Category: English

When Julian Vance and Wendy’s bed photos hit the headlines again. Everyone was speculating how I would go crazy this time. Julian even abandoned a multi-million dollar business deal he was negotiating to explain to me. “About the bed photos, Wendy is also a victim, don’t you…” I touched my pregnant belly, didn’t argue or make trouble. “Rest assured, I understand.” Julian sat down satisfied, but I thought to myself. He is not a qualified husband, fortunately, I am not a perfect wife either. Chapter 1 [Your appointment for prenatal checkup will start in one hour.] Phone ringtone broke the dead silence in the living room. After I turned off the phone, Julian asked me. “Who sent the message?” I vaguely explained, “Just a physical examination message from the hospital.” “I have something to deal with, won’t be back tonight.” Just as I was about to go out. Julian hugged my waist from behind. “Scarlett, why did you suddenly become so sensible?” Julian had a strong smell of Cologne on him. Before, I was always deeply addicted to this smell, unable to extricate myself. Now, I find it exceptionally unpleasant and disgusting. I gently pushed him away, eyes lazy. “I hate the smell on you.” Julian’s face turned gloomy, he pressed me against the wall, leaned down. “You really should learn from Wendy, how to please your husband.” His breath sprayed on my neck, words ambiguous. “How about one day, I let Wendy teach you some tricks, so you can keep me longer.” I turned my head away not wanting to look at him, Julian touched my chin. “You being so obedient is somewhat novel.” He wanted to kiss me, pushed away by me, he wasn’t angry either. “Aren’t you going to the hospital, I’ll send you.” I frowned looking at Julian opening the car door for me, still got in. Opened the door, the passenger seat cushion turned pink, even the seat belt was in the shape of a bear. Julian chuckled indifferently, “Little girls love these pink things, unlike you.” I looked at that passenger seat, eyes a bit sore. Which girl doesn’t love pink? I also wanted to decorate the passenger seat of Julian’s car in pink once. But Julian directly rejected me. He said, “Pink is tender, how old are you now?” That year, I was only twenty-five. Perhaps my face was indeed not good, Julian promised me. “Tomorrow I’ll have someone remove these things.” I closed the car door, got into the back seat, “It’s okay, little girl, understandable.” Julian’s lips almost pressed into a straight line, silent all the way. Just entered the hospital gate, Wendy pounced towards Julian. Even subtly pushed me, luckily I was guarded against her. Otherwise very likely would fall. Julian held her, even lifted her butt up a few times. “Stop it.” Although his words were blaming, the tone was exceptionally gentle. Turns out he didn’t specially send me to the hospital. Just on the way. I didn’t want to watch them flirt anymore, turned and walked towards the hospital interior. Julian wanted to chase me, but was pulled by acting spoiled Wendy. “Brother Julian, I also feel a bit uncomfortable.” Such means, I have seen often. Last time, was at a charity gala. Wendy bid against me on the same stage, but failed due to insufficient financial resources. Julian thought I bullied her. So in front of all power holders in New York, he made me lose face. Let me lose face completely in the circle. Even if I took out evidence, but Wendy just casually acted spoiled and silly. Julian unhesitatingly favored her. Thinking of this, I shook my head self-mockingly. Agreed not to care about him anymore, why think about these. I met the doctor, she said the fetus development is all good. So, first time I got the checkup report. I sent a message to the child’s dad. [Doctor said the child is all good, see you at Sky Restaurant tonight.] Phone rang, the other side replied a “Kiss” emoji. I couldn’t help laughing. Chapter 2 I prepared to leave, familiar voice came from the next consulting room. My steps involuntarily stopped, looked inside. Wendy was crying in Julian’s arms. “Great, Brother Julian, we finally have a child.” Julian’s voice soft enough to kill, “Have a child then raise well.” Wendy’s voice timid with probing, “Then what about Mrs. Vance?” Julian’s face changed a few times, “Your child is also Mrs. Vance’s child.” I heard this, only felt a burst of numbness in heart. Julian doesn’t love me anymore, but he refuses to divorce. Even now wants me to raise his illegitimate child. But, based on what? I didn’t want to waste time here, so went out. Not far away a couple happened to come out with me. Husband carefully supported wife’s waist, wife coquettishly complained. “Just pregnant, not that delicate.” Husband said firmly, “I can’t share the pain of pregnancy, but I will do my best to take care of you.” Two looked at each other and smiled, affection between each other. Scene in front was so warm, I couldn’t help thinking of the past. First time learned pregnancy, I excitedly couldn’t sleep all night. Next day Julian worked overtime back home, I told him first time. I searched from memory, what was Julian’s reaction then? He held me spinning in the living room, like a fool. I thought that was my happiest time. But, Wendy came back not long after. My relationship with Julian went back to before. Later, that child was gone. Screech, a car stopped in front of me. Passenger window slowly lowered, Wendy smiled very proudly. She touched her belly looking at me, “Mrs. Vance, afraid have to wrong you sit in the back.” “Brother Julian said I just got pregnant, can’t bump in the back.” Julian frowned looking at Wendy, then looked at me. “How was your doctor visit?” I put away the report, face already returned to calm. “Fine.” Not waiting for Julian to speak, I rejected him first. “I told you before, not going back tonight, we are not on the way.” Wendy pretended “Oh”. “Mrs. Vance said right, not same road indeed can’t walk together, forcing won’t be happy.” I looked at Wendy with a smile yet not a smile, “Me and Julian haven’t divorced yet, not your turn a mistress to lecture me.” Wendy lowered eyes, tears about to fall, grievance on body almost couldn’t cover. Julian immediately distressed hugged her to comfort, then glared at me. “Scarlett, apologize.” I sneered, “Why should I apologize, which sentence did I say wrong.” Wendy instantly burst into tears crying extremely sad, Julian eyes sank. He let people pull me into the car, suddenly in some alley, Julian stopped the car. I watched him kiss Wendy’s lips in front of me, tsk tsk saliva sound constant. What is this? Julian hugged panting Wendy teasing, “Wendy body soft like water, not hurry teach Mrs. Vance how to serve man?” Wendy laughed strangely, leaned down. Julian hand pressed Wendy’s head, eyes dead staring at me. I looked at the scene in front, only felt disgusting terrible. Car door locked, I bent over constantly retching. Stomach violent spasm made me painful tears flowed full face. Don’t know how long passed, Julian sighed comfortably. I wiped a tear, sat in back seat closing eyes. Julian satisfied touched Wendy’s head, “You are much better than her, some people in bed like wood, boring to extreme.” I had to admit, even if I already completely gave up on Julian. But hearing Julian’s disgust, I still would feel a little heartache. It’s okay, as long as time is long enough. I definitely can walk out. I touched my belly, felt much better in heart. Chapter 3 Afterwards, Julian let Wendy get off the car. All the way, we looked at each other speechless silence. Finally he couldn’t bear it, fiercely stepped on brake. I subconsciously covered my belly, he didn’t see. He smashed steering wheel eyes scarlet, “Scarlett Lane, when will you torture me until?” My face appeared sarcasm, “What did I do?” “Even you guys doing in front of me, I endured, what else you want me to do?” Julian suddenly cold face, “Wendy’s child, is I didn’t handle well, I apologize to you.” “Her first pregnancy, crying begging me keep the child, so…” Her first pregnancy so Julian reluctant, then does he still remember how our first child was gone? When I was three months pregnant, because fetal position unstable raising fetus at home. But accidentally received Wendy’s provocation video. In video, she was doing with Julian in front of French window. That French window I recognized at a glance, that was when we just married. Wedding gift Julian gave me, is a hotel exclusively under my name. That room even not open to public, but now. Julian actually messing with Wendy in that place. I received video first time killed over. I smashed whole hotel, even stripped Wendy naked threw on street. I hysterically roared at Julian. “Julian Vance, I loved you sixteen years, you also swore never fail me, why you treat me like this?” “Especially this woman, is still a chicken (prostitute).” I thought I could wake up Julian, but Julian just slow orderly buttoning buttons. “Chicken also better than you, at least she knows how to please people.” That sentence directly beat me into abyss. Warm hotel four seasons like spring, I however freezing trembling all over. Also that time, let me lose first child. From that day, Julian and Wendy completely moved to table surface. They in pairs attend major banquets balls, Julian even personally help Wendy integrate into Elite Circle. With his help, Wendy step by step stood firm in circle. Even, company Wendy established faintly compete market with my company. All this, Julian saw in eyes, but never stopped. People in circle all laughing at me, licked dog licked ten years gain nothing. Julian lit a cigarette, in smoke his words came over. “And I plan, this child born give you raise.” I lowered eyes cover sarcasm in eyes. Who rare your child? I not no child. “No need, I…” My words not finished, Julian already changed face. “I already guaranteed like this, why you still cold face?” I dumbfounded laugh, “Julian, how about we just calculate like this?” My voice very light, Julian suddenly sneer. “Scarlett Lane, you changed what new trick again?” No trick, I just tired. Julian suddenly answered a call. “What? I come immediately.” Then he looked at me, eyes forest cold. “Don’t regret.” I understood warning in Julian words. But I don’t want care, got off car. Almost my foot just land, car roared away. I looked at car back thinking. How anxious is he ah, to even ignore traffic lights. Clearly before, Julian was a person carved rules into bones ah. Still remember I just married into Vance family, because midnight stomach pain need family doctor. But Julian refused me with excuse family doctor on vocation, shouldn’t disturb. If not I dialed emergency call myself before coma. Afraid then I would die in Vance family. Even next day, Julian came hospital see me. Also just a light sorry then ended. That time me, actually took this sentence as Julian introverted love. I shook head, hailed taxi on roadside went to Sky Hotel. But at hotel door received father’s message. Chapter 4 [Lane Group recently funds somewhat difficult, I found Julian several times, he refused see me.] I looked at message frown, what is he making trouble again? Vent anger for Wendy? I replied message. [Dad, you go back first, I go find him talk.] I took out phone sent message to child’s dad. [Home accident, tonight date cancel.] Phone soon rang, a message popped out. [Need my help?] I somewhat tangled, finger hovered on screen long time then reply. [Okay.] I returned Vance house. Villa brightly lit. Second floor window projected two tightly snuggled figures. That is bedroom direction. I quietly approached, heard Wendy acting spoiled. “Brother Julian, this dress indeed very good, just a bit small.” Julian laughed dull, “You be careful, this is Scarlett mother’s relic.” Boom a sound, my brain a burst sky spin earth turn. Julian actually gave my wedding dress to Wendy wear. That dress was my mother hand made, to collect diamonds on it. She personally went South Africa mines, one by one picked for me. More for embroidering this wedding dress, tired bad eyes. Julian he clearly knew significance of this wedding dress. Suddenly, inside Wendy screamed. “Brother Julian, this dress torn, what do?” I couldn’t bear anymore, directly pushed door enter. Wendy scared hid into Julian arms, I directly gave her a slap. Wendy instantly wuwuwu cried up, Julian frown. “Just a wedding dress, as for throwing such big temper?” This sentence let my numb heart pain again. Just a wedding dress? My eyes too sorrowful, Julian let Wendy take off wedding dress. Wedding dress already deformed, no longer look of back then. I held wedding dress went guest room, prepared good collect. Wendy however don’t know when touched over. She hooked lip smile, “How you so cheap, all entered room by me to this step, still dead rely not go.” I sneer, “I rather want divorce, but Julian not allow.” “You so capable, you go find him ah.” I turned want leave, Wendy suddenly fell on ground. “Brother Julian, save my child.” Almost instant, Julian rushed over. He look furious staring me. “Scarlett Lane, my previous warning you didn’t put in heart a bit.” I retreated half step, “I didn’t push her, she fake fall herself.” Julian however distressed hugged Wendy in arms. “Wendy nature gentle kind, absolutely won’t frame you.” Wendy also cry, “All my bad, I shouldn’t appear in front of Mrs. Vance.” This sentence let Julian ruthless. “Mrs. Vance brain not clear, help Mrs. Vance sober up.” I wanted flee, bodyguards behind blocked. They put full a pool of water. And pressed my head into water. I childhood once drowned water, so very fear water. Julian knew, I struggled shout. “Julian, I will die.” I thought, he somewhat would care old feeling. But he just gently frown. “Scarlett, not give you a lesson, you won’t learn behave.” “My people have measure, won’t really hurt you.” Just like this, turbid water soaked my head. I desperately struggled, mind flashed look of falling water back then. Panic and despair wrapped me. My abdomen also came a burst sharp pain. “Stop!” Just when I despair, I heard that familiar voice. Soon, I was pulled up hugged in arms. “Scarlett, are you okay?” I crazy coughed, body couldn’t help trembling. But my heart settled down. Because I realized, Xavier Sterling came. Julian saw Xavier first time was confusion. “Why you came?” Xavier brows eyes like ice, peach blossom eyes all killing intent. “You want kill my wife and child, of course I have to come!”

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1 My dad suddenly wanted to go on a trip to Blackwood National Forest. He also bought me a life insurance policy. The payout amount was terrifyingly high. He said I was the backbone of the family and deserved to be prioritized. He even made a point of telling my brother to take extra good care of me that day. I was overwhelmed. I didn’t just scout the route and plan the trip in advance; I secretly bought massive policies for him and the rest of the family, too. One accident, a ten-million-dollar payout. After all, this was my second time around. I already knew what it was like to go hiking with them. I knew exactly how horribly I would die. … “See, honey? Who’s Dad’s favorite?!” “The whole family got insurance, but yours has the biggest payout by far.” The moment the insurance agent left, my dad started trying to take credit. After all, everyone else’s premium was a few hundred dollars. Mine was ten thousand. Getting him to part with ten grand was like pulling teeth. I kept my head down, scrolling through my phone without a word. “What, you’re not happy?” “Come on, have a beer with your old man. Let’s talk.” He patted my head, grabbing a couple of beers and a bowl of peanuts, waving me over. Whenever I was troubled, he’d always been a good listener. This would be our last heart-to-heart. “Dad, I don’t want to go hiking,” I said, looking him straight in the eye. “I want to go to the coast.” “We’re surrounded by mountains here. There’s no need to travel so far just to hike somewhere else.” “I’d rather see the ocean.” “Wouldn’t wading in the water and collecting seashells be more relaxing than climbing a mountain?” My dad’s hand paused, the beer glass halfway to his lips. He glanced at me, then looked down and took a long drink. “What’s there to see at the ocean? A rogue wave could sweep you away and no one would ever find you.” “But the mountains… it’s a contained space. No matter what happens, they’ll always find you.” Find my body, you mean? A cold laugh echoed in my mind. In my last life, not only did they fail to find me, they complained that I was useless even in death. “That’s final,” my dad said, his guilt giving way to irritation. He stood and walked out of the room. My heart plunged into an icy abyss, all warmth extinguished. His plan was just as ruthless as before. My brother, Kyle, looked at me, exasperated. “Sis, you really don’t appreciate anything, do you?” “Dad spent ten thousand dollars on you, and you can’t even say thank you? Now you want to go to the beach?” “Do you have any idea how much that would cost? You should be grateful we’re going hiking at all.” I laughed, a tremor running through my entire body. “You’re right. Dad is the best. I should be on my knees, thanking my lucky stars for all of you.” Kyle was speechless, just staring at me. My mom came out and slapped me hard on the back. “What’s that supposed to mean, you ungrateful brat? Everyone knows your father loves you the most.” “Just because you didn’t get your way, you’re going to throw a tantrum?” “Have you ever seen him spend money on anyone the way he does on you? That was ten thousand dollars!” Yes. Ten thousand dollars. Ten thousand dollars would be a nice contribution to my brother’s wedding fund, but it was a drop in the bucket for a house and a car. So, they decided to make a bigger bet. They were leveraging ten thousand dollars at a thousand-to-one return, and my life was the price. With the payout, they’d have a house, a car, a daughter-in-law, even enough for retirement. What a profitable business. The happiness of an entire family, all for the low cost of one daughter. He really was so good to me. I stood up, brushing off non-existent dust, and walked toward the door. “Where are you going?” my mom yelled after me. “What? Can’t handle a little criticism?” “I’m going to buy Dad some BBQ ribs.” “Can’t let that ten thousand go to waste.” I didn’t look back. “That’s more like it! And get me some beef brisket, and a couple pounds of chili dogs for my son.” “That’s his favorite!” I agreed to it all. After all, this would be the last time they’d ever eat anything I bought for them. Consider it my final offering to the dead. 2 I ducked into an alley and pulled out my phone, opening the hidden camera app. The moment I was out the door, my dad had come right back in. “She didn’t suspect anything, did she?” my brother asked nervously. “I’m scared she’ll hit me.” My dad’s face darkened. “You’re pathetic.” My mom scurried to the door, peered out both ways, and shut it tight. “She’s gone, right?” “My heart is pounding.” My dad sat back down, unconcerned. “Long gone. You’re as useless as your son.” “She’s an adopted girl. She costs more than anyone else in this family. She should be grateful.” “If she weren’t so stubborn, this wouldn’t be necessary. She wouldn’t sleep with our boy, and she wouldn’t agree to marry that old creep Thompson. If we could have gotten the money from that, would I have to go to all this trouble?” He punctuated his rant with a kick to my brother’s shin. “You coward. Can’t even get a girl into bed.” My brother clutched his leg, whining. “Her pants were too tight, I couldn’t get them off.” “And she’s strong! She hits hard.” My mom pulled Kyle into her arms, glaring at my dad. “Why are you kicking my son? Go kick that ungrateful wolf.” “After all these years we’ve raised her! She won’t marry our son, fine. But she won’t even let us use her to get some money for him! It’s infuriating!” “I say we should have just tied her up and let him have his way. Once she had the baby, what could she do?” Kyle trembled in my mother’s embrace. “Mom, I’m scared of her! I don’t want to do it!” My mom soothed him while her voice turned venomous. “Just thinking about her makes me furious. Last time she kicked my son in the family jewels, almost made him a eunuch.” “Just wait until we get into those mountains. I’ll show her.” She turned back to Kyle. “Don’t worry, sweetie. After we get the insurance money, Mom will find you a beautiful influencer to marry.” My dad shot them a look, but a smirk played on his lips. The three of them began to dream aloud about the wonderful life they’d have once they were rich. I shut off my phone, my face a blank mask. That evening, I returned with all their favorite foods. My dad smiled, his eyes gleaming with the satisfaction of a hunter who has tamed his prey. As he ate, he started his usual brainwashing. “Your mother and I have worked hard our whole lives to put you through college. You may only be a gym teacher, but at least it’s a stable state job. Your brother isn’t very bright. Your mother and I will have to rely on you in the future.” I ate my rice in silence. My dad’s eyes shifted. “Still mad about what happened?” He stood up, went to the kitchen, and came back with a meat cleaver. He held it out to me. “Here, honey. Take it.” “Your brother lost his mind and did something unforgivable. It’s my fault. Today, if it’ll make you feel better, you can cut him. Hell, you can chop him to pieces for all I care!” My mom froze, trying to grab the knife, but my dad shoved her aside. “It’s because of you, you useless shrew, that he turned out to be such a coward!” “That’s his sister! How could he do something so despicable?!” “Go on, honey. Whatever you do, I’ll support you.” I took the knife and looked at him, staring him straight in the eyes. “Really? You’ll support me, no matter what I do?” His gaze flickered for a moment, then he gritted his teeth. “That’s right. Your old man’s word is his bond!” I held the knife and turned to my brother. I stared at him until his legs started to shake and a dark patch spread across the front of his pants. The smell of urine filled the air as he collapsed to the floor, trembling. “Don’t… don’t kill me…” I suddenly felt bored. I tossed the cleaver onto the floor near his feet. He shrieked and passed out. I looked back at my dad. I saw a flash of murderous intent in his eyes before it was replaced by his usual harmless, folksy expression. “Dad, I forgive him.” “And I’ll go with you to Blackwood National Forest.” 3 We had just reached the foothills of Blackwood when, without warning, a light rain began to fall. The mountains in the distance were shrouded in a thick mist, like a veil separating them from the outside world, instilling a sense of dread for the unknown within. It was exactly like my past life. Last time, my dad led us into the protected nature reserve through a remote, unofficial entrance. He insisted on camping, on taking me and my brother deep into the forest to “explore.” He said that if we were going to make the trip, we had to make it worth the ticket price. I was afraid of bugs, and even more terrified of the leeches that would latch onto my legs and drink my blood, dozens of them, like tiny vampires. But I was afraid my family would be in danger, so I forced myself to follow. I never imagined that they were the real danger. This time, I would seize the initiative. As soon as we reached a flat clearing for our camp, I spoke up. “Dad, I saw online that there are some ancient ruins over to the right. Let’s go check them out.” My dad glanced to the left, a conflicted look on his face. “Come on, let’s go! Mom can stay here and rest. Maybe we can hunt a rabbit for dinner.” “It’s not worth the bus fare if we don’t have some fun.” With that, I grabbed my backpack and started walking to the right. After a moment of silence, my dad gave in. “Alright. Your mom will rest here. Your brother and I will go exploring with you.” “Slow down, be careful not to slip.” He quickly caught up and walked ahead of me, while my brother followed about three paces behind. They had me boxed in. “Dad, the path is slippery. Be careful,” I said calmly. “Mmm.” We walked for about an hour, deep into the forest. Though it was midday, the canopy was so thick that it felt like dusk. As my dad scouted the path ahead, I slowed my pace until I was walking alongside my brother. Kyle practically jumped out of his skin when I got close. I reached out and steadied him, reminding him to watch his step, then started making casual conversation. “So, Kyle, have Mom and Dad set you up on any dates lately?” His voice trembled. “They tried. I didn’t want to go.” “Sis, I won’t go in your room again. I’m scared of you.” He looked terrified, his hands protectively covering his crotch. I gently moved his hands away, telling him with a kind expression that I had already forgiven him, and that I hoped he’d get married soon. “When you have kids, I’ll be an aunt. I’ll have to give my nephew a big gift.” “Really?” The mention of money made Kyle’s eyes light up, but his face fell just as quickly. He said the family didn’t have any money, and no girl would want him. “They say I’m stupid and poor. They’d rather sleep with a log.” I stifled a laugh and continued to soothe him. When the time was right, I told him the real reason his dad had brought him here. “I saw that Dad bought himself a ten-million-dollar insurance policy. He said you’ll get the money when he dies.” “You could marry five wives with that, let alone one!” Kyle’s face lit up with joy, then confusion. “Dad didn’t tell me that. He said you were the one who—” He clamped his hand over his mouth. “Dad told me not to tell you. It’s a secret.” “He said that if I died, you’d all get the payout, right?” I asked casually. Kyle’s jaw dropped. “Sis, how did you know?” “How do you think?” I rolled my eyes. “Dad told me, of course. He also told me not to tell you.” Kyle’s face flushed with anger. “He always thinks I’m stupid! He never tells me anything! All he ever does is hit me and kick me.” Seeing his resentment, I patted his shoulder. “Hey, Dad’s going through a lot. He has a terminal illness, you know. He just doesn’t want to worry us.” Kyle’s eyes turned red. “Dad… Dad’s dying—” His emotions were at their peak. It was time for the final push. “Dad said that if he can’t bring himself to do it, he hopes you’ll give him a little push.” “Kyle, you’re the only man in the family now. You’re the one who has to be strong.” “Don’t let him down this time.” I looked at him with an expression full of hope. Kyle’s spirits lifted. He raised his hand as if taking an oath. “Don’t worry, sis. I’ll complete the mission Dad gave me!” “This time, I’ll show him— I’m not a coward!”

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“Director, we have a situation. It’s about your son. The kidnappers… they threw him. He didn’t make it.” Declan froze. He was still buttoning his shirt, the warmth of the woman on the couch behind him still clinging to the air. His pupils contracted into pinpricks. He slammed his hand onto the mahogany desk, the sound cracking through the room like a gunshot. “Why am I only hearing about this now?” The aide wiped a bead of sweat from his temple, his voice trembling. “Three days ago, sir… you gave a direct order. You said you thought your wife was pulling another stunt to check up on you. You said, under no circumstances were you to be disturbed.” Declan’s face drained of color. The blood in his veins turned to ice. … After my son – Neil died, I excised every habit of mine that Declan despised. I stopped calling to check on him. Even when he didn’t come home for days, I didn’t cry, I didn’t plead, and I certainly didn’t ask where he had been. When I fractured my arm during a training simulation and the medic asked to contact my next of kin, I just stared at the white wall. “I don’t have a husband,” I said, my voice flat. The doctor paused, recognizing me. “Mrs. Kensington? Director Kensington is literally two floors up in the briefing room. Shall I send someone for him?” Right. I had forgotten. This military hospital fell under his jurisdiction. I shook my head. “No. Don’t bother.” But thirty minutes later, Declan walked in anyway. He wore his authority like a second skin—the sharp cut of his suit, the heavy brow, the invisible weight of power that followed him into the room. “Why didn’t you call me?” I lowered my gaze to the sheets. “It’s just a hairline fracture. It’s not important.” My tone—so detached, so light—seemed to irritate him. In his memory, I was the fragile one. When we were dating, a paper cut was enough reason to curl into his lap and demand a kiss to make it better. But now, with my arm in a cast, I didn’t even frown. Declan opened his mouth to speak, but the chatter of nurses in the hallway drifted in through the open door. “Director Kensington is obsessed with Ivy. She just twisted her ankle, and he called in the entire orthopedic surgical team. He hasn’t left her side. He actually carried her to radiology.” Declan glanced at me sideways, bracing himself. He expected the old Nora—the one who would explode in jealousy, the one who would scream. Instead, I closed my eyes and leaned back against the pillow. I didn’t even twitch. The silence unnerved him more than the screaming ever did. His voice dropped, heavy with frustration. “Don’t listen to the gossip. Ivy twisted her ankle during field ops. I was just dropping her off.” “Okay,” I whispered. “Do you not believe me?” His temper flared, sudden and defensive. “I believe you,” I said, and I meant it. “She’s your subordinate. She’s your foster sister. It’s only natural you’d take care of her.” In the past, he would cold-shoulder me, lecturing me with that condescending tone: Ivy is family. I can’t just ignore her. It’s a sibling bond, Nora. Stop being psychotic. Now that I was finally acting exactly how he wanted—quiet, compliant, reasonable—he didn’t look relieved. He looked like he was suffocating. Just then, a nurse burst in. “Director! Miss Ivy is saying her ankle pain is unbearable. She’s asking for you.” Declan snapped. “If she’s in pain, get a doctor! I’m not a medic. What the hell am I supposed to do?” The nurse flinched and scrambled out. Declan turned back to me, his expression shifting to something resembling guilt. “Nora… are you still thinking about Neil? Look, what happened… it was a lapse in judgment on Ivy’s part. I’ve already reprimanded her.” He sat on the edge of the bed and reached for my hand. “We’re young. We can have other children. I’ll clear my schedule for the next week. I’ll stay here with you. Okay?” I pulled my hand away. It was a subtle movement, quiet and fluid. Declan frowned, his jaw tightening, ready to argue. But then, a commotion at the door stopped him. Ivy stumbled into the room, leaning heavily on a crutch, and dramatically collapsed in the doorway. Declan was there in a heartbeat, scooping her up. “What are you doing? You’re supposed to be on bed rest.” “I heard Nora was hurt,” Ivy sobbed, clinging to his lapels, looking up at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. Then she looked at me. “Nora, please don’t hate me. I didn’t mean for Neil to get taken… I didn’t mean for it to happen…” I didn’t speak. I just closed my eyes. Declan lowered his voice. “I’m going to take her back to her room. I’ll be right back.” He carried her out. He didn’t come back that night. Instead, my phone buzzed. It was a secure line from Special Operations Command. “Agent Ruan, are you confirming your participation in Project Chimera?” “Once you’re in, you’re deep cover for ten years. Zero contact with the outside world. That includes spouses.” “I confirm,” I said into the dark room. “Don’t worry. I’ve already filed for divorce. The cooling-off period ends in a week. I’ll have the decree in hand. I’ll be a free agent. This mission is perfect for me.” The handler on the other end hesitated. “Agent Ruan… are you sure? Everyone knows how devoted you are to Director Kensington. You turned down the General Staff promotion for him.” My chest ached, a sharp, physical pang. I was supposed to be the rational soldier. But when it came to Declan, my logic always failed. We had been rivals at the Academy. “The Power Pair,” they called us. The results were always the same: Declan first, Nora second. I hated it. I trained until my muscles screamed, trying to beat him. But Declan was a natural tactician, born for command. On the surface, I competed with him. Beneath it, I worshipped him. Before graduation, I cornered him, my face burning. “Declan, if I beat you in the final war games… will you be my boyfriend?” I expected him to laugh. Instead, he leaned in, his voice low and smoky. “If you take first place in the joint exercises… I’ll marry you.” For that joke, that half-promise, I nearly killed myself training. I took first place. And Declan didn’t back down. At the commendation ceremony, in front of the entire corps, he proposed. There were helicopters trailing colored smoke in the shape of a heart. It was the grandest gesture anyone had ever seen. “Nora, I love you. Marry me.” I thought I was the protagonist of a fairy tale. I didn’t know then that the spectacle wasn’t for me. It was a smokescreen. He needed a massive public distraction to bury a scandal involving him and Ivy. I was the decorated female soldier, the media darling. I was the perfect shield. “Agent Ruan? You still there?” The handler’s voice was gentle. “Are you having second thoughts? You loved him a lot.” “I’m not regretting anything,” I said, cutting him off. “And I won’t. Because I don’t love him anymore.” The door clicked open. Declan stood there. The air around him was frigid. His eyes were dark, dangerous pools. “What did you say?” He walked closer. “You don’t love who? Say that again.” I had hung up the phone the second I heard the latch. Now, I lay still, eyes shut, feigning sleep. Declan loomed over the bed. Seeing my closed eyes, he let out a breath he’d been holding. He thought I was talking in my sleep. But the relief was short-lived. Even in my dreams, he couldn’t tolerate my indifference. He shook my shoulder. “Nora? Wake up. You were having a nightmare. Were you dreaming about Neil?” I opened my eyes, staring past him. “Nothing. I just dreamt Neil asked me why his mommy doesn’t love him anymore.” Declan flinched as if I’d slapped him. He pulled me into a hug, too tight. “Neil’s death isn’t your fault. Stop torturing yourself. We’re young. We can have a dozen kids if you want.” I stayed silent. I was cold, all the way through to my marrow. I could have another child, yes. But my son was dead. Did he think children were replaceable? Like goldfish? I was too tired to fight. “Why are you here in the middle of the night?” He pulled back, looking at me. “Tomorrow is the seventh day since… since it happened. The vigil. I’ll go with you to the cemetery.” My body went rigid. “Director,” a nurse called from the hallway, terrified. “Miss Ivy had a nightmare. She’s screaming your name. She’s hyperventilating.” “Understood,” Declan said. He looked at me, a long, searching look. “Rest, Nora. We’ll say goodbye to Neil together tomorrow.” I stared at the ceiling until dawn. The next day, Declan drove us. The Kensington family estate was draped in black crepe. The atmosphere was heavy, suffocating. I hobbled into the main hall on my crutches, desperate for one last look at the small casket. But before I could cross the threshold, my mother-in-law, Eleanor, launched herself at me. “You have the nerve to show your face!” She slapped me. The force of it knocked me sideways. Then her hands were in my hair, pulling, tearing. “You killed my grandson! You knew you were a target, yet you paraded him around town! Why didn’t the kidnappers kill you? You poisonous bitch, you wanted him dead!” I froze, stunned. Ivy was the one who took Neil out. Ivy was the one who lost him. Why was Eleanor screaming at me? I looked at Declan. He turned his head away. The rest of the family swarmed, feeding off the matriarch’s rage. “Heartless woman!” “Get her out of here! She doesn’t deserve to be at the funeral!” I had dragged my broken body here to say goodbye to my son, and they were treating me like a criminal. A rock thrown from the crowd struck my forehead. Blood trickled into my eye. Someone kicked my crutch away. I fell hard, the impact jarring my broken arm. Finally, Declan stepped in. He stood over me, his voice booming. “Enough! This isn’t Nora’s fault. Anyone who touches her again answers to me. Do you want to spend the night in a military brig?” The crowd parted. He was the head of the family now. He carried me upstairs to the guest room and opened a first aid kit. I watched him clean the blood from my forehead. “Ivy took Neil to the mall. Why does your mother think it was me?” Declan’s hand paused. He didn’t look at me. “Nora… you know Ivy’s position is fragile. She’s a foster child. The family never really accepted her.” He sighed, finally meeting my eyes. “If they knew she was the reason Neil died… they’d destroy her. She wouldn’t survive it.” “But you,” he continued, “you’re my wife. You’re strong. I can protect you. No one can actually hurt you.” “So,” he finished, voice soft, “just take the blame for her. Please. As compensation, I’ll transfer the deed to the lakeside villa to your name.” He braced himself for the explosion. He expected me to scream, to throw things. “Fine,” I said. “Whatever.” He blinked. “Don’t overthink this. Ivy is like a sister to me. We grew up together. When she found out she was adopted… she lost her whole world. I can’t abandon her.” “I understand,” I said. “You don’t need to explain. Explanations are for people who care. I don’t love you anymore, Declan. I don’t need your reasons.” Before he could process that, a security guard burst in, panting. “Director! Disaster! Miss Ivy came to pay her respects and got into a fight with Harper!” Harper. The Kensington’s biological daughter, kidnapped years ago and raised in poverty. She hated Ivy—the girl who lived the life that was stolen from her—with a burning passion. Declan panicked. He dropped the gauze. “Wrap it yourself. I have to go down there before Harper kills her.” He ran out. The moment he left, Eleanor marched in. She wasn’t alone. She had two of the house staff with her, and she was holding a heavy wooden cane. “Declan’s gone,” she hissed. “No one to save you now.” “You killed my grandson. I’m going to make you wish you were dead.” The staff grabbed me. They hauled me up and slammed me onto the hardwood floor. Eleanor stepped on my broken hand, grinding her heel down. “I bet it hurt when those men threw Neil, didn’t it? Did his bones snap like this?” The pain was blinding. I curled into a ball. Did Neil hurt this much? When he hit the ground… did he call for me? Eleanor nodded to the servants. They lifted me up and threw me down again. And again. “You’re special forces!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face. “You could have saved him! You let him die to punish Declan! You were jealous of Ivy!” I laughed. Through the blood in my mouth, I laughed. Even the old woman knew. Everyone knew Declan chose Ivy. Only Declan pretended it was “brotherly love.” They beat me until I stopped moving. “Madam, stop! She’s barely breathing!” Darkness took me. I woke up back in the hospital. I struggled to sit up. My phone had two notifications. One from the City Clerk: Divorce Decree finalized. Please collect within 3 days. One from Special Ops: Project Chimera initiates tomorrow. Send extraction coordinates. I stared at the screen, and for the first time in forever, I smiled. But I had one stop to make. I heard Ivy had been injured by Harper and was in the VIP wing. I grabbed my crutch and dragged myself down the hall. “Nora? Here to gloat?” Ivy lay in bed, looking pristine. “You’re pathetic. You’re half-dead and Declan isn’t even there. I twist my ankle and he holds my hand all night.” I ignored the bait. “Ivy. I want the truth. That day at the plaza. Did you lose Neil, or did you let him go?” Ivy laughed. It was a cruel, ugly sound. “You really want to know? Fine. Declan was there.” I froze. “Declan was there,” she repeated, savoring the words. “I led Neil to the alley. I let go of his hand. When the men came… Declan was twenty feet away. He saw it. But he ran to me. He tackled me to ‘protect’ me because I screamed. He watched them take your son because he was too busy being my hero.” The room spun. Declan was there. “And the best part?” Ivy smirked. “He knew I was carrying a concealed weapon. I didn’t need saving. In his heart, you and your son combined aren’t worth my little finger.” Tears blurred my vision, but I wiped them away instantly. That was the last tear I would ever shed for Declan Kensington. I turned and walked out. I took a cab to the City Clerk’s office. I sat on the steps all night until they opened. I got the certificate. I asked them to mail Declan’s copy to his office. A black military Jeep was waiting at the curb. Before I got in, I took out my phone. I uploaded the recording of my conversation with Ivy to the internal military network. Neil’s death wasn’t an accident. It was negligent homicide, covered up by a high-ranking official. The law couldn’t touch them, but the court of public opinion—and the military tribunal—would destroy them. I tossed the phone into a trash can. I climbed into the Jeep. The engine roared. I was free.

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The day Jax Coleman, the prodigal son, returned, he had all my things tossed out of my room. “I’m their real son, you fraud,” he sneered, hands jammed into the pockets of his designer jeans. “You can pack up and leave.” “Oh, and before you go,” he added, his eyes narrowing as he looked me up and down. “You owe us. I’ll charge you twenty years of Sterling hospitality at a million a year. Twenty million. Wire it directly to my account.” I didn’t argue. Instead, I calmly slid a card across the granite counter. “Certainly, Mr. Coleman. But first, you’ll need to schedule an appointment. This is the link to our digital verification portal. You’re currently number five-hundred in the queue.” Jax’s hand shot out and slapped the card away. “Tristan Stone, who the hell do you think you are, blocking my path to my parents?” I kept my voice even. “I’m not blocking you. I’m maintaining the process. There’s a waiting list.” Jax, however, was desperate to claim his birthright. He wasn’t listening. “You really think a nobody like you gets to make the true Sterling heir wait? As soon as I find my parents, you’ll be the one swept out of this house.” What Jax didn’t know was that he was just the latest in a long, humiliating line. Four hundred and ninety-nine hopefuls had come before him, each with an equally compelling, yet ultimately bogus, claim. My parents had long since handed the entire “True Heir Vetting Process” over to me. … 1 Jax cornered my mother, Charlotte Sterling, right as she was stepping out of a Board of Directors meeting at Sterling Tower. “Mom!” he cried, dropping dramatically to his knees in the marble foyer. “I’m your son! Your real son!” Mom didn’t even blink. Her executive assistant, a woman named Ms. Chad, immediately stepped in. “Sir, all claims for familial recognition must go through the online appointment portal.” Jax instantly welled up. The tears were remarkably fast. “Mom! Just look at me! You have no idea how much I’ve suffered all these years…” Mom finally lifted her head. She glanced at her watch, an understated Patek Philippe. “Thirty-six seconds,” she murmured, then looked at Ms. Chad. “Five seconds slower than last month’s contender. No new record, kid.” Jax froze, bewildered. “Excuse me?” Mom pulled out her sleek tablet and scrolled. “Vetting File JXC37. Jax Coleman, twenty-two. Lives in a walk-up in the Outer Boroughs. Parents deceased. Put himself through community college on grants. We know.” Jax’s face crumpled. “You… you investigated me?” Mom gave him a dismissive pat on the shoulder. “Your acting is solid, but the dialogue is stale. I suggest you watch The Royal Switch Season Two, Episode Eight. Much better performance.” Then she was gone. At three that afternoon, my father, Arthur Sterling, was inspecting one of the flagship Sterling Malls. Jax showed up again. This time, he changed tactics. “Dad!” He waved a faded photograph. “Look! I look just like you did when you were a kid!” My father took the photo and examined it. “Nice retouching,” he said dryly. “But next time, remember to slim the ears down. We Sterlings don’t have ears that large.” Jax panicked. “This is a real photo of me!” “Son,” Dad sighed, handing it back. “Last year, a guy showed up with a deepfake video claiming to be me. The technology was much more professional than your Photoshop skills. Go see Tristan. He handles this circus.” Jax stomped his foot in frustration. “Dad! How can you be so cruel?” Dad walked off without turning back. “Call me Mr. Sterling.” That evening, Grandma Eliza’s private jet landed at JFK. Jax had staked out the VIP exit all afternoon. “Grandma!” He dropped to his knees again, forehead touching the ground. “I’m your true grandson!” Grandma, fresh off a fourteen-hour flight, was still battling jet lag. She squinted at him. “Which number is this one?” The head of security, Mark, replied, “The fifty-seventh this year, ma’am.” Grandma nodded. “Did he make an appointment?” Jax stammered, “N-no, I didn’t…” “Unacceptable.” Grandma waved a hand. “Last year, a young man waited outside the terminal for three days before we squeezed him in. That’s the only exception we’ve made.” She had Mark help Jax to his feet, and then handed him a business card. “Here’s my grandson’s contact info. Schedule an appointment.” Jax looked down at the card. It read: Tristan Stone, Director of True Heir Vetting Projects, The Sterling Group. His face went green. The next day, Jax stormed into the Sterling compound. “I demand a DNA test!” He pounded his fist on the mahogany table. “Now! Right now! Immediately!” My parents exchanged a weary look. “Son,” Mom began, “it’s not that we don’t want to…” “You’re scared, aren’t you?” Jax sneered. “You’re afraid the test will prove I’m the real one!” Dad rubbed his temples. “We had our blood drawn thirty times last year. We’ve already done fifteen so far this year. My doctor says I’m borderline anemic.” Jax was momentarily speechless. I walked over, carrying a tray with three steaming mugs of tea. “There is another way, actually.” “What?” he asked, eyeing me suspiciously. “Hair or nail clippings,” I said, setting the tea down. “The technology is quite advanced now. Doesn’t necessarily require a blood draw.” Jax’s eyes lit up. “Then let’s do it right now!” I smiled. “We can. But you’ll still have to queue.” “Queue for what?” “My parents have a monthly quota for biometric samples. It’s full. We have over two hundred samples currently waiting in the lab. The earliest yours can be processed is next month.” Jax exploded. “Tristan Stone! You’re doing this on purpose!” I shrugged. “Just following procedure.” 2 Jax couldn’t wait. He spent twenty thousand dollars on a “fast-pass” from an appointment scalper. He was directed to the third floor, the “Keepsake Authentication Suite.” He walked in, puffing out his chest like a pigeon. “I have proof!” He pulled out half of a tarnished, heart-shaped locket. “The nurse gave me this when they swapped us! It’s one-of-a-kind!” The attendant, Mr. Lewis, took the locket and scanned the barcode on Jax’s appointment slip. “JXC37, Jax Coleman, Locket-Class Keepsake,” Mr. Lewis read out. “We currently have 287 registered Locket-Class items in the system.” Jax’s triumphant smile froze. “How many?” “Two hundred and eighty-seven,” Mr. Lewis confirmed, pulling up the data. “One hundred and forty-three half-pieces. One hundred and forty-four intact.” Jax sputtered. “That’s impossible!” Mr. Lewis gave a practiced, weary smile. “It started with the classic ‘two halves that fit together’ scenario. But it evolved. We’re now receiving quarter-pieces. We even offer a ‘Sterling Keepsake Fragment Puzzle’ service—ninety-eight dollars, free shipping.” Jax looked physically ill. I sent a voice note to the authentication suite, which played through the internal speaker: “Mr. Coleman, your locket is the ‘Standard Edition.’ Current market value is about four hundred dollars.” Jax whipped his head up, looking for the security camera. “Tristan! You set me up!” I replied with a laugh: “It’s called market research.” Jax refused to give up. “I have a birthmark!” He tore open his collar. “A butterfly shape on my left shoulder! Unique!” Mr. Lewis sighed and pulled up another database. “Out of the five hundred ‘heirs’ who have registered this year, one hundred and eight claim to have a butterfly-shaped birthmark.” Jax gaped. “One hundred and eight?” “One hundred and eight,” Mr. Lewis repeated, zooming in on the data. “Seventy-six on the left shoulder, thirty-two on the right.” Jax was frantic. “But mine is special! It has a unique pattern!” Mr. Lewis nodded patiently. “Yes. Claimants 43, 87, and 201 also said that.” He clicked through photos. “No. 43’s butterfly has spots. No. 87’s has stripes. No. 201’s is 3D-textured.” Jax’s lips trembled. “This… this can’t be happening…” I added the final blow via the speaker: “Mr. Coleman, you could always get a tattoo. Tattoos are now accepted as valid keepsakes.” Jax was so enraged he slammed his mug onto the floor, shattering it. “That’ll be two thousand eight hundred dollars,” Mr. Lewis said instantly, already writing an invoice. “Hand-painted Baccarat crystal.” Jax still wouldn’t admit defeat. “I look just like Mrs. Sterling when she was young!” He pointed at a framed photo on the wall. “Look at the resemblance!” Mr. Lewis let out a long-suffering sigh and turned on the projector. “Please observe this claimant.” The screen displayed a young man who looked not only like Mom but also like Dad—and even a little bit like Grandma. “We call him the ‘Family Portrait Composite,’” Mr. Lewis explained. “He won the ‘Most Sterling-Like Appearance’ award last year.” 3 Jax was quiet for three days. But I knew he was just plotting. Sure enough, he showed up at the Sterling Quarterly Gala. Midway through the evening, Jax let out a piercing scream. “My necklace is gone!” He covered his face, sobbing dramatically. “It was a gift from my adoptive mother!” The entire ballroom fell silent. All eyes were on him. Jax sniffled. “It was just here a moment ago…” His gaze swept the room, finally landing on me. “Mr. Stone,” he said, timidly. “Didn’t you just go to the restroom?” I raised an eyebrow. “I did.” “Then…” He hesitated, putting on a show of reluctance. “Could I please check your bag?” A murmur rippled through the guests. Mom frowned. “Young man, what exactly are you implying?” Jax’s tears came on cue. “Mom, I don’t mean anything by it! I just need to check…” I smiled. “Be my guest.” I handed him my leather messenger bag. “Take a look.” Jax took the bag and pretended to fumble through it. Then, “accidentally,” he flipped it upside down. Clatter— Keys, my phone, and a slim billfold tumbled out. And a glittering diamond necklace. “There it is!” Jax gasped, snatching it up. He looked at me, eyes brimming with false accusation. “Mr. Stone, why would you…” I cut him off. “Mr. Coleman, do you know why the Sterling Grand Ballroom has 128 multi-angle security cameras installed?” Jax blinked. “What?” I pulled out my phone and cast the security feed to the nearest display screen. The footage clearly showed Jax furtively creeping behind me and slipping the necklace into my open bag. “Over the last three years,” I scrolled through a private database, “forty-seven previous ‘heirs’ have used this exact maneuver.” Mr. Lewis, who happened to be tending the bar, called out, “That’s the 48th time. Could we get some new material, please?” I picked up the necklace. “Also,” I added, looking at the clasp. “I bought this last week. I still have the receipt.” I turned my attention back to Jax. “Do you have yours?” Jax’s face flushed a deep crimson. “The Sterling family treats its true son like this?” Grandma Eliza chuckled, a cold sound. “The last person who pulled that stunt is currently serving time for attempted grand larceny.” Jax bolted from the room. The next day, a major gossip site exploded with a headline: “Sterling Heir Caught in Midnight Rendezvous with Corporate Rival” The accompanying photo, taken from a high, distorted angle, showed me helping a woman into a car, making it look suspiciously like we were kissing. I checked the author of the post: A well-known gossip blogger. I clicked on the comment section. “Here we go again. Which number heir is responsible for this one?” “The last guy who tried to smear Tristan had to pay a five-million-dollar settlement. Deleting this post is my advice.” “Bro, the Sterling legal team moves faster than FedEx.” I took to my own professional social media account. “I want to thank Mr. Coleman for helping me generate buzz for my new High-Density Battery project. Also, congratulations on setting the record for the ‘Fastest Lawsuit Filed.’” The attached photo was a screenshot of the official indictment. Jax panicked and immediately deleted his posts and his burner accounts. On the third day, Jax somehow managed to get a visitor’s pass and infiltrated Sterling Tower. He walked into my office, carrying a porcelain mug of coffee. “Mr. Stone,” he said, head bowed low. “I apologize for yesterday’s incident…” I didn’t take the mug. “Just leave it on the desk.” He put it down but remained standing. “Something else?” I asked. He bit his lip. “Can you forgive me?” I smiled slightly. “You can go now.” He turned reluctantly to leave. I picked up the mug, took a perfunctory sniff, and pressed a discreet button on my desk. “Mr. Coleman is suspected of product tampering,” I said into the internal mic. “Security, please detain him.” Jax went ballistic. “You’re lying! You’re making this up!” I pointed to the mug. “Did you know that all Sterling executive drinkware is custom-made?” He stared blankly. “They have micro-sensors in the base,” I explained, showing him my phone screen. “They’re programmed to identify common pharmaceutical agents.” The screen displayed a notification: Laxative component detected. This is the 23rd detection this year. Jax’s face was chalk-white. “You… you’re hallucinating!” Security burst through the door. “You can’t arrest me!” he shrieked. I pulled out a thick stack of files. “We can,” I said. “This is the documentation for the eighty-nine individuals who have attempted to spike my drink over the past five years. Every single one is currently facing charges.” As the security guards hauled him away, he was still screaming, “Tristan Stone! You just wait! I’ll be back!” 4 Two weeks later, Jax, ever persistent, managed to secure an entry-level internship at the company. Within days, he was in the breakroom, spreading rumors. “Did you hear?” he whispered to a group of colleagues. “Tristan, the director of the battery division? He got the deal by sleeping his way to the top.” A colleague, Liam, looked up from his tablet. “Sleeping his way with what?” “With Mr. Zhao, the CEO of the rival firm!” Jax elbowed Liam conspiratorially. Liam laughed. “Are you not aware of Tristan’s track record? He won an International Programming Championship at fifteen, founded his first tech firm at eighteen. He’s closing multi-million dollar deals on his merit. He needs to sleep with people?” Jax choked. “Then why does he get all the big projects?” “Because he’s brilliant,” another colleague, Chloe, interjected. “He writes code that most of the company can’t even decipher.” Jax was stubborn. “You’ve all been fooled by him!” Liam threw his hands up. “Seriously, Chloe, which number is this guy?” Chloe counted on her fingers. “Seventeenth this year.” Jax was confused. “You don’t believe me?” Liam gave him a cold look. “I was claimant number thirty-eight last year.” He stood up and pointed a finger at Jax. “Tristan didn’t press charges. He actually gave me a job. He’s more benevolent than you deserve. Why do you think you can spread this nonsense and still walk free?” Jax went pale. The HR manager walked in. “Mr. Coleman, this is a formal warning. Another incident and you’re terminated.” Jax gritted his teeth. “By whose authority?” The manager held up her phone. “By the authority of this audio recording. Everything you just said was captured.” I smiled from the surveillance room. Jax really thought the Sterling breakroom was a secure place for gossip? My then-fiancée, Blair Ashford, came by the office to see me. Jax’s eyes lit up. He “accidentally” ran into her in the elevator. “Oh!” He faked a stumble and tried to fall into her arms. Blair immediately slammed the emergency stop button. “Security. Code 29 on the third floor. I have a trespasser.” Jax was stunned. “Ms. Ashford, I’m the new intern…” Blair’s voice was icy. “You are the 29th attempt this year. Try a new tactic.” Jax didn’t give up. He manufactured several other “chance encounters.” The breakroom, the hallway, the executive parking garage. Blair finally seemed to take the bait. “Mr. Coleman.” She cornered him in the stairwell. “Do you have too much free time?” Jax’s face flushed. “Ms. Ashford, I was just…” “Just what?” Blair’s eyes were predatory. “Trying to seduce me?” Jax bit his lip. “Tristan doesn’t deserve you…” Blair leaned in close to his ear. “And you do?” Just like the previous twenty-nine times, she semi-reluctantly allowed Jax to lead her away. I watched the surveillance feed and shook my head. Anyone who uses their body to plot corporate gain is a fool. (Though I wasn’t suggesting the one being lured wasn’t one either.) That evening, I called a private family meeting. “Mom, Dad,” I said. “I think the Ashford family is no longer a suitable match for an alliance.” Dad frowned. “What’s the issue?” I presented my tablet. “The Ashford Group’s financial reports have been doctored for the last three quarters.” Mom leaned in. “I noticed some inconsistencies.” “And,” I swiped the screen, “Ms. Ashford’s private investments are all money pits. She has no business sense. We can’t have her draining the family capital.” Dad’s face tightened. “How did you find this?” I smiled. “I have my channels.” Grandma Eliza settled the matter. “Then we switch. Tristan has never been wrong about a deal.” Mom hesitated. “But the engagement…” I showed them the latest security feed. “Ms. Ashford has been hit on by twenty-nine of the ‘heirs’ who’ve tried to replace me. She acts coy, but she’s never actually succeeded in turning any of them down.” Mom looked closer at the footage. “Unacceptable.” Grandma slammed her hand on the table. “A woman with no loyalty is a liability! We will not have her!” I nodded. “Phoebe Chad’s daughter, Phoebe Jr., is newly back from London. She has several cutting-edge tech projects.” Dad looked surprised. “How do you know about her?” I pulled up the data. “Last year, twelve of the previous ‘heirs’ tried to hit on her, too. Every single one was shot down instantly.” Mom’s eyes sparkled. “She sounds perfect!” Grandma gave the final word. “Done. We’re changing alliances.” As the meeting concluded, the butler rushed in, breathless. “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling! Mr. Coleman is here! He has the DNA test results!” I raised an eyebrow. “Oh? The results are in?” Jax burst through the door, waving the report above his head. “Dad! Mom!” His face was streaked with tears. “The results are back! I am your biological son!”

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Getting off work, I scrolled past a Reddit thread. [Should I pursue a guy if he has a girlfriend?] A comment said: “Of course.” “Five years ago I moved, neighbor was a high IQ handsome guy, he had a girlfriend then.” “I became friends with them first, then framed his girlfriend for hurting me, acted weak to make him feel sorry, they immediately had a rift.” “Later they often argued, the most serious time, when the guy came to me to vent, I kissed him, he immediately lost control.” “And that night, his girlfriend was still sad about her College Rejection Letters.” “Now found my choice indeed right, he became a partner at a listed company, we are about to get married, if not for my initiative back then, where would this life come from.” Then, this girl changed the topic: “His ex-girlfriend is miserable, didn’t go to college, probably rotting in the mud for a lifetime.” I instantly froze, because I discovered, I am that ex-girlfriend in her mouth. Chapter 1 Seeing this comment proudly recounting her homewrecking experience, my first reaction was to exit this post. Because I also encountered such a thing. But I stopped my finger, because this profile picture was incomparably familiar to me. It was Scarlett and Liam Sterling’s first photo together, on Liam’s birthday, taken by me. I couldn’t help staying under this comment for a long time. Most below were scolding her, saying she has no shame being a mistress. But also a small part supported her, thinking she just made the best choice. “This is a Girlboss move, binding a potential stock early to cross class, wanting to live better is not wrong.” “Even without this episode, they might not make it to the end, I think she did nothing wrong.” At this moment I stood by the road, wind suddenly picked up, I didn’t stand steady, dinner in hand rolled into a muddy puddle. I bent down, threw the dirty sandwich into the trash can. Actually I am that ex-girlfriend mentioned in this comment. Later Liam and I separated, I didn’t go to college, even my mom who loved me most had an accident. That time I wanted to commit suicide several times, until recent years, life slowly returned to track. Only then I remembered, it’s already been five years, fifth year since I broke up with Liam, third year since I completely let him go. Past pain and grievance, already healed with scars on hand and let go, dissipated in the wind. Back home, I organized messy sketches on the table. Like Scarlett said, I finally didn’t go to college, also no chance to cross class again. When organizing sketches back into cabinet, I suddenly saw a long dust-sealed letter. Handwriting on it bold and powerful wrote: “To Natalie.” At the end of the letter he wrote, will give me everything he has, but finally I lost everything because of him. My thoughts suddenly pulled back to the past. Me and Liam were childhood sweethearts, grew up together. We lived in the same community, that time he still had a happy family. Later his dad’s business got bigger and bigger, times home became fewer and fewer, he always ran to my house, said here looks like home, and his home is not home. Six years old, Liam’s dad cheated, his mom smashed everything in home overnight, along with no longer loving him. When divorced parents kicked him like a balloon, no one wanted him. Chapter 2 Once warm family of three, from then on only left an empty home. Finally, my parents saw him pitiful, took care of him like biological son. From then on, me and Liam inseparable, never separated again. He always excellent, grades excellent, looks handsome. And I am that kind of ordinary girl, not pretty, grades also average, only outstanding merit maybe is talent in drawing. But past me also didn’t feel not worthy of Liam. He once said, is our family gave him all family warmth, we are his family. He also said, I am a beam of light in his gray world. Freshman year of high school, one night after Study Hall, I went home with Liam as usual. In a remote alley, encountered Liam’s dad. He full of alcohol smell, words and actions erratic, behavior crazy. Turns out he went bankrupt, mistress also ran, so now thought of Liam again. Liam didn’t want go with his dad, his dad fierce pounced over want drag him away. Was me regardless everything blocked in front of him, drove away his dad. Actually I scared legs couldn’t stand steady, but I more afraid he hurt. That night, Liam tightly hugged me, said he this life only love me one person. After high school, Liam more and more excellent, attracted countless girls pursuit. Liam is unshakable grade first, and I am just an art student with average grades. I also afraid he would leave my side, but Liam only smilingly pinched my nose said: “Silly melon, how would I leave you, kindness of you and uncle auntie to me I can’t repay in this life.” I also thought would be happy like this, until Scarlett appeared. A hot summer, I wrote homework with him in Liam’s house, suddenly came knock door sound. Opened door is a girl with braids, sunny and bright. She said she just moved here, is Liam’s new neighbor, light voice seemed to dilute summer heat, but my heart somewhat uneasy. Maybe because she too pretty, or maybe I noticed flashing light in her eyes looking at Liam. Later knew, this uneasiness was not illusion, but portrayal of my latter half high school life. Next day I knew, Scarlett not only became Liam’s new neighbor, even transferred to our school next day. Just finished monthly exam, teacher reviewing last grades, average me finally got class first in English, but when teacher praise words just said out, Scarlett appeared at class door. Whole class sensation, no one cared my grade anymore, but one after another looked towards Scarlett outside door. “Wow, our school actually has such beauty!” “Are you stupid, look is transfer student, otherwise how never seen before.” I then knew, Scarlett not only became Liam’s neighbor, also about to become our classmate. And what I didn’t expect is, when choosing deskmate, Scarlett actually chose me. “Natalie, in this class I only know you one girl, later you have to help me more.” “I know you and Liam relationship good, later can you bring me together.” She smiled brilliant, like warm sun in winter. And I, seemed also can’t find any reason to refuse. From then on, between me and Liam inserted a third person. Chapter 3 I had few friends in class, and since Scarlett came classmates also felt, Liam and her are match made in heaven, even if person Liam likes is me. “Class beauty and class grass together, what does Natalie always insert for?” “Who knows, toad wants to eat swan meat.” At that time I really treated Scarlett as good friend, asked her if I really not worthy of Liam. But Scarlett only smilingly said: “How could it be Natalie, although you not pretty, but Liam also not value these ah.” “Right, weekend Liam wants take you to amusement park, he dare not tell you personally, let me pass word, you don’t forget ah.” Although relationship with Liam is tacit, but such date, me and him still first time. That day after school I specially left early, rained heavy, I still went to a far mall bought a gift for Liam. I picked a tie, clerk asked if sending to boyfriend, I shyly nodded. Day go amusement park, I wore a yellow dress, always tied ponytail hair also let down, waiting at gate always thinking, is such dressing too exaggerated. But I waited till dark also didn’t wait Liam, messages sent out also like stone sink ocean. I long no mood, worried Liam had accident. Sky too dark, on way I fell into a muddy land, yellow dress instantly muddy, tie also flew out. When I rushed there, opened door only saw Scarlett lying on Liam’s bed, and Liam aside making cold medicine for her. “Why you come now, went where? Today couldn’t find you all time.” “You don’t know Scarlett rained yesterday, she fever fainted early morning, if not I live next door don’t know how dangerous.” He had no explanation for breaking appointment, only anger and questioning to me, knew so many years, he also first time threw such big fire at me. And Scarlett eye rims containing tears said: “Natalie, I know you had urgent matter yesterday, but so heavy rain, you also shouldn’t take away my umbrella ah.” “My home no cold medicine, mom and dad both business trip, always message you, you actually blocked me, lucky I fainted when finding Liam, otherwise don’t know what to do.” Speaking here, Scarlett couldn’t help choking: “Natalie, I just came here school, always treat you as best friend, why you want do this…” Liam reached hand wiped her tears, interrupted her words said: “Enough, no need say more.” I instantly froze in place, turns out in Scarlett mouth, is another set of rhetoric. My eye rims containing tears, passed long time then open mouth, prepared hand tie to Liam said: “I didn’t, I just…” But Liam didn’t even look me once, instead handed water cup in hand to Scarlett. I like an outsider, passed long time, I no longer stay here, but left Liam’s home. Because this matter, me and Liam first time broke out cold war. After school start I silent changed seat, no longer be deskmate with Scarlett. And class people look me eyes also more strange, Scarlett told others I targeted her because of Liam, shaped herself into a victim image. No matter where I go, class filled with discussion about me. “See not, just said she not worthy class grass, must go horizontal insert a foot.” Chapter 4 “Just class beauty kind heart still willing play with her, if me long can’t stand, result she still not know good bad, fake high what?” For a time, I seemed became rat everyone shout beat, even if I did nothing wrong. Even Liam, also no longer give me a look. That time teenage me, where can stand such grievance. Finally I couldn’t endure anymore, found Liam after a Study Hall. And that time he still correcting wrong questions for Scarlett, seeing is me find him, eyes revealed a trace surprise. Me and Liam went home together, I told him all my grievances, asked him why treat me like this. But when I said Scarlett intentionally lied me go amusement park, and framed me took her umbrella, Liam frowned. He impatient interrupted my words said: “I don’t understand why you always have such big hostility to her, she is not person you think, don’t understand your those schemes.” “Since knew Scarlett, I then discovered you originally are person with such strong jealousy, clearly she so good to you, you want say her like this, just because she pretty you want repeatedly frame her?” “Do you know that day she burned severe, but after you left still non-stop say is it herself said too ugly.” I stunned, I didn’t expect knew many years, Liam to me even this bit trust no have. “Natalie, knew you so many years, you first time make me feel so disgusting, is self average so also can’t see others good?” I dare not believe this is words said from Liam mouth. And he seemed also felt self said bit excessive, reached hand want pull my sleeve. “Natalie… I not that meaning.” And I long no any patience, fast ran back home, locked myself in room cried whole night. I no longer speak with Liam, everyday bury head study, just want hurry leave here. Still remember just high school, I once told Liam must go same university with him, and now I only hope myself far from him better. Whole senior year second semester, I didn’t say a word with Liam. After SATs, Liam found me. He holding a bunch jasmine came my home. “Natalie, before is me said too excessive, can you forgive me.” “I still, don’t want separate with you, send you jasmine, advise you not leave (Mo Li/Jasmine sounds like Mo Li/Don’t Leave).” He promised me, definitely won’t hurt me because others again, forever prioritize me everything. Finally I still soft hearted, we agreed want go same place. When filling application, me and Liam together. We filled most possible schools in New York, he filled Columbia, and I applied Parsons School of Design. That time me also once lucky, is it can happy with Liam like this forever. But I thought wrong, I forgot log out account from Liam’s computer. Until not accepted by any school, I then discovered my application was tampered. Original safety schools all changed to schools my score can’t reach, I slipped, not accepted by any school. And person can do this, and have this reason, only Scarlett. Because Scarlett’s application, also filled in Liam’s home, she also can touch Liam’s computer. I crazy like found her, gave her a slap in front of Liam. Clearly said no longer hurt me Liam pulled my sleeve asked if I have delusion, self not accepted instead blame Scarlett.

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The second day after the villain went bankrupt, he wanted to commit suicide. I grabbed his hand tightly to stop him. “Hubby, I just bought a bag, Afterpay installment for five years to finish paying.” “If you go, who will pay for me!” Suddenly, Live Comments exploded in mid-air: [Turns out the villain’s biggest retribution isn’t death, but having such a wife.] [Laughing to death, villain is bankrupt, how to pay her loan.] [Dying like this is indeed too cheap for the villain, at least let him suffer all the sins the male and female leads suffered before dying.] [Why isn’t the villain dead yet! Why isn’t the villain dead yet!] [If not for the villain forcing the male lead to go abroad, the female lead wouldn’t have washed dishes in a restaurant for five years with a cute baby, let him also suffer five years before dying.] My gaze drifted lightly from the comments, continued to act spoiled to Julian Vance. … Chapter 1 Julian slowly turned his head to look at me, tone with some disbelief: “Before I went bankrupt, didn’t I just transfer you $10 Million for living expenses?” My eyes innocent: “Oh, that little money ah, just bought a vase.” Perhaps blown by the wind for too long, his voice was dry with some tremors: “…A vase?” “Seems to be Ming Dynasty.” “You won’t blame me right?” I carefully shook his hand. Julian covered his eyes and looked up at the sky. Suffering unspeakably. Wind on the rooftop became much stronger, blowing his white shirt rattling. Whole person looked teetering. I tucked the hair by my ear behind, blinked at him: “Hubby you come down quickly, today is your birthday, I also prepared a gift for you!” Thought thought. Continued to add: “Give you a few keywords hint——” “Uniform, Animal, Red.” Julian was somewhat flattered: “…You prepared a gift for me?” After all, he had given me countless gifts, this was the first time I gave him one. Glanced at the speeding vehicles downstairs, Julian finally came down from the rooftop. … On the table lay a beautifully packaged gift box, a very big one. Julian’s hand uncovering the ribbon trembled slightly. Eyes unblinking. Layer by layer of gorgeous packaging was opened, revealing the DoorDash uniform set inside the box. Red helmet, red vest and a folded delivery box. Julian lifted the helmet with one hand, laughed in anger. Turned and walked towards the rooftop again. His steps were unhesitating. I looked at his tall and straight figure against the light, gritted teeth and stomped feet. “…Julian Vance you!” Julian put the helmet on his head. Dull and hoarse voice came: “Phone is still on the rooftop.” Chapter 2 Julian adapted well to the identity of a delivery man. No matter how busy delivering food at noon, he never forgot to come home and cook for me. Looking at that man wearing a helmet, walking hurriedly, no one could imagine half a month ago he was the tech upstart ringing the bell at NASDAQ. Julian took off helmet, put on apron cooking in kitchen. I nested in sofa eating grapes. Watching his busy figure. Kitchen in rental apartment has no air conditioning. Soon, Julian was covered in sweat. He took off his t-shirt, only wearing a pink floral apron. His back broad, solid muscles covered with a thin layer of sweat. Apron strings loosely tied at waist, outlining a narrow waistline. “Ya!” I was careless, fingertips crushed a grape, splashed juice all over hand. Julian heard noise, busy ran over, bent down, used towel carefully wiped clean my every finger. “…Actually, you don’t need to follow me anymore, Chloe, money you owe I will pay, don’t waste youth on me.” His voice tight, Adam’s apple rolled few times before finishing whole sentence. I spoke aggrievedly: “I didn’t dislike you when you have no money, you actually drive me away!” Julian opened mouth, haven’t said anything, I continued unreasonably said: “I know, you just dislike I spend much money, back then when you kept me as Sugar Baby what did you say, said you raise me for a lifetime, you haven’t married me yet want abandon. Is it drive me away, you want marry a hardworking steady woman, you heartless man!” Julian covered my mouth with hand, finally blocked my endless chatter. He lowered eyes, raven feather like eyelashes slightly trembled: “I just feel you are suffering following me now.” “House very small, I cook not delicious, even grapes not too fresh.” “Chloe, you should go, go live a better and happier life.” Logically speaking, Sugar Daddy bankrupt, Sugar Baby should pack things and run. Not to mention he early planned for me, left me a large fortune. Even if he bankrupt, I also have lots and lots of money. But that day I just went home late ten minutes. Julian stood on the rooftop. I can’t go. I also don’t want to go. I pinched his wrist, turned over pressed him on sofa. Fingertips caressed his slightly red eye corner. “You want raise me for a lifetime, Julian, don’t think of throwing me off.” Dense packed Live Comments floated before my eyes again. [Damn girl, eat so good, let me act two episodes.] [Why villain deliver food still so handsome, I am really craving, of course I mean the takeout.] [Sister, don’t think hard, villain and his drama queen wife won’t have good ending.] [Setting aside deliberately opposing male lead, villain really tall handsome and good to wife.] [Can’t set aside sister, male lead baby lived so so miserable abroad those years, speaking of it I get angry, why villain not offline yet!] I pretended not to see comments. Pinched Julian chin kissed down, watching him start blushing from face. Whole body like burning up. Taking advantage of breathing gap, Julian wiped mouth corner. “Ch… Chloe, rice ready, first… first eat rice ba!” [Ahhhhh! Cold face Yama to outsiders, pure puppy to wife, what fairy grade is this!] [Actually villain and little drama queen cannon fodder still bit good to ship, I eat a bite.] [I also eat a bite.] [Front ones, don’t let three views follow five senses run hey!] [Don’t ship sisters, villain destined can’t escape plot kill, you ship sugar now, later will eat glass.] Chapter 3 Long ago, I saw strange comments appearing in the sky. Thought was someone’s prank, I didn’t care. Until reality events verified those comments authenticity time and time again. I then had to believe. In their fragmented conversation, I pieced together some information. Julian is the villain. And villain is destined to fail. Early stage he is male lead’s sharpening stone, later stage he is male lead’s stepping stone. After seeing comments, I tried hard to change plot development. But Julian still went bankrupt. But doesn’t matter. I have a new plan in heart. … Julian get up early dark late take orders deliver food. I lay at home eating small cake Julian just sent me. Comments suddenly appeared: [Male lead really, learned villain now deliver food, even specially take care his business, designated him to send engagement banquet cake.] [Villain gonna be slapped face hard by male lead, think about it so cool!] [Protagonist group already prepared to entertain villain well.] [Suddenly bit pity villain, receive big order first reaction is buy small cake for wife, but didn’t know that is trap against him.] I felt bad, hurried carried my new bought bag went to New York biggest hotel. Hotel door put male lead Sebastian Vance and female lead Lily’s engagement banquet welcome sign. Before entering, I saw a touch of bright red. Julian shoulder wide legs long, even wearing delivery uniform hard hide full body handsomeness. He pushed a one meter high cake, blocked by few rich kids. Lead is the male lead Sebastian Vance in comments mouth. Chapter 4 Sebastian looked Julian up and down. Contempt in eyes seemed want break Julian’s straight spine. “Big Brother, back then when you forced me far away to London, I said, wind water take turns turn.” “Look, now how you down and out like a dog.” Surrounding burst of laughter. In these years Julian and Sebastian fight for family property, they as Sebastian friends, all have serious grudge with Julian. Suppressed by Julian so many years, hard easy turn over, they all come to beat drowning dog. To add some fun, Sebastian friend Brad opened mouth: “Seb, did you hear a fun thing——” “Julian bankrupt, his that little canary still follow him ne!” Another person chimed in: “He this not waste heavenly things ma! Just he now deliver food earn these two dollars, still afford raise woman?” Laughter wave higher than wave. Brad see Julian always not flare up, deliberate provoke: “How about this, I give you one million, you send your that little bird to my home, as long as she serve me well, I just…” Julian raised those scarlet eyes, a punch beat Brad flip on ground. “You dare!” Hotel security hurried forward, pressed Julian dead on ground. Brad covered half beaten crooked face, kicked on Julian heart nest. “You now like this, still think can protect who?” Julian gritted teeth, dead stare him. “You guys, have matter rush me come.” Sebastian gave Brad a wink. Brad instantly understood. He took out phone aim Julian, unkindly spoke: “How about this, as long as you kneel down bark two dog sounds, I just let go your that little bird.” “How is it?” Chapter 5 [Use woman threaten villain, protagonist group this bit foul right?] [Treat enemy how can soft heart, isn’t just let him bark dog, again won’t lose piece meat.] [Suddenly bit pity villain…] [Plus one] [How can someone pity villain ah? Then what our male lead suffered counts?] Comments quarreled up. I watched many pity Julian comments quietly sighed relief. One second before Julian forced to kneel, I rushed up. Carrying my fifty thousand dollar bag bang bang smash on Brad and Sebastian heads. “Kneel your dad head! Kneel your grandpa head!” “Still not let go me? Sebastian what can you do to me ah?” “See who not let go who!” I not worry they revenge. Brad they no Main Character Energy protect, can’t do anything to me. And protagonist cannot break law. Then Sebastian also can’t do anything to me. I heart ache look creases smashed out on bag. Look again their unscathed thick skin. Heart couldn’t help regret—— Early knew stuff a brick inside. Brad pain grin mouth, finger point me threaten: “You f*cking dare hit me, watch father…” Julian protect me behind, kicked up. But they after all many people. Really fight, Julian definitely will suffer loss. While I thinking way, a Rolls-Royce phantom silent glide to hotel forecourt. Window down half inch, reveal half face shrouded by cigar smoke. Man brow bone high, eye corner carved few sharp lines. He index finger gently knock window frame, meaningful looked me one eye. Chapter 6 Sebastian that pair full anger eyes unintentional sweep that car. Stunned a moment. Then big step walk to hotel forecourt. Comments instant boil: [Coming coming coming, that man he came!] [Hong Kong first big consortium heir! Too handsome right!] [Hong Kong big shot personal come give male lead investment, male lead immediately fly sky!] [Do you guys feel, big shot eyes always staring at little drama queen?] [I also feel bit strange, little drama queen wouldn’t be big shot’s run away little wife ba?] I slowly turn head, met man black deep double eyes. Bad! Is Alexander Sterling! I heart a burst panic, pull Julian just run. Julian seem sensed something. He turn head, with Alexander far look each other. Back home, Julian asked nothing. He close eyes, gentle kiss fall on my hair top. Heart anxious nervous, didn’t notice Julian strangeness. Send him out door continue deliver food after, I lay on bed. Just thinking things, heard door rustling sound. I open bedroom door, living room stand uninvited group people. Just want ask how they enter. Then sudden remember, Alexander side have a bodyguard can pick lock. Narrow living room, Alexander wear a set tailored suit. Born noble with this environment incompatible. He lift eyes, gaze sweep sun fade curtain, narrow and thin simple sofa, finally fall on me. “You now just live in this kind place?”

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I broke up with my boyfriend in his poorest year. One year later, he achieved fame and success, married a “America’s Sweetheart” more beautiful and lively than me. On a talk show, the host asked him, having swept the Grammys at such a young age, if he still had regrets. He held Stella’s waist: “I want to know, after breaking up with me, how is she doing?” Host paused: “She… is doing very badly.” Julian Vance finally revealed a smile: “Then I’m relieved.” “But Ms. Mia left a videotape before she died.” Julian’s smile froze. Inside the videotape, were my days and nights from leaving him to dying of illness. … Chapter 1 “Before died?” Julian’s hand on Stella’s waist paused. Turned to a disdainful smile: “Is this your show effect?” Host shook head. On the big screen behind, appeared my smile. “Hello everyone, I am Mia, today I broke up~ “Huh? You ask me if I’m sad kicking a promising handsome Golden Retriever Boyfriend?” In the picture, the girl with shaved head was picking a wig for herself. Hearing this looked at camera, smiled: “Not sad, letting him see me like this now would be sad haha~ “Eh? What are you shaking for? Can’t film well.” I supported best friend Nora’s trembling hand. Nora choked with sobs: “I don’t want to film… I will cry to death, I don’t want to film anymore…” “That won’t do, you promised me, record my every day before death.” Nora voice carried crying tone: “Can’t I go back on my word?” “No!” I pouted: “This lady’s perfect curtain call, can’t be handed to others.” Seeing her still crying, I grabbed her clothes corner and shook: “Good Nora, I only have you in this world~” Crying sound more obvious: “Knew it knew it, I film okay…” Chapter 2 [Goodbye World, 2023.4.17, 9:34 AM —— Take It All] After many years, I returned to the old house in Texas. Nora held phone walking behind me, I led a big yellow dog walking on field path, laughter came from the ridge: “I said why Julian’s Instagram just updated a song, turns out because you took Yellow away!” I turned head: “What song? After breakup I blocked him.” “Adele, ‘Someone Like You’.” Me and Nora looked at each other for a moment, suddenly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “Never mind, I’ll find someone like you. “I wish nothing but the best for you too. “Don’t forget me, I beg…” Nora laughed out tears: “He wants nothing, just wants the dog, result you want nothing, only took the dog hahaha!” Sky edge came our laughter. Gradually mixed with weeping. Chapter 3 [Goodbye World, 2023.4.17, 10:08 AM —— Does puppy also know you are leaving?] Old wooden door pushed open, I waved away spider web: “I tell you, since me and Julian went to New York for school, rarely came back home. “After mom and dad left me and Julian took Yellow away, this is first time bringing him back.” Lens turned, became me holding camera: “Hello hello, Mia takes everyone immersive cleaning old house!” Nora wearing apron holding broom frowned: “Clearly is me cleaning! My big miss!” “I am patient~ let me okay~” After a burst of laughter, I walked out of kitchen face covered in ash. Nora black face took spatula: “I said don’t cook don’t cook! Don’t you know your own level! Go out sit!” I while coughing while smiling sat down. Wait Nora entered kitchen, my smile disappeared from face, phone put on table edge support, uncontrollably panting heavily. Trembling hand inhaled few mouths oxygen, I then smiled to camera: “Sorry ah, recently breathing problem times more and more… “Cough cough! Actually I very good at cooking, really. “Watch me brave kitchen again!” Saying picked up phone, foot side but more a furry thing. Lens down, Yellow right drooping eyelids lying on my foot. “Hungry?” I handed sausage over, he put at mouth side, continue lying on my foot back not move. “Good Yellow, I want go kitchen see Nora, get up.” He not move. “What wrong, today how so clingy?” I touched his already dry fur: “I know, Yellow also old咯~ lazy to move right? “Okay, today accompany you more a while~” I leaned on sofa: “Later also no chance accompany you.” Yellow low whined a sound. Chapter 4 [Goodbye World, 2023.4.17, 11:21 AM —— Is home still home without people] When I woke up from sofa, Nora right squatting at my feet. Hearing my voice, looked up, tears flowed full face: “Mia, heard dog can feel owner want leave, will go next life wait her in advance, is it true?” My lens almost shook off. Hurriedly touched Yellow. No breath. He lay at my feet, when I tired entered dreamland, quietly left me. I smiled uglier than crying: “Saying what, Yellow ten years old, arrived age of natural death that’s all.” Lens open again time, I right earthing up beside small mound in back mountain. Breath rapid, face pale, wipe sweat on forehead, pointed home direction: “Here straight go is home, million don’t go wrong direction, if walk to Julian…” I abrupt stop. Smiled, took hand back: “Don’t go back, there soon no people. “Wait I go down, we form a home with mom and dad below.” Sobbing sound accompanied lens shaking, I looked up, smiling pointed behind lens: “Doing what you, lens hold not steady.” Nora cried louder: “You are! Saying what you!” I laughed out sound, waved hand: “Look your look, go la, go home eat rice you made~” “Mia! You again like this I ignore you!” I grinning stepped forward, embraced her shoulder: “You rest assured, your Sister Mia, invincible under heaven! “Little cancer, easy peasy! “Hahahahahahahahaha!” Chapter 5 [Goodbye World, 2023.4.18, 8:27 AM —— I occasionally also forget I am a patient] “Mia! Mia you open door ah!” Nora crazy patting door. Lens set aside, Nora even didn’t have time adjust position, can only see her lower body. Inside room, I roaring crying: “Roll! I let you roll! Roll away!!” Immediately following is severe vomiting sound. Nora about to cry: “Mia you again like this I want hit door ah! Exactly happened what! You let me see!” “Roll! Let me alone stay!” Tear heart crack lung crying shout penetrate screen. Nora fiercely hit on door, old wooden door answered sound open. Inside room, I knelt beside trash can, hair strand stuck on face by vomit, a face of embarrassment. Slightly can’t see yesterday laughing singing look. I despair looked up, eye orbit red: “Nora…” “Mia.” She knelt down, ignore my full body dirty, a hug held me. I trembling hand hugged her, chin against her shoulder, tears soaked her clothes: “Sorry, I shouldn’t fierce you… “But I always will trance when wake up, thought I still normal Mia… “Then stare ceiling look long time, realize I sick… “I sick… I sick Nora…” I wept不成声 (choked with sobs). Nora held me tighter: “Mn, it’s okay, it’s okay Mia, you can survive, you can… “You are… “You are Mia ah…” Chapter 6 [Goodbye World, 2024.4.21, 4:34 PM —— Sometimes forgetting is instead comfort to the dead] I lay on Nora shoulder, under rolled up sleeve arm blue a piece purple a piece. My voice hoarse: “What to do ah Nora, again like this going to no place stick needle, so pain ah.” “Yo, now know pain, not you last night stay up late grab ticket time?” I pouted: “I always have to see ex-boyfriend big fire after first concert right? “Long time no see, see if his singing skill improved not.” Nora fell into silence. Long time after touched me: “You said back then break up reason is not want drag him, if he now to you still have feeling, will you find him help?” “No!” I cut nail chop iron (decisive). “But he now one song can break ten million, he now definitely have ability help you treat illness.” “That also no! You also not allowed tell him!” “But, you now…” I hands on hips, indwelling needle on hand left blue mark on skin: “I now good good ah, besides, he most poor time I kicked him, he just achieve fame I go back find him say I sick, that count what? “Rest assured, I am Mia ah! “Little cancer, easy peasy!” I index finger and thumb touch, made a “pinch” gesture. Nora looked me a while, sighed. I waved hand: “Go la, my this disease spend money also not certain can cure, might as well use limited money on last enjoyment. “Quick go quick go, night not still appointed amusement park ma? Before this, I found a BBQ… “Ah!” I head bumped into a person arms. Just crazy apologize, looked up see clear other face, immediately back retreat good few steps. Nora suck a mouth cold air: “Julian Vance?” Although he wearing mask, cover strict strict, but lover just rely a pair eyes can recognize each other. “Mia?” His good looking peach blossom eyes carried some shock. Turn is anger, blame. Think also didn’t think, I turn head just run. Lens crazy shake, Nora also follow me all way wild run. A cancer patient ran out steps faster than healthy time. After severe panting sound, someone loud calling my name: “Mia! You just so hate me ma?!”

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I caught the transfer student slipping an ultra-thin condom into my childhood fiancé’s pocket. She clapped a hand over her mouth in mock surprise. “Oh, please don’t misunderstand, little sister. I’m not planning on using these with your sweet boyfriend.” Gavin, my so-called fiancé, quickly explained, “We ran out of the rubber membrane we needed for a science experiment. We’re just substituting. Don’t get the wrong idea, Ainsley.” He braced himself, anticipating my usual spoiled tantrum. I saw the familiar, weary impatience settle between his brows. But I simply lowered my head and continued with my studies, my face expressionless. Gavin didn’t know it, but the day he shared an ice cream cone with that girl—Kylie—was the day I finalized my plans to leave the country. As far as I was concerned, he was already out of the game. 1 “We’re just using it for a lab experiment. Ainsley, don’t be so unreasonable.” I hadn’t uttered a single word, yet Gavin was already launching a preemptive strike. He rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation, preparing himself for the relentless questioning and demands he expected from me. I hadn’t actually been paying attention to what he was saying. I only looked up because their noisy little exchange was disrupting my English listening comprehension practice. Annoyed that I’d missed a sentence, I rewound the audio track, dropped my gaze, and started listening again. Gavin froze. Kylie nudged him in the arm, a sly, teasing look in her eyes. “Oh, is your little childhood fiancée trying a new tactic? Realized that being aggressive doesn’t work, so now she’s playing hard to get?” “Better go, childhood darling. She’s sulking and waiting for you to beg her to be okay.” Gavin’s voice was laced with frustration. “Beg her for what? She really acts like she’s my wife. If anyone needs begging, you do it.” “Ooh, tough guy. Be careful, or your little fiancée might stop talking to you forever.” Gavin’s cold gaze landed on the top of my head. “Then I pray she actually follows through with it.” Kylie snickered. “You are seriously the most ungallant man, Gavin.” The classroom was slowly filling up. The buzzing, fly-like noise around my ears gradually faded. I finished checking the final question on my listening quiz just as my housekeeper called. “Miss Ainsley, all the paperwork has been processed. You will depart in seven days. I have also forwarded all the information regarding Mr. Gavin’s recent behavior to the Chairman.” I hummed in response, glancing diagonally ahead at Gavin, who was whispering something into Kylie’s ear. I didn’t catch what he said, but Kylie giggled and playfully reached her hand into the back of his shirt collar. I looked away, speaking calmly into the phone. “Once my mother reviews the file, inform her that I am canceling the verbal agreement of the engagement with Gavin and that all projects with the Henry family are to be immediately halted.” 2 I walked out of the Principal’s office. The Principal had been smiling deferentially after I confirmed that the campus supply donations, promised long before my departure, would not be withdrawn. As I turned the corner from the office corridor, I ran straight into Kylie and Gavin. “Hey, Gavin, why is your little fiancée coming out of the Principal’s office? She wouldn’t be reporting us for the thing this morning, would she?” Kylie put on a pitiful, frightened expression and reached out to take my hand. “Oh, please, little sister, don’t get the wrong idea. We really were just using that thing for a science experiment. We didn’t break any school rules, honestly.” I pulled my hand back, a surge of distaste rising in my chest. “We aren’t friends. Please call me by my name, Ainsley.” Kylie looked momentarily stunned, her eyes welling up with contrived hurt. “I… I just thought it sounded friendlier to call you that.” “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have tried to climb the social ladder with a rich person like you. Ainsley, please, I beg you, don’t report me. I promise I’ll stop talking to Gavin completely!” Gavin stepped in, shielding Kylie behind him. “Ainsley, this is a school. Cut the Upper East Side Queen Bee routine.” His eyes held an obvious mix of rebuke and impatience. “Go back inside right now and tell the Principal you were lying and playing a joke. Kylie and I have a completely innocent friendship.” “Stop it, Gavin,” Kylie said, peeking her head out, her tone one of long-suffering helplessness. “Everyone in the grade knows you two are childhood sweethearts, inseparable. I shouldn’t have been delusional enough to think I could be your friend.” With that, Kylie adopted a look that suggested she was about to burst into tears and turned to walk away. Gavin grabbed her arm, stopping her, then glared at me. “Ainsley, do you know how disgusting you are? I’m a person, a living, breathing human being. Why do you insist on shackling me to you every day, denying me the freedom to even have a friend? Am I for sale?” They kept up their dramatic back-and-forth, giving me no space to speak until now. I looked at the undisguised loathing in Gavin’s eyes and asked softly, “Aren’t you?” 3 I was born emotionally detached; connecting with anyone outside my parents was always difficult. When I was five, I was kidnapped by an enemy of my father. After escaping and nearly being caught again, it was Gavin who blocked the abductor, allowing me to be saved. He took the beating, breaking two of his ribs. Later, in his hospital room, I, the usually distant child, voluntarily told my parents that I wanted Gavin to be my friend. My words shocked them both. It was the first time I had ever expressed a desire for a friend. After a thorough investigation of the Henry family background, they readily agreed. Gavin’s parents were ecstatic, their eyes alight with greedy ambition. My mother came from a prominent old-money family in New York; my father was the patriarch of a top-tier London financial powerhouse. Their son aligning himself with me meant that the Henry family, who barely registered in the city, would suddenly have unlimited prospects. After that, whenever Gavin’s parents visited for the holidays, they would intentionally or unintentionally try to push us together as a couple. My mother privately asked me if, since I was only willing to accept Gavin, I should perhaps secure an engagement with him first. I didn’t feel strongly one way or the other, but meeting my mother’s anxious gaze, I nodded my agreement. I didn’t want her and my father to worry or feel sad over my small affairs. And so, during yet another instance of Gavin’s mother praising us as a perfect couple, my mother promised a verbal engagement. That simple, non-binding agreement was enough to rocket the Henry family into the core circle of New York’s elite. Gavin’s parents were overjoyed. They made Gavin spend every day with me, constantly trying to keep me happy, terrified that I might change my mind. But as he grew older, Gavin’s intentions began to shift. The patience and happy smiles he once offered me gradually curdled into irritation and contempt. He grew to hate hearing people at school call us childhood sweethearts. Until Kylie appeared. The first time I saw her, she was sitting at my desk, rifling through my things. “Gavin, your deskmate is really a girl? Why is all her stuff so ugly? Her taste is so weird.” Gavin leaned against the desk, looking relaxed, but there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes when he looked at Kylie. “She’s not like you. You like things that are all pink and immature.” “I am not immature!” Kylie pouted, gesturing wildly as she spoke, and promptly knocked over my ceramic mug, sending it crashing to the floor. Gavin’s smile vanished when he saw me suddenly standing there. “Kylie just transferred; she didn’t know any better. Don’t hold it against her.” I kept my gaze fixed on Kylie, my voice flat. “That mug was eight hundred dollars. Pay me within three days.” Kylie gasped, disbelieving. “Eight hundred dollars for some stupid cup! Who do you think you are, a billionaire heiress?” Someone nearby whispered, “She is a billionaire heiress. Her family donated the new middle school dorm and the high school computer lab.” Kylie’s body trembled, her face suddenly flushed red. “But, hey, I didn’t mean to! Why should I pay?” She tugged on Gavin’s sleeve, whimpering softly, “Gavin, your deskmate is such a snob.” Gavin tightened his lips. “Ainsley, it was an accident. Besides, eight hundred dollars is nothing to you. Don’t be so petty. We’re all students here. Stop being such a bully.” “Fine. Then you pay for her. Eight hundred dollars, transfer it to me today.” Gavin’s face turned instantly ashen. “It’s eight hundred dollars! Are you serious?” “I am.” I nodded. “My family’s money doesn’t grow on trees.” With other students watching, Gavin couldn’t back down. He pulled out his phone and transferred the money. Then, he started gathering his books. “Kylie, didn’t you say you needed my help with tutoring? From now on, I’m moving to your desk.” He said it to Kylie, but his eyes were glued to me. It was as if he was waiting for me to plead with him to stay. I merely stepped aside, gesturing for him to hurry up and move his things. He paused, then slammed his books onto the seat next to Kylie in a renewed fit of rage. I remember thinking then: How should I convince my parents? Even if my personality was odd, their love was enough. Whether I had a friend or not truly made no difference. 4 The Principal was leaving to run an errand and chuckled when he saw us standing by the office door. “Gavin, are you also here to withdraw?” Gavin looked confused, turning to me. “Also? Where are you going?” “A competition,” I replied tonelessly. The Principal’s eyes flashed with understanding, and he wished me well before departing. Back in the classroom, the teacher announced the list for the mid-term Most Improved Student Scholarship. It was an award specifically for students who showed significant progress, one per class, given every semester. As the teacher discussed the exam results, I overheard Kylie quietly thanking Gavin. “Gavin, thank you for tutoring me. I’ll buy you dinner when I get the scholarship money.” Gavin smirked. “It’s nothing.” But a moment later, the teacher announced the winner’s name, and it was a different girl. Kylie let out an involuntary, horrified squeak. “How could it be Grace!” The teacher frowned. “If you have an issue, see me after class. Don’t disrupt the room.” After class, Kylie immediately rushed out to corner the teacher. When she returned, she slumped onto her desk, sobbing. “Is it because you rich people think you’re so high and mighty?” Hearing her, everyone gathered around to ask what the teacher had said. Kylie walked toward my desk, her expression a mix of wronged innocence and defiance. “Ainsley, I know this scholarship was set up by your family, but you shouldn’t use your power for private revenge! Just because Gavin and I are friends and you’re jealous, you yanked my spot. How could you be so awful?” That statement stunned everyone. The way they looked at me changed instantly. I looked up from my textbook. “Did the teacher tell you that directly?” Kylie’s eyes darted away. “Do you think I’d lie? Everyone knows that the minute I arrived, Gavin lost interest in you. I even heard you two were engaged. Of course you’d resent me and try to ruin me.” “I know you don’t need the money, and you can’t understand the struggles of people from poor backgrounds like mine. But I desperately need those few thousand dollars. Please, I’ll give Gavin back to you, just give me the scholarship spot, okay?” Gavin, who had just walked back in, saw Kylie crying her eyes out in front of me, and his face hardened. “Ainsley, deal with me if you have an issue. Don’t bully a younger girl.” A younger girl? I felt a fresh wave of disgust. “First, the ‘younger girl’ you speak of is a college repeater who’s older than both of us.” “Second.” I shifted my gaze to Kylie’s face and held up my phone, which was clearly recording. “I have every right to report you for slander based on everything you just said.” Kylie froze, her face turning chalk-white. She stammered and hid behind Gavin. “Forget it, I can’t fight you. I’ll let Grace have the spot. I’ll just swallow my pride and accept that I had to learn the harsh truth about society early.” Pity flashed in Gavin’s eyes. “Ainsley, Kylie improved her score by over a hundred points on the diagnostic. Don’t drag other people into your personal grudge with me.” “Kylie and I are real people, not just tools for your spoiled little power trip!” Before I could say anything else, a girl from the corner of the room, usually quiet and shy, suddenly stood up. Her eyes were red, and her whole body was shaking with the tension of what she was about to do. She walked over, stared at Kylie, and spoke, her voice trembling but every word clear and impactful. “Ainsley didn’t abuse her power. This scholarship is mine by merit.” “My parents passed away, and my grandmother is paralyzed. I live on meager public assistance. Ainsley’s family only set up this scholarship after she learned about my situation. I’m not very smart, and I’ve struggled with certain subjects, so even though it was set up because of me, I haven’t won it in two years. Until this time. I improved my score by 109 points and my rank by 305 places.” “I live honestly and study diligently. I earned this scholarship. Nearly a hundred students benefit from this fund every year, and Ainsley does not deserve to be slandered like this!” By the time she finished, Grace’s face was bright red, and tears were running down her cheeks. 5 The classroom fell silent. Then, low murmurs began to surface. “Ainsley might be cold sometimes, but she’s never looked down on anyone or been a bully.” “Totally. And the payout is six thousand dollars. Four times a year, across dozens of classes. Her family genuinely spends a ton of money. That’s really kind.” “Grace is usually quiet and keeps to herself. She improved that much? Choosing her is definitely the right call.” The room’s sympathy shifted entirely to Grace and me. Kylie’s face cycled through white and crimson before she couldn’t take it anymore and ran out crying. Gavin looked at me, his expression complex. “Even if you didn’t pull strings, did you have to humiliate Kylie? We’re all classmates.” I looked up, a rare flash of genuine anger sparked by his blindness. “Gavin, I’ve tolerated enough.” I had never spoken sharply to Gavin. Firstly, there was no need, and secondly, as my only friend, I was willing to keep him around to manage my parents, provided he didn’t cross the line. This was the first time I had ever confronted him like this. Gavin was stunned. He seemed to feel utterly humiliated by my words, and his face instantly flushed. He gritted his teeth, spat out, “You’re completely impossible,” and stormed out of the classroom. Kylie didn’t return for the remaining two classes. And Gavin, surprisingly, skipped out as well. My mother was three hours behind the domestic time zone, so the news of the engagement cancellation hadn’t yet reached the Henry family. That evening, after showering, I was reading a foreign policy journal when a text from an unknown number flashed on my screen. It was a photo of several opened condom wrappers, thrusting themselves into my view. The photo was accompanied by the text: [You stole my scholarship, so I guess I’ll steal your man. Moron. Did you really believe we were using these for science?] I had expected this, but seeing the visual still made my stomach turn with a sense of nausea. I didn’t reply. I screenshotted the image and the text and forwarded it to the housekeeper. [Send this with the engagement cancellation statement to the Henry family.]

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My mother was too preoccupied to raise a child, so, in her infinite wisdom, she decided to turn my older brother into a Nanny-Brother. She constantly drilled a single concept into his head: “Everything in the house will belong to you someday, and that includes your little sister.” My brother believed her. And so, while other heirs were out on the town drinking and partying, he was playing dress-up with me. While other trust-fund princes were drag racing and chasing girls, he was watching videos of my childhood, set to ridiculous, soothing soundtracks. Which meant that when I discovered I was a foundling, not a biological daughter, I had only one thought: I’m screwed. My brother is going to lose his mind. But then I saw him smile, his gaze locking onto me like a wolf spotting prey. “That,” he said, the word dripping with dark pleasure, “is just perfect.” 1 It was a Sunday evening family dinner, and my mother, Nadia, was chatting animatedly with my aunt. “You wouldn’t believe it, back at Ava’s first birthday, the ‘Grabbing Ceremony’—she ignored all the toys and candy, and she just grabbed onto Declan and wouldn’t let go.” “And Declan! He was such a handful as a kid, he’d barely smile, and even I, his mother, was nervous around him. Now look at him—he practically raised Ava. He’s like a built-in manny. When Ava said she was moving into the dorms, he looked like the sky was falling.” Manny? Was that a term you could just throw around so lightly? My mouth twitched, but before I could reply, a steaming mug was pressed into my hand. Ginger tea. Declan Sinclair settled naturally beside me. His knee pressed against mine. His arm wrapped loosely around my waist, his fingers beginning a slow, light circular massage on my lower back. “Still aching?” Ever since my first bad cramps, he’d been more attentive to my cycle than I was. Truth be told, I barely felt anything now, but with all the relatives watching, I felt my face flush. I tried to pull away, keeping my voice low. “Dec…” “Hmm.” Declan hummed an acknowledgement, then lifted his eyes, his gaze cool and distant, to the relatives across the table. “It’s getting late. Aunt and Uncle, I think you should head home.” He tossed the blunt dismissal out without apology, ignoring their clearly offended expressions. He only looked down at me, his eyes asking, Is it time for us now? 2 I had truly been raised by my brother. I heard that in the beginning, he hadn’t wanted me. Even as a small child, he had his own sharp logic. He’d argued against my mother’s irresponsible behavior: “She’s your baby, Mom. She’s not my baby.” My mother had been amused. “Why isn’t she yours?” “Everything in the house will belong to you someday, and that includes your little sister.” Declan took the line to heart. From then on, he became my willing, tireless Nanny-Brother, taking charge of everything. When I was sick in the hospital, my mother would stammer in response to the doctor’s questions; Declan would answer fluently and perfectly. Even my mother had once marveled, “Declan, you really have the instincts of a parent.” Declan took it as the highest compliment and doubled down on his care. Even now, he was standing in the doorway, his expression a mix of weary tolerance and total certainty, as if I was the one being unreasonable. I wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Dec, I’m an adult. I can take care of myself.” His voice was flat. “You said that last time, and you ended up in the ER with a migraine.” “That was just an accident—” “I can’t afford another accident.” “But this… this is wrong.” Seeing my hesitation, he pushed the door open, easily slipping inside the room. He tilted his head, his expression a picture of genuine confusion. “What’s wrong about it? You’re mine, Baby.” 3 The first time I realized that pet name was too intimate was during my college orientation week. Freshmen were required to stay in the dorms by our university. Declan showed up, his face a thundercloud, to help me make my bed. He was striking, handsome in a way that screamed ‘elite heir,’ yet he was expertly managing sheets and duvets. He even retrieved my required gym uniform, carefully adding a soft waist belt and specialized insoles. My roommates stared, their faces flushed with envy. “Ava Sinclair, your boyfriend is incredible.” My expression froze instantly. I quickly whispered, “He’s my brother. My actual brother.” “Oh. Then why does he call you ‘Baby’?” “And you guys don’t look alike at all.” I could only mumble an explanation: “He raised me.” From that day on, I strictly forbade Declan from calling me that in public. Although he didn’t seem to understand the reason, he listened. But as soon as we were home, he’d double down, stubbornly calling me Baby. “You are not allowed to call me that.” I grit my teeth, pushing against his chest to keep him away. Declan just nodded, utterly unbothered. “Whatever Baby wants.” I gave up. It was useless arguing with him. 4 I had a lot on my mind last night, and when my alarm went off, my brain was still foggy. Unfortunately, I had an 8 AM class. Declan pulled me out of the covers. “Baby, open up.” I groggily brushed my teeth. He then meticulously washed my face and applied my skincare routine. Only after everything was done did he settle me back on the bed. My clothes for the day were laid out on the chair, already chosen. He tilted his face toward me, seeking his good morning kiss. I gave it to him in a daze. “Thank you, big brother.” “Be a good girl. Tell your brother when you’re dressed.” By the time I was fully dressed, almost half an hour had passed. Twenty minutes of that was silent internal screaming. I thought about how utterly useless I’d been—like a total infant—just hours after my big independence speech. I felt deeply embarrassed. My mind was a blur until my class ended. I tried scrolling through my phone to distract myself. Then I saw a post that stopped my hand mid-scroll. I clicked on it before I realized what I was doing. [My little sister won’t let me eat her leftovers anymore. What do I do?] [This morning, I made breakfast as usual. My little sister loves it, and her cheeks look so cute when she’s finished. When she was done, I went to take her plate, but she wouldn’t let me. If I hadn’t tricked her and said I didn’t make enough for a second portion, I almost wouldn’t have gotten any. This has been happening a lot lately. Has someone been talking nonsense to her?] 5 8 AM is prime time for university students. I refreshed the page, and the comments flooded in instantly. [OMG, is this English? Grandma, the Sibling Suspense update you love just dropped.] [Someone should be talking nonsense to her, lol. The sister is a normal human; the poster is a menace.] [This is a sick trope, right? Honestly, my boyfriend doesn’t insist on eating my literal leftovers.] [“Almost wouldn’t have gotten any…” Dude, what are you regretting? Is your sister’s saliva magical?] Poster: [That just means your boyfriend doesn’t love you enough.] [I’ve taught my sister since childhood that family is the only lifetime bond. Not some short, fragile hormone-fueled connection like a lover.] [I don’t know. Everything she’s tasted just tastes better. We’ve grown up this way. Unfortunately, she’s in college now, so I only get this one meal a day. I can’t compromise on this.] User: [You’re complaining? If I had a brother like this, I’d run away overnight.] Poster: [Why? She asked me not to sleep with her, not to kiss her cheek, and I listened. I’ve been very compliant. She can’t leave me.] User: [Wait, no kissing? I don’t believe it.] Poster: [I keep my word. The morning kiss has been changed to her kissing my cheek instead.] The atmosphere was still relatively playful until the newest comment popped up. Ghosted_by_Venus: [It’s simple. She has a dog outside, of course! She needs to be discrete.] 6 This comment clearly struck a nerve with the poster.

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After my parents divorced, my younger brother with “supermale” syndrome found out that our dad had hooked up with a billionaire heiress in Manhattan. Wanting to become a third-generation elite, he kicked me and our mom aside, grabbing our dad’s hand: “Dad, I want to go with you.” I helped my mom up and stood quietly by her side. In our past life, my brother stole Mom’s diary and discovered that our grandmother was the matriarch of a top-tier political family in D.C. To wield power in those circles, he insisted on staying with the mother he disliked. He didn’t expect that Mom wouldn’t return to her wealthy family. Instead, she worked as a cleaner by day and sold hot dogs by night, raising him alone. For the convenience of his schooling, Mom gritted her teeth and rented a terrible studio apartment for $2,000 a month, meaning he couldn’t have meat every meal. He grew resentful. Meanwhile, because Dad became the famous live-in son-in-law of a wealthy Manhattan family, I lived a life of luxury. With access to top resources, I not only became the top scorer in the state for STEM but also the world’s number one Go player and race car driver. My brother’s jealousy twisted him. When I returned to the States for a friendly match, he took advantage of my post-race exhaustion and stabbed me seven times in public. When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn on the day our parents divorced. Seeing my brother make the opposite choice from his past life, I knew he was reborn too. A six-year-old child looked at me with smugness and malice, as if saying, In this life, I’m winning. But he didn’t know he had chosen a life worse than a dog’s. 1 I lowered my head to hide my hatred. I heard Ethan ask: “Liam, do you really want to go with me?” Ethan was actually more satisfied with me. Like Liam, when he pursued Mom, he coveted her status as a D.C. princess. He wanted to be a wealthy son-in-law. Unfortunately, Grandma had sharp eyes and saw his low character, forbidding Mom from marrying him. While Mom hesitated between family and love, Ethan got her pregnant and took her away, thinking Grandma would soften. But Ethan was disappointed. After confirming Grandma disowned Mom, Ethan started cheating. He pretended to be a romantic, carefree painter, hooking up with powerful heiresses everywhere. He chose to divorce this time because he hooked up with my stepmother from my past life, Victoria Sterling. As a Manhattan princess, Victoria was the center of attention and lived freely, but she couldn’t escape her mission—marriage alliances. After being diagnosed with infertility, she became an outcast in her family. While being coldly treated, she seemingly played with one male model after another but actually plotted to devour the family business step by step. Now over thirty, with her power secured, she wanted to marry a man with a son. Ethan didn’t hesitate to put Liam and me up for competition. After screening by Victoria’s expert team, I was deemed more suitable to be her heir. In my past life, I didn’t know Ethan’s conspiracy and obediently went with him. Arriving at the Sterling estate, Victoria threw me directly into a crocodile pool: “Leo, if you want to be my son, you have to learn to survive. The crocodiles will be released in three hours. Get ready.” “No!” I splashed in the water, screaming in fear. “Don’t let the crocodiles eat me! Mmph…” The elegant lady spoke gently: “Leo, you have to survive on your own.” 2 I cried for help to Ethan, who was hiding behind Victoria: “Dad! Quick, save me! I…” Ethan ignored my fear and sided with her: “Leo, Mom is right. You have to be obedient. For Dad, you have to survive the crocodiles’ mouths!” I cried out: “She’s not my mom!” Victoria bent down slightly, lifting my chin: “Leo Hart, if you want me to have a motherly heart for you, you must completely forget Grace. Be good. If you pass the test, you can take the surname Sterling.” I didn’t answer but instinctively bit her wrist hard. Ethan squatted down anxiously, trying to pry my mouth open: “Leo Hart! You little wolf cub! Let go!” Victoria remained calm: “Leo Hart, even if you bite through my hand, the crocodiles will appear behind you in 160 minutes.” That sentence made me realize I was powerless to change my fate. After releasing her, I swam to the cage, enduring my fear, trying to observe the crocodiles lurking in the water and the surrounding environment. I had to survive. Fighting wits and courage with crocodiles for three days, Victoria killed them, but without giving me a chance to breathe, she locked me in a dog cage and made me eat raw meat. Her domestication of me never stopped… Growing up, I became excellent enough. Outside, she needed me to keep up appearances and would be consistently gentle. But if I underperformed and didn’t meet her expectations, she would find ways to punish and torture me. Therefore, even though I was called an “all-around genius” by the outside world, my heart was deformed. If Liam hadn’t killed me, sooner or later, I would have perished together with Victoria. Since I was reborn, of course, I would fulfill Liam’s wish and let him go be Victoria’s dog as he desired. I wanted to stay by Mom’s side and heal myself. 3 Liam, afraid of missing the chance to change his fate, hugged Ethan’s leg and nodded heavily: “Dad! I want to go with you! You treat me well, and I want to treat you well!” Ethan hesitated. Just then, Mom knelt on one knee, looking me in the eye, and asked gently: “Leo, what about you? Do you want to go with Mom or Dad?” I answered without hesitation: “Mom.” Mom was disappointed with Liam, but my stance moved her. She hugged me, promising solemnly: “Leo, I will make sure you grow up healthy and happy.” I also poured out my heart: “I will always be by Mom’s side.” In my past life, Mom gave Liam all her motherly love, but Liam didn’t cherish it. In this life, I will cherish it properly. Ethan suddenly shouted: “Grace, I haven’t agreed yet. What right do you have to decide to take Leo?” Mom ignored him, whispering to me to take Liam to our room to pack our luggage. I nodded obediently. Then, I walked to Liam, held his hand, and tried my best to mimic a seven-year-old’s tone: “Liam, come upstairs with big brother.” A flash of malice unsuitable for his age crossed the six-year-old’s face. He thought he hid it well and nodded perfunctorily. I hid my hatred for him. While leading him up the stairs, I thought about how to escape. After a few steps, he pushed me. In a flash, I thought of a plan. So, I followed his force and fell backward, deliberately letting my forehead hit the sharp part of the railing. Unfortunately, a six-year-old body isn’t as mature as my mind. After falling completely, the pain all over my body made me wail. Liam also ran to me, wiping fake tears: “Brother, how did you fall! Boohoo, I’m so scared…” Mom called 911 immediately. Ethan roared at me: “Leo Hart! How dare you fall like this! What if it leaves a scar!” Victoria was an extreme perfectionist. She treated her adopted son as a work of art to show off, so naturally, scars were not allowed. Seeing Ethan jumping anxiously, I knew I had successfully dodged a bullet. 4 Mom scolded Ethan: “Ethan, what are you yelling for! Get out! Leo stays with me, don’t boss him around!” Ethan dared not state his scheme explicitly, afraid he couldn’t even take Liam. He could only stall: “Since Leo is hurt, treat him first! We’ll talk about splitting the kids after he’s discharged.” Mom was too worried about my injury to argue with him: “Fine.” Ethan went out to smoke as an excuse, actually calling Victoria. Liam knew the situation was set. He tugged at Mom’s sleeve, speaking with childish innocence: “Mommy, Brother was dancing around on the stairs, fell by himself, and almost tripped me. Mommy, when Brother gets better, you have to…” Mom interrupted his instigation: “Go sit over there for a while.” Ethan received instructions from Victoria and changed his face immediately: “Grace, I’ve decided. I’ll take Liam, and you raise Leo. From now on, unless necessary, let’s not contact each other.” Mom was decisive: “Okay.” Like in the past life, Mom and Ethan decided to sell the marital house, and Mom took $80,000 cash in advance. Ethan had Victoria backing him, so he paid quickly. While I was hospitalized, Ethan couldn’t wait to fly Liam to New York for Victoria to inspect. I looked forward to their fate. After I was discharged, Mom left the sad place and chose to live in Chicago. She still worked as a cleaner by day and sold hot dogs by night to support my schooling and raise me. I didn’t despise her work but tried every way to share her burden. In my past life, the only benefit of Victoria’s domestication was making me excellent. Mom’s love healed me. From resisting memories, I started showing my IQ from the past life day by day. I became the top scorer in the high school entrance exam, and the school awarded me $10,000. Mom cried. She asked me cautiously: “Leo, is Mom’s job not respectable? If you become the top scorer in the college entrance exam later, with so many reporters interviewing, will you say your mom is a cleaner?” I comforted her: “Of course! I want to tell the world that it hasn’t been easy for Mom to raise me all these years. Without Mom, there would be no me.” Mom choked up: “Leo, you are my pride.” 5 With some savings, under my suggestion, Mom decided to open a spicy duck stew restaurant. It was summer break, so I helped in the store. For the first three days of opening, everything was 90% off, and the store was bustling. On the fourth day, the discount was canceled, and the store was much quieter. I just finished prepping ingredients when I saw Ethan and Liam walk in. Suddenly, Ethan and Liam in suits appeared in the store. I rushed over, blocking them: “What do you want?” Liam adjusted his suit, looking at me with disdain: “Leo, stop pretending to be high and mighty! Do you know that even if your mom runs this shop for a lifetime, she can’t afford one of my ties!” Liam clearly adapted to and enjoyed the lavish life very much. With his IQ, even being reborn, he probably couldn’t pass Victoria’s nearly perverted tests. How did he do it? Just then, Ethan warned Liam in a low voice: “Don’t forget the business. Don’t upset your mom.” He smiled at me again: “Leo, I’m Dad. Your mom opened a shop, so I brought Liam to support. We haven’t seen each other for years…” I interrupted: “Mom and I are doing very well. We don’t want to see you. Please leave.” Liam shouted angrily: “Leo, cut the crap!” I shouted back: “Get out!” Ethan blocked between Liam and me to soothe me: “Leo, don’t mind Liam. Here’s the thing, your Mom Victoria invited you to our home. She likes you very much.” Victoria was actually willing to tolerate the scar on my forehead to trick me into the Sterling family. How bad was Liam’s aptitude! Then why did she keep him? “What are you thinking about! Leo, it’s your blessing that Mom let you go home!” I was cold: “I only have one mom, her name is Grace. I don’t have a dad or a brother either.” Ethan said sheepishly: “Leo, reconsider? Your Mom Vic… no, Auntie, really appreciates you.” I refused: “Not considering. Not going.” Ethan completely broke down: “Don’t think you’re hot stuff just because you’re the top scorer in the entrance exam! The Sterling family’s wealth rivals a nation. Besides today, what chance do you have to climb up in this life!” I was unmoved: “Can’t climb that high.” Liam raged: “Dad, don’t take Leo back! He’s just a top scorer! There are plenty in the country! Mom can totally sponsor other more cooperative ones and train them well! Leo is working part-time now, can’t focus on studying, and is so arrogant. Three years later, he definitely won’t beat me in the college entrance exam!” Ethan spat at me: “Ungrateful wolf cub!” He turned back to Liam: “Let’s ask your mom first.” They left. I turned around and saw Mom sitting on a chair, dazed, tears streaming down her face. “Leo, Mom is sorry. Actually…”

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