Category: English

It was the night of the annual company gala, and it all started because the new intern, Alex, accidentally ate a peanut and broke out in a single hive. For that, my fiancée, Sarah, decided the appropriate response was to shove me—a man with a life-threatening pollen allergy—into a ten-thousand-acre sea of wildflowers. The moment the pollen hit my face, my lungs seized. The air turned to fire. I grabbed Sarah’s arm, my fingers digging into her skin as I forced the words through my clenched teeth. “Sarah, you know I’m severely allergic. How could you do this?!” She just sneered, prying my fingers off one by one. “And you knew Alex was allergic to peanuts, so why did you let him eat them? Hurts when it’s your own skin, doesn’t it? A little late for that. Tonight, I’m going to teach you a lesson on behalf of Alex, you power-tripping bastard.” Just before she pushed me from the helicopter, she looked down at me with eyes as cold as ice. “You told Alex he just needed to be more careful, right?” she said. “Let’s see how careful you can be trying to walk out of this.” 1 I hit the ground hard, tumbling uncontrollably down a steep, flower-covered slope. Sharp rocks tore at my skin, ripping open bloody gashes with every rotation. I don’t know how long I fell, but I finally slammed to a stop against a large boulder, my body screaming in protest. It felt like I’d been torn apart. A sharp, drilling pain shot up from my right ankle. Worse, the thick, cloying scent of pollen was everywhere. I took two ragged breaths and immediately exploded into a fit of violent sneezes, tears streaming from my eyes. From above, Sarah’s voice echoed, cold and distant. “Have you learned your lesson yet? If you have, then crawl through this field, find Alex, and beg for his forgiveness. Then I’ll let you go.” I clutched my nose and throat, shaking my head frantically. A second later, a walkie-talkie thudded onto the ground beside me. The helicopter turned and flew away without a backward glance. Alex’s voice crackled through the speaker, dripping with fake concern. “Sarah, maybe we should stop? He looks like he’s really suffering. I can totally empathize with how awful allergies are.” Sarah’s reply was soft and tender, but not for me. “You’re too kind, Alex. That’s why he thinks he can walk all over you. He’s hurt you so much. Today, he gets what he deserves.” Her voice hardened as she addressed me. “Stop the act, Leo. Come over here and apologize to Alex, and our wedding next month can still happen.” A sharp pain, entirely separate from the physical agony, pierced my chest. She really expected me to crawl to him. But the burning in my sinuses was unbearable, forcing me to swallow my pride. “Sarah,” I rasped, my voice already thick and nasal. “You said you’d love me forever… You can’t do this to me… please.” The only response was the sound of Alex’s soft, deliberate breathing on the other end. Hearing it, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I dropped to my knees and retched, vomiting until my stomach was empty, my eyes swimming in tears. When there was nothing left to throw up, I just doubled over in a fit of violent, body-wracking coughs. The last time my allergies were this bad was in college. My ex-girlfriend at the time had gone into a full-blown panic, mobilizing the city’s top specialists in the middle of the night to treat me. The memory was a bitter joke now, a cruel echo in this nightmare. “How long are you going to keep up this charade?” Sarah’s voice crackled again. “It seems you won’t back down without a little extra persuasion!” I gasped for air, tilting my head back to look at the sky, tears tracing paths through the grime on my face. “I… did nothing wrong!” I cried out. “Sarah, please, just let me come up. Don’t you remember? You promised you would never, ever break my heart.” I could feel the silence on the other end of the walkie-talkie, a sudden, tense freeze. But after three seconds, Sarah gave her order. “Do it. Make sure the drop is precise.” Her words had barely faded when a black swarm of drones appeared in the sky. They hovered directly over me, and then the hatches on their undersides opened, releasing a suffocating, kaleidoscopic cloud of fine powder. I threw my arms up to shield my face, but it was useless. The powder was too fine, too pervasive. It wormed its way under my collar and cuffs, coating every inch of my exposed skin. Waves of intense itching began to crawl over my body. I scratched frantically, my nails leaving raw tracks on my skin. A furious red rash bloomed, the hives so dense they merged into a single, horrifying mass. “Sarah…” I choked out, my throat closing up. “I’m so sick… I can’t… I can’t breathe.” I instinctively reached a hand out, a ghost of a memory surfacing—a time when she would have appeared at my side in an instant if I was in any distress. I once coughed while walking past a flower shop, and she bought the entire shop the next day and had it converted into a Lego store, just for me. But the woman who once cherished me, who held me in the palm of her hand, wasn’t coming. My heart turned to ice. Dragging my shattered leg, I grabbed the walkie-talkie and forced myself to my feet, trying to limp my way out of the floral prison. A long time passed before her voice returned. “Finally ready to give in?” she asked. “Apologize to Alex over the radio right now, and I’ll send someone to pick you up.” “Never!” I hissed, but the wind tore the word from my lips, scattering it into nothing. She seemed surprised by my defiance. A long pause, then a single word squeezed through her teeth. “Fine. You want to blow this out of proportion? So be it.” The drones immediately descended again, and the rain of pollen became a relentless downpour. I pulled my shirt over my nose, but my lungs were already screaming in rebellion. Pollen got into my eyes, and my eyelids swelled shut, the pain blinding. Suddenly, I started to laugh—a broken, desolate sound. “Sarah,” I gasped between laughs and coughs. “He got a single hive, and for that, you’re torturing me like this. And you’re telling me I’m the one blowing things out of proportion?” 2 For a fleeting moment, a flicker of guilt crossed Sarah’s face. She quickly suppressed it, her tone hardening into pure scorn. “I’m teaching you how to be a decent human being, a better boss! You’ve become a stranger to me, Leo. Don’t think that just because you’re at the top now, you can forget where you came from. Have you forgotten what it was like to be the one fetching coffee and making copies?” Her voice trembled with righteous anger. “When you used to cry about the pressure, I was the one who held you, who comforted you. I never thought you’d become the very thing you used to hate.” Forget where I came from? Impossible. Her words were like a blade, tearing open old wounds. Right out of college, I started at a tiny firm. I spent my days chasing clients under a scorching sun and my nights rewriting proposals until my hair fell out in clumps. Sarah was my colleague back then. She saw my struggle and would often help with small tasks. Later, when we started our own company, I landed our first major client by letting them pour so much liquor down my throat I ended up in the hospital with a bleeding stomach. When we were on the verge of bankruptcy, I secretly used the dowry money my parents had saved for me to keep the company afloat, telling Sarah it was an early payment from a client so she wouldn’t feel the pressure. The only reason I was so demanding now was because I knew, better than anyone, that we couldn’t afford to fail. And her? She reaped the benefits of my hard work, while my dedication, my sacrifice, was twisted into something ugly she called “authoritarian.” So this was the love I had earned with my blood, sweat, and youth. Fine. Let my heart die completely. Then it can’t hurt anymore. “Leo! Do you have to push people to their breaking point to be satisfied?” she screamed, her voice shaking. “Why do you always have to fixate on one tiny mistake? Why do you always have to make a mountain out of a molehill? Alex is young! It’s normal for him to mess up! Did you have to hold a grudge and secretly retaliate against him?!” I looked from Alex’s smug, triumphant smirk to Sarah’s furious face. Seeing my silence, she mistook it for surrender. Her voice softened slightly. “Leo, we still love each other. I just want you to apologize to Alex. It’s that simple. Your allergic reaction is getting serious. You need a hospital. Please, just be good and listen to me.” I stared up at her and spit on the ground. “In your dreams,” I snarled. Her expression hardened instantly. “It seems the punishment wasn’t severe enough.” She barked an order at one of the security guards with her. “Bring me the package. I’ll teach him a lesson myself.” A cold dread washed over me. This wasn’t over. My eyes fell on the bracelet on my wrist, on the small charm attached to it. An idea sparked. But my fingers hovered over it, hesitating. It’s been so many years. She’s probably forgotten all about me. After I broke things off so decisively, how could I have the nerve to ask her to save me now? For all I know, she hates me. She might even wish I was dead. While I hesitated, the guard returned, carrying a bucket of red powder. I instinctively tried to scramble away. “Scared now?” Sarah mocked, a cruel satisfaction dancing in her eyes. “Weren’t you so defiant just a minute ago? So sure you’d done nothing wrong?” She nodded to the guard. “Pry his mouth open. Let’s see how he likes the taste of chili.” Goosebumps erupted on my skin. Spicy food was my kryptonite. “Let go of me! Sarah, are you insane?!” 3 I thrashed wildly, but the severe allergic reaction had drained all my strength. “You’re going to regret this!” I choked out. “The only one with regrets here will be you, Leo. I swear I will make you break today!” Pure terror seized me. Like a drowning man grabbing for a lifeline, I slammed my thumb down on the button hidden in the charm. The next second, my jaw was forced open, and a torrent of bright red chili powder was poured into my mouth. A strangled gasp was all I could manage. The spice was an explosion of agony. Combined with the allergic reaction, I couldn’t breathe at all. My tongue, my gums, my throat—all on fire. Tears streamed from my eyes. Seeing my torment, Sarah’s brow furrowed. “Are you going to apologize or not?” I was on my knees, coughing so hard it felt like I was trying to turn myself inside out. But I refused to say a word. Her eyes flashed with fury, and she grabbed another handful of the powder. Alex quickly intervened, placing a hand on her arm in a show of gentle restraint. “Sarah, I don’t think he can handle spice. Maybe we should stop.” He paused, then added, “Why don’t we just rub it on his cuts instead? Just a small punishment.” Sarah looked at him, her expression softening into adoration. “You’re too gentle, Alex. You never hold a grudge.” She turned back to me, her face a mask of impatience. “Since Alex is pleading for you, we’ll do it his way!” With that, she viciously smeared the chili powder into the deepest gash on my leg. “Aaaargh!” A scream of pure, unadulterated agony ripped from my throat, echoing across the vast, silent field of flowers. She didn’t stop there. She ground the powder into every single cut, every abrasion on my body. The combination of stinging and burning was like being flayed alive with a blade dipped in acid. My body convulsed, and the world began to fade to black. “Sarah… I think I’m dying…” I finally begged, the words tearing through my raw throat. “Please… let me go.” It was then that Alex tugged on Sarah’s sleeve again. “Sarah, I have some allergy pills here. Maybe if we give them to him, he’ll feel better.” Sarah’s eyes flickered toward my barely conscious form. She snorted. “See how good Alex is to you? Unbelievable. Fine. Give him the pills. I’m not done with him yet.” A guard roughly grabbed my chin and forced a pill into my mouth. A few minutes later, the suffocating tightness in my chest eased slightly. Seeing that I was conscious again, Sarah’s expression grew even colder. “Drag him over here. Make him kneel and apologize to Alex.” The guards hauled me by my arms and dropped me in front of Alex. A heavy hand pushed down on my shoulders while a knee slammed into the back of my legs, trying to force them to buckle. Looking at Alex’s triumphant face, I found a new surge of strength. “Alex! Sarah! I will make you pay for this!” Alex tilted my chin up with his fingers. “Just apologize, Leo. I really hate seeing you like this.” His smile was dazzling, but his fingers were digging into my jaw, the pain sharp and tearing. Just as my vision was blacking out, the roar of engines suddenly split the air. A convoy of black SUVs was speeding toward us, screeching to a halt just a few feet away. The moment I saw the lead license plate, the last thread of tension in my body snapped. She really came. Sarah’s brow furrowed in annoyance. “What the hell is this?”

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I never beat around the bush. When a strange woman’s intimate message appeared on my doctor boyfriend’s phone, I placed it squarely before him and demanded an explanation. After a long silence, Nick confessed: “She was a former patient, a severe case. I admit… I developed… different feelings.” “But Chloe,” he pleaded, “we’ve been through so much since college. I’ll cut her off completely.” Staring into his sincere eyes, I suppressed the sting in my heart and forgave him. The wedding continued as planned. But on our wedding day, a colleague burst in: “Dr. Morrison! Vanessa knows you’re getting married—she’s coding!” My bouquet dropped with a soft thud. Nick bolted out like a gust of wind. I screamed after him, eyes burning: “If you leave today, we’re done. For good!” His steps faltered for just a second—then he was gone, without looking back. He’d broken his promise after all. 1 The wedding hall erupted into chaos. The murmurs of the guests were like a thousand tiny needles pricking my skin. Our parents rushed to my side, their faces etched with confusion. Nick’s assistant, Chris, stood nearby, his face flushed with shame. “Chloe… Vanessa’s… her situation is complicated. The last time she flatlined, Nick was the one who brought her back. She only trusts him. He’s the only one who can calm her down… It’s a matter of life and death. He didn’t have a choice. Please, don’t blame him…” Chris had worked with Nick for two years and had always treated me with respect, calling me Chloe with a familiar warmth. Now, he couldn’t even meet my eyes. I could only wonder how many of Nick’s secrets he had kept, what other connections he had to this woman, Vanessa. A tight, crushing pain spread through my chest. The betrayal was real, and it was absolute. My parents held my hands, frantic. “What on earth is going on? Didn’t he take leave for the wedding? What kind of patient needs to be resuscitated right this second?” Nick’s parents, mortified, were already on the phone. “Chloe, sweetheart, don’t worry, I’m calling that worthless son of mine right now. If he doesn’t come back, I’ll break his legs!” The fallen bouquet was trampled underfoot by the shuffling crowd, its petals crushed and scattered—a perfect reflection of my own shattered heart. I stood frozen, my wedding dress pooling around me like a wilted flower after a storm. The wedding I had dreamed of for years had devolved into this humiliating disaster. The groom had abandoned his bride in the middle of a chapel filled with well-wishes, all for another woman. For four hours, I made seventy-six phone calls. Nick didn’t answer a single one. I watched my phone screen light up and go dark, over and over, until the battery finally died. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting harsh, bright patches on the floor. A beam of light fell on my bare ring finger, and a chill went through me that had nothing to do with the temperature. The guests gradually dispersed, leaving behind a field of deflated balloons and half-eaten meals. Suddenly, the world began to spin. The last thing I heard was my mother’s panicked scream. When I opened my eyes again, the sterile, antiseptic smell of a hospital filled my nostrils. A nurse was taking my blood pressure. “You’re in a delicate condition now,” she said softly. “You can’t afford any more stress. You need to rest.” I stared at the ceiling, silent tears tracing a path into my hair. The memories flooded back—a six-year film reel on fast forward. Me at nineteen, in the university library, when Nick handed me a notebook he’d “found.” The handwritten letters he sent every week when he was doing his residency out of state. The day he became an attending physician, holding my hands and promising, “I save lives for a living, but I will always, always protect you.” I saw the poorly concealed joy on the faces of my parents and Nick’s, and my own tears welled up. How was I supposed to tell them that our six-year love story was over? 2 The third time news came that Vanessa was “critically ill,” I was in the kitchen, brewing a traditional herbal remedy. The clay pot simmered on the stove, the bitter medicinal scent mingling with notes of dried citrus peel—a smell that perfectly captured the taste of my relationship with Nick these days. He burst in, a whirlwind in a white coat, the hem of it catching the edge of a bowl I’d just filled. The dark, murky liquid splattered across the cream-colored tiles, an ugly stain. “Chloe, Vanessa’s crashing again. Her heart rate dropped to forty, the doctors said…” He grabbed my arm, his grip so tight I thought my bones might snap. “I have to go to the hospital. Just for a minute. If she sees me, maybe she’ll stabilize…” I looked at the bloodshot veins in his eyes, at the single long, dark hair clinging to the collar of his coat—a hair that wasn’t mine. And I laughed. “Nick,” I said, pulling my arm free. I knelt, grabbing a rag to wipe the floor, my nails scraping against the grout. “Do you remember what day it is?” He blinked, clearly having no idea. “It’s the day of my follow-up appointment.” My voice was as flat and lifeless as a stagnant pond. “The doctor said my recovery isn’t going well. I have to go today, or I risk a serious infection.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. His eyes darted away. “I know, but Vanessa…” “She’s important, and I’m not. Is that it?” I looked up, meeting his gaze, and enunciated every word. “In your eyes, am I just supposed to wait here forever? Wait for you to comfort your patient, wait for you to remember the fiancée you abandoned, wait for you to throw me a scrap of your attention?” “No, it’s not like that!” he stammered, but his phone began to vibrate violently, the screen flashing with the words “ICU.” He glanced at the phone, then back at me. Finally, he grabbed his car keys. “Chloe, I’m begging you. I promise, I’ll go to the hospital with you as soon as I get back. I’ll stay as long as you need…” “Don’t bother.” I stood up and tossed the soiled rag into the trash. “Go, Nick.” He froze, a look of surprise on his face. He probably hadn’t expected me to be so calm. “But there’s something you should know,” I said, walking to the hall closet and zipping my jacket up to my nose. “At my last check-up, the doctor said that from now on… it might be difficult for me to get pregnant again.” The car keys clattered to the floor. “What did you say?” His voice trembled. He lunged forward, trying to hug me. “How? Was it the surgery…?” “Yes,” I said, taking a step back, avoiding his touch. “Or maybe it was when I fainted at the wedding and hit my stomach. Who knows.” I tried to smile, but my lips wouldn’t cooperate. “But it doesn’t matter. You don’t care anyway, right?” He stood there, his face as white as a sheet, his lips trembling, unable to form a single word. The phone continued its shrill, insistent ringing, a death knell for us. I pulled on my shoes and opened the door. A blast of cold air made me shiver. “Go,” I said, staring at the bleak fluorescent light in the hallway. “Don’t keep your patient waiting.” He didn’t move, his eyes fixed on me as if trying to burn my image into his memory. “Nick,” I said, giving him one last look, “the moment you chose her, you should have known. Once something is broken, it can never be put back together again.” The door clicked shut behind me, cutting off whatever he was about to say, and sealing the end of the six years he had personally destroyed. I walked downstairs. It had started to rain, a fine, cold mist that stung my face. I hadn’t gone far when I heard hurried footsteps behind me. He had followed me out, my medical file clutched in his hand. He must have grabbed it in his panic. “Chloe! I’ll take you to the hospital! Right now!” He tried to grab my arm, the desperation in his eyes spilling over. “I’ll have a colleague watch Vanessa, I’m worried about you…” “Don’t be.” I pulled the file from his grasp. “Dr. Morrison, you should go save your patient. After all, in your heart, her life is so much more important than mine.” I turned and walked into the rain, and I didn’t look back. The footsteps followed for a few paces, then stopped. I knew his phone must have been ringing again. The rain blurred my vision, and with it, the path that had begun in a sunlit library, a path I once believed would last a lifetime. I later heard that he did, in fact, go back to the hospital that day. Vanessa hadn’t been crashing. She had pulled out her own IV line, just to get him there. And while he was there, I was at my own appointment. The anesthetic didn’t take full effect. I felt everything. I bit down on the bedsheet so hard I thought my teeth would break, tears and cold sweat soaking the pillow. The nurses said I never made a sound. They didn’t know that compared to the pain in my heart, the physical agony was a dull ache. My heart had gone numb from the moment he had run to her, again and again and again. 3 At 8 PM, after seven hours of silence, Nick finally showed up at the hospital. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his gaze was heavy with guilt. “Chloe, I’m sorry,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Vanessa… I couldn’t just let her die. It’s my duty to save lives.” I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat. “There are dozens of other doctors in that hospital. Did it have to be you?” I paused. “Nick, I’m not an idiot.” After a long silence, he took my cold hand in his. “Chloe, in six years, I’ve never asked you for anything. Just this once, I’m begging you. Don’t make a scene. Don’t do anything that could negatively affect Vanessa. Her condition… she can’t handle that kind of stress.” I looked at the earnest plea in his eyes, and my heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise. I couldn’t breathe. He shouldn’t be begging me for this. He should be apologizing to me. A person’s first instinct doesn’t lie. He never once thought about how humiliated I was at the wedding. He never worried about why I ended up in the hospital. His first words, his only thoughts, were of Vanessa. Tears fell like broken pearls onto the white duvet, spreading into dark, wet spots. It took all my strength to force out a single word. “Fine.” He visibly relaxed. “Vanessa knows I was getting married, and she’s emotionally unstable. Let’s postpone the wedding for now.” His voice was cautious, testing the waters. “I’ll stay with her through her treatment. Once she’s a little more stable… maybe two months. Just two months. Then we’ll have our wedding. Okay?” I had waited six years. What was another two months? But as I saw the worry for another woman in his eyes, I suddenly felt that I couldn’t wait another two seconds. The little life inside me seemed to sense my despair and gave a faint flutter. I placed a hand on my stomach, on the five-week-old secret that was ours, but now felt like only mine. I slowly pulled my hand away, my voice as still as a deep, dark lake. “Nick.” “My memory isn’t perfect, but I remember being nineteen, in the library, when you handed me that notebook, so nervous you could barely speak.” “I remember our first date, how your palms were so sweaty you could hardly hold your chopsticks.” “I remember graduation day, you held me and promised to give me the best life, to make me the happiest bride in the world.” “All these years, you remembered I don’t eat cilantro, you remembered I have a sensitive stomach and need warm soup, you remembered all my little quirks… I always thought you cherished me, that you held me in the very center of your heart.” I looked up at him, and the dam finally broke. “But today, Nick… today I can’t feel your love at all.” Six years of memories swirled between us. Nick’s eyes reddened, and a single tear traced a path down his cheek. “But Chloe,” he whispered, his voice cracking, “Vanessa needs me right now.” She needs me. Those three words shattered the last vestiges of hope I had. I looked at him and, through my tears, I smiled. “Then go to her.” He stared, clearly not expecting that. But he didn’t argue. He just turned and left the room. The next day, as I was packing my things to leave, I ran into Nick in the hallway. He didn’t see me. His entire world was focused on the girl beside him. She wore a hospital gown, her face pale, and he was half-supporting, half-cradling her, as if she were a frightened little bird. So this was the woman who had made him abandon me at the altar.

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I sold my soul for $20,000 a month, and I’d do it again. The job posting was a godsend for a broke graduate like me. But when the signing bonus hit my account, the job posting vanished. The front door was locked from the outside. And my new boss? He’s not human, he lives in the shadows of my room, and he just informed me that the contract is for eternity.

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“My wife, the movie star, got caught by the paparazzi in a hotel room with her high school sweetheart. She called me to fix it. So I put on the same Tom Ford suit to create a diversion, and in the process, I was cornered in an alley by her most extreme fans and beaten to death. When my mother finally found me, I was slick with blood, my heart a dead, silent thing in my chest. She collapsed, sobbing, her knees hitting the grimy pavement as she frantically called my wife, dozens of times, begging for help. All she got in return was a voice crackling with rage. “You couldn’t even handle the paparazzi? You’re pathetic! Why don’t you just go die?” But… I already had. 1. My soul didn’t scatter after I died. It lingered, a ghost tethered to the world of the living. I watched my mom, her body stooped with a fatigue that went bone-deep, handle the arrangements for my funeral. It was well past midnight by the time she was done. She sat slumped in her wheelchair, her fingers tracing the smooth, cold ceramic of my urn. The tears she’d held back finally broke free, a string of pearls snapping, scattering grief across her worn face. “Oh, Ethan, my sweet boy.” “Why did you have to go before me? A mother isn’t supposed to live without her son.” Her voice was a raw, shredded thing. Her eyes were swollen and bruised from crying. There is no pain in this world like a parent burying their child. Seeing the silver in her hair bloom overnight, conquering the last of the black, it broke what was left of my heart. I regretted it all. I knelt beside her, my ghostly form a useless comfort, whispering her name over and over. “Mom.” But I was dead. She couldn’t hear a thing. Tears of regret I could no longer physically shed burned in my soul, dissolving into a faint white mist that vanished as quickly as it formed. I pressed my forehead to the floorboards before her. Mom, I’m so sorry. Your son failed you. “Ethan!” It was as if she felt me, a sudden chill in the room. She started to turn her head, but at that exact moment— BANG! The front door slammed open, kicked in with such force that my mother flinched violently. Framed in the doorway were two unwelcome guests: my wife, Ava Sterling, and her first love, Caleb. Ava’s perfectly sculpted eyebrows were knotted in fury, her voice a low burn of unrestrained anger. “Ethan! I told you to lead the press away, and you couldn’t even manage that! I could’ve hired a trained monkey and gotten better results!” Her eyes scanned the small apartment, finding it empty of me. The frustration morphed into something uglier, more volatile. “Because of your incompetence, Caleb’s face is plastered all over TMZ!” With a guttural scream of rage, she kicked over a box of my belongings—things my mother had painstakingly gathered and organized. Then, she strode toward my mom. “You, old woman! Where is he? Tell him to get his ass out here right now!” I balled my fists, a pointless gesture. There was no strength, no substance, just a cold, impotent rage. “My Ethan…” Mom’s voice was a whisper, her hand caressing my urn as if it were my cheek. She didn’t look up, her whole being seemed to have been hollowed out. “…he’s gone.” She had been crying for a day and a night straight. Her voice was sandpaper, each word a struggle. But when she spoke my name, it was still so gentle. Just like when I was a kid, coming home from school, and she’d be standing on the porch, waving, calling out to me. “Gone?” Caleb blinked, then shot a look at Ava, a small, exasperated smile playing on his lips. “Come on, Ava. Let’s just go. If Ethan doesn’t want to come out and fix this, I’ll handle the PR myself.” Seeing Caleb’s look of magnanimous resignation sent Ava’s fury into overdrive. “No!” Her gaze fell on my mother, cold and sharp. “You listen to me, you old hag,” she snarled. “I don’t care where Ethan is. You get him on the phone and tell him to get back here right now. He is going to get on his knees and apologize to Caleb.” She leaned in, her voice dropping to a venomous hiss. “You clearly failed at raising a decent son, so I’ll teach him a lesson myself.” “Or else, I’ll make sure your whole family pays the price!” That’s enough, Ava! I’d been your workhorse, your secret, your shadow, all to support your career, to make sure you shone on screen. I swallowed the hidden marriage, the constant humiliations. But I’m dead. I just died. How can you come here and threaten my mother? How can you unleash this poison on her? I clenched my fists so hard I thought my spectral form might tear apart, but it did nothing to stop Ava’s tirade. “Well? Speak up! Where is he?” Ava grabbed the front of my mother’s worn blouse, her face a mask of savage rage, her eyes boring into my mom’s. My mother, my strong, unbreakable mother, trembled. Her fingers clutched at the fabric over her heart. But the pain of losing a child had forged a new kind of strength in her. Her gentle eyes hardened, and she stared right back at Ava, each word landing like a stone. “I said… my son is dead.” Ava froze, her face a canvas of shock. For a single, suspended moment, even her breathing stopped. But then Caleb’s smooth voice sliced through the silence, pulling her back. “Ma’am, I understand you’re upset, but you can’t just curse your own son to death to avoid taking responsibility.” He shook his head, a performance of profound disappointment. “Ava is Ethan’s wife. Couples fight. For you to get in the middle of it at your age, to stir up trouble… it’s no wonder Ava has had to carry this family on her back.” My teeth ground together at his sanctimonious act. And, like always, Ava bought it completely. Her expression hardened. Her eyes swept over my mother, from her white hair down to the wheels of her chair. A cold dread washed over me. Ava, no! I screamed. She didn’t hear me. She took a step forward and slapped my mother across the face. The sound was like a gunshot in the silent room. Before I could even process it, she drew her leg back and kicked the wheelchair with all her might. “Mom!” I screamed, a silent, agonizing roar, as I watched my mother tumble from the chair, her head cracking against the sharp corner of the coffee table. “Ava! Stop it! She’s not lying! I’m really dead! You killed me!” I roared at her, my voice lost to the space between worlds. This monster couldn’t hear me. “Mom! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” I knelt on the floor, watching the woman who had once seemed so strong, so capable of carrying the world—the woman who had carried me—now lying broken on the floor, so easily toppled. “Ava! What more do you want?” As I tried again and again, in vain, to help my mother up, I saw Ava stalking toward her. Ignoring my desperate, unheard screams, she bent down, wrapped her hands around my mother’s throat, and hauled her up. “AVA!” Blood trickled from the gash on my mother’s forehead, dripping onto Ava’s hands, onto the bulging veins of her knuckles as she squeezed. Her next words were delivered with chilling precision. “Call him. If he’s not here in three minutes…” She slammed my mother back against the floor. Ava’s eyes were blazing. “…I’ll let him see your ashes instead, you old bitch!””

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The takedown went sideways. My dad, Deputy Chief Miller, was taken hostage shielding a civilian. Then the feed went live, broadcast by the scumbag who had a knife to his throat. “You’ve got ten minutes,” the man snarled into the camera. “Let me walk, or he’s dead.” My hands shook as I frantically dialed Cole’s number. He was my father’s protégé, the detective my dad had personally trained. He was also the only person I knew who could get to that warehouse in time. The phone picked up. “Cole,” I choked out, my voice a raw whisper. “The address I just sent you—you have to go. Now! You’re the only one who can save my dad.” He cut me off with a light, condescending laugh. “Phoebe, is this another attempt to get my attention? Does this jealousy thing ever get old?” A cat meowed in the background, followed by a woman’s playful, syrupy voice. “Bro, that’s way too much soap!” “I just talked to your dad yesterday,” Cole said, his voice softening for her, not for me. “He put in his retirement papers. What kind of danger could he possibly be in? Just be good, okay? Don’t make things difficult.” He hung up before I could scream. Thirty seconds left on the kidnapper’s countdown. I called Cole again and again, my desperation clawing at my throat. Each call went straight to voicemail. He’d blocked me. At the same moment, an Instagram story popped up on my feed. It was from Jenna, his “best friend.” [Image: Cole and Jenna, heads close together, laughing as they lather a fluffy white cat in a sink. The lighting is warm, intimate.] Caption: My dad just has to say the word, and my bestie drops everything to come give my baby a bath. The brotherhood is real, people. The corners of his eyes crinkled with a joy I hadn’t seen directed at me in months. He was glowing with a sweetness that felt like a physical blow. On the livestream, the knife dragged across my father’s throat. His eyes, wide with shock, found the camera for a split second before he collapsed. My phone slipped from my numb fingers. My heart, in that precise moment, stopped beating and turned to stone. 1 The department brought my father’s body home. At the funeral, one of his oldest friends, a captain from the narcotics division, pulled me into a hug. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Phoebe. Your father cracked more major cases than anyone in the history of this precinct. He died a hero, saving a civilian. He’s the pride of the department.” He choked up then, his eyes filled with a pity that went beyond grief. I knew what he was thinking. Everyone in the department knew my fiancé had ignored a hostage situation involving his own mentor to stay home with his “best friend.” I stood before the polished headstone, dry-eyed, clutching the detective’s shield my father had been awarded years ago. Its sharp edges dug into my palm, the pain a welcome anchor, a reminder to stay upright. My phone buzzed. A text message. My condolences, Phoebe. I’ve been briefed on what happened. I will make sure you get justice. It was from Captain Evans, my father’s successor and a man I trusted implicitly. I scrolled through my phone. Not a single call, not a single text from Cole. Steeling myself, I dialed his number. I just wanted him to be here. To say one last goodbye to the man who had treated him like a son. Once. Twice. Three times. Nothing. My dad had poured everything into Cole, personally mentoring him, fast-tracking his promotion to Detective. He had been a good student. He had been a good fiancé. Until Jenna came back to the States. Then came the missed dates. He wasn’t there for my birthday. He wasn’t there when I had the miscarriage. He wasn’t there when my father was dying. And now, at his funeral, he was still gone. Hours later, after the last of the mourners had left and I was alone in the rain, his text finally came through. Phoebe, you need to be more understanding. Stop with the drama. It’s exhausting. Jenna is my friend. You have no right to be jealous of her. A second text followed. I took a couple days off to go hiking with Jenna, clear her head. The signal is bad up here. Don’t call me unless it’s an emergency. Those two messages shattered the last, fragile piece of hope I had for him. For us. I tilted my head back, letting the cold rain wash over my face, mixing with the tears I could no longer hold back. The sting was sharp, real. Then, with a decisiveness that felt foreign and terrifying, I blocked Cole’s number, his social media, every possible avenue of contact. Don’t worry, I thought. I’ll never bother you again. Back at the apartment, I locked myself in my room and dialed a number I hadn’t called in years. He answered immediately. He didn’t speak, but I could hear the steady, calm rhythm of his breathing. I took a shaky breath. “It’s Phoebe Miller.” His voice was a low baritone, steady and reassuring. “I know. I’m here.” “I want to inherit my father’s badge number,” I said, the words coming out in a rush. “I want to finish what he started. I need you to approve my request to go undercover.” Silence. I could picture Captain Evans on the other end, his brow furrowed with concern. “That crew works for the Kael Syndicate,” he said finally. “Your father, a deputy chief, couldn’t get out alive. I can’t let you walk into that kind of danger. Besides…” “I already passed the internal evaluation,” I cut in, my voice sharp with urgency. “I’m the top candidate for this operation. You know my mother died when I was young; my dad raised me by himself. He’s all I had. I can’t let the men who did this to him walk free. I won’t.” A heavy sigh came through the line. “Does Cole know about this?” “No,” I said, the word like ice. “And he doesn’t need to.” “Alright,” he conceded. “Send me the report. I’ll make the arrangements. The operation begins in two days. That gives you time to get your personal affairs in order.” He paused for a beat. “Come back safe, Phoebe. For your dad. And for… for the people who truly care about you.” “I will.” After hanging up, I started packing. I decided to sell everything I owned, including all the gifts Cole had ever given me. While clearing my desk, I found a framed photo of us. We were at the beach, the sun bright in our eyes. He was hugging me from behind, his chin resting on the top of my head. We looked so happy. The sight of it was nauseating. I pulled the photo from its frame, tore it precisely down the middle, and dropped his smiling face into the trash. Just then, I heard a key in the lock. The front door swung open and Cole walked in, his arm around Jenna. She was practically draped over him, her chest pressed intimately against his bicep. Her eyes immediately landed on the baby grand piano in the corner—my father’s piano. Her face lit up. “Bro, there it is!” she squealed. “I played it last time I was here, remember? The acoustics are amazing, and it looks so good in photos! You promised you’d give it to me. No take-backs!” Cole’s smile faltered when he saw me standing in the middle of the living room. “Phoebe. You’re here. Good,” he said, forcing a casual tone. “Jenna loves this piano. I’m going to have it moved to her place. You haven’t played in years, anyway. It’s just collecting dust.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My father had spent his entire savings on that piano for me. And he was just… giving it away? Without even asking? “What did you just say? That was a gift from my father. It’s mine. Don’t you dare touch it.” Jenna let out a little “oops,” her eyes darting to the trash can. She leaned over, delicately plucked the torn half of the photo between two fingers, and dangled it in front of Cole. “Looks like we really pissed off the dragon lady, bro,” she said with a smirk. “She’s already tearing up pictures of you. We better get this piano out of here before she takes a sledgehammer to it.” Cole’s face darkened. “Phoebe, have you had enough? First, you lie about your dad being in trouble, and now this? How childish can you be?” He took a step forward, his voice dropping to a low, threatening tone. “This piano is leaving today, whether you like it or not. It’s not like you can play it anymore with that useless hand of yours.” The words struck me like a slap. “You forgot how my hand got this way, Cole?” I shot back, my voice trembling with rage. “I took a knife for you. The tendons were severed. Do you not remember that?” Jenna clicked her tongue, putting on a show of magnanimity. “Come on, Phoebe, that’s not fair. My bro remembers your sacrifice, he appreciates it. But he’s right, you can’t use the piano now. And what’s his is mine. It’s only natural that he’d give it to me. We’ve known each other forever. We don’t keep secrets, or possessions, from each other.” Cole looked at Jenna with sickening fondness. “Exactly. It’s just a piano. My best friend wants it. Can’t you just be generous for once? Instead of tearing up photos and throwing a tantrum?” I laughed, a sharp, broken sound. “My father is dead, Cole!” I screamed. “You think this is a tantrum? He was held hostage by armed criminals, and you were closer than anyone. The entire department knows you were the only one who could have saved him! And what were you doing?” I pointed a shaking finger at Jenna, who was smirking triumphantly. “You were washing her cat!” “He adored you! He was your mentor! Why didn’t you save him? You didn’t even show up for his funeral!” “That’s enough!” Cole roared, his voice cracking like a whip. “Are you still keeping up this act? Constantly talking about your dad being dead, cursing your own father… I never knew you were this twisted.” Jenna’s tone was pure innocence, but her eyes danced with malice. “You’re still holding a grudge over that? All he did was wash my cat. It wasn’t a big deal. We’re best friends, Phoebe. We don’t have all those complicated rules you seem to live by.” She ran a possessive hand over the piano’s glossy lid. “I really do love it, Cole.” He grinned, a flash of the old charm, and gave her a quick, playful slap on the ass. “Of course. We’re ride or die. I’d pull the moon down from the sky for you.” His gaze shifted back to me, his expression turning to ice. “The piano is moving today. And from this moment on, you are not to touch it.” He pulled out his phone and started dialing a moving company, right in front of me. Something inside me snapped. I grabbed the nearest thing—a heavy wooden jewelry box—and hurled it at them. It caught Jenna on the side of the head. Cole exploded. He lunged forward and slapped me, hard, across the face. The force of the blow sent me stumbling back into the piano bench. I put my hand out to catch myself, and a sickening crack echoed from my injured wrist. Pain, white-hot and blinding, shot up my arm. Tears welled in my eyes. For a second, Cole froze, a flicker of shock on his face. He reached out to help me up. I recoiled as if he were toxic. “Don’t touch me,” I spat. “You’re filthy.” He snatched his hand back, his face a mask of fury. “Fine. Have it your way. You care so much about this thing? I’ll have it chopped up for firewood.” Jenna dabbed at a tiny scratch on her forehead, her expression aggrieved but her voice triumphant. “Look, Phoebe, you’ve drawn blood. You can’t just assault me and get away with it. How about this? As compensation, you give me the piano, and I’ll convince my bro not to press charges.” “Get out,” I seethed. “Both of you, get out!” A surge of adrenaline drowned out the pain. I grabbed the piano bench and heaved it toward them. It crashed to the floor with a deafening bang. Jenna shrieked and hid behind Cole. I stood in front of the piano, my eyes blazing. “Anyone who touches this piano,” I snarled, “will have to go through me.” “You’ve lost your damn mind, Phoebe!” Cole was livid. He shoved me aside with brutal force. I crumpled to the floor. He loomed over me, his eyes filled with pure disgust. “Look at you. This pathetic, crazy act. No wonder your own father couldn’t stand you. If he really is dead, you probably drove him to it. You deserve this.” He still had the audacity to mention my father. With every ounce of strength I had, I launched myself up and slapped him across the face. The impact sent a shockwave through my already broken wrist. “Shut up!” I screamed. “You don’t have the right to even say his name!” His head snapped to the side. His eyes were wide with disbelief. Jenna gasped dramatically. “Phoebe, how could you hit him? I would never even dream of hurting a single hair on his head!” Just then, the doorbell rang. The movers had arrived. Cole’s face was tight with suppressed rage. “That’s the one,” he said, pointing at the piano. “Take it.” “No!” The movers hesitated, looking from my desperate face to Cole’s furious one. “Sir, the lady doesn’t seem to agree…” Cole scoffed and pulled a thick wad of cash from his wallet. “Triple the rate,” he snapped. “You don’t have to listen to a crazy person.” Jenna chimed in, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. “Gentlemen, please don’t mind her. She’s my friend’s girlfriend. She’s got… you know…” She tapped her temple with a single finger, a universally understood gesture for she’s not well. “Right,” the lead mover said, casting a pitiful glance my way before nodding to his crew. “Let’s get to work.” “No! You can’t!” I tried to block their path, but Cole grabbed me from behind, pinning my arms to my sides. His grip was like steel, but his voice was a mockery of gentleness. “Shh, baby, it’s okay. Your doctor said this piano is a trigger for you. We’re just moving it for your own good.” They lifted my father’s piano and carried it out the door. I watched it disappear down the hallway until it was gone. Cole released me. His eyes were cold, devoid of any warmth. I was numb, hollowed out by despair. I looked at him, my own eyes burning. “Cole,” I whispered, the words tearing from my raw throat. “We’re done.” He didn’t even turn around as he slung his arm around Jenna’s shoulders. “Fine with me,” he called back. “Don’t come crying to me when you regret it.”

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I am the sole heir to the Grant family fortune, but I am a woman. Everyone whispered that the three foster sons my father raised to be my potential husbands were the true heirs. They certainly acted like it; they never once gave me the time of day. I tried to get Kian’s attention a hundred times, only to be met with a hundred looks of contempt. I thought he was like that with everyone, until I saw him with my own eyes, kneeling before the chauffeur’s daughter, Jenna, and swearing an oath. “I only agreed to marry her to repay the Grants for raising me,” he vowed. “Once I’m in control of the company, I’ll marry you and give you the world. As long as she doesn’t hurt you, I can even give Cora a few million to disappear abroad.” “You,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, “are the only one I’ll ever call my wife.” On the eve of the annual shareholder meeting, my father asked me to make my choice. I thought of the three of them, of their averted gazes and dismissive smirks. I smiled. “I am the Grant heir, after all,” I said. “My marriage should maximize our family’s interests.” “I choose Alistair Thorne.” My father’s brow furrowed. “Alistair Thorne? He was paralyzed in that car accident five years ago. He’s a paraplegic, and they say he’s… impotent. Are you sure?” … My voice was soft, but my resolve was iron. “In our world, there is no such thing as true love. Since it’s all about business, it only makes sense to choose the most powerful ally. And that is the Thorne family.” My father’s face was grim. “That may be true, but of the three young men I chose for you, you don’t fancy any of them?” My father had loved my mother deeply. But she died of a cerebral hemorrhage the year I was born. He couldn’t bear to remarry, yet he couldn’t bring himself to entrust the entire Grant empire to me, a woman, alone. On the advice of a friend, he adopted three orphaned boys. He’d amended his will long ago: whichever one I chose would co-manage the company with me, a united front against any dissenting board members. My father loved me, but that love didn’t conflict with his firm belief that a woman couldn’t run a corporation of this size on her own. I looked at him. “Alistair may be paralyzed and unable to perform his husbandly duties, but I can have his child through IVF. He is also the sole heir to the Thorne fortune. Instead of choosing an orphan to prop up our family, why not forge an alliance with a powerhouse?” My father nodded slowly. “If those three couldn’t win your heart, then there is no longer a place for them at Grant Industries.” If I had simply told him that Kian didn’t love me and I didn’t want to force it, my father would have dragged Kian before me and demanded to know what right an adopted son had to refuse me. I didn’t want him to use years of kindness as a weapon. I didn’t want to coerce Kian into a miserable, loveless marriage. Besides, the words I’d overheard had frozen my heart solid. A clean break was the greatest mercy I could offer. As I left the office, my father shot a sharp glance at Kian. After respectfully seeing my father off, Kian turned to me, his brow creased in a frown. “What did you tattle to him about this time?” His eyes were full of disgust and impatience, as if I’d committed some heinous crime. Before I could answer, Evan scoffed beside him. “What else? The usual complaints, I’m sure. That we don’t include her, that we don’t worship the ground she walks on.” The third, Leo, chimed in with a sneer. “Honestly, Cora, this isn’t the dark ages. Do you really think a little money makes you a princess everyone has to bow down to?” The three of them stood united, their words like daggers. I was genuinely confused. “None of you want to marry me. Why has not one of you ever said so to my father?” My father, for all his traditional ideas about my future, was not a tyrant. If any of them had said no, he would have given them a generous sum and sent them abroad to live their lives freely. But in the end, they couldn’t let go of the Grant family’s wealth. Leo, always the most hot-tempered, clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Easy for you to say. You know perfectly well we’re nothing more than the Grants’ charity cases. The lap dogs you raised. What right do we have to refuse?” Kian’s face was dark as he looked at me. “If you’re going to choose me, then choose me. Just don’t make things difficult for the other two.” At this, Leo and Evan looked at him with profound gratitude. Seeing Kian’s expression of noble sacrifice, a bitter taste filled my mouth. Before I could say anything, Jenna appeared. The moment she saw me, she flinched and ducked behind Kian as if I were about to strike her. Kian instinctively shielded her. “She hasn’t done anything. Just leave her alone today.” I looked at them, bewildered, only to find all three of my supposed protectors standing guard in front of Jenna, terrified I might hurt her. Five years ago, when Jenna first arrived at our home, she gave me a hairpin. As a welcoming gift, I gave her a ten-thousand-dollar bracelet in return. But when I reached for the box of pastries on the table, Kian slapped my hand away. “That was a memento from Jenna’s mother! You’d steal that from her too?” he’d roared. Confused, I looked at Jenna, expecting her to explain that she had given it to me willingly. Instead, she burst into tears and dropped to her knees. “Miss Grant didn’t steal it! I gave it to her! She’s been very kind to me, she even gave me this bracelet. I’m not upset, really!” She began kowtowing, banging her head on the floor. The sight of it made the three boys see red, reminding them of their own precarious positions as outsiders. They rounded on me. “Just because you’re a Grant doesn’t give you the right to force someone to give you their mother’s dying gift!” “That hairpin might not be worth much, but its sentimental value is something your stupid bracelet can’t compare to! Give it back to her!” “You’re as selfish and tyrannical as ever. You don’t care who you hurt as long as you get what you want.” My face paled. I thought it was all a misunderstanding, something we could clear up later. Swallowing my anger, I held the hairpin out to Jenna. But as she reached for it, she fumbled, and it shattered on the marble floor. She bit her lip, then screamed at me, “If you were just going to destroy it, why did you have to put on such a show?!” Kian, who always saw himself as a champion of the oppressed, turned on me, his voice cold as ice. “Apologize to Jenna right now. Or I’ll call off our engagement.” At that time, I had already confessed my feelings to Kian, told him he was the only one I would ever marry. He used that as leverage, forcing me to bow to Jenna. I was too young then, too afraid of losing him to defend myself. So I lowered my head and apologized through burning tears. And I had been apologizing for five years. Ever since that day, whenever Jenna saw me, she would act like a mouse seeing a cat, either dropping to her knees or bursting into tears. And I had done nothing. My face hardened. I looked at Kian. “If you’re so worried I’m going to hurt her, why don’t you just chain her to your belt?” It was a sarcastic barb, but he took it literally. “Is that a threat? What are you planning to do to her?” Leo slapped his hands together. “I know what this is about! It’s because we gave the ‘Ocean of Stars’ to Jenna for her birthday, isn’t it? You’re just using that as an excuse to bully her!” Evan’s eyes were cold. “You have everything, Cora. Jenna has never even had someone celebrate her birthday. It’s just an aquarium. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?” My blood ran cold. “The Ocean of Stars?” The Ocean of Stars was a private, subterranean aquarium that had been under construction since my birth. Its most stunning feature was a wall of flawless, imperial green jade that, when viewed through the shimmering water, created the illusion of a cosmic nebula. It was set to be completed six months ago. My father had entrusted the final stages to Kian, tasking him with presenting it to me at my birthday gala in one month’s time. And now, my gift had been given to Jenna. My gaze fell on Kian. He was in charge of the project. No one could have entered the unopened aquarium without his permission. He looked away, a flicker of guilt in his eyes before it hardened into anger. “Jenna grew up poor, working her whole life just to get by. She’s never had a chance to properly see the stars. I just wanted to grant her one wish. Besides, the aquarium still belongs to you, doesn’t it? Stop being so unreasonable. Fine. I’ll announce our engagement at your birthday party next month. Are you happy now?” He looked at me as if he were bestowing a great charity. For a moment, I almost thought I was the one who had been adopted. But no one else seemed to see anything wrong. In fact, they all looked at Kian with sympathy. “Why would you make such a sacrifice? Cora is spoiled, cruel, and selfish. Marrying her would be worse than becoming a monk.” “She’s probably over the moon now. She’s finally getting what she’s wanted for years.” “Oh, Kian, please don’t throw away your happiness for my sake!” Jenna sobbed. “I’ll get on my knees, I’ll kowtow to Miss Grant, I’ll be her servant, I’ll do anything…” My throat was dry. “I’m not going to marry you,” I managed to say. Kian raised a skeptical eyebrow. Leo and Evan exchanged a look of alarm, terrified I would choose one of them instead. Being so despised by the three people I had grown up with… I was afraid if I stayed a moment longer, I would break down in tears. I turned to leave, but Jenna grabbed my wrist. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she, once again, fell to her knees before me. “Please, don’t make things hard for Kian. All three of them were taken in by your family. They’re already in a difficult position. If you’re angry because they gave me the Ocean of Stars and you’re going to tell your father, I’m willing to apologize. I’ll beg for your forgiveness.” She started banging her head on the floor again, her forehead quickly turning red and starting to bleed. Kian pulled her up, his heart aching for her, and glared at me. “You say you won’t marry me, but let’s see you stick to that! What kind of game is this, pretending to back off just to torment Jenna?! You’re just trying to find an excuse to tell your father and get her thrown out, aren’t you?” I looked at him, my voice cold. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. But rest assured, I will not be choosing you as my husband.” I thought that would be the end of it, but he grabbed my arm. “If not me, then who? Evan? Leo? Leo wants to study art abroad. Evan craves freedom. Isn’t ruining one of us enough for you? Do you have to destroy their lives too?” Kian took a deep, steadying breath. “If you promise to leave Jenna alone from now on, I will marry you. Just stop this, okay?” His eyes were full of exhaustion, as if I had been tormenting him for years. I looked at him, truly looked at him. “You’ll get your wish,” I said softly. He was afraid I would bully Jenna. He didn’t want to marry me. Once I married Alistair Thorne, all his problems would be solved. I didn’t see Kian again until the day of my birthday gala. He showed up with a grim expression, Evan and Leo trailing behind him, looking equally displeased. I frowned at my assistant. I had specifically told her that since I was announcing my engagement to someone else, there was no need to invite them. She just shook her head frantically, mouthing, I don’t know, they just came on their own. I sighed and decided to ignore them. The other guests, however, were more than happy to greet them. “Mr. Shen, you’re a true prodigy! I hear that project you landed last month is set to make millions. No wonder Miss Grant only has eyes for you.” That was a project I had negotiated. Kian just signed the papers. “Mr. Lu, you may have a temper, but you have a strong sense of justice. Miss Grant will surely be safe with you.” I snorted. Leo was the one who bullied me the most, who looked at me like I was a viper he wanted to crush under his heel. “And Mr. Chen, you’re so handsome and talented. Miss Grant couldn’t go wrong choosing you either. In any case, we look forward to working with you in the future.” The three of them moved through my birthday party as if they were the hosts. I was about to put a stop to the charade when all three of them simultaneously looked down at their phones. Before I could react, Leo’s face contorted with rage. He stormed over to me and slapped me across the face. My head snapped back, the force of the blow nearly sending me to the floor. The entire ballroom fell silent, guests shrinking away from the scene. Kian clenched his fists, stopping Leo from hitting me again, but his own voice was a low growl of fury. “We’re already here, displayed like products for you to choose from. What more do you want? Do you have to drive Jenna to her death?” I was utterly confused. Evan, seeing my expression, sneered. “While we were gone, you had the audacity to have someone kidnap her. I’m telling you, Cora, you won’t get away with this!” And just like that, I understood. Jenna had pulled another one of her stunts. The guests were all my father’s friends or business partners, yet not a single one of them stepped in to stop me from being assaulted. My blood ran cold. They must have been certain the Grant fortune would not fall to me, so they didn’t dare offend the three men they believed would be their future bosses. I clutched my stinging cheek and stared at Leo. “Apologize.” He glanced at my reddening eyes and sneered. “Jenna was nearly violated. You got a little slap. What’s there to cry about?” On cue, Jenna came running in, weeping, her dress torn in a way that suggested the worst. Kian immediately stripped off his suit jacket and wrapped it around her, then turned a look of pure loathing on me. “You are as manipulative and calculating as ever. I would never marry a woman like you!” Evan, usually the quietest of the three, stepped in front of Jenna protectively. “Your mother couldn’t produce a male heir, so your family brought us in as tools. We’ve accepted our fate, but still, you’re not satisfied. Fine. There’s no need to keep up this pretense of peace anymore.” He turned and walked away, showing no regard for the Grant family’s reputation. As he left, Kian threw one last arrogant statement over his shoulder. “I’ll marry you. But you will be nothing more than a figurehead. If you want me to protect the Grant empire, you’d better learn to behave.” I laughed. Had they forgotten? Without me, they never would have been adopted by the Grant family in the first place. As the three of them started to leave, some of the guests finally tried to intervene. But I cut them off, my voice sharp with command. “Let them go!” Jenna shot me a triumphant, provocative glance, as if she had just conquered the world. I stood there, silent, until my assistant whispered frantically, “What do we do now? They’ve all left. Who will you choose?” The guests were murmuring amongst themselves. “A woman has to marry eventually. If the three men who know her best won’t have her, who will?” I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, then smiled as I raised my wine glass to the crowd. “Honored guests, as you all know, tonight is not only my birthday celebration, but also my engagement party.” A face appeared on the giant screen behind me, handsome and severe. A collective gasp went through the room. “Isn’t that Alistair Thorne, of the Thorne family?!”

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My best friend, Seraphina, knew my secret: I possessed an endless lifespan and a fortune to match. So she found a mystic to design my death, a ritual to cast me into Hell and steal my perfect fate for herself. On the rooftop of a skyscraper, I wept, my voice tearing from my throat. “Please, don’t kill me! I’ll give you all my money, everything!” I was terrified of dying. Truly terrified. Because my ex-husband, the one who ruled the realm below, had made a promise the day I left him. If he ever saw me again, he would throw me into a cauldron of boiling oil and have me flayed alive. “Seraphina, we’ve known each other for ten years! I’ve always been good to you, please, just let me go…” “I’ll give you everything I have, I swear!” I was on my knees on the gritty concrete of the rooftop, my dignity shattered, nearly smashing my forehead against the ground as I begged. Seraphina laughed, a cold, sharp sound. She used the pointed toe of her stiletto to tilt my chin up. “I don’t just want your money, Kate. I want your endless life, too.” Her smile was predatory. “Aren’t we best friends? What’s yours is mine. If you truly care about me, then you’ll give it all to me.” With that, she shot a look at the man in dark ceremonial robes standing beside her. The mystic understood. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me toward the edge of the parapet. Thirty-three floors. Directly below, where I was destined to land, they had painted a complex ritual array on the pavement. The moment I hit the ground and my body shattered, the ritual would complete. They would get their wish, and I wouldn’t even have the chance to be reincarnated. Seraphina had planned for everything, even ensuring I couldn’t return as a vengeful ghost. She was making sure my destruction was absolute. The wind howled around me, a frigid blast against my tear-streaked face. I struggled, clawing at the concrete, trying to pull myself back. Seraphina’s greed, ignited by the knowledge of my secret, had burned away any last shred of humanity. She rushed forward, and together with the mystic, she kicked me. One final, brutal shove, and I was falling. The rushing air was a deafening roar that blurred my senses. Then, a sickening crack exploded in my ears as my physical form was obliterated on the concrete below. When my consciousness returned, I was a spirit. A soul adrift in the Netherworld. Two minor reapers stood over me, holding soul-forged chains thick as my thumb. The other end of those chains was clamped around my neck. A dense, grey fog swirled around us, but through it, I could hear the clear, sharp sounds of wailing and screams from the path ahead. I’d been here before. This was the entrance to the Gates of Hell. I had my bastard of an ex-husband to thank for the tour. When I’d tried to leave him all those years ago, he’d dragged me here, his eyes burning with fury, trying to scare me into staying. He hadn’t actually thrown me into the pits of torment then, but now, it seemed my time was up. I was about to be erased from existence. I thrashed against the chains, refusing to move. “I was murdered! I’ve done nothing wrong!” My struggling only annoyed them. One of the reapers, a man with a thin, greasy mustache, drew a barbed whip from his belt and struck me with it. The pain was unlike anything physical; it seared through my very essence, and I collapsed, too stunned by the agony to even scream. “Listen, lady,” he sneered, “I don’t care who you were. You’re in our hands now, and that means you’re finished.” But I had to try. Compared to utter annihilation, I had to take the gamble. What if my ex still held a sliver of affection for me? A chance at reincarnation was infinitely better than being wiped from existence. “I know your king,” I stammered, my voice trembling. “I know Hadeon! I need to see him…” The two reapers exchanged a glance. Another lash of the whip cut across my back, and this time, I felt my spiritual form crack. I couldn’t speak. The mustached reaper spat near my head. “You think you have the right to speak the name of our great king? I don’t know how you learned it, but you’d better keep your mouth shut. It’ll save you a lot of pain.” I was powerless, dragged forward like a broken doll. The other reaper, the quieter one, looked nervous. “You don’t think… you don’t think she’s telling the truth, do you? What if we get in trouble?” The mustached one scoffed. “What’s there to be afraid of? The mystic told us this one’s off the books. She’s not in the Ledger of Souls. Some rogue spirit who knows a few tricks, that’s all. It’s not a big deal if she knows the king’s name. Now stop whining. We’re getting paid well for this. Let’s get it done before someone notices.” It all clicked into place. They were on Seraphina’s payroll, bought off by the same mystic. Corrupt reapers, willing to break the laws of the Underworld for a bit of mortal cash. As the towering Gates of Hell loomed out of the fog, a primal fear seized my soul, making it tremble violently. One of the reapers performed a gesture, and the massive gates began to groan open. My heart, or what was left of it, sank into an abyss of despair. Suddenly, a voice cut through the fog, sharp and authoritative. “A new arrival? Has this one been through judgment?” It was Marshal Blackwood! He was one of the king’s highest officials. He knew me! I stared desperately at the imposing figure emerging from the mist. I opened my mouth to shout, “Blackwood—!” Before I could get his name out, a hand clamped over my mouth, and I was yanked aside, hidden in the shadows. I watched in horror as the mustached reaper intercepted the Marshal. I struggled, kicking out in desperation, and earned another sharp blow to my ribs. The reaper pulled out a pack of mortal cigarettes, his voice dripping with false friendliness. “Marshal, sir! What brings you down to the gates today? Have a smoke. Got these from the topside. They’ve got a real kick.” Marshal Blackwood brushed a piece of dust from his formal robes, his expression annoyed. “Cut the crap, rookie. I asked you a question. Has that soul been processed through judgment?” The reaper swallowed nervously. “Y-yes, sir! Of course. We wouldn’t dare break the rules. We know how busy you and the other Marshals are. You should take a break, have a smoke.” Blackwood took the cigarette and lit it, falling silent. The fog was too thick; he couldn’t see my face. This was my only chance. I bit down, hard, on the hand covering my mouth. The reaper yelped in pain and surprise, his grip loosening for a second. That was all I needed. I broke free and sprinted toward Blackwood, but I was tackled from behind, my face slammed into the ground. A heavy boot pressed down on my head, grinding my face into the sulfuric yellow sand. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t scream. The commotion, at least, caught Blackwood’s attention. He took a few steps closer. “What’s going on over there?” The reaper, furious that I had bitten him, pressed down harder, his foot crushing my temple with vindictive force. “Nothing, sir! Just a feisty one. Still struggling, even at death’s door. You know how it is. The ones who end up here are never the good ones. Don’t want to dirty your eyes with this trash.” At that, Blackwood stopped. “Just be careful. These souls are the worst of the worst. We can’t afford any mistakes. Get it inside.” I watched, my hope dying with each step, as he turned and vanished back into the fog. The mustached reaper, after bowing and scraping until Blackwood was gone, stalked back over to me. He kicked me several times for good measure, then unleashed his whip, venting his frustration on my already fractured form. Soon, there wasn’t a single unmarred spot on me. My soul was a tattered, unrecognizable ruin. When he was finished, he crouched down and pinched my chin. “You bitch,” he hissed. “You almost ruined everything. Don’t you worry. Once you’re inside, I’ll take care of you personally.” Like a discarded rag, I was thrown through the gates and into the First Circle of Hell. This circle was the Agony of Thorns. As far as the eye could see, there were countless racks of torture. On each one, a spirit was impaled, pierced by thousands of long, thin needles, like a human pincushion. The souls here were not yet destroyed, so their screams were endless, a constant chorus of agony. I drew a ragged breath, using my last ounce of strength to force out a complete sentence. “I really… know… Hadeon. If he finds out… what you’ve done to me… he won’t let you live…” It was mostly a bluff. Hadeon didn’t care about my life or death. He probably never wanted to see me again. Why else would he have granted me an endless lifespan, condemning me to wander the mortal world alone, ageless and undying? He was terrified I might die and show up in his Underworld, an unwelcome specter from his past. Once inside the gates, the two reapers were no longer worried about me causing a scene. The mustached one patted my cheek, his smile grotesque. “You’ve really got an imagination, don’t you? Been watching too many mortal dramas? You think our king is someone you can just fantasize about?” He slapped my face, and a wave of nausea washed over me. I coughed, and a plume of my own vital essence escaped my lips. My form flickered, growing more transparent. They strapped me to an empty torture rack. The reaper grinned, retrieving a set of the instruments used here: soul-splintering spirit thorns, each one as long as my forearm. “You’d better hold on tight,” he sneered. “There are seventeen more circles of hell waiting for you after this. We’re going to take our time.” He took a single, gleaming thorn and aimed it at my thigh. “No matter how tough you think you are, everyone breaks in here.” The tip pierced my essence, sinking half an inch deep. The pain was so sharp, so absolute, that my entire being convulsed. A scream tore from me. “Aaargh—!” Just then, a figure came running towards us. “Wait!” The thorn was pulled out. I gasped for breath, forcing my eyes open to see who it was. It was the warden of this circle. I remembered his name: Wyler. When Hadeon had been trying to scare me all those years ago, Wyler had been the one to plead on my behalf. “My King, the little lady is just young and foolish. There’s no need for such anger. You wouldn’t want to harm her.” Hope flared in my chest. I prayed that after all this time, he would still remember me. “Warden Wyler… it’s me… help me…” My voice was a raw, unrecognizable croak after all the torment. But I was sure he heard me. His eyes were fixed on me, his expression shifting from confusion to recognition, and finally, to stark terror. He knew who I was. But before I could even feel relief, he wrenched his gaze away, his face becoming a mask of indifference. “A message just came from the top,” he announced to the reapers. “They want to witness this one’s final destruction personally. They’re on their way. You’ll have to wait.”

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The day I got my driver’s license, my dad bought me an Aetherion Lux 8. The day I went to the dealership to pick it up, my boyfriend asked me to sign the title over to his sister. “Bella’s getting married soon,” Liam said, “and she needs a car for the wedding procession. Wouldn’t it be a great gift? A perfect wedding present?” I just smiled. “$150,000 for a wedding present? Yeah, right. A present for his sister, my ass.” 1 After I passed my driving test, my dad decided to gift me an Aetherion Lux 8. It was a limited-edition domestic model, a high-end electric vehicle worth over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. “Hannah, the money’s in your account,” he’d texted. “Don’t forget to pick up the car this weekend.” Seeing the seven-figure deposit in my bank account, I was so ecstatic I literally spun around in a circle. Liam, my boyfriend, saw how happy I was and asked what was up. I couldn’t help but share the news of my sudden windfall and the incredible car. His eyes widened, his jaw dropping. “$150,000?” he stammered. “Hannah, your dad is… that’s incredibly extravagant!” I tilted my chin up playfully. “A father’s love is just that simple and pure!” I pulled out my phone to start picking out a color online. The man beside me fell silent for a long moment before placing his hands on my shoulders. His voice was serious. “Hannah, listen. Bella is getting married at the end of the month. Why don’t… why don’t we put the car in her name?” He continued, his grip tightening slightly. “You know my family’s situation. She doesn’t have much of a dowry to speak of. This car… it could be her ‘something borrowed, something new.’ A show of strength from her future sister-in-law. It would give her so much standing with her new family. What do you say?” My brain short-circuited. A hundred and fifty grand. Not a hundred and fifty bucks. Was he even hearing himself? And how could he ask so casually? I was his girlfriend, not his personal charity fund. I immediately, if gently, shut him down. “My dad gave this to me. It’s a very personal, very valuable gift. It’s not appropriate for you to ask that, Liam.” His face froze, but the mask of calm slipped back into place almost instantly. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, forcing a smile. “I’m sorry. I just assumed you felt the same way I do, that you already see Bella as your own sister.” His voice took on a wheedling, manipulative tone. “I was just thinking ahead. We’re going to get married someday, right? This is just a way for you to build some goodwill, to make it easier for you to blend into my family. I meant it as a good thing, nothing else.” My expression had already soured. But Liam either didn’t see it or chose to ignore it, plowing ahead with his monologue. “Your dad is so rich, and you’re an only child. You can’t spend all that money yourself. It’ll be ours to share eventually, so what’s the big deal about giving a little to Bella now? She’s not like you, Hannah. She didn’t grow up with a silver spoon. My mom literally found her in a box next to a dumpster. She’s had a hard life.” He leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “As her future sister-in-law, you wouldn’t want her to be humiliated at her own wedding, would you? Right?” …If I hadn’t seen pictures of his sister on his phone, I might have actually bought it. Pictures of a girl with a flawless, surgically-perfected “influencer” face that screamed “expensive.” I shot to my feet. “The audacity! Are you already counting my father’s money? What does my dad’s money have to do with you? Or your sister? Can you people have some boundaries?” Liam’s face flushed a deep, angry red. His carefully maintained image of a humble, good-natured guy shattered. He pointed a trembling finger at my nose, sputtering, “Hannah, you’re so selfish! And after Bella has been so excited, calling you her sister-in-law already.” “You’re just… ugh, forget it.” He took a deep, steadying breath. “Think about it. This is a golden opportunity to make a good impression on my family, and you’re just throwing it away. You’re nothing but a spoiled rich girl, completely out of touch, reeking of money and selfishness!” With that, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him. I stood there, completely stunned. He asks me for a $150,000 gift and then has the nerve to get angry at me? Is he actually insane? The excitement of getting a new car vanished completely. I threw myself onto my bed and buried my face in my pillow, a sharp, angry pain blooming in my chest. When we first started dating, Liam wasn’t like this. He was gentle, kind, and rarely said anything so outrageous. He was the one who pursued me. He never let his humble background become a source of insecurity; he was hardworking, optimistic, and won every scholarship the university offered. He worked part-time jobs to support himself and even paid for his sister to take makeup classes. I knew he came from nothing, that his family was poor, but I was drawn to his resilience, his refusal to bow to fate. When he was wooing me, he was always busy with work, yet he still found time to check in on me, to run errands, to buy me food. When I was down, he’d drop everything to cheer me up, a bottomless well of emotional support. And, of course, the main reason: he was drop-dead gorgeous, more handsome than any movie star. I’m a sucker for a pretty face. So, in a moment of weakness, I’d let my heart rule my head and became his girlfriend. But right now, I felt less like a girlfriend and more like a fool. In the middle of the night, just as I was drifting off, my phone buzzed incessantly. A string of messages from Liam. I opened them to find a groveling apology. “Hannah, I was out of line today. I didn’t consider your feelings.” “You can casually buy a $150,000 car, while my sister barely makes $500 a month. The disparity just hit me all at once, and I lost my balance. I’m sorry.” “What time are you going to the dealership tomorrow? Let me come with you. I can help make sure they don’t rip you off. It’ll be my way of making it up to you.” Reading his messages, I paused. The wealth gap between us was vast, and it wasn’t his fault. If I hadn’t been so angry, I probably would have been more sensitive to his pride. Since he was offering an olive branch, I decided to take it. By unspoken agreement, we dropped the subject. 2 The next day, at the dealership, I laid my eyes on the sleek, futuristic Aetherion Lux 8. I fell in love instantly and told the saleswoman I wanted it in a stunning, almost-blinding neon green. As the delighted salesperson led me to the VIP lounge to sign the papers, Liam, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly grabbed my arm. “Neon green is hideous,” he said flatly. “Get the cherry blossom pink. Pink is more feminine, more stylish.” I frowned. Did he forget that I loathe pink? It’s so girly, it doesn’t suit my personality at all. The neon green was vibrant and alive. Seeing my hesitation, the saleswoman just smiled and continued to lead me toward the lounge. Liam’s face hardened. He kept pace with us, muttering under his breath, “Hannah, it’s just… Bella likes pink, too. Even if the car isn’t in her name, you can still let her drive it, right? She’s already signed up for driving lessons. She could practice in your car. It’s a win-win.” I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him, my expression cold. “Why should I accommodate your sister? Your sister is getting married, your sister likes pink, your sister, your sister, your sister. Am I buying this car, or is she?” He finally seemed to realize he’d pushed too far. He glanced nervously at the salesperson and lowered his voice. “Hannah, I know you’re buying the car. Why do you have to be so aggressive about it? If I had the money to buy Bella a car, I wouldn’t be here begging you.” His voice cracked with emotion. “I’m just a poor student right now. I want to give my sister a meaningful wedding gift, something to give her some clout with her in-laws. Is that so wrong? As my girlfriend, shouldn’t you be considerate of my feelings? Is your love all about taking and never giving?” I was incandescent with rage. “What are you trying to say, Liam?” I asked through gritted teeth. He scoffed. “Nothing.” “Look, if you still consider me your boyfriend, you’ll bring the car to the wedding for Bella. Green, pink, whatever. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled either way.” …Bella this, Bella that. Maybe he should just date his sister and leave me out of it. Fuming, I stormed into the VIP lounge. The saleswoman, sensing the tension, brought me a tray of sweets and urged me not to let a little disagreement spoil the mood. If we weren’t in public, I would have torn into him right then and there. But lending the car out for the wedding wasn’t a huge deal. I told myself to let it go and grudgingly agreed. The change in Liam was instantaneous. The dark cloud over his face vanished. He quickly stepped outside the glass door, which was slightly ajar, and I heard him on the phone, his voice bursting with excitement. “Bella, I’ve got your wedding car sorted! The new Aetherion Lux 8, the $150,000 one! Yeah! Don’t you worry, your big brother will make sure you’re the happiest bride in the world. Anything anyone else has, you’ll have it too!” Picking up the car should have been a joyous occasion. But Liam had sucked all the fun out of it. Since we started dating, his never-before-seen sister had been a constant presence between us, stealing the majority of his attention. After the purchase, Liam left for his part-time job, and I drove back to my dorm alone. On the way, an unknown number called me. I ignored it, but they were persistent. Finally, I answered. It was Liam’s sister, Bella. “Hannah? My brother said you bought a car for me, for my wedding. That’s great. But I’m still short on some outfits and jewelry for the big day. I sent you a list. It’s not much, just under fifteen grand. You can just pay for it, okay? You’re so rich, you wouldn’t want to be stingy and embarrass my brother, would you?” I slammed on the brakes, my blood pressure skyrocketing. I took a deep, steadying breath, then forced a sweet smile into my voice. “Is there a royal throne in your family’s future that I’m not aware of?” She paused, then her voice rose in pitch. “What’s that supposed to mean?” What did it mean? “It means that when God was raining down wisdom, he must have given you an umbrella!” 3 I returned to my dorm, fuming. My roommate, Sophie, noticed my mood and handed me a can of soda. “What’s up? Fight with the boyfriend?” At the word “boyfriend,” my eyes welled up. “Sophie, I think I made a huge mistake. Being with Liam is making me miserable.” Sophie patted my back comfortingly. Then her eyes fell on the car key on my desk. “The Aetherion Lux 8! You got the new car?!” she shrieked. “You can afford a $150,000 car and you’re moping? Let’s go! You’re buying me dinner!” She dragged me out for a fiery hot pot that seared my taste buds. With good food and good company, my mood finally started to lift. I told her everything that had happened with Liam and the car. Sophie was my best friend—sharp-tongued and with a fierce sense of justice. She plopped a perfectly cooked duck foot into my bowl and started her pep talk. “Choosing not to be a gold digger doesn’t mean you have to be a charity case for the poor. Love and money are two separate things, Hannah. You don’t have to mix them. You did nothing wrong.” She scoffed. “You’re just dating, and he already expects you to financially support his family? What happens later? You become their personal ATM just because you’re an only child and they’re poor?” Sophie laughed, a mix of anger and disbelief. “It’s absurd! He lost a little bit of pride, but you almost lost $150,000! Do you know how much overtime we’d have to work after graduation to earn that back?” “You’re right!” The cloud of emo hanging over me finally dissipated. After Liam’s tirades, I had started to feel guilty, wondering if I, as the financially secure one, should have been more tolerant. But Sophie’s words gave me back my confidence. Being poor didn’t give him the right to be an entitled jerk. Sophie and I toasted, and a plan began to form in my mind. Our different backgrounds and ways of thinking were a fundamental conflict. It hadn’t been obvious before because he’d never asked about my family’s finances. Now that his scales were unbalanced, and I was feeling suffocated, it was time for damage control. As for the snarky remark I’d made to Bella about the dowry, Liam called me, furious, demanding an explanation. When I confirmed what I’d said, he spat out a venomous, “You’ve got some nerve, Hannah,” and then ghosted me for a month. Fine by me. I figured it was a mutual, unspoken breakup, saving us the awkward conversation. But a few days before Bella’s wedding, Liam suddenly appeared at my dorm with his mother, Mrs. Evans. She grasped my hands warmly. “Liam told me you prepared so many gifts for Bella, and even arranged for a car for her wedding. You really shouldn’t have spent so much,” she said, her face beaming. “Just having you there is enough. Bella is so lucky to have such a thoughtful sister-in-law. What do you like to eat? I’ll cook for you personally.” Mrs. Evans worked menial jobs in the city. She was a simple, hardworking woman, and I’d always had a good impression of her. But her words left me completely baffled. Liam pulled me aside. “You haven’t forgotten about lending the car for the wedding, have you?” he whispered. “If you make Bella happy tomorrow, we can forget all about our fights. I won’t be mad at you anymore, and we can go back to being a couple. I’ve been busy helping with the wedding this past month… I wasn’t deliberately ignoring you.” A muscle in my cheek twitched. So he wasn’t ghosting me to break up, he was giving me the silent treatment as a punishment? The absolute confidence of this man. Fine. If he wanted me at the wedding so badly, I’d go. I was morbidly curious to see what kind of performance he and his precious sister were planning to put on. 4 8:00 AM. The moment I stepped into Liam’s family home, the bride, decked out in a vibrant red dress, rushed to “greet” me. “Hannah, you came empty-handed? On my wedding day? You’ve got some nerve,” Bella announced loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. “Bella, who’s this?” one of the bridesmaids asked. “She looks so fashionable. A friend of yours?” My Aetherion Lux 8 was parked right outside the door. From the moment I’d arrived, I’d been the subject of stares and whispers. Meeting Bella’s hostile gaze, I offered a faint smile and pulled out an envelope. A bridesmaid snatched it, and the one who opened it let out a shriek. “Wow! A voucher for a masterclass with that celebrity makeup artist! It costs thousands! I’ve always wanted to go!” “Bella, your friend is so good to you! I’m so jealous!” These were clearly Bella’s classmates from makeup school. They passed the voucher around, gushing over it, but Bella didn’t give it a single glance. She tilted her nose in the air and scoffed. “I thought you’d at least give me ten or twenty thousand in cash. For someone with your money, that’s a pretty cheap gift. I really don’t know what my brother sees in you.” I just smiled, refusing to let her get to me.

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The day we were supposed to get married, Perry Vance jilted me at the altar. A shocked murmur rippled through the guests. One of his friends let out a low, appreciative whistle. “Damn, Perry. Only a Vance could be that ruthless. You win the bet, man. I’ll pay up.” Perry shot a lazy glance in my direction, his voice a study in casual indifference. “If she hadn’t kept threatening to kill herself, I wouldn’t have even bothered with this ridiculous wedding.” I stood frozen on the stage, the pristine white of my dress concealing the river of blood already flowing down my legs. The System’s cold, mechanical voice echoed in my mind. 「Mission failed. Male lead has refused to marry. Host termination sequence initiated. Three… two…」 1 A sticky warmth pooled between my legs; I could feel my life draining out of me with every drop. I bit down on my pale lip, the mocking laughter from the crowd washing over me like a toxic tide, battering my fragile sanity. After a few seconds of stunned silence, I forced back the tears, looking at him with disbelief. “Why? You promised… you promised you’d make me the happiest woman in the world. If I don’t marry you, I’ll actually die.” God knows, saying those words felt like my heart was being torn from my chest. He was the one who had stayed up for three nights straight designing every detail of this wedding. I couldn’t believe it was all just a joke. But Perry only spared me a fleeting glance, his reply light as air. “It’s exhausting, you know? The constant drama. Are you always like this?” he drawled. “We’re all adults here. If you take things so seriously, how is anyone supposed to have any fun?” His lazy tone hit me like a bolt of lightning, shattering the last of my composure. “Perry…” Before I could finish, his friends erupted in derisive laughter, their eyes dripping with contempt. “Haha, don’t you get it? Perry’s been in love with someone else for years—Bianca Sterling. You think a nobody like you could ever compare?” “You were just a bet, sweetheart. We didn’t think someone who acts so high-and-mighty would be so easy to fool.” Their words were knives, twisting in my gut. I started to tremble uncontrollably. Perry frowned but offered no explanation. I clenched my fists, a bitter, self-mocking smile touching my lips. I’d gotten into a car accident in the real world. While I was in a coma, I was inexplicably pulled into this one, forced to complete a “mission”: make Perry Vance fall in love with me. If he married me, I could return to my own world and live. If I failed, I would be punished by bleeding to death. I thought my months of devotion had finally won him over. I never imagined I was the punchline. But somewhere along the way, in this calculated game of seduction, I had truly fallen for him. A sharp cramp seized my abdomen, and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. My heart felt like it was being shredded, but the pain was everywhere and nowhere at once, as if a saw was tearing my body apart. The warm liquid gushed faster now, trickling down my legs and staining the inside of my gown, slowly stealing the heat from my body. Suddenly, Perry shrugged off his tuxedo jacket and strode off the stage. 「Host’s life force is rapidly depleting!」 the System’s panicked voice screamed in my head. 「There’s still time! You have to stop him!」 The warning jolted me from my stupor. Ignoring the searing pain, I stumbled after him, my small steps leaving a shocking trail of bloody footprints that no one seemed to notice. “Perry, are you really leaving me?” My voice was thick with unshed tears. Even now, a part of me couldn’t believe that the man who had been so protective, so tender, could abandon me like this. He acted as if he hadn’t heard me. His gaze was fixed, burning with an intensity I’d never seen before, on a delicate figure standing at the entrance of the ballroom. He paused, and then a slow, genuine smile spread across his face. “You finally came,” he said, his voice soft. “I knew you wouldn’t let me marry another woman.” I froze. In that instant, my heart didn’t just break. It shattered. He had orchestrated this entire grand, beautiful wedding for one reason: to make his true love jealous. 2 I watched them embrace as if no one else existed. The guests, my wedding guests, erupted in cheers for them. The pain was a physical thing, a blade twisting in my chest as despair washed over me. Just then, a hotel waitress approached, nervously holding a velvet box with a pair of custom-made rings. “Miss Williams,” she began, her eyes full of pity, “Mr. Vance had these specially made for you.” My gaze fell to the rings, and I shook my head with a bitter laugh. “There must be a mistake. We didn’t order any custom rings.” Besides, a single glance told me they weren’t my size. The hotel did offer a ring customization service. I had begged Perry to get a matching pair with me, but he’d refused, claiming he was allergic to metal. At that moment, the two of them broke their embrace. Perry turned, calmly took the ring box from the waitress, and didn’t spare me a single glance. He walked back to Bianca, dropped to one knee, and slid the ring onto her finger. “Bianca,” he said, his voice ringing with emotion, “I had this made just for you. Will you marry me?” Bianca looked down at the ring, a shy, pleased smile on her face, but she didn’t answer immediately. “Say yes!” someone shouted from the crowd. The chant grew, a wave of voices engulfing the hall. “Say yes! Say yes!” And there I stood, on the edge of the crowd, a ghost in a wedding dress, completely out of place at my own wedding, where my groom was proposing to another woman. Their cheers were like spikes, driving deeper and deeper into my heart. The crowd parted. Bianca, radiant in a simple white dress, walked towards me on Perry’s arm. She moved with an effortless grace I could never hope to imitate. “Miss Williams,” she said, her voice soft and melodious, “on Perry’s behalf, I do apologize. I never imagined he would use such a drastic method to get me to see him.” “We’ve discussed it, and we’d like to offer you financial compensation. Please, don’t refuse.” She held out a check. For five million dollars. Her tone was gentle, but her words were a raw, public humiliation. “Wow, five million just like that. She’s set for life.” “You don’t get it. Some girls look all innocent, but they’re masterminds.” “I heard she chased after Perry relentlessly.” The whispers were the final straw. Tears streamed down my face, mingling with the crimson drops on the floor. I couldn’t stand anymore. I clutched my chest, my vision blurring as the pain threatened to swallow me whole. “Was this your idea?” I managed to ask, my voice a raw, broken rasp, looking up at him. Don’t people like them understand that a human heart has value? Perry’s gaze flickered to my ashen face, his lips parting as if to speak, but he said nothing. The crowd’s murmurs had turned into outright hostility. They were shouting at me, the “homewrecker,” to get out. They were sycophants, eager to curry favor with the powerful. To please Bianca, some of them even started to push me. I was shoved back and forth until my head slammed against the wall with a dull thud. I sagged, using the wall to stay upright, my face contorted in agony. “Stop it!” Perry roared. His eyes locked onto my colorless face. “Are you alright?” At his side, Bianca’s brow furrowed. She shot me a venomous glare and tugged on his sleeve. It was as if her touch broke a spell. Perry forced his gaze away from me. “Go wait outside,” he said, not looking at me. “I’ll take you home later.” That flicker of concern, however fleeting, was enough to give me a sliver of strength. The fog of pain receded slightly. I glanced at his unreadable expression, then turned and stumbled out of the hall. “Miss Williams!” The waitress who had brought the rings was the first to see the bloody trail I’d left behind. She screamed. I looked back at her and shook my head, a helpless, bitter smile on my face. The blood was real, but there were no visible wounds. If Perry found out now, he would just accuse me of faking it. I couldn’t bear another ounce of humiliation. For the first time, I disobeyed him. I left on my own. I went back to my apartment, lay down on my bed, and quietly waited to die. When I opened my eyes again, it had been two days. To my surprise, I was still alive. My body was incredibly weak, but the bleeding had stopped. I immediately summoned the System. 「Unknown,」 it replied, its mechanical voice tinged with confusion. 「Mission failure was confirmed. By all logic, you should have expired on the wedding night. However, the Host’s life force has stabilized at 0.1 percent and is no longer declining.」 We concluded it must be a bug in the system. Not knowing when I might suddenly drop dead, I dragged myself to my office to resign. The moment I walked in, I was met with a wall of thinly veiled contempt. “I thought she said she’d die. Looks like she’s doing just fine to me.” “Pathetic. Trying to threaten Perry Vance with death.” A lump formed in my throat. I finished my handover in a daze and fled the building. When I got back to my apartment, I found a tall, familiar figure waiting at my door. 3 The second he saw me, his expression turned to ice. He lunged forward, his fingers clamping around my wrist like a vice. “Why didn’t you wait for me that night?” he roared, his voice so loud it made my ears ring. “Why didn’t you answer your phone? I found a pool of blood at the venue. I’ve been looking for you like a madman!” “I thought… I thought you…” As he got closer, I saw that his eyes were bloodshot, filled with a raw, undeniable worry. I stared at him, my heart pounding. A wild, impossible thought began to bloom in the back of my mind. “You…?” I whispered. In an instant, the storm of emotion in his eyes vanished, replaced by his usual cold composure. He looked me up and down, then released my wrist with a sneer. “Weren’t you supposed to be dead if we didn’t get married?” I rubbed my bruised wrist, my gaze darkening with self-pity. “I didn’t know you were looking for me. My phone died.” “Sorry to disappoint you by not dying,” I added, a sharp, bitter edge to my voice. He flinched, as if I’d struck him. A complex mix of emotions warred on his face. “That’s not what I meant.” 「System detects male lead is showing concern for Host!」 the System chirped excitedly in my head. 「Try again! Push him!」 A flicker of hope ignited within me. I decided to try. “Perry,” I said, my voice trembling with desperate hope, “I wasn’t lying. I really am dying.” “Can we please… can we have another wedding? Even if it’s just for show. I promise I’ll disappear from your life forever after.” The System had never said we had to be a real husband and wife. I was looking for a loophole, begging for just the ceremony. “Alright.” He only hesitated for a second before agreeing. I was stunned. This time, we planned a simple ceremony at a chapel, with no guests. But I waited from morning until the dead of night, and Perry never showed. He didn’t answer his phone. I sat alone on the chapel steps in my wedding dress, staring up at the stars as silent tears traced paths down my cheeks. I couldn’t understand. If it was all just a bet, he never had to go that far. When I was sick, he had abandoned a billion-dollar project and flown for twenty hours on the first international flight just to see me. When he fed me, he’d always cup his hand under my chin to catch any spills, despite his obsession with cleanliness. I wiped my tears and unlocked my phone to try calling him again. That’s when a headline caught my eye: “City’s Top Heir, Perry Vance, Engaged to Bianca Sterling.” My hand trembled as I clicked on the link. My world imploded. He and Bianca had gotten engaged. Today. He had promised me… A familiar, searing pain ripped through my body as the bleeding started again, more violently this time. I curled into a ball on the cold stone, feeling my life ebb away. A tidal wave of resentment and hatred surged through me, wild and uncontrollable. The System’s voice echoed, filled with something like regret. 「Male lead is now engaged to another. Host termination sequence will commence. Three… two…」 “Wait,” I begged. “Can you… can you let me die in front of him?” 4 The System paused. 「I have set a new program for you to die in the male lead’s presence. However, due to the alteration of game rules, the system is now unstable. I cannot predict the exact time of your death.」 I nodded. As long as I could die in front of him, it didn’t matter when. My wedding dress was soaked in blood. I walked, step by agonizing step, to the hotel where they held their engagement party. I arrived just as they were leaving. “What are you doing here dressed like that?” Perry hissed, rushing towards me. “Get out of here before Bianca sees you.” “And don’t try that ‘I’m dying’ trick again. I’m busy tonight. Go home.” He glanced at my blood-soaked dress, his eyes filled with disgust. He thought it was all an act. A bitter taste filled my mouth. I looked past him and saw Bianca’s pale, drawn face. She looked like she was recovering from a serious illness. A team of medical staff followed her. But I didn’t have the energy to care about anyone else’s problems. I fixed my gaze on his annoyed face. “Why didn’t you come?” I asked, my voice hollow. He heard Bianca’s footsteps approaching and his impatience grew, his expression darkening. “Are you a child?” he snapped. “What kind of nonsense is ‘I’ll die if we don’t get married’?” “Do you look like you’re dying? I felt guilty, that’s the only reason I agreed to indulge you. Something important came up today. Couldn’t it wait?” By then, Bianca had reached us. Perry’s expression softened instantly as he gently took her arm. “Why did you come out? I was just about to clear things up with her,” he chided softly. Seeing his tender care for her, I finally understood. His affection for me had never been unique. Bianca glanced at my attire, a smirk playing on her lips. “I was just worried you’d be too harsh and scare the poor girl,” she said, her smile not reaching her eyes. “She’s not from our world. One’s pride can be so fragile.” “Miss Williams, that check was terribly crass of us. My apologies. Please, think about what you’d like as proper compensation and contact my assistant.” She pressed a business card into my hand, her voice devoid of any real sincerity. I crumpled the card in my fist, then let it flutter to the ground, a perfect mirror of my shattered heart. I had given him my soul, and he had crushed it and handed it back to me. A flicker of pity crossed Perry’s face, but it was gone in a flash. They said nothing more and got into their car. As I watched them drive away, a pain so intense it felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest radiated through my body. I couldn’t stand. It was an agony that invaded every cell, threatening to tear me in two. I panicked, calling out to the System in my mind. 「Host, changing the game rules has a series of unknown consequences. The corresponding punishments are multiplied.」 I regretted it. My desire to make him feel remorse had only brought all the suffering back onto me. It wasn’t worth it. “She’s bleeding! Oh my God, she’s bleeding everywhere!” someone screamed. The cry was piercingly loud in the quiet night. My consciousness was fading, my vision blurring. I heard the screech of tires. A car door flew open. I heard Bianca’s frantic, angry shout. “Perry, come back! Where are you going?” The sound of urgent footsteps grew closer, ignoring her cries. The last thing I saw was Perry’s face, twisted in a mask of pure, unadulterated horror.

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1 On the eve of the speed skating finals, my boyfriend, to secure a spot on the national team for his childhood sweetheart, broke my leg. He’d done it before. He once locked me in a bathroom so I’d miss the initial team tryouts. When I finally arrived, breathless and frantic, the selection was over. “You’re a natural talent,” he’d said with infuriating nonchalance. “What’s one more year?” Now, it was the Winter Olympics. His precious sweetheart, Hailey, needed a chance to shine, to make a name for herself in the relay. So he decided to create one for her. By shattering my future. … A fierce wind howled across the hospital rooftop. I was surrounded, trapped. “Barry, please,” I begged, my voice swallowed by the gale. “Let me go. The finals are tomorrow. My legs… I can’t get hurt.” I was on my knees, pleading with the man I loved. My parents died when I was young, leaving me with my grandmother. She had been a speed skater, a rising star whose career was cut short by injury. Her dream, the one she never achieved, was to win a gold medal for our country. She saw her dream reborn in me. I had her talent, her passion for the ice. She poured everything she had into my training, shaping me into a short-track speed skater. Now, even with her own health failing, she never missed a single one of my races. It felt like fate, like the universe was rewarding her devotion. I excelled on the ice, surpassing even her own legacy. The national team had been in a slump, but my arrival reignited the nation’s hope. I was the favorite to win gold. Tomorrow’s final wasn’t just a race. It was everything. I couldn’t bear the weight of a nation’s disappointment. Even more, I couldn’t bear to see my grandmother’s dream die with me. And now, my boyfriend, Barry, was about to break my leg so his childhood sweetheart, Hailey, could take my spot in the relay. Even though it meant I would miss the individual finals, too. Barry’s expression was unreadable. He looked at me with a sort of weary patience, as if I were a child throwing a tantrum. “Anita, don’t be like this,” he said, his voice maddeningly calm. “With you in the lineup, how is Hailey ever supposed to get her moment in the spotlight?” “You’re a prodigy. Winning gold a few years from now won’t make a difference for you. But Hailey’s not like you. She’s been waiting four years for this. An athlete’s career is short. She needs this chance.” I stared at him, my mind reeling. The absurdity of his words was a physical blow. An athlete’s peak is fleeting. No one, not even a prodigy, can stay at the top forever. Her four years were precious, but mine weren’t? My mind raced, searching for an escape. As Barry raised the hammer he was holding, a desperate idea struck me. “Barry, wait! Listen to me!” I cried out. “If you want Hailey in the relay, I can do it! I’ll tell the coach I need to focus on the individual final. I’ll withdraw. She can take my place!” Tears streamed down my face as I looked at him, my voice thick with sincerity. He hesitated, the hammer lowering slightly. A flicker of hope ignited in my chest. “The roster isn’t set yet! We can still change it!” I pressed on. “All I want is the final tomorrow. I’ll even retire after the race, I swear. You know I always keep my word, Barry. Please, just let me go.” He was wavering. The hammer was almost down. Then, Hailey appeared at the rooftop entrance. “Barry, are you done yet?” she whined, her voice laced with impatience. “I need to get back and rest. I have to be in top form.” He didn’t even flinch at her tone. Her presence was all it took. The hammer in his hand rose again. “I can’t risk it, Anita,” he said, his voice hardening. “Hailey’s mother was very good to me. I owe it to her to help Hailey achieve her dream.” His eyes met mine, a flicker of something that might have been regret, or maybe just pity. “It’s okay, babe. Even if your leg is too injured to skate again, it doesn’t matter. I’ll take care of you.” He nodded to the two burly men standing behind me. They grabbed my arms. “To make her dream come true, you have to break my leg?” I screamed, struggling against their grip. “Hailey, you’re a coward! You can’t win on your own, so you resort to this! And you, Barry… I hate you!” 2 I kicked and thrashed, trying to keep them away from my legs, trying to give Barry no clear shot. But I was a fish on a chopping block. It was useless. My resistance only hardened his resolve. More men came forward, pinning me down until I couldn’t move. Someone tried to cover my mouth. “Don’t you dare touch her like that!” Barry snapped. Then his voice softened as he looked down at me. “Don’t be scared, Anita. This will be quick.” He was right. It was quick. Before I could even process it, a bolt of white-hot agony shot from my leg to my brain. “Aaargh!” I screamed. As the men released me and I crumpled, clutching my shattered leg, Hailey’s voice floated down, light and airy. “Is that really enough? Anita is so tough. What if she gets a cortisone shot tomorrow and skates through the pain?” My vision swam with red. I glared at her, my hatred a physical force. An injury like this… a cortisone shot would do nothing. She had to know that. She didn’t just want me out of the race. She wanted me off the ice. Forever. But Barry didn’t know that. Or maybe he just didn’t care. “Then we’ll break it,” he said. Hailey widened her eyes, a perfect picture of innocence. “Oh, but won’t that hurt her terribly?” He waved a dismissive hand. “It’s fine. A clean break, and there’s no way she can compete. Besides,” he added, “even if she can never skate again, my family can afford to support her.” Hailey looked down at me, a smirk twisting her lips. “Well then, thank you, Barry.” And with that, she turned and left. She couldn’t be seen here. If I was found injured, she needed to have an alibi. Barry knelt beside me. “Don’t worry, babe,” he whispered, his voice a gentle caress. “I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life.” His words were a terrifying promise. The men lifted my leg, holding it steady. Barry raised the hammer high. He met my terrified gaze and brought it down. Hard. “Aaaaaaaargh!” The scream was torn from my throat, raw and primal. My leg was broken. Utterly, completely broken. I stared at the grotesque angle of my right leg and my world shattered. It was over. A decade of blood, sweat, and tears. My grandmother’s lifelong dream. The hopes of my team, my country. All of it, gone. Hot tears streamed down my face, mixing with the dirt and grime. I was a broken, pathetic mess on the cold concrete. A flicker of something—pity? regret?—crossed Barry’s face. He moved to pull me into his arms. I closed my eyes, unable to bear the sight of him. His voice, when it came, was a masterpiece of delusion. “Just forgive me this one time, babe. I know it’s not fair, but Hailey’s mom saved my life. I’m just repaying a debt. And if it wasn’t for her, I never would have met you. So, in a way, you owe her, too.” I summoned every last ounce of strength and shoved him away. My eyes, burning with hatred, met his. “Barry,” I rasped, “why didn’t you just die back then?” I was a cornered animal, and he was finally scared. He scrambled back, a flicker of panic in his eyes. But it was quickly replaced by a dark anger. “Anita, I only broke your leg. How can you say something so cruel?” He grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him. A slow, terrible smile spread across his lips. “I get it. You’re jealous. You’re jealous of how much I care about Hailey.” He laughed. “Don’t worry, babe. You’re the only one I love. After Hailey’s race, we’ll get married. Just… don’t bring your dying grandmother to live with us. It would be bad luck.” I stared at him, revulsion churning in my stomach. What kind of monster could say such things? He was insane. “In your dreams,” I spat, my voice dripping with venom. “Barry, you and I are done. Forever. I’m breaking up with you.” 3 The moment he realized I was serious, his face twisted into a terrifying mask of rage. His hands closed around my neck. I couldn’t breathe. Black spots danced in my vision. Just as I was about to pass out, his bodyguards pulled him off. Damaging me was one thing; murder was a line even the powerful Sterling family wouldn’t cross. I collapsed to the ground, listening to him rant about how ungrateful I was, how I didn’t appreciate him. We had met on the ice, late one night. Hailey, consumed with jealousy, had made my training a living hell, constantly trying to sabotage me. The other skaters, intimidated by Barry’s family, looked the other way. One night, she stole the key to the rink. The arena was kept at freezing temperatures, even when closed. I always stayed late to practice. She had planned to lock me in overnight. But my grandmother had taken a turn for the worse that day, and I left early to be with her at the hospital. Hailey didn’t know. She ended up locking Barry inside instead, who had come looking for her. When I realized my key was missing, I went back to the rink and found him, shivering and on the verge of hypothermia. After that, he pursued me relentlessly. Flowers, romantic dinners, declarations of love. With him by my side, the bullying stopped. Eventually, I gave in. For the first two years, we were inseparable. The way he looked at me… it was like I was the only person in the world. But that was before Hailey and I moved up to the senior division. On my birthday, he took Hailey to see the Northern Lights. When I was injured, he spent his days shopping with her, carrying her bags. I tried to break up with him. He fell to his knees, begging me. “Babe, her mother died saving my life. I have to be good to her. But it’s just a debt. I see her as a sister. You’re the one I want to spend my life with.” Perhaps because I had also lost my mother, or perhaps because he threatened to kill himself, I gave him another chance. He betrayed me again. For the national team qualifiers, he tricked me and locked me in a bathroom. When I confronted him, he was dismissive. “You’re a prodigy. So what if you have to wait a year? Even if you don’t make it, I can support you.” Because I was absent, Hailey snagged the last spot on the team. I was so exceptional that year, however, that the committee made a special exception and recruited me anyway. But that didn’t change what he had done. I tried to end it for good. But then my grandmother’s heart condition worsened. He used her to blackmail me. “Babe, where are you going to get the money for her treatment on your own? The best cardiac surgeons in the country all work for my family’s hospitals. If you break up with me, do you think they’ll still treat her?” So I stayed. And it all led to this. Lying on the rooftop, the wind biting at my skin, I felt a coldness that reminded me of that first night at the rink. A bitter smile twisted my lips. My voice was flat, devoid of all emotion. “Barry, I should have let you freeze to death.” He roared with rage. “What did you just say?” But the pain and exhaustion were a relentless assault. My vision blurred. The world went black. When I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital room. Barry was by my side. He saw I was awake and immediately dropped his phone, grabbing my hand. I looked at him, but his gaze darted away. He couldn’t meet my eyes. He wouldn’t look like this just because he’d broken my leg. A terrible, sickening suspicion began to form in my mind. “Where is my grandmother?”

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