Author: Momo Chan

In my past life, my mother was moved by her own self-righteous love. During my SATs, she slipped an “encouraging” note into my pencil case, causing me to be disqualified for cheating. It wasn’t until right before I died that I found out the whole thing was my cousin’s idea. Reborn, I swore to change my destiny and never repeat the same mistakes. They all said my cousin was just “playing a joke” on me. Well, I’m going to return those jokes to them, one by one. What’s wrong? Why aren’t any of you laughing now? 1 When my husband cheated on me and beat me, I begged my mother for support. Instead, she said, “It’s because you’re useless. You can’t even keep your own man.” “So he cheats on me and abuses me, and it’s somehow my fault?” She continued, “Well… you can only blame yourself for being a bad judge of character.” I finally snapped. “You were the one who forced me to marry him!” My mother looked at me in absolute shock. “If you didn’t want to get married, could I have forced you? Everything was your own choice. Don’t blame your failed life on me.” For a moment, I was speechless. She knew better than anyone exactly when my life started to derail. That year, I was a guaranteed lock for the Ivy League. But during the first section of the SATs, I found a piece of paper in my pencil case that didn’t belong to me. I forced myself to stay calm and waited until the exam was over to open it. Inside was a single line written in my mother’s handwriting: “Honey, pay close attention to the details.” She had never cared about my grades before. She didn’t care about my life at school, dedicating all her love and attention to my cousin, Savannah. Yet, she chose the most critical exam of my life to pull a stunt like this. I thought I had dodged a bullet. But after all the subjects were completed, someone reported me. After an investigation, I was ruled guilty of cheating, and all my scores were canceled. I checked the answer keys online afterward. My raw score was high enough to get me into the top-tier university of my dreams. But everything was destroyed because of her self-indulgent “encouragement.” Because of a cheating violation, I lost the chance to retake the exams. I was forced to hustle in the real world with only a high school diploma, hitting a brick wall at every turn. My cheating scandal became their favorite dinnertime gossip. I could never escape it; it defined me in their eyes for years. After my father passed away, my mother guilt-tripped me relentlessly, weaponizing my duty as a daughter until I gave in and married the man she picked out for me: Travis. And yet, she claimed this was all my choice? When Travis hit me, she urged me to keep the peace, telling me not to make a mountain out of a molehill, completely ignoring the bruises on my body. Once, when I fled back to my childhood home, she actually welcomed Travis inside with a massive smile, cooked his favorite meal, and urged us to make up quickly. When I discovered his affairs and demanded a divorce, her only response was to blame me for failing to keep a man happy. My heart completely died. I stopped expecting any support from her. But right before I packed my bags to leave, I overheard her on the phone with Savannah. “Do you think Avery will really hate me?” my mom asked. “Why would she? You caused her SAT scores to be canceled back then, and she forgave you for that, didn’t she? This is exactly the same,” Savannah replied. My mother’s voice trembled slightly. “I caused it? But you were the one who told me to do it! You reported her! And you were the one who introduced Travis to her!” Savannah feigned surprise. “But Auntie, didn’t you ask me how to keep her from moving far away for college? I was just making a joke.” It was only then that I realized my entire life wasn’t destroyed by bad luck or fate. It was orchestrated by them. I drove away in a daze, completely hollowed out, and got into a fatal car crash. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my senior year of high school. Maybe even God couldn’t stand watching my pathetic, laughable life anymore. Reborn, I swore to never repeat the same mistakes. 2 I had forgotten a lot of the minor details, but the events that ruined my life were burned into my memory. You could say the tragedy of my high school years started exactly here. When Hunter blocked my path in the hallway, I secretly thought to myself, Here we go. With an arrogant, rebellious smirk, he pointed at me like he was granting me a royal favor. “Hey. You’re not bad. Wanna go out with me?” My vow to never repeat my mistakes starts right now. Gasps and whispers erupted from the students around us. In the crowd, I locked eyes with Savannah. She was too young back then; she didn’t know how to hide the look in her eyes. A look of pure, gloating schadenfreude. I looked up at Hunter and smiled brightly. “Sure.” He didn’t get the “flattered and overwhelmed” reaction he expected. He was taken aback, but quickly recovered. He laughed exaggeratedly, looking me up and down with utter disdain. “Actually, looking at you again, you’re not that pretty. And your personality is boring. Let’s break up.” The crowd immediately understood. This was all just a “joke.” The envious looks from the girls instantly morphed into mockery, laughing at me for not knowing my place and thinking I actually had a shot with a rich kid like Hunter. But my reaction still didn’t give them the satisfaction they wanted. I kept my bright smile. “Sure.” My tone didn’t even shift. Looking at me, it seemed like I genuinely didn’t care. Savannah walked over, linking her arm through mine, pretending to be worried. “Avery, you don’t have to act like this. I know you’re hurting. After all, you’ve had a crush on him for…” The moment those words left her mouth, everyone was convinced I was just saving face and dying inside. I brushed her hand off and waved at Brody, who was standing in the crowd. “A bet’s a bet. Three thousand bucks, please.” Everyone in the hallway froze, including Savannah. She couldn’t figure out how the humiliation trap she orchestrated had suddenly flipped. Brody came from old money; three grand was nothing to him. “I don’t have cash on me. I’ll Venmo you later.” Then he turned to Hunter. “Did you team up with her to scam me? You just cost me three grand. You’re paying for the pool tables today.” 3 Hunter finally realized what was happening and glared at me furiously. “You played me?” I shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that. Weren’t you using me for a bet too? Consider this a win-win.” Yes, Hunter’s public confession was nothing but a cruel bet. He bet that I wouldn’t reject him. In my past life, my rejection severely bruised his fragile ego. Afterward, he started aggressively and publicly pursuing me. From start to finish, he only cared about his own amusement, completely ignoring how his actions affected me. He brought me endless, suffocating trouble. Not to mention his army of fan-girls, who thought I was playing hard to get and relentlessly bullied me. I had begged my mother for help, but Savannah got to her first. Savannah convinced her that I was being indecent and trying to seduce boys at school. My mother called me shameless and said that instead of going to college, I should just find a man to marry early. But thinking back on it now, what did any of that have to do with me? It was a completely unprovoked disaster. I stepped closer to Hunter and whispered. “I didn’t want to do this, but you came after me first. I was just acting in self-defense. “You’re not going to be a sore loser and send people to mess with me, are you?” I knew that by saying it out loud, regardless of what he originally planned, his pride wouldn’t let him stoop that low now. Enduring his furious, fiery glare, I casually started digging a pit for Savannah. “Just a little secret between us—someone tipped me off today just to watch you make a fool of yourself. Instead of glaring at me, you should probably figure out who suggested you use me for your bet, and who secretly leaked the plan so I could use you as a pawn.” Exactly. If I hadn’t known about the bet, how could I have prepared so perfectly to publicly embarrass him? Seeing the realization dawn on his face, I smiled with deep satisfaction. Savannah. In our past life, you orchestrated this entire nightmare from the shadows and then faded into the background, keeping your hands perfectly clean. When I finally found out the truth and told my mother, she brushed it off with a casual, “It was just a joke.” My suffering, my misery, my ruined life—all dismissed as a “joke.” A joke? Savannah, let’s see if you’re still laughing in this lifetime. 4 When Savannah came looking for me later, I was memorizing SAT vocabulary. In my past life, after my college dreams were destroyed, I threw all these books away. If I had known I’d get a second chance, I would have studied them religiously every single day. She stormed into my room and violently swept everything off my desk, scattering my books across the floor. “Avery! What the hell did you say to Hunter?! Why did he come to me threatening to make my life a living hell?!” My parents rushed into the room right behind her. My mother looked at me, her eyes full of disappointment. “Avery, how could you team up with outsiders to bully your own cousin?” When I suffered, it was just my cousin playing a joke. When she suffers, it’s me teaming up with outsiders to bully her. I looked at the mess on the floor, my heart completely at peace. I had long since accepted the fact that I would never be the favorite. I calmly told them the truth. I just received a tip-off and flipped the script when I was being mocked. “It was just a harmless joke. Did you really need to be so cruel to your own family?” my dad said. A joke. Do I look like I’m laughing? I feigned perfect innocence. “What does this have to do with Savannah? I only told Hunter that I was grateful someone gave me a heads-up so we were even. I didn’t say anything else! “Were your friends just playing a joke on you, Savannah, but you misunderstood?” They were left speechless. Savannah stamped her foot in frustration and stormed out. Before my parents left the room, I asked if they could install a lock on my door. They refused. My room used to have a lock, but they took it off years ago. In this house, I wasn’t even allowed to close my bedroom door all the way. They could barge in whenever they wanted, without knocking, treating my personal space like a public hallway. That was also why I never kept a diary. Rather than treating me like their child, it felt more like I was their property. I didn’t need to have my own thoughts or opinions; I just needed to obey. That was why, when I expressed my desire to go to an out-of-state university in my past life, my mother was willing to destroy my future just to keep me chained to her side. I won’t let them have their way this time. 5 In my past life, I had always suspected Savannah was behind the bullying I endured. Even though I was the innocent victim, those girls treated me like a thorn in their side, targeting me relentlessly. My desk would constantly be covered in ink, chalk dust, and sticky, dried soda. If I handed in an assignment, it would invariably be returned to me defaced with vile, disgusting insults. Or… just like what was happening right now. Written in bold letters across the classroom whiteboard were phrases like: “Avery is a slut,” “Shameless whore,” and “Cheap trash.” When I walked into the classroom, some students looked worried, while others wore expressions of eager anticipation, waiting for the drama. But to everyone’s surprise, I didn’t furiously demand to know who did it, nor did I panic and try to erase the words. I simply walked to my seat, sat down, and calmly opened my textbook to read. As the digital clock above the whiteboard ticked closer to the start of homeroom, some students started shifting uneasily in their seats. They exchanged nervous glances. Finally, one guy stood up and grabbed the eraser. I smiled. “Tyler, you’re not on whiteboard duty today. Why are you erasing that?” He looked flustered. “Leaving these words up here… it’s not good, right?” I kept smiling, but my voice dropped several degrees, loud enough for the entire room to hear. “There’s nothing wrong with it. Leave it up. Or… did you write it?” He hastily denied it. “If you didn’t write it, why are you erasing it? Nobody touches that board! Whoever erases it, I’ll assume is the culprit.” He was stunned into silence and awkwardly shuffled back to his seat. The unspoken rule of high school bullying is that these petty, malicious acts must be done secretly. You can’t let a teacher catch you red-handed. Even if they do catch you, you have to be able to play it off as “just messing around.” But this was clearly crossing a massive line. The homeroom teacher could walk in at any second. Maybe this minute, maybe the next. Finally, someone couldn’t sit still anymore. She marched to the front and wiped the board completely clean. It was Tyler’s crush, Blair. She looked incredibly plain—average looks, average grades, average family background. Savannah looked down on her, but Blair was more than happy to act as Savannah’s loyal lapdog, doing her dirty work. Too bad for her, they wouldn’t even be speaking to each other by the time graduation rolled around. I walked straight up to her. “Blair, did you do this?” Her eyes darted away, but she forced herself to act tough. “So what if I did? You messed with Hunter. Do you really have zero self-awareness?” She was trying to use Hunter’s reputation to scare me into backing down. I smiled, grabbed her by the collar, and dragged her forcefully down the hall, kicking the door to Hunter’s classroom wide open. Savannah was in there too. Naturally, Hunter hadn’t arrived for homeroom yet, but that didn’t matter. Even though the room fell dead silent the moment I kicked the door open, I still slammed my hand onto the teacher’s podium. “Hey, Class 4! Your boy Hunter lost a bet and is too much of a coward to own it, so he sends girls to do his dirty work. Do me a favor and pass a message to him. “If you can’t handle losing, don’t play the game. Pathetic loser.” 6 I went viral. Literally. It got so bad the homeroom teacher hauled me into his office. Both of our parents were called in. Tyler’s mother was a very plain-looking woman, likely a stay-at-home mom, and she looked incredibly nervous. My parents couldn’t make it right away; they said they’d be there later. In front of the teacher and his mother, Tyler’s story did a complete 180. “I was just playing a joke with a classmate. You’re completely overreacting,” he mumbled, looking down like he was the one being victimized. His mother nodded vigorously. “Yes, Mr. Davis. Our boy is usually so well-behaved. This must be a huge misunderstanding.” The teacher looked at me. “Students should be kind to one another. We can’t have this kind of intense hostility. How about you both apologize, write a reflection essay, read it at the assembly next week, and we just put this behind us?” Everyone loves “jokes,” huh? Why is your sense of humor so twisted? I let out a cold, sarcastic chuckle. “Sure. Tyler, why don’t you repeat the exact ‘joke’ you wrote on the board to your mom right now? If you do, I’ll let it go.” He snapped his head up, glaring at me with venomous eyes. My voice was dead calm. “There are some jokes that, if you wouldn’t say them to your own mother, you shouldn’t say them to another girl. Since you think it was just a joke, who’s going to say it now? You, or me?” He stammered, unable to form a single word. He wouldn’t say it, so I did. I repeated the vile words written on the whiteboard, syllable by syllable. His mother finally realized what her “well-behaved” angel had been up to. She was shaking with rage. Right then, I gave him an out. “I know this wasn’t originally your idea. Did someone else tell you to do it? Who was it? Tell me, and I won’t hold you responsible.” Just as he hesitated, about to spit out the name, a knock came at the door. “Reporting.” Hunter called out and walked in without waiting for the teacher to say ‘come in.’ I don’t know how long he’d been listening, but he spoke immediately. “Don’t bother. I know who it is.” He walked up to Tyler, looking down at him. “Savannah, right?” He looked at me, rolling his eyes. “I, Hunter, am not a sore loser. I’ve already told everyone: from now on, absolutely no one is allowed to give you a hard time.” Hunter was arrogant and proud. Dragging him into this mess had actually paid off. At this point, I didn’t care about their petty high school drama, but… Flies aren’t deadly, but they are incredibly disgusting. They knew how to use others’ influence to bully me, and now I knew how to do the same. Sharpening the axe won’t delay the woodcutting. From now on, I wouldn’t have to waste my study time dealing with this garbage. Just as I was thinking this, a man burst into the office and slapped me hard across the face. “You ungrateful wretch! Teaming up with outsiders to spread vicious rumors about your own cousin! How did I raise a daughter like you? Apologize to her right now!” My mother didn’t stop him. She just told the teacher that I was completely out of line and that they would teach me a strict lesson. It seems the news of what Savannah did had been broadcasted by Hunter. My nose burned. A trail of blood ran down my lip, and the metallic taste of copper filled my throat. I sneered internally, feeling a wave of deep sorrow: I really wanted to know, how the hell did I end up as your daughter? 7 Everyone in the room was stunned. The sudden, brutal escalation of violence was completely unexpected. I was the calmest person in the room. I pulled a tissue from my pocket, pinched my bleeding nose, and looked at the teacher. “Can I still apply for campus housing?” I lowered my eyelashes. “Staying at home makes it very difficult for me to study.” As for the reason why, everyone in the room now had a crystal-clear picture. Having a toxic family like this was terrifying. The homeroom teacher stammered. Everything had happened so fast, he hadn’t even had a chance to try and smooth things over. “What do you mean?! Do we starve you? Do we not buy you clothes? You frame your cousin, and now you’re playing the victim?!” He raised his hand to hit me across the back, but shockingly, Hunter stepped in and blocked his arm. I hadn’t even said a word, but Hunter apparently understood everything. “You’re a teenager messing around with sketchy people! Raising a dog is better than raising you; at least a dog wags its tail! You only embarrass me in public! You’re not going to school for the next two days, you’re coming home with me right now!” He reached out to drag me away. The homeroom teacher finally snapped out of it, standing up and blocking his path. Tyler’s mother also quickly pulled me aside. “Mr. Miller, I think you’re misunderstanding the situation. You weren’t called here today because Avery did something wrong. And we don’t tolerate hitting children here.” Hunter wasn’t intimidated by my dad in the slightest. He stepped forward, his tall frame forcing my dad to take a subconscious half-step back. “The other day, I was just playing a joke on your daughter. My bad. “As for Savannah, I’m the one who leaked that information. It has nothing to do with Avery. But it wasn’t a rumor; it’s the truth. If you have a problem with it, take it up with me. Bullying your own kid just proves you’re a coward.” Tyler’s mom instinctively patted my shoulder, trying to comfort me. In her arms, I actually felt a shred of warmth. Meanwhile, my own biological mother was only worried that this arrogant, hot-headed student might actually throw a punch at her husband. Even if I had genuinely been beaten, she would have just stood on the sidelines urging me to quickly admit I was wrong. I had told myself I had accepted not being loved by them. Yet, being held by a total stranger, my heart trembled, and I was on the verge of tears.

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After my childhood sweetheart and I plunged into yet another cold war, I didn’t try to coax him out of it like I usually did. My friends tried to advise me. “He’s just awkward. He says things he doesn’t mean.” “A complicated guy like him just needs a patient partner to understand him.” But I was truly exhausted, and I didn’t want to lower my head anymore. The years of cold wars, arguments, and his constant emotional evasion had worn me down to the point where I couldn’t tell anymore—was it just his personality, or did he simply not love me? So, when he threatened me with a breakup once again. I said, “Okay. Let’s break up.” 01 Hearing me say that, Nolan visibly froze. But I kept my head down, my voice steady as I continued. “I’ll pack my things and move out as soon as possible. “We can forget about the furniture we bought together; you can keep it all. “As for the clothes you left at my place, please come get them when you can. Or I can box them up and ship them to you…” In the quiet room, only my voice echoed. The dark cloud on Nolan’s face slowly shifted into a blank, icy mask. He suddenly cut me off. “What about Waffles? How are we splitting him?” Waffles was a stray cat I had found at the entrance of our apartment complex. I took him in and paid for all his food and vet bills. But he never really warmed up to me. Eight times out of ten, he wouldn’t let me hold him, and he had even scratched my wrist a few times. Nolan, on the other hand, was indifferent to the cat and barely looked at him. Yet Waffles would actively rub against his legs, meowing and begging for his attention. “You can keep him, too.” I exhaled a heavy breath. No matter how much you love something, being treated with such blatant favoritism will eventually chill your heart. “Clara.” Nolan’s voice was tight with suppressed anger. “You’re the one who missed Valentine’s Day, and now you’re the one throwing a tantrum?” But wasn’t Nolan the one who brought up breaking up first? Perhaps he forgot. After all, “breaking up” was his favorite phrase. Because he knew the threat worked on me, it became his weapon of choice. “I told you, my flight was delayed. That’s why I got back late.” Nolan just sneered. “Excuses. Why couldn’t you book an earlier flight?” For this business trip, I had worked fourteen-hour days back-to-back to compress my schedule, just so I could make the flight back that very day. But Nolan wouldn’t listen. He would just find a hundred other reasons to blame me. So I fell silent. A deep, overwhelming sense of powerlessness washed over me. Nolan took a few steps toward the door, then turned back, his tone freezing. “Until you realize what you did wrong, I’m not coming back.” I said, “We are already broken up.” But it was as if Nolan didn’t even hear me. He tilted his head and continued on his own track. “I’m giving you one last chance. I’m not just mad that you were late.” This was the first time he had ever said something like that. Usually, he would just slam the door and leave. Though his tone was still rigid and unforgiving. “Think about it. Then come find me and apologize.” 02 I sat on the sofa for a long time. Finally, I dragged my exhausted body up and cleaned the living room. I fished the gift out of the trash can. It was a gift I had spent hours searching for during my trip abroad, carefully handpicked from dozens of stores. But the recipient hadn’t even given it a second glance. He didn’t cherish it. So, just like the mess scattered across the floor, it was worthless. After cleaning the living room, I went to the bedroom to pack. This was Nolan’s apartment. Every corner of the place held traces of my existence. The mugs we picked out together, the throw blankets, the matching dinnerware… I only packed a few pieces of clothing, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out. As I reached the front door, a yellow blur suddenly dashed out. As if trying to stop me, Waffles lay flat right in the middle of the living room, refusing to move. His big, round eyes stared intensely at me. When I first found him, he was dirty, skinny, and malnourished. Now, his fur was fluffy and shiny. He looked incredibly lovable. I crouched down. Uncharacteristically, Waffles didn’t reject my touch. I rubbed his head. “I’m leaving. He’ll take good care of you from now on.” Waffles should be happy with this outcome. After all, he always preferred Nolan. Unlike me, who could never seem to win his affection. I gently pried his claws off my pant leg. Ignoring his distressed meows, I grabbed my suitcase and left. 03 Just as I walked out of the apartment complex, I received a phone call. It was from one of Nolan’s friends, Mason. His tone was accusatory. “Clara, why are you and Nolan fighting again? He’s at my bar drinking himself half to death, and no one can stop him. “Get over here and take him home. He’s going to wreck my place.” I felt a wave of exhaustion. “I don’t even know why he’s mad. He flipped a table the second he walked through the door.” There was a pause on the other end of the line, followed by a surprised tone. “You don’t know? He found out you had dinner with another guy, and the guy even drove you back to your hotel. Nolan is jealous.” I explained, “That was a client. We only had dinner for business, and he drove me because it was pouring rain and I couldn’t get an Uber.” So that was why Nolan was actually angry. Nolan had always been like this. If I spoke a few extra words to another man, he would get jealous and throw a fit. I knew it was because he loved me and was possessive of me. But right now, I just felt tired. “I could have explained all of that. What I don’t understand is…” I spoke softly into the phone. “Why would he rather complain to all of you than just ask me?” I had once asked my best friend what she did when she and her boyfriend fought. She thought about it and said, “It depends on who is in the wrong. We wait until we both calm down, and then we talk it out.” But Nolan wouldn’t do that. He kept everything bottled up. I never knew why he was angry. I always had to guess, or go ask his friends. I couldn’t understand why he refused to communicate with me. I also couldn’t understand why he preferred pouring his heart out to his friends rather than just asking me for the truth. Later, I learned a term for it: Emotionally constipated. Nolan was the most emotionally constipated and avoidant person I had ever met. He was sensitive and unpredictable. He only knew how to retreat, hide, and test my boundaries with cold, hurtful words. Everyone says avoidant people aren’t fit for relationships. But I didn’t believe them. I threw myself at him with everything I had. But now, I was lost. If a relationship requires one person to do all the initiating, all the compromising, and all the guessing… Can it really last? 04 I moved into my own apartment. But we still had to see each other at work. We both worked at the same aerospace research facility, just in different departments. During a project handover, I saw a young woman following close behind Nolan. She had a fresh, innocent vibe. She was a new researcher who had joined this year, named Lily. When Nolan saw me, his eyes instantly lit up. But I didn’t look at him. I just calmly went through the handover protocols. Instantly, the warmth vanished from Nolan’s face, replaced by a chilling coldness. He stared straight ahead and brushed past me without a single word. I heard Lily gossiping curiously with a coworker. “Why does Mr. Pierce have such a huge scar on his arm? It scared me the first time I saw it.” Someone answered her. “You’re new, so you don’t know. Mr. Pierce and Clara from the neighboring department are the facility’s golden couple. “He got that scar during an earthquake drill in college when he protected Clara from falling debris. I heard that because of that scar, he failed the physical to become an Air Force pilot. So he changed his major and eventually came to our research facility instead.” Lily’s eyes filled with envy. “That is so moving. They really are a golden couple.” The gossip ignited the romantic imaginations of everyone around. From Nolan giving up his dream for me, to him applying to the research facility just to be with me. Everyone praised Nolan’s deep devotion and expressed their envy toward me. In their eyes, our recent cold war was just a lovers’ spat. “I bet my money Clara will be the first to apologize again.” “Last time she bought us all Starbucks. What will it be this time? I’m craving cupcakes.” “I disagree, that’s cheating! When has Clara not been the first to cave? If you bet that Mr. Pierce apologizes first, then I’ll take that bet.” I stood in the corner, listening to their laughter in silence. But this time, they were all wrong. “Nolan and I have broken up. Please don’t bring this up again.” My announcement killed the conversation instantly. Everyone exchanged awkward glances and quickly dispersed. The truth was, our relationship was nowhere near as perfect as outsiders thought. The endless cold wars and arguments… Had long since covered our relationship in invisible, irreparable cracks. I really wanted to know. When I stopped trying to fix it, when I stopped trying to save us… Nolan, would you even notice? Would you try to win me back? This time, would you be the one to apologize first? 05 For an entire month. Nolan and I treated each other like strangers. It was a battle of wills, and neither of us was willing to bow our heads. Meanwhile, Lily and Nolan were getting closer. They ate lunch together and left work together. Even during the weekend company retreat, Nolan chose her as his hiking partner. Lily, however, seemed hesitant. “Is this okay? What about Clara?” Nolan’s tone was icy. “Didn’t we break up? Why should I care what she does?” He didn’t lower his voice; everyone around could hear him. “Besides, she loves having dinner with other men. I’m sure she can find someone to hike with her.” Instantly, the way people looked at me changed. Whispers broke out. “Nolan is such a great boyfriend and she didn’t cherish him. She was out flirting with other guys? No wonder he dumped her.” The gossiping crowd only dispersed when I walked closer. Halfway up the mountain, Lily twisted her ankle. Without a word, Nolan crouched down and offered her his back, carrying her up the trail. Lily sounded guilty. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Pierce. I’m going to make us finish last.” Nolan comforted her gently. “It’s fine. We’re just here to relax. The ranking doesn’t matter.” I was trailing far behind them. There was an odd number of people on this trip, and everyone had already paired up. I didn’t want to third-wheel, so I hiked alone. I was never very athletic, and by now, I was panting heavily. Ahead of me, the atmosphere between the two of them was harmonious. I even heard someone praising Nolan for being such a dependable gentleman. 06 Nolan was indeed a very dependable man. He was polite and chivalrous to everyone—except me. In college, he was our class president. During that earthquake drill… Everyone rushed out of the building. He was the only one who ran back in, finding me—who had sprained my ankle a few days prior—and carrying me out on his back. The whole school talked about it, and everyone envied my luck. But at the time, Nolan was actually scolding me. “Do you know how much of a burden you are? If your ankle is sprained, why did you even come to class? “Because of you, our class is going to finish dead last in the drill. “Clara, you literally ruin everything you touch.” I actually wanted to tell him that I had already gotten permission from the professor to skip the drill. But listening to his harsh words, I didn’t want to argue and make him angrier. Later, his friends told me Nolan just had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He was worried about my ankle and wanted me to rest at home. Afterward, he even sought out a specialist to get me the best physical therapy patches. “He makes fifty bucks a day at his campus job, but one of those patches costs forty. He didn’t even hesitate and bought you a two-week supply.” My best friend was so jealous. “He’s just awkward, but he truly loves you. That ‘tsundere’ personality is so romantic.” But now, watching Nolan comfort Lily… I realized he wasn’t incapable of being gentle. He just refused to be gentle with me. I could only feel his love through the words and actions relayed by other people. I never felt it directly from his attitude toward me. He was always snapping at me, giving me the cold shoulder. Calling me stupid, calling me careless. Cutting up a scarf someone else gifted me, smashing a Nintendo Switch a coworker lent me. I convinced myself he was just jealous, that he just cared too much. And so, after being pushed away time and time again, after being stonewalled time and time again… I would gaslight myself, then force myself to be enthusiastic, apologizing and compromising tirelessly. But… enthusiasm needs to be reciprocated. In this relationship, I wasn’t bulletproof. I felt wronged and heartbroken, too. The way an avoidant person acts is so painfully similar to someone who just doesn’t love you. I had been hurting for so long that I could no longer tell the difference. Was Nolan truly just emotionally constipated, or did he simply not love me anymore? 07 And so, I stopped walking and withdrew from the retreat. I texted my supervisor, saying I wasn’t feeling well. After going home, I boxed up the rest of the things Nolan had left at my place. I included all the gifts he had given me over the years. I called a courier and shipped them all to his apartment. After everything was done, I sat on the sofa in a daze for a while. Then I picked up my phone and sent Nolan a text. Just three simple words. 【Let’s break up.】 Last time, I was just saying it out of anger, still harboring the fantasy that he would come back and apologize. But this time, it was real. I really, truly wanted to end it. 08 The message didn’t go through. I had forgotten. Nolan had blocked my number again. He always did this. The moment a cold war started, he severed all lines of communication. I pursed my lips and asked his friend to pass on the message. In the past, I used to complain about Nolan using his friends as messengers. I didn’t expect that now, I would need to do the same. While sending the text, I accidentally tapped on his friend’s Instagram profile. The newest post was a group photo taken at the beach. Right in the center of the photo were Nolan and Lily. Lily was smiling brightly, her arm resting on Nolan’s back. Nolan also looked completely relaxed. The post date was from a week ago. Right in the middle of our cold war. I stared at it for a long time, then double-tapped to like it. In the past, Nolan was always busy with his research. He used to say that traveling was an economic lie, a trap of consumerism. “The places you want to go are just the scenery the locals are already sick of looking at.” I accommodated him, so we never really traveled anywhere. But now, I suddenly wanted to go somewhere. Perhaps I had also become the scenery Nolan was sick of looking at. So when a younger, prettier girl appeared… He picked a fight and started a cold war. Some people say love is being cold to everyone else but gentle to you. Nolan was the exact opposite. He gave Lily gentle encouragement, but only gave me cold, harsh words. It was my own fault for being oblivious and not seeing the annoyance in his eyes. 09 I took my paid time off and booked a flight to Sedona, Arizona. The scenery there was beautiful, and the food was amazing. While chatting with an elderly local woman, I asked if she ever got tired of living there her whole life. The old woman chuckled. “This is my home. Seeing my home become more beautiful over the years, I only feel pride. How could I ever get tired of it?” She said she loved Sedona, loved her hometown. I had a sudden realization. People can look at the same scenery forever. As long as there is love, there is no boredom. I didn’t expect to receive a call from Nolan on my third day there. I didn’t know when he had unblocked me. His tone was stiff. “Waffles ran out of food. I don’t know which brand to buy.” I told him the brand, then added: “You can just use Google Image Search on your phone. You don’t need to ask me.” Nolan dodged the suggestion. “I threw the bag away.” He asked again. “Waffles broke his scratching post. What should I do?” “Buy a new one.” “Waffles went out to the patio and rolled in the mud.” “Take him to the groomer for a bath.” … Nolan asked a dozen questions, and I answered them all one by one. Then, we both fell silent. I waited a moment. When he didn’t say anything else, I said: “I’m hanging up. You can Google how to take care of a cat. Don’t ask me anymore.” There was a long silence on the other end. Just before I hung up… Nolan finally spoke. “Waffles misses you. Can you come back and see him?” I didn’t really believe that. Because of our research, Nolan and I often had to travel for work. Every time Nolan came home, Waffles would wait by the door. When he saw Nolan, he would run up, meowing happily. But not for me. I always had to go find him. I missed him when I was away, but Waffles still didn’t care for me. He hid from me. Only with the temptation of cat treats would he reluctantly let me hold him. He never missed me before. Why would he now? I refused. “No. He’s your cat now. It’s not appropriate for me to go see him.” After hanging up, I let out a long breath. I didn’t understand the point of Nolan’s call. Did he really have questions, or did he just find Waffles to be a nuisance? It made sense. He was always so disciplined, calm, and meticulous. Taking care of a living creature was too difficult and messy for him. I tossed and turned until the early hours of the morning. I picked up my phone and typed a text. 【If you think Waffles is too much trouble, you can give him back to me.】 I was afraid Nolan would lose his patience and mistreat Waffles. If he really got annoyed, what if he abandoned him? It was better if I kept him, even if Waffles didn’t like me. I would take responsibility and ensure he had a good life. It was 3 AM, but I didn’t expect an instant reply. 【You want Waffles? Even if it means leaving me, you want to take him?】 Before I could respond, another message came through. 【Then what about me?】 But the very next second, the message was unsent. I wondered if I was seeing things. A moment later, Nolan sent another text. 【Send me your location. I’m bringing Waffles to you.】 10 Inside a local coffee shop in Sedona. Nolan walked in carrying a cat carrier. He looked travel-worn, with faint dark circles under his eyes. I didn’t expect him to arrive so quickly. Calculating the time, he must have booked the earliest flight right after sending that text. As soon as Waffles saw me, he struggled wildly. The moment he was let out, he immediately darted to my feet and crouched down. He rarely treated me the same way he treated Nolan. He meowed at me affectionately, but this time, I only opened the carrier. I didn’t reach out to pick him up. I still had three or four fresh scratch marks on my arm from him. The scars hadn’t faded, and my heartbreak was just as real. After receiving Waffles, I prepared to leave. But Nolan stopped me. He pressed his lips tightly together. “Someone told me. That guy you met on your business trip was just a client. It was my fault for not getting the facts straight and losing my temper at you. “And that Instagram post you liked… my friends took me to the beach to clear my head. We just happened to run into Lily, so we all took a group photo together.” I stopped and listened quietly to what he had to say. He probably thought I broke up with him because I misunderstood his relationship with Lily. But I hadn’t. Even before Lily appeared… Our relationship was already unsustainable. After several attempts, Nolan finally forced the words out. “I’m sorry. The fight last time was my fault.” After he said it, his entire face flushed red. His neck was stiff, and he wouldn’t even meet my eyes. He looked as if he were enduring a massive humiliation. So I asked him, “Nolan, is apologizing to me really that shameful of a thing for you?” Why was it so hard for Nolan to speak, so humiliating? If apologizing felt like a humiliation to him. If yielding meant admitting defeat… Then what about me, the one who always chose to apologize first and yield first? What did that make me? Nolan’s eyes welled with tears. “I thought you knew I was just acting out. Since that day, I’ve been waiting to make up with you. I didn’t want to break up. I just wanted you to coax me.” His fingers trembled as he pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. “I got you a gift, too. It’s that necklace you’ve been wanting.” Nolan’s voice choked up. “Why do you get to just say ‘we’re broken up’ and actually mean it, without any hesitation? “Seven years together, and you walk away so easily. But you only want Waffles, not me.” I felt exhausted. I couldn’t explain it to him in a way he would understand. He thought my breakup text was just an angry threat because that’s exactly what he would do. But when you say hurtful things enough times, they become reality. I said, “I’m not breaking up with you because of anyone else. It’s because of your personality. “You constantly refuse to communicate, you’re hopelessly avoidant, and you always run away from our problems.” Nolan clenched his fists. He turned the blame on me. “In the end, those are all just excuses. It’s just because you don’t love me enough. “You want to give up on me. You want to give up on us.” Nolan repeated it, emphasizing every word, his eyes bloodshot. “Clara, you just don’t love me enough.” Seven years of chasing him. Seven years of taking the initiative. And in the end, my reward was the accusation that I “didn’t love him enough.” I asked him, “What about you? Have you ever made a single change because you loved me?” I knew he was avoidant. I knew he was sensitive. I knew he was deeply insecure. So I was always incredibly careful to protect his feelings. I never dared to threaten a breakup in anger. Because I knew that once those words were spoken… With Nolan’s pride, he would never bow his head, and we would be over for good. But he could act as recklessly as he wanted, knowing I would always cave. I always tried so hard to be the patient lover who could never be chased away. But loving someone like this was just too exhausting. I took a hundred steps toward Nolan, but he felt that even turning around to look at me was too humiliating. And so, in the end, my love was ground down to nothing. Bearing the guilt of “not loving him enough,” I simply didn’t want to hold on anymore. We both ended up battered and bruised. The person who loves you the most knows exactly what words will cut you the deepest. So I fired back at Nolan, enunciating every word clearly. “Nolan, no one can tolerate you. “And no one will ever love you like I did. You don’t deserve to be loved by anyone.” 11 After the trip, I applied for a transfer. I moved to our research facility in Austin, Texas. The equipment there was more advanced, providing me with better career opportunities. Before I left, Lily approached me hesitantly. “Clara, I’m so sorry. I really just happened to run into Mr. Pierce at the beach that time. He was in a really bad mood, which is why he went there to clear his head.” I glanced at her, then looked back down at my boxes. “You don’t need to apologize to me. Nolan is the one who owes you an apology.” The girl was young; she hadn’t realized how obvious the adoration in her eyes was. And Nolan getting close to her was definitely intentional. Nolan was a germaphobe, both physically and emotionally. I never doubted his loyalty and faithfulness. I knew he just wanted to make me jealous, to force me to go to him. It was the only tactic he dared to use. During our previous cold wars, I had also tried to make him jealous. I had hoped against hope that it would make him feel a sense of crisis and stop taking his anger out on me. But it didn’t. Nolan threw all my belongings out the door. He completely ignored me and even made his friends block my number. That was when I realized those tactics didn’t work on him. If I took one step back, he would retreat a hundred steps. Our relationship could only survive if one person clung to it desperately, refusing to let go. And that person was always me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “421713”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was known as the “airhead eye candy” of the entertainment industry. Because I admitted in an interview that I had never taken the SATs, netizens had been mocking me for years. In contrast, the “genius straight-A student” actress, Chloe, had a much better public image, and her fans constantly used me as a stepping stone to praise her. Until one day, a renowned physics professor at MIT posted on Facebook: [The two best students both went into acting! Not a single one is doing experiments! Angry.] That night, it trended. In an interview the next day, Chloe complained playfully: “Professor, I need my dignity too! My acting won’t delay my experiments!” I pondered this bitterly. I was in the physics department at MIT, and I didn’t think I had ever seen her there. 01 After finishing a day’s shoot, I happily sat in the chauffeured van heading back to the hotel, scrolling through my feed. The very first post was from Professor Davis. [The two best students both went into acting! Not a single one is doing experiments! Angry.] Feeling a bit guilty, I rubbed my nose and replied with an emoji of a little penguin falling over. A moment later, Caleb also saw the post. He replied to me with the exact same penguin emoji. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Caleb and I were both admitted to MIT through the National Physics Olympiad. From the state training camp, we had noticed each other, constantly competing neck-and-neck until the very end. Since we won gold medals in our junior year and secured early admission, we had nothing to do, so Caleb and I participated in quite a few physics events together. Entering MIT, we were under the same professor, so we were decent friends. Later, he discovered a passion for music, and I discovered a passion for acting. We both used our summer breaks to pursue these side hustles. However, our status in the entertainment industry was worlds apart. He was a genius, chart-topping pop star, while I was an infamous, poorly-educated actress known for scandals. Half a year ago, I don’t know what got into him, but he suddenly insisted on breaking into acting, and insisted on co-starring with me. “I don’t care, you’re my junior, you have to guide me!” Caleb argued unreasonably. “I’m your senior!” I was exasperated. Back in the Physics Olympiad, I was clearly the national champion! “Also, with my scandalous reputation and terrible public image, acting with me will get you dragged!” Caleb frowned: “Why didn’t you ever clarify the thing about you not taking the SATs?” I shrugged: “The agency won’t let me. They insisted I’m suited for the ‘beautiful airhead with a scandalous reputation’ route.” “But luckily, my contract is almost up, and I don’t plan on renewing. I feel like the entertainment industry just isn’t for me,” I whispered. “Besides, if I keep delaying my thesis, old Davis is going to lose his mind!!” 02 Early the next morning, still half-asleep in the van on my way to an interview, my young assistant suddenly turned around anxiously: “Aria, look at the trending topics!! We’re doomed, we’re doomed, boo-hoo-hoo!” Filled with question marks, I opened Twitter and found Chloe’s name glaringly occupying the top spots. #MITPhysicsDepartmentChloe #GeniusStraightAGirlFromOlympiad #ChloeRevealsAnotherHiddenIdentity #MITProfessor:TheBestStudentsWentIntoActing[Crying] #ChloeIsAwesome After reading through the gossip, I finally understood what was going on. Last night, someone anonymously took a screenshot of Professor Davis’s Facebook post and uploaded it online. [The two best students both went into acting! Not a single one is doing experiments! Angry.] The person who took the screenshot probably didn’t have me as a friend, so underneath, they could only see Caleb’s comment with the falling penguin emoji. Professor Davis’s humorous tone created a stark contrast with his status as an MIT physics professor. Combined with Caleb’s massive fanbase, it went semi-viral last night and hit the trending topics. Many gossip accounts even made compilation videos. [The sharp-tongued pop star facing others: Roasting heaven, earth, and the air itself.] [The sharp-tongued pop star facing his teacher: Falling penguin emoji.] The comments section was filled with amusement. But many people were also confused. Because in the entertainment industry, the public only knew Caleb as an MIT physics student. But Professor Davis said “two best students,” so who was the other actor? A little while later, perhaps by coincidence, Chloe posted a tweet. “Although Caleb and I are working hard at acting, it always feels like we’re neglecting our true calling and getting caught by the teacher…” The accompanying photo was a pouty selfie of her on set, with a corner of a physics journal visible on the table. The whole internet instantly boiled over. [So it’s Chloe!!] [Oh my god, is this a public admission?!] [My Chloe is so amazing!] [I knew my Chloe was awesome, but I didn’t know she was THIS awesome!] [How can there be a girl who is both beautiful and a STEM genius? Boo-hoo, I’m bowing down to Chloe!] Me: ? First of all, when did I get a new junior? My assistant in the front seat was still wailing: “Boo-hoo-hoo Aria, she’s definitely going to use you as a stepping stone in today’s interview again! Why are our rivals so strong, boo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!” Chloe was a famous straight-A student in the industry. Because our acting styles were similar, we were always being compared academically. Although my acting and looks were slightly superior, in terms of academics, my fans were incredibly frustrated. Because I had admitted myself that I “didn’t take the SATs,” making me a famous airhead and an uneducated celebrity. “Aria is stupid, but truly beautiful” was the netizens’ evaluation of me. I could only shake my head and sigh deeply. I had been praised as a physics prodigy since childhood. Except for the state training camp where I basically tied with Caleb, I had always been number one. Compared to my brain, my looks were barely worth mentioning. Being evaluated as “stupid but beautiful” was definitely a first. 03 When I arrived at the interview, as someone hired merely to be a foil for Chloe, I naturally wasn’t considered important and was seated in a corner. After the live broadcast started, the host predictably brought up last night’s trending topic first. “Chloe, what do you think about Professor Davis’s Facebook post last night?” the beautiful host asked with a smile. Chloe puffed her cheeks, a look of bashful annoyance on her face. “How did that get so popular? I need my dignity too! “I’ll balance my time between acting and research. They won’t interfere with each other!” The live chat exploded instantly, scrolling by rapidly. [Boo-hoo-hoo, I knew it! Our Chloe is literally the protagonist of a novel, oh my god!] [I knew she was an NPC!] [So the pampered junior of the MIT physics department is Chloe!] Me: ? First, I am the senior. Second, I am the senior. Lastly, although the gender ratio in the physics department is skewed, just looking at Professor Davis’s students, besides me, there are two other girls. It’s not exaggerated to the point where there’s only one girl in the whole department, adored by everyone, right? What kind of ridiculous, pampered-wife trope is this? But some people in the chat noticed my expression was off. [What’s with Aria’s expression? Jealous of our Chloe?] [I think it’s normal. A person who didn’t even take the SATs, seeing Chloe being so amazing, is just green with envy!] [Why did this show even invite Aria? To be Chloe’s foil? I feel like she might be a bit embarrassed.] [So gross, can’t stand seeing others succeed. Her jealousy is too obvious.] [Why doesn’t Aria go be jealous of Caleb? She just can’t stand women being better than her, such a pick-me!] If I could post memes right now, I really wanted to post that one of the speechless foreign kid. Crazy, everyone’s gone crazy. [I heard a goddess from the MIT physics department got in by winning first place in the National Physics Olympiad! Could it be Chloe?!] [First in the nation!! Oh my god, Chloe, you are my god!!] [Chloe, how many more surprises do you have that I don’t know about!] The sharp-eyed host caught this comment: “Chloe, I saw someone in the chat saying you were first in the Physics Olympiad?! Is that true?!” Chloe smiled shyly, her eyes full of indifference: “Past honors aren’t that important to me anymore. Next, I’m going to focus on honing my acting skills.” [Chloe is awesome!] [The light skiff has passed ten thousand mountains!!] At this moment, for some unknown reason, other comments started popping up amidst the overwhelming praise for Chloe. [Does anyone else think Chloe and Caleb are a perfect match? I heard Caleb was second in the Olympiad that year!] [Soft, innocent genius girl x rebellious, sharp-tongued pop star, I’m shipping them so hard!!] [Boo-hoo-hoo, I’m raising the flag for the C-C ship!! C-C is real!] [Could it be Caleb had a crush on our Chloe, and purposefully dropped points so she could be first, boo-hoo-hoo!] [Oh my god! Loving you so much he lets you shine brighter, what kind of novel plot is this!] Chloe also saw this comment. She thought for a moment and said: “It does seem like Caleb has always been a bit better than me… I don’t know why in the end…” She didn’t finish her sentence. The chat went crazy; the shippers were losing their minds. [Caleb, you massive simp!] [Caleb: If wifey is happy, I’m happy!] [You two need to get married immediately, I’ve already thought of the baby names!] [Yes, yes, yes, Chloe just stand there, I’ll bring the courthouse to you!] At the same time, trending topics related to this interview also climbed up. #ChloeFirstInOlympiad #C-CShip #SimpCaleb #CalebDroppingPoints 04 Meanwhile, looking at these disgraceful things, I was utterly exasperated. This world is a giant, absurd romance novel. Everyone is acting crazy. I don’t know if Chloe even participated in the Olympiad. But I earned my first place with my own blood, sweat, and tears. My hard-won achievements were erased by Chloe in a few sentences, turning them into something Caleb “gave” to me. I ground my teeth in anger. Soon enough, the host finally remembered there was someone else sitting nearby and wanted to utilize my role as the foil. So she asked: “Aria, what do you think about people comparing you to Chloe?” I was already furious, and this host was digging a hole for me. So annoying. If you mess with me, you’re asking for trouble. Thinking about the agency’s astronomical breach-of-contract fee, I forced a fake smile: “She’s amazing, I can’t compare to her.” But I wouldn’t make it too troublesome. You picked the wrong soft target. It’s fine. She was talking about herself anyway, not me, right? If others get mad, I won’t. Getting mad only hurts myself, and no one will suffer for me. [Wait, who is this chick shading?] [Ugh, stupid and mean pick-me girl, please get lost!] [Don’t be too harsh on Aria. What, does she have to bow down to show sincerity?] [The host had malicious intentions. What’s wrong with Aria answering like that? I feel like being used as a foil would be very upsetting for her!] Seeing someone finally speaking up for me, I almost cried tears of gratitude. I don’t look for trouble, but I’m also afraid of it. If you bully me, I’ll just swallow my pride and endure it. I can’t afford thirty million dollars in breach of contract. I can still distinguish between a moment’s satisfaction and a lifetime of debt. [Holy crap, look quickly!! Caleb posted a tweet!] [Holy crap! I’m shipping them so hard, boo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!] [For you, I’m willing to concede defeat!] [Lost the exam, won the romance!!] I quickly opened Twitter. Caleb had only posted a few words. [Inferior skills, I willingly concede.] And a direct message Caleb sent me. [You’re just going to let her spout nonsense?! I’m crashing that interview program. If you won’t clarify, I will.] My pupils dilated, and I quickly typed: [Wait, wait, wait, don’t come bro, I have to pay a penalty if I break character!!! Bro, I’m begging you!] [Too late, I’m here.] As this message came through, the female host’s voice, trembling with excitement, announced: “Mr. Caleb Vance has crashed our interview!!! Please welcome Mr. Vance!” My face went ashen. When I become homeless later, which bridge should I sleep under? 05 A man wearing a trench coat, taking off his sunglasses, his silver hair striking and vibrant. The live chat experienced a one-second void, then exploded in growth. [Ahhhhh, Caleb, mommy loves you!!] [So handsome, so handsome, boo-hoo-hoo, licking the screen!] [Songwriting, looks, intelligence—he maxed out all his stats! God, I’m never calling you God again! You really treat me like a joke!] [Everyone knows Caleb never does interviews. Is he here for the interview Chloe is on? Right? Right?] [Love makes people dizzy, hahaha!] Caleb naturally sat on the sofa next to me. He gave a slight nod to the host, his hazel eyes sparkling. “May I have a mic?” His clear, lazy voice was like a little hook. Even the host, who had seen it all, couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. “Of course you can!” Her cheeks flushed slightly. Caleb was simply too unfair! I was incredibly annoyed. This guy really couldn’t stop flirting, regardless of the occasion. As if feeling my gaze, Caleb blinked his fox-like eyes at me innocently and shrugged, as if saying: Is it my fault I’m too charming? I was even more annoyed and secretly rolled my eyes at him. I knew this guy was stubborn as a mule; ten horses couldn’t drag him back once he made up his mind. I had given up resisting. Sure enough, taking the mic, he slowly began: “Everyone knows I never do interviews. “I’m here today because of Ms. Chloe.” The C-C shippers went crazy. [Ahhhhh, it’s official, it’s official!] [Boo-hoo-hoo, this is too sweet!] [Wait, did anyone notice Aria and Caleb making eye contact just now…? I feel like things aren’t that simple!] [Vomit, pick-me girl get lost! You can be anything, but you choose to be the other woman!] [C-C is real! Brainless fan of a certain someone, get out of here, you’re not welcome!] [Hilarious. Caleb is from the MIT physics department. Would he ignore the national champion for that uneducated dropout? Stop joking!] I didn’t care about the chat’s evaluation anymore. My debt-ridden future was a much bigger concern. I sat sorrowfully on the sofa, looking at the smiling Caleb, and couldn’t help but shiver. Before he single-handedly drove the arrangers and sound engineers to tears, he had this exact same expression. I silently lit a candle for Chloe. Caleb slowly said: “How did I get a new junior without knowing about it?” 06 Hearing this, the chat instantly went quiet. Everyone was stunned. I secretly tore open a small bun, making a tiny noise. Everyone on set turned to look at me simultaneously. “You guys continue, you guys continue…” I awkwardly put the small bun back on the table. I hadn’t eaten breakfast, and my stomach was aching from hunger. I finally thought everyone’s attention was diverted, but I got caught trying to sneak a bite. I could cry. Caleb looked at my frustrated expression and almost laughed. He fished a row of chocolate out of his pocket and tossed it to me. As I caught his offering, I was almost moved to tears. It was my favorite brand! And such a big row! Good junior, you are forgiven for one second. Happily breaking off a piece to eat, I saw Caleb continue his verbal assault, completely unaffected. “Is spreading rumors fun? Ms. Chloe. You implying to everyone that I gave up first place for you, you’ve got some nerve.” “I’m sorry, the national champion that year was Aria Thorne. Who are you?” Chloe clenched her hands, her face turning green and red with embarrassment. But hearing Caleb’s last sentence, she was so shocked she forgot to move. How could that useless, non-SAT-taking Aria Thorne be the real national champion?! 07 The live chat experienced another brief vacuum, then erupted like a geyser. [Holy crap, did I hear that right?! The national champion is Aria Thorne?! What kind of earth-shattering gossip is this?] [Aria Thorne?!?! How is that possible!] [Just a bystander, just want to ask if Chloe’s face hurts? …] [This Caleb guy is savage. He starts spreading rumors when our Chloe rejects him?!] [I’ve been wanting to say Caleb doesn’t deserve our Chloe…] [Wait, do people actually believe that dropout Aria Thorne took first place?! You guys are too funny!] Caleb didn’t even glance at the large screen, seemingly uncaring about public opinion. He kept his smiling demeanor, continuing to utter shocking words. “On the way here, I specifically looked it up. I was curious where Ms. Chloe got the confidence to spread such rumors. Upon checking, you really are a student of Professor Davis. “Relying on your community college teacher’s connections to get listed under Professor Davis, do you really think you’re a big shot?” The perfect mask on Chloe’s face finally shattered. Her community college teacher was a junior colleague of Professor Davis. She had spent a lot of money to get her name listed under him, just to build a persona and attract fans. She never expected to hit a brick wall. “Senior, did Aria say something to you? She definitely isn’t the national champion. Were you tricked by her…” Chloe’s eyes were slightly red, like a bullied little bunny. Unfortunately, Caleb was entirely unmoved. He smiled and said: “Who is your senior? Get lost.” Then he looked at the large screen: “Regarding whether Aria Thorne is the national champion, let my senior explain it herself.” Caleb’s words mercilessly dragged Chloe’s face through the mud. That “senior” indirectly confirmed a fact everyone was unwilling to believe. I, who had always been considered an uneducated dropout, was the person Caleb willingly called “senior.” [Huh? No? Huh? Aria Thorne? National champion?! Am I crazy or is the world crazy?] [Caleb is awesome. I always thought Chloe was an eyesore, so manipulative!] [Holy crap, so Aria is the real genius…] [Bowing down to the boss. I used to think Aria had nothing going for her besides her looks. Now I realize her looks are her least significant advantage…] [Oh my god, is Aria a ninja? She was just shaded by Chloe, the fake champion, and didn’t say a single word…] [Above commenter, Aria did speak. She said she couldn’t compare to Chloe…] The live chat was in an uproar, while on the surface I was calm, internally I was dumbfounded. I had known Caleb for five years. To get him to call me “senior,” I had tried coaxing and tricking him, but he never said it once. I never expected, never expected, to earn that “senior” so easily today. While I was thinking, Caleb looked at me and whispered: “The penalty fee, I paid it. You, explain.” Hearing those words, I froze instantly. Despite my poker face, internally I was streaming tears. Is this my junior? No, this is my sugar daddy. Fighting the weakness in my legs, I nodded seriously. I looked at Caleb, feeling like I was reading a clickbait headline, like “With One Sentence, He Saved a Fallen Girl’s Rest of Her Life”… I shivered, quickly shaking the bizarre thoughts out of my head, but also realizing an undeniable fact. My breach-of-contract fee was in the eight figures, and Caleb paid it just like that. Tears of jealousy and resentment flowed from the corner of my mouth. 08 Finally calming down, as I took the microphone, all eyes converged on me. I knew why Caleb was here today. He wanted to clear his name, my name, and the reputation of the Physics Olympiad. So I began: “I don’t know how Ms. Chloe got her first place, but my first place was earned by me. “During my junior year, I flew back and forth across the country for exams, countless flights. “The practice papers I did could pile up into a mountain; the pen refills I emptied filled an entire drawer. “I did experiments late into the night countless times, walking home under the dim light of streetlamps.” Speaking of this, I remembered those exhausting but fulfilling days. A good brain is certainly important, but day-after-day perseverance is equally indispensable. Every person sitting in the finals took it as solemnly as a war. Because behind this exam were crossed-out scratch papers, long formulas, late-night desk lamps, and moments woven with tears and smiles. “How could I playfully give away first place after pouring in so much blood, sweat, and tears?” “This is an insult to me, an insult to Caleb, and an insult to thousands of Olympiad students,” I said with resounding force. [Fellow Olympiad student in tears, boo-hoo-hoo!] [Chemistry Olympiad student wants to cry too. Before, I thought Caleb really gave up first place to Chloe on purpose, and I felt a bit sad.] [It feels like a sense of powerlessness when hard work is trampled on. Thank goodness it’s fake.] I ignored the chat’s reaction and continued: “Today, I also want to announce one more thing. “As of today, Aria Thorne is retiring from the entertainment industry.” 09 Twitter had almost never been as lively as today, with plot twists one after another. Bright red “HOT” tags hung next to the top trends on Twitter. #RealVsFakeGenius #AriaThorneNationalChampion #AriaThorneRetires #CalebVanceSlamsChloe Of course, there were some strange things mixed in. For example, the fifth trending topic, “Coconut Tree Ship.” After the interview, I rode in Caleb’s car home. Seeing this bizarre title, I curiously clicked on it. As a result, a familiar gossip account voice was accidentally played out loud by me, echoing in the enclosed car space. “The Coconut Tree Ship is so sweet! Caleb broke his rule and went on an interview show just to help Aria clarify things. He was so worried about her when she got in trouble. They are junior and senior under the same professor…” “Uh…” I was a bit speechless and pulled Caleb over. “These gossip accounts are too good at catching wind and shadows…” “Mhm.” Caleb’s expression was indifferent. As he spoke, he secretly turned off his phone screen. If I had looked closer, I would have noticed the tips of his ears were slightly red. And on the dimmed screen was the message he had sent to his studio: [Buy trending topics for my ship with Aria Thorne.]

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In my past life, my mother was moved by her own self-righteous love. During my SATs, she slipped an “encouraging” note into my pencil case, causing me to be disqualified for cheating. It wasn’t until right before I died that I found out the whole thing was my cousin’s idea. Reborn, I swore to change my destiny and never repeat the same mistakes. They all said my cousin was just “playing a joke” on me. Well, I’m going to return those jokes to them, one by one. What’s wrong? Why aren’t any of you laughing now? 1 When my husband cheated on me and beat me, I begged my mother for support. Instead, she said, “It’s because you’re useless. You can’t even keep your own man.” “So he cheats on me and abuses me, and it’s somehow my fault?” She continued, “Well… you can only blame yourself for being a bad judge of character.” I finally snapped. “You were the one who forced me to marry him!” My mother looked at me in absolute shock. “If you didn’t want to get married, could I have forced you? Everything was your own choice. Don’t blame your failed life on me.” For a moment, I was speechless. She knew better than anyone exactly when my life started to derail. That year, I was a guaranteed lock for an Ivy League university. But during the first section of the SATs, I found a piece of paper in my pencil case that didn’t belong to me. I forced myself to stay calm and waited until the exam was over to open it. Inside was a single line written in my mother’s handwriting: “Honey, pay close attention to the details.” She had never cared about my grades before. She didn’t care about my life at school, dedicating all her love and attention to my cousin, Savannah. Yet, she chose the most critical exam of my life to pull a stunt like this. I thought I had dodged a bullet. But after all the subjects were completed, someone reported me. After an investigation, I was ruled guilty of cheating, and all my scores were canceled. I checked the answer keys online afterward. My raw score was high enough to get me into the top-tier university of my dreams. But everything was destroyed because of her self-indulgent “encouragement.” Because of a cheating violation, I lost the chance to retake the exams. I was forced to hustle in the real world with only a high school diploma, hitting a brick wall at every turn. My cheating scandal became their favorite dinnertime gossip. I could never escape it; it defined me in their eyes for years. After my father passed away, my mother guilt-tripped me relentlessly, weaponizing my duty as a daughter until I gave in and married the man she picked out for me: Travis. And yet, she claimed this was all my choice? When Travis hit me, she urged me to keep the peace, telling me not to make a mountain out of a molehill, completely ignoring the bruises on my body. Once, when I fled back to my childhood home, she actually welcomed Travis inside with a massive smile, cooked his favorite meal, and urged us to make up quickly. When I discovered his affairs and demanded a divorce, her only response was to blame me for failing to keep a man happy. My heart completely died. I stopped expecting any support from her. But right before I packed my bags to leave, I overheard her on the phone with Savannah. “Do you think Avery will really hate me?” my mom asked. “Why would she? You caused her SAT scores to be canceled back then, and she forgave you for that, didn’t she? This is exactly the same,” Savannah replied. My mother’s voice trembled slightly. “I caused it? But you were the one who told me to do it! You reported her! And you were the one who introduced Travis to her!” Savannah feigned surprise. “But Auntie, didn’t you ask me how to keep her from moving far away for college? I was just making a joke.” It was only then that I realized my entire life wasn’t destroyed by bad luck or fate. It was orchestrated by them. I drove away in a daze, completely hollowed out, and got into a fatal car crash. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my senior year of high school. Maybe even God couldn’t stand watching my pathetic, laughable life anymore. Reborn, I swore to never repeat the same mistakes. 2 I had forgotten a lot of the minor details, but the events that ruined my life were burned into my memory. You could say the tragedy of my high school years started exactly here. When Hunter blocked my path in the hallway, I secretly thought to myself, Here we go. With an arrogant, rebellious smirk, he pointed at me like he was granting me a royal favor. “Hey. You’re not bad. Wanna go out with me?” My vow to never repeat my mistakes starts right now. Gasps and whispers erupted from the students around us. In the crowd, I locked eyes with Savannah. She was too young back then; she didn’t know how to hide the look in her eyes. A look of pure, gloating schadenfreude. I looked up at Hunter and smiled brightly. “Sure.” He didn’t get the “flattered and overwhelmed” reaction he expected. He was taken aback, but quickly recovered. He laughed exaggeratedly, looking me up and down with utter disdain. “Actually, looking at you again, you’re not that pretty. And your personality is boring. Let’s break up.” The crowd immediately understood. This was all just a “joke.” The envious looks from the girls instantly morphed into mockery, laughing at me for not knowing my place and thinking I actually had a shot with a rich kid like Hunter. But my reaction still didn’t give them the satisfaction they wanted. I kept my bright smile. “Sure.” My tone didn’t even shift. Looking at me, it seemed like I genuinely didn’t care. Savannah walked over, linking her arm through mine, pretending to be worried. “Avery, you don’t have to act like this. I know you’re hurting. After all, you’ve had a crush on him for…” The moment those words left her mouth, everyone was convinced I was just saving face and dying inside. I brushed her hand off and waved at Brody, who was standing in the crowd. “A bet’s a bet. Three thousand bucks, please.” Everyone in the hallway froze, including Savannah. She couldn’t figure out how the humiliation trap she orchestrated had suddenly flipped. Brody came from old money; three grand was nothing to him. “I don’t have cash on me. I’ll Venmo you later.” Then he turned to Hunter. “Did you team up with her to scam me? You just cost me three grand. You’re paying for the pool tables today.” 3 Hunter finally realized what was happening and glared at me furiously. “You played me?” I shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that. Weren’t you using me for a bet too? Consider this a win-win.” Yes, Hunter’s public confession was nothing but a cruel bet. He bet that I wouldn’t reject him. In my past life, my rejection severely bruised his fragile ego. Afterward, he started aggressively and publicly pursuing me. From start to finish, he only cared about his own amusement, completely ignoring how his actions affected me. He brought me endless, suffocating trouble. Not to mention his army of fan-girls, who thought I was playing hard to get and relentlessly bullied me. I had begged my mother for help, but Savannah got to her first. Savannah convinced her that I was being indecent and trying to seduce boys at school. My mother called me shameless and said that instead of going to college, I should just find a man to marry early. But thinking back on it now, what did any of that have to do with me? It was a completely unprovoked disaster. I stepped closer to Hunter and whispered. “I didn’t want to do this, but you came after me first. I was just acting in self-defense. “You’re not going to be a sore loser and send people to mess with me, are you?” I knew that by saying it out loud, regardless of what he originally planned, his pride wouldn’t let him stoop that low now. Enduring his furious, fiery glare, I casually started digging a pit for Savannah. “Just a little secret between us—someone tipped me off today just to watch you make a fool of yourself. Instead of glaring at me, you should probably figure out who suggested you use me for your bet, and who secretly leaked the plan so I could use you as a pawn.” Exactly. If I hadn’t known about the bet, how could I have prepared so perfectly to publicly embarrass him? Seeing the realization dawn on his face, I smiled with deep satisfaction. Savannah. In our past life, you orchestrated this entire nightmare from the shadows and then faded into the background, keeping your hands perfectly clean. When I finally found out the truth and told my mother, she brushed it off with a casual, “It was just a joke.” My suffering, my misery, my ruined life—all dismissed as a “joke.” A joke? Savannah, let’s see if you’re still laughing in this lifetime. 4 When Savannah came looking for me later, I was memorizing SAT vocabulary. In my past life, after my college dreams were destroyed, I threw all these books away. If I had known I’d get a second chance, I would have studied them religiously every single day. She stormed into my room and violently swept everything off my desk, scattering my books across the floor. “Avery! What the hell did you say to Hunter?! Why did he come to me threatening to make my life a living hell?!” My parents rushed into the room right behind her. My mother looked at me, her eyes full of disappointment. “Avery, how could you team up with outsiders to bully your own cousin?” When I suffered, it was just my cousin playing a joke. When she suffers, it’s me teaming up with outsiders to bully her. I looked at the mess on the floor, my heart completely at peace. I had long since accepted the fact that I would never be the favorite. I calmly told them the truth. I just received a tip-off and flipped the script when I was being mocked. “It was just a harmless joke. Did you really need to be so cruel to your own family?” my dad said. A joke. Do I look like I’m laughing? I feigned perfect innocence. “What does this have to do with Savannah? I only told Hunter that I was grateful someone gave me a heads-up so we were even. I didn’t say anything else! “Were your friends just playing a joke on you, Savannah, but you misunderstood?” They were left speechless. Savannah stamped her foot in frustration and stormed out. Before my parents left the room, I asked if they could install a lock on my door. They refused. My room used to have a lock, but they took it off years ago. In this house, I wasn’t even allowed to close my bedroom door all the way. They could barge in whenever they wanted, without knocking, treating my personal space like a public hallway. That was also why I never kept a diary. Rather than treating me like their child, it felt more like I was their property. I didn’t need to have my own thoughts or opinions; I just needed to obey. That was why, when I expressed my desire to go to an out-of-state university in my past life, my mother was willing to destroy my future just to keep me chained to her side. I won’t let them have their way this time. 5 In my past life, I had always suspected Savannah was behind the bullying I endured. Even though I was the innocent victim, those girls treated me like a thorn in their side, targeting me relentlessly. My desk would constantly be covered in ink, chalk dust, and sticky, dried soda. If I handed in an assignment, it would invariably be returned to me defaced with vile, disgusting insults. Or… just like what was happening right now. Written in bold letters across the classroom whiteboard were phrases like: “Avery is a slut,” “Shameless whore,” and “Cheap trash.” When I walked into the classroom, some students looked worried, while others wore expressions of eager anticipation, waiting for the drama. But to everyone’s surprise, I didn’t furiously demand to know who did it, nor did I panic and try to erase the words. I simply walked to my seat, sat down, and calmly opened my textbook to read. As the digital clock above the whiteboard ticked closer to the start of homeroom, some students started shifting uneasily in their seats. They exchanged nervous glances. Finally, one guy stood up and grabbed the eraser. I smiled. “Tyler, you’re not on whiteboard duty today. Why are you erasing that?” He looked flustered. “Leaving these words up here… it’s not good, right?” I kept smiling, but my voice dropped several degrees, loud enough for the entire room to hear. “There’s nothing wrong with it. Leave it up. Or… did you write it?” He hastily denied it. “If you didn’t write it, why are you erasing it? Nobody touches that board! Whoever erases it, I’ll assume is the culprit.” He was stunned into silence and awkwardly shuffled back to his seat. The unspoken rule of high school bullying is that these petty, malicious acts must be done secretly. You can’t let a teacher catch you red-handed. Even if they do catch you, you have to be able to play it off as “just messing around.” But this was clearly crossing a massive line. The homeroom teacher could walk in at any second. Maybe this minute, maybe the next. Finally, someone couldn’t sit still anymore. She marched to the front and wiped the board completely clean. It was Tyler’s crush, Blair. She looked incredibly plain—average looks, average grades, average family background. Savannah looked down on her, but Blair was more than happy to act as Savannah’s loyal lapdog, doing her dirty work. Too bad for her, they wouldn’t even be speaking to each other by the time graduation rolled around. I walked straight up to her. “Blair, did you do this?” Her eyes darted away, but she forced herself to act tough. “So what if I did? You messed with Hunter. Do you really have zero self-awareness?” She was trying to use Hunter’s reputation to scare me into backing down. I smiled, grabbed her by the collar, and dragged her forcefully down the hall, kicking the door to Hunter’s classroom wide open. Savannah was in there too. Naturally, Hunter hadn’t arrived for homeroom yet, but that didn’t matter. Even though the room fell dead silent the moment I kicked the door open, I still slammed my hand onto the teacher’s podium. “Hey, Class 4! Your boy Hunter lost a bet and is too much of a coward to own it, so he sends girls to do his dirty work. Do me a favor and pass a message to him. “If you can’t handle losing, don’t play the game. Pathetic loser.” 6 I went viral. Literally. It got so bad the homeroom teacher hauled me into his office. Both of our parents were called in. Tyler’s mother was a very plain-looking woman, likely a stay-at-home mom, and she looked incredibly nervous. My parents couldn’t make it right away; they said they’d be there later. In front of the teacher and his mother, Tyler’s story did a complete 180. “I was just playing a joke with a classmate. You’re completely overreacting,” he mumbled, looking down like he was the one being victimized. His mother nodded vigorously. “Yes, Mr. Davis. Our boy is usually so well-behaved. This must be a huge misunderstanding.” The teacher looked at me. “Students should be kind to one another. We can’t have this kind of intense hostility. How about you both apologize, write a reflection essay, read it at the assembly next week, and we just put this behind us?” Everyone loves “jokes,” huh? Why is your sense of humor so twisted? I let out a cold, sarcastic chuckle. “Sure. Tyler, why don’t you repeat the exact ‘joke’ you wrote on the board to your mom right now? If you do, I’ll let it go.” He snapped his head up, glaring at me with venomous eyes. My voice was dead calm. “There are some jokes that, if you wouldn’t say them to your own mother, you shouldn’t say them to another girl. Since you think it was just a joke, who’s going to say it now? You, or me?” He stammered, unable to form a single word. He wouldn’t say it, so I did. I repeated the vile words written on the whiteboard, syllable by syllable. His mother finally realized what her “well-behaved” angel had been up to. She was shaking with rage. Right then, I gave him an out. “I know this wasn’t originally your idea. Did someone else tell you to do it? Who was it? Tell me, and I won’t hold you responsible.” Just as he hesitated, about to spit out the name, a knock came at the door. “Reporting.” Hunter called out and walked in without waiting for the teacher to say ‘come in.’ I don’t know how long he’d been listening, but he spoke immediately. “Don’t bother. I know who it is.” He walked up to Tyler, looking down at him. “Savannah, right?” He looked at me, rolling his eyes. “I, Hunter, am not a sore loser. I’ve already told everyone: from now on, absolutely no one is allowed to give you a hard time.” Hunter was arrogant and proud. Dragging him into this mess had actually paid off. At this point, I didn’t care about their petty high school drama, but… Flies aren’t deadly, but they are incredibly disgusting. They knew how to use others’ influence to bully me, and now I knew how to do the same. Sharpening the axe won’t delay the woodcutting. From now on, I wouldn’t have to waste my study time dealing with this garbage. Just as I was thinking this, a man burst into the office and slapped me hard across the face. “You ungrateful wretch! Teaming up with outsiders to spread vicious rumors about your own cousin! How did I raise a daughter like you? Apologize to her right now!” My mother didn’t stop him. She just told the teacher that I was completely out of line and that they would teach me a strict lesson. It seems the news of what Savannah did had been broadcasted by Hunter. My nose burned. A trail of blood ran down my lip, and the metallic taste of copper filled my throat. I sneered internally, feeling a wave of deep sorrow: I really wanted to know, how the hell did I end up as your daughter?

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On a reality TV trivia show, my boyfriend cruised through the competition, reaching the finals. During a commercial break interview, the host asked if he had a girlfriend. “The moment I saw her, I even had our future kids’ names picked out. Now, I’m just waiting for her answer.” In that highly anticipated moment, the production team had prepared a “surprise” for him. His childhood sweetheart, who had gone abroad to study, floated onto the stage like a fairy. She shyly said, “My answer is… I do.” Under the bright studio lights, I saw Ethan’s panicked eyes searching the vast audience until they locked onto mine. Meanwhile, I, his actual girlfriend, calmly started a live stream outside the studio. “Taking suggestions for my ex-boyfriend’s baby names. If I pick yours, I’ll send you an $800 cash prize.” 1 One hour earlier. At the filming of the Ultimate Brainpower reality show. My boyfriend, Ethan, had crushed the competition, making it all the way to the finals. With his high IQ and incredibly handsome, clean-cut looks, it was almost a given that he would win. As there was only one final question left in the championship round, the production team suddenly built up the suspense and cut to a commercial break. They started interviewing Ethan. He smiled softly at the camera and said he was waiting for someone’s answer. This sparked a flurry of speculation among the audience about whether he was going to reveal his girlfriend. This was a classic reality TV trope: right before announcing the winner, throw in a tear-jerking moment to generate buzz and trending topics. Watching the broadcast monitor in the waiting area, my best friend, who came with me, nudged my arm playfully. “Tsk, tsk. He’s already got the kids’ names picked out? Is Ethan planning to go public with you? He’s barely famous and he’s already revealing his relationship. He must really be afraid of losing you.” I smiled but didn’t say anything as the makeup artist worked on me. “No way, girl! Are you Ethan’s girlfriend? Omg, can you get me an autograph later? My little niece is obsessed with him!” the makeup artist said, her eyes sparkling. I replied calmly, “No problem. I’ve got you covered.” Ethan probably didn’t know I was here. Otherwise, with his shy personality, how would he dare confess his love on national television? If an acquaintance on the production team hadn’t contacted me saying they wanted to give Ethan a surprise, I wouldn’t have just shown up out of the blue. 2 While we were in the makeup room, a large group of people suddenly walked in. In the center of the entourage was a woman with long, wavy hair, wearing a long white sweater. Because she was surrounded by assistants, I couldn’t see her face clearly. An assistant beside her scanned the room, her eyes landing on us. She strutted over arrogantly and knocked on our makeup table. “Our Chloe doesn’t like having outsiders around when she’s getting her makeup done. Unessential personnel, please clear out.” My makeup artist gave an awkward smile and curled her lip. She expertly grabbed her makeup bag and pulled us into a corner, muttering softly: “Sorry, ladies, let’s just stay out of their way. I bet that’s the guest idol the production team brought in for the finale. No need to start a fight. They’re all like this.” My best friend clenched her fists in anger. “But we were here first! Do celebrities just get to steal people’s spots?” I pulled my friend back and smiled. “It doesn’t matter. We’re just borrowing the makeup room anyway.” After quickly finishing my makeup, I was instructed to wait backstage. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the idol in the white sweater from the makeup room was also standing in the holding area next to me. I figured this was just the general waiting area, so I paid her no mind and calmly kept my distance. Suddenly, she turned her head and looked me up and down. With a laugh, she said, “So you’re the champion’s girlfriend?” I looked at her. Her makeup was flawless, but even the heavy foundation couldn’t hide the surgical enhancements on her nose and lips. She had probably gotten a rhinoplasty and a lip lift. It seemed her makeup artist wasn’t that great after all. I replied with polite distance: “He’s not the champion yet.” The idol scoffed and said with confident ease: “He will definitely be the champion. Ethan has that kind of capability.” I looked at her in surprise, not knowing where she got that confidence. Was she also a fan of Ethan? 3 The show progressed with tension and excitement. Finally, Ethan answered the last question correctly. The other contestants were slower than him. The entire audience stood up, and cheers echoed through the studio. I watched Ethan stand up from his seat. His tall, lean figure looked even more striking under the spotlight. The corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile. He was flawless from every angle. He was born for the stage. My heart was pounding. Even though we had been dating for five years, I still couldn’t suppress my excitement in that moment. And right at that moment, the host suddenly smiled mysteriously. He announced that a special guest had been invited to share in Ethan’s championship moment. Ethan looked momentarily stunned. “Who?” The host deliberately built the suspense: “The person who has been waiting five years for your answer, of course!” I nervously tugged at my clothes, ready to go on stage. But in the next second, the host suddenly looked toward our direction. “Please welcome the member of the idol group T-16, and the girlfriend of our champion Ethan—Chloe!” I froze on the spot, doubting my own ears. Did the host mix up the guest star’s name with mine? But the idol in the white sweater beside me suddenly reached out, pushed me aside, and flashed me a triumphant smile. Then, she said to the nearby crew member: “Keep the unessential personnel out of the way backstage.” She then confidently walked onto the stage. While Ethan was still in shock, she stepped forward and threw herself into his arms, looking down shyly. “I’m sorry to make you wait so long. The answer is… I do.” 4 On the stage. A handsome man, a beautiful woman, a heartfelt confession. It was picture-perfect. Confetti and streamers rained down on the stage. I stood frozen in place. It took me a long time to react. The acquaintance from the production team jogged over nervously, apologizing profusely. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, Maya. I just found out too! Chloe is a newly debuted, highly popular idol. The producers said having her appear would definitely get us trending and bring traffic to the show. But I don’t know how they gave Chloe the title of Ethan’s girlfriend. There must have been a mix-up!” I had already recovered from the shock. I turned to look at the person apologizing to me. “Is that all? Didn’t you guys also investigate and find out that Chloe is Ethan’s ex-girlfriend?” I had never met Chloe. But I knew about her from Ethan. Six years ago, she went abroad to become a trainee. Afraid of jeopardizing her career, she dumped Ethan without a second thought. Now that Ethan is famous, she’s back to ride his coattails? Thinking about what Chloe said to me backstage before going on… she clearly knew who I was and said it on purpose. The production team member looked embarrassed. I didn’t say much more, just looked at Ethan on stage. I saw the sheer panic on his face. He reached out, seemingly trying to push her away. But Chloe cleverly let go first. He immediately grabbed his microphone, looking frantic. “You guys…” But his microphone was cut off the very next second. I watched this unfold, then withdrew my gaze. I didn’t say much, just calmly told the crew member next to me: “I will definitely pursue what you did today to the very end. Whether it was Chloe’s idea or a deliberate move by the production team, get ready for a letter from my lawyer.” I turned to leave the studio. A voice from the production team yelled angrily behind me: “You’re just a minor influencer! Who do you think you are? You can’t sue us! Ethan knew about the production team’s arrangement all along! He approved it himself. Of course, whoever he says is his girlfriend, is his girlfriend!” “Oh? Is that so?” Ethan approved it? Hmm, very good. Then I’ll deal with both of them. 5 I twitched the corner of my mouth, not bothering to acknowledge them. I grabbed my best friend, who was still in a state of shock, and walked right out of the studio. My friend trailed behind me, and once she processed what had happened, she was furious. “Are we just going to leave like this? What’s the meaning of this, treating us like monkeys? The production team clearly invited us!” I didn’t say a word, my head bowed in deep thought. My friend couldn’t help but step in front of me to stop me. “What are you thinking? We should rush onto the stage and clear things up! You are Ethan’s actual girlfriend. That confession was definitely meant for you, and it got hijacked by that idol! Ugh, so shameless.” I stopped and looked back at my friend. “Rush onto the stage to do what? Wait for them to cut our mics, create a broadcasting incident, let the rumors fly, and let the production team reap all the benefits?” My friend calmed down, and after a while, she said indignantly: “So we’re just going to take it? They invited us and then pulled this crap! And what the hell is Ethan doing? Why didn’t he explain things!” I shook my head and laughed. “Do you think your best friend is that easy to bully? Letting people step all over us?” “Although I don’t know if Ethan knew about this, rushing the stage is clearly not the best way to handle it.” My friend’s eyes lit up. “Do you have another idea?” By this time, my friend and I had already left the TV station. I thought for a moment and pulled out my phone. I dialed Ethan’s number. I figured he must be off the stage by now. As expected, the call went unanswered. His phone was probably left backstage while he was on the show. But that was fine. Not being able to contact him didn’t mean I couldn’t do anything. I suddenly asked, “Don’t we have a live stream tonight?” I’m a beauty influencer. I’ve gained a sizable following through makeup tutorials, with over two million followers on YouTube. My friend is my assistant; I’m the face, and she runs the account. The account isn’t huge, but it’s big enough to handle this situation. My friend was stunned for a moment, then quickly caught on. “Yes, we’re supposed to do a sponsored live stream at 8 PM. But didn’t you delay it because you were going on the show? Are you planning to clear things up on the live stream?” I told my friend to keep a close eye on Twitter’s trending topics. This championship was broadcast live. I imagined Ethan’s and Chloe’s fans were probably going crazy. My friend, having worked with me for years, understood my plan. Not only did she keep an eye on the trending topics, but she also asked some contacts to dig into Chloe’s background. Soon, my friend angrily shoved her phone in my face. Sure enough, the incident was already trending on Twitter. #GeniusStudentVSBeautifulIdol #WhatAGodTierShip Someone had posted a clip from the show. The comments underneath were flooded with netizens. “Ahhh, what is this god-tier visual pairing! I’m shipping it!” “Omg, a confession five years in the making. Ethan is so handsome. I already know this is going to trend!” “I’ve been stalking his Twitter, and he’s always showing off his girlfriend, but never showed her face. I didn’t expect him to make it official on a show.” “Boo-hoo, am I the only one heartbroken? The idol I just started stanning is already taken! Ugh, but they’re still so cute together.” “Sister, why are you dating right after debut? Isn’t focusing on your career better? I’m a career stan!” “What does the person above mean? Are you saying our Ethan isn’t good enough?” I calmly scanned these comments. My friend looked at me with concern. “Don’t be mad, this is definitely a trending topic bought by Chloe’s team, just to create hype! These netizens are being duped! I’ll go buy a trending topic right now to clarify that you are the real girlfriend! Let’s see if she still has the nerve to show her face!” “Don’t do anything yet. Let’s wait and see if there are any other trending topics,” I replied calmly. “Wait? What are we waiting for?” 6 I didn’t say much more. I took out my phone, logged into my account, and opened the live stream interface. Probably because of the promotional posts over the past two days, as soon as I went live, five or six thousand people flooded into the stream. Seeing the growing number of viewers, I quickly pulled out my makeup bag and started removing my makeup bit by bit. “Welcome to the stream, babes! Today, I’m going to show you how to do a ‘tea-tearing’ (anti-mean girl) makeup look.” The chat started scrolling rapidly. [Ahhh, you’re finally live! So excited!] [What’s a ‘tea-tearing’ look?] [You’re removing your makeup now, are you out somewhere? The background doesn’t look like your usual setup.] [Yeah! Looking at the background, it looks like the Cube TV building! Were you invited to record a show?] [Good eye, commenter above! I just googled it, and the logo in the back is definitely Cube TV. I think today is the ‘Ultimate Brainpower’ finale!] [Did you go to see Ethan’s live show too? Did you see our guy officially announce his relationship? Boo-hoo.] I scanned the screen and said calmly: “I came here today for a show, but there was a slight hiccup. However, I have a question for you guys. I want your suggestions for baby names for my ex-boyfriend. If I pick yours, I’ll send you an $800 cash prize.” The chat exploded instantly. [What baby names? Are you having a baby?] [Are the people above blind? She said naming her ex-boyfriend’s baby. Wait, ex-boyfriend?! When did you even get a boyfriend? Breaking up and naming a baby what the hell!] [I’m going crazy!] [Class rep here! Did anyone notice an issue? Maya is at Cube TV, and today Ethan and Chloe just made their relationship official. I remember Ethan’s confession: ‘The moment I saw her, I even had our future kids’ names picked out.’ Could Maya’s ex-boyfriend be Ethan?! Holy shit! What a massive piece of gossip!] [The commenter above discovered the truth!] [Damn, is Chloe the other woman? Is this the main chick tearing down the side chick? Maya, give us the scoop!] [Seeking confirmation! Is Ethan your ex-boyfriend?!] [+1] [+1] Because of this, the live stream completely blew up! Some nosy people posted about it on Twitter. Not long after, Chloe’s fans caught the scent and swarmed over. In an instant, a hundred thousand people flooded the stream! [Chloe fans checking in! Our fairy Chloe shines alone, no one else should try to leech off her fame!] [What D-list influencer is trying to leech off our Chloe? Get lost!] [Twitter army reporting for duty! What’s this influencer’s name? Maya? What the hell, trying to leech off Chloe? Ethan already officially acknowledged her! What ‘ex-girlfriend’ nonsense!] [Just looked at this minor influencer’s content, hahaha, so dead. Is leeching off fame the norm in this circle?] My friend stamped her feet in frustration beside me. I remained calm, didn’t say a word, and continued slowly removing my makeup and applying foundation. Right at that moment, a FaceTime call from Ethan came through. I answered it, unhurriedly turned on the speaker, and placed the phone to the side. I continued the live stream. 7 Ethan’s familiar voice came through. “Baby, I was wrong! Can I be saved if I kneel on a washboard?” “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m innocent! Don’t associate me with whatever that was! You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted to go public with! That Chloe thing was orchestrated by the production team. I’ve already fallen out with them, and I’m contacting my lawyer to sue the show and Chloe right now.” “Baby, please say something. Where are you? I searched the whole station but couldn’t find you.” I let him talk enough. I coughed twice and calmly picked up the phone. “Ethan, I’m live streaming.” Ethan froze on the other end of the video call. I expected him to be angry. But he quickly recovered. “Is it your main account? Wait for me! Wait, can I say hi to the fans on the stream first?” “I don’t think anyone wants to see you right now, myself included.” With that, I hung up the FaceTime call. The entire live chat was filled with question marks. [????] [Was that Ethan’s voice just now? So sweet, so soft!] [I want to see Ethan! We want to see him!] [Ahhh, it really was Ethan’s voice! It’s real!] [What the hell is going on! I’m so confused, there’s too much tea to spill! Where’s the class rep, give us a summary quickly!] [Isn’t it obvious? The one leeching off fame isn’t Maya, it’s your disgraced idol! Shamelessly stealing someone else’s boyfriend!] [Exactly, it’s hilarious. Your idol is the one leeching off anything she can. The man himself just debunked it live.] [To the brainless fans above, is Maya your own mother? Defending her so fiercely. Just because she says it’s Ethan means it’s Ethan? Maybe she hired a voice actor. If you have the guts, let Ethan debunk it himself on the live stream.] [Ethan is probably with our fairy right now. How could he appear in this D-list influencer’s live stream? Hilarious.] Opinions were divided in the live chat. Especially Chloe’s fans, who started spamming heavily. My friend stared at me worriedly and told me to mute the mic for a second. “What do we do now? These people don’t believe it at all. Should we ask Ethan to post a clarification tweet?” “No rush, the situation isn’t clear yet.” My hands didn’t stop; I diligently recorded my makeup tutorial. My friend watched the live chat excitedly beside me. “We have almost three hundred thousand viewers now. Should we start selling products?” “Go for it.” “What should we sell?” “Tea eggs and green tea, buy one get one free.” “Pfft…” My friend gave me a thumbs up. The links were quickly posted. As expected, Chloe’s fans in the live chat started their cynical remarks again. [This minor influencer’s true motive is finally revealed. Leeching off fame just to sell products. We’ve already gone to find our fairy Chloe. Just wait for the lawyer’s letter! Best to get her canceled!] Despite the insults, the two items went out of stock in less than a minute. There were also quite a few donations floating on the screen. My friend had been keeping an eye on Twitter. Now she grabbed my phone and muted the live stream. Then she cursed angrily. “That stupid green tea Chloe just posted a tweet, look at this! Damn it, saying we’re the ones staging a collision. Who’s the one staging a collision? She has no shame.” I took the phone and saw a tweet Chloe posted a minute ago. “At an important moment in my life, I didn’t expect someone to try to leech off my fame. All I can say is, whatever makes you happy.” It had only been a minute or so. It already had thousands of retweets, and the comments were full of hate directed at me. Most of them were saying I was calculating and shameless for leeching off her fame. I let out a cold laugh. These people are really interesting. While I was looking at Twitter, the live chat suddenly started flashing with a screen full of “Dream Castles.” 50 of them in a row. If I remember correctly, one of those costs about $400. That’s $20,000 spent in one breath. In an instant, all the comments in the live chat were drowned out by this massive display of wealth. And the account ID of the person sending the gifts: Maya’s Ethan. 8 “Baby, don’t be mad. I’ll give you all my appearance fees from the show, including the secret stash I hid! Please don’t be angry!” This comment flooded the entire live chat, making it hard for anyone not to see it. The chat went absolutely berserk. Some people said I staged it, but the man himself was debunking it live. Soon, a fan realized what was happening. [Ahhhh, it really is Ethan! I followed the account, and it’s Ethan’s verified main account!] [An online confession! That thing on the show was a script, right? This is Ethan’s true wife. I can finally ship them!] [I’m even more confused. What the hell is going on? Who is the real girlfriend? I want to cry.] I saw that public opinion had fermented enough. And a certain someone’s attitude towards admitting their mistake was also very proactive. So I said goodbye to the viewers in the live stream and closed it. As expected, after our series of maneuvers. The top five trending topics on Twitter were all about #Ethan, #Chloe, and #Maya. And very quickly. Ethan also pinned a tweet. It only had one sentence. “The person I confessed to on the show is my girlfriend, Maya. As for why Chloe appeared, I don’t know, it was arranged by the production team. I explained this on stage, but my mic was cut. I hope the production team and Chloe’s studio apologize to my girlfriend, otherwise I will screenshot and save all the attacks my girlfriend suffered as evidence for a lawsuit.” Then underneath, he attached a photo of him and me together. My friend observed all the trending news. Her mouth hung open. “Holy crap, how did you know Ethan would cooperate with you? It was actually the production team causing trouble! I knew your simp Ethan wouldn’t have the guts to do something like that!” “Standard operation. His popularity isn’t something just anyone can leech off of, especially random nobodies.” I told my friend to pack up our things. We’re going home now. “Aren’t we waiting for Ethan to come out of the TV station so we can leave together?” I glanced at the TV station. I said slowly: “If he could have come out, he would have found us by now. He’s probably being blocked by someone. It’s fine, old flames catching up. We’ll just go back and wait for him.” Before I got in the car, I suddenly remembered. “What was the total sales amount in the live stream today? Deduct the merchants’ cost price, our slot fees and commissions, and the donations from the live stream, and donate everything to children in mountainous areas.” “Got it! Don’t worry, the tea eggs and green tea were from merchants I contacted urgently, the fees aren’t high, but we sold a lot. Once the revenue comes in, I’ll donate it all for you!” 9 Not long after we got home. The trending topics had completely blown up. More and more topics emerged. #Chloe’sDownfall #CalculatingProductionTeam: Let the Real Girlfriend Watch from the Audience While Promoting a Newcomer on Stage #Chloe’sCancellationLive #CalculateChloe’sPsychologicalTrauma After I took off my makeup, I put on a face mask. Not long after, the door was opened. Ethan rushed into the house, darting around frantically. Seeing me lying on the sofa. He finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Ba…” “Change your shoes.” I didn’t even lift my head. Ethan instantly swallowed his words, changed his shoes, and then walked over slowly. He was still carrying a durian in his hand. “Baby, I was wrong. I’ve already bought a durian. I’ll crack it open right now, you eat the durian, and I’ll kneel on the shell. Can we call it even on this?” I sat up with the face mask on. I stared at him expressionlessly. “You’re quite self-aware, but what exactly did you do wrong?” He pinched his ear, looking at me pitifully, his nose red with anxiety. “I really don’t know what the production team was doing, and I don’t know why they sought out Chloe, or even invited you to the venue. But don’t worry, I’ve already handled it. I’m suing both the production team and Chloe! No one can bully our baby!” I sighed and peeled off the mask. “I’m not talking about that. I understand the situation. I just want to ask what you were thinking? Confessing to me on a show? Did you take the wrong meds?” Seeing that I didn’t look angry. Ethan instantly bounded over with a cheeky grin. He rubbed against me with his fluffy head. “That’s because you kept refusing my proposals. I had no choice but to resort to this.” “Oh, so you wanted to use public pressure to force my hand?” “Of course not! How could I do that? I was just… just too nervous. Plus, the production team said the interview had to be heartfelt, preferably a deep confession or something.” “Haha, alright. What about Chloe? Aren’t you going to explain?” As soon as I finished speaking, I saw Ethan frown in disgust. Then he said: “There’s nothing to say about her. She’s so fake.” According to Ethan’s own account. The moment he realized the person on stage was Chloe, he pushed her away immediately. He wanted to explain, but his microphone was cut off by the production team. He rushed off the stage to find me. But he was stopped by Chloe and the production crew. The production team explained that it was for the show’s effect. And Chloe even stated that she only accepted the production team’s invitation to perform, and this was just a prank. But he didn’t accept this kind of uncommunicated prank. So he didn’t say a single word to Chloe the whole time. “That’s it? Nothing else?” “What else could there be? I’m definitely innocent. You have to believe me. If you’re still not satisfied, I can only apologize with my life!” “That’s not necessary. I’m just curious about one thing: why would Chloe do this?” Ethan let out a scoff. “Why? For the hype, of course. It’s her usual tactic.” “Hearing your tone, it seems you have some complaints? Mind telling me about this ex of yours?” I asked tentatively. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t angry. No girlfriend doesn’t care about her boyfriend’s ex. Especially since Ethan and I have been dating for five years. We just met each other’s parents not long ago. We’re at that critical stage of preparing for marriage. I have to do a background check in advance. Ethan took a slow, deep breath. “That’s a long story.” “Then make it short. Summarize it in 100 words.” Ethan’s face turned red for a long time. “Can we not talk about this today?” “Sure.” That night. Ethan slept on the sofa.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “421710”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 I spent two grueling months on an overseas business trip, moving mountains to secure a massive partnership that would save my girlfriend’s company from bankruptcy. When I finally landed, exhausted but thrilled, I called her to share the good news. She told me not to bother showing up to the celebration gala. “You need to let Felix take the credit for this.” “He’s new to the company and needs to build authority before I promote him to General Manager. He needs this win more than you do.” Her tone was so casual, so completely entitled, that I literally couldn’t believe my ears. It wasn’t until the fire alarms violently blared at the gala, right as I reached out to grab Christine’s hand to guide her to safety, that the truth really sank in. She completely bypassed me, grabbing Felix’s hand instead, and sprinted toward the emergency exit without a single backward glance. At that exact moment, my heart turned to ash. I turned around and silently accepted the olive branch from her biggest corporate rival. … “Victor, are you out of your mind? You seriously came to ruin Felix’s night? Why couldn’t you just stay home? What is your problem!” Christine was furious when she saw me at the venue. She grabbed my arm and dragged me into a deserted corner of the banquet hall. “Can you just drop it? If you hadn’t stubbornly hoarded the project I specifically assigned to Felix, the company would have recovered months ago. Why did you have to drag it out!” I stared at her, letting out a cold, bitter laugh. “I busted my ass negotiating this deal. I was just about to sign the final contract, and you want Felix to just waltz in and take the credit? On what grounds?” “The kid doesn’t even know the difference between the printer and the paper shredder in his own office. What makes you think he can handle a project of this magnitude?” For the past two months, I had practically killed myself for Christine’s company. I hadn’t slept a full night in weeks. I was drowning in endless meetings, staying up until dawn writing proposals, and practically begging investors for capital. I poured my literal blood, sweat, and tears into landing this multi-million dollar contract. Footsteps approached. Felix strolled over with a glass of red wine in his hand, a painfully fake, apologetic smile plastered across his face. “Victor, thank you so much for handling the overseas grunt work for me.” “Don’t worry, I’ll take over hosting the executives and finalizing the paperwork. You can finally rest.” Before I could even open my mouth, Christine chimed in with a sneer. “Why are you being so polite to him? He’s completely rigid and unimaginative. You have way more vision than he does, so obviously you’ll manage this project better.” Felix sighed softly. “Please don’t be mad at Christine, Victor. She’s just worried about my lack of experience.” “I’m getting promoted to General Manager soon, and I really need a flagship project to prove myself.” Christine looked at him, her eyes practically melting with affection. “Felix, why are you apologizing to him? Paving the way for your success is his privilege!” “Please don’t say that, Christine. You’ll upset him,” Felix replied weakly, playing the role of the innocent peacemaker to perfection. But the moment Christine looked away, he shot me a smug, incredibly punchy smirk. My chest felt suffocatingly tight. A wave of profound exhaustion washed over me. While I was halfway across the world sacrificing my health to keep her business afloat, she hadn’t bothered to call me once. Not a single text to ask if I was okay. Felix had just graduated college, yet Christine instantly made him her personal executive assistant. And now, the moment I returned, she was pushing him into the General Manager seat. He had only been at the company for three months! “It’s time for the opening speech. Ignore him, let’s go.” Up on the stage, Christine cheerfully popped a bottle of champagne. Felix pulled her into his arms, intimately brushing a stray drop of liquor from her bangs. The surrounding colleagues whispered with unmistakable envy. “No way. Did the new manager just kiss the CEO?” “So they really are dating? I thought the kid was just bragging.” “Obviously they are. Look at the way she stares at him. She’s completely hooked.” Listening to the office gossip, I thought about the four years Christine and I had been together. She absolutely refused to make our relationship public. She claimed office romances created a toxic environment, insisting that as the boss, she had to set a professional standard. She never let me ride in her car. Yet she personally chauffeured Felix to and from work every single day. She demanded we pretend to be distant colleagues during business hours. Yet she allowed Felix to take naps in the private bedroom attached to her office. If Felix so much as sneezed during a board meeting, she would instantly pause the presentation and escort him out to rest. We had explosive fights over this exact double standard. “You have a filthy mind, Victor! You see dirt wherever you look!” “Why are you so insecure? Felix is just like a little brother to me. You’re a grown man in his thirties, why are you picking fights with a kid!” Christine always resorted to the silent treatment, and I was always the one who surrendered, apologizing just to keep the peace. If this were the old me, I would have stormed the stage and knocked Felix’s teeth down his throat. But tonight, I was just completely drained. Before I could even turn to leave, a piercing fire alarm suddenly shattered the atmosphere. 2 Thick, black smoke billowed from the back of the hall, rapidly swallowing the ceiling. Panic erupted. The crowd devolved into a screaming, shoving stampede. Instinct took over. I lunged forward, desperately reaching out for Christine. “Christine, stay behind me! I’ll get you out!” Before my hand could even brush hers, a violent force slammed into my back. Someone intentionally shoved me hard into the chaotic crowd. Caught entirely off guard, I crashed face-first onto the hard marble floor. A sickening crunch echoed through the noise. White-hot agony flared in my ankle. Seconds later, a heavy boot viciously stomped down on my calf. The force was entirely deliberate, calculated to shatter bone. Cold sweat instantly drenched my clothes. I lost all sensation in the lower half of my body. Through the suffocating smoke and trampling feet, I caught a glimpse of Felix. His eyes were narrowed into dark, malicious slits, a sadistic smirk twisting the corners of his mouth. Then, his expression completely morphed. “Christine, my chest hurts so much! I can’t breathe… I can’t walk… please, you need to help Victor get up…” Felix began to violently tremble, forcing out a pained gasp as he leaned heavily against the wall. “Felix, what’s wrong? You’re terrifying me!” Seeing him collapse, Christine forcefully slapped my reaching hand away. She threw her arms around Felix, her voice cracking with sheer panic. “Is it another panic attack? Look at me, can you hold on?” Blood rushed to my head. “He’s faking it! How can you not see through such a pathetic act?” “Victor, you are unbelievable! You’re seriously jealous right now? People are fighting for their lives!” Seeing Felix grow seemingly paler by the second, Christine’s eyes filled with frantic tears. “Felix is having a medical emergency. I’m getting him out of here right now!” Her words literally froze the blood in my veins. “I think my leg is broken. I can’t stand up. You’re leaving me here to die for him?” “I already called emergency services. The firefighters will be here any second.” Christine grabbed Felix’s arm, completely abandoning me, and rushed toward the illuminated exit sign. “You’re not going to die waiting a few minutes. Just stay where you are!” The acrid smoke ruthlessly choked the air out of the room. Every breath felt like inhaling shards of glass. Combined with my severe sleep deprivation from the business trip, my vision began to rapidly blur. I used the absolute last ounce of my strength to plead with her. “Please. I’m begging you. Don’t leave me.” As they brushed past me, Christine didn’t even spare me a single glance. That was the moment I finally understood. I occupied absolutely zero space in her heart. That was the moment my love for her permanently died. When I finally regained consciousness, my right leg was encased in a heavy plaster cast, elevated at the end of a hospital bed. “Victor, you’re awake! Do you need a doctor?” Harper, a colleague from the marketing department, hovered over me with genuine concern. I had passed out from severe smoke inhalation. Harper explained that she found me unconscious on the floor and physically dragged me out of the burning building. I thanked her softly, promising to treat her to a nice dinner once I was discharged. The local news was playing on the small TV in the corner. The fire was caused by a catastrophic grease fire in the kitchen. Thankfully, there were no fatal casualties. Once Harper left the room, I picked up my phone and dialed a number. “Mr. Harrison. I’ve thought it over, and I’d like to accept your offer. I’m ready to join your firm next week.” A boisterous laugh boomed through the speaker. “Victor! You finally came to your senses! A man needs to prioritize his empire. I promise you’ll get the absolute best compensation package our overseas branch has to offer. But what about your fiancée? You said you couldn’t bear to leave her behind…” “It doesn’t matter anymore. That part of my life is over,” I replied blankly. Mr. Harrison was sharp enough not to pry. A few minutes later, the digital employment contract landed in my inbox. The moment I signed my name, I mindlessly opened my social media feed. The first post was a brand new update from Felix. “Feeling under the weather, but my favorite person made me hot soup. Feeling completely spoiled and loved.” The attached photo was taken from behind. It showed Christine wearing a cute apron, diligently stirring a pot on the stove. This time, I didn’t feel a trace of anger. I just tapped the like button. In our four years together, Christine had never once cooked a meal for me. When I was bedridden with a severe fever, she couldn’t even be bothered to order me a delivery meal. I always justified it by telling myself she simply didn’t know her way around a kitchen. I remembered one scorching summer day, feeling incredibly bad for how stressed she was at work. I woke up at dawn, bought the freshest ingredients from the market, and spent hours cooking her a meticulously balanced lunch. Sweating profusely under the blinding sun, I proudly delivered the food to her office. Instead of gratitude, I walked in to find her aggressively flirting with Felix. “Christine, I really want hot pot for lunch today.” “Patience, little boy. I’ll take you out in a minute.” She laughed, playfully tracing the outline of his abs through his shirt. But the second she noticed me standing in the doorway, her smile vanished into a dark scowl. “Victor, I specifically told you not to bother me during business hours unless it’s an absolute emergency!” Sensing the tension, Felix casually walked over and slung an arm over my shoulder. “Want to come with us, Victor? Too bad we only made a reservation for two.” I just let out a cold laugh, set the lunchbox on her desk, and walked out. Later that evening, I found out they took the chicken soup I spent hours brewing and dumped it in the alley to feed the stray cats. The morning after my hospital admission, the attending doctor informed me I could be discharged the following day. My phone suddenly buzzed violently on the nightstand. It was Christine. “Victor, where the hell are you playing hide and seek?” “We are officially signing the contract today. Why aren’t you at the office backing Felix up? Stop throwing a tantrum!” I answered completely truthfully. “I’m in the hospital. I barely survived that fire.” Christine scoffed loudly through the speaker. “How long are you going to keep up this pathetic act? The firefighters arrived immediately. You are perfectly fine.” “I already called around. The emergency responders didn’t see you, and the staff said you walked out of the building on your own.” “Yesterday you fake a broken leg, today you fake a hospital stay. Felix is generous enough to forgive your jealousy, so I’m giving you exactly ten minutes to drag yourself back to the office.” I slowly peeled a tangerine my hospital roommate had given me. “Felix is such a charismatic prodigy, isn’t he? You trust him enough to hand him my project, so I’m sure he can handle a simple signature.” “The foreign investors specifically requested you to be present! You need to get here right now! If you ruin this deal, don’t bother coming back to work ever again!” I popped a slice of the tangerine into my mouth. “As you wish. Consider this my official resignation.” 3 Ignoring Christine’s furious screaming on the other end, I calmly hung up the phone. After my discharge, I took a cab straight to the apartment. I systematically packed up my life. Standing at the doorway with my suitcase, I took one final look at the place I had called home for four years. Christine and I grew up together. We were childhood sweethearts. Our parents had even jokingly arranged our marriage when we were toddlers. Everything changed when her father passed away in a sudden accident. Her extended family circled like vultures, eagerly waiting to carve up the company and steal her inheritance. She called me every single night, crying hysterically, terrified she was going to lose everything her father built. So the second I graduated, I sacrificed my own career plans and joined Mercer Enterprises to protect her. Those were the golden days of our romance. She used to write me passionate love letters on pink stationary, fearlessly declaring her devotion. She meticulously documented our dates, crafting beautiful scrapbooks filled with movie tickets and polaroids. We took pottery classes together, proudly displaying our slightly lopsided mugs on the living room shelf as symbols of our future. The shift happened two years ago. The company launched a charity initiative, and Christine ended up sponsoring a struggling college student. Felix. From that moment on, the warmth in our relationship rapidly evaporated. When I tried to communicate my frustrations, she ruthlessly shut me down. She complained that I worked too much, that I was boring, that I acted like a joyless old man. But back then, her company was still surrounded by corporate sharks. I couldn’t afford to take a single day off if I wanted to keep her safe. Then came the nights she simply didn’t come home. Felix took her to underground clubs to dance until dawn. He took her riding on his motorcycle at terrifying speeds through the mountain passes. They camped under the stars, completely isolated from the rest of the world. Three months ago, Christine officially hired him as her personal assistant, showering him with inappropriate perks. Whenever I was exhausted and just wanted to hold her, she would physically shove me away, yet she happily offered to massage Felix’s shoulders when he complained about typing. I once asked if we could adopt a puppy to build a life together. She aggressively refused, calling it a filthy burden. A week later, she and Felix joyfully sponsored an entire shelter of stray animals. She completely “forgot” our anniversary this year, but spent weeks planning a wildly expensive, romantic surprise party for Felix’s birthday. Thinking back on it all, I couldn’t help but laugh at my own stupidity. I pulled out my phone and booked the earliest flight back to my hometown. I planned to spend a week with my parents before flying overseas to start my new life. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Christine. “My mom wants to see you. She misses you and wants you to come over for dinner tonight.” “And remember, keep your mouth shut. Don’t even think about running to her with your pathetic little complaints.” I agreed to go. Eleanor, Christine’s mother, had always treated me like her own son. It was the perfect opportunity to officially end the engagement face-to-face. I arrived early and helped Eleanor in the kitchen, chatting easily as we prepped the vegetables. I was just trying to find the right moment to break the news when the front doorbell chimed. Christine walked in. And trailing right behind her, acting entirely at home, was Felix. I wasn’t surprised in the slightest. “Mom, this is my friend Felix. He just got off work, so I brought him over for a bite,” Christine announced. She shot me a disgustingly hostile glare, then marched into the living room without another word. I didn’t even acknowledge her existence. Desperate to score points with the matriarch, Felix bounded into the kitchen, loudly offering his assistance. Eleanor ignored him, raising her voice to scold her daughter in the other room. “Why are you giving Victor attitude the second you walk through the door? Did you two fight again? He just got back from a brutal business trip. You should be taking care of him! He’s been working himself to the bone for our family!” “And what about the engagement banquet next week? Have you finalized the guest list and the catering? We absolutely cannot delay it again.” The banquet was originally supposed to fall on our four-year anniversary, but Christine abandoned the planning midway through because she was too busy organizing Felix’s birthday bash. I pressed my lips together, quietly grateful we never actually sent out the invitations. When dinner was finally ready, I prepared to step out and drop the bomb. Suddenly, Felix blocked my path. His face twisted into a vicious, unrecognizable sneer. “Don’t get cocky, Victor. She is never going to marry you. The one who isn’t loved is the actual homewrecker here!” Before I could process his words, he grabbed a heavy ceramic bowl filled with boiling hot soup and ruthlessly dumped it entirely over his own head. “I only have Christine! No one is going to take her away from me! Let’s see whose side she takes when she sees what you just did to me!” The heavy bowl hit the floor, shattering into a hundred pieces with a deafening crash. The noise instantly brought the women running. I leaned against the counter, crossing my arms, a cold smile playing on my lips. I didn’t even try to defend myself. “Felix! Oh my god, what happened!” Christine charged into the kitchen in a blind panic. She violently shoved me out of the way, her hands frantically hovering over the red, blistering burns forming on Felix’s forehead. “Victor said I was garbage… he said I didn’t deserve to be here… and he said he’d beat me every time he saw my face…” Felix sobbed, tears streaming down his face as he trembled violently. Christine turned to me, her eyes practically blazing with homicidal rage. She pointed a shaking finger right at my nose. “Are you completely psychotic? Did you come here specifically to torture him? What did he ever do to you! Get on your knees and apologize to him right now, or I swear to God I will never forgive you!” Eleanor rushed forward, desperately trying to deescalate the situation, yanking on Christine’s sleeve to make her stop shouting. I just laughed. I looked directly at Felix, who was still weeping crocodile tears. “You can keep the project. And you can keep Christine. I don’t want either of them anymore.” Christine froze. The rage slowly drained from her face, replaced by total disbelief. “What the hell does that mean?” She quickly regained her haughty composure, crossing her arms. “I’m warning you, Victor. If you keep pushing this tantrum, there will be no going back.” “Take a good look in the mirror. Who else is going to want a useless freeloader like you? If you have any dignity left, you have exactly sixty seconds to apologize and take it back.” When I graduated, I turned down massive offers from elite tech firms and gave up a brilliant future to be her loyal servant. And this was my reward. I had spent four years nurturing a viper. “It means exactly what I said. We are broken up.” “You two truly deserve each other.” I turned to Eleanor, pulling a sleek black audio recorder from my pocket and pressing it gently into her hands. “Eleanor, please cancel the banquet. I won’t be staying for dinner tonight. Thank you for everything.”

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1 “Gas stations dilute their fuel with water all the time. If we pour some of our drinking water into the tank, it will definitely stretch our mileage.” Frank’s voice buzzed in my ear like a persistent mosquito. I pinched my own cheek hard. Pain flared instantly. I was reborn. “Oliver, please don’t be so stubborn. Just listen to the group. This might actually be the only way we get out of these badlands alive,” Frank said, looking at me with wide, timid eyes as if I were a monster about to devour him. Valerie and the rest of the sponsored students were staring me down. I knew this scene perfectly. If I dared to reject Frank’s brilliant suggestion, they would swarm me with righteous indignation. I had already lived through this nightmare once. I offered a bright, entirely hollow smile. “Frank is so smart to come up with such a brilliant idea.” “Go ahead. Pour it in. The car will definitely run so much faster with water in the tank.” … Standing nearby, Valerie offered a rare, relieved smile. “Glad to see you’re finally learning to read the room,” she murmured. I had absolutely no desire to argue with them. My mind was already racing, calculating my own escape route out of this barren wasteland. There were eleven of us in total, split across three off-road vehicles. Originally, Valerie and I were supposed to share a car. But Frank had relentlessly whined until she agreed to ride with him, leaving me driving entirely alone. In my past life, my SUV had the most gas left. Desperate to give the group a chance at survival, I had surrendered all my supplies to them and driven out into the endless desert alone to find a rescue team. In this life, I couldn’t care less if these idiots dug their own graves. As long as I got out alive, nothing else mattered. Drawing on my memories, I knew civilization was about sixty miles west. My gas tank could take me forty-five miles. Thanks to years of extreme sports training, my stamina was peak. I could easily hike the remaining fifteen miles before nightfall, and I had plenty of water in my trunk to survive the trek. With a solid plan in place, the tension bled out of my shoulders. Just to be safe, I popped the trunk and retrieved a heavy, tactical luxury watch. It was a birthday gift from her. In my previous life, she had found this exact watch in the bloody dirt where the wolves had torn me apart. She had completely broken down, slapping her own face in hysterical grief, blaming herself for never telling me it had a built-in military-grade GPS beacon. All I had to do was press a button, and she could have found me anywhere on earth. The corners of my lips curled up. With a few quick presses, I activated the satellite signal. This time, I prayed she would find me. Catching the glint of the expensive metal on my wrist, a flash of ugly jealousy crossed Frank’s eyes. “Oliver, don’t you have a few cases of bottled water in your trunk? Bring them out for us.” My stomach dropped. They wanted to use my drinking water to ruin the cars? 2 “I have four cases in my trunk. Why should I give them to you?” I challenged. Frank crossed his arms, his posture dripping with unearned entitlement. “Oliver, we are stranded in the desert. Water is an incredibly precious resource. You can’t just hoard it all for yourself.” I let out a harsh laugh. Not ten minutes ago, he had used a full bottle of water just to wash his face. Now suddenly he cared about conservation? Valerie stepped forward, fixing me with a cold stare. “Bring it out.” Her tone left zero room for argument. I took a slow breath, forcing down the boiling rage in my chest, and tried one last time to appeal to logic. “I bought that water with my own money.” “Are you seriously keeping score at a time like this?” Frank interrupted, puffing out his chest like a brave martyr. “We have to stay united when we’re in danger. If everyone acted as selfishly as you, how would we ever survive this trip?” Right on cue, the rest of the sponsored students turned their disgusted glares on me. “You can’t drink a whole case by yourself anyway. Hand it over so we can ration it.” “Bring the water out, Oliver! Don’t make us take it by force.” “Rich kids are all the same. Self-centered and useless. You don’t have a fraction of Frank’s maturity.” Self-centered? If my family hadn’t set up the Sinclair Foundation to pay for their tuition, every single one of these ingrates would be breaking their backs on a construction site right now. They wouldn’t have college degrees, and they certainly wouldn’t be guaranteed cushy corporate jobs at my family’s company after graduation. Suddenly, I understood exactly why my parents had insisted I take this road trip with them. Extreme situations strip away the polite masks people wear. This trip was my parents’ final character test for their prospective employees. When I didn’t move, they swarmed the back of my SUV and started dragging the heavy cases of water out. I lunged forward to stop them, but three guys immediately tackled me, pinning me hard against the scorching dirt. I watched, completely helpless, as they unscrewed the caps and poured pristine drinking water directly into the gas tanks. Without water, driving under this blistering sun would guarantee severe dehydration and heatstroke. “Give that back.” I gritted my teeth, struggling to push myself off the ground. Frank seized the opportunity. He scooped up a handful of loose, gritty sand and shoved it violently into my mouth. “Shut up!” he snarled, his voice dropping its innocent act. “Say one more word and I’ll fill your stomach with dirt.” I gagged violently, coughing as the coarse sand scraped down my throat and filled my nasal passages. Tears and mucus streamed down my face. I was completely humiliated, pinned to the earth like an animal. Seeing me so pathetic, the sponsored students erupted into cruel laughter. “Is this really the great heir to the Sinclair fortune? He looks like a stray dog! Hilarious!” I clamped my jaw shut, forced myself up to my knees, and swung my arm back, aiming a brutal slap right at Frank’s smug face. Before my hand could connect, someone gripped my wrist like a vice. While I was restrained, Frank instantly recovered and slapped me across the cheek with all his strength. A sharp crack echoed in the dry air. Valerie froze, dropping my wrist in shock. I slumped back into the dirt, my face burning with a fiery, stinging pain. Frank immediately cowered behind Valerie, his eyes wide with manufactured terror. “I’m so sorry, Oliver! You tried to hit me first! It was just self-defense!” Valerie extended a hand toward me, her face twisting with deep disappointment. “Get up. Stop embarrassing yourself.” I blinked back the moisture in my eyes, tilting my head up to look her dead in the face. “Valerie, we’re done. We are breaking up.” “Frank was just reacting to your violence. He didn’t mean to hit you that hard. Why are you throwing another tantrum?” Valerie shielded Frank with her body, glaring at me warily as if I were a predator about to snap her fragile little flower in half. A suffocating wave of exhaustion washed over me. Throwing a tantrum? From the day we started dating, anytime I didn’t blindly agree with her, I was “throwing a tantrum.” When I chose not to attend the same mediocre university as her, I was throwing a tantrum. When I opted to study abroad for a semester, I was throwing a tantrum. Whenever Frank shed a single crocodile tear, I was throwing a tantrum. “Valerie, we are fundamentally different people. Ending this is the best thing for both of us.” Time had completely eroded the girl I used to love. When I was twelve, I sneaked out to a cheap street food stall and saw Valerie huddled in a greasy corner, scrubbing dishes until her hands were raw. Her eyes had tracked the passing students in their neat uniforms with such desperate longing. 3 My heart had broken for her. I begged my father to sponsor her education. Valerie didn’t waste the opportunity. She studied relentlessly, earning a spot at my elite high school. During our freshman assembly, a massive lighting rig snapped and plummeted toward the stage. She threw herself over me, taking the impact. She suffered a severe concussion and spent a month in the hospital. With blood pouring into her eyes, she had smiled and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.” After that, it was only natural that we became a couple. But I didn’t know exactly when her eyes started drifting toward Frank. Like her, he was a charity case. His pathetic, helpless demeanor constantly triggered her savior complex. She wanted to coddle him, to protect him, until eventually her entire heart shifted in his direction. I stumbled to my feet, snatched my keys from Frank’s loose grip, and threw myself into the driver’s seat of my SUV. The moment the engine roared to life, a heavy weight lifted off my chest. I was finally leaving this nightmare. But as I threw the car into drive, Valerie boldly stepped directly in front of my bumper. I slammed the brakes, my forehead smashing violently against the steering wheel. A flicker of genuine concern crossed her eyes as she softened her tone. “Stop being dramatic. It’s suicide to drive out there alone.” Frank hurried over, wrapping an arm around Valerie’s shoulder while shooting me a triumphant smirk. “Oliver, stop acting like a spoiled brat. You have the most fuel. If you drive off and waste it, what are we supposed to do?” His words rallied the crowd instantly. “Exactly! We have to stick together to be safe.” “Let’s siphon the gas out of his tank. That way we have a better chance!” I let out a cold, sharp laugh. “This is my car. Why the hell would I give you my gas?” Not only was it my car, but the other two vehicles technically belonged to me as well. One of the guys stepped up, his face red with anger. “We are trying to survive a crisis here! Why are you still obsessing over what belongs to who?” I rolled my eyes. “Both of your cars are packed full. If you take my SUV, where exactly am I supposed to sit? Are you giving up your seat for me?” The guy instantly shut his mouth. Frank tilted his head, acting as if a brilliant idea had just struck him. “Oliver, don’t you love driving convertibles? You can just sit on the roof! You’ll get all the fresh air you want.” The group eagerly latched onto the absurd cruelty of the idea. “Yeah, the roof is perfect! Doesn’t he love freedom? Let him feel the breeze.” “Don’t worry, we have cargo ropes in the trunk. We’ll strap you down tight so you don’t fall off.” “This is an extreme sport money can’t even buy. The great Mr. Sinclair will have a great story to brag about at his country club.” Valerie let out a heavy sigh. Just as I thought she was going to shut down this psychotic proposal, her next words plunged me into an ice bath. “You do love extreme sports. Your stamina is better than anyone else’s here. You’ll survive on the roof.” Having already lost all hope in her, I didn’t bother arguing. I stomped on the gas pedal. “He’s making a run for it! Grab him!” Frank shrieked. The entire group swarmed the vehicle. Someone yanked the driver’s door open, and multiple hands dragged me violently out of the cabin. I thrashed wildly, kicking and swinging to break their grip. “Ah!” Frank let out a sharp cry, clutching his chest and dropping into a crouch, his face contorted in agony. “Oliver, why did you kick me?” Valerie violently shoved me away and dropped to her knees, pulling him into her arms. I froze for a second, my instinct to defend myself kicking in. “I didn’t even touch him.” Frank buried his face in Valerie’s shoulder, looking up at me with trembling fear. “Oliver, I’m sorry I got in your way. Please don’t hit me again. It hurts so much.” Hearing this, Valerie’s brow furrowed. She glared at me, her voice absolute ice. “Apologize to him!” “I didn’t do anything wrong! Why should I apologize?” The crowd immediately drowned me out. “You were thrashing around like a maniac, of course you hit him.” “Frank is too pure to lie about something like this. Apologize right now!” 4 Sweat beaded on Frank’s forehead, his breathing shallow and erratic. “Sand got into my wound.” He lifted his forearm, presenting a microscopic scratch to Valerie like it was a fatal injury. Valerie glared at me with pure venom. “Oliver Sinclair! Look at what you’ve done.” A mocking smile touched my lips. “If you waited five more minutes, that scratch would have healed completely.” Frank forced a weak, brave smile, his tone dripping with fake humility. “Oliver, you don’t have to apologize. But could I borrow your sun-proof jacket? I just need something to block the wind and the sand. My arm is burning.” The jacket I was wearing was woven from a proprietary, breathable material. My mother had commissioned a luxury designer to custom-make it for me. It blocked UV rays, repelled water, and cut the wind completely. You couldn’t buy it in stores. I rejected him without a second thought. “I’m highly allergic to UV exposure. Find something else.” Frank let out a pathetic, dramatic groan. “Never mind then. My life obviously isn’t worth as much as the young master’s delicate skin.” Valerie’s face turned to stone. “UV allergy? That’s just a pathetic excuse because you’re terrified of getting a tan.” “I am going to count to three. Take it off yourself.” “One. Two.” She didn’t even wait for three. Her patience vanished. She lunged forward, grabbed the collar of the jacket, and violently stripped it off my body. Underneath, I was only wearing a thin tank top. The moment my bare skin met the brutal, relentless sun, it began to flush an angry red. The stinging pain was immediate. Valerie gently draped the custom jacket over Frank’s shoulders, softly blowing the dust away from his microscopic scratch. Looking at them made my stomach churn with physical disgust. I turned on my heel and marched back toward the SUV. Just as my hand touched the door handle, Valerie grabbed my wrist. “It’s just a jacket! Why are you throwing another tantrum!” Those words were the spark that finally incinerated the last shred of my restraint. I swung my free hand and slapped her across the face with everything I had. “I never throw tantrums. I just throw hands!” A bright red handprint instantly bloomed across her cheek. Frank shrieked. “Are you insane? You hit her!” Valerie pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek, her expression darkening into something truly terrifying. “You make a mistake, and you refuse to repent. It seems you really need to be taught a lesson, Oliver.” My stomach dropped. A primal alarm bell rang in my head. “Since you refused to sit on the roof, you can stay behind the car.” My eyes widened in horror. “Valerie, you are completely psychotic!” Before I could run, two of the heaviest guys in the group tackled me to the dirt. They bound my wrists tightly with heavy nylon rope. They secured the other end to the SUV’s rear towing hook. “When you realize you’re wrong, we’ll untie you,” Valerie said coldly. With that final sentence, she climbed into the driver’s seat. The engine roared. The car lurched forward, yanking my arms tight. I had to sprint just to keep my footing. The SUV accelerated. My legs couldn’t keep up. I stumbled, hitting the asphalt hard, and the car continued to drag me. The rough, sun-baked gravel shredded my exposed skin. Hot blood began to stream down my arms and chest. Panic seized me completely. I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Stop! Please, stop the car!” The muffled sound of laughter and upbeat pop music drifted back from the open windows. No one was listening. No one cared. The SUV swerved sharply to avoid a pothole. My body whipped sideways, and my head slammed brutally into a jagged rock. A blinding flash of white light exploded behind my eyes. Warm blood poured down my forehead, blinding me. True, unfiltered terror flooded my veins. Survival instinct overrode any lingering pride. “I’m sorry! I was wrong! Please!” I begged into the roaring wind. But the engine noise drowned out my pleas. The car showed zero signs of slowing down. I was actually going to die out here. My consciousness began to fracture. As the darkness crept in, I hallucinated the rhythmic thumping of helicopter rotors closing in on me. A woman’s voice cut through the chaos, frantic and furious. “Cut him loose right now!” Up ahead, thick black smoke began to pour from the hoods of the two lead vehicles. The convoy screeched to a halt. Someone inside yelled in panic. “We have a problem! The engine is dead!”

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1 I have an ugly scar across my face. The older kids at the orphanage called me a monster. They tied me to an oak tree in the yard and smeared superglue directly into my scar. I didn’t dare to cry, because Mrs. Higgins, the matron, hated ugly kids who misbehaved. I wished upon every star, praying for the day my father would finally come and take me home. But when he finally did, there was already another little girl taking my place. My brother, Cole, blamed me for stealing her spot. He forced me to kneel on the floor on all fours, using my back as her personal footstool. If she so much as whispered that I was bullying her, my father wouldn’t hesitate to slap me across the face. “I should have left you to rot in that orphanage.” Later, when I was diagnosed with a terminal illness and was actually sent back to the orphanage, my father came looking for me, choking back tears. “I’m so sorry, Riley. Please, let’s go home.” But Daddy, bad kids who nobody loves don’t have a home. … “Stay down! If you make Patrika fall, I swear I’ll make you regret it!” I was kneeling on the hardwood floor right next to Patrika’s luxurious princess bed. It was the only spot in the room without a plush rug. The hard wood dug painfully into my bony knees. Cole gently held Patrika’s hands as she stepped up onto my back. “Riley is too skinny. It hurts my feet to step on her…” she complained softly. I never had enough to eat at the orphanage. I was five years old, but I was smaller and more fragile than a typical three-year-old. Patrika was entirely different. She was fiercely protected and pampered by my father and Cole, her cheeks round and rosy. Just her weight pressing down on my spine made me wobble. My bones cracked under the pressure. It hurt. But it didn’t hurt as much as being beaten by the other kids back at the orphanage. They used to take sharp pocket knives and trace the jagged edges of my ugly scar. Then they would pour superglue into the fresh cuts. They would stuff a filthy, wet rag into my mouth so no one could hear my muffled screams. Back then, I used to tell myself: It’ll be okay once Riley has a real family. They’ll definitely protect me. But the more I thought about it now, the more my chest ached. It felt just like the superglue pulling at my skin. I accidentally swayed under Patrika’s weight. Cole immediately smacked the back of my head. “Watch it!” “You already killed Mom, are you trying to break Patrika’s legs now?” “Patrika isn’t like you. She’s delicate. If she gets a single scratch, Dad will walk out of a board meeting to check on her. Know your place!” I stuttered out a frantic apology. “I’m sorry. It’s Riley’s fault.” The very first day I came home. Cole told me that when I was just learning to crawl, I accidentally knocked over a lit candle. To save me, my mother was burned alive in the ensuing house fire. And I simply vanished. He had shoved me to the ground, pointing a furious finger right in my face. “You should be dead. What right do you have to kill Mom and then just waltz back into this house?” I sat frozen on the floor. The wounds the orphanage kids had dug into my face tore open again. Tears welled up in my eyes. But I forced them back. I couldn’t cry. Mrs. Higgins always said ugly monsters like me didn’t deserve to cry. Only children who were loved had the right to shed tears. Besides, I was the murderer who killed my own mother. So if it hurt this much, it meant Mommy was angry in heaven, punishing me for being a bad kid. The butler suddenly announced from the hallway: “Young Master, Miss Patrika, Mr. George is home.” Patrika picked up the edges of her frilly dress and squealed, running out of the room to greet him. “Daddy!” Cole followed closely behind, his voice full of exasperated affection. “Slow down, Patrika, don’t trip!” The butler watched me as I stiffly tried to push myself up off the floor. A deep look of disgust flashed across his eyes. “Mr. George hates tardiness. Move faster.” I finally got my feet under me. The blinding pain in my knees made it impossible to stand up straight. As I swayed, about to fall, I reached out to grab something to steady myself. But as my hand brushed toward the butler’s sleeve, he aggressively stepped back. He watched with cold, dead eyes as I crashed heavily onto the floor. “Miss Riley, I might be the hired help, but I still have standards for cleanliness.” I didn’t fully understand what his words meant. But the look in his eyes told me exactly what I needed to know. He hated me. He thought I was filthy. I forced a dry, raspy apology out of my throat. It was a survival reflex I learned at the orphanage. As long as I apologized, the beatings wouldn’t last as long. By the time I limped my way into the grand dining room. They were already halfway through their meal. My father glared at me, his voice freezing cold. “Riley George. Why are you incapable of being on time?” 2 The last time I was late, Cole and Patrika had locked me in the basement storage room. I wasn’t found until the maids heard me scratching at the door the following evening. I missed two dinners that time. The time before that, Cole had zipped me into a large suitcase. I nearly suffocated to death, so naturally, I missed dinner then, too. This time, my knees were bruised black and blue, swollen so badly that every step felt like walking on broken glass. I really tried my best to get here quickly. I didn’t want Daddy to be angry. And I really didn’t want to be thrown away and sent back to the orphanage. “I’m sorry, Daddy. Riley just…” Before I could finish, Cole cut me off sharply. “I don’t care what your excuse is. The George family eats dinner exactly on time. Do you understand?” I froze for a second. Cole didn’t want Daddy to know about the games he liked to play with me. I didn’t say another word and quietly climbed into my chair. The plates in front of me were piled high with expensive seafood. I had eaten a single shrimp once at the orphanage. Immediately after, my entire body broke out in angry, red hives. One of the teachers there told me I had a severe seafood allergy. She said if it got bad enough, I would go to heaven. Seeing that I hadn’t picked up my fork, Patrika’s eyes filled with tears. “Riley, are you refusing to eat because you hate me?” “I know… I know you feel like I stole your place… I can leave.” I didn’t mean that at all! I opened my mouth to explain, but my father’s icy words stabbed straight into my chest. “Riley. If you aren’t going to eat, get out of my sight!” He pulled Patrika onto his lap, comforting her while handing her a stack of brightly colored gift boxes I had never seen before. “This is your home, sweetheart. Nobody is making you leave.” “You are my daughter. Don’t cry.” His gentle, coaxing tone was exactly what I had always dreamed of hearing. But the girl in his arms wasn’t me. My heart felt like it was being pinched by a crab’s claws. Even breathing hurt. I clutched my chest. I silently mouthed: Daddy, I think my heart is allergic to you. I didn’t know how much time had passed. The basement door clicked open. The butler handed me a small, plain bowl of porridge. “Mr. George was worried you’d be hungry. He sent this down for you.” I took the bowl numbly, instinct taking over. “Thank you.” By the time the words left my mouth, the door was already locked again. Daddy really did care about me! The warmth of the bowl radiating into my palms made my chest feel full. I had never eaten a hot meal at the orphanage. The older kids always forced me to eat their cold, discarded scraps. Since coming home, I was always locked away during dinner. I was never allowed to eat breakfast or lunch with them during the day. I wolfed down the sweet, warm porridge as fast as I could. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes. I felt so happy. I was so incredibly happy… I scraped the bowl completely clean. My little stomach was perfectly round and full. But it didn’t take long. Angry red hives erupted across my arms and chest. My throat began to swell rapidly. Patrika stepped into the basement, a sweet smile on her face. “I was worried you’d still be hungry, so I asked the chef to mix some scallop broth into your porridge. Was it yummy, Riley?” I couldn’t stand up straight. I collapsed onto the concrete floor. “Patrika… Riley needs to go to the hospital…” My voice was barely a raspy squeak. Cole let out a cruel, mocking laugh from behind her. “Stop being so dramatic. You need a hospital because you ate a bowl of rice?” “Since you’re full now, get up and play with Patrika.” He tied two thick ropes to a rafter in the basement. He tied one rope around my ankles, hoisting me up until I was hanging upside down, and forced me to grip the other rope tightly with both hands. “Patrika wants to go on the swings. You better hold on tight. If you drop her, you’re dead!” The hives covering my body burned and itched violently. I wanted to beg them to stop, but my throat was swelling so fast I couldn’t pull air, let alone speak. All I could manage were pathetic, muffled whimpers. “Shut up! Stop making those annoying noises.” Cole lifted Patrika up and placed her sitting directly on my stomach. The sudden, crushing weight made my sweaty hands slip against the coarse rope. The next second, Cole pushed Patrika hard from behind. My body swung wildly into the air. My vision began to blur and go black in patches. The single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling pierced my eyes. I thought I saw my mother standing in the light. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be alive. You deserve this, Riley. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Mommy. The tears I had held back for so long finally broke. Patrika’s joyful giggles echoed louder than my quiet sobs. With every single cheer that left her mouth. My body and my heart splintered a little more. If people go to heaven when they die. Then a bad kid like me would definitely be going to hell. 3 I lost track of time. The butler’s voice echoed down the stairs. “Mr. George is home.” I was already completely numb to the pain. The coarse rope had shredded the skin on my palms, leaving them slick with blood. But I didn’t dare let go. I was terrified that if Patrika fell, she would get hurt. When my father walked down the stairs. Patrika viciously dug her fingernails into the back of my hand. The sudden, blinding pain caused my fingers to reflexively pop open. She instantly tumbled to the floor, scraping her knee. “Patrika! Are you okay?!” Cole rushed forward in a panic, pulling her up. My father rushed past me, immediately kneeling down to inspect her microscopic scratch. I was still hanging upside down from the rafters. Watching this beautiful, loving family moment made my eyes sting with fresh tears. “What on earth happened here?” My father barked orders at the maids to bring the first-aid kit. While carefully disinfecting her scratch, he demanded answers. Patrika stayed quiet for a moment, before finally letting out a devastated sob, acting as if she couldn’t hold back the injustice any longer. “Daddy… Riley was bullying me.” “She intentionally dropped me on the hard floor. It hurts so much…” Since the day she arrived, she had been treated like a porcelain doll. She had never known a day of pain. The moment she cried, my father’s heart broke. He finally ordered the butler to cut me down. Before my feet were even firmly on the ground, a heavy hand struck me across the face. The force sent me violently crashing back onto the floor. I stared up at him, forcing air through my constricted throat. “Daddy… I hurt too…” “I… I have hives…” But I forgot. My face was already a mangled mess of ugly, raised scar tissue. The hives were completely invisible underneath the damage. My father’s expression darkened into something truly terrifying. “Not only are you a pathological liar, but you’re a vicious bully too?” “Riley, I should have let you rot in that orphanage.” So it was true. Daddy hated me too. Cole stuck his tongue out at me, mocking me. “Serves you right. Hurry up and get sent back to the trash where you belong!” They carried Patrika upstairs, leaving me alone in the dark. I slowly pushed myself off the floor. I noticed a crushed ring of wildflowers lying near the staircase. Next to it were a few dried leaves I had pressed into bookmarks. I had spent weeks at the orphanage secretly collecting them, saving them so I could give them to my new family as gifts when I finally came home. But someone had trampled them. I carefully picked up the crushed pieces. Staring at the empty staircase where they had disappeared, the tears wouldn’t stop falling. The single, fraying thread in my mind that commanded me to be a good girl finally snapped. I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I scrambled up the stairs, chasing after them. “Daddy… Cole…” “Please don’t throw Riley away… Riley knows she was bad…” I screamed until my vocal cords bled. But my voice was entirely drowned out by the roar of the luxury SUV’s engine starting in the driveway. The car accelerated toward the front gates, and no matter how fast my little legs ran, I couldn’t catch them. Inside the car, the driver glanced at the rearview mirror. “Mr. George, Miss Riley is chasing the car…” My father looked in the mirror, then looked down at Patrika, who was still whimpering softly in his arms. His voice was like ice. “Ignore her.” Drip… The sky opened up, pouring heavy, freezing rain. I wiped my face with the back of my hand. When I looked down, my hand was smeared with bright red. I wiped my face again. Blood. It was all blood. I read in a picture book once that if you lose too much blood, you die. Mommy, this must be what bad kids get. I collapsed onto the wet pavement. The crushed flowers and leaves were washed away in the muddy puddles, completely destroyed. Just like my heart. When I woke up again. I heard my father talking to a doctor outside the hospital room door. “The little girl’s condition is catastrophic.” “The anaphylactic shock nearly killed her, and her body is covered in both old, healed fractures and fresh lacerations…” “But the most critical issue is the tumor growing in her brain. She likely only has a few months left to live.” My father’s voice was hoarse, trembling slightly. “Are you telling me… my daughter has terminal cancer?” So it was true. I really was going to die soon. I slid out of the hospital bed and quietly sneaked out the back stairwell. If Daddy wanted me to go back to the orphanage. Then I would go back. Before I left, I scribbled a note on a scrap of paper. Just like the day I was born, I disappeared without making a sound. When I showed up at the orphanage gates, Mrs. Higgins sneered. “Look who’s crawling back.” “Did your rich daddy finally figure out he didn’t want you?” I gripped the hem of my thin hospital gown, the rough fabric digging into my bloody palms. “No. Riley decided she didn’t want them anymore.” The older kids erupted into vicious, mocking laughter. “Who do you think you are?” “You got thrown away because you’re a hideous freak!” I didn’t even see who threw the first punch. Fists and slaps rained down on my face and body. I should have been completely used to this. So why did it hurt so much this time? It hurt so much I couldn’t stop crying. Riley doesn’t want to be thrown away. Riley doesn’t want to die. Riley isn’t a bad kid. My face was slick with fresh blood. Just as my knees gave out, I was caught in a pair of strong, unfamiliar arms. My father, his eyes bloodshot and blazing with rage, roared at Mrs. Higgins. “Is this how you take care of my daughter?!”

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The family trip to the Bahamas was supposed to be a dream vacation. Instead, it turned into a nightmare when I was brutally mugged on the private beach. I woke up paralyzed, my spine shattered and my internal organs severely damaged. My teenage kids cried until their voices went hoarse. They immediately chartered a medical evacuation flight to bring me back to the States, swearing to find the best surgical team money could buy. But as I drifted in the hazy space between consciousness and the heavy sedatives, I heard my daughter, Sophie, whispering to my son, Connor. “It actually worked out, Con. It’s better she’s paralyzed. This way she won’t fight the divorce, and Dad can finally give Audrey the life he promised her.” My son let out a heavy sigh. “Well, Mom always made things so hard for Audrey. Dad said he’d pay for Mom’s care for the rest of her life. We’ve done right by her.” The words hit me like a plunge into freezing water. The violent mugging wasn’t a random tragedy. It was a trap, hand-crafted by the two children I loved more than life itself, all for the sake of their father’s long-time obsession, Audrey. 1 “The patient’s spinal nerves are severely traumatized, and she has multiple organ lacerations. We need to operate immediately with our neurosurgical team, otherwise…” My husband, Wes, cut the doctor off flatly. “Let’s stick to conservative treatment for now.” The doctor looked deeply uncomfortable. “Sir, your wife’s condition is critical. The golden window for nerve repair is incredibly narrow. If we miss it, she might never walk again.” Connor chimed in, perfectly mirroring his father’s grave tone. “Dad, Mom is still so young. We can’t let her spend her whole life in a wheelchair.” “That is exactly where she needs to stay.” Wes’s voice dropped to a vicious whisper. “Audrey has waited for me for twenty years in the shadows. I am not letting her suffer anymore. Only when your mother is permanently out of the picture can I bring Audrey home where she belongs.” He cleared his throat, raising his voice for the medical staff outside. “Just keep her stable with the best pain meds you have!” Lying on that sterile hospital bed, I bit down on my tongue so hard I tasted copper. Tears slid silently down my temples into my hairline. The man who had stood at an altar and promised me forever was carving my heart out with a rusty blade. Everything suddenly made sick, twisted sense. His sudden burst of extreme affection over the last few months wasn’t him turning over a new leaf. He was just keeping me docile, clearing the final hurdles so he could replace me with the woman he actually wanted. And my own flesh and blood, the kids I would have taken a bullet for, were loyal only to a homewrecker. My three most trusted family members had formed a firing squad, and I was the target. The agony in my chest was so suffocating I gasped, triggering a violent coughing fit that felt like broken glass in my lungs. Wes burst through the door instantly. His face was a masterpiece of frantic concern. He wiped away my tears, his voice dripping with honey. “Victoria, sweetheart, are you in pain? Don’t be scared, I’m right here with you.” He stroked my hair with the exact same tenderness he used back when we first fell in love. Wes always deserved an Oscar for playing the devoted husband. Sophie sprinted out to the hallway, her voice frantic. “Nurse! Get my mom the strongest painkillers you have! She cannot suffer like this!” The sheer panic on their faces was flawless. Not a single crack in the facade. They were using this perfect, sickening performance to keep me locked in a cage of lies while they bled me dry. My heart cramped, and my grip on reality began to slip. The doctor rushed in, checking my vitals with practiced efficiency. Wes leaned down, his breath warm against my ear. “Victoria, the trauma is just too severe. I don’t trust these local surgeons. I’ve already pulled strings to fly in a top-tier team from Europe. We’ll wait for them to do the surgery, okay? It’s the safest route.” “I promise you, I will make sure you walk again.” A single, scalding tear escaped my eye. I couldn’t hold back the raspy, broken whisper. “Wes… will I really… stand up again?” His body went rigid for a fraction of a second. His eyes darted away, avoiding my gaze entirely. A moment later, he let out a heavy, theatrical sigh. “Victoria, when have I ever lied to you?” The physical numbness spreading through my limbs was nothing compared to the absolute zero of my dying heart. What else could I do? I closed my eyes, feigning exhaustion. “Okay. Whatever you say.” A relieved smile washed over his face. “That’s my good girl…” But before the words fully left his mouth, the doctor pulled back my hospital gown to inspect the gruesome wounds along my spine. Wes physically recoiled, color draining from his face. “How did she get butchered like this?” 2 The thugs had clearly treated my pain as a sport. They used jagged rocks and steel pipes, leaving a mosaic of bruised, broken flesh across my body. There was barely an inch of unbroken skin on my back. Connor turned his head away, faking nausea. Even the seasoned doctor hissed through his teeth. “Whoever did this had a serious vendetta. Ma’am, grit your teeth. The antiseptic is going to burn…” I shook my head weakly. “It’s fine.” Because the hollow cavity where my heart used to be had already forgotten how to feel pain. While the nurse dressed my lacerations, the muted voices of my kids drifted in from the corridor. “Are we really going to force her to sign over all her corporate shares now?” Sophie asked, her voice tight. “Look at her.” Connor was quiet for a long time. When he finally spoke, his tone was dead and clinical. “We have to. The corporation is an empire Dad and Mom built together. We can’t let her hog all the control. Audrey has waited long enough, she deserves a proper title and a piece of the pie.” Tears blurred the harsh fluorescent lights above me. The nurse froze, her hands hovering. “Did I hurt you, sweetie?” I shook my head. I genuinely couldn’t tell if the raw flesh on my back hurt more than the gaping hole in my soul. The people who were supposed to be my anchor were not only perfectly fine with paralyzing me, but they were also actively plotting to steal the empire I had bled for. Were we a family, or were we mortal enemies locked in a cage? Within the hour, my personal assistant’s number lit up my phone repeatedly. When I finally managed to answer, her panicked voice filled my ear. Rumors were spreading like wildfire through the executive board that the physical trauma had triggered a complete psychotic break. Along with the texts came supposed “evidence” photos of me thrashing around in the hospital bed, looking absolutely unhinged. [If Victoria stays CEO in this state, the company is going straight into the ground!] [I always heard she was mentally fragile under pressure. Guess it’s true.] [Wes has to step up and take over the board right now. For the sake of the shareholders!] Every single message was a dagger twisting in my gut. My whole body seized in a violent tremor. Sophie rushed into the room, snatching the phone from my weak grip with a look of profound pity. “Mom, stop looking at that garbage. It’s just internet trolls.” Wes was already on his own phone, barking orders with righteous fury. “Find out who leaked this! I want heads rolling by morning!” Connor stood by my bed, his face a portrait of righteous guilt. “I’ve already got the PR team working on crisis management. Don’t worry, Mom. As long as we’re here, nobody is going to touch you.” Their synchronized routine was a masterclass in manipulation. Not a single missed cue. It made me want to vomit. Wes crouched down so we were eye to eye, his gaze intensely genuine. “Victoria, no matter what storms come our way, you will always be the love of my life.” Sophie nodded fiercely. “We love you so much, Mom!” The corporate PR fire was quickly put out online. But the poison had already seeped into the boardroom. My reputation as the ruthless, untouchable corporate queen was in ashes. Even if my body miraculously healed, they had ensured I could never reclaim my throne. Let alone walk back into the sunlight. The lead physician returned with my final scan results, his expression grim. “The spinal damage is extensive and likely irreversible. We’re seeing multi-organ stress, and the nervous system is…” He hesitated, taking a deep breath. “The most pressing issue is a subdural hematoma pressing against her cerebral cortex. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, she could face permanent cognitive impairment.” Wes looked like he had been struck by lightning. “Cognitive impairment? You mean brain damage?” Sophie’s eyes welled with perfectly timed tears. “No… how could this happen?” They were thorough. They had orchestrated the perfect hit to shatter me both physically and mentally. That pristine, white sand beach was going to be the cage I rotted in forever. “Doctor, I don’t care what it costs,” Wes demanded, his voice thick with emotion. “You do whatever it takes to fix my wife!” “We will do everything medically possible,” the doctor promised. Wes, a man who built his career on stoic ruthlessness, openly broke down in tears beside my bed. “Stay with me, Victoria. I am never giving up on you!” I didn’t believe a single syllable. Once the room finally emptied out, I dragged my heavy, unresponsive hand toward the hidden panic button taped under the mattress rail. “This is Victoria. Initiate protocol Omega. Now.” Thirty minutes later, Wes rushed back in, his voice cracking. “Victoria, you’re awake? God, I was losing my mind, I thought we lost you…” He buried his face in my neck, practically suffocating me with his embrace. “I am not letting anything else happen to you!” As he pulled away, he shot Sophie a very specific, sharp look. She instantly whipped out her phone, gasping in manufactured delight. “Mom! That elite surgical team I called? They just boarded a private jet from London. They said there is absolute hope for your case! We’re getting you into surgery the second they land!” I stared at their lying faces, my own expression entirely hollow. They were only acting proactive now because they realized a brain-damaged wife would be useless to them. I needed to be somewhat lucid to legally sign over my assets to Audrey. I didn’t need their cheap, calculated mercy. 3 “Wes, just let it go.” He gripped the bed rails, his eyes wide. “Victoria, what are you talking about? This surgery is your only shot. If we don’t do this, you’re looking at a lifetime of paralysis and dementia.” I slowly shook my head. I was entirely past the point of caring. He opened his mouth to argue, but Connor pushed the door open, his face practically glowing. “Dad, Audrey is here.” Wes couldn’t suppress the flash of raw joy in his eyes. “Victoria, Audrey came to see you. Let me help you sit up.” He didn’t care that moving me sent blinding pain shooting up my spine. He cranked the bed up roughly, forcing me upright. My stomach churned with cold disgust. Audrey. The precious, untouchable ghost who had haunted my marriage for two decades. Wes had hidden her brilliantly. I only discovered her existence a few months ago when I intercepted a private email server. In their twisted little narrative, Audrey was a fragile, kind-hearted saint. Why would a saint come to visit the woman she was actively replacing? “Victoria, my god, are you okay? Wes and the kids have been absolute wrecks. I just had to come check on you.” Audrey floated into the room, a picture of delicate, helpless concern. My eyes immediately dropped to the potted plant in her hands. A sprawling, heavily thorned cactus. The universally understood symbol for isolation. For being untouchable and alone. Catching my stare, Audrey offered a sheepish, apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry, Victoria. I rushed over so fast, this was the only thing the hospital florist had left. People say cacti ward off bad energy. I hope you don’t mind.” She turned her doe eyes toward my husband. “Actually… Wes, could I grab a minute alone with Victoria?” She played the sweet, non-threatening angel flawlessly. Wes, naturally, melted. “Of course. Try to keep her spirits up.” The literal second the door clicked shut behind them, Audrey’s fragile mask vaporized. She stood over my bed, her eyes sweeping over my broken body with naked, euphoric triumph. “Who would have thought the great, terrifying CEO Victoria would end up a pathetic piece of meat strapped to a bed.” I met her gaze, my voice like crushed ice. “At least I’m not a cheap mistress spending her best years rotting in the shadows.” Her face twitched, a flash of ugly rage breaking through. “Call me whatever you want! I’m the one Wes actually loves!” “If he loved you that much, you wouldn’t have spent twenty years being my dirty little secret.” Audrey’s features contorted before settling into a cruel, jagged smirk. “You really don’t get it, do you, Victoria? Wes signed off on the kids’ little ‘accident’ plan. They were the ones who recorded your psychotic hospital freak-out and leaked it to your board.” She leaned in closer, dropping her voice to a venomous whisper. “And while those men were having their fun breaking your bones on that beach, while you were screaming into your phone begging your family for help? They were taking a lovely evening stroll with me.” “To them, Victoria, you are worth less than the dirt on my shoes.” Even though I had pieced it together, hearing the sheer brutality of it spoken aloud made my chest cave in. Audrey’s eyes glittered with malice. “If I were you, I’d just pull the plug. Do yourself a favor and hand over the title of ‘wife’ and the company shares peacefully…” She crossed her arms, waiting for me to shatter. To scream and cry. But my heart had already been reduced to ash. You can’t kill something that’s already dead. “You want it all? Take it. You can have the trash I’m done with.” Audrey let out a high, grating laugh. “Oh, you don’t even know the half of it. The board has already restructured. Wes has absolute controlling interest now. And you… you get to be a crippled vegetable for the rest of your miserable life.” “But honestly… that’s not enough for me. I want Wes and the kids to actively despise you.” Before I could process her words, she took two steps backward and violently slammed her own forehead into the sharp metal corner of my medical cart. Blood instantly poured down her face. As she collapsed to the floor, she hissed one final thing at me. “By the way, Wes only wanted you a little banged up. I’m the one who paid the thugs extra to make sure you wished you were dead.” I stared down at her, every ounce of sorrow vaporizing, leaving behind nothing but cold, absolute absolute malice. A second later, Audrey let out a bloodcurdling, theatrical scream that echoed down the hallway. Wes smashed the door open, shoving a massive heart monitor out of the way to dive onto the floor next to her. “Audrey! Oh my god, what happened?!” Connor and Sophie sprinted in right behind him, instantly screaming for my doctors to come save Audrey. Their entire universe revolved around the woman bleeding on the floor. Not a single one of them noticed that Wes had violently shoved the heavy heart monitor directly onto my broken arm, reopening my surgical stitches. Blood was soaking through my sheets. Audrey clutched her forehead, sobbing hysterically. “Don’t be mad at Victoria! It was my fault, I said the wrong thing and triggered her! Victoria, I’m so sorry, please don’t hurt yourself anymore…” Wes’s face morphed into a mask of pure, unadulterated hatred. He glared at me like I was a monster. “Audrey came here out of the goodness of her heart to comfort you, and you actually assault her?! You ungrateful bitch!” Connor looked at me with profound disgust. “You really have gone insane, Mom. You deserve exactly what you got. If Audrey needs stitches, I swear to God I will never forgive you.” They scooped her off the floor and rushed out of the room, leaving a trail of her blood behind. They didn’t look back once. Good. Let this be the end. The next time we cross paths, it will be a bloodbath. Wes dragged Audrey through every scan the hospital offered, only remembering I existed when the doctors confirmed she just had a superficial cut that wouldn’t even scar. I heard him tell Sophie in the hallway, “Go buy your mother some of that overpriced organic soup she likes. I was a little harsh earlier, she’s probably throwing a pity party.” Ten minutes later, Wes’s phone rang. It was Sophie. “Dad! Mom is gone! She left a letter from a massive corporate law firm on the bed! And Dad… our stock is tanking. A shell corporation just launched a massive hostile takeover of our entire firm!”

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Tallie stalked my Instagram grid for four entire years. She was absolutely convinced I was a billionaire heiress living in secret. Right before graduation, she managed to get her hands on a bizarre, supernatural artifact. She secretly fed both of our names into this so-called “Wealth Swap System” and forcibly traded our bank accounts. She stared at me with pure triumph. Her tone dripped with arrogant entitlement. “Don’t blame me for being ruthless, sweetie. You’re the one constantly flexing those penthouses and designer bags online. A real rich girl like you won’t even miss this pocket change, right?” Right at that moment, my phone screen lit up with a notification. It was a $0.50 refund receipt from a cheap discount shopping app. I stared at that tiny number, completely frozen. I was just a broke college student faking a lavish lifestyle online! 1 Tallie slammed the glowing parchment onto my desk. Our names were scrawled across the vintage leather in bold ink. A bizarre, blood-red light pulsed over the letters. She loudly announced that the system was permanently bound. “Avery, starting right now, your billions belong entirely to me!” Every single asset to my name was currently transferring to hers. My mind went completely blank. I lunged forward to snatch the glowing parchment. Tallie dodged with ease and held the scroll high above her head. A mechanical, icy voice echoed out of thin air right inside our dorm room. “Wealth swap complete. The process is irreversible. Binding permanently active.” I frantically pulled out my phone and tapped my banking app. The $0.50 I had saved up to split a bulk order of toilet paper was completely gone. The screen displayed a massive, mocking zero. Tallie was practically drooling over the progress bar on her own phone screen. She erupted into hysterical laughter. “Yes! It’s rolling in! I can literally smell the money!” I looked up at her crazed expression and desperately tried to explain. “Tallie, you are out of your mind! I don’t have any money!” “Those limited-edition Birkin bags on my feed were rented with a bunch of other girls online!” “You just inherited a massive disaster!” Tallie smacked the desk, violently cutting off my warnings. “Keep acting! Keep playing the victim!” She quickly pulled up a screenshot I posted last night, showing a location tag at a Park Avenue penthouse. She shoved her phone screen so close it almost hit my nose. “You’re worth billions. You post skyline views from luxury real estate every single day!” “But in real life, you’re a cheapskate who steals my shampoo! You capitalists are all the same. The richer you are, the stingier you get!” Her screeching drew a crowd. Students from down the hall gathered outside our door to watch the drama unfold. Tallie spun around and proudly announced it to the entire floor. “Listen up, everyone! Avery just got stripped of all her family wealth by a magic system!” “She is a total, pathetic beggar now!” Instead of calling campus security, the crowd started pointing fingers and laughing at me. “I always hated her guts. Walking around with that fake humble attitude while carrying a Hermès bag.” “Exactly. I asked her for a loan once and she totally ignored me. Rich and greedy.” “Karma finally got her. Serves her right!” They fed off each other’s toxic energy, unleashing years of petty jealousy right at my face. I pulled out my phone and opened my messages, frantically trying to find the chat logs from my discount rental group. Tallie lunged forward and snatched the phone right out of my hand. She raised her arm high and smashed my phone directly onto the concrete floor. The screen shattered into a spiderweb of glass. Pieces of plastic scattered everywhere. “Do you honestly think faking some text messages will fool me, Avery?” “You’re just trying to fabricate evidence of being poor to stall for time until your rich family saves you, right?” “Well, it’s not going to work!” Tristan, the reigning frat-boy heartthrob of our department, pushed his way through the crowd. He usually spent his weekends trailing after me like a lost puppy. Now, he walked straight over and stood shoulder to shoulder with Tallie. He shoved me hard. I fell backward onto the floor. My palms scraped against the rough concrete, oozing warm blood. Tristan turned to Tallie with the most sickening, flattering smile I had ever seen. Then he pointed a finger down at me and started screaming. “Avery, I always saw right through your disgusting, elitist facade!” “You used to look at the rest of us like we were trash.” “Look who’s the actual trash now!” Tallie soaked up his loyalty with a wicked grin, laughing until she was out of breath. 2 Tallie immediately whipped out her credit card. The system required twenty-four hours to fully settle the swapped assets, so she decided to run up her own credit limit in the meantime. “Once my billions hit the account tomorrow, I’ll just buy the entire bank!” She made a call and ordered the most expensive omakase sushi delivery for the entire dorm floor. She purposefully left me out. Less than half an hour later, the delivery arrived. The mouthwatering scent of premium sashimi and seared Wagyu beef filled the stuffy room. The other girls swarmed Tallie, kissing the ground she walked on. Tallie picked up the most expensive slice of A5 Wagyu with her chopsticks. Holding eye contact with me, she casually dropped the premium meat straight into the garbage can. “Ugh, this cut is a little tough. I wouldn’t even feed this to a stray dog.” She gave me a condescending smirk. “And I’m definitely not feeding it to you.” I ignored her completely. I stood up, grabbed a cheap cup of instant noodles, and walked toward the water dispenser. Tallie gave Tristan a subtle look. Tristan rushed forward and snatched my thermos right out of my hands. “Beggars don’t get purified hot water. Go drink from the bathroom sink!” he sneered. Swallowing my boiling rage, I dug into my drawer and pulled out my old, cracked backup phone. I was going to dial 911. Tallie saw what I was doing and laughed like a maniac. “Call them! Go ahead and cry to the cops!” “The system’s magic overrides human laws!” “The police have zero jurisdiction over supernatural wealth transfers!” I ignored her nonsense and pressed the dial button. Before the call could even connect, Dean Rollins pushed his way into the room to investigate the noise complaint. Tallie didn’t even flinch when she saw the campus administrator. She simply opened her banking app and wired five thousand dollars directly into the Dean’s personal Venmo account. “Consider this a personal donation to the alumni fund, sir.” Dean Rollins looked at the notification on his screen. A massive, greasy smile spread across his face. He turned around and glared at me with absolute authority. “Avery! What is wrong with you? You have zero sense of community!” “Tallie is out here showing incredible generosity, and you’re starting fights in the dorms!” He refused to listen to a single word I said. Citing my “disruptive behavior,” he ordered me to pack my things and vacate the dorm building immediately. I stepped forward, fighting for my rights. “Sir, she stole my property and physically destroyed my phone!” “I demand you check the hallway security cameras right now!” The Dean frowned and looked at the crowd of students. Every single girl on the floor stepped up and lied through their teeth. “We saw the whole thing, Dean Rollins. Avery went crazy and smashed her own phone.” “Yeah, she even tried to attack Tallie.” Tristan casually walked over and brought his heavy boot down directly onto my backup phone, which had slipped from my hand. The satisfying crunch of breaking glass filled the room. The backup device was completely dead. “Oops. My bad. Didn’t see it there,” Tristan said, his voice dripping with fake apology. I was completely cut off from the outside world. I patted my empty pockets. I didn’t even have a few coins left to rent a campus bicycle. Tallie marched straight over to my closet. She ripped the doors open and dragged my suitcase out by the handle. She hauled it to the second-floor balcony and, without a second of hesitation, hurled it over the railing. A loud crash echoed from below. The suitcase burst open on the pavement. All my cheap, five-dollar discount clothes scattered across the road. A campus street sweeper drove by, drenching my entire wardrobe in filthy, muddy water. 3 That evening, the university hosted its grand graduation gala in the main auditorium. Everyone was dressed to the nines, glowing in tailored suits and sparkling dresses. I walked right through the front doors wearing the dirty, mud-stained t-shirt I had salvaged from the street. I was desperately looking for higher university officials to report the insane events of the afternoon. The moment I stepped inside, the spotlights snapped toward the entrance. Tallie made her grand entrance wearing a staggeringly expensive haute couture gown she had bought by maxing out her credit cards. The dress was clearly two sizes too small, digging painfully into her waist. Around her neck hung an absurdly massive diamond necklace. The blinding sparkle drew breathless screams from the crowd. “Wow! Tallie looks like a queen!” “Now that is what true old money looks like!” Tallie soaked up the worship. She strutted onto the stage in six-inch stilettos and snatched the microphone from the host. “Drinks and food for the entire night are on me!” “And I’ll be drawing ten random names tonight to win the newest flagship iPhones!” The room exploded into absolute chaos. Students chanted her name like she was a goddess. “Long live Tallie!” “Tallie is a legend!” Taking advantage of the screaming crowd, I shoved my way to the front row. I ripped a spare microphone out of a tech guy’s hands. I screamed into it with everything I had. “She is lying to all of you! That necklace is fake!” “My net worth is entirely in the red! All she inherited was a mountain of debt!” My voice echoed through the massive speakers, booming across the hall. The auditorium went dead silent for exactly one second. Tristan reacted instantly. He bolted backstage and ripped the power cord straight out of the soundboard. My microphone went completely dead. Two burly security guards, heavily bribed by Tallie earlier, charged at me from the shadows. They violently twisted my arms behind my back, locking me in a brutal hold. I thrashed and kicked, but their grip was like iron. Tallie strolled down the stage steps, casually holding a crystal glass overflowing with red wine. She stopped right in front of me. Her eyes were pure poison. With a flick of her wrist, she poured the entire glass of wine directly over my head. The dark red liquid dripped down my hair. It ran down my cheeks and soaked into my already ruined collar. The crowd erupted into vicious insults. “Get this broke loser out of here!” “If you’re jealous of Tallie’s wealth, just admit it! Stop seeking attention!” Tallie lifted her foot. She brought her razor-sharp stiletto heel down hard onto my sneaker, grinding it brutally into my toes. “How does it feel at the bottom of the food chain, Avery?” she whispered directly into my ear. Pain shot up my leg, bringing cold sweat to my forehead. I clenched my jaw, staring deadly daggers into her smug face. Tristan walked over and handed Tallie a silk napkin to wipe her fingers. “Don’t get your hands dirty on her, Tallie.” Tristan turned his head and gave me a look of pure disgust. “You’re nothing but a stray dog now. Get the hell out of our sight.” 4 The guards practically carried me out and tossed me onto the cold pavement outside the campus gates like a bag of trash. My bones ached. Every joint felt bruised. The freezing asphalt sent a violent shiver down my spine. Heavy raindrops began to fall, soaking me to the bone in seconds. I felt miserable, humiliated, and chilled to my very core. Meanwhile, Tallie and her sycophants had relocated to the presidential suite of the city’s most elite five-star hotel. Champagne. Caviar. Endless luxury. They were throwing the party of the century. Completely drenched, I wrapped my arms around myself and huddled on the concrete steps of a 24-hour convenience store. At least the small awning kept the worst of the rain off my head. Across the street, a massive LED billboard on the side of a shopping mall suddenly roared to life. The blinding light cut through the rain, illuminating the entire block. Tallie’s heavily contoured, arrogant face filled the gigantic screen. A moment later, her screeching, amplified voice echoed through the city streets. “Listen up, citizens!” “If anyone spots a homeless beggar named Avery out on the streets tonight.” “Make her get on her knees and beg for mercy. Send me the video.” “I will personally wire a hundred thousand dollars in cash to whoever does it!” A hundred thousand dollars. To buy my absolute humiliation. A group of shady-looking thugs sheltering from the rain down the block stopped talking. Their eyes darted between the massive glowing billboard and my shivering figure on the steps. Under the flickering orange glow of a streetlight, they recognized my face. Greedy, predatory grins spread across their faces. They pulled out their phones and started closing in on me. “Well, well. If it isn’t the hundred-grand princess.” The leader, a guy with bleached blonde hair, sneered as he stepped directly into my personal space. He grabbed my jacket, yanked me off the steps, and shoved me roughly against the brick wall of the alleyway. The cold brick dug into my spine. He raised his hand, winding up to slap me across the face. His phone camera was pointed right at me. The ultimate humiliation was seconds away. Right at that exact moment. Sirens wailed in the distance. The ear-piercing sound of police cruisers erupted from the direction of the luxury hotel downtown, tearing through the quiet rainy night. The blonde thug froze mid-swing. Everyone instinctively turned toward the flashing red and blue lights reflecting off the clouds. I lifted my head and looked past his shoulder, locking eyes with the digital clock inside the convenience store window. The minutes were ticking down to the absolute limit. The system’s 24-hour settlement period was entering its final five minutes. Over in the presidential suite, Tallie’s global livestream was hitting its absolute peak. She had burned cash to buy premium front-page promotion on the biggest streaming platform. She wanted a million live viewers to witness the exact second her billionaire status became official. On camera, Tristan and the Dean pushed their faces into the frame, looking like absolute clowns. “Keep your eyes peeled, chat! You’re about to witness real royalty!” Tristan screamed into the lens. Tallie sat like a queen on the velvet sofa, basking in the endless stream of digital gifts and toxic hype from the chat. The countdown hit the final ten seconds. Tallie raised a crystal flute of champagne and chanted along with her viewers. “Ten, nine, eight…” “Three, two, one!” “System settlement complete!” The massive screen in the livestream synced directly with Tallie’s banking interface.

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