Category: English

The scholarship student I sponsored for three years, Julian Vance, finally graduated from college. He stood at my door carrying large bags of Homemade Jam, his tanned face full of rustic gratitude. “Sarah, without you, I wouldn’t be here today. Please accept this small token of my appreciation.” I smiled and invited him in, heart feeling warm. Just as I turned to pour him water, a cold voice suddenly sounded in my mind. [This apartment location is great. Kill her, and it’s mine.] My hand holding the cup shook, water spilled all over the floor. Chapter 1 I took a deep breath, poured another glass of water, turned and walked back to the living room, a decent smile on my face. “Julian, drink some water.” “Thank you, Sarah.” He took the cup, eyes still so simple and honest. [Her parents’ old house is also worth a lot. Heard her mention last time, it’s in the old school district downtown. Tomorrow I’ll go ‘visit’ them in the name of thanking them for their cultivation.] [Wait until their whole family dies ‘accidentally’, I will be the owner of this house. Then use her identity information to apply for loans, figure out a way to get her company’s money too. Perfect!] This young man with a rustic smile was sipping water, eyes full of “longing for future life”. And my back was instantly soaked with cold sweat, clenched fists, barely kept myself from screaming. Not an hallucination. This brother-like student I sponsored for three years, treated like family, is listing poisonous murder plans one by one, ready to bite the hand that feeds him anytime! Chapter 2 Run! Call the police! This was the first thought flashed in my mind. But I can’t. No surveillance at home, no substantial conflict between us, acting rashly, what to say when police come? They will only think I’m mentally ill. Startling the snake, this wolf Julian who looks simple but is actually vicious, will only hide deeper, use more covert means to deal with me and my family. Must be calm. I forced a smile, pointed to the jam he brought: “Julian, you are so thoughtful. Had dinner? How about eating here, I’ll cook something for you.” Julian immediately put down the cup, eyes lit up, smile more “sincere”. “How can I accept that, too much trouble for you Sarah!” [Eat, of course eat. Just right to add the stuff I brought. This is Death Cap Mushroom powder gathered from mountains in my village, ground into powder, colorless and tasteless, internal organs fail within three hours after eating, even gods can’t save. Police will only identify as food poisoning, accidental death.] My heart sank to the bottom. He even brought the murder weapon! I glanced at that bulging cloth bag, seemingly rustic local specialties, actually my death warrant. “Not trouble, not trouble at all.” I stood up, tried to make my voice sound normal, “What do you want to eat? Let me see what’s in the fridge.” I need an excuse, an excuse to leave his sight and seek help from outside. “Sister, I love whatever you make.” Julian rubbed his hands, face full of expectation, “Right Sarah, the dried bamboo shoots I brought make the freshest soup, how about stewing a pork rib bamboo shoot soup tonight?” The dagger is revealed. My heart beat wildly, but face smiled: “Okay, good idea. But…” I frowned pretending to be distressed: “Such a coincidence, I ate seafood two days ago and had some allergy, doctor said diet should be light these days, meat soup temporarily can’t drink.” A trace of imperceptible disappointment flashed on Julian’s face. [Pity, originally a pot of soup could solve. But it doesn’t matter, she always has to drink water.] I pretended not to see, walking towards kitchen while saying: “It’s okay, I make for you. I’m happy watching you eat. Let me wash rice first.” Kitchen and living room are semi-open, he can see my every move. Can’t call, can’t text, any abnormal move might arouse his suspicion. Back to him, brain spinning fast. I need a helper, a helper who can immediately understand my situation, and is tough enough, plays cards not according to common sense. Police won’t work, friends are mostly ordinary white-collars like me… Suddenly, a name jumped out of my mind – my cousin, Vinny. My cousin is a “tough guy”, mixed in streets early years, now opened a Private Security Firm, keeping a bunch of brothers, specialized in handling some “hard to handle” troubles. Although he looks unreliable, we grew up together, treats me better than real brother. Only he can use unconventional means to deal with this unconventional demon in front of me. Chapter 3 I smiled and poked my head out from kitchen: “Julian, I promised a cousin before to help him introduce a reliable intern. You just graduated looking for job right? How about I call him over, you chat face to face?” “Job?” Julian’s eyes instantly brightened, greedy light flashed past. [Just right! Wait until she’s dead, I can justify entering her company under the name of “internship”, prepare for next step!] His inner voice made me more certain, this is an excellent bait. “Yes,” I took out phone, pretending natural to scroll contacts, “My cousin opened a company himself, very generous, just lacks a smart assistant, I think you are especially suitable! If you are willing, I’ll call him over to sit, eat together by the way.” “Willing! Of course willing!” Julian stood up excitedly, “Thank you Sarah! You are really my benefactor!” I smiled, dialed cousin Vinny’s number in front of him, and pressed speaker. Phone rang twice and connected, came cousin’s hanging tone: “Hey? Sarah, why remember calling brother? Is it cheated by some scum man again, want brother help you settle?” A big stone in my heart landed, cleared throat, used a relaxed and slightly showing off tone said: “Get out! I’m introducing talent to you! Remember that college student Julian I sponsored mentioned to you? He graduated, came to see me today, I thought your company lacks people, let him go help you.” Julian immediately leaned over, nervously and politely shouted to phone: “Hello Brother Vinny!” Vinny on the other end stunned a bit, then laughed loudly: “Okay, since you introduced, brother must give face. Like this, I happen to be nearby, arrive in half an hour, I bring bottle of good wine, let’s chat while eating.” “Okay, then you hurry up.” I emphasized, “Right brother, when you come over, by the way help me deal with that Mad Dog from old man Wang downstairs.” Vinny’s voice paused: “Mad Dog? Didn’t old man Wang raise a Poodle?” My heart tightened, but tone still calm: “Sigh, don’t mention it. Don’t know what happened recently, that Poodle like crazy, wants to pounce and bite when seeing people, very fierce. Yesterday even wanted to rush into my house! I a girl, scared watching. Didn’t you raise several big dogs, bring a Sturdy Iron Cage over, lock it up first, avoid hurting people.” I spoke very slowly, very clearly. “Mad Dog”, “Want to rush into my house”, “Sturdy Iron Cage”. This is the secret code between me and cousin. Childhood we lived opposite doors, neighbor raised a vicious dog, once almost bit me, was cousin carrying a baseball bat, blocked it in corner, saved me. Since then, “Mad Dog” became our code for “Extremely Dangerous Villain”. Phone other end silent for few seconds. I can even imagine cousin’s playful face, smile instantly disappearing expression. “Okay, I know.” His voice became steady and brief, “Cage, I will bring. Lock door at home, wait for me.” Hung up phone, I let out a long breath. Julian unaware, still immersed in joy of getting good job. [This cousin sounds like a stupid rich man, just right, wait I inherit Sarah’s everything, then swallow his company too.] Killing intent surged in my heart. Swallow my cousin’s company? Julian, you won’t have this chance. Today this home, is the iron cage prepared for you. Chapter 4 Half an hour, long like a century. I pretended busy in kitchen, washing vegetables, cutting vegetables, but corner of eye never left Julian in living room for a second. He sat on sofa, seemingly uneasy, hands constantly rubbing on pants, like a nervous youth about to interview. Actually thinking in heart: [Why this woman always dawdling in kitchen? Rice not cooked yet. When her stupid cousin comes, will there be variables?] [No, can’t wait anymore.] [Still have to follow original plan, let her drink spiked water first.] My heart thumped, saw him pick up water cup, stand up walking towards me. “Sarah, you worked hard, rest a while. Let me help you.” Face still hanging incomparable concerned smile. But I saw, at moment approaching, his fingertip quickly wiped on cup rim. Some colorless tasteless powder, already quietly dissolved into water. “No need no need, I’ll be ready soon.” I hurriedly waved hand, heart almost jumping out from throat. “Sarah, just drink mouthful water, look you busy sweating all over.” He involuntarily handed water cup to my mouth, eyes carrying a trace of unquestionable paranoia. I stared dead at that cup of water, dissolved inside, is deadly poison causing organ failure. What to do? Knock over directly? That is undoubtedly tearing face immediately, with my physical strength, simply not his opponent. I had a bright idea, body suddenly swayed, pretended unstable, kitchen knife in hand “accidentally” slipped, clatter fell on ground, tip pointing right at his foot. “Ah!” Julian scared screamed, instinctively jumped back step, dodged kitchen knife. Water cup in his hand also because this violent shake, spilled big half. “Sorry, sorry!” I panicked apologized, hurriedly squatted to pick knife, “Too tired working overtime these days, little low blood sugar, dizzy.” Julian face gloomy terrible, but soon recovered that honest look, only deep in eyes added a trace impatience. [Waste! Even can’t hold a cup of water steady!] [Seems gentle way won’t work. This woman is more alert than I thought.] He bent down, reached hand want support me, I however heard his inner vicious voice roaring. [I have to tie her up first! Later her cousin comes, find chance lure him to balcony, push down from behind! 20th floor, die for sure. Then come back solve this woman, say they siblings quarreled, accidental killing then suicide in fear of crime.] My body stiffened. “Sarah, are you okay?” He supported me, other hand quietly reached towards cloth bag putting local specialties before. Side of that bag, impressively exposed a section of rough hemp rope! Chapter 5 “Ding dong! Ding dong!” Just at moment Julian finger about to touch hemp rope, doorbell rang. Urgent, loud, like a lifesaving thunder. Julian movement suddenly paused, face flashed a trace suspicion and irritability. [Who? Didn’t her cousin say half hour? Only twenty minutes!] My heart wild joy, busy broke free Julian hand, almost rolling crawling rushed to door. “Must be delivery, fruit I ordered arrived!” I randomly found excuse, hands busy feet messy to open door. Julian closely followed behind me, eyes staring me like wolf, one hand already touched pants pocket, there hard, like a folding knife. He had killing intent! My hand on door handle, constantly trembling because nervous. Outside door, must be cousin. Please. I fiercely pulled open door. Standing outside, indeed is cousin Vinny. He didn’t come alone. Behind followed four strong men wearing black T-shirts, each muscle solid, eyes sharp, look like trained fighters. And leading Vinny, changed past playfulness, expression cold like a block of ice. His hand, really carrying a half-person high, flashing metal cold light pet steel bar cage! Scene once very weird. Julian face instantly white, hand holding knife handle in pocket also suddenly froze. [What happened? Why came so many people? Still bringing cage?] [Could it be… she discovered? Impossible! Where did I reveal flaw?!] Vinny gaze like falcon dead locked on Julian, deep voice asked: “Sarah, is it him?” I heavily nodded. That instant, Julian eyes completely changed. All simplicity, gratitude, shyness disappeared without trace, replaced by angry from embarrassment of being seen through and poison quenched resentment. “What do you want?!” He fierce appearance but weak inside roared, “Sarah, what mean you? I good heart come see you, you actually called a gang of hooligans to deal with me!” Not wait me speak, Vinny already waved hand. “Do it!” Two strong men behind him pounced like tigers down mountain, one each side, instantly twisted Julian arms behind back, dead pressed on ground. Julian desperately struggled, mouth emitted beast like roar, but under absolute power suppression, all resistance appeared so ridiculous. Other two quickly entered room, closed door, and carefully checked all corners. “Brother Vinny, safe.” Vinny then threw iron cage “Clang” sound on ground, walked to suppressed Julian, squatted down, used hand patted his flushed red face. “Kid, guts not small ah, idea hit on my sister head?” Julian dead stared me, resentment in eyes almost turned into substance: “Sarah! You this poison woman! I saw through you! You simply not sincerely want help me, you just want treat me as pet charity, satisfy your pathetic superiority! Now I graduated, no utilization value, you want kick me away, even find people humiliate me!” He started inverting black white, trying shape himself as victim. If I didn’t hear his inner voice, really might be deceived by his grief and indignation look. [Must make big! As long as police come, I am weak! A poor student beaten by mafia called by sponsor, public opinion will stand my side! That time I not only can escape, can also bite her back, ruin her reputation!] I listened his inner calculation, only felt a burst nausea. “Cousin,” I coldly opened mouth, “Search his pocket, and that cloth bag.” A strong man immediately stepped forward, searched out a sharp folding knife from Julian pants pocket, and from that cloth bag full of “local specialties”, dug out a roll rough hemp rope, and a packet wrapped in oil paper, emitting weird smell yellow powder. Vinny picked up that packet powder, smelled under nose, face sudden change. “This is ‘Cyanide’ local recipe,” he eyes ice cold looking Julian, “Kid, you good ah, even this insidious thing brought!” “I don’t know what you talking about!” Julian still hard mouth, “That is pesticide used in my hometown! You guys planting stolen goods framing!” He roared while looking me with forest cold eyes, seemed saying: Sarah, you have no evidence. Yes, I have no evidence. These things, he can completely quibble. Even police come, at most illegal possession of controlled knife, simply can’t convict him attempted murder. But today, I simply didn’t plan go conventional route. I looked at Julian dead pressed on ground, slowly opened mouth: “Julian, you think why I suddenly called my cousin?” Julian stunned. I slowly walked to him, squatted down, looked straight into his eyes, used voice only we two can hear, word by word said: “Because, I can hear.” Julian pupils, at this moment, fiercely shrank into needle tip size.

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I was a professional tour guide, leading a group through the mountains with my colleague, Miley, when disaster struck. Our van skidded off the road and plunged into the center of a frozen lake. Later, at the awards ceremony held by the Winter Rescue Team, Miley’s eyes were red from crying as she took the stage. “I want to thank Captain Miller. To save us, he deliberately put his own wife last in the rescue order. Such selflessness is truly rare.” I listened, dazed and confused. “Rescue has a strict priority protocol,” I muttered to the person beside me. “I was pinned against the window by the water pressure; I was just harder to reach.” The survivors nearby began to chime in, their voices filled with awe for my husband. “You don’t even know, do you? You were actually closest to the rescue hatch. But Captain Miller wanted to avoid any talk of favoritism. He didn’t want people saying he prioritized his wife, so he pushed you back and pulled us out first.” My heart skipped a beat. I looked up at Ethan Miller on the stage. My husband was frowning, his face a mask of stern righteousness. “Miley was already suffering from severe hypothermia,” Ethan declared. “I had to save her first.” “Avery is my wife. She, of all people, should understand and support the demands of my job. How can she be so selfish as to hold a grudge over personal feelings at a time like this?” I touched my lower abdomen—a place that would never carry life again. I thought of the three hours I spent waiting in that dark, freezing lake, and the baby I lost to the ice. “I see,” I whispered to myself. “So, being the family of a ‘hero’ means being the one person who is ignored.” “Well, I’m done being family.” 1 I stood up to leave. Ethan’s expression shifted instantly. “Avery! What are you doing? Sit down!” I looked at him, my eyes burning with a clarity I hadn’t felt in years. “Captain Miller, since everyone is here, I’d like to ask you one thing.” “I was the closest to the hatch. I was also pregnant. By every standard rescue protocol, I should have been the first one out. Why did you push me back? Why did you leave me for last?” Ethan’s face turned a violent shade of crimson. He clearly didn’t appreciate being challenged in front of his peers. He gritted his teeth, glaring at me. “Avery, you’re a rescue spouse! You should understand the concept of the greater good! I avoided rescuing you first to protect your reputation as much as mine! I did it for your own good!” I pointed at Miley. “And what about her? She’s your childhood sweetheart. Why didn’t you ‘avoid favoritism’ with her? Why was she the very first person you pulled to safety?” Ethan’s face went from red to a deathly pale. His hands balled into fists as he struggled to keep his temper. “Avery, have you had enough? Are you saying you’d be happy if Miley had died?” Beside him, Miley burst into fresh sobs. “Avery, I’ve been sickly ever since I had my son five years ago. If I had stayed in that water any longer, I would have died. I’m sorry I’m not as strong as you.” At the mention of “the son,” Ethan’s face darkened like a thundercloud. “Avery, you’re fine now. No one died in this rescue. Stop looking for trouble where there is none!” No one died? I let out a cold, hollow laugh. I touched my stomach. Was the life of my unborn child not a life? 2 Three days ago, when the van hit the water, panic erupted. As the senior guide, I immediately sent our GPS coordinates to Ethan and directed the passengers on how to break the windows. Miley, the intern guide who only got the job through Ethan’s connections, was useless. She just sat there whimpering, “We’re going to die… oh god, we’re all going to die…” When the water reached the waist-level of the seats, I saw Ethan dive into the water. I was about to climb out of the shattered window when a shadow pushed me back in. I swallowed a lungful of freezing lake water. By the time I regained my bearings, Ethan was gone. I bit my lip against the cold and started lifting the tourists out through the gap. One, two… The water reached my chest. A sharp, stabbing pain bloomed in my lower abdomen. I looked down into the murky water and saw a faint, dark red cloud blooming around me. I was two months pregnant. Ethan knew. I found an emergency oxygen mask in the glove box and strapped it on. The sound of the rescue boats came and went. I heard Miley’s hysterical crying and Ethan’s calm, steady voice: “Don’t be afraid. I’ve got you!” The tourists were taken away, one by one. The water eventually topped the roof. I was the only one left. But after Ethan’s boat sped away for the third time, it never came back. By the time my oxygen ran out, I was certain I was dead. It was another rescue team that eventually found me. When they pried the van open, I barely had a pulse. When I finally woke up in the hospital, Ethan was by my bed, his eyes bloodshot. He squeezed my hand, his voice thick with emotion. “Avery, I’m so sorry. You were pinned in such a difficult spot… the rescue was too complex. I had to save the ones who were easier to reach first…” He cried so convincingly. He looked so haggard. I believed him. I even felt sorry for him. “It’s okay,” I had whispered then. “You saved so many people. It’s just… our baby…” I cried for days, drowning in guilt and grief. Then came the ceremony. Ethan had insisted I attend. “Avery, please come. You were the guide; you were part of the rescue. Having you there makes me feel at peace.” I had just finished two rounds of emergency treatment. I was physically hollowed out. But seeing the hope in his eyes, I agreed. I wanted to witness his moment of glory. Until today. Until Miley, in her “innocent” little voice, accidentally let the truth slip. I realized then that the shadow who pushed me back into the sinking van… was my own husband. 3 Ethan was still shouting at me in the hall. “Avery, stop being so unreasonable! Think about how this looks! Don’t forget, you were the guide. You’re legally responsible for this accident!” Speaking of responsibility, my eyes stung again. I hadn’t wanted to take Miley on this trip. She joined the company a month ago and was still on probation. She only got on my team by clinging to Ethan’s sleeve. “Avery, please, just let me shadow you!” If she had just followed orders, it would have been fine. But she loved playing boss. Before we left, she went behind my back and told the driver to change the route. “Take this shortcut,” she told him. “The tourists will get to the site earlier and have more time for photos. Avery said it’s fine.” The driver was hesitant, but she blocked him from calling me. “This is Avery’s call. Why would I lie to you?” By the time I realized we were off-course and passing the lake, it was too late to turn back. The weather had warmed, and the ice was thinning. Before we could retreat, the ice groaned and gave way. The driver and I had already told the truth to the company, the insurers, and the police. But now, Ethan was publicly pinning the blame on me to save Miley. The crowd began to mutter. “Yeah, the tour company hasn’t paid us our settlement yet.” “If it wasn’t for Captain Miller, we’d be dead.” “She doesn’t even think about her own mistakes, she just complains about being saved last? She’s lucky she didn’t drown!” Suddenly, I was the villain. Ethan looked at me with a spark of triumph, as if he had finally brought me to heel. “Avery, you should apologize to everyone on behalf of your company. Don’t try to ride my coattails just because I saved people. Learn some ‘professional distance’!” The crowd chanted: “Apologize! Apologize!” I looked at them—the people I had pushed out of the car while the water froze my bones. They had called me a saint in the water. Now, they were throwing stones. Finally, I spoke. “The company is investigating. The truth about whose fault this was will come out soon enough.” “But I, Avery Smith, have a clear conscience regarding my job and my soul.” I looked at Ethan one last time. “Congratulations, Captain Miller. You stepped over the blood of my miscarriage to become a hero once again.” I lifted my left hand, slid the wedding ring off my finger, and placed it on the table. “From today on, you don’t have to worry about ‘favoritism.’ I’m no longer your family.” I turned and walked out. No hesitation. Behind me, the room exploded into chaos, but Ethan’s voice was the loudest, roaring for me to come back. Miley’s voice followed, sweet and sharp: “That’s the sacrifice of a hero’s family! I guess some people just aren’t cut out for the role.” 4 Back at the house, I started packing. My phone buzzed—a text from Ethan. “I’ll let today go, but you owe Miley an apology. I’ll handle the media, just stop talking.” I didn’t reply. I blocked him. While gathering my documents, I found a manila envelope tucked at the very bottom of a drawer. It was worn at the edges. Inside were photos. The first: Ethan and Miley on a college campus, wearing matching outfits, heads pressed together, smiling. The second: Miley holding a newborn baby. Ethan stood beside her. They looked like a perfect family of three. My breath hitched. I kept digging. I found a copy of a birth certificate. Name: Leo Vance. Date of birth: Five years ago. At the bottom of the envelope was a DNA test result. Client: Ethan Miller. Conclusion: The DNA analysis supports that Ethan Miller is the biological father of Leo Vance. My world shattered. Ethan and Miley had a child? I never knew. We got married four years ago. That meant Miley had his child a year before we even wed. No wonder he took such good care of them. No wonder he was so desperate when she fell into the water. It wasn’t about “professionalism.” It was about ensuring his son wouldn’t lose a mother. My child and I were just props for his “Perfect Hero” persona. “Avoiding favoritism?” What a noble lie. 5 A week later, I moved into a small studio. I hired a lawyer and sent the divorce papers to Ethan’s office via overnight mail. Three days later, my phone rang from an unknown number. “Avery…” It was Ethan. “Come home. We need to talk.” “There’s nothing to talk about.” “I’ll agree to the divorce,” he said, his voice deep and weary. “But we need to figure out the details.” I figured it was better to settle it once and for all than to let it drag on. When I arrived at the house, both Ethan and Miley were in the living room. Miley immediately ran up and grabbed my arm. “Avery, the company is firing me! They’re saying it was my fault! Please, you have to help me!” I looked at Ethan. “You tricked me into coming here to help her?” Ethan looked a bit embarrassed. “You wouldn’t have come otherwise. Miley loves being a guide. That accident… it was an accident. The company can fine her, but firing her is too much.” He pushed a document toward me. “Avery, you were the lead. Just sign this statement. Take the hit for her.” I glanced at it. It was an Accident Disclaimer. “I, Avery Smith, admit primary responsibility for the Frozen Lake incident, including the unauthorized route change…” Ethan looked at me sternly. “Avery, you’re the wife of a hero. You should have some dignity and take responsibility.” I smiled, picked up the paper, and tore it in half. Ethan’s face twisted. “Avery! What is wrong with you? I’m trying to be reasonable!” “The police have a record. The insurance company knows the truth. You think you can just pin a crime on me with a piece of paper? You’re dreaming.” I pulled out the Divorce Settlement. “I’m only signing this today. Nothing else.” Ethan looked at the papers and sneered. “You really want to leave? All because I didn’t save you first?” I looked at Miley cowering behind him. “Ethan, since you and Miley already have a son together, isn’t it better if I just step aside and let you be a family?” The room went dead silent. Ethan’s hand shook as he grabbed my wrist. “What… what do you know?” I pointed toward the study. “The birth certificate. The DNA test. I saw everything. No wonder you weren’t sad when I miscarried. You already had a son to carry on your name.” I felt a bitter laugh escape me. “Ethan, we’re done. Give the papers to my lawyer. Don’t contact me again.” 6 A week later, I was back at work. The company had given me one last chance despite the pressure. I designed a safe, reliable route through the West Mountain foliage. But the day before the trip, my coworker Leo rushed in, shoving his phone in my face. “Avery! Look!” It was the top trending topic on social media: #BlackHeartedGuideAverySmithBackOnTheJob The thumbnail was Miley’s pale, tear-streaked face. The title: “Frozen Lake Survivor Speaks Out: She used my career to buy her own innocence.” In the video, Miley sobbed into the camera. “That day, the lake wasn’t on the itinerary. Avery told me privately that the commissions were higher on that route… I trusted her. After the accident, I suffered from severe PTSD. I never expected her to tell the investigators it was my idea… I have no way to defend myself…” “I know Captain Miller saved everyone and left her for last… she must be bitter. But I did nothing wrong!” The comments were a bloodbath. “Poor Miley! A single mom being bullied like this!” “How is she still allowed to be a guide?” “Avoid her tours if you want to live!” Then, a second trending topic: #RescueCaptainConfirmsWifesMisconduct It was a clip of Ethan at the awards ceremony. “Avery, stop being unreasonable. You’re a guide; you’re responsible for this!” The two videos worked in perfect harmony. One played the victim; the other played the “righteous hero” willing to condemn his own wife for the truth. My phone exploded with death threats. The tour group canceled. My boss called me in, his face grim. “Avery, I can’t protect you anymore. Sign this resignation and get out before the mob burns this office down.” I didn’t argue. I signed. But as I walked out, I saw a notification: Miley’s Studio announces “West Mountain Safe Tour.” She had stolen my route, my plan, and my career. 7 I went straight to the Rescue Team training base. “Was that video your idea or hers?” I asked Ethan. He frowned. “Miley was wronged. She’s just telling her truth.” “Truth?” I almost laughed. “Ethan, you pushed me back into that car. You intentionally left me to die. Is that the truth?” “What do you think happens to your ‘Hero’ image if I call for a formal internal investigation? ‘Hero Captain Murders Pregnant Wife to Save Mistress.’ How does that headline sound?” He turned pale and dragged me to a corner. “Avery, are you insane? You can find another job! If my reputation is ruined, I’m finished!” “You did this to yourself!” “How much money do you want?” he hissed. “Just name it. Take the house, the car, whatever! Just stop this!” Money. That’s all it was to him. “Ethan, you didn’t save Miley because you love her,” I whispered. “You saved her because she has something on you. Something lethal. Right?” His eyes widened in terror. He actually took a step back. I had my answer.

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1 Melanie, the fake heiress, was all sweetness and light. From the moment I returned home, she pretended to treat me like a real sister. I was genuinely grateful. So when she complained of cramps and asked for a special herbal tea, I didn’t hesitate to get it for her. But the instant I turned my back, a laugh echoed in my mind. It was Melanie’s. What herbal tea? This is your one-way ticket out of the Ashton family. If you refuse to make it for me, I’ll just tell everyone you watched me suffer and did nothing. And if you do make it, I’ll just slip in some of those dried berries I’m allergic to and frame you. Mom, Dad, and Declan will skin you alive. Even if they don’t, I’ve arranged for a little ‘accident’ with a truck outside. In your next life, try not to be born the real, inconvenient heiress. I froze for a moment, realizing I could hear her thoughts. But I didn’t refuse. I didn’t expose her. An allergic reaction seemed a bit boring. If we were going to play, we were going to play for keeps. Besides, why should I be the only one she framed? With that thought, I went to find the brother who never missed a chance to declare that Melanie was his only sister. “Declan,” I began, my voice soft, “Melanie said she’s having terrible cramps and wants some herbal tea. Could you help me make her a cup?” This was the first time I had ever called Declan “brother.” He looked like he’d swallowed a wasp. “I’ve told you a dozen times, call me by my full name. We may be related by blood, but I’ve never acknowledged you as my sister. My only sister is Melanie—” He cut himself off, his eyes narrowing. “What did you just say about Melanie?” I mentally rolled my eyes, but my face was a perfect mask of pitiable helplessness. “Mr. Ashton, Melanie just told me she’s in a lot of pain and asked for her tea. It’s the first time she’s ever asked anything of me, so I didn’t feel right asking the staff to do it.” “But I don’t know how she likes it, and I’m afraid I’ll make it wrong…” “So, could you please, please help me?” I let my voice trail off into a whisper. “I’m a fast learner, I promise. If you just show me once, I can take care of her properly from now on.” The phrase “take care of her properly” seemed to placate him. His expression softened slightly, though he still looked at me as if I owed him my life. He led me to the kitchen and began preparing the tea with practiced ease. “Watch closely. Melanie has been pampered by me and our parents her whole life. If you really want to be a part of this family, you need to learn how to cater to her.” I nodded eagerly, watching his every move, especially when he specified the amount of honey and warned me to never, ever add the dried berries. I looked as if I were carving his instructions into my very soul. Seeing my eagerness to please, Declan finally seemed satisfied. “You’d better be grateful,” he said, a sharp edge to his voice. “When you first came back, we were hesitant. We were just going to give you some money and send you abroad. It was Melanie who insisted you stay, who wanted you as a sister.” “So you know exactly who you have to thank for being in this house.” 2 Oh, yes. I had Melanie’s “loving” mother—the nanny—to thank for my wonderful life. To give her own daughter a life of luxury, she’d switched us at birth. Melanie spent twenty years as the pampered darling of the Ashton family, while I was taken back to a dirt-poor village in the mountains. I was starving, cold, and by the age of five, I was expected to cook and clean for an entire household. The nanny, terrified I would one day learn the truth, planned to marry me off to some old creep for cash the moment I turned eighteen. Even as a child, I knew what that meant. It meant my life would be over. I begged a volunteer teacher to take me with her when she left. Seeing how miserable I was, she ignored the legalities and spirited me out of the mountains. I finally had a chance to learn, to study. Years later, I saw a woman on television who looked remarkably like the nanny, standing beside a society lady who bore a striking resemblance to me. It was then that I began to suspect the truth about my past. I worked my way into the Ashton family’s corporation, and inevitably, my identity was discovered. I was brought home. But the Ashtons were far from welcoming. Their only concern was protecting Melanie. “None of this was Melanie’s fault. Blood may be important, but twenty years of raising her means more!” “We’ll give you a sum of money…” It was laughable. My heart felt like a dead thing in my chest. I was ready to take the money and leave. But Melanie, her eyes red with tears, grabbed my hand and begged me not to go. So I stayed. She was often condescending, her words laced with a casual cruelty and a need to show off her superiority. But compared to the icy indifference of the others, she was the kindest person to me in that house. Or so I thought, until I heard her inner voice. It was all a scheme. She didn’t want me to take their money and live a comfortable life abroad. She wanted me to be despised by the Ashtons, to be cast out and erased from existence. 3 My mind was a whirlwind of these thoughts as Declan finished making the tea. “You’re really good at this, Mr. Ashton.” “Could I ask you one more favor? Can I be the one to bring this to Melanie? And please, don’t tell her you made it.” “I just want her to like me a little more…” Declan didn’t object. I went to the bathroom and scrubbed my hands until they were spotless, then carried the bowl of tea—the catalyst for the coming storm—into Melanie’s room. When I entered, I saw that it wasn’t just Melanie in the room. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ashton, were there as well. The moment they saw me, the smiles on their faces vanished. “What are you doing here?” Melanie quickly jumped to my defense. “It was my sister. She saw I wasn’t feeling well and offered to make me some tea. Mom, Dad, please don’t misunderstand her.” Mr. Ashton nodded, a flicker of approval in his eyes. “That’s more like it.” “Melanie took your place in this family and cared for your mother and me for twenty years. It’s only right that you show her some gratitude.” I scoffed internally. She lived my life of luxury, and I lived her life of squalor, and I’m supposed to thank her? But I didn’t say a word, just nodded meekly. Mrs. Ashton’s expression softened. She took the tea from the tray and began to feed it to Melanie. Melanie took a few sips from her mother’s hand, then claimed it was too hot and took the bowl herself. Instantly, my new parents turned on me, scolding me for not getting the temperature right, asking if I’d done it on purpose. While they were distracted, lecturing me, Melanie quickly dropped a few dried berries into her tea. I saw everything. But I pretended not to notice, just kept my head bowed. “Yes, yes, I’ll be more careful next time.” Melanie finished the entire bowl. Before I could even take the empty bowl back, the reaction began. 4 A red rash erupted all over Melanie’s skin. Her voice became hoarse. “Sister, what did you put in my tea?” “I told you I can’t eat those berries. Did you put them in here?” I feigned terror. “I… I… I didn’t.” “No… it wasn’t…” Before I could finish, my parents cut me off. “If it wasn’t you, then who was it?” “I knew it! It’s just like in those soap operas. How could a girl like you, who’s spent her life in the mud, ever behave herself?” “Are you trying to kill Melanie?” They were livid. Melanie, scratching at her arms, began to cry. “Don’t blame my sister. She feels like I’ve stolen her life. It’s only natural she’d want me dead.” “Mom, Dad, if I die, please don’t blame her. These years as your daughter… they’ve been more than enough.” She sounded so pathetic. But in her mind, she was laughing. What a complete idiot. Doesn’t she watch any dramas? Did she really think she could just bring me tea without consequences? This was a perfect plan. If she refused, she’d be cruel. If she agreed, I could frame her for poisoning me. Even if Mom and Dad care about bloodlines, they’d never accept a daughter who tried to poison her sister. A small price to pay—a little skin rash—for such a perfect outcome. I’m a genius. Her plan was perfect. But in the next second, her breathing became ragged. Her face turned a frightening shade of blue. Then, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed, genuinely unconscious. I chose that moment to interrupt my parents’ tirade. “Mom, Dad, maybe we should figure out who’s to blame later.” “Right now, we should probably call an ambulance. It looks like she might actually be dying.” 5 Because we got her to the hospital in time, Melanie survived. I was a little disappointed. But perhaps it was for the best. Death would have been too easy. Besides, I had come back to the Ashton family to claim what was mine—the entire fortune. A death in the villa would have been bad for property values. Melanie couldn’t understand how a mild skin allergy had turned so severe. But she didn’t dwell on it. The moment she woke up, with our parents and Declan watching, she fell to her knees before me. “Sister, I’m so sorry. I never should have stolen your life.” “I won’t press charges for you poisoning me with the berries. Just let me leave. Let me go. I’m still young, I just want to live.” “Mom, Dad, from now on, pretend you never had me as a daughter!” Her parents’ hearts were breaking. “Melanie, what are you talking about? You’re the victim here. The one who should leave isn’t you, it’s her.” “I don’t care if you’re my biological daughter or not. I will not have such a wicked person in my house.” Declan, who didn’t know the details, only knew that I had poisoned Melanie and nearly killed her. He slapped me hard across the face. “That’s right. The one who needs to get out is you.” “From this day on, you are no longer an Ashton. You won’t get a single penny from us.” At that, I finally “broke.” The previously tongue-tied girl suddenly found her voice. “Declan, how could you say that?” “You were the one who made the tea! You’re the one who poisoned Melanie! Not only do you refuse to take responsibility, but you’re blaming it all on me?”

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Calvin West noticed the silence first. It had been a full week since I’d filed a single Amex Centurion expense report to the company portal. He must have assumed I’d finally given up my petty habits, because he tossed the heavy black card onto the breakfast table like a bone for a stray. “I’ve covered your dad’s next round of dialysis, Sandy,” he said, not looking up from his phone. “Stop bothering me with these pauper problems. I know your family’s a money pit, but as a West, try to look less starved when you’re feeding.” He didn’t know that when I reached for that black card, I had already signed the divorce papers and the organ donation forms for my father. The gray, pilled sweatshirt I wore was a five-year-old handout he’d given me on a whim. No one would believe that Sandy West, the wife of the man who held half of Hollywood in his palm, had to photograph the receipt for a five-dollar box of tampons and submit it to his assistant for approval. He’d always claimed that a woman like me—a social climber from the wrong side of the tracks—would become “spoiled and unmanageable” if she had her own money. A week ago, my father, Robert, needed an emergency blood filtration. I’d knelt, practically begged, for a simple thirty thousand. Cal’s indispensable executive assistant, Kendall Price—the so-called “One Who Got Away”—had intentionally reversed the wire transfer and told me, with a sweet, condescending smile, that she was helping me “kick the habit of avarice.” Cal didn’t know I endured this ritual of shame only because my father’s life support was tied to Cal’s exclusive, private clinic. But now, they’d pulled the plug due to outstanding balances. Dad was gone. His ashes were scattered. There was no reason for me to be his obedient, well-fed dog anymore. … 1. My phone vibrated. A text from Cal popped up, dripping with the same tone of high-handed charity. “I’ve reinstated your father’s treatment. Try to behave. Stop lying to nickel-and-dime me. I know people from your background struggle, but my money isn’t that easy to swindle.” I stared at the two lines. The strange, cold calm inside me was a revelation. My reply was a single, detached word: “Got it.” I put the phone down and slid the signed divorce agreement across the mahogany desk. Cal probably thought my three-day silence on expense reports was a pathetic attempt at a “cold war.” After all, for the last three years, I had lived like a supplicant for my father’s escalating medical bills. I had no income. Cal had forbidden me from working, saying a West wife never clocked in. But he also refused to give me a household budget. Every single dollar I spent had to be approved through his company’s corporate expense system—Concur, or some equally bureaucratic nightmare. Groceries required approval. Tampons required approval. Even a five-dollar subway ticket required uploading a scanned receipt. The approver was his personal secretary, Kendall Price. The woman who’d been at his side since college, the one he proudly referred to as his “Corporate Muse” and “The Only Woman I Trust.” Three days ago. The hospital had issued a critical notice. Dad had suffered a major stroke and needed emergency surgery. Two hundred thousand dollars. To Cal, it was the cost of a single, decent bottle of wine. I called him, frantically. After a dozen attempts, someone finally answered. It was Kendall. “Sandy, honey, Cal’s in a high-level strategy meeting. Is there something urgent?” I was beyond pride. I sobbed into the phone. “Kendall, please, let me speak to Cal! My father is dying—I need two hundred thousand for emergency surgery!” Kendall chuckled—a delicate, knowing sound. “Sandy, you know the rules. Two hundred thousand isn’t petty cash. You have to submit it through the proper Concur process.” “Cal hates rule-breakers. If you try to jump the queue, he’ll be furious. Just submit the ticket. I promise I’ll approve it as fast as the system allows.” She hung up. My hands were shaking so hard I could barely type. I logged into that goddamn system. Reason: Father’s Emergency Surgery. Amount: $200,000. Attachment: Critical Condition Notice. Submit. I watched the screen. One second, two seconds. Ten minutes later. The phone buzzed. It wasn’t a transfer notification. It was a Concur rejection email. Rejected by: Kendall Price. Reason for Rejection: Attachment format is blurry. Please rescan and upload a high-resolution image. The blood drained from my head. 2. I reshot the photo. My hands were shaking, so it was a little fuzzy. I took another one. Every second was a life lost. I submitted again. Five minutes later. Rejected. Reason for Rejection: Amount too large. Requires a detailed line-item expenditure breakdown, precise down to the unit price of each medication. I lost it. The surgery hadn’t even started; the doctors were just trying to stabilize him. Where was I supposed to get a price list down to the milligram? “Please, for God’s sake, approve the money first! It’s life-saving cash!” “I’ll file the details later, Kendall, please! It’s a human life!” Kendall replied with a cute, laughing emoji. “Sister, it’s not that I don’t want to help. But the CFO rules are the CFO rules. I have to manage expectations. You’re just too chaotic. You can’t bring poor-people habits into a luxury lifestyle, can you? Cal said he needed me to help you set boundaries.” I stood outside the operating room, clutching my phone. I felt like a beaten mutt whose spine had been removed. I texted Cal. I sent voicemails. “Cal West, I’m begging you.” “Just send the money, and I will do whatever you say. I won’t fight you anymore. I won’t be jealous of Kendall. Please, save my father.” Thirty minutes later. Cal finally replied with a brief voice note. The background was loud and brassy; his voice was slurred with slight intoxication and deep annoyance. “Just do what Kendall tells you. Stop bothering me.” In that moment. The surgery light turned off. The doctor emerged, pulling down his mask, and shook his head with a deep, weary regret. “I’m sorry. If we could have administered the medication even ten minutes earlier…” I didn’t hear the rest. The world went silent. The man who had raised me through sheer grit, who’d sacrificed everything to put me through graduate school. He died in this glittering, indifferent city. Because of a Goddamn expense report “format error.” His body grew cold. My love for Cal West went cold right along with it. For three days. I handled the funeral. The cremation. The scattering of the ashes. I never told Cal. There was no need. He was so afraid I would swindle him out of his money. From now on, I would never ask him for a dime. I looked at the patronizing text he’d just sent me. A slow, chilling smile spread across my face. He thought I was playing games for attention. He didn’t know I was offering him the last shred of dignity. A notification flashed on my screen. A red dot on Instagram. It was Kendall. The photo was high-end omakase sushi, and a man’s hand—Cal’s hand—wearing the custom Patek Philippe watch I’d once saved for two years to buy him. The caption: “Thanks to the boss for the excellent meal. Some people only know how to beg for money. So tasteless.” I tapped the ‘Like’ button. Truly. It was the first time I’d ever liked one of Kendall’s posts. The phone rang immediately. Cal. He must have seen the ‘Like’ and thought I was being passive-aggressive. I didn’t answer. Another text came through: “Sandy, who are you trying to shade? Don’t let people misunderstand Kendall. She’s just being professional. Delete that like immediately or I’m shutting off your access to the accounts.” Professional? Professionally murderous? I laughed. I went back to the post and left a comment. “A toast to the secretary who climbed her way to the top by rejecting the boss’s wife’s life-or-death emergency fund. I hope you two soulless vultures lock it up forever. Thieves deserve each other.” Send. Block. Power Off. The world was finally, blessedly quiet. 3. I started packing. There wasn’t much to pack. I had lived in this so-called home for three years. My possessions were pathetic. The walk-in closet was enormous. The left side was Cal’s custom-tailored Italian suits. The right side was several locked cabinets. That’s where the jewelry and the designer bags lived. The keys and the biometric access were all controlled by Kendall. Every time I attended a gala, I had to request the accessories from Kendall as if I were borrowing props for a movie. When I was done, I had to return everything immediately. Once, I accidentally snagged the hem of a designer dress. Kendall made me write a three-thousand-word essay on financial responsibility in front of the housekeeper. She also docked my allowance for the following month. Cal just watched, commenting mildly, “Kendall is helping you learn a lesson. These things are expensive. You can’t afford to replace them.” He was right. I couldn’t afford it. I was an orphan, a “bottom-feeder” in their lexicon. I opened the tiny corner that was mine. A few pilled sweaters. Several pairs of faded jeans. The only thing that mattered was the crisp white T-shirt I’d worn three years ago, when I first got married. Back then, I wasn’t Sandy West. I was the youngest Physics Ph.D. candidate at State, a brilliant student with a limitless future. Cal had said he loved my quiet brilliance. He’d promised, “Sandy, marry me, and I’ll give you a real home.” I believed him. I gave up a scholarship abroad. I ignored my professor’s pleas. I devoted myself to being a trophy wife, trapping myself in a gilded cage and becoming a joke. I stripped off the sweatshirt he hated. I put on the slightly yellowed white T-shirt. The jeans were a little loose. I had lost nearly twenty pounds in three years. I dragged out a battered, worn-out suitcase. I put in my few books, a couple of photos, and my father’s small, black wooden urn. That was all. Everything else in this mansion was utterly meaningless to me. I walked downstairs. Mrs. Petrov, the housekeeper, was polishing a vase. She rolled her eyes when she saw my suitcase. “Trouble again, Mrs. West? The Master said if you walk out this time, don’t even think about coming back.” “Also, Mr. West wants his bouillabaisse for dinner. Don’t forget to make it.” Even the help looked down on me. They knew I, the mistress of the house, didn’t even have the authority to sign their paychecks. My “allowance” was less than their salary. I stopped and looked at Mrs. Petrov. “Make your own damn soup.” “Or better yet, ask Kendall to do it.” Mrs. Petrov froze, unused to my tone. “What is your attitude? I’ll tell the Master…” “Be my guest.” I pulled the suitcase and walked out the front door without a backward glance. The sun was blinding. I shielded my eyes. Three years. I had finally walked out of this tomb. 4. Cal returned faster than I expected. My comment must have infuriated him. He wasn’t there to placate me. He was there to defend his corporate darling. I was struggling to get a taxi outside the estate gates when a black Maybach screeched to a halt in front of me. The door flew open. Cal stepped out, his face a mask of cold fury. Kendall followed, her eyes red, the picture of a woman deeply wronged. “Sandy, what the hell is wrong with you?” Cal grabbed my wrist. “Apologize to Kendall—now!” “What kind of insane lies are you spreading? What good does slandering her name do for you?” I looked at the face that had once made my heart race. Now, I felt only disgust. “Lies?” I yanked my hand free and looked pointedly at Kendall. “Does the Secretary know the truth?” “Three days ago, my father was on an operating table waiting for money.” “Secretary Price rejected my application because of ‘incorrect format’ and ‘excessive amount’.” “Did the CEO know that detail?” Cal paused. He clearly hadn’t known the specifics. He only knew I asked for money, and Kendall said it wasn’t by the book. He looked at Kendall instinctively. Kendall visibly trembled. The tears arrived instantly. “Cal… I didn’t mean to…” “I was just following the company’s financial guidelines. And… and Sandy was so aggressive, I didn’t realize it was life-or-death money…” “Besides, I told the finance department to prepare the transfer later! Sandy just… never resubmitted the form!” What a silver tongue. What a beautiful “never resubmitted.” Was I supposed to submit it to the Grim Reaper? Cal frowned deeper, turning to me with a look of utter disappointment. “Sandy, you constantly let me down.” “Kendall was just doing her job. Why are you being so malicious?” “Your dad was just sick, right? It wasn’t that serious. You’re defaming Kendall online just for this amount of money? Where is your dignity?” Dignity? Talking about dignity to a murderer? I laughed without humor. “Cal West, you are terminally blind.” “If you trust her that much, there’s nothing more to say.” “The divorce papers are on your study desk. Sign them.” I started to walk, pulling my suitcase. My attitude enraged him. He grabbed the suitcase and slammed it on the ground. The old zipper snapped. My pathetic few belongings spilled out. A few threadbare shirts, a couple of books. And a small, black wooden box. The urn rolled a few times, stopping at Cal’s feet. Cal froze. He stared at the box, his pupils constricting violently. “What… what is this?” I bent down, carefully retrieved the urn, and wiped the dust off the surface. “This is my dad.” “Cal West, are you satisfied now?” 5. Cal stood rigid. His eyes darted between the urn and my face, struggling to process the image. “D-dead?” His voice was dry. “How is that possible? He was fine three days ago…” “Yes. He was fine three days ago.” I looked at him calmly. “If that two hundred thousand had arrived promptly, he would be recovering in the ICU right now.” “But alas, Secretary Price found the format incorrect.” “And alas, CEO West assumed I was trying to swindle him.” The air thickened to a solid mass. Kendall’s face was ashen. She instinctively moved to hide behind Cal. “Cal, I truly didn’t know… I thought she was making excuses to buy a new designer bag again…” Cal took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure and control. “Why didn’t you just come directly to me for something this critical?” he demanded. “If you had just asked me properly, I wouldn’t have said no! You insisted on using Concur, you chose to spite Kendall, Sandy—you caused the delay!” Ah. That was Cal West. The man who was never wrong. Even with a corpse at his feet, he could find a way to shift the blame to me. I didn’t have the energy to argue anymore. It was exhausting. “You’re right. It was all my fault.” I nodded. “So, I’m leaving. I won’t pollute your sight anymore.” “Give me my suitcase.” But Cal planted his foot firmly on the clothing scattered on the ground. It was the faded white T-shirt. “Leave? Where do you think you’re going?” “Don’t think using a dead person as leverage will make me forgive you. Get back inside!” He reached for me. I sidestepped his touch, grabbed his arm instead, and hauled him toward the villa. “What are you doing? Let go!” Cal roared. I ignored him, dragging him all the way up the stairs and into the master closet. Kendall scrambled behind us, panicking. “Sandy, please, don’t do anything crazy…” I pointed to the huge wall safe. “Open it, Kendall.” Kendall hesitated. I picked up a nearby golf club. “I said, open it.” The club crashed against the safe door with a deafening CRACK. Cal was stunned. He’d never seen me lose control like this. “Sandy, are you insane!” “Are you opening it or not?” I glared at Kendall. Terrified, Kendall pressed her thumb to the scanner. Beep. The safe door swung open. It was packed with dazzling diamonds, Hermès bags, and limited-edition watches. Cal scoffed, regaining his arrogance. “See? Have I not been good to you? Every single item in here is worth millions!” “Good to me?” I laughed. I dropped the golf club and pulled a thick wad of printed documents from my pocket. I slapped them hard across Cal’s face. The papers drifted down like snow.

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I flew all the way to Newport on Christmas Eve, determined to give my boyfriend a surprise. I was expecting to find Carter buried in a project at his studio, but his apartment was filled with laughter and shouting. Peeking through a sliver in the blinds, I saw him and a girl surrounded by a dozen of his friends. The girl had lost a game, chosen ‘Truth,’ and was being playfully grilled about her romantic past. Carter Maxwell leaned in, casually placing a hand on her shoulder. “My house, my rules,” he said, his voice easy. “I’ll trade a story about Autumn Clarke for this one. Deal?” The hand I was about to raise to knock on the door froze mid-air. His light, airy voice cut through the glass, clear as a bell, and lodged itself in my ear. “She was assaulted in high school. Followed home and…” … 1 A loud, ringing buzz filled my ears. The room’s atmosphere, however, instantly ignited. “Whoa, dark!” “I thought people with that kind of history were super quiet and guarded? Autumn is always dressed to the nines and seems perfectly outgoing. Doesn’t fit the profile.” Someone else nudged Carter, a knowing smirk on their face. “Maybe she just has a thick skin. Didn’t you say she wears that ‘siren scent’ perfume? Gotta keep the guys interested.” “If it were someone sweet and quiet like Holly, she probably wouldn’t have handled it.” Holly. Holly Jennings. I recognized the name. She was Carter’s assistant. He mentioned her often on our calls, always in passing. Out of respect for his work, I never pressed. At the mention of her name, Holly spoke up in a soft, small voice. “Don’t say that. Autumn might just have a resilient spirit.” “Holly, you’re too kind. Not everyone is as simple and innocent as you are. Some people have complicated pasts and deep baggage.” “Right, Carter?” Carter took a sip of the amber-colored whiskey in his glass, neither confirming nor denying. A tide of whispered commentary rushed in. The hand clutching the handle of my rolling suitcase began to shake uncontrollably. Carter had introduced me to this group before. Back then, they’d crowded around me, calling me ‘the future Mrs. Maxwell.’ Now, they were dissecting my past with the maximum amount of malice, treating my trauma as entertainment. “Alright, that’s enough.” I saw Carter knit his brows, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face. Pathetically, even though my heart was already turning to ice, a faint, desperate spark of hope ignited within me. I hoped he would shut them down, tell them that I wasn’t the damaged goods they were painting me to be. The next second, that hope shattered into shards. “She’s still technically my fiancée. I don’t need this trash talk making me look bad. All this stays in this room.” It wasn’t a defense of me; it was about preserving his own image. “After all that… are you seriously still going to marry her?” Holly pressed closer to Carter, giving his chest a playful but possessive thump. “Then what does that make me? I refuse to be the other woman.” “If you don’t give me a solid answer soon, we’re done.” “No way!” Carter visibly panicked, his fingers tightening around his glass. He had never looked so distraught, so unsettled, because of me. “Someone with that kind of baggage… why should I be the one to clean it up?” “If my folks weren’t so hung up on this ‘take care of Autumn’ garbage, I would have broken things off a long time ago.” As he spoke, a look of cold contempt, almost disgust, involuntarily surfaced on his face. I couldn’t breathe. My arm dropped uselessly to my side. He loathed me. If that was true, why the endless charade? Was the kindness and tolerance he’d shown me for years, the entire history between us, nothing but a fantasy? “I’ll go home right after the holidays and set things straight.” Carter turned and kissed Holly on the cheek, his voice intimate and tender. “Then, I’ll formally introduce you to my family.” A roar of celebration filled the room. Everyone raised their glasses. “A toast to the future Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell!” Inside, it was warm and loud. Outside, I stood in the dead of winter. I don’t know how long I stood there, numb. When my vision finally cleared, my fingers were frozen. I deliberately typed out a message on my phone screen: It’s over. A soft chime sounded in the apartment. Carter picked up his phone, glanced at the notification, and recorded a short voice message: “Mom, I have an overseas client meeting, I really can’t make it home tonight.” “Yes, I’ll let you know the flight details once I book them.” He put the phone down, ignoring the text. It took me a few slow, painful seconds to realize—I wasn’t just not his ‘Starred’ contact; I had been set to ‘Do Not Disturb.’ Living long-distance, he often took a full day to reply to my texts. I always excused it—new business, busy, tired. I never imagined he was just too bored to deal with me. Tears rolled down silently, hitting the cold screen. Unwilling to let it go, I dialed his number. This time, Carter looked at the caller ID. Then, he hit the silent button and tossed the phone onto the sofa cushion. He nonchalantly tore the cellophane off a new deck of cards and started dealing them out. “Who was that?” “Autumn, who else? Calls every three days. It’s annoying.” Someone laughed. “Why not just hang up?” Carter expertly shuffled the deck, his tone utterly dismissive. “If I hang up, she’ll just text nonstop. I’ll let it ring out and tell her I was busy and didn’t hear it.” “Classic Carter. You’ve got her wrapped around your little finger.” I couldn’t listen anymore. I stumbled away, turning my back on the apartment. It was Christmas Eve, and the streets were lit up, crowded with happy people. I dragged my suitcase aimlessly, a lost specter in the cheer. A young couple walked by, laden with shopping bags, sharing one long, cozy scarf. The girl murmured, “Can we really pull off Christmas dinner, just the two of us?” The guy ruffled her hair. “If not, we’ll order takeout. What matters is we’re together. Everything is perfect as long as you’re here.” That was the picture I had drawn for myself when I boarded the plane. I couldn’t fathom it. Why would Carter treat me like this? Not long ago, we were fine. I was twenty-seven, and we had known each other for over two decades. At five, before starting preschool, he grabbed my hand and declared, “Autumn, you’re my future wife. You only get to play with me.” In middle school, before the awkwardness of dating hit, he’d find a reason to sit by my desk after every class, completely unbothered by the inevitable teasing. When he was sixteen, facing academic pressure, covered in stress hives, he’d sunk into a spiral of doubt. “Autumn, am I a write-off?” I took his hand and told him the one secret I had buried deep inside me. “I thought my world had ended back then, too.” “But once you get through it, you realize there’s nothing you can’t overcome. You have to fight this.” The shock and immediate, agonizing pity in his eyes, followed by the way he sobbed and held me tight—it was still vivid in my mind. On my twentieth birthday, the second the clock struck midnight, he confessed his love. “Autumn, I will always take care of you.” We were in college in the same city, separated by an hour-long subway ride. Every week, he made the arduous round trip just to see me, share a meal, or sit quietly with me at the library. After graduation, he stayed in Newport to launch his startup. I moved back to our hometown, Crestview, for a stable job. This year, our families had begun discussing wedding details. I had quit my job before the holidays, ready to move to Newport and end the long-distance relationship after the new year. Now, everything was hollow. Carter had a new girlfriend he planned to introduce to his family. He was annoyed by me. He had turned the secret I shared with him—my deepest, most painful vulnerability—into fodder for casual gossip. As the night deepened, the streets grew sparse. I checked into a cheap motel nearby. Just as I finished unpacking, my phone screen lit up. It was my mother. “Autumn, have you had dinner? We have so much food here!” A photo of the family dinner followed. Relatives crowded around the table, beaming. The chill seeping in from the motel window’s crack sent a shiver down my spine. I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing a cheerful reply: “Just eating now, Mom. The food is great! Don’t worry about me.” I couldn’t bear to tell them the truth and cause them pain. I found a random photo of a lavish dinner online and sent it back. Then, compelled by a cold dread, I opened the chat with Carter. Still silence. Late into the night, the faint crackle of fireworks—early New Year celebrations—kept me awake. Torturing myself, I scrolled through Carter’s social media, searching for any hint of his infidelity. He was careful, protecting her identity fiercely. Finally, in the corner of a team dinner photo, I spotted a distinctive social media handle on Holly Jennings’ phone. A unique nickname. A sudden, sharp thought made me search the name across all platforms. Among the results, I instantly recognized her. Her profile picture was a sickeningly familiar sight—it was the other half of the ‘couple’s avatar’ Carter and I had used briefly. When he had first changed his, I happily found the match and set mine. He immediately frowned, saying he picked the photo randomly and didn’t want to be “too high-school.” He’d half-jokingly, half-insistently made me change it. Holly’s account had few followers, but hundreds of posts diligently documented her relationship with Carter. The trail began last March. “My boss is pushing himself too hard! He’s in the office with a stomach ulcer, I bought him medicine, and his eyes were red. Sigh, I don’t know how his fiancée can be so neglectful.” At that time, Carter’s mother was hospitalized with a recurring back issue. To let him focus on his crucial new project, we hid the news. I took an extended leave to care for his mother until she recovered, missing out on a promotion to department head. “To take me on a relaxing trip to the coast, BOSS canceled several meetings and a business trip. It feels amazing to be his favorite.” That day was our seven-year anniversary and my birthday. I had pulled an all-nighter finishing a report, hoping to squeeze in a few days of vacation with him. He told me he had a critical client he couldn’t push off. “BOSS gave me a bracelet! The braided wrist strap on it was kinda ugly, so I’ll leave that part to him.” I froze, looking down at my own wrist. I was wearing an identical braided wrist strap, the small, seemingly insignificant birthday gift Carter had belatedly given me. I had cherished it, careful not to let it fray. It took me an hour to read every post on Holly’s account. My heart was cold and still. The photos cleverly avoided Carter’s face, but the familiar cuff of his shirt, the matching band on his finger—identical to the one I was wearing—all confirmed his identity. Carter Maxwell had been cheating on me for a long, long time. A cluster of premature fireworks burst outside. Jolted out of my stupor, I violently ripped the braided strap from my wrist and tossed it into the trash can. Ding. Holly updated her status. This time, it was an audio recording. I pressed play and heard her small, teasing question: “Carter, who do you love more? Me or… your placeholder?” “Mmm?” Carter’s voice, languid and rough with affection, was like warm velvet. “You, of course. How could she compare to you?” “Be a good girl, just hold on for a little longer…” The sound of rustling fabric and low, knowing laughter followed, leaving nothing to the imagination. I slammed the phone shut and stumbled into the bathroom, dry heaving. Looking up, I saw my reflection, face streaked with tears. I immediately booked the earliest flight home. I needed to escape this city, escape everything connected to him. I don’t remember the journey home. The next conscious thought I had was two days later. Seeing my dazed, distant state, my parents refrained from questioning me, simply trying to cheer me up with small things. That morning, my mother quietly asked me, “The Maxwells invited us over for dinner. Do you want to go?” I looked at my phone. Carter had only just replied to my text from Christmas Eve. One message was unsent. The latest was a single word: Fine. I agreed. Some things needed to be finished face-to-face. There were neighbors gathered outside Carter’s house. When they saw me, their expressions were a complicated mix of pity and curiosity. My heart sank. As I stepped into the living room, I saw Carter kneeling in the center. Holly stood beside him, wringing her hands, looking distraught. The timing suggested he had rushed back and brought her here the moment he saw my message. Inside, Mrs. Maxwell’s face was red with fury, her hand slamming the coffee table. “You absolute scoundrel! How could you do this to Autumn?” Though Carter looked disheveled, his expression was defiant. “I’ll explain everything to her. I don’t love her anymore. Holly is the one I belong with.” My heart felt like an invisible fist was violently squeezing it. Hearing it spoken aloud was still a sharp, unbearable pain. Mrs. Maxwell laughed, the sound brittle and heartbroken. “Then tell me, what is so special about her that you can throw away eight years with Autumn?” Carter finally found his vent, his face lighting up. “She cooks for me. She helps organize my chaotic blueprints. When the company was facing a funding crisis, she stayed up all night with me, going through the data, getting us through it.” “Autumn just stayed in Crestview, didn’t bother to check on me, didn’t even know I had stomach issues.” “If that’s the case, why should I continue this relationship?” His words were loud, righteous, and self-justifying. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as his parents. Low whispers rippled through the onlookers. “Well, the Clarke girl was a bit neglectful, wasn’t she? Relationships are about support.” I stopped in my tracks, my throat dry and bitter. The irony was suffocating. No one knew I had planned to stay in Newport. I had a path there, a career I loved. But Carter was determined to start his business, and his parents were anxious. They were getting older and wanted their children close. To support his dream, I gave up the city and the career I wanted. I took a secure job in Crestview, looked after his parents, and ran errands for them. During the toughest periods of his startup, I sent him most of my paycheck, living frugally myself. Any small crisis at their house, any doctor’s appointments—I was there. Now, he claimed he needed someone who was simply closer and more attentive. My fingernails dug unconsciously into my palms, the sting a tiny anchor in the storm. Seeing me, Mrs. Maxwell rushed over and grabbed my arm. “Autumn, I am so sorry. Carter is confused, he’s lost his way, I promise I will—” Carter raised his voice, cutting her off. “Autumn Clarke! You were the one who broke up with me! Just tell my parents the truth!” “Tell them Holly isn’t the other woman!” Mr. Maxwell lost it, kicking Carter hard. “You bastard!” “Get that woman out of my house and apologize to Autumn! Otherwise, don’t you dare step foot in here again!” Carter crumpled on the floor, struggling to get up. Holly cried out and hurried to help him. She looked up, her expression hardening with resolve. “Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell, you can’t force affection. Carter doesn’t have feelings for Autumn anymore.” Then, her eyes flickered over me quickly. My heart seized. I knew what was coming. She immediately ratcheted up her volume. “You can’t let your son sacrifice his life out of pity because Autumn was assaulted in high school!” The words detonated like a thunderclap. A collective gasp echoed in the room. All eyes snapped to me, a sudden focus of pity and probing curiosity. My mind went blank. My greatest fear, the thing I had buried so deep, was now public. Terror and blinding fury surged through me. I lost control, charging forward, shoving Holly to the floor, and scrambling over her. A massive force wrenched me away, throwing me hard against the wooden coffee table. A searing pain shot through my side, and my vision swam. Carter shielded Holly, his eyes blazing with pure rage. “Autumn! Are you completely insane?” My voice was hoarse, raw with fury. “Can’t you see she did that on purpose! She wanted everyone to know!” “And so what?” Carter cut me off, his voice venomous. “What she said isn’t a lie, is it?” The muffled gossip around us began to sharpen. “Oh God, it’s true… The Clarke girl is a victim, isn’t she?” “But keeping that a secret wasn’t right, either. It’s like tricking him…” Pity and condemnation washed over me from behind. I swallowed the choking sensation in my throat, but the tears wouldn’t stop. “I told you that secret! To comfort you! Was it so you could announce it to a room full of strangers?” Carter looked at me, all the old affection gone, replaced by glacial indifference. “You told me. If you don’t care about it, why should I protect it?” “Besides, why did it have to happen to you? A fly won’t land on a sealed jar, you know? Maybe if you weren’t so… flashy, you wouldn’t have—” SMACK! Carter’s head snapped sideways, the handprint vivid on his cheek. Mrs. Maxwell was breathing heavily, her eyes full of pain and profound disappointment. “You beast!” “Do you have any idea that what happened to Autumn back then was entirely your fault!”

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I won a free family trip to Hawaii at the company’s annual party. I excitedly rushed home. But bumped into Mom, Dad and adopted sister Chloe having family dinner. Dad kindly poured drink for her, Mom gently picked food for her. “Eat more, million don’t save, your sister just gave me allowance yesterday.” “You finally won prize at annual party, must celebrate. But you million don’t let slip mouth, your sister since small love grab things with you, careful she want share a cup soup.” Corner of eye, Mom noticed me standing at foyer stunned. Instantly, smile on face shallowed a few degrees. “Yo, hear Chloe won prize then rush back, so impatient?” … Chapter 1 I stood at foyer, advance not, retreat also not. Mom seemed not notice, still talking to herself. “Since small you like this, see Chloe has good things then shameless want share.” My hand holding travel voucher suddenly loose, fell back into bag. I weakly shook my head, “I didn’t.” Mom glanced at my hand, sneered. “You are born by me, I still not understand your little thoughts. If not you heard wind then rush back, how would two hands empty.” “I was…” Rushing back to give you guys surprise. She interrupted my explanation, “Last time already told you, Chloe likes eat cake downstairs your company, come back buy more. Also nuts you bought last time, she also quite likes, you don’t know buy some more?” “Have benefit then rush back, yourself stingy again, don’t know treat your sister better, how be a sister.” Originally because win prize exciting lifted heart, this moment suddenly fall, dead silence heart sea can’t splash a trace ripple. Mom Dad bias adopted sister Chloe not one day two days. Chloe originally is Dad’s best friend daughter, same day birth as me. My six years old that year, Uncle Xia to save Dad passed away, so our family adopted her. Start they still can hold bowl water flat, but gradually their heart then biased to lively cheerful, life experience pitiful Chloe. Eating time, two chicken legs on dining table are hers. Birthday time, wear cake hat also is her. Parent meeting, they rush go her side. Even my room, also became her property… Originally thought I already used to, bias then bias bit ba. I also thought I can not care. But didn’t expect in their heart, I became little person coveting her things. I pinched finger joints, click sound pull back my thoughts. Found I was pressed by Mom at dining table side. She scooped a bowl soup hand to me. “Look your hand cold, hurry drink bowl soup warm body. You these little girls ah, always want manner not temperature.” Dad also picked a piece chicken give me, “Eat more, a while no see, all thin.” Chloe poured me a cup drink, “Sister, don’t stunned, dishes going cold.” I just knew they although bias, but still care me this daughter. My heart warm, happily ate up. Just now depression again sink into brain bottom, pretend thing never happened. Soon, we ate seven seven eight eight. Mom suddenly pulled my hand, guiltily said. “Grace, just now is Mom said wrong words.” “Chloe this not still have few months going birth, nutrition want sufficient, spending naturally more, I just momentary thought wrong, you可别 put on heart.” “It’s okay.” I shook head, just want take travel voucher out. “That good.” Mom smiled, “We old, you two sisters want mutual support.” “Pass a while you receive year-end bonus, then take out subsidize Chloe ba.” Chapter 2 My smile stiff on face. Yes, according to Mom’s character, on my matter, they always say one not two, how would apologize to me ne. Originally waiting me here. I gloomy face, “Based on what?” Although that bonus I originally planned respect them two old. Hear words, Dad angrily patted table. “If not you, in-law mother how would look down Chloe, even have opinion to her, not willing help her take care child.” “Now make into this situation, you could it be no wrong? You could it be shouldn’t bear Chloe hire Nanny expense ma?” I suddenly look up, found Dad tight frown brows, Mom sighing. Chloe open mouth break situation. “Forget it, all this is my fault, no relation with sister. Moreover married out daughter spilled out water, sister how willing for an outsider spend money ne.” Finish, she wiped red eye rims. Can make Mom Dad worry bad. Dad first attack, “Grace, Chloe’s father for me sacrifice life, we can’t ungrateful. Chloe although married out, but forever is our daughter, your sister! Now she encounter difficulty, you must help.” Mom tight follow behind, “Yes ah, if not your wishful thinking, simply won’t let Chloe left right difficult, you must bear responsibility.” Their accusation scramble gush into my ears, pull me back one year ago, let me painful suffocating that day. Chloe’s husband, my brother-in-law named Liam. He used to be my boyfriend. We university time then together. That day was our engagement day, ceremony start before, person disappeared. Message not reply, phone not through. Finally we find sleeping in a ball him and Chloe in new house. But I feel sky want collapse. Haven’t wait me slow over, Chloe then point me cry complain. “Me and Liam love each other, is sister discover we date after, horizontal blade snatch love, hard make me give person to her. I don’t want sister feeling break, can only give Liam to her.” “This time is accident, think Liam later is my brother-in-law le, we suddenly can’t help self, is I sorry sister.” I disbelief look to Liam. He only purse mouth turn head, default. I then understand, they long behind my back engaged together. Mom Dad believed, after all in their heart, I since small then snatching Chloe’s things, now just snatch a person that’s all. They feel I losing face showing eyes, on spot change engagement person to Chloe. After event, Auntie Lu came find me. “Grace, everything I know, is our family and Liam wronged you.” But Mom Dad and Chloe see this scene, but think is I am rumor, want affect Chloe image in Auntie Lu heart. That time I ate dark loss, didn’t expect now they still want me spend money for them hire Nanny. Ridiculous extreme. I cold down voice, “Absolutely impossible.” “You dare!” Slap—— Dad fiercely slapped me a slap. Ears buzzing sound, sight become blurry. I only saw Chloe deliberately block in front of me, persuade Mom Dad don’t angry. She in my ear malicious full say, “This money you not give also have to give.” But I seem didn’t hear. My eyes straight stare her neck on Diamond Necklace. Chapter 3 Last year end time, Mom for no reason fell down. Body nothing matter. But she said heart lingering fear, hope buy a new necklace press shock, best more heavy more good. I乖乖 bought. That time gold price already reached peak value. Take down that necklace used my half year salary. But it actually wore on Chloe body. I puff sound laugh out. Probably laugh I actually so naive. They that show parents train child, sisters love deep drama broken by me, blankly follow my sight look to Chloe neck on necklace. Mom face instantly changed. She self know reason deficit, dare not look me. Mumble said, “Grace, you don’t misunderstand. That time your sister pregnant sleep not stable, necklace just borrow her wear a wear.” “You think I believe ma?” Chloe pout small mouth, “Sister, Mom just heart ache me, you don’t yin yang weird air. I now then take off return to Mom.” Chloe finish say want take off, Mom stop. Chloe have grievance巴巴, Mom heart ache. Finally Dad direct smashed bowl, “Grace, you no return one return then make home house uneasy.” “Not just a necklace ma, give your sister wear wear how le.” “You if again provoke right wrong, this home you also no need return le.” I light laugh once. This home when have my position. Chloe start live in time still small, share one bed with me. But grew big, inevitable some cramped. So I just junior high school, then thrown by them to Boarding School, no ask no question. I remember my first time come period time. Bed sheet stained red, belly severe pain. I thought self got incurable disease. Lucky by dorm auntie discover. She taught some common sense, I then smoothly pass girl to young woman process. Vacation go home after, I found, my room early changed to Chloe favorite style. And Mom coincide teaching her period knowledge, also cook Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows for her. “Chloe, drink then not pain.” Tone gentle extreme, I couldn’t help open mouth say, “Mom, I also pain.” She eyes sudden cold, “Who not pain ah, squeamish.” That moment, I realized. She seems only Chloe one person’s Mom. Thoughts return cage. We still confronting. I light voice say, “This home, still is my home ma?” If is my home, why from junior high to university, holiday go home, I all only can sleep sofa. Mom mouth corner press down, eyes all disdain. “If not you can’t tolerate Chloe, how would let you young age then boarding.” Suddenly, I think of boarding fuse. That day me and little partner play finish come back, found Chloe crying in Dad arms, Mom tidying stained milk bed sheet. Chloe crying chirp. “I just now drink milk, sister not give me drink, also knock over. She said milk and bed both are hers, I am wild breed, want me roll out.” But that time no matter how I explain, they don’t listen. I clarify again, “I said before, that time I just play outside, not me done, if you still not believe, can go ask this area same age people, I believe they still remember.” Mom Dad suspicious look at Chloe. Chloe droop head, raise again time, pale a lot. “Dad Mom, sorry, is I lie le.” “That time I live under other’s roof, I really too afraid you guys don’t want me le. So knock over milk after lie le.” Saying, tears hua de slide from Chloe eye corner. Instantly, Mom Dad heart soft le. Dad eyes all pity, “Silly child, you are our child, how would not want you ne.” Mom hug her into arms, “Chloe ah, don’t want who, we both won’t not want you.” That who say is me right. I mock once. Spit on my just rise trace trace expectation. Past they won’t for me make decision, later also won’t. Only I won’t expect again. That travel voucher tomorrow then give to colleague ba. Passed long time, their warm drama end. Dad restore serious. “Grace, this matter is Chloe wrong le.” “But you have to consider her that time alone helpless, mind inevitable sensitive bit, not intentional, you do sister don’t so small heart eye.” Mom frequently nod, “This matter then to this end ba. Moreover, if not you since small then attend boarding school, you can pass exam to so good university ma?” I open mouth, just want refute. Door pushed open le. Chapter 4 Liam carry fruits come in, look at confront us, and full floor mess, very blank. “This is how le?” Chloe ardent pull Liam sit down. “We all eat finish le, how come so late, me and baby both miss you le.” Liam soothe touch her belly, “Company temporary have thing.” “Just now happen what thing le, convenient say ma?” Mom pout mouth, “Just say to Grace past boarding matter. She still blame us let her young age boarding, if not more at school, she can pass exam to so good school ma?” Hear words, Liam astonished. He look Mom Dad, look again me, tangle moment after say. “You guys probably misunderstand le, me and Grace are university classmate. Others university all addict various activities or dating, but Grace early rise dark black all studying, otherwise how in talents crowd university get scholarship.” I very surprised, didn’t expect he would speak for me. Mom still not believe, “If she can get scholarship, why then don’t know subsidize family?” “But, heard you guys university period simply didn’t give her living expense ah.” Instantly, surrounding a piece silence. Mom Dad look each other, same voice say. “You didn’t give her living expense?” “I thought you gave le.” A time between, they ashamed no place, awkward dare not look my eyes. Finally, Chloe pull Liam, “You are which side, use you speak for her ma? Could it be you still can’t forget her?” “No, no.” Awkward atmosphere further intensify, I don’t want stay down. Get up go finish toilet come back, found bag position seem changed le. Not wait me think more, Dad call stop me. “You accompany me drink few cups ba.” I want leave le. “Your sister now pregnant can’t drink, your brother-in-law again want drive also can’t drink, you just accompany me drink few cups. How could it be you do daughter accompany father drink few cups all not okay.” Dad all put me on rack le, I also not good refuse. “Good.” Wine pass three rounds, I fall on sofa. Daze between seem someone lift my finger again put down le. Wait I again awake, already next day le. House empty no one person, last night a piece mess dining table still mess. I frown brows. They go where le? Suddenly, I think of a trace clues. Open phone, recent message is me and company admin dialogue. 【Sister Chen, I body uncomfortable, travel voucher just give my Mom Dad and sister brother-in-law use ba, trouble you help us book tickets.】 Hahaha. I silent laugh out. No wonder Dad suddenly want drink with me, estimate is yesterday when I go toilet flip my bag, knew travel voucher existence. I really silly, actually again one time fell for it. Travel voucher originally can five people use, above also write clear clear. But they rather force drunk me, secretly leave, also not willing travel with me. I am what jackal wolf tiger leopard ma? Or I did what lost conscious heaven conscience thing le? Past, I very curious why Mom Dad always bias Chloe. Also curious Chloe why to me malice so big. However, from today after, I won’t curious le. Because, them I don’t want le. This home, I also don’t want le! I gradually calm down. Take out phone reply General Manager. 【Mr. Sterling, I willing follow you go pioneer overseas market.】

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On my wedding day, I saw my first love whom I hadn’t seen for ten years. Julian Vance asked me: “If I crash the wedding, will you leave with me?” I knew, he did this to revenge me. Because my dad caused the death of his whole family. But I still left with him, this is what I owe Julian. After getting back together, Julian was keen on humiliating me in various ways. Under his deliberate design, I stumbled upon the aftermath scene of him and Quinn for the ninth time. He calmly helped Quinn dress, escorted her out. Passing by me, Julian lowered his voice. “When you ran away from the wedding, you should have understood, I am revenging you.” Of course I understand. But now, what I owe him, I have paid off. Confirming they left, I started dialing. Call connected, I wanted to speak, but couldn’t help coughing. The other end understood: “You finally agreed to accept treatment?” … Chapter 1 I gently “Mm”ed. Voice on other end continued. “You should have made this decision long ago, bias for Julian, delayed accepting treatment.” “Life almost gone, what else you can’t leave him?” I clenched phone, palm wet. “About when can I leave?” “Leave? Where you want go?” Phone suddenly snatched away, Julian returned unknowingly. Moment he grabbed phone, I hurriedly hung up. Julian swiped my phone few times, but found nothing. He threw phone back to my arms, warned me. “Mira, don’t think play tricks leave me.” Julian took car key, already walked to door. He looked back at me, eyes complex. “What you owe me, this life can’t pay clear.” My attention, all on car key in his hand. That car was my 18th birthday gift, after Lin Family bankruptcy, that car also auctioned with other assets. Didn’t expect bought by Julian. Sensed my gaze, Julian coldly laughed. “Quinn said, want use this car as lead car for wedding fleet.” “Although model old, but can’t help she likes.” I lowered head. I knew, this is Julian’s revenge again. With door closing sound, my phone also received new message. [Depart next month 10th, flight ticket already booked for you.] [Take this time… say good goodbye to Julian.] [Although he changed now, but you guys loved so deep back then, always have feelings.] I light laughed, put down phone. Between me and Julian, long no feelings, more no need goodbye. He kept me by side, just for revenge. I stayed by his side, just to pay back debt back then. Now debt paid off, I also should go. I started packing luggage. Unexpectedly found, Promissory Note Julian wrote me ten years ago. I almost forgot, at beginning, I was Julian’s creditor. Just don’t know why, finally debt rolled debt, became I owe him three lives. Ringtone interrupted my memory, I picked up phone. “I have things afternoon, you accompany Quinn try wedding dress for me. By the way… try your bridesmaid dress.” I didn’t know when I became bridesmaid, and became whose bridesmaid. Question to mouth, blocked back by Julian’s words. “Me and Quinn wedding, you come be bridesmaid.” He didn’t give me room to refuse, soon hung up phone. Looking at call ended interface, I sighed, got up change clothes. Before completely leave, can’t let Julian detect something wrong. He is a madman, definitely won’t let me go. Arrived bridal shop, I was led by staff into VIP room. Quinn sat on sofa, front placed tea and snacks. Ground casually threw few wedding dresses. See me enter, Quinn lifted eyelids, looked watch on wrist. “Late three minutes, what you say to do?” I lowered head silent. Quinn can’t stand me, I long knew. Her gaze fell on my lower abdomen, again like had answer. “You just discharged from hospital, I also won’t punish you.” She kicked wedding dress by foot to me, smiled rippling. “Trying wedding dress too tired, you try for me.” “Weren’t you always expecting marry Julian? Today count as fulfilling your dream.” I silently picked up wedding dress, walked into changing room. Quinn voice rang behind. “Matter of you injured miscarriage, not allowed speak much in front of Julian.” My steps paused, self-mocking smile. Tell Julian so what, everything was his tacit permission. My hand gently touched lower abdomen. If not Julian, everything wouldn’t happen. I walked out changing room, Quinn suddenly shut mouth. Her eyes had amazement, soon turned into jealousy fire. “If you dare wear like this wander in front of Julian, don’t blame me not polite.” Quinn said this sentence too late, Julian already came. “Quinn, I came late.” Seeing me, Julian sluggish few seconds. He soon recovered as usual, righteously said. “Why you wearing Quinn’s wedding dress?” I opened mouth want defend, again heard Julian next sentence. “Are you worthy?” Maybe long ago, when we still loved, I was worthy. Me and Julian were childhood sweethearts. Day college entrance exam ended, he confessed to me. “Mira, we be together forever okay?” “No matter encounter what difficulties, we don’t separate.” Teenager’s vow, one day crushed by reality. That day, was our two families darkest moment. Julian father borrowed $500,000 from my dad do business, finally lost everything. Coincide grandpa critically ill urgent need money, so coincident, just lack that 500k. Dad forced Julian father pay back, Julian father desperate, took Julian mother jumped building suicide. Compensation for two lives, was 500k. Dad got money, but grandpa already missed best rescue time. He didn’t save grandpa back, also lost former best friend. I never saw so haggard Julian. So when he found me, I opened mouth first. “Let’s break up.” Julian lowered head, silent for a while. “Okay.” “Father killer’s daughter, I also can’t love down.” Although every sentence is fact, but my heart still stabbed pain. Not long later, Julian sister car accident, surgery fee was 500k. Mom advised Dad: “Lend money to him. Dead can’t resurrect, cherish living people.” Dad threw off Mom hand: “My dad died, his sister what qualification live?” They didn’t know, these words, Julian all heard. Later Julian started from scratch, first thing was force dead my parents. On funeral, he entrusted someone pass words to me. “Mira, this matter not ended.” “You owe my family three lives, still lack one.” So at wedding, Julian asked me dare run away or not, I understood. He came collect debt from me. So after diagnosed terminal illness, I didn’t choose treatment first time. Last life, I plan use myself to pay. Chapter 2 “I see Sister Mira envy terribly, just let her wear enjoy addiction.” Quinn held Julian arm, leaned in his arms act spoiled. “Anyway… not hers, snatch how she also can’t snatch away.” Julian dotingly scraped Quinn nose tip. “You just too kind.” “Who knows what person she is?” Turning to me, Julian voice ice cold. “Take off wedding dress.” “Quinn’s thing, you not worthy touch.” My head burst burst dizzy, stood in place didn’t move. Julian face colder, rushed forward want strip my clothes. Pushing shoving, I coughed out a mouthful blood. Blood dyed on wedding dress, hideous and gorgeous. Seeing blood, Julian subconsciously retreated a step. His voice slightly trembling: “Mira, what you pretending?” “Think sell miserable to me, I will let you go?” I wiped blood on mouth corner, slowly stood up. Difficultly reached hand reach zipper on back. Seeing my action, Julian first stunned, then gritting teeth said. “Have guts you take off ah!” But when zipper about to pull to bottom, Julian intercepted my hand again. “You just so cheap, ask you take off you take off?” I really no strength struggle, let him drag me into changing room. Julian heavily pressed me against fitting mirror, checked me back and forth. “You injured?” His action too rough, I coughed out blood again. He stopped checking, force pinched my face. “Still pretending?” We grew up in one alley, how can I not see his nervousness. Turns out, he still will nervous for me. I looked his eyes, soft voice asked. “Julian, if I die, is it not owe you anymore?” “You die I also won’t let you go.” I weakly smiled: “I won’t die ne.” Doctor said, I now accept treatment still not too late. Julian eyes red: “You should stay by my side, tortured by me lifetime.” His hand suddenly lost strength, volume also lightened. “This is you owe me.” I light laughed where Julian couldn’t see. Julian didn’t know, I already not owe him. That unformed child, paid back last life I owed him. I of course won’t continue stay by his side. I want leave him, go accept treatment. I took advantage Julian let go, escaped from his imprisonment. Julian wanted catch me, outside door rang Quinn voice. “Julian, you guys fine inside right?” Julian looked me once, pushed open changing room door. I silently followed Julian behind. Even Quinn tried hard cover, I still clearly detected resentment in her eyes. She concerned pulled my hand: “Sister Mira, are you uncomfortable somewhere?” Obviously Julian also curious my answer, always use peripheral vision glance me. I shook head. “But… this wedding dress what do?” “Top all blood, wedding dress count scrapped.” Quinn words to me, eyes look Julian. Julian faintly glanced wedding dress on ground. “Italian Haute Couture, $50,000.” “Mira, wedding dress you dirty, then you compensate.” Again 50k. (Original text 500k RMB approx $70k USD, adjusted for flow) Between me and Julian, always can’t leave this number. Once for this money, Julian put down dignity beg everywhere. Now money, to him just light breeze wedding dress money. I looked at blood stained wedding dress on ground. Scarlet on pure white wedding dress extra dazzling. Just like me and Julian feeling, in the end a mess. I nodded: “Okay. I compensate.” Surprised expression simultaneous appeared on Julian and Quinn face. Quinn fake advise: “Sister Mira, you don’t for face hard support, borrow online loan ah.” She looked up, little girl posture looking Julian. “50k to Julian not count what, you beg him, he maybe pay for you.” “If you go borrow online loan, that really in abyss can’t pull back.” Quinn didn’t know. I long in abyss. Chapter 3 Julian face gloomy sent me home. Just entered door, he pushed me on foyer cabinet. Back waist hit on hard edge, faintly painful. Julian fist hammered on wall: “Where you got 50k?” I tilted head, smiling looked him. “Money you gave me, self all forgot?” Julian slightly frown, seemed recalling. “My parents high altitude fall, insurance company compensation accident insurance, is 50k.” “But this exactly accident or not, you clearer than me.” Julian tight expression appeared a crack, fist beside body clenched tighter. He mumbled repeat: “This is you owe me.” Flip back forth, Julian threaten me just these few sentences. I already recite fluently. “I now not owe you.” I pushed away Julian hand: “Three lives, I already paid off.” “Where come three?” I laughed out sound, pushed Julian away fiercely. “You pretending stupid with me?” I step by step approach him. “I kidnapped, experienced whole three hours punch kick, child vividly beaten off.” “This matter, wasn’t you one hand designed?” Julian unbelievable shook head. “I didn’t… I really didn’t know…” I interrupted him: “Julian, you impossible not know.” “Back then I called you, what you said?” Back then kidnapped, I asked kidnapper how willing let me go. Kidnapper dialed Julian phone, put phone by my ear. “If he answer your call, willing save you, we let you go.” Call rarely connected. I just wanted ask help, but lost voice at moment hearing Julian words. “So fast?” “You guys casual play, no need report to me.” Kidnapper put down phone, extended steel pipe to my eyes. “Heard not? Julian let us casual play.” “Harmed dead his whole family, still count on him can save you?” Stick fell time, I heard other voices. “Really naive… person most want you die, is him ah…” Later was nightmare like three hours. Before coma, I asked last sentence. “Who… let you do this?” Vaguely, I seemed hear Julian name. Too late listen detail, I then fainted. Julian face pale. I calmly admired panic on his face. “Julian, that person is you?” Julian silent for long time, still couldn’t remember that forgotten call. I also understood. “Also right, you revenge me too much, of course can’t remember clear every one.” Phone ringtone rang with my words together. Julian action faster than me, snatched phone. He looked caller ID: “Still last time that number?” He raised hand high, pressed answer button. “Mira, Dr. Chen arrangement changed, leaving time want advance.” “Ticket changed to three days later, you here no problem right?” Julian holding phone, use eyes warn me. I know, he want me refuse. But I bias not follow his wish. I looked Julian eyes, word by word said. “I have no problem.” Almost simultaneous I open mouth, Julian hung up phone. Next second, phone on ground smashed into parts. Julian dead hoop my shoulder: “You want leave?” “How dare you leave me?” I heavy stepped Julian a foot, he eat pain, let go me. I took chance escape: “What I dare not?” “Leg grow on my body, I want go where go where.” “But you still…” Julian wanted say I owe him again. Words said half, he remembered that aborted child again. I not owe him. So self stopped words. “Then you… why want leave?” I tangled half second, whether tell Julian truth. I eventually didn’t say out. After all, if no accident, we this life won’t meet again. To stranger, no need say too much. In my hesitation half second, Julian seemed see through truth. He sneered, thought I was reluctant. “I just knew, you not really want go.” “You are jealous I want marry Quinn, right?” I secretly light laugh. Julian still as usual confident. He humiliate me, revenge me like this, actually still think I love him. “You think threaten me like this, I will cancel engagement, retain you?” “You think too much, Mira.” “You want leave, I won’t stop you, more won’t retain you.” Last bit worry also dispelled. Start I still worried, if known by Julian, finally can’t go. So very good. Quinn downstairs wait anxious, send message urge Julian. Julian looked message. “Me and Quinn going to pick wedding candy.” “Aren’t you leaving? Night back, don’t let me see you at home.” I nodded. My luggage not much, one afternoon finish pack no problem. Julian very unsatisfied my reaction. Don’t know where I angered him again, finally leave time, he slammed door very loud. Chapter 4 Two hours after Julian left, I finished organizing all luggage. That 50k promissory note, thrown into trash can by me. I don’t want leave any entanglement related to him. I looked back, last time looked room, noticed smashed phone. Just right, can conveniently change SIM card. Distance departure day, still three days. Booking ticket, I specially instructed Liam, book at neighboring city airport. A City everywhere Julian spies, I always feel uneasy. Few hours car ride later, I finally came to Seattle. Near dinner time, I received message sent by Julian. [Quinn coming home eat dinner, she loves Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, you make well for her advance.] He also sent a photo of wedding candy. [You as long as willing admit mistake, wedding candy also can give you a portion.] I swept a glance, all candies I loved in high school. But since sick, I quit sugar. Just looking photo, my throat started uncomfortable. I couldn’t help cough again. Probably road bump long, I today uncomfortable very much. Arrive hotel handle check in, phone popped Julian message again. [You not home?] [Where you went?] [You still making trouble? You have what qualification make trouble with me?] Message ding dong ding dong rang non-stop. I somewhat headache, directly clicked block. I handed ID to front desk: “Help me handle three days stay.” Words out, I suddenly thought, just now finding ID, seem didn’t see my diagnosis slip. I soon released again. A piece paper only, Julian simply won’t care, more won’t look. First night leaving Julian, I ordered a pile takeout. Because after accept treatment, can’t eat these heavy taste things anymore. Second night, I bought a bunch flowers for myself. Last time received flower, still Julian for revenge me, sent me Funeral Wreath. He learned news I marry, day before wedding, sent wreath to my door. Wreath arranged two rows, every one attached vicious curse. Maybe Julian hated too real, curse inside actually became true. I really sick. He entrusted wreath sender pass words: [Mira, you not worthy happiness.] I put sunflower into new bought vase, carefully care petals. Third night, I received Julian call. He hand eye sky, get my new number not hard matter. Ringtone persevere rang again and again. I helpless pick up phone: “What matter?” Ten years, this is Julian first time show tenderness to me. I somewhat trance. “Mira… you sick?” “Why you hide me? Why… always refuse accept treatment?” Julian still knew. His voice ear piercing, I took phone far a bit. “Aren’t you always looking forward I die?” “I not accept treatment, you should happy right.” Julian hurry explain: “I didn’t…” I fiddle sunflower petal, lightly said. “Wreath you sent me, wrote on, I even die also want painful die.” “As you wish, I sick very heavy.” Julian no longer refute, receiver only left his breathing sound. Long silence later, he only asked one sentence. “Mira, where are you?” “I go find you, we good talk okay?” I looked watch: “You no need come.” Sky outside window already gray bright, still five hours, my plane take off. From A City to Seattle, drive fastest also two hours. Let Julian ability big again, found my ticket info, he also can’t rush over. My head somewhat dizzy, fell back bed again. I start doubt doctor words. Now treatment really still in time?

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On New Year’s Eve, right in the middle of a live broadcast, my sister called me. I spoke first: “Peace, joy, and a long, long life.” My sister let out a cold laugh on the other end of the line. “But I don’t want you to have peace or a long life. “I hope you suffer for the rest of your miserable existence.” I had cut ties with my sister years ago, back when she was at rock bottom. Now, she was on top of the world, a Fortune 500 CEO. Her first order of business was revenge. My tone remained steady, unchanged. “Peace, joy, and a long, long life.” She snapped, her voice dripping with impatience. “Enough. I will never bless you. “If you want a wish, then I wish you eternal pain.” The talk show host hesitated for a second, his earpiece buzzing, before he interrupted her. “Ms. Vance… I’m sorry to interrupt, but that was a pre-recorded message from Mr. Vance. “When he passed away, it was… just as you wished. Very painful.” 1 “Passed away?” Scarlett Vance froze, then scoffed. “I hope you mean he’s dead.” The host paused, looking uncomfortable, and pointed behind her. On the massive Jumbotron in Times Square behind her, my face appeared. In the footage, I was slapping the camera lens away. Rain plastered my hair and cheap dress shirt to my skin. I looked pathetic. My voice was thick with annoyance. “Stop filming. I didn’t sign a release.” A sweet, earnest voice spoke from behind the camera. “I’m not a scammer, I swear. I’m a content creator documenting life on the streets. I can help you.” I turned away from the dumpster I was digging through and pressed my face right up to the lens. “Really? Can you cure Stage 4 cancer?” The girl behind the camera froze. I smirked, a jagged, tired expression. “Don’t waste your breath. Go find a stray cat to save.” “Wait… maybe I can try!” She grabbed my sleeve as I tried to walk away. I looked her up and down, laughing as I pointed at her outfit item by item. “Shirt, twenty bucks. Belt, sixty. Pants, forty. Shoes, fifty. “Oh, and this camera? Pawn shop find, right? “Do you have any idea how much American healthcare costs?” I held up five fingers to the lens. “Five hundred thousand. Minimum. Cash.” The girl’s breath hitched. I turned and walked into the rain, bending over the next trash can. “Shadow? Shadow, where are you, buddy?” She followed me. “What are you looking for?” “A dog.” “Is he yours?” “No. I passed out earlier. He licked my face until I woke up.” The girl went silent. I looked up at the grey sky. “If you’ve got nothing to do, go home. There are plenty of people in this city you can save. Don’t waste your time on me.” My hand covered the lens. The screen went black. 2 【 The Afterlife Series – Oct 11, 2023, 9:32 AM – The Vance family doesn’t take handouts 】 “You’re Julian Vance. Scarlett Vance’s brother, right?” I was sweeping the back alley of a coffee shop. I frowned. “You again?” The girl’s voice came from behind the camera. “The internet says you’re a traitor who abandoned his family, but they don’t know you have terminal cancer. I want to film a documentary series about you. Is that okay?” I shook my head. “Let them think I’m a traitor. It took me years to build that reputation. You want to ruin it now?” “Wait!” She grabbed my arm again. “But you’re broke. How are you paying for meds? I have some savings. Let me help.” I turned, a mocking smile on my face. “You know why I cut ties with my sister?” She hesitated. I yanked my arm back and waved her off. “I have a job. I don’t need your charity. Beat it.” “I asked the manager. You make ten bucks an hour under the table.” “That’s enough.” I turned my back to her, throwing a grin over my shoulder. “The Vances don’t take handouts.” The moment the words left my mouth, my knees gave out. I hit the pavement hard. “Julian!” The camera shook violently. On the concrete, a pool of bright red blood began to spread. “Oh my god!” Maya’s voice trembled. The camera was discarded on the ground, pointing askew. I could see a slender girl trying to haul me up. “Come on, I’m taking you to the ER!” I shoved her away with the last of my strength. I grabbed a dirty rag from my belt, wiped the blood off the concrete, and smeared the red from my mouth with the back of my hand. “No hospitals.” I walked to the slop sink and washed the blood off my face. Maya’s voice broke. “Please. Just let me help you, okay?” I scrubbed the last spot of blood from my chin, turned, and looked straight into the lens. “The Vances. Do not. Need. Help.” Then I walked out of the frame. 3 【 The Afterlife Series – Nov 15, 2023, 3:21 PM – Dogs don’t know they’re dying, they just know they’re home 】 “What do you mean?” I stared at the vet in shock. The vet sighed and shook his head. “The previous owner probably dumped him because they didn’t want to pay the bills. “This little guy has been starving, beaten by other strays… his organs are failing.” I forced a smile. “I know that look. You’re going to tell me he doesn’t have long, right?” The vet hesitated, then nodded. It was the exact same look my oncologist gave me. Maya frowned from behind the camera. “Is there really nothing we can do?” “…Just keep him comfortable. Give him whatever he wants to eat.” Silence filled the small exam room. I petted the scruffy black dog’s head. “No wonder we found each other.” Shadow’s tail thumped against the metal table. He leaned into my hand, panting, his dark eyes shining with adoration. Maya smiled sadly. “He thinks you’re his owner.” I paused. “Is that something to be happy about?” Maya nodded, reaching out to touch the dog’s ear. “Dogs don’t know they’re dying. He just knows he finally has a home.” I went quiet. I patted his head again. “I’ll call you Shadow.” Shadow let out a weak woof. Carrying Shadow out of the clinic, I turned to face the lens. “You found him for me. As repayment… I agree to the documentary.” 4 【 The Afterlife Series – Dec 31, 2023, 9:00 PM – Long Live the Queen (Part 1) 】 “Where did you get this?” I stared at the VCR Maya had dragged in, frowning. She waved a VHS tape with a grin. “A good director does her research.” She popped the tape in. On the grainy screen of the TV provided by my landlord, a boy in a bespoke suit bowed to the camera. Back then, my eyes still held a spark of hope. “Hello, hello! Happy New Year 2015! Wishing everyone peace, joy, and success!” “You were so energetic back then,” Maya said, sitting on the floor beside the couch. Her eyes crinkled with a smile as she watched. I leaned back on the torn upholstery of the sofa. “Did you dig up every archived post on my old social media?” “I thought it was interesting.” I didn’t answer. On the screen, Past Julian sat amidst a mountain of gifts. A familiar voice rang out. “Don’t rush, let me help you open them.” Scarlett walked into the frame, sitting beside me. I held up a hand. “Stop! Sis. Vances are self-made, remember?” The camera cut. Scarlett was fastening a luxury watch around my wrist. “Happy New Year, Julian.” Click. The video froze on my massive grin. Then, laughter. Scarlett’s face was smeared with cake frosting. She paused, then raised a threatening hand, laughing. “Come here! Just because it’s your birthday doesn’t mean I won’t kick your ass!” The video was full of joy. Watching it, I let out a sudden laugh. I wiped the corner of my eye. My sigh trembled. “After Mom and Dad died, everyone pitied me. “But actually… I wasn’t pitiful at all. “I had my sister. I had friends…” A draft whistled through the leaky window frame. I pulled the thin blanket tighter. Tears slid silently down my face. Two warm hands covered my freezing ones. Maya looked at me seriously. “I saved up some money. Let’s go to the hospital tomorrow. Get some treatment.” I sniffled and laughed. “Your account has less than a hundred followers. You eat cup noodles with me every day. How much money could you possibly have?” Her pale hands clenched against her faded jeans. “It… it would help a little.” “No need. I have good news. I saved up two grand. I can afford a round of meds.” Maya froze. Then she smiled. “Is it enough? I can give you more.” I shook my head stubbornly. “No. Vances don’t take handouts.” I lifted my chin arrogantly. “Relax. My income covers my bills. Look, I bought these with my own paycheck.” I grabbed a handful of colorful pills and dry-swallowed them all at once. I frowned, swallowing hard, and sat in silence for a long time until the pain subsided. I exhaled, clutching my chest. I looked up. Maya was watching me, her eyes red. I grinned. “Swallowing a handful dry. Pretty badass, right?” Maya looked down, her smile bitter. “Yeah.” 5 【 The Afterlife Series – Dec 31, 2023, 11:45 PM – Long Live the Queen (Part 2) 】 On screen, we were slumped on the couch, full from a meager dinner, waiting for the ball drop. Maya looked at me. “Is that really all you’re eating?” I looked exhausted. “Stomach hurts. If I eat more, I’ll throw it up.” Maya was silent for a moment, then spoke softly. “Ms. Vance… she did it. Her new IPO hit a billion-dollar valuation.” I closed my eyes. “I know.” “Go back to her. She has the money now. She can save you.” I shook my head. “Why? Do you want to die?” “Do you think I had any illusions of living when I cut her off?” Maya choked on her words. Her voice trembled. “Why did you cut ties? Wouldn’t it be better to face it together?” I laughed. “Mom and Dad always said the Vance kids don’t need help. But the Vance family helped every relative we had. “But when Scarlett went bankrupt? Not a single one of those relatives lifted a finger. “Do you know what it felt like watching my sister beg those people for my tuition money?” My breath hitched. I gritted my teeth. “Scarlett never begged. Never. But after the relatives slammed the door in our faces, she took me to a tiny apartment, smaller than this one. “She said, ‘Even alone, I will get us back to the top.’ “That’s the sister I admired. Even with nothing, she had ambition. “But…” I smiled, looking at Maya. “Guess what would happen if she knew I was sick back then?” Maya couldn’t answer. “She would have gotten on her knees for those relatives.” My heart ached just saying it. “She almost did it for my tuition. I had to physically stop her. Haha…” I wiped a tear. “When I left, she and her partner were just starting to get traction. “Do you think investors would dump money into a startup if the founder had a dying, money-pit brother?” Maya’s voice shook. “Julian…” I held up a hand. “Cancer will take my life. But half a million dollars of debt? That would have taken her life.” Maya clenched her fists. I sighed, a smile playing on my lips. “The day I left, I destroyed her. I called her worthless. “I told her she was a failure, that she was ruining Mom and Dad’s legacy. I told her if she had any love for me, she’d let me go find my own happiness.” “And then… she let go.” The countdown on the TV hit zero. Fireworks exploded on the screen. I wiped the tears from my face.

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Blair broke up with me again. This time, I thought I’d do what I did the first time she dumped me when we were eighteen: head down to the riverwalk to cool off. But the wind coming off the water was biting, a sharp, physical reminder that I wasn’t a teenager anymore. Forget it, I thought. Just go home. On the walk back, I passed that greasy spoon diner on the corner. I expected my stomach to be in knots, the way it was when I was twenty and heartbreak felt like a terminal illness. Instead, the smell of grilling onions hit me, and I realized the cook was on his A-game. I was starving. Finally back in my apartment, I sat down, ready to do what I’d done at twenty-two, twenty-three, and twenty-four: draft The Essay. The long, groveling text message begging Blair to take me back. But then I opened my phone and saw a notification from my boss. I was being deployed on a business trip. I spent the next month buried in work in a neighboring city, practically revitalizing my career. Blair, finally losing patience with my silence, called me. “Why haven’t you come to apologize yet?” That was when it hit me. I’d forgotten something. I’d forgotten to care. Getting dumped when you’re a little older is a strange thing. It’s less of a tragedy and more of an administrative hassle. I tested the waters, keeping my voice light. “My bad, my bad. Honestly, I’ve been so swamped I forgot to write The Essay.” I paused, letting the silence stretch just enough to be dangerous. “How about… we just leave it broken this time?” 1 We were at drinks with friends when the rumor started floating around that Blair was planning to propose to me. Blair laughed, that cool, dismissive sound that used to make me nervous. She looked completely unbothered. “Why would I need to propose? Griffith isn’t going to marry anyone but me. besides, I need Carter to be the best man. He’s been booking that slot since we were kids.” The sentence was so off-balance I couldn’t tell what mattered more to her: marrying me, or securing a spot for Carter, her childhood soulmate, in the bridal party. I took a sip of water, trying to keep my voice steady. “I have my own friends for groomsmen. My college roommates. We made a pact years ago—we all stand up for each other. No exceptions.” Blair didn’t even look at me. She just swirled her drink. “So add another groomsman.” “I can’t. There are four of them. An odd number doesn’t work for the procession. It’s messy.” She snapped, a flash of irritation breaking her composure. “Then just find some random guy to even it out. Carter has never been a best man before. Can’t you just satisfy him this one time?” The table went quiet. Our friends were used to these inexplicable arguments. They never interfered because they knew the script: I would apologize specifically and profusely, Blair would freeze me out for two days to prove a point, and then she’d graciously allow us to make up. Nobody wants to be a spectator to a relationship where one person is the clown. But this time, something inside me had calcified. “No. It’s not necessary. It’s my wedding, and I want to make the call.” Blair walked over to me, looming slightly. “And if I insist?” I didn’t answer, but the look on my face must have been answer enough. Humiliated and furious, she slammed her hand on the table. “Fine! Let’s break up then! Griffith, don’t you dare contact me.” She stormed out, the door rattling in its frame. The remaining friends looked at their drinks, the floor, anywhere but me. I smoothed things over, murmuring some excuses. The tension broke, and the teasing started. “Griffith’s got this under control. He’s confident,” one guy laughed. “Blair is just… you know. Go buy her a bag, smooth it over. It’s fine.” “Griffith, you can’t spoil women like that,” another said, shaking his head. “The more you indulge them, the worse they get. You’re too soft on her.” “Hey, that wedding date you guys were looking at? My uncle says it’s bad luck. I’ll have him calculate a new one for you. He’s amazing—no one he’s picked a date for has ever gotten divorced.” I smiled, polite and hollow, and didn’t say a word. 2 I walked home alone, stopping every now and then just to breathe. My head was a supercut of the last ten years. High school sweethearts. The brutal years of long-distance during college. The friction of moving in together. We had failed at every stage, and every single time, I had fought tooth and nail to glue us back together. I asked myself, Why? Does loving someone mean you have to strip yourself of all dignity? Shouldn’t love be about mutual compromise? About holding each other up? But whenever I resolved to leave, a treacherous little voice would whisper in my ear: “If you give up now, doesn’t that make the last decade a waste? Doesn’t that make you a joke?” So I gritted my teeth. I endured. I hoped that if I just loved her enough, I could move her. I hoped for a happy ending. My wandering took me past the river again. I used to call it the “River of Tears” because it was close to our campus. Since our very first breakup, this water had witnessed more of my crying jags than my mother had. But tonight, the wind was just cold. Before I could spiral into melancholy, the physical chill snapped me out of it. I pulled my jacket tighter. Forget it. I’ll go be sad in the warmth of my living room. I turned the corner and saw the burger joint again. Funny. I came here a lot. Once, after a fight with Blair, I angrily ordered five double cheeseburgers, intending to eat my feelings, but my throat was so tight from holding back tears I couldn’t swallow a bite. The cook really had improved. The smell of grease and charred beef was hypnotic. I ordered cautiously this time, afraid of repeating history, but after two burgers, I realized I could easily handle a third. Mouth busy, stomach full. The emptiness in my chest didn’t feel quite so vast. It was only when I stood in front of my apartment door that I hesitated. We had lived together for so long; that small space was a museum of our shared life. But when I opened the door, I didn’t feel nostalgia. I saw the trash bag, full to bursting, that she hadn’t taken out. The empty soda bottles on the coffee table. The shoes kicked off in the middle of the hallway. The anger flared hotter than the sadness. The fire in my chest seemed to dry up my tears. I cleaned everything in a frenzy. I sat down to mute her on social media—so I wouldn’t have to see her updates—when a notification popped up. My boss, tagging me in the group chat with feedback on a proposal. By the time I closed the document, the sky outside was turning the color of a bruised peach. Morning. I was surprised to find that the first day of heartbreak had passed so easily. So, in the quiet of that brand-new morning, I did something I had never done before. I blocked Blair on everything. 3 Blair didn’t come back. I knew the drill. She was waiting for me to kneel. I assumed I would, eventually. It was a habit, like biting my nails. Bowing down for love didn’t feel shameful anymore; it just felt like Tuesday. But every time I picked up my phone, life intervened. A proposal needed rewriting. A client called. One day turned into two, then eight, then nine. I hadn’t contacted her. I had accidentally achieved the impossible, and to my shock, I wasn’t in agony. During the morning meeting that day, my director announced a critical project. A client needed a representative on-site, a permanent placement until the project closed. A year and a half, minimum. I raised my hand before the sentence was even finished. He looked at me over his glasses. “Single candidates preferred.” “I’m single,” I said immediately. The conference room erupted in laughter. My “epic saga” with Blair was office folklore. They assumed this was just another dramatic chapter. But the director asked around, and no one else volunteered. Leaving headquarters for eighteen months was a risk. You could come back to find your desk gone and your influence evaporated. For a career trajectory, it wasn’t the optimal move. But for me? It was an escape hatch. And more than that, the client was in San Francisco—a city I had always dreamed of living in. Blair had refused to ever leave our current city. She was comfortable here; her family was here, her world was here. She wouldn’t even let me travel to San Francisco for vacation. Friends joked she was afraid that if I went, I’d realize how big the world was and never come back. I just smiled when they said that. In the end, the director gave it to me. “Don’t bail on me,” he warned me privately before I left. “I don’t care how the soap opera with your girlfriend plays out. You finish this eighteen months.” I smiled. “Mission accepted.” 4 The first weeks in San Francisco were a blur of adrenaline and caffeine. I worked two weeks straight, living out of the corporate hotel because I didn’t have time to apartment hunt. By the third weekend, I finally came up for air. The city was everything the blogs and magazines promised, but being there—feeling the steep hills in my calves, smelling the salt and eucalyptus—was different. I realized I had made the right choice. When my mother called, I was actually surprised. We hadn’t spoken since a blowout argument a year ago. My parents had started the “marriage pressure campaign” when I was twenty-five. By twenty-eight, with no ring on my finger, they had snooped through my phone, found Blair’s number, and called her directly to harass her. I can only imagine the toxic things they said. Blair refused to speak to me for a solid month after that. My mother has a beautiful voice, melodic and soft, which makes the cruel, invasive things she says land with even more dissonance. “You’re not really going to wait until you’re thirty to get married, are you?” she started, skipping the pleasantries. “We dug through the family tree for eight generations and couldn’t find anyone as useless as you.” “Well, I’m breaking new ground then.” “I don’t have time for your sarcasm. Your sister saw on your social media that you broke up with that Blair girl. True or false? Usually, you two are back together by now, but it’s been quiet. Is it done?” “Say what you want to say, Mom. I’m working.” “That temper. Just like your father. No wonder you two can’t be in the same room.” “I’m hanging up.” “Wait, wait!” Her voice pitched up. “Look, if you’re free this weekend, your aunt found someone for you. A nice girl. She works in your city.” “She probably doesn’t,” I said. “I forgot to tell you. I moved.” 5 “You moved?” Her volume spiked. “Why do you always do this? You have these big ideas and you just do whatever you want!” I didn’t have the energy to argue. “Who is she? A client of Auntie’s? Or her boss? There’s always an angle with her.” My mother, usually so strident, suddenly mumbled. “They say it’s your cousin’s boss’s daughter. But her conditions are excellent. Would your aunt hurt you?” I genuinely wondered how she could ask that without choking. “Are you sure about that?” I asked. “Why do you have to be so cynical? Just because she introduced you to someone last year and took a little advantage… she apologized to you crying! She didn’t know about that person’s situation.” I didn’t bother arguing. If she didn’t know the situation, why did she set us up? My aunt had introduced me to a literal con artist. When I rejected the woman, my aunt gave her my home address. If Blair hadn’t come home early that night, finding me cornered in the dark stairwell by a woman demanding money… I don’t know what would have happened. I later found out the woman was the niece of a major client my aunt was trying to woo. She sent my photo without asking, the niece liked it, and my aunt served me up on a platter. When I tried to go to the police, my aunt explicitly told me she wouldn’t testify because she couldn’t afford to offend the client. And now, here we were again. “Tell Auntie to stop using me as currency. Or I’ll come home for Thanksgiving and act so crazy everyone will think it runs in the family.” “You ungrateful child!” 6 The silence after hanging up was exquisite. I finished a proposal, dropped it in the work group chat, and basked in the shower of “thumbs up” emojis from the team. Feeling bold, I posted on my personal feed: [Another day, crushing it.] Usually, I kept a low profile, but the response was immediate. [Griffith is a career man now! I tried to get you out for a week, didn’t know you were grinding.] [Working? Don’t you know your fortress is under siege?] [Why haven’t you deleted the breakup post? You haven’t made up yet? Is the apology gift not big enough this time? You never listen to us.] I replied one by one. [Traveling for work. Drinks when I’m back.] [My fortress is empty. No one lives there anymore.] [Not making up.] As soon as I hit send, my phone rang. It was the boyfriend of one of Blair’s best friends. We used to hang out all the time. “Where are you living the high life, Griffith?” “Working. Just busy.” He paused, lowering his voice. “Are you out of town? I walked by your place the other day, knocked, no answer.” “Yeah, out of town. What’s up?” “Nothing, nothing. Just haven’t seen you. Wanted to grab dinner.” “I’ll hit you up when I’m back.” “Cool, cool.” He hesitated again. “Hey… did you hear about Blair and Carter?” “Not really,” I said honestly. “Like I said, busy.” He didn’t take the hint. “Blair and Carter have been super loud about it. Going to parties together. I heard Blair bought him a massive gold watch for his birthday.” “Everyone’s guessing they’re finally together. Blair hasn’t confirmed it. We figure she’s just waiting for you to come beg for forgiveness.” I laughed. A genuine, short laugh. “What exactly am I apologizing for?” He stammered. “Huh? I mean… you always apologize. I just assumed…” “I apologized when I cared,” I said. “What if I don’t care anymore?” I heard a loud door slam on the other end of the line. And then, Blair’s friend’s voice yelling, “Blair!”

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Covering for My Brother in a Game Kellan’s friend scoffed on the comms: “Blake, how long are you going to keep messing with those jungle creeps?” I winced and finally pressed the push-to-talk. “Sorry. It’s his sister. I’m terrible at this.” The line went silent for a beat. Then, a low, easy voice, edged with a hint of laughter: “Don’t sweat it. You go play. I’ll carry the whole match.” 1 It was late that evening. I was bringing Blake a snack when I walked into his room. He practically shoved his phone at me. “I need to run to the restroom. Play for me for a minute.” I blinked at him. “I can’t. I don’t know how.” “It’s easy. Just chuck skills at the little monsters in the jungle, okay?” With that sage advice, my brother was gone. I looked at the character screen. The Shadow Blade. A high-skill assassin. I’d never touched the game, so I did what he said: I focused on the nearby jungle mobs. The brief moment of satisfaction I felt for taking down a particularly nasty-looking beast was immediately shattered. “Blake, are you planning on farming those jungle creeps all night?” “Seriously? You’re playing like you’re trying to throw the match.” The voice was young and sharp, laced with an impatience that was palpable even through the speaker. I instantly regretted entering my brother’s room. This was real, red-hot humiliation. And, naturally, Blake was taking his time. Terrified he’d start up again, I finally pressed the push-to-talk button, feeling guilty as I walked my character away from a newly spawned group of monsters. “Sorry. It’s his sister. I’m terrible at this.” “Blake will be right back.” The comms were silent for several seconds. Then I heard a hiss, like a heavy object had been hit. The enemy marksman’s character on the screen suddenly died. When the voice returned, it was low and easy, now fully edged with a familiar, teasing quality. “Don’t sweat it. You go play. I’ll carry the whole match.” It was only after his second comment that I let myself believe it. It was Kellan. My brother’s friend. Someone I hadn’t seen in years. I was still in a daze when Blake returned and took his phone back. “Nice. Didn’t die. You’ve got talent, June.” As I was leaving the room, I overheard Blake talking to Kellan. “How was my sister’s gameplay?” “Better than yours.” “When did she get back in the country?” “None of your business. Why do you care about your sister so much?” 2 Kellan and I went way back. I was a freshman then, and Blake was a sophomore. At the annual high school track and field meet, Blake was running long distance and made me promise to cheer him on. I was leaning against the railing, bored out of my mind, when my hand brushed against something warm. It was the hand of the guy standing next to me. The crowd was packed in tight, and we were accidentally pressed close. His fingers were long and lean, the knuckles clearly defined, the veins visible like blue rivers under the skin. It was beautiful, like an actual piece of art. I stared for a few seconds longer than was socially acceptable, completely lost in thought. He snapped his fingers, and a clear, melodic voice brought me back to reality: “Hey. What are you thinking about?” I jolted, meeting a pair of eyes that were laughing at me. He had sharp, handsome features, a high nose, and thin lips, and his hair was slightly ruffled by the wind. It was the first time I realized someone could look that effortlessly cool in a generic high school gym tee. My face felt like it was on fire, and I essentially fled. I don’t even remember what I stammered out to him. I thought that would be the end of it. But when Blake won his medal and took his friends out to celebrate, dragging me along, I realized how small the world was. Blake clapped his friend on the back and introduced him to me. “This is one of my main guys, Kellan Rowe.” Kellan raised an eyebrow at me. “Hey, little sister.” The light in his eyes made my heart flutter. Kellan Rowe. I repeated his name silently in my head. 3 Later, lying in bed. For some reason, I was possessed by the impulse to log into my old Messenger app—the one I hadn’t touched in three years. I stared at his dormant avatar for a long time. Apart from Blake, this was the only digital link I still had to Kellan. Then my phone vibrated, and the icon lit up. Kellan was online. He sent a message: “Apologies. Wasn’t trying to rag on you tonight.” And then, direct, no preamble: “When did you get back in the country?” It was abrupt, with no attempt at a greeting. I thought for a moment before replying: “Yesterday.” “Hmm.” The chat went silent. We were two people whose lines of life had gone parallel years ago. We had no common ground left. I didn’t know what to say. I even did a quick search online for “How to talk to an old friend you haven’t seen in forever.” Like a robot, I typed out a few words: “Long time, no see. How have you been?” Kellan replied immediately. But his message made my heart skip a beat. “Then let’s go see each other.” “Maybe someday.” 4 I didn’t expect “someday” to come so quickly. The next morning at breakfast, I was sipping my coffee when Blake casually brought up his birthday. “I was thinking of having my party at the old lake house in Willow Creek this year.” “If you hate the noise, we can go out instead.” I nodded, then the words slipped out: “Is Kellan going to be there?” Blake’s internal alarm went off immediately. His voice shot up. “How do you two know each other well enough for him to ask about you yesterday and for you to ask about him today?” I kept my head down, focusing on my breakfast to hide my expression. “We don’t. I just remembered him from the game last night.” Blake nodded, though he still looked suspicious. I couldn’t tell if he believed me. In the end, he did hold the party at the Willow Creek lake house. It was a proper bash on the back deck and patio. I didn’t go down immediately. I stayed on the second-floor balcony, getting some air. My gaze fell, and I immediately saw Kellan below, on the phone. He was tall and lean, his shoulders sharp and clean in a black sweater. He had completely shed the youthful awkwardness I remembered. As if sensing my stare, Kellan slid his phone into his pocket. Across the din of the party, he didn’t speak, but his eyes found mine. His thin lips moved, silently forming the words: “Long time no see.” The moment felt like a feather scratching at my soul, again and again. I realized Kellan had changed so much. 5 I finally went downstairs when Sasha, my best friend, came up and dragged me down. She threw her arm around my neck and whispered in my ear: “You don’t love me anymore, do you? Hiding up here like a ghost.” I patted her arm. “I love you. I love you.” “I just got back, and I don’t really know all these people anymore. I don’t want to be awkward.” Blake truly was a social butterfly. The back deck was packed. The clinking of glasses, loud laughs, and music all mixed together, making my ears ring. Blake’s friends were loud when they saw me. “Whoa, look at little June Hollis! You got so pretty!” Another voice yelled, “She’s even taller!” Someone nudged Blake with an elbow. “Remember me, little sister? You seeing anyone these days?” Blake immediately smacked the back of the guy’s head. “Beat it. Go on.” “Don’t pollute my sister’s eyes.” Blake made me sit in the chair on his left. Kellan was on his right. Feeling self-conscious, I looked for Sasha, only to find her on the lawn, singing her heart out into a microphone. Blake went over to join her, singing along. Hesitantly, I reached for a glass of something they’d just mixed. Before the rim touched my lips, a hand clamped around my wrist. Kellan’s voice dropped. “You don’t want that. Trust me.” I tried to pull my hand away. “Just a little. It’s fine.” “It’s nasty. And too strong.” Kellan took my glass and stood up, walking over to the nearby outdoor bar. He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a clean, pale wrist. He looked down, pouring liquids into a new glass without hesitation. He looked serious, but in reality, he only added a few drops of liquor. The rest was all juice and soda water. It looked even less appealing. I instinctively recoiled from the glass he handed me. Kellan looked at me, a hopeful expression in his eyes. He seemed genuinely curious when I only took a small sip. “Afraid I poisoned it?” I forced myself to drink a few more sips. It was bitter. Actually really awful. But I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I smiled. “It’s great.” Kellan took the glass away, leaning in slightly, looking amused. “It’s mostly soda water. And you think it’s ‘great’?” “Years abroad, and still afraid to take a sip of bad booze,” he teased. I turned my head, ignoring him. Kellan’s gaze lingered on my profile, but his smile slowly faded. His voice dropped several degrees, carrying a distinct note of melancholy. “Why did you tell everyone you were leaving… but not me?”

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