when are you going to pick me up? You have no idea how annoying that old woman is…” I pushed Leo’s door open, and he immediately hid his phone behind his back. His face flushed red. “Why didn’t you knock? And you’re the one who always lectures me about manners…” Looking at this child—the boy I almost died giving birth to—my heart felt incredibly hollow. “I’m divorcing your father. Who do you want to live with?” Leo didn’t even hesitate. “With Dad, obviously! Do you even have to ask?” My mother rushed in, raising her voice at Leo for the first time. “You ungrateful little brat! Do you have any idea what your mother went through to give birth to you? She—” “Mom, don’t,” I interrupted her quietly. There was no point in arguing. In his heart, he had already accepted that young, beautiful masseuse as his real mother. That was fine. Without him holding me back, I wouldn’t have to work myself to death anymore. I could finally live for myself. I called Julian and told him my decision. There was a long silence on the other end of the line before he finally spoke. “Valerie, I’m so sorry. If you…” “When are you coming home? We need to discuss the division of assets. The sooner we settle this, the better.” I cut him off, unwilling to listen to his fake remorse. Julian hesitated. “Okay… I’ll be back as soon as I’m done here.”

“Serena said she wants the house we’re currently living in. What do you think?” Julian spoke with difficulty, his expression extremely tense. I had already guessed that his promise of “walking away with nothing” was just a dramatic gesture to show his devotion to his mistress. So, I had no intention of fighting him over it. “Sure. But the savings account goes to me,” I replied calmly. Fearing I would blow up, Julian quickly agreed. “Of course, of course!” I nodded, keeping my face blank. “Fine. What about the commercial retail property in the North District?” “You can have it if you want.” He agreed so easily because that retail space was currently worthless and sat in a run-down area. But he didn’t know that in six months, a major tech developer would buy out that entire block. The compensation buyout would be worth five million dollars. In my past life, Julian’s mother fell severely ill right after they got that money, and every penny of it went into her medical bills, leaving them with almost nothing in the end. Once the assets were divided, Julian let out a massive sigh of relief. He looked at me with a complicated expression. “Valerie, thank you for letting me go.” “Don’t mention it,” I said flatly. My calm demeanor made Julian uneasy. He probably thought this was just the calm before the storm. He couldn’t help but add, “This is all my fault. Please don’t go looking for Serena to cause trouble…” “Don’t worry, I won’t.” I didn’t even look up as I calculated the total value of the assets on my phone. Julian choked on his words. Seeing me completely absorbed in my own business, he opened his mouth several times but said nothing. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. A woman with heavy makeup pushed open the door, dragging a suitcase. “Serena!” Hearing her voice, Leo dashed out of his room and threw his arms around her waist. “What took you so long? I missed you so much!” “Serena, you have to pick me up from school from now on! If my classmates see I have such a beautiful mom, they’ll be so jealous!” “Leo!” Julian’s face tightened. He turned to me, attempting to explain. But seeing my cold, indifferent expression, he shut his mouth in embarrassment. Serena patted Leo’s hair, smiling sweetly. “Of course, sweetie.” Julian walked over, took her suitcase, and asked softly, “I told you I’d pick you up. Why did you come by yourself? Are you tired?” Watching Julian’s tender care, I felt a sudden pang of irony. In all our years of marriage, Julian had never spoken to me with such warmth. Even when I had a difficult labor and almost died on the operating table, he never gave me a single word of comfort. It turned out he wasn’t incapable of showing love; he just didn’t love me. I smiled bitterly at myself. “Thank you, Valerie, for giving me such a wonderful husband and son,” Serena said, her eyes flashing with a smug, mocking glint. “You’re welcome,” I smiled back. “To be honest, I never wanted to ruin your marriage,” Serena chuckled, resting her white hand on Julian’s shoulder. “But Julian insisted he didn’t want me to feel hidden.” “And well, men are visual creatures after all…” She looked me up and down with blatant disgust. “Looking at how bloated and wrinkled you are, I don’t blame Julian for losing his appetite. No wonder he couldn’t wait to divorce you.” The air went still for a second. Julian pulled her sleeve gently, but he couldn’t bring himself to scold her. I smiled, took a slow step forward, and looked her over. Youth was indeed a beautiful thing. Her skin was tight and glowing, barely needing any makeup. But she was dripping in designer clothes and carrying a luxury bag. Her entire outfit easily cost over fifteen thousand dollars. A simple masseuse making barely two thousand dollars a month? Who paid for all of this? I thought of my cheap drugstore moisturizer. I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. Smack! Serena’s head snapped to the side, her left cheek immediately swelling up. I shook out my wrist. Even if I had given up on this pathetic excuse of a family, it didn’t mean I would let a cheap homewrecker insult me in my own home. Julian quickly rushed to cup her face. Serena’s eyes filled with tears, looking utterly victimized. “Did I say anything wrong? Is she really that sensitive to the truth?” Julian marched up to me, raising his hand. His palm trembled in the air, but he didn’t dare bring it down. I raised my chin, staring him down. Ultimately, Julian dropped his hand, but his eyes were filled with disgust. “Get out of here! Serena is right. Looking at you makes me want to throw up!” Even though I had prepared myself for this, hearing those words so plainly still felt like a dagger to my chest. Before I could speak, I caught a sudden movement in my peripheral vision. I dodged instinctively, but scalding hot liquid still splashed across my forearm. A searing, blinding pain shot through my arm. Leo stood behind me, holding a hot water kettle with a ferocious glare. “You ugly old monster! Don’t you dare touch Serena!”

I was thirty-four when I had Leo, making me a high-risk geriatric mother. During labor, I had a severe hemorrhage. When the doctor asked whether to save the mother or the child, I insisted on saving the child. When Leo was a baby, he cried constantly. Julian couldn’t sleep, got annoyed, and even suggested giving the baby sleeping pills to quiet him down. So, I slept in a separate room with Leo, holding him through the night. That was when my health first started to fail. By the time Leo was two, he still couldn’t speak, and Julian’s mother suspected he was autistic. Under his mother’s pressure, Julian actually suggested abandoning him. It was me who fought the entire family. I dragged Leo to every hospital in the state until he was finally diagnosed with conductive hearing loss. Before his final surgery, I walked up the steep stone steps of a mountaintop chapel on my knees, praying for his safety. When I came down, my knees were soaked in blood. And now, this same boy was throwing boiling water at me to protect his father’s mistress. My skin was already red, angry, and bubbling with blisters. My heart died completely. Clutching my arm, I walked out without looking back. Julian stared at my retreating figure, a sudden tightness in his chest. He instinctively took a step to follow me, but Serena grabbed his hand. “Julian, my head hurts so much…” He immediately turned back to comfort her, completely forgetting about me. When my best friend Chloe heard about the divorce, she practically threw a party. “Good riddance! I’ve hated those two for years! So, what’s your plan now?” I looked at her perfectly maintained skin. “I want to get a membership at your medical spa. Can I get a discount?” I touched my dull, sagging skin and smiled bitterly. “I don’t know if this old face can still be saved.” “There are no ugly women, only lazy ones,” Chloe said warmly. “Honestly, your features are beautiful. If you lose some weight and pamper yourself, you’ll be a total knockout.” I accepted her compliments and started planning my new life. After the divorce, I only had to pay Julian two thousand dollars a month in child support. The rest of my income was entirely mine to spend. Shopping, yoga, luxury spa treatments… For the first time, I realized life could be so vibrant outside of cooking and cleaning. I started eating healthy and used my free time to work out. Three months later, I lost twenty pounds.

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After dating Julian Vance for six years, the woman he truly loved finally came to find me. “So, you’re the kept woman Julian’s been hiding?” Her eyes were red, and tears streamed down her face. Julian wiped the corner of her eye with his thumb, whispering softly to comfort her. “Don’t cry. She and I were just having some fun. How could she ever compare to you?” “Alright, alright. I’ll make her leave right now.” He finally spared me a glance. “You’ve been with me for so many years. I won’t mistreat you. Is there anything else you want?” I actually stopped to think about it. When I first started following him, I wanted him to pull me out of the swamp I was drowning in. When I thought he loved me, I wanted a future with him. But now, having realized my place, I only wanted to leave. So, I shook my head. “Nothing.” I didn’t want anything from him. As long as we never crossed paths again. “Nothing?” Julian asked me back. His eyes were narrow and long. When he didn’t smile, he always looked cold and heartless. I had only packed a tiny suitcase. I didn’t take any of the designer jewelry or expensive gifts he had given me over the years. Julian let out a mocking scoff, a half-smile playing on his lips. “Sera, be smart. Don’t try to play the high-and-mighty card now.” “Or are you playing hard to get? Trying to make me beg you to stay?” I remained quiet from beginning to end. His eyes darkened with impatience. “I don’t play these testing games.” “And don’t look at me like someone bullied you.” “I told you a long time ago not to dump your useless feelings and expectations on me…” “I’m not,” I interrupted him. I picked up my suitcase and walked toward the door, speaking as sincerely as I could. “I really don’t want anything. And I really don’t want you to keep me.” Two “reallys.” Julian froze for a split second. Then, he suddenly laughed, scanning me up and down. “Oh? You don’t want anything?” His tone was casual, almost playful, like a cat teasing a mouse. “Did you forget? Even the clothes you’ve been wearing these past few years were custom-made by private tailors.” “Take them off, then.” I only hesitated for a second before setting my suitcase aside, intending to go to the bedroom to change. Julian grabbed my wrist, looking down at me. “Strip right here.” There were several other people who had come with him. Their eyes fell on me, waiting for the show. The air froze. I lowered my eyes and calmly began to undo the buttons of my shirt. One. Two. Three. By the third button, Julian suddenly flung my hand away, his eyes completely icy. “I’m not so cheap that I’d beg for a piece of clothing back.” “Sera, take your things.” “Get out.” “Don’t ever come crawling back to beg me. You won’t even get through the front door.” Luxury cars roared to life one by one and sped away. The villa fell back into dead silence. I still took off the expensive clothes. I changed into the plain white T-shirt and jeans I had worn when I first moved here. I had never thrown them away. I was only twenty-one back then. I had a bare, makeup-free face, looking a lot like Chloe, the girl Julian loved now. At that time, Julian had pinched my cheek. “What are you wearing? People will think I’m starving you.” Since then, everything I wore and used was the absolute best. And I had once foolishly believed that this was Julian’s version of love. I stopped thinking about the past. I folded the priceless outfit and left it on the side. I left exactly the way I came. The walk out of the private gated community was long, and it took forever to get an Uber. Without Julian’s orders, no one would cater to my convenience anymore. But no matter how pathetic I looked, I never once thought about turning back to beg.

In the back of the cab, I opened Instagram and saw Julian’s new post. In the photo, Chloe was leaning against him. He was holding her hand, his head bowed to kiss the back of her palm. He looked so cherishing. His friends commented below. “I thought she was just a placeholder like Sera. Are you for real this time?” “Looks like that psychic was wrong. You don’t look like you have a rocky love life at all.” “Where’s Sera? Did you dump her? Does that mean I can slide into her DMs now?” Julian replied to that one. “Go ahead.” “No need to ‘slide in.’ Just throw a little money her way, and she’ll probably follow you. She’s easy.” In his words, I was defined by just two concepts: easy and cheap. As I blocked and deleted their contacts, the driver in front sighed. “Whoa, what rich kid is pulling off a stunt like that?” We were passing by the marina. Over a thousand drones were lighting up the night sky. They spelled out: Chloe, be mine. I leaned my head against the car window, watching the lights blur, and thought: So, this is how Julian acts when he actually loves someone. He proposes. He makes grand public gestures. He can’t wait to tell the whole world. Unlike when I had asked him to post a single photo of us on Snapchat. He had only chuckled, patted my neck like a pet, and never brought it up again. When I first met Julian… I had a gambling addict for a father and a terminally ill mother. I was being cornered by loan sharks and didn’t even dare to go to college. Julian saved me. He was like a knight in shining armor from some fairytale. He paid for my tuition so I could study without worries, and he stayed by my side when I finally had to bury my mother. After my mother passed away, I fell terribly ill. Whenever I woke up crying from nightmares, Julian would be by my bedside, patting my back. “It’s okay. Go back to sleep.” For at least three years, we lived like a deeply in love couple. When I was twenty-four, Julian had his assistant deliver a diamond ring to me—one I had just admired in a magazine. My heart hammered in my chest. The ring slid onto my ring finger. It was a perfect fit. I hugged him from behind, but Julian frowned and pulled my hands off him. “Why do you have that ring?” I didn’t understand. He called his assistant and gestured for me to take it off. He said the assistant had made a mistake. The ring was meant for his family’s corporate-merger fiancée. My hand hung frozen in the air. My voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper. “Are you marrying someone else?” “Then… what about me?” Julian suddenly let out a soft laugh, his eyes filled with casual amusement as he asked me back: “You didn’t actually think this ring was for you, did you?” “Sera, we don’t have that kind of relationship.” I stood there, trying to grab his hand. My words came out clumsy and broken. “What do you mean we don’t have that kind of relationship?” “Am I not your girlfriend?” “Don’t you love me, Julian?” The room became suffocatingly quiet. Julian sighed, looking annoyed by the drama. “Sera, you’re crossing the line.” “I thought you understood. When I said we were together, I meant it literally.” “I take care of you, and you satisfy my needs.” “If you have any delusions about a relationship or marriage, drop them now.” I never got to hold his hand that day. That was the day I finally saw my true reflection in his eyes. I told Julian I was leaving. “I won’t be a mistress.” But within a week… The new job I had just found vanished. The business of a close friend of mine suddenly ran into massive trouble. Even my landlord texted me to move out immediately. I walked downstairs. Julian was leaning against his sports car, his eyes as dark as the night. He said, “Sera, I helped you, gave you so much. Did you really think I was running a charity?” “I’m not done playing with you yet. You don’t get to decide when this ends.” But perhaps fearing I would misunderstand again, Julian stopped staying with me every day. People would constantly send me photos of him cozying up to other women. But I had learned my lesson. I did what I was supposed to do. I no longer sent him photos of beautiful clouds or cute dogs on the street like I used to when I thought I was his girlfriend. I stopped texting him to ask where he was during his business dinners or begging him to come home early. I stopped taking his past promise of “if you get pregnant, we’ll keep it” seriously, and numbly swallowed birth control pills instead. Once, when he caught me throwing up from the side effects of the pills, he saw the package in my hand. He paused, then said with an unreadable tone, “Well, you’re certainly being obedient now.” During that time, I was constantly dizzy and lost weight rapidly. One day, looking in the mirror, I felt like I was nothing but a bag of bones. Julian leaned against the doorframe, watching me. I didn’t know how long he had been standing there. “The merger fell through. The engagement is off,” he said, then turned and left. I didn’t know when or why he had canceled the engagement. But ultimately, it had nothing to do with me.

We lived like this for another three years. By then, I was twenty-seven. Two months ago, Julian said he had met a girl. He suddenly asked me how to pursue someone. My fingers curled slightly. I thought about it, then opened my mouth. “I guess… you should first find out what kind of person she is, and what she likes.” “Then take it slow. Care for her, make her happy.” He took my advice. He had me help him choose flowers that girls would like. When I picked them out, he would also buy a massive bouquet for me, calling it a “thank-you gift.” He took me to several high-end restaurants, asking for my opinion on which one she would prefer. When a new blockbuster movie came out, he took me to watch it first, saying he was afraid he wouldn’t know what to talk about in front of his crush. The light from the cinema screen flickered across his face. I watched him with utter boredom, thinking: Love is truly great. Even someone as arrogant as Julian Vance can become clumsy and hesitant because of love. On the drive back, I looked at the city lights outside the window and suddenly spoke up. “You must be done playing by now, right?” “Once you guys are officially together, can I finally leave?” The light turned red. Julian rolled down the window, resting his arm on the frame as he lit a cigarette. The glass reflected the glowing red cherry. A gust of wind blew past, looking as if the night had been burned through. He smiled. “Of course.” Coming back to the present, I let out a breath of relief. Between Julian and me, there wasn’t even a breakup. It was just an expiration date. Still, I couldn’t completely escape news of him and Chloe. After all, the tabloids loved billionaire gossip. And they were very high-profile—firework shows one day, yacht parties the next. Meanwhile, I was crouching on the curb, eating cheap tacos from a food truck. I checked my phone during a break and realized I had five missed calls from the same unknown number. The next second, the phone rang again. “Hello?” Julian’s mocking voice came through. “Sera, blocking me and changing your number? You’re pretty good at burning bridges.” He sounded completely unbothered. “Someone sent me a photo of you eating on the street.” “What, it’s only been a week since you left me, and you’re already living like a beggar?” My legs were getting numb from crouching. I only asked, “Is there something you need?” There was a silence on the other end for a few seconds. “Chloe accidentally broke your hand-painted ceramic figurines.” “She didn’t do it on purpose.” I froze for a moment before retrieving the memory of those two little clay dolls representing him and me from the dusty corners of my mind. I had dragged him to a pottery class to make them. He had complained about how childish it was, yet he had carefully painted a pair of angel wings on my doll’s back. I used to love them so much. I had placed them right where I could see them every day. “Oh, it’s fine.” After all, so many things had broken long before those dolls did. “Please just throw them away.” “I already did.” In the silence, I heard the sound of his lighter flipping open and closed. Open and closed. “By the way, about the private island I gave you for your birthday… you need to sign the transfer papers.” “Chloe wants it.” The island was a gift for my twenty-third birthday. We had stood on the beach, and I watched the wind mess up his hair, making his handsome features look even sharper. Julian had held me from behind as we watched the sunset. He had whispered in my ear, “Happy birthday, Sera.” Time had flown by. Julian was still the same Julian. But I was no longer the girl who had stood on that beach, crying tears of pure happiness. “Tell me what compensation you want. You can ask for anything.” I shook my head before realizing he couldn’t see me. “No need.” “I’ll sign the papers as soon as possible.” “Goodbye.” I hung up.

I didn’t waste any energy thinking about that phone call. There were plenty of other things in life to worry about. Through a friend’s recommendation, I landed a job as a sales associate at a luxury boutique. Having spent nearly six years around Julian, I actually knew quite a lot about high fashion. But as fate would have it, bad luck always found me. I looked up to see Chloe entering the store, her arm looped through Julian’s. The wealthy crowd trailing behind them noticed me immediately, their faces twisting into amused grins. “Oh, look who it is! Sera Miller? Talk about falling from grace. You’re actually working retail now?” “Julian, she was your favorite for a while. How can you bear to watch this?” In their eyes, there was a time when Julian treated me like his absolute prized possession. Once, a difficult client Julian was trying to sign had tried to force me to drink. Julian had flipped the table and poured the whiskey directly over the man’s head. “I’m here. What are you afraid of?” he had told me. “If anyone bullies you, bully them right back.” But now, Julian just stood there, hands tucked casually into his pockets. He looked entirely indifferent as his thin lips parted. “What does her life have to do with me?” Seeing that Julian had no intention of standing up for me, one of the guys mockingly stuck his foot out. “I got some dust on my loafers on the way in. Wipe it off.” “And do a good job, or I’m filing a complaint.” The laughter grew louder. “Hey, do mine next!” My fingernails dug into my palms before I slowly let go. I bowed my head. “I’m sorry, but my job description does not include shoe-shining.” Chloe looked at me with a sweet, pitying smile. “Sera, these shoes aren’t my size. Run to the back and find my size. That is your job, right?” Ignoring their stares, I bowed slightly. “Of course, ma’am.” I brought the shoes out and placed them in front of Chloe. She leaned her head against Julian’s shoulder, sighing that she was too tired, and demanded that I put them on her. I knelt on one knee on the floor and began to slip the shoe onto her foot. She didn’t like them. I had to go back to the stockroom to grab another pair, repeating the process of standing up, walking, and kneeling back down. By the twelfth pair, she looked up at Julian. “Are you even paying attention? You haven’t said if they look good.” “What’s wrong? Are you hurting because I’m making your ex-lover put shoes on me?” Julian looked at her like she was a spoiled child he couldn’t help but indulge. “Why would I care? It’s just her job.” He explained to Chloe, using the exact same words I had heard him say a hundred times before. He told her that our past was nothing, that he had only kept me around to kill time and cure his loneliness. I carefully zipped up Chloe’s new boot, acting as if they weren’t talking about me at all. “How do these feel, Miss Bennett?” Chloe hummed, then suddenly waved her hand in front of my face. The diamond ring on her ring finger was breathtaking. It was from the exact same luxury brand as the one I had mistakenly put on years ago. “Actually, Julian already proposed to me.” “You can call me Mrs. Vance soon.” Chloe rested her chin on her hand, her eyes drilling into me, trying to catch any sign of heartbreak. She asked out of nowhere: “Did Julian ever give you a ring?” I only froze for a split second, amused by how threatened Chloe seemed by me. She really overestimated my place in his life. “No, he never did.” “Rings aren’t something to be given away lightly. Mr. Vance would naturally only give one to you.” “It’s beautiful. It suits you perfectly.” I paused, then added, “Actually, this ring goes perfectly with the boots you’re trying on. Would you like to take a look in the mirror?” It was like punching a cloud of cotton. The mocking glints in the surrounding eyes faded into disappointment. Julian gave me an unreadable look, a cold sneer escaping his throat. “Wrap everything up,” he told another sales associate standing nearby. “The commission goes to you.” “Some people are so desperate to please, it’s making me sick.” I didn’t say a word. I just kept my head down, packing the shoes back into their boxes. But I had been kneeling for too long. When I stood up, my vision went completely black. As I fell forward, a strong arm shot out, catching me firmly by the waist. Julian looked at me, a smug smile forming on his lips. “Sera, if you want to throw yourself into my arms, you don’t have to be this obvious.” I stumbled back two steps. Julian wanted to say something else, but his voice was fading. The last thing I saw before blacking out completely was his cold, arrogant face cracking with panic. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. Julian was leaning against the wall, his expression unreadable. The doctor walked in, frowning as he flipped through my chart. His tone was accusatory. “She’s three months pregnant. Didn’t you two know?” Julian snapped his head toward me.

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When I discovered Lily’s existence, I didn’t scream or fight with Ethan. I just handed him the divorce papers. He sat there, head bowed. After a long, painful silence, he ripped the papers to shreds. “Ten days,” he whispered. “Just give me ten days. I’ll send Lily far away, and she will never appear in our lives again.” Without waiting for my answer, he turned and walked out of the house. So, the ten-day countdown began. Ethan took her rafting, mountain climbing, bungee jumping, and skydiving. He took her to do every thrilling thing they could think of. He also took her to watch the sunrise by the beach, doing everything romantic. Until the night of the ninth day. I was packing my bags when my Snapchat rang. It was a video call glitching from a number I hadn’t seen in forever—it was me, from ten years ago. “Oh my god, you’re really me in ten years!” Her bright, sunny face on the screen was glowing with excitement. “So, did Ethan and I get married? Do we have kids?” A pang of bitter pain hit my chest. I walked out to the balcony. I turned the camera toward the driveway below, where Ethan and Lily were locked in a passionate, tearful embrace, unable to let each other go. “This is the reality.” Her eyes widened, looking like she’d been struck by lightning. “That’s… that’s impossible…” My voice was dead, stripped of all energy. “Chloe, please. Do not marry him.”

She was sobbing on the screen. Grief and shock flooded her eyes, and she kept shaking her head. “How… how did we end up like this?” I couldn’t answer her. Honestly, I didn’t know either. I could only warn her, “You won’t be happy after you marry him. Chloe, promise me, okay?” She wiped her tears, her eyes red and puffy. “But he’s not even with me right now. He went to San Francisco to beg that retired specialist to treat my legs.” I froze. Right. I had almost forgotten. Back then, a stage accident had crushed my legs. I could barely stand. Ethan was more devastated than I was. He stayed up night after night, massaging my legs and changing my bandages until dawn. When we heard about a retired specialist in San Francisco who might be able to save my legs, Ethan left without a second thought. He camped outside the doctor’s house in the freezing rain for three days and nights, refusing to eat or leave, until his own legs were dangerously swollen. That was how he moved the doctor to treat me. But now… I gently touched my leg. It was completely healed. But we had lost each other. The cruelest irony of all? “Do you know who that woman downstairs is? Lily.” She shook her head, looking like a lost puppy. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “She’s that doctor’s granddaughter.” She stopped breathing. She covered her mouth to muffle a sob. “So… Ethan fell in love with someone else on the way to saving me?” I shook my head. “I don’t know. Maybe it wasn’t love back then. They reunited two years ago—which is five years in your future.” We fell into a heavy silence. Just then, the sound of the smart lock chimed at the front door. Instinctively, I hid my phone behind my back. Ethan walked in. His eyes fell on my movement, but he didn’t ask. His eyes were red, and he looked completely drained. “Are you happy now?” A sarcastic smile played on his lips. “I sent her away.” I stared at him blankly. Behind my back, my nails dug deep into my palms. It stung. “Happy?” “Ethan, is this marriage a solo project? Am I the only one who has to fight for it?” He ripped off his tie and threw it onto the couch. “Don’t start acting crazy,” he muttered coldly before brushing past me into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. My entire body went numb. After a long time, I slowly brought the phone back to my face. On the screen, my younger self was covered in tears. “That’s not the Ethan I know. It’s not him…” But I couldn’t cry. I wanted to scream and cry like her, but my eyes were bone-dry and burning. “People change, I guess.” Just as I grabbed my suitcase to leave, a sudden thunderstorm cracked outside, and rain began to pour. My phone buzzed with a notification: Your flight has been canceled. I sighed. I wasn’t leaving tonight. I dragged my suitcase to the guest bedroom and pushed the door open. “Are you guys… sleeping in separate rooms?” she asked quietly. My hand froze on the doorknob. The bitterness in my throat was suffocating. “Yeah. We’ve been in separate rooms for almost a year.” She sobbed louder. “But Ethan… he literally can’t sleep unless he’s holding me right now…” My chest tightened. It had been so long that I’d almost forgotten. Ethan used to have severe insomnia. He could only sleep peacefully when I was in his arms. We had never spent a night apart. I said softly, “He found someone else to help him sleep now. Lily is a great doctor. She knows how to soothe him.” After a long silence, the girl on the screen looked at me with bloodshot eyes. “Three days. Ethan will be back in three days in my time. Let me use these three days to completely give up on him.” I nodded. “Okay.”

The next morning, when I walked out of my room, Ethan was already making breakfast. He acted as if nothing had happened. “You’re up? Let’s eat.” I looked at the breakfast on the table and felt exhausted. “I’m allergic to eggs, Ethan.” His hand, which was spreading egg salad on the toast, froze. Without a word, he threw the toast into the trash can. “I forgot. Go eat out then.” “Okay,” I murmured. As I turned to leave, Ethan’s voice cracked behind me. “Don’t you think we’re being weird?” “Chloe, we’re acting like strangers.” I turned to meet his dazed eyes and let out a mocking laugh. “No, Ethan. Strangers don’t hate each other. We’re worse than strangers. But whose fault is that? Mine?” The air turned icy. We stared at each other, neither of us willing to back down. Finally, his phone rang, breaking the tension. “Yes, Grandpa,” Ethan said, his voice flat. “Chloe and I will be there on time.” He hung up, pinching the bridge of his nose in sheer exhaustion. He looked at me with a complicated expression. “Let’s just leave the past in the past.” “Tomorrow is Grandpa’s 80th birthday gala. We’re going together. Don’t let him notice anything.” I let out a silent sigh. “Fine.” I walked down to a local café, keeping the Snapchat call active. She had been quiet, so I broke the silence. “What are you thinking about?” She looked lost. “I just never imagined that the future Ethan and I would have nothing to say to each other.” “No sharing, no love. Only blame and resentment.” I choked up and couldn’t find the words. The autumn leaves outside were scattered all over the pavement from last night’s storm. They crunched under my feet. It sounded just like the time Ethan carried me on his back through the woods when my legs were hurt. But everything had changed. The café owner smiled when he saw me. “Morning, Chloe! The usual? Beef sandwich, no mayo, no eggs?” I smiled back. “Yes, please.” Even the café owner remembered my egg allergy. But my husband of ten years had forgotten. The next day, Ethan picked me up for the gala. I sat in the passenger seat, staring blankly out the window at the passing city. Suddenly, Ethan spoke. “You know Lily saved Grandpa’s life once, right?” I turned to look at him. “What’s your point?” He gripped the steering wheel tighter. “So, Lily is attending the gala today. I didn’t invite her. Grandpa did.” I didn’t know what face to make. I wasn’t even surprised. Suppressing the suffocating pain in my chest, I replied hoarsely, “Okay. I don’t care.” It didn’t matter anymore. There were only three days left. In three days, the younger Chloe would rewrite history. We wouldn’t have a future anyway. Hearing my response, Ethan actually seemed taken aback. He frowned, his knuckles turning white on the wheel. “Good,” he finally muttered. In my earpiece, the younger Chloe was crying. I was used to this coldness, but for her, it was pure torture. It was like falling straight from heaven to hell. “How could he treat you like this…” I couldn’t comfort her. I could only remain silent. Soon, we arrived at the family estate in the Hamptons. The moment we got out of the car, a petite figure rushed toward us. “Ethan…” “I thought I’d never see you again.” Lily was crying, and Ethan immediately comforted her. Ignoring everyone else, he gently wiped her tears away. “Don’t cry. Since you’re back, I won’t let anyone send you away again.” I let out a sarcastic chuckle. “Do whatever you want. I won’t stop you. Just don’t make me look like the evil villain tearing you star-crossed lovers apart.” Lily pouted, a flash of disdain in her eyes. Ethan’s brows furrowed. He looked confused. I knew why. He was confused about why I was suddenly being so generous. I looked away. It was simple—I had just given up.

The guests around us whispered and stared. Some looked at me with pity. Others were clearly enjoying the drama. I ignored them all, walking straight into the main hall to hand Grandpa Arthur his gift. “Happy 80th birthday, Grandpa.” He smiled warmly at me. “Thank you, sweetheart.” Ethan walked in a step behind, standing side-by-side with Lily. They looked more like the married couple. Grandpa paused, looking at them, then grabbed mine and Ethan’s hands, placing them together. “So, when are you two going to give me a great-grandchild?” Ethan and I stiffened at the same time. I pulled my hand back first. Under Ethan’s shocked gaze, I said, “Grandpa, Ethan and I…” “Chloe,” Ethan interrupted quickly, turning to Grandpa with a forced smile. “Don’t worry, Grandpa. We’re working on it.” Grandpa laughed heartily. But the moment we were cleared, Ethan dragged me into the backyard garden. His face was dark, radiating frustration. “What were you trying to do back there?” “Tell Grandpa the truth. That we’re getting a divorce, and there won’t be any kids,” I said flatly. His lips thinned into a harsh line. “Why do you keep bringing up divorce? Didn’t we agree to move past this? Chloe, can you stop throwing tantrums?” I looked at him, genuinely puzzled. “Since we hate each other so much, why don’t you just marry Lily? Isn’t that what you want?” His breath hitched. “Hate? I never—” “Ethan!” Lily’s voice interrupted us from the pathway, making the air even tenser. She walked up, biting her lip, looking incredibly pitiful. “Chloe, please don’t use Grandpa to threaten me.” I frowned. “What are you talking about?” Lily looked like she was about to burst into tears. “Are you going to tell Grandpa that I ruined your marriage?” “You know Grandpa’s heart is weak.” “I can’t let anything happen to him, so I’ll leave Ethan. Is that what you want? Is that your plan?” I stared at her, completely dumbfounded. Then, a wave of sheer absurdity washed over me. I let out a mocking laugh. “You’ve been watching too many soap operas, Lily.” Who would actually fall for such cheap drama? “Chloe.” Ethan’s heavy voice cut in. “Is this true? Are you threatening her again?” My jaw tightened. He believed her… I wanted to defend myself, but looking at the doubt and accusation in his eyes, the words died in my throat. Finally, I just said, “Believe whatever you want.” I turned and walked away, not caring about the complicated look on his face. In my earpiece, my younger self whispered, “Don’t be sad.” My nose tickled with unshed tears. “I’m not. So, Chloe… when the surgery is over and he proposes to you in your timeline, do not say yes.” This time, she answered without a second of hesitation. “I won’t. I promise.” I let out a breath of relief. A little later, after Grandpa cut the cake and went upstairs to rest, the relatives at the table stopped pretending. Cousin Jessica sneered openly. “Honestly, some people are so pathetic. Someone practically invades their home, and they still sit there like a quiet little mouse.” “Oh, come on, look at who Lily is. She’s Ethan’s absolute favorite.” I listened to it all. My hand tightened around my fork, then slowly released it. I looked up with a cold smile. “If you’re so brave, Jessica, why are you still acting blind to the secret kid your husband has with his secretary?” Her face turned instantly pale. “You! Chloe! That’s family business, none of your concern!” I shot back, “Then my marriage is none of yours.” She choked on her words. The table fell into an awkward silence. Ethan spoke up, his voice cold. “Chloe, that was uncalled for.” I looked at him. Only then did I notice that his tie perfectly matched Lily’s dress. His stance was clear. That was why these people felt they had the right to humiliate me. The last bit of fight left my body. I set my fork down and whispered, “Ethan, of all people, you have the least right to judge me.” His breath caught. I stood up and left the table. The tears I had been holding back finally spilled over the moment I stepped out of the estate. The tears fell like rain, and I couldn’t wipe them away fast enough. The estate was far from the city. I walked alone down the dark, cold road. I had never felt so lonely. I looked up at the sky. The moon was bright, but I felt absolutely no warmth. Just then, a choked voice came through my earpiece. “Chloe… Ethan is back with the doctor.”

“Chloe, I’m back. Don’t worry, I’m here now.” Hearing that voice from the phone felt like a lifetime ago. It had been so long. So long that I had forgotten what Ethan’s voice sounded like when he was being gentle. On the other end, the younger Chloe gave a cold, detached reply. “Thanks.” The teenage Ethan sounded a bit hurt. “Chloe, why are you being so formal?” She didn’t answer, and he didn’t press. He just hurried the doctor to prepare for her surgery. After a moment, she whispered into the phone from under her blanket, “I’m leaving the second the surgery is over. I won’t be there for his proposal.” I nodded, feeling a massive weight lifting from my chest. When I got home, Ethan stormed in right behind me, with a sobbing Lily in tow. He grabbed my wrist, his face twisted in anger. “Did you tell Grandpa about Lily and me?!” My wrist throbbed with pain. The injury I had gotten years ago while trying to protect him in that car crash—he had completely forgotten about it. I violently shook his hand off. “I wouldn’t waste my breath on your dirty laundry. If you don’t care about your dignity, I still care about mine.” His pupils dilated in shock. Then he let out a harsh laugh. “Dignity?” “You’re always so high and mighty. If you told Grandpa, he’d send Lily away for you, wouldn’t he? Why play innocent?” Lily was practically hyperventilating next to him. There was a prominent red slap mark on her cheek. “Chloe, I beg you,” she cried, throwing herself to her knees in front of me. “I just want to be with Ethan. I don’t even care about a title! I beg you!” Before I could even react, Ethan violently pulled her up, his face full of heartache. Then he glared at me. “Do you really have to push her this far?” “She never tried to take anything from you. She’s been so quiet, never asking for anything!” He shook his head, his eyes filled with pure disappointment. “How did you become so vicious over the years? You’re not the Chloe I used to know.” My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a cold hand. A mock smile formed on my face. “I changed? What about you?” “Did you stay the same? The one who changed first was always you, Ethan.” In my earpiece, the teenage Ethan’s voice echoed: “Chloe, they’re taking you to the OR now. Don’t be scared, okay? I’m right here.” “The moment you get out, let’s get married.” “I don’t care if your legs ever heal. I’ll be your crutches for the rest of your life.” His voice was so tender, so full of love. But it only made the cold reality of the man standing in front of me more agonizing. My eyes welled with tears. Ethan froze, his tone softening slightly. “Just apologize to Lily, and I’ll let this go.” I closed my eyes. “Apologize…” “To her? Who the hell do you think you are, Ethan? Get out.” “Chloe!” he snapped, his chest heaving with rage. “You know if I leave now, I’m never coming back!” I didn’t look at him. Ethan gave me one last, deep look. “Fine. You asked for this. Lily, let’s go!” The house fell dead silent. I let out a soft laugh, packed my remaining things, and headed straight to the airport. Sixteen hours later. The younger Chloe suddenly burst into tears in my earpiece. “Chloe… I sent him away. It’s over. We’re completely done.” I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. In my mind, my memories of Ethan began to blur and fade. At that exact moment. In his office, Ethan was reviewing documents when a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. He collapsed onto the floor. When he woke up, he was in a hospital bed. Grandpa Arthur and Lily were sitting beside him. “Grandpa? What happened to me?” He looked around, feeling an instant wave of disappointment. He muttered, “Where’s Chloe? Why isn’t she here when I’m sick?” Grandpa Arthur slapped him hard on the arm. “Your wife Lily is right here!” “You ungrateful brat, why are you bringing up a girl you haven’t seen in ten years?!”

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The day Ethan cheated on me, I slapped him twenty-two times right outside the hotel room door. Wrapped in a single bath towel, he knelt before me. His voice was chillingly flat. “Are you done? If you are, I need to go back inside. Aria is scared.” Twelve years of marriage shattered into dust at that very second. On the day we were supposed to meet at our lawyer’s office to sign the divorce papers, the unthinkable happened. No one saw it coming. A horrific car crash happened on the freeway. To protect Aria Sterling, who was in the passenger seat, Ethan took the brunt of the impact. He suffered severe brain trauma. But when he finally woke up in the ICU, his eyes were clear, innocent, and terrified. He grabbed my sleeve like a scared little boy. “Chloe, please don’t ignore me.” Ethan was having an affair. When my best friend, Rachel, first told me, I just shook my head and laughed. “Not Ethan. We’ve been married for twelve years. You’ve seen how much he adores me. Rachel, today isn’t April Fool’s. That’s not funny.” Frustrated by my denial, Rachel slammed her phone in front of my face, playing a video she had shot at a VIP lounge. In the dimly lit bar, a young girl with a flushed face took a sip of tequila, straddled Ethan’s lap, and fed it to him mouth-to-mouth. Then, they fell into a passionate, breathless kiss. Around them, a crowd of wealthy heirs cheered and hollered. The noise was deafening. If I didn’t know the girl, I could have lied to myself. I could have said she was just some party girl, or that it was just a stupid game of Truth or Dare. But I knew her. Aria Sterling. She graduated from college last year. After joining Vance Global, she was promoted five times in a single year, eventually becoming Ethan’s executive assistant. When those rumors first reached my ears, I only thought she was a hardworking, talented young girl with a bright future. Ethan had mentioned her to me before. He said Aria came from a broken home—a gambling father, a paralyzed mother, a younger brother in school, and her, carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. “You should help her out, Chloe. It’s not easy for a young girl to make it in the city all on her own.” Yes, it wasn’t easy. Perhaps I should have noticed it sooner—the pride in Ethan’s voice and the spark in his eyes whenever he spoke of her.

When Ethan came home smelling of cheap whiskey, I was curled up on the sofa watching TV. Seeing me there, he instantly sobered up. He froze at the entryway for a long time. After a heavy silence, he turned and walked straight into the bathroom. On the screen, the lovers were sharing a tender, sweet moment. Outside the screen, the air between us was freezing. I didn’t call him out on his guilt. I just sat on the couch, waiting quietly for an explanation. I watched him walk out of the bathroom. He was six-foot-two, with a sharp jawline and a brilliant mind that made him the most sought-after man in the corporate world. At thirty-four, he was the youngest CEO Vance Global had ever seen. Time had been generous to him. After more than a decade, he was still dazzling. Perhaps the only sign of aging was a slightly softer frame. But time had been cruel to me. I was thirty-nine this year. Biologically speaking, I wasn’t young anymore. The endless dermatologist visits, the Botox injections, and the faint lines at the corners of my eyes constantly reminded me that I needed to sleep by ten. Clubbing and partying all night were meant for the young. “Why are you still up?” Ethan asked, drying his hair with a towel, trying to sound casual. “I couldn’t sleep. I realized I haven’t seen you in forever. I wanted to wait up so we could go to bed together.” When your schedules don’t align, this is what happens: I hadn’t seen Ethan in two weeks. Before, I thought he was just working hard, leaving early and coming home late. I trusted him completely. But now… “The company’s been crazy lately…” Before Ethan could finish his sentence, his phone buzzed violently. He took the call, grabbed his car keys, and rushed out the door without even drying his hair. He left me with a single sentence: “Chloe, something came up at the office. I’ll be back late.” I squeezed the medical report in my hand until it was a crumpled ball, then tossed it onto the sofa. Then, I dialed the private investigator Rachel had set up for me. Four hours later, I received a hotel room number.

In our twelve years of marriage, Ethan and I had never had a single fight. Everyone called us the golden couple. It wasn’t until I brought Ethan’s parents to the hotel to catch him in the act, and saw him standing there in a bath towel, desperately locking the door behind him and kneeling before me, that I finally saw the truth. The dream was over. It was shattered. “Chloe, I…” “Ethan, you make me sick!” I slapped him across the face. He didn’t flinch. “Is this the ‘hardworking girl’ you wanted to mentor? Did you think I was some kind of idiot?” We had been married for twelve years and had known each other for twenty. Every look, every gesture of the man in front of me was carved into my brain. He was nervous. He was terrified. But not for me. His hand gripped the doorframe tightly, bracing himself. He was terrified we would barge in. Through the crack in the door, I caught a glimpse of Aria frantically putting her clothes back on. My stomach churned with pure disgust.

I slapped him twenty-two times. I slapped him until my hand went numb and I couldn’t lift my arm. I slapped him until his parents, who had always adored me, grabbed my hands. “That’s enough, Chloe. Every man makes a mistake or two.” “Ethan knows he messed up. He’ll cut things off with that girl the second we get home. Chloe, sweetheart, I promise you, his father will keep an eye on him. If he ever does this again, we’ll disown him.” Ethan didn’t say a word. Until… He heard Aria sobbing inside the room. He snapped his head up to look at me. “Aria, I’m so sorry. Let’s go home and talk about this, okay?” “Chloe, I’m sorry. Do whatever you want to me, I’m a monster. But please, let’s go home first.” “Are you done? If you are, I need to go back inside. Aria is scared.” Before he could even finish, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I turned around, gripped the trash can in the hallway, and threw up. Cold sweat poured down my forehead. A sharp, violent pain in my abdomen almost made me collapse. My legs were shaking uncontrollably. If anyone had cared enough to look closer, they would have noticed how deathly pale I was. I stumbled out of the hotel and called Rachel. “Come pick me up. I can barely stand.”

“The fetus isn’t in good shape. Under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t recommend trying to save the pregnancy. But Mrs. Vance, since you’ve worked so hard for so many years to conceive, we will do everything in our power to help you.” “Don’t bother. Abort it.” I didn’t need it anymore. I touched my belly, trying to feel a heartbeat, but there was nothing. For all these years, Ethan and I had wanted a child. But because of my fertility issues, we could never get pregnant. “It’s okay, Chloe. We don’t need kids to have a perfect life. Having you is enough for me.” How could it be enough? We both loved children so much. At our business partner’s daughter’s baby shower, Ethan had looked at the baby girl with eyes full of longing. I had endured countless hormone injections and swallowed endless pills to finally get pregnant. But Ethan’s betrayal made me realize one thing. He didn’t deserve to be a father. I grew up wrapped in love. My parents were high school sweethearts, and we were incredibly wealthy. But if my child couldn’t be born out of pure love from both parents, and if she couldn’t have a whole, happy family… Then there was no point in bringing her into this cruel world.

I was hospitalized for a week, and Ethan didn’t send a single text. During my weakest moments post-miscarriage, I would open my phone, only to find a blank screen. My last text exchange with Ethan was from the night before I caught him. He had written: “Go to sleep first, Chlo. I’m drowning in work here.” Rachel had to call him over a dozen times before he finally picked up. The background noise of blasting club music and girls laughing clashed violently with the quiet of my hospital room. “Ethan, have you lost your mind? Chloe has been in the hospital for days! Do you even care?” “Hospital?” Ethan’s voice sounded heavily intoxicated. The noise on his end quieted down for three seconds, and then a chorus of drunk laughter erupted. “Hey CEO Vance, why is your wife in the hospital? Did she get too much filler? Hahaha!” “That’s what happens when they get old!” Rachel’s eyes went red with fury. She almost smashed her phone, screaming the vilest insults she knew. In contrast, I, the actual victim, was incredibly calm. I took a sip of water, took the phone from Rachel, and spoke in a cold, steady voice. “Ethan, let’s get a divorce.” “Stop throwing a tantrum, Chloe. I’ll come home and make it up to you once I’m done with this project. We’ve been married for twelve years. I admitted I was wrong, so drop it. Don’t make things difficult for me.” “Divorce.” “I already told Aria it was a one-time mistake because I drank too much. It won’t happen again.” “I’m not going to repeat myself a third time.” A long silence followed. “Fine, Chloe. If you want a divorce, fine. We’ve been married for so long, I highly doubt you’ll find anyone better than me. I made one mistake, and you’re holding a knife to my throat. Fine. Tomorrow at eight, at the lawyer’s office. If you don’t show up, you’re a coward!”

I hung up without shedding a single tear. He wasn’t worth it. The next morning, I put on my best makeup and my favorite designer dress. But I didn’t see Ethan at the lawyer’s office. Instead, I got a call saying he and Aria had been in a horrific car accident. To his credit, Ethan had acted like a man. To protect his precious little assistant, he had taken the brunt of the impact. He was now in the ICU, comatose. His parents were practically crying themselves blind. While Ethan was in a coma, I went to the hospital several times with the divorce papers, but he never woke up. Aria, however, was always by his bedside. I had no desire to look at those two, nor did I want to speak to the girl, so I usually turned around and left immediately. But today was my unlucky day. Aria saw me and blocked my path. “Are you happy now? You miserable old hag. All you do is nag and whine. Thanks to you, Ethan might never wake up. You’re his wife, but you don’t care about him at all!” “I heard Ethan took the hit to save you. Is that true?” “At least you know! It was so terrifying. Thank god Ethan pulled me under him. He is such a good man. It’s a shame he ended up with a wife like you.” Rachel, who was standing behind me, couldn’t take it anymore. She stepped up. “You realize he’s in this mess because of you, right? They’re getting a divorce, and you’re still playing the devoted little secretary. Honestly, I think your bad juju is the reason he’s lying there.” Rachel snickered. “Actually, maybe it’s just karma. The bastard brought this on himself.” “Who are you calling karma? You bitch, I’ll rip your face off!” Aria, triggered, tried to lunge at Rachel, but a passing security guard shoved her back. “This is the ICU hallway, not a playground! You want to fight? Take it outside!” I watched Aria’s hysterical tantrum with a cold smile. I didn’t expect this young girl to play the innocent victim so desperately. Just then, a nurse ran out. “The patient is awake. Who is Ethan Vance’s family?”

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At a dinner party with my boyfriend’s frat brothers, his female best friend, Veronica, started talking loudly about sex toys in front of everyone. “Every time Austin buys me a new toy, he always gets a duplicate one for Chloe. Honestly, those two are probably VIPs at the adult store by now.” Noticing the look on my face, one of Austin’s friends quickly tried to smooth things over. “Oh, you mean that was for Veronica’s birthday last time, right? We all got her gifts. It was just a friendly gesture.” My face went cold, and I slammed my fork down onto the plate. “You guys gift that kind of stuff for birthdays?” Veronica shrugged, looking completely unbothered. “That model feels amazing. Austin and I tested it out together. Don’t be so narrow-minded, Chloe. Women should embrace their bodies.” She smirked. “Besides, he only dared to buy it for you after testing it. It’s because he loves you.” Austin leaned in and whispered harshly in my ear, “Can you stop making a face? Be a little more open-minded. Everyone put this dinner together to celebrate our engagement.” I glared at him. “So your idea of ‘open-minded’ is messing around with someone else’s boyfriend?” Veronica glanced at Austin, her tone playful and teasing. “Do we really have to explain such a tiny thing? You’re not even married yet, and she already has you on such a tight leash. If you actually get married, you won’t have any freedom left.” “No way, how could he ever forget about you?” the guys around the table immediately chimed in, sharing knowing, dirty smiles. “That ‘coming-of-age’ gift you gave him back in college? No guy would ever forget that for the rest of his life.” I had known Austin’s circle of friends for a long time. Yet, at every single party, they would always drown themselves in their shared past and inside jokes, completely shutting me out. I had tried to join their conversations a few times before, but realized I could never fit in. Eventually, I just chose to sit quietly in the corner like a mute. But this time, I couldn’t hold back. “What gift? Why have I never heard about this?” “Oh, that’s his private treasure. Of course he keeps it to himself,” someone laughed and egged them on. “It’s nothing. Just a regular silicone intimacy doll,” Austin said, trying to brush it off with an easy smile. Hearing this, Veronica reached over and pinched Austin’s inner thigh hard. “Stop playing dumb. That doll was custom-made, a 1:1 replica of my exact body shape. If you don’t want it, give it back to me.” “Damn! Everyone knows Veronica has a killer body. Austin, if you don’t appreciate it, the rest of us are literally lining up for it,” the guys’ laughter became even more vulgar. Austin grabbed the drink from Veronica’s hand and downed it in one gulp. “My bad. Let me make it up to you, okay?” The alcohol spilled down Veronica’s arm. She frowned and whined, “Ugh, clean it up for me then. Don’t leave me sticky.” Austin glanced at me to check my reaction. I forced down my burning rage and warned him with my eyes. As he hesitated, one of his bros mocked him. “Seriously, dude? A few years ago when your family went bankrupt and everyone cut you off, Veronica was the one who dragged you back into our circle. You’re seriously going to let someone else dictate your life over something this small?” A cold laugh bubbled up in my chest. These people didn’t care about Veronica’s “favor.” They only accepted Austin back because his family’s business had recently crawled its way back to the top. Austin stopped looking at me entirely. He leaned down and gently licked the spilled drink off Veronica’s arm. “You’re still such a messy girl.” Veronica laughed, completely unfazed. “I’ve always been like this. Good thing I have you to take care of me.” She turned to me and winked. “I’m just super chill. I’m not like other girls. All the guys treat me like one of the bros. You won’t overthink this, right, Chloe?” I smiled back at her. “Of course not.” Austin let out a sigh of relief. “Chloe didn’t go to an elite prep school like us, so she’s not from our world. But since she’s been with me for so long, she’s not as conservative or sensitive as you guys think.” I nodded in agreement, quietly filled my glass to the brim with red wine, then stood up and cleared my throat. Once everyone’s eyes were on me, I spoke with a calm, sweet smile. “I totally get it. You guys are just in a very normal…” I paused, dragging out the words, “…friends-with-benefits relationship.” “I guess since I didn’t go to your fancy prep school, I just don’t know how to act as trashy as you guys.” With that, I tipped my glass and poured the red wine straight over Austin’s head. “This is my toast to you two. Cheers to the ultimate douchebag and his trashy hoe.” I turned and walked out of the VIP room. Austin rushed out after me and grabbed my arm. “Are you done yet? Did you really have to ruin everyone’s night?” I looked at him and suddenly laughed. “Do you really think I’m an idiot? Three years ago, you told me Veronica was just your ‘bro’ and there was absolutely nothing going on between you two. And I believed you.” “Now you guys are practically ready to crawl into bed together. Who are you trying to disgust with that lie?” He groaned impatiently. “You saw her. That’s just her personality. She acts like that with everyone. You’re just overthinking.” I yanked my hand back. “If I did those things with another guy, what would you think?” Austin opened his mouth, but no words came out. Over the years, he had crossed the line countless times in the name of “friendship.” Every year on Veronica’s birthday, he would make sure to text her right at midnight. Even when I was burning up with a fever and woke up wanting a glass of water, he would shush me and whisper tenderly into his phone, “Happy birthday, Veronica.” And when I was stranded in the pouring rain, unable to get an Uber, and begged him to pick me up, his voice would crackle over the phone: “The storm is too bad. I have to drive Veronica home first. Don’t wait up for me for dinner.” Time after time, he used “friendship” and “bros” as excuses to enjoy his emotional affair with Veronica, while I tolerated it. My patience only resulted in him pushing my boundaries further and further. I couldn’t tell if I pitied my past self more, or if I hated the man standing in front of me more. Through tears that blurred my vision, I told him, “I’m done, Austin. We’re over.” Just as Austin was about to speak, Veronica walked out of the room. She naturally wrapped her arm around Austin’s neck. “Can’t calm your fiancée down? Want me to bail you out?” I didn’t give them another look. I got into my car and drove away. That night, as I was packing my bags in the bedroom, Austin’s voice drifted in from the living room. He was speaking in a gentle, almost begging tone. “Veronica, babe, don’t be mad. I’ll make Chloe apologize to you in a few days.” “You know that exclusive, members-only spa you couldn’t get into? I’ll go line up there personally tomorrow morning to secure you a spot. Just let me make it up to you, okay?” Listening to his pathetic begging through the door, I couldn’t take it anymore. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. “Cancel the wedding. Also, pull all of our family’s investments out of the Miller Group.”

The next morning, before the sun was even up, Austin was already up and active. He had to rush to that high-end spa to stand in line, keeping his promise to Veronica. I blocked him right before he could walk out the door. My voice was dead calm. “I’m moving out today. We are officially done.” Austin reached out and gripped my wrist tightly, his eyes filled with a panicked desperation. “Chloe, please don’t leave.” He cupped my hands and pressed them against his face, whispering, “We’ve been through so much to get here. I will explain everything to you, I swear.” But the next second, his alarm went off. He let go of my hands instantly and rushed out. “I have something urgent to handle. We’ll talk when I get back.” To Austin, anything involving Veronica was “urgent”—from a spa reservation to driving her to the hospital when she had period cramps. Everything of hers was a priority he couldn’t refuse, while my needs could be delayed indefinitely. I didn’t have much stuff in this apartment. One suitcase was enough to fit everything. I had once tried to decorate this place to make it feel like a cozy home. But when Veronica visited, she had simply frowned and said: “Why is this place so cluttered? I hate it.” That very same day, Austin made me throw everything away. I called Austin because I wanted to end things face-to-face. I have my principles. I believe in proper endings, and that goes for breakups too. Austin was driving when he answered. “Oh, forgot to tell you. The guys are throwing me a pre-wedding pool party today.” He paused, then added, “Veronica is coming too. But don’t worry, none of us see her as a girl.” Veronica’s giggling voice drifted through the speaker. “Screw you, Austin! I’m a solid C-cup. You think I’m just gonna wear swim trunks like you guys?” I forced myself to keep my voice steady. “I don’t think I can wait for you to come home. If you have time, let’s meet up somewhere.” “Sure. Actually, I forgot my swim trunks. Can you bring them over to the pool club for me this afternoon?” Then I heard Veronica’s voice again. “Please, I’ve seen every inch of your body anyway. Why are you acting shy now?” She then let out a dramatic “Oh!” as if she had just realized the phone was on. “My bad, Chloe! I didn’t know the call was still active. Don’t get the wrong idea!” After hanging up, I drove over to the private pool club they booked. There, standing in the middle of a crowd of men, was Veronica, wearing a skimpy string bikini. “Damn, Veronica! You’re really feeding the bros well today with this look.” Veronica smiled cutely, playing along with the flirtatious vibe. “Shut up. Just treat me like one of the bros and we’re good.” Austin’s eyes were locked onto her like a starving wolf, filled with a raw, predatory desire. Veronica dove into the pool. She surfaced, her wet hair dripping water down her pale chest. “Are you coming in or what?” Even from a distance, I could see Austin swallow hard. “Chloe hasn’t brought my trunks yet.” One of his so-called frat bros groaned. “Man, that good-girl fiancée of yours is so slow. It’s practically midnight, is she still waiting at every red light like a good little citizen?” “Seriously. I still don’t get what you see in her. I bet she’s like a dead log in bed!” “Totally. She can’t even compare to our girl Veronica.” Veronica looked up at Austin, her eyes full of temptation. “Do you remember back in high school, when we snuck into the school pool at night without swimsuits? What did we do then?” With that, she turned her back to the crowd, unclipped her bikini top, swung it over her head, and threw it right at Austin. “Do you still dare?” She swam deeper into the pool, completely ignoring the wild cheers of the guys behind her. Austin’s eyes went completely red. Without even taking off his clothes, he jumped into the water and swam furiously toward Veronica. He threw his long arms around her, pulling her tightly against him. Then, he yanked off his wet shirt and wrapped it around her shoulders, his voice thick with possessiveness. “Don’t do that again. I don’t want anyone else seeing you like this, got it?” Veronica leaned into his chest, blushing like a schoolgirl.

“Oh, come on, Austin! Even Veronica isn’t shy. Why are you acting like a prude?” “Looking at you two, you should honestly just marry Veronica. Why bother with Chloe? Didn’t you guys have a thing back in high school anyway?” It was true. Austin and Veronica did date in high school. But after graduation, Veronica went abroad for college as planned, while Austin had to stay because his family’s business was on the brink of bankruptcy. They naturally drifted apart. That was the only reason I had believed Austin wouldn’t go back to the girl who had abandoned him. But I hadn’t realized how pathetic he truly was. Austin let go of Veronica and sighed. “You guys think I haven’t thought about that?” “On the night of my engagement to Chloe, I almost lost my mind.” “I actually went to Veronica and asked her if she would run away with me if I threw everything else away.” He shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. “But she told me she only saw me as a brother.” Austin raised his glass. “To our brotherhood.” I felt a wave of intense nausea hit me, like I had just swallowed a fly. On our engagement night, Austin had come home incredibly drunk. He had wrapped his arms around me, his stubble scratching my face, smelling heavily of alcohol. He had mumbled, “I promised I’d make you happy for the rest of your life. Do you believe me?” I had laughed and tried to push him off, but he only held me tighter. “I do. Why else would I get engaged to you?” “Then why won’t you run away with me?” his voice had cracked with tears. “I don’t care about anything else. I just want you, please.” My heart had ached for him back then. I ignored the smell of alcohol and held him close, promising him everything. I never could have guessed that the person he had wanted to run away with was actually Veronica. Under the moonlight, Veronica’s eyes shined as she stared at Austin. “What if I say I’m willing now?”

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A gold-and-silver Rolex was dangling from my dog’s collar. A fifty-thousand-dollar Rolex, shining brightly around Buster’s furry neck. When my wife, Chloe, came home that night, I placed the watch on the coffee table right in front of her. She was glued to her phone, laughing and typing away on Snapchat. She glanced up, saw the watch, and smirked. “New watch? Your taste is getting better.” I didn’t say anything. I just pushed the watch a little closer to her. “Chloe, let’s get a divorce.” She finally looked up from her phone, her eyes filled with confusion. “What is that supposed to be? Why are you bringing this up out of nowhere?” I looked at her, my voice completely flat. “That watch isn’t mine.” I never wear anything on my wrists. She didn’t even remember that. “If it’s not yours, whose is it?” Chloe put her phone down and picked up the watch. My eyes fell on her screen, which was still lit. Message notifications from Julian Vance were popping up one after another. Now, I knew exactly who the watch belonged to. Julian Vance was the regional president of a partner company. He and Chloe had been doing a lot of business together lately. I had met Julian twice. The first time was a month ago at Chloe’s corporate anniversary party. That day, Chloe’s mom, Helen, fell suddenly ill. I rushed her to the hospital, stood in line for hours, handled the insurance, and made sure she was admitted. By the time I finally made it to Chloe’s party, the celebration was already in full swing. Chloe was cutting the cake, and a man in a perfectly tailored suit was standing right next to her. I stood near the entrance where the light was dim. I overheard two of her employees chatting nearby. “Oh my gosh, Chloe and Julian look so good together!” “Right? Power couple goals. They look like they walked straight out of a billionaire romance novel.” “Totally. Unlike her husband. He looks like a total freeloader living off her.” “Yeah, her husband is honestly so—” They stopped mid-sentence when one of them noticed me. They looked panicked and quickly walked away. I swallowed my pride and looked back at Chloe and Julian. After cutting the cake, Julian helped Chloe hand out slices to the staff. Suddenly, he dipped his finger in some frosting and playfully wiped it on the tip of her nose. Instead of getting mad, Chloe let out a bright, beautiful laugh. She dipped her own finger in the frosting and swiped it across his cheek. They laughed, looking into each other’s eyes. In that moment, my heart sank into a frozen abyss. I remembered our wedding three years ago. When we cut the cake, I playfully tried to put a little frosting on her face, too. But back then, her face instantly turned ice-cold. The cheerful atmosphere had died instantly. Chloe grabbed a napkin, wiped her face, and hissed, “I’m a germaphobe. I hate when people do that.” Then, she walked out. She left me standing there, humiliated, in front of a room full of awkward guests. For the next three years, I walked on eggshells to accommodate her “germaphobia.” But seeing her laugh with Julian made me realize the brutal truth: she didn’t hate the frosting. She just hated that it was me doing it.

Noticing where I was looking, Chloe calmly locked her phone screen. She turned the watch over in her hands. “You’re right, it’s not yours. You couldn’t afford a fifty-thousand-dollar Rolex even if you drew illustrations for ten years,” she said. Her voice was calm, but the insult cut deep. She put the watch into her bag. “Julian came over yesterday. He must have left it here by accident. I’ll return it to him tomorrow.” I stood there, watching her quietly. The watch had been clipped to Buster’s collar. That was no accident. We are all adults. I wasn’t blind to the lust and possessiveness in Julian’s eyes whenever he looked at Chloe. Leaving his expensive watch on my dog was a blatant power move. He was marking his territory. He was telling me that he had been in my house, played with my dog, and left a piece of his wealthy life behind to mock me. I couldn’t gaslight myself anymore. Seeing me stand still, Chloe finally seemed to remember my mention of divorce. She sighed with annoyance. “Look, Julian and I were discussing a deal at the coffee shop down the street yesterday. It started pouring rain, and his clothes got soaked. I brought him here to change into one of your dry shirts. That’s probably how he dropped the watch.” She finished her explanation and glared at me, her patience running thin. I looked down at the floor and repeated, “Let’s get a divorce.”

Even before we got married, I knew I wasn’t Chloe’s dream guy. But I was the most convenient option. Chloe had always been a high-achiever. In college, she was always the group leader, the straight-A student, the star presenter. Right after graduation, she started her own marketing agency. In just a few years, she turned a five-person studio into a successful firm with over a hundred employees. She once told me she wanted a “power couple” relationship. Her ideal man was an alpha, a corporate elite who could match her drive. Meanwhile, I was just a freelance illustrator. I spent my days sitting in front of a drawing tablet, editing sketches. I was about as far from “corporate elite” as a man could get. Yet, somehow, she married me. Because she hadn’t found her dream guy, Chloe had remained single. But her traditional mother, Helen, couldn’t stand it. She pressured Chloe to settle down by the time she turned twenty-seven. When Chloe approached me with a marriage proposal, I thought I was dreaming. I had been secretly in love with her all through college. “The way you look at me is different from other guys,” she had told me back then. ” And since my mom is forcing me to marry someone, it might as well be someone who actually loves me, right?” With just those two sentences, she captured my heart. We got our marriage license that very day. She left all the wedding planning to me. I poured my heart into organizing a beautiful wedding, only for her to humiliate me at the reception. But back then, I foolishly believed that even if she didn’t love me yet, she chose me. I thought my warmth would eventually melt her cold heart. But looking at that watch today, I realized I was just exhausted. Chloe was a woman with a high IQ and EQ. She could read my feelings instantly. How could she possibly be blind to Julian’s obvious advances?

“You want a divorce over this?” Chloe slammed her hand on the table and stood up, looking at me with pure disbelief. “Julian is my biggest client! His clothes got wet, so I let him change. What is the big deal?” “If you’re going to pick fights over nothing, maybe you should get a real job. You’re clearly just bored from staying home all day.” Her face was twisted with disgust. But she seemed to forget that I had a job. Sure, I didn’t make as much as her, but over the years, my illustration contracts had brought in a very comfortable, steady income. She always looked down on my career. But deep down, I knew she just looked down on me. Because Julian could paint, too. That was the second time I saw Julian. He was standing right next to Chloe at an art gallery. I was standing a few feet behind them. I heard Julian talking about how he had studied fine arts for over a decade. He went on and on about the brushstrokes, the inspiration, and the history of the painting in front of them. Chloe’s eyes were shining with admiration. She was so captivated by him that she didn’t even notice me standing right there. She probably forgot, but that wasn’t the first time she had seen that painting. During our first anniversary, I tried to plan a romantic date to bring us closer. I asked her if she wanted to go out, and she told me to just plan whatever. So, I bought two tickets to that exact art exhibition. When she paused in front of this very painting, I excitedly started telling her about the artist’s background and the story behind the piece. But halfway through my sentence, I realized she was just scrolling through her phone. My feelings were deeply hurt, and it showed on my face. Noticing my mood, she offered to buy me dinner. I thought she was finally starting to care about my feelings. Instead, she coldly told me: “Justin, I’m just too busy for this. Let’s not waste time on dates anymore.” I ate that dinner in silence. And I never planned another date. So, seeing her gaze so passionately at Julian at the same gallery broke my heart. Even then, my foolish heart tried to make excuses for her. I kept telling myself they hadn’t actually slept together, that they were just business partners. But now, I was done lying to myself. I was done torturing myself. As Chloe herself said, if you’re going to marry someone, you might as well choose someone who actually loves you—even if you don’t love them back.

“I’m not picking a fight,” I said quietly, taking a deep breath.. “There’s no need to split assets. I brought nothing into this marriage, and I will leave with nothing. We keep our own bank accounts. Also, Helen just got discharged from the hospital a couple of days ago. If you have time, you should go visit her.” My voice was calm, and my heart was even calmer. I wasn’t telling her to visit her mother out of spite. Helen had been genuinely wonderful to me. My parents passed away when I was young, and most of the maternal warmth I experienced in my adult life came from Helen. As I spoke, Chloe’s face grew darker and darker. Finally, she sneered, “You are losing your mind.” She grabbed her coat and walked toward the door. But after a few steps, she suddenly turned back. She grabbed the fifty-thousand-dollar Rolex from the table. It was obvious who she was running to. But to me, it didn’t matter anymore.

I went back to our bedroom and started packing. Since I worked from home, my wardrobe was incredibly simple. A few lounge sets and two or three casual outfits took up just a tiny corner of the walk-in closet. It took me less than five minutes to pack them all. Chloe said Julian had borrowed one of my shirts. But looking at my closet, not a single hanger was empty. I slowly zipped my suitcase, letting out a self-deprecating laugh. Julian probably thought my clothes were too cheap. He would rather wear a damp designer shirt than put on my “garbage.” As I emptied the last drawer, my hand brushed against a suit bag at the very bottom. My body froze. I bought this custom suit for our second anniversary. Chloe always said she loved men in sharp suits. I’m not a bad-looking guy, so for our anniversary, I went to a high-end salon, got my hair styled, and put on the suit. Looking in the mirror, I felt confident. I was genuinely excited to see her reaction, thinking she would appreciate me dressing up to fit her standards. But she only met me with humiliation. “What a waste of a good suit,” she had said, barely looking at me. “Justin, don’t you think you look completely ridiculous trying to play dress-up? No offense, but you just can’t pull it off.” Even though a year had passed, remembering those words still felt like a rusty knife twisting in my chest. That suit had cost me three thousand dollars—a whole month’s worth of illustration royalties at the time. I pulled the suit bag out of the closet and threw it straight into the trash can. I would never wear it again anyway. And I would never bend over backward to please someone who would never love me.

I dragged my suitcase out of the house. My parents had died in a plane crash when I was seventeen. They left me two properties and a decent inheritance. I used that money to get through college. After marrying Chloe, I moved into her luxury townhouse. People used to whisper behind my back, calling me a trophy husband or a gold-digger. But I didn’t care about the rumors, nor did I care whose house we lived in. Having lost my parents at a young age, all I wanted was to be close to the woman I loved. But now I realized that my devotion was just a joke to her. I moved back to my own apartment and had a lawyer draft the divorce papers. Then, I couriered them directly to Chloe’s office. If I sent them to her house, she’d just throw them in the mail pile. But she’d definitely open them at her desk. Sure enough, the next afternoon, my phone rang. Chloe’s voice blasted through the speaker the second I answered. “Justin, are you kidding me? You’re a grown man! Throwing a tantrum is one thing, but this is ridiculous!”

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I found a strand of white dog hair in the car right after Julian and I had sex in the back seat. Julian Vance was a notorious neat freak. He never allowed any pets in his car. I remembered the night Sugar, my Alaskan Malamute, was dying. I had knelt on the cold floor, begging Julian to drive her to the vet, but he didn’t even blink. He refused. Yet right now, that soft, white strand of hair on the passenger seat was glaringly obvious. It felt like a silent, mocking slap in the face. He didn’t hate dogs. He just hated my dog. Right then and there, I asked Julian for a divorce. He spared a bored glance at the hair in my hand, his voice dripping with impatience. “You’re throwing a tantrum and asking for a divorce over this?” I looked at him calmly and nodded. “Yes. Over exactly this.” “Go sit in the front,” Julian said, adjusting his collar. His tone was perfectly businesslike. But the dark hickeys covering his neck told a completely different story about the passion we had just shared. The back seat was still a total mess. I fastened the last button of my shirt, only to realize my dress had been completely ripped when I reached for it. Julian glanced at me, draped his suit jacket over my shoulders, then got out of the car to carry me to the passenger seat. He took his jacket back and handed me a plush pink blanket. I looked up, confused. “Since when do you keep stuff like this in your car?” And by the look of it, it was definitely meant for a girl. Julian’s hand paused on the steering wheel for a split second, but his voice remained smooth. “I figured it would come in handy sooner or later, so I bought it.” I stared at the blanket in my lap, freezing. There was a clump of dog hair on it. Julian had never let Sugar near his car. When Sugar was on the verge of death that midnight, I had begged him on my knees, crying, but he wouldn’t budge. But now, this dog hair was resting peacefully on his expensive leather seat. “Julian, did you have someone else’s dog in your car?” I clenched my fist around the dog hair, holding back my tears. Julian glanced at me sideways, completely unfazed. “Yeah. A friend’s dog.” His casual answer sent a sharp, stabbing pain through my chest. He didn’t hate dogs. He just hated my dog. And this blanket was bought for someone else, too. My nails dug deep into my palms. My voice shook. “Julian, let’s get a divorce.” Julian slammed on the brakes. He looked at the dog hair in my hand with sheer annoyance. “Over this?” I nodded, tears finally slipping down my cheeks. “Yes. Over this.” “Chloe, stop making a scene.” Julian snatched the dog hair from my hand and tossed it out the window. In the past, if he ever accidentally touched Sugar’s hair, he would spend hours in the shower out of disgust. Yet now, he touched that dog hair so naturally. A friend? They must be incredibly close. Julian started the car again and drove us home. The moment we walked through the door, Sugar rushed over to greet me. But when she saw Julian walking in behind me, she cowered and shrank back against my legs. She was a good girl. She never went near Julian. She knew Julian hated her. My mind was consumed by the blanket and the dog hair. I followed Julian toward our bedroom, but he slammed the door shut right in front of me. I couldn’t stop in time. My nose collided hard with the heavy wood. Nosebleed immediately gushed out. The pain was so intense that tears welled up in my eyes. From inside the room, Julian’s cold voice drifted out. “I told you, you have to take a shower after touching that dog before you can come in.” With blood smeared all over my face, I washed myself up in the guest bathroom. The pain of his double standards cut deeper than the physical blow. When I finally walked into the bedroom, Julian was on a Zoom meeting. He glanced at me, his brows furrowing slightly. “Let’s wrap up today’s meeting here.” “But Mr. Vance, this is urgent—” Before his employee could finish, Julian shut his laptop. He stood up and walked toward me. His tall figure cast a long shadow over me, blocking out the light. He reached out to touch me, but I instinctively flinched away. “I’m sorry.” Julian’s hand froze in mid-air. He lowered his eyes, looking genuinely apologetic. I walked past him and lay down on the bed, the image of the dog hair in his car playing on a loop in my head. After a long silence, the other side of the bed dipped. “The bakery you like just released some new pastries. I’ll take you there tomorrow if you’re free, okay?” I knew this was his way of offering an olive branch. But I didn’t want to talk to him.

By the time I woke up the next morning, Julian was already gone. There was a freshly made breakfast on the table, just like every other day of our one-year marriage. Thinking back to last night, my head throbbed. Maybe I was being petty. How could I have brought up divorce so easily? After breakfast, I decided to take Sugar out for a drive to clear my head. On my way back in the afternoon, I stopped to pick up a birthday gift for Julian’s mother. As I was driving safely in my lane, a car suddenly rear-ended me. Hard. I got out of the car to check the damage. The driver of the other car stepped out, looking aggressive. “How the hell do you drive?” “There are traffic cameras here. You hit me on purpose,” I said, calmly pulling out my phone to call the police. But the man slapped my phone out of my hand. Sugar barked protectively from inside the car. “Typical female driver. Can’t drive for shit and now you’re blaming me,” the man sneered, scanning me up and down. “Driving such a nice car… who’s your Sugar Daddy?” I clenched my fists, trying to keep my temper in check. “Sir—” “Chloe.” I turned around. Julian was walking toward us. Given the distance, he must have heard everything. Suddenly, I felt a surge of confidence. “Oh, look, your Sugar Daddy is actually here,” the man mocked. Because of the massive class disparity between Julian’s family and mine, there had been plenty of nasty rumors when we got married. But Julian had always defended me publicly. He used to say, “I was the one who chased my wife. I belong to her. There is no such thing as a mismatch.” But now, Julian didn’t even take my hand. He didn’t even ask what happened. He simply pulled out a thick stack of cash from his wallet and handed it to the man. His voice was laced with irritation. “Is this enough?” The man’s eyes lit up. Before leaving, he didn’t miss the chance to throw one last insult. “See? I told you she was bought.” I wanted to speak up, but Julian silenced me with a cold, warning glare. It felt as if my attempt to stand up for myself was nothing but an embarrassment to him. My car was badly damaged. It was clearly undrivable. “Come with me,” Julian said, grabbing my hand and leading me to his car. He glanced at Sugar, who was sitting by my feet. “Call a pet taxi to take the dog back. You’re coming with me.” I pulled my hand out of his grip. “No need. Sugar will be scared in a stranger’s car.” Julian let out a cold laugh. “Chloe, do you seriously have to pick a fight with me over this dog?” I held onto the leash tightly, refusing to back down. As we stood in a tense standoff, the passenger window of his car rolled down. A beautiful, elegantly dressed girl was sitting inside, holding a large dog in her arms. She flashed a sweet, innocent smile. “Hi, sweetie. I’m Vivian Thorne. There have been rumors about a stalker on my way home lately, so Mr. Vance was kind enough to give me a ride.” The girl in the passenger seat, the dog in her lap… everything felt like a physical blow. The cautious, tiptoeing life Sugar and I had lived under Julian’s roof suddenly felt like a massive joke. “Julian, what is the meaning of this?” My nose burned, but I refused to let my tears fall in front of them. “She’s the new assistant at the company, Vivian,” Julian said, his expression completely blank. To him, a girl sitting in his passenger seat with a dog was perfectly normal. “Mr. Vance, why don’t you let her get in? She just got into an accident. She must be terrified.” Julian’s expression softened slightly. He pursed his lips. “Get in.” I froze. I had crawled on my knees begging him to let Sugar in his car, and he had refused. Now, with just one word from another woman, he agreed. How pathetic. I pulled open the back door and got in. Throughout the ride, Vivian’s dog kept barking aggressively at Sugar. Sugar just tucked her tail and curled up in my lap, trying to disappear. For the past year, whenever Julian was around, Sugar never made a sound. She had been suppressing her own nature, trying her best to minimize her existence. Julian drove Vivian home. As she got out, she smiled sweetly at him. “Mr. Vance, thank you so much for the new bag. I absolutely love it!” The bag in her hand was the exact new release from my favorite brand. So, he had already gone shopping with someone else. My heart felt hollow.

When we got home, I brought the gift inside. Julian glanced at it. “What’s that?” “A birthday gift for your mother.” His mother refused to accept me, and Julian never allowed me to call her “Mom.” I could only address her as Mrs. Vance. “You didn’t have to do that. I’ll handle the gifts,” Julian sighed, looking exhausted. “It’s our first year of marriage. I just wanted to be polite. If you think it’s inappropriate, I won’t give it to her.” Seeing the disappointment on my face, Julian walked over and kissed my forehead. He gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Just bring it tomorrow.” The next day, Julian took me to the Vance family estate. I presented the necklace I had carefully chosen to Mrs. Vance. She looked at it with pure disdain, then sneered. “Some people really don’t know their place. Copying someone else’s gift. How tacky.” I was completely confused. Julian’s grip on my hand tightened. Suddenly, Vivian walked in. Mrs. Vance immediately pulled Vivian into a warm embrace. “Julian, Vivian told me you’ve been driving her home every day.” Julian nodded. So that was why he had been coming home late. I forced a bitter smile. “Vivian, dear, I absolutely love the gift you gave me. I had no idea this woman would buy the exact same thing. Did you secretly tell her?” Mrs. Vance asked Vivian affectionately. Vivian feigned shock. “Oh, maybe Chloe and I just have similar taste! Mrs. Vance, that necklace looks stunning on you. You look absolutely gorgeous.” Mrs. Vance beamed. “You always know just what to say, Vivian. If only you had returned to the country earlier, Julian wouldn’t have been snatched away by some gold digger.” Julian made no reaction. He didn’t say a single word to defend me. My heart grew cold, and I quietly walked away. A few minutes later, Vivian approached me. She still had that sweet, innocent smile on her face. “I’m so sorry, Chloe. I only found out it was his mother’s birthday when I was chatting with Julian last night. Our families have been friends for generations, so I didn’t know what to get. I asked Julian what he was planning to buy.” “He sent me a photo of a necklace. I must have misremembered the style and bought the exact same one.” I took a slow sip of my champagne and looked at her. “Right. You must be really stupid then.” Vivian’s smile faltered, and she walked away. I looked around the room for Julian. As I approached him, I overheard one of his friends asking him, “Do you regret marrying her?” Julian looked a bit drunk. He didn’t notice me standing nearby. He swirled his glass, his eyes misty. “Regret?” That single word echoed in my ears. It felt like a total erasure of all the happiness we had shared. Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the spotlight hit the stage. Mrs. Vance stood there, holding Vivian’s hand. “Thank you all for coming to my birthday party. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce someone very special. This is Vivian Thorne, my choice for my future daughter-in-law.” Whispers erupted through the crowd. Everyone in their social circle knew Julian was already married. “Isn’t Julian married? I bet that woman has some kind of dirt on him.” “Or maybe she just used her body to climb up.” “Julian didn’t even deny it. It must be true.” “Are they already divorced?” I hid in a dark corner, downing glass after glass of champagne. The burning alcohol temporarily numbed the agonizing pain in my chest. Julian walked up to the stage to cut the cake with Vivian. Mrs. Vance watched them with a proud, satisfied smile. They looked like a real family. I tilted my head back, my eyes burning. After the party, Mrs. Vance insisted that Julian and Vivian stay the night. Julian glanced at me. “Chloe should stay, too.” Mrs. Vance glared at him, but Julian ignored her and led me to his room. Before a relationship completely falls apart, the first sign is always silence. I lay on the bed and fell asleep. When I woke up in the middle of the night, Julian was gone. Feeling restless, I decided to go get a glass of water. But as I passed the courtyard, I overheard a conversation. “You don’t have to divorce her right now. Just have her get pregnant first. Vivian keeps saying she’s terrified of the pain and that pregnancy will ruin her body. “ “Once that woman gives birth, you and Vivian can raise the child together.” My entire body began to shake. It wasn’t until I heard that familiar, deep voice that I realized how utterly pathetic I was in this relationship. “I know, Mom.”

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My stepbrother framed me for causing his allergic reaction. So, my three older sisters stuffed me into a narrow, airtight basement, locking the door with heavy chains. I banged on the metal door, begging them to let me out. Victoria, the eldest and a cold-hearted business mogul, turned her back on me. Her voice was icy as she barked: “We tolerated you targeting Miles before, but you knew he was severely allergic to seafood. You fed it to him anyway. You did this on purpose! Rot in there and think about what you’ve done!” Melanie, the rising pop star, and Serena, the prodigy painter, sneered in unison: “A wicked person like you still tries to play the victim. You deserve this!” With that, they shielded the shivering Miles and rushed him to the hospital. In the sealed basement, the oxygen slowly ran out. Every breath became a suffocating agony. I died in there. Three days later, when they returned with Miles, they finally remembered me. They had no idea that I had already suffocated to death in that dark, cramped space.

I died of suffocation in that sealed basement. When I opened my eyes again, my soul was floating right next to my three sisters. They had just brought Miles back to our family estate. Victoria and Melanie were gently guiding him, their voices filled with relief and indulgence. “Thank God we got you to the ER in time. You’ve recovered so well, Miles.” Serena, the artistic genius, chimed in, her eyes full of affection: “The doctor said you’re still weak. You need to eat well to recover.” She placed a tender cut of meat onto Miles’s plate. Our housekeeper hesitated before gathering the courage to speak up: “Miss Victoria… Ethan has been down in the basement for three days now. There’s been no sound…” Victoria cut her off with a cold, disgusted glare: “Today is the day Miles comes home. Why bring up that pathetic loser?” The housekeeper wanted to say more, but Melanie and Serena shut her down with freezing glares. “He knew Miles was highly allergic to seafood, yet he still made a seafood dinner. That’s attempted murder.” “I actually thought Ethan was finally accepting Miles. Turns out it was a trap all along.” Miles played his part perfectly, shrinking back with a terrified, timid expression: “Ethan is being punished because of me. He’s been down there for so many days… will he be mad at me when he gets out?” Victoria patted his back comfortingly: “Don’t worry, Miles. We spoiled Ethan too much in the past, which is why he became so reckless. This punishment will teach him to never bully you again.” As she spoke, she instinctively pulled out her phone, refreshing her chat history with me. It was empty. The last message was from three days ago. Over the last three days, I hadn’t sent her a single message, let alone called. Victoria’s eyes flashed with anger. “It’s been three days, and he hasn’t even sent a text to check on Miles. He is incredibly cold-blooded.” Miles took Victoria’s hand, squeezing it as he whimpered: “Don’t blame Ethan. I just wanted to be part of the family. I never wanted to take anything from him…” Victoria quickly put down her phone and stroked Miles’s head. “You’re too kind, Miles. Unlike him. He’s nothing but an ungrateful snake.” Melanie sneered, her eyes dripping with disdain: “To fight for our attention, he tried to kill his own brother. How evil can one person get?” Serena nodded in agreement. “He’s been locked up for three days. Unless he gets on his knees and begs Miles for forgiveness, I’m kicking him out of this house!” I floated in the air, watching this absurd scene. I felt nothing but a hollow, tragic amusement. But as a spirit, none of them could see me. Our parents died early, and my three sisters used to be my entire world. When I was younger, I was lonely. I wanted a companion, so they went to the orphanage and adopted Miles. I treated Miles with nothing but kindness. I shared everything with him. But in return, I got framed, lied about, and slowly alienated from my sisters. And this time, they locked me in the dark basement without even asking for my side of the story. I had fought so hard. But the air in the tiny cellar grew thinner and thinner. I had banged on the door, screaming and begging them to let me out. But they only showed cold indifference. “Stop screaming! You brought this on yourself! If it weren’t for you, Miles wouldn’t be in the hospital!” “We’ve been too soft on you. You’ve been bullying Miles for too long. Stay in there and reflect!” Melanie had personally wrapped the heavy iron chain around the lock. Serena had piled heavy crates against the door, sealing my last hope of escape. Now, looking at Miles’s fake, smug smile, I let out another bitter laugh. Sisters, the brother who loved you more than anything in this world is dead. And you killed him.

Miles tugged at Victoria’s sleeve, looking pitiful: “Don’t be mad, Victoria. It’s my fault for having this stupid allergy. Ethan didn’t mean to do it. Please don’t blame him.” Victoria’s face hardened. “We’ve let him get away with too much. We turned him into a spoiled, malicious brat.” Melanie’s eyes flared with rage: “His mind is twisted. If he hadn’t targeted Miles on purpose, Miles wouldn’t have suffered like this.” At that moment, Miles intentionally shifted, letting his sleeve slide up to reveal the fading red hives on his skin. Serena gently brushed her fingers over the red marks, her face filled with pain. “Does it still hurt, Miles?” Miles lowered his head, his shoulders trembling as if he were about to cry: “No… it doesn’t hurt…” Melanie’s temper finally blew. “If we had been a minute later, he would have died! And Ethan? It’s been three days, and he hasn’t even called. He is utterly heartless!” Victoria stood up, her voice sharp and commanding: “Drag him up here! I want him on his knees, apologizing to Miles! Let’s see if his bones are as tough as his attitude!” Melanie and Serena joined in: “We’ve been too lenient. He made his bed; now he has to lie in it!” They turned to the housekeeper and snapped: “What are you standing there for? Go bring him up! And fetch the riding crop. If Ethan hadn’t put seafood in his food, Miles wouldn’t have suffered in the hospital for three days. It’s time to beat some sense into him!” The housekeeper didn’t dare argue. She hurried toward the basement. I laughed bitterly. My sisters didn’t even bother to investigate before accusing me. Three days ago, Miles said he wanted porridge. Eager to please my brother, I happily went to the kitchen to cook for him. He gave me a small packet of seasoning, claiming it was his favorite. I tasted it—it was just basic seafood powder. How could I have known it was his trigger? Victoria was a brilliant businesswoman, yet she couldn’t see through such a basic, childish trap. Or maybe, she just chose not to because of her favoritism. To my sisters, I was never as important as Miles. My heart felt hollow. But it didn’t matter anymore. I was already dead. They could give all their love to Miles now. Suddenly, the housekeeper ran back, pale and trembling. “Miss Victoria… we called out to him, but there’s no response. There’s… there’s no sound of breathing at all.” Victoria frowned, standing up abruptly. “What kind of stunt is he pulling now? Is he too proud to apologize to Miles?” “Does he even realize he almost killed his brother?” Miles pulled on Victoria’s hand, pretending to be sad: “It’s fine, Victoria. I’m just an orphan. I don’t deserve an apology from Ethan anyway.” That was the final straw for Victoria. “Does he think playing dumb will save him? He thinks silent treatment works? We’ve been too soft!” “Come on, let’s drag him out myself. Let’s see how long he can play this game. He “will” kneel and beg for forgiveness today!”

I floated behind my three sisters, feeling nothing but a cold numbness. Furious, they marched down to the basement door. “Ethan! Stop hiding in there! You can’t escape your punishment!” Victoria yelled. Inside, there was only dead silence. Melanie’s face darkened. “Ethan, stop acting! Get out here and kneel!” “Don’t think turning off your phone and ignoring us will make this go away!” Serena was practically vibrating with rage. “You’ve really outdone yourself, Ethan. You hate seeing us nice to Miles so much that you’d rather rot in there to spite us? Do you honestly think we’ll beg you to come out?” Still, silence. Victoria turned to the shivering servants, her voice dripping with ice: “Why are you all shaking? Tell me the truth. Did this brat bribe you? Did you let him out behind our backs?” Melanie sneered: “With his weak character, he probably couldn’t handle the cold basement for more than an hour. He definitely paid them to let him out.” Serena looked thoroughly disgusted. “He almost killed Miles, and now he won’t even face the consequences. Is this the brother I grew up with? Does he think he’s our only brother?” Finally, the housekeeper stammered: “No, Miss Victoria… we wouldn’t dare disobey you. Master Ethan… he really has been inside for three whole days.” Serena looked at the silent basement door, and a sudden flicker of unease crossed her eyes. She stepped forward and yanked on the latch, but the door wouldn’t budge. “Ethan, enough! I unlocked the chain! Stop holding the door from the inside!” I looked at the warped, dented metal door and smiled sadly. When I was suffocating, I had thrown my body against that door, desperate to survive. But it was too solid. I couldn’t even make a crack. I was left to suffocate in the dark. Sisters, once you see my body, will you show me a shred of love? Will you bury me next to our parents? Victoria grew impatient. She raised her foot and kicked the door hard. The warped door bent further, leaving a gap. Suddenly, a horrible, sickening stench wafted out. The housekeeper gagged, trembling violently. “That… that smells like a corpse!” Melanie and Serena marched up, still angry. “What corpse? He probably escaped and left a dead rat in there to scare us!” “Ethan, do you think we are fools?” Furious, the three sisters kicked the door together. With a loud “CLANG”, the door flew open. A wave of putrid, suffocating rot blasted out, exposing the dark, cramped basement to the light.

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To celebrate my younger brother getting into a prestigious private academy, my parents took him on a lavish island vacation, pampering him for a whole week. They completely forgot that a week ago, they had locked me in the dark basement to “reflect on my behavior.” When the door finally opened, my parents expected to find me starving, weak, and begging for their forgiveness on my knees. Instead, they found me wearing a beautiful new dress, eating a slice of expensive chocolate mousse cake. My mother froze. “Chloe, who gave you that cake? Where did you get the money?” I pointed to the broken, unplugged old refrigerator in the corner. “My other mom and dad inside the fridge gave it to me. They said they’re taking me away tomorrow.” My father flew into a rage, kicking the old fridge hard. “Lying brat! You’re just jealous of your brother, and now you’re losing your mind!” He had no idea that through the crack of the fridge door, a pair of cold eyes was staring right back at him.

“Dad, Chloe must have hidden some allowance in there to buy that cake. She’s just pretending to be miserable to guilt-trip you guys.” Leo peeked out from behind Eleanor, a smug smirk on his face. Eleanor frowned. She marched over, snatched the mousse cake from my hands, and threw it right into the trash can. “Chloe, you are such a disappointment. We locked you in the basement to teach you a lesson about lying. And now you’re making up stories about having parents inside a fridge just to spite us?” I looked at the ruined cake in the trash can, feeling a pang of sadness. The parallel-universe mom had handed me that cake just half an hour ago. But she had warned me not to pick fights with this family yet. So, I turned my face away, pretending I didn’t care. A week ago, my brother, Leo, was playing soccer in the living room and shattered Richard’s favorite antique vase. Hearing the crash, Leo immediately sat on the floor, crying hysterically. He pointed at me, fresh home from school, claiming I had pushed him and knocked the vase over. Richard didn’t even listen to my explanation. He grabbed me by my collar and shoved me into the damp, dark basement. “Since you love lying and bullying your brother so much, stay in there and think about what you did! Don’t come out until you apologize!” With the harsh click of the lock, I was completely abandoned in this cold, damp corner. For the next seven days, the three of them flew off to an island resort to celebrate Leo getting into the prep school. They left so quickly and callously, never once stopping to think that there wasn’t even a drop of water for me in the basement. On the first night, the hunger pains in my stomach were so sharp that I curled into a ball, breaking out in cold sweats. It wasn’t until the second night that the old, broken fridge—which had been unplugged for three years—suddenly hummed to life. A warm, golden light seeped through the door crack, and a plate of piping-hot beef stew and mashed potatoes was gently pushed out by a pair of hands. Those hands were pale, but incredibly gentle. A woman’s choked-up voice drifted from deep within the fridge. “Eat up, sweetie. Don’t starve.” From that day on, I received delicious food and clean, beautiful clothes from the old fridge every single day. They claimed to be my real parents from a parallel world, promising they would fully open the portal and take me away tomorrow. Thinking of this, I looked up, staring directly into my furious biological father’s eyes. “I’m not lying. My other parents in the fridge are picking me up tomorrow.” Richard let out an angry laugh, pointing a finger at my face. “Still talking back! That piece-of-trash fridge has been unplugged for three years. There’s nothing in there but cockroaches!” “You’re just jealous of your brother’s new school, so you’re acting crazy to get our attention, aren’t you?” Eleanor sighed beside him, her voice filled with exhaustion. “Chloe, when will you stop throwing these tantrums? We feed you and clothe you. Your brother is younger than you—what’s wrong with letting him have his way? Do you have to ruin the family mood by acting insane?” Looking at my mother’s accusing face, my mind drifted to the gentle voice of the fridge-mom, who reminded me to eat well every day through the crack of the door. I shook my head and replied quietly. “I’m not acting crazy, and I don’t want your attention. You can go back to pampering Leo. You don’t have to worry about me.” My calmness completely set Richard off. He yanked me by my arm and dragged me brutally out of the basement. “Fine! Let’s see if those imaginary fridge-parents of yours can save you once you’re out of this basement!”

Richard dragged me all the way into the living room. The coffee table was piled high with expensive souvenirs they had brought back from the island. Leo squealed with joy, tearing open box after box of imported toys. Eleanor sat on the sofa, holding a pearl necklace against her neck, admiring herself. They were a picture-perfect, happy family. No one cared about what I was going through. I stood by the edge of the table, watching them silently. Eleanor seemed uncomfortable under my gaze. She put the necklace down and cleared her throat. “Chloe, don’t look at us like that. We took Leo on this trip to reward him for his excellent grades. Your grades are always mediocre. Taking you would have been a waste of money.” She dug through a pile of snacks, pulled out a half-eaten bag of dried mangoes, and tossed it to me. “Here. Your brother didn’t finish this on the plane. Taste it, and you can pretend you went on the trip too.” I looked down at the spit-covered bag of dried mangoes and took a step back. “I’m not hungry.” “Why are you always so ungrateful?!” Eleanor’s face darkened instantly. Leo suddenly dropped his toys, ran over to me, and eyed me suspiciously. “Chloe must have hidden some good stuff in the basement! If she could buy a mousse cake, she definitely has other secrets!” Without warning, he reached out to search my pockets. I instinctively tried to dodge, but he grabbed the edge of my pocket and ripped it. A silver pocket watch fell out, hitting the hardwood floor with a sharp clink. That was the token my parallel-universe dad had handed me last night. He said as long as I kept it on me, they could pinpoint my exact location when the portal opened. Leo’s eyes lit up at the sight of the silver watch, and he immediately lunged to grab it. I threw myself over it, shielding it with my body. “Give it back! That’s mine!” Seeing he couldn’t grab it, Leo let out a malicious laugh and stomped his foot hard onto my hand. A searing pain shot up my arm. I gasped but didn’t let go. Seeing this, Leo threw his entire weight onto my hand, grinding his shoe into my flesh while screaming at the top of his lungs. “Mom! Dad! Chloe is hitting me! And she stole money to buy a gold watch!” Hearing the noise, Richard stormed over. He grabbed me by my hair and yanked me off the ground. “Chloe! Not only are you a liar, but now you have the nerve to hit your brother!” Ignoring the blood dripping from the back of my hand, he pried the silver watch from my grip. “Where did you get this? Did you steal money from us?” I stared at him coldly, the blinding pain in my scalp making it hard to breathe. “My dad from the fridge gave it to me.” “You dare mention that damn fridge again!” Infuriated, Richard hurled the watch against the wall with all his strength. The silver casing shattered instantly, and tiny gears scattered all over the floor. Looking at the broken pieces, tears finally welled up in my eyes. Leo hid behind Eleanor, sticking his tongue out at me triumphantly. Eleanor patted Leo’s head lovingly, then turned to me and said the words that shattered any remaining hope I had in them. “Chloe, you are so selfish. Fighting with your brother over a cheap toy watch? Starting today, you don’t eat in this house until you learn how to be a good sister.”

I didn’t throw a tantrum. I silently knelt down, picked up the scattered gears and broken pieces one by one, and carefully tucked them into my pocket. Seeing me so quiet and unresponsive, Richard scowled even harder. “What are you standing there playing dead for? Apologize to your brother right now!” I stood up, looking Richard straight in the eye. “I did nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?” “You—” Richard raised his hand to strike me. Eleanor quickly held him back, whispering urgently. “We’re hosting a congratulatory party tomorrow, and all our relatives will be here. If you bruise her face, how are we going to explain it? Send her back to the basement. Out of sight, out of mind.” I complied without a word, dragging my bleeding hand back downstairs. The basement was freezing and damp. I leaned against the old fridge, holding the shattered pieces of the watch in my hands. In the dead of night, the basement was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat. Suddenly, the old fridge beside me let out a deep, heavy rumble. The metal frame began to vibrate violently, and a blinding blue light pierced through the rusty door cracks. I quickly rushed over and whispered. “Mom? Dad?” The door cracked open slightly, and an icy fog rolled out, carrying a strange metallic scent. Those pale hands reached out again, this time holding a bottle of warm milk and a roll of bandages. My parallel-universe mom’s voice sounded frantic and slightly distorted. “Chloe, what happened to your hand? Who hurt you?” I took the milk, and my tears finally spilled over. “They broke the pocket watch you gave me. Is the portal broken? Can you still take me away?” An angry growl echoed from the depths of the fridge—it was my parallel-universe dad. “They’ve gone too far! Chloe, don’t be afraid. Even without the token, we will forcefully break through the spatial coordinates to get you tomorrow at noon.” “Tomorrow at noon, exactly twelve o’clock. Just stand by the fridge, and we will take you home. No one will ever hurt you again.” Hearing those words, the heavy weight on my chest finally lifted. I drank the warm milk while clumsily wrapping the bandage around my wounded hand. Just a few more hours. Once tomorrow morning passed, I would leave this suffocating house forever. The next morning, the basement door was kicked open violently. Eleanor stood at the top of the stairs, throwing a dirty rag at my face. “Stop sleeping! The relatives are coming today. Get upstairs and clean the living room and kitchen. You’re not living here for free.” Without protesting, I picked up the rag and walked upstairs. Because I knew this would be the very last time I ever cleaned for them. As noon approached, the relatives began to arrive. The house quickly filled with laughter and chatter, with everyone crowding around Leo to praise him. “Oh, Leo is so smart! With grades like that, he’s definitely going to an Ivy League school!” “You guys are so lucky to have such a brilliant son.” I walked out of the kitchen carrying a platter of sliced fruit, which immediately caught the relatives’ attention.

Aunt Clara glared at me, her voice dripping with judgment. “Why does Chloe look so gloomy and awkward? She didn’t even greet the guests. Eleanor, you really need to teach this girl some manners.” Eleanor laughed awkwardly, seizing the opportunity to complain. “Clara, you have no idea. This girl has the strangest temper lately. She lies constantly and always bullies Leo.” “Just a couple of days ago, she insisted that her real parents live inside that broken old fridge in the basement. Can you believe it? She’s losing her mind.” The moment Eleanor said this, the relatives started looking at me with weird, mocking expressions. Uncle Thomas shook his head, looking at me with disapproval. “Chloe, your parents work so hard to raise you. How can you be so ungrateful? Your brother is successful, and you should be happy for him, instead of making up these ridiculous stories to steal his spotlight.” I stood frozen in the middle of the room, holding the fruit platter with a blank expression. Seeing all the adults siding with him, Leo’s ego inflated even more. He jumped up from the sofa, pointing a finger at me. “Chloe is a total liar! She’s still claiming her parents are in that broken fridge! If you don’t believe me, I’ll drag that fridge out right now and show everyone!” With that, Leo rallied a few cousins around his age and dashed down to the basement. A few minutes later, the kids managed to drag the small, single-door, rusty old refrigerator into the center of the living room. The outer shell was completely rusted, and even the power cord had been cut off at the base. It looked like nothing but a piece of scrap metal. Richard felt embarrassed by the scene and barked at Leo. “Alright, Leo, that’s enough. Why did you drag this junk up here? Get it out of here!” But Leo refused to back down. He walked up to the fridge, giving me a smug, challenging look. “Chloe, didn’t you say your real parents are in here? Call them out!” The relatives burst into laughter. Aunt Clara covered her mouth, giggling. “Oh, Leo, stop teasing your sister. She’s just a little liar making things up. How could a real person fit inside a broken fridge?” I ignored their mocking laughter and kept my eyes glued to the wall clock. One minute left until noon. Seeing that I remained silent, Leo assumed I was scared. To completely humiliate me in front of everyone, he grabbed the handle of the fridge door. “Watch closely, everyone! I’m going to expose this liar once and for all!” Leo yanked it open. With a loud, rusty screech, the door swung open. It was completely empty. Leo pointed inside, laughing hysterically. “Hahaha! What a fraud! There’s nothing in here!” The relatives shook their heads. Richard’s face was pitch black as he stood up, marching toward me with his hand raised, ready to slap me. “How much longer are you going to embarrass us? Go back to your room right now!” Just as his hand was about to strike my face— Twelve o’clock sharp. The unplugged, broken old fridge suddenly erupted with a blinding, piercing white light. Instantly, the temperature in the living room plummeted to sub-zero. A thick, visible wave of freezing white fog surged out from the depths of the fridge, instantly covering the entire living room floor. The laughter died instantly. Richard’s hand froze mid-air. Leo, who was closest to the fridge, let out a terrified shriek and tried to stumble backward. But in that exact millisecond, a pair of pale, frostbitten hands shot out of the blinding white light, locking tightly around Leo’s neck.

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