Category: English

Ethan was a underprivileged student I sponsored in the past. After I discovered him using my pajamas to satisfy himself, I decisively applied for an overseas assignment. The fair, handsome boy clung to my leg, crying miserably: “Bro, I promise I’ll never do that again…” “Don’t hate me, don’t leave me…” I pulled away cruelly. Once I left, it was for eight years. When we met again, the boy had transformed into a tech billionaire. I raised my wine glass, smiling ingratiatingly: “Ethan, about the tech partnership, can we discuss it again?” Ethan slowly turned the ring on his ring finger: “Are you begging me now?” “Then you should know… how to beg a man, right?” Chapter 1 My smile froze. The platinum ring refracted a silvery-white light, stinging my eyes. He got married? Makes sense, he’s so outstanding after all. Ethan had no intention of raising the glass in front of him: “Mr. Thorne, haven’t you heard how others at the table address me?” I thought calling him “Ethan” would bring us closer. Didn’t expect him not to buy it. I quickly corrected myself: “My apologies, Mr. Vance is young and promising…” “Enough.” Ethan interrupted my flattery. He pointed his chin at the expensive Louis XIII on the table. “Mr. Thorne, this project is handled by Mr. Chen from my company. He doesn’t have many hobbies, just likes to drink the good stuff.” “You keep him happy tonight, and we’ll talk about the project tomorrow.” In the eight years apart from Ethan, I worked myself to death. Climbed from a small supervisor to the Vice President of the group. No one dared to boss me around like Ethan anymore. The guests at the table looked at me with surprise. I bit the bullet and kept smiling: “Of course, I’ll definitely take good care of Mr. Chen tonight.” Half an hour later. The strong liquor was bottomed out. My stomach was burning. Ethan, on the side, didn’t touch a drop. He just smoked one cigarette after another. Narrowing his beautiful phoenix eyes as if watching a play, enjoying my sorry state. I couldn’t hold it anymore. Got up and rushed into the bathroom, vomiting my guts out. Then washed my face with cold water again and again. After a long while, I looked up, and there was another person in the mirror. Ethan had appeared behind me at some point. Tilting his head to light a cigarette. Even his hair strands exuded laziness and unruliness. “Mr. Thorne can’t handle his liquor.” I wiped my face: “Mr. Vance is laughing at me.” He paced slowly behind me. Hands pressed on both sides of the sink. His long arms trapped me in the cramped space. Those bottomless black eyes stared at my flushed cheeks through the mirror. “Actually, I’m very curious, why would Mr. Thorne stoop so low to personally accompany clients?” “For a small project worth peanuts, Mr. Thorne shouldn’t even look at it.” I smiled: “To tell you the truth, money’s tight lately, I’m broke.” Ethan smiled too: “Oh? Since that’s the case, Mr. Thorne should show some sincerity.” I didn’t want to play riddles with him: “Mr. Vance, please be clear, what counts as sincerity?” He turned his head and exhaled smoke: “Mr. Thorne has risen rapidly these years.” “Since you’re good at the wine table, you must be good elsewhere too, right?” When he said this, he pressed rudely against my back. Been in the business world for a long time. Inevitably harassed by restless old rich men, I handled them smoothly. But when the opponent became Ethan, I was actually a bit embarrassed. I pretended to be choked by his smoke. Moved slightly away, then joked as if nothing happened: “If I were a girl, meeting someone as excellent as Mr. Vance, I might just give in, but I’m a man…” “What’s wrong with being a man?” Ethan pinched my chin, turning the angle, as if appreciating seriously. “Rare to find a man as good-looking as Mr. Thorne.” My old face blushed. Struggled, couldn’t break free. Suddenly realized, the thin and frail boy in my memory had grown into an adult taller than me, full of oppression. Ethan pulled a silk handkerchief from his suit pocket. Shook it open. Slowly wiped the water stains on my face. His gaze was presumptuous and frank. Patrolling my lips and collar. Staring until my spine went cold. I snatched the silk handkerchief from his hand: “No wonder people say Mr. Vance is aloof and hard to please, looks like it’s true…” A smile climbed from the corner of his mouth to his eyes, he said: “Look, didn’t you just please me?” “Actually, you understand me best, don’t you, Bro?” Chapter 2 This “Bro”. Made my brain go blank for a full three seconds. Eight years. In a trance, I saw the boy from eight years ago again. Smiling brightly, full of pride. Stuffing an express mail he couldn’t bear to open into my hand: “Bro, you open it.” I smiled and opened the envelope. Found an admission letter from a top university inside. My eyes got hot, rubbed his head: “Ethan, good job.” Luckily I saw potential in this child back then. Luckily I persisted in sponsoring him for six years. What a pity it would be if such a talented boy was buried in a poor remote area forever? At that time, he wasn’t as tall as me. Pushed my hand away a bit unhappily: “Don’t touch my head, I’m not a puppy.” I teased him on purpose: “What? As a brother, I’m not qualified to smooth your fur?” “Raised you for nothing all these years.” Hearing this, Ethan was even more unhappy: “Didn’t raise me for nothing, I’ll make money to support you in the future.” I was disdainful: “Who cares about your peanuts.” A careless joke, Ethan actually held a grudge for so many years. I staggered to the parking lot. Waiting for a designated driver in my car. Something fell out of my pocket. Picked it up to look. It was a key card for a five-star hotel. Almost at the same time, a message popped up on my phone, cherishing words like gold: [Bro, I’m only in Seattle for three days.] Chapter 3 We’re all adults. Some things don’t need to be said explicitly. Ethan was telling me: I only have three days left to “please” him. Expiration date applies. I slumped heavily against the seat back, rubbing my brow irritably. A frame from the past flashed weirdly before my eyes. A narrow door crack. A dim bedroom. I saw Ethan with his knees bent, lying on the bed. One hand clutching a piece of black fabric, sniffing deeply under his nose. The other hand busy non-stop. Heaving chest. Rapid gasping. Actually aroused my romantic thoughts. I was startled by myself, turned and fled. But heard a suppressed low call from the door crack behind me. “Liam…” “Bro…” I was struck by lightning, couldn’t sleep all night. What was more fatal was. Early the next morning, I found two pairs of freshly washed CKs drying on the balcony. The white ones were Ethan’s. The black ones were mine, the ones he clutched in his hand last night. I had insomnia for a week. Finally submitted an application for assignment to an overseas branch. Ethan cried and begged me: “Bro, I was wrong.” “If you think I’m disgusting, I’ll change.” “I won’t like you anymore, is that okay?” “Please don’t abandon me, don’t go…” I was unmoved. Left for eight years. The living expenses regularly credited every month became the only connection between us. Ethan thought I was disgusted by him. Actually, I was disgusted by myself. I’m a closeted gay man! And Ethan hadn’t seen the outside world yet. His feelings for me were nothing more than imprinting. What bullshit love? My phone suddenly lit up in the dark car. A message from Nono’s mom popped up on the screen: [Mr. Thorne, sorry to disturb you so late.] [Nono wants to talk to you, is it convenient?] I adjusted my emotions and called back. A little girl’s tender voice came from the receiver: “Daddy, I didn’t cry at all when getting the shot today.” “Daddy, am I super brave?” Chapter 4 Been busy with work lately. I did neglect that poor little girl. The next day. I bought fruits and snacks, went specifically to the hospital to visit her. Nono was lively and cute. Unfortunately, she suffered from late-stage neuroblastoma at such a young age. Medical expenses were like a bottomless pit. In just one year, almost all my savings were spent. This is… The real reason why I must get Ethan’s project. I accompanied Nono for her shot. And carried her downstairs to sunbathe. Nono’s mom followed smilingly. Before parting, Nono held my finger, reluctant to let go: “Daddy, play with Nono a little longer.” Nono’s mom quickly corrected: “This is Uncle Liam, not your daddy.” Then apologized to me with an embarrassed smile: “Mr. Thorne, the doctor said this disease affects the brain, please don’t mind.” “It’s okay,” I touched the little girl’s cheek, “Nono be good, Uncle will come see you another day.” She obediently let go, waving at me: “Okay, bye Daddy!” Just at this moment. A familiar figure stopped not far away: “Bro?”

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1 In the company-wide group chat, the Head of Admin suddenly launched an attack. “Just saw a certain intern stumbling out of the CEO’s office, looking disheveled. Didn’t even bother to wipe her mouth clean. Talk about dedication!” The chat exploded. Everyone was guessing which department she was from. The supervisor, Brenda, didn’t stop there. “These Gen Z kids have no shame,” she sneered. “They’ll even stoop to the casting couch just to get a full-time offer. Absolutely no integrity.” “We kill ourselves working on proposals, and she gets an offer just by getting on her knees and opening her mouth.” “Isn’t she afraid of catching something? I can’t believe she’d go for that pretty-boy parachute CEO.” Finally, she sent a voice message, her voice dripping with contempt. “You shameless girl, you make me sick. The CEO just got engaged. You’re nothing but a homewrecker!” I frowned and typed a reply. “You might want to get your facts straight before you run your mouth.” A second later, she tagged me directly. “@Layla Oh, did I hit a nerve? You have the audacity to talk back? You want me to post the picture of you on your knees? You trash!” I was stunned. I was in my own father’s office helping him find a contact lens he’d dropped on the floor. How did that turn into me sleeping my way to the top? … I stared at the messages flooding my screen, my hand squeezing the mouse so hard I nearly crushed it. Brenda, the Head of Admin, was still on a rampage in the chat. “What’s the matter, Layla? Cat got your tongue? You act all innocent, but you’re a real piece of work behind closed doors, aren’t you?” “Everyone, come and see! This is the intern who will do anything to get ahead.” A photo appeared in the chat. The angle was malicious. Taken through a sliver of a gap in the blinds, it showed me kneeling in front of the office desk, my head bowed low. Because I was looking for a contact lens, the posture did look… suggestive. But I was just looking for something! Dozens of new messages popped up. “Oh my god, is that really Layla? She always seemed so quiet.” “You can never judge a book by its cover. Some people will do anything to stay.” “No wonder she got straight A’s on her performance review this month. She slept for them.” I took a deep breath and typed out a response. “Brenda, slander is illegal. I was helping the CEO find his contact lens.” The moment I sent it, Brenda’s sharp, piercing voice came through in another voice message. “Finding a contact lens? Who do you think you’re kidding? Does finding a lens require you to kneel between his legs?” “And you didn’t even wipe your mouth! What was that white stuff on the corner of your lips when you came out? Don’t tell me it was eye drops!” I subconsciously touched the corner of my mouth. It was a drop of milk from the glass I’d had earlier! Before I could explain, Brenda stormed over to my desk with a few of her cronies. Smack. A stack of files was slammed against my face. The sharp edge of the paper sliced my cheek, leaving a sharp, stinging pain. Brenda stood over me, pointing a finger at my nose. “You shameless thing. You still have the nerve to argue in the group chat?” “The entire company saw it. Do you think we’re all blind?” Colleagues started to gather around, pointing and whispering. “So disgusting. How did someone like her get into our company?” “Stay away from her. You don’t want to catch whatever she has.” “And the CEO… what’s he thinking? She’s not even that pretty.” I stood up, pushing the files off my lap. “Watch your mouth, Brenda.” “Do you have any proof? Or are you just going to sling mud with one misleading photo?” Brenda scoffed, crossing her arms. “Proof? I’ll go pull the security footage right now and let everyone see what you were up to!” Then her voice turned sly. “Oh, but there are no cameras in the CEO’s office, are there? That’s why you’re so bold.” She leaned in close, her voice a low, venomous whisper. “Listen to me, Layla. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll pack your things and get out. Don’t wait for me to blow this up. When I’m done, you won’t be able to find a job in this entire industry.” I looked at her twisted face and felt a cold laugh rising in my chest. Blow this up? I was counting on it. I couldn’t wait to see the look on my father’s face when he found out he was being labeled a sleazebag who preyed on interns. “I’m not leaving,” I said, looking her straight in the eye, my voice even. “I’ve done nothing wrong. Why should I leave?” “You, on the other hand, as Head of Administration, are publicly slandering a colleague and spreading malicious rumors. You’re the one who should be leaving.” Brenda laughed, a loud, exaggerated sound. “Ha! Me? You should take a good look at yourself!” “I’m a veteran employee. You’re an intern who hasn’t even gotten an offer yet. You think you can challenge me?” “Fine. You don’t want to leave? I have plenty of ways to make you.” She turned to the gawking crowd. “What are you all looking at? Don’t you have work to do? Is this piece of trash worth your time?” She shoved past me, her heels clicking angrily as she stalked away. The eyes of my colleagues were filled with contempt and disgust. Even the few other interns I was friendly with quietly shifted their desks a few inches away from mine. I sat back down and picked up my phone. A text from the “parachute CEO.” “Layla, did you find the lens? My vision is still a little blurry in this eye.” I typed back. “Found it. It’s next to the leg of your desk. Pick it up yourself.” “And Dad? Your company’s got some real gems working for it.” He sent back a single question mark. I ignored it. If Brenda wanted to play, I was more than ready to join the game. 2 The rest of the afternoon was torture. Brenda rejected all of my work, citing everything from incorrect formatting to half-assed content. She then dumped a pile of miscellaneous tasks on my desk that had nothing to do with my role. “Manually copy all of these archives. They’re needed for the meeting tomorrow morning.” “Also, clean the coffee machine in the breakroom, and the bathrooms are out of toilet paper. Go restock it.” I looked at the mountain of expired files and smirked. “Brenda, I’m an intern in the Operations department. I’m not a janitor or your personal assistant.” “These tasks are not part of my job description.” Brenda leaned back in her chair, casually filing her nails. “Interns have to start from the bottom. What’s the matter? Gotten too used to serving the CEO to do any real work?” “If you don’t want to do it, then get out. No one’s begging you to stay.” She paused, a malicious glint in her eye. “Oh, by the way, I heard the CEO’s fiancée is coming to inspect the company in a few days.” “If she finds out there’s a little fox trying to seduce her man, what do you think will happen to you?” A wave of snickers rippled through the office. “That’s obvious. She’ll be stripped naked and thrown out.” “The wives of these tycoons don’t mess around. Especially a new fiancée. She won’t tolerate any competition.” “Layla, if I were you, I’d buy a bus ticket home right now and hide.” I ignored their taunts and picked up the pile of archives. “Fine. I’ll copy them.” I wanted to see just how far she was willing to take this. I returned to my desk but didn’t start copying. Instead, I opened my laptop and started researching the company’s employee handbook and labor laws. Then, I sent an email to the Director of Human Resources, formally reporting Brenda for workplace harassment and slander. Less than ten minutes later, Brenda stormed over, her face red with fury. “Layla! You dare report me?” She snatched the mouse from my hand and slammed it on the floor. It shattered into pieces. “You think HR will listen to some intern’s whining?” “The Director of HR is my cousin! You want to bet I can have him fire you right now?” I looked at the broken plastic on the floor, my voice calm. “Destruction of company property. You’ll have to pay for that.” “As for firing me, you’re welcome to try.” Brenda’s chest heaved with rage. She raised her hand to strike me. I caught her wrist and threw her hand back. “Don’t get physical. There are security cameras here.” Brenda stumbled back, grabbing a desk to steady herself. She glared at me, her eyes filled with pure hatred. “Fine. You’ve got guts.” “Since you’re so desperate to stay, I’ll grant your wish.” “Tonight, the entire Operations department is working overtime. No one leaves until next quarter’s proposal is finished!” “Especially you, Layla. If you can’t finish it, you’ll kneel at the company entrance and bark like a dog!” Groans of despair erupted from the surrounding desks. “What? Overtime again? It’s all Layla’s fault.” “Yeah, she brings her drama here and drags us all down with her.” “Layla, if you want to crash and burn, do it on your own time! Don’t take us with you!” The blame shifted entirely to me. Brenda watched, a triumphant smirk on her face. “Hear that? That’s the voice of the people.” “You’re a rat, Layla. Everyone wants you gone.” I glanced around at the angry faces of my colleagues without a flicker of emotion. A bunch of fools being used as pawns. I sat down and pulled a spare mouse from my bag. “Overtime it is.” “But we’ll see who’s barking like a dog.” Brenda snorted. “Tough words.” “Tonight, I’m going to show you the meaning of a living hell.” She turned and walked into her office, slamming the door behind her. I watched her go, my expression turning cold. You brought this on yourself, Brenda. 3 At nine o’clock that night, the office was still brightly lit. Everyone was hunched over their desks, the air thick with resentment. Brenda had ordered a feast for herself: fried chicken, milk tea, and barbecue skewers covered her desk. She took pictures and posted them in the group chat while she ate. “Aw, is someone still eating bread? So pathetic.” “As long as everyone works hard tonight, you’ll be eating well with me from now on.” “As for the one dragging us all down, just let her starve. I’m sure she’s already full from sucking up to the CEO.” My colleagues, eager to curry favor, chimed in. “You’re the best, Brenda!” “Not like some people who only cause trouble.” “Brenda, save a drumstick for me! I’m almost done!” I quietly chewed on my whole-wheat bread, my eyes fixed on the data on my screen. This proposal was child’s play for me. My father had been training me in business strategy since I was a kid. I could write a plan of this caliber in my sleep. Ten minutes later, I stood up, walked over to Brenda’s desk, and placed the printed proposal in front of her. “It’s done.” Brenda froze, a chicken wing halfway to her mouth. “What? Done?” She snatched the document and flipped through it haphazardly. “Impossible! This is a month’s worth of work! You finished it in half an hour?” “You must have copied it! Or it’s just a piece of garbage you threw together!” Without even reading a single word, she ripped the proposal in half and threw it in the trash. “Do it again!” “How dare you bring this trash to me? Are you trying to insult my intelligence?” I looked at the shredded paper in the bin, my fists clenching at my sides. “You didn’t even read it, Brenda.” “Or can you not understand it?” My words hit their mark. She shot to her feet, enraged, and pointed a finger in my face. “Are you questioning my professional ability?” “I was a supervisor back when you were still in diapers!” “I said it’s not good enough, so it’s not good enough! Do it again! And you’re not going home until it’s perfect!” She picked up a cup of ice-cold Coke from her desk and threw it at me. The cold, sticky brown liquid ran down my hair and clothes. A collective gasp went through the office, followed by muffled, gleeful chuckles. “Ooh, a wet t-shirt contest.” “Now she really looks the part. No wonder the CEO is into her.” “Brenda’s a legend. That’s how you deal with people like her.” I wiped the soda from my face and took a deep breath. “This is the second time you’ve put your hands on me, Brenda.” Brenda arrogantly slammed the empty cup on the floor. “So what if I did? Go on, report me!” “Where’s your CEO sugar daddy? Why isn’t he here to save you?” “Oh, right, I forgot. His fiancée is coming tomorrow. He won’t have time for a piece of trash like you!” She laughed so hard her face jiggled. “Let me tell you something, Layla. When the CEO’s fiancée gets here tomorrow, I’m going to tell her everything.” “I’m going to let her get a good look at the little homewrecker you are.” “And then, I won’t even have to lift a finger. She’ll be the one to tear your face off!” I looked at her, cold as ice, like she was a clown in a circus. “Fine,” I said. “I’ll be waiting.”

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The holidays were upon us. I was in the kitchen, making Christmas cookies with my wife and daughter, when the phone rang. “Kai.” Just one word, and I knew who it was. Victoria. But we hadn’t spoken in seven years. The sound of her voice, after all this time, was a cold shock. What could she possibly want now? “What is it?” I asked, keeping my tone flat, emotionless. On the other end, her breathing hitched, turning ragged and desperate. “I’m downstairs. Can you come down?” “I have something really important I need to tell you—in person.” Downstairs? I walked to the living room window, pulling back the curtain. Sure enough, a sleek, black Mercedes S-Class was parked on the curb. She was leaning against the passenger door, head tilted back, looking up. My knuckles tightened white against the windowsill. The sight of that face, the one that mirrored my own so unsettlingly, didn’t stir kinship—only a sharp, residual ache. Important? What on earth could be important between us anymore? I didn’t answer. I just ended the call. 1. “Daddy, who was calling you?” My five-year-old daughter, Sunny, tottered over on her small legs, a smudge of flour on her cheek. I took her hand and led her back to the kitchen counter. “No one important, sweetie.” I gave her a smile. My wife, Olivia, stood by the table, her expression cautious. After a moment of hesitation, she asked the question she clearly couldn’t keep in. “Was that Victoria? Is your sister back in town?” The smile slid off my face. “Whether she’s back or not, it has nothing to do with me.” “I cut her out of my life seven years ago.” Olivia started to speak again, but she saw the look in my eyes and wisely pressed her lips into a thin line. A moment later, my phone buzzed with a text message. It was from my Uncle Jerry, Victoria’s unofficial envoy. Victoria had contacted him, he wrote, wanting to get the family together for dinner. He hoped I could attend. When I didn’t immediately reply, he followed up: “Kai, son, you both had your struggles back then, but it’s all in the past now…” He was pleading her case. He wasn’t the only one. Even Olivia, in her quiet way, had tried to gently push me toward reconciliation over the years. I didn’t understand. I was the one who was wronged—the one who had to pick up the pieces—and yet, I was the one people kept urging to forgive. Was it really just because of that flimsy excuse of kinship? She was no longer the sister who shielded me from bullies, who snuck me her favorite treats, or who listened to my teenage worries late into the night. She forfeited that right a long time ago. “Daddy, are we still going out today?” Sunny asked, pulling my thoughts back to the present. I nodded. “Yes, we are.” Olivia got up to warm the car. We deliberately circled the block to avoid the black Mercedes still waiting on the curb, and drove straight to Lakeview Memorial Park. Once out of the car, I held Sunny’s hand and walked ahead while Olivia followed, carrying a thermos and a small bouquet. Sunny, at five, was a whirlwind of curiosity. “Daddy, why do we come here every year for the holidays?” “Who lives here, Daddy?” “Look, Daddy, that rock is huge!” I squeezed her hand and gave her a gentle, wordless smile. We stopped at a simple, well-maintained stone marker. I knelt down with Sunny. I placed the small offering I’d brought—a freshly baked apple pie, his favorite—and started to speak, the words coming out as a familiar, mournful whisper. “I’m here again, Dad. Hope I’m not bothering you too much…” I lifted Sunny into my lap. “This is your granddaughter, Sunny. She’s five now. A handful, just like you always said I was when I was her age.” My eyes blurred. I wiped the dust from the simple, gray headstone, revealing the crisp, deep engraving: GEORGE PETERSON Erected by his son, Kai Peterson Victoria’s name was absent. It had been seven years, and I still refused to acknowledge her role here. 2. On the drive home, I leaned against the window, letting the cold air dry the moisture from my eyes. Olivia reached over and gently wrapped her hand around mine. I shook my head, signaling that I was fine. Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt. BANG! I lunged forward against the seatbelt, the sudden stop rattling my teeth. Sunny, startled, burst into terrified sobs. I fumbled with my seatbelt, turning immediately to pull her into my arms. “It’s okay, baby. Daddy’s here. It’s okay.” I looked up. The black Mercedes S-Class, the one that should have been downstairs at our condo, was blocking the road. Victoria threw open her door and rushed toward us, her face a mask of frantic urgency. But when she saw Sunny shaking and crying in my arms, her expression froze. “Kai, I just needed to stop you. I didn’t mean to—” I cut her off, my eyes locked on Olivia. “Drive. Now.” Olivia’s jaw was set. She sharply turned the wheel, the tires spitting gravel as we scraped past the front bumper of the Mercedes. In the rearview mirror, Victoria chased us for a few desperate steps. Her voice, thin and torn by the wind, barely reached me. “Kai! At least tell me… is Dad… is he okay?” I closed my eyes, a wave of cold fury washing over me. How did she have the audacity to ask that question? We pulled into the condo parking garage. I carried Sunny toward the elevator. Olivia parked the car but stayed rooted by the driver’s side door. “What’s wrong?” I asked, turning back. She looked troubled, twisting her hands together. “The hospital… they told me to take a ‘break.’ The Chief of Staff said they wouldn’t need me back in the outpatient clinic for a while.” A suspension? I frowned. Olivia wasn’t the most famous Nurse Practitioner at the hospital, but she was meticulous, dedicated, and had been there for years without a single complaint. There was only one possible reason. “Dr. Evans said… he thinks I might have upset the wrong person.” Upset the wrong person. There was no one else with the reach, the power, and the sheer nerve to leverage my wife’s job to get to me. Victoria. Back upstairs, after Sunny was finally rocked back to sleep, Olivia sat curled up on the couch, head down. I sat next to her, and she suddenly threw her arms around me, holding me tightly. “Kai…” Her voice was thick with emotion. “I can’t even imagine what you went through for those years, dealing with a sister that… that unhinged and driven.” Those years. They felt like a lifetime ago. “It’s just that now, I’ve dragged you into it.” My guilt was a bitter taste. Olivia shook her head. “No. This actually makes things easier. I have a friend who’s been asking me to join her private practice for months. I was too afraid to give up the stability of the hospital system… but now I don’t have to hesitate.” She gripped my hands, her eyes filled with resolve. “We’ll close ranks, Kai. We’ll live our life, just us.” I didn’t speak, just leaned my head against hers. The next day was the anniversary of Dad’s death. Every student he had mentored and sponsored over the years showed up, and his gravesite was covered in flowers. In the evening, I reserved a room at the old bistro he loved and invited them for dinner. After a few drinks, the heavy atmosphere finally lifted slightly. Sarah, a former student who sat across from me, fiddled with her wine glass. She hesitated for a long time before finally speaking. “Kai… there’s something I need to tell you.” “Victoria came back to the States and couldn’t find you. She contacted me through the alumni network last month.” “Your number… I gave it to her.” The second the words were out, Mark, another former student, slammed his glass down. “You gave her his number?!” he snapped. “Don’t you know she’s the last person Professor Peterson or Kai ever wanted to see?” Sarah tried to grab his sleeve, but he was too angry. “I’m going to say it! That man—Professor Peterson—he scrimped and saved, and Kai dropped out of college and worked dead-end jobs just to put her through medical school. They sacrificed everything!” “And she turned around and partnered with the son of the man who ruined her mentor. That betrayal—it was the final thing that broke your father!” The table went silent, all eyes on me. I gripped my wine glass until my hand ached. Finally, I shook my head. “It’s fine. It’s not worth dwelling on people who are irrelevant.” Just like Dad said on his deathbed: we just have to accept that some people in your life are only there to exact a toll. It’s okay. You cut them out and move on. As for the things Victoria did… it felt so distant. The first domino, I faintly remembered, was a man named Rhett. 3. Eight years ago, Victoria had been recruited to the City’s top hospital as a cutting-edge Neurosurgery Fellow. When Dad heard the news, his hands trembled with pride. He cooked a massive feast himself. I went to the train station to pick her up, just as she’d instructed. I saw her immediately as she walked out. But right next to her stood a striking man in a white cashmere coat. He was so handsome, he turned heads. I grinned, nudging her. “Well, hello, who is this… the lucky fiancé?” Victoria nodded, but her expression was strained. “Kai, when we get home, if Dad gets mad… please, talk him down.” I found her worry amusing. She was old enough to date; Dad would be thrilled. But my reassurance did nothing to calm her. All the way back, both of them seemed deeply worried. Victoria clung to Rhett’s hand, her knuckles white. When we walked in the door, Dad froze the moment his eyes landed on Rhett. He quickly recovered, however, and smiled, inviting us to sit. I gave Victoria a look: See? You worried for nothing. The dinner started well, the small talk flowing until Dad casually asked: “So, Rhett, what does your family do?” Rhett glanced nervously at Victoria, then spoke quietly. “My father is… also in medicine.” Victoria jumped in immediately. She explained that Rhett’s father was an old acquaintance of her mentor, and that she and Rhett had been together since college. It was a deep, serious relationship. Dad’s smile tightened. “What’s his name, son? Where does he practice?” Rhett gave a name. “Alistair.” Dad’s chopsticks clattered to the floor. The next second, he ripped the tablecloth off the table— Dishes, food, and silverware smashed onto the hardwood. Hot sauce splashed Rhett’s pristine coat. “Get out.” Dad’s voice was a low, terrifying growl. “Dad…” Victoria tried to shield Rhett, attempting to reason with him. But Dad just pointed at the door. “Get out!” I had never seen him so incandescent with rage. His face was blotchy and purple, like a wounded animal pushed into a corner. “As long as I draw breath, that man’s son will not step foot in my house!” Victoria, protecting a stunned Rhett, stumbled backward across the shattered ceramic and scattered food. It was only then that I understood. Victoria’s tense nervousness. Her desperate plea to “talk Dad down.” But it was too late. Dad banished them both. Victoria stood in the cold outside, her eyes blazing red, arguing with him. “Dad! That was the feud of your generation! It happened decades ago! Why can’t you let it go?” “Dad, Rhett and I are genuinely in love. We shouldn’t have to pay for your old grudges!” Dad didn’t answer. He slumped against the door frame, struggling for air. Terrified, I fumbled for his medicine bottle, my hands shaking as I unscrewed the cap. He swallowed the pills, then slid down the door until he was sitting on the floor, his hands covering his face. Tears leaked out between his fingers. “Your mother…” Dad’s voice was raw and broken. “When she heard what that bastard Alistair had done to me, her heart gave out. She went into the ER…” “I was the only person who could have performed that surgery, but my medical license had just been revoked… they wouldn’t let me into the operating room…” “I had to watch her…” I stood paralyzed. That night, Dad spoke of everything. How he had trusted his former colleague, Dr. Alistair. How he was betrayed, his research stolen, and slapped with the career-ending charge of plagiarism. He went from a top provincial surgeon to a disgraced outcast. “It was my fault, all my fault…” He looked up, his face stained with tears. He blamed himself for everything: the loss of Mom, the ruin of our family, and my having to drop out of college to work and pay for Victoria’s tuition. “I have nothing left,” he choked, gripping my arm with painful strength. “I only have my integrity left. Kai, do you understand?” I understood. Dad could never allow Rhett Alistair into our family. Victoria came back a few more times. I met her at the door, and each time, I slammed it in her face. The last time, she came to me. She begged me to steal the necessary family documents for her to get married. “Kai, just help me this one time… just get me the papers, please?” Her eyes were red-rimmed. “I’m only asking you this once. I really love Rhett. We are genuinely in love…” I refused. I stood firmly on Dad’s side. I watched the light slowly dim in Victoria’s eyes, replaced by a cold, alien resolve. I thought she would give up. But I forgot that my sister was never a person who gave up easily. She clawed her way out of poverty into a top PhD program and a prestigious hospital on sheer, almost pathological, ambition. I just never imagined that ambition would ever be aimed at me. 4. After the holidays, a thick blanket of snow shut down the city. But I had to get to the design competition. It was my only chance—the opportunity Dad had fought tooth and nail for, pulling in every favor he had, to get me a foot in the door of the professional world. As I was frantically looking for a ride, Victoria showed up at my door. “I’ll drive you,” she said. I didn’t hesitate. Two decades of brotherhood blinded me. I never suspected. She didn’t take me to the exhibition hall. Instead, she drove to a deserted, dilapidated old warehouse on the outskirts of town. “I’m sorry, Kai.” She locked the door. “I called Dad. It’s the paperwork for your competition.” The realization hit me like a physical blow. I suddenly knew exactly what she was doing. I threw myself at the door, screaming until my throat tore. “Vic! Let me out! You have to let me out!” “Don’t you understand, that competition is my life! It’s my only shot!” She didn’t answer. I could vaguely hear her on the phone with Dad. I knew I was bait now, the sharpest knife she could plunge into his conscience. “Vic! Open the door! Now!” My voice was raw. Time bled away, minute by minute, and the competition’s start time was approaching fast. Victoria made no move to let me go. She only spoke to the door: “Kai, just talk Dad into giving me the documents. It’ll be better for everyone.” I wouldn’t sacrifice my future. But I couldn’t… I couldn’t let the last shred of Dad’s integrity be ripped from him because of me. I begged her, my voice hoarse, on the verge of breakdown. Silence met me from outside the door. The last spark of hope died. I climbed onto the dusty windowsill and used a chair to smash the corroded latch. I jumped, not caring what happened next. The snow cushioned the fall, but a blinding, searing pain shot up my ankle. Dragging my injured leg, I scrambled through the knee-deep snow. “Kai!” Victoria’s enraged shout and the sound of her running footsteps followed me. My vision blurred with snow and tears. I just needed to run, to escape to the place that could save me. As I burst out of the alleyway— Blinding headlights and the shriek of tires tore through the snowy silence. The world dissolved into darkness with a shattering impact. … When I next woke up, I saw the sterile white ceiling of a hospital. Only Dad was there, his eyes hollow, having aged ten years overnight. I missed the competition. No—it was stolen from me. The tiny flame of hope that had burned so fiercely was suddenly, brutally snuffed out, leaving only cold ash. I heard later that Victoria had gotten the documents. Dad never said how, and I never asked. I only watched his back, hunched and broken, as he smoked, never straightening again. She and Rhett got married. The glaring red of the marriage license was a wound. While they busied themselves with wedding plans, Dad sat down with a few old relatives and signed the legal affidavit severing all ties with Victoria. “Some children are just here to exact a toll,” Dad said, collecting the paper, his voice calm, as if talking about a stranger. “The debt is paid. The connection is severed. It’s better for everyone this way.”

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My memory reset to ten years ago. When my mom told me my ex-husband, Sebastian Thorne, already had a fiancée, and my son, Leo, called another woman “Mom”… Me: ? “Are you kidding? I’m the fiancée of the Thorne family’s golden boy, Alexander. How could I have married the family’s bastard son? And have a rude kid with him? Do I not care about my reputation? How will I show my face in high society?” As soon as I finished speaking, I turned around. The father and son were staring at me, eyes red with anger. 1. The second year after my divorce from Sebastian. My family went bankrupt. My dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Before he died, he wanted to see his grandson, Leo, one last time. But Sebastian held full custody. I called Sebastian countless times before he finally answered. Hearing my request, he just scoffed. “Leo is busy with chess club. Why don’t you ask your fiancé to be the dutiful son-in-law?” The fiancé he mentioned was Alexander Thorne. His half-brother. Alexander was the golden boy of the Thorne dynasty, the chosen one. Sebastian was the illegitimate son, unacknowledged and despised. Growing up, he had no money, no status. Until three years ago, when Alexander ended up in a coma after an accident. Only then did Sebastian gain control of Thorne Enterprises. He hated Alexander deeply. Back then, he only pursued and married me because I was Alexander’s fiancée. He once told me to my face: “Marrying Chloe was just a means to an end. It wasn’t love.” So, I didn’t understand why he was bringing up my past with Alexander now. Maybe he just didn’t want to grant my father his dying wish. “Please… I’m begging you.” For my dad, I would have knelt and begged. He was silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke, voice void of emotion. “I’ll ask for Leo’s opinion.” A moment later, a childish voice came through the phone: “Can we go tomorrow? We agreed to pick up Auntie Sarah at the airport today.” “Auntie Sarah” was Sarah Miller, Sebastian’s first love. The one he called “the person I wronged the most in this life.” To get revenge and marry me, Sebastian abandoned her. How nice. Before we even divorced, they had rekindled their romance. Even the son I endured so much pain to birth was on their side. Thinking of this, I felt a bitter irony. I didn’t even notice the call had ended. That day, my dad passed away with regret. The day after my dad died, overwhelmed with grief, I got into a car accident. When I woke up, I saw my mom washing her face with tears. Confused, I asked, “Mom, aren’t I supposed to be at college? Why was I in a car accident?” 2. Sebastian had been on a business trip for a week. As soon as he landed, he heard about Chloe’s accident. He practically flew to the hospital, ordering his assistant to pick up Leo. On the way, memories flashed through his mind. Five years ago. To spite Alexander, he deliberately pursued Chloe. Chloe fell for him hard. For him, she defied her family and moved into his cramped apartment. Everyone laughed at her for choosing an illegitimate son, predicting a life of misery. But she didn’t care. “I’m tired of the rich life. I want to taste what ordinary life is like. Besides, you won’t let me suffer, right?” That sentence made him work even harder. Late nights coding, he would sometimes zone out. Didn’t he not love her? Why did he listen to her so much? As time passed, he realized he loved her desperately. Like any male in nature, he would go through fire and water for his chosen mate. Later, his startup took off. Their son was born. Sebastian thought his life was finally on track. He was no longer the pitiful worm in the gutter. Until one day. He took her to his old neighborhood. Late at night, drunk, he reminisced about the past he couldn’t let go of. “Just because I’m illegitimate, am I lesser than Alexander forever? I have to prove I’m better. First Chloe, then the company. I’ll take everything, piece by piece.” … He slumped down. “It’s just… I’m sorry to Sarah. She was the one I loved, but for revenge, I had to marry someone else.” Chloe had come to find him and heard everything. From then on, he lost his happiness again. 3. Chloe was a proud person. After marrying him, she never took a penny from her family. She knew people laughed at her for abandoning the Thorne heir to suffer with him. But she looked down on them too. “At least my husband is handsome and loves me. Unlike theirs, ugly and cheating!” She was so confident, always thinking she wouldn’t lose. So in that moment, how heartbroken must she have been? If not for their son, if not for him refusing to give up custody, she would have divorced him long ago. But even without divorce, their marriage was empty. She never treated him well again, never acted cute, never hung on him praising his looks. All happiness was gone. But how could he be reconciled? So, he used every trick. He made it look like he loved Sarah, initiated the divorce, and used Leo’s affection to force Chloe to compromise. To force her to be a loving couple with him again. He had had enough of being alone. Until now, with Chloe’s accident, he realized he had gone too far. He regretted it. He realized that in this world, only Chloe never despised him for being illegitimate. Even though he controlled Thorne Enterprises now, he knew no one truly respected him. They were all waiting for Alexander to wake up. In this world, only Chloe would abandon Alexander and run to him. He wouldn’t torment Chloe anymore. 4. In the hospital. The medical equipment was slowly moved away. I opened my eyes and heard the doctor. They said I had amnesia. I lost ten years of memories. From thirty back to twenty. I still thought I was a college student. My mom sighed. “Maybe it’s better to forget. At least you won’t humiliate yourself in front of that father and son anymore.” Me: ? Father and son. “Who?” Facing my blank stare, my mom told me everything. Then she ran outside to cry. Leaving me alone to process. Turns out, in these ten years, I married and divorced. When I married Sebastian, he was worthless. When we divorced, he replaced Alexander as the CEO of Thorne Enterprises. Later, Sebastian got a new fiancée. Leo acknowledged a new mom. A happy family of three. And I, shamelessly, kept trying to see Leo, even though he didn’t appreciate it and threw my birthday gifts on the ground. “After all, he’s your flesh and blood. How could you not care?” My mom’s words echoed in my ears. As if I were truly a tragic mother missing her son. But… I had no memory of it. I didn’t believe it. Hard to believe. And felt ashamed. “No way—are you lying? Aren’t I Alexander’s fiancée? How could I marry the Thorne family’s bastard son? And have a rude kid? Do I not care about my reputation? How will I show my face in high society?” After all, I grew up flaunting my status as Alexander’s fiancée. Marrying an illegitimate son? The Thorne family doesn’t allow illegitimate children. Does that mean I lived a hard life? The circle must be laughing their heads off. Thinking this, I felt a chill on my neck, as if being watched. I turned around instinctively. Two people, one tall, one short, looking very much alike. They stared at me, eyes red.

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After blocking him, he sent me my IP address with a straight face. “You’re at Lancaster University too?” “You better pray I don’t catch you.” “Or else, I’m going to f*ck you up.” 01 Reading these three anonymous messages, I was shivering in my English Literature class. Because the victim, the academic god Silas Vance, was sitting right in front of me. He looked focused, seemingly listening to the lecture, but in reality, the pen in his hand was about to snap. I could tell he was furious. He had been contacting me from different numbers for days. I ignored them all. So he resorted to crawling the web and digging out my IP address. Doomed. Silas Vance wants to “f*ck me up”? How exactly? I looked at his biceps, clearly sculpted from frequent gym sessions. Even under his loose sportswear, the muscle definition was visible. One punch, and I’d be in pieces, right? I sat on pins and needles for the entire class. As soon as class ended, I sprinted back to the dorm. The first thing I did was shut down my computer. After that day, I didn’t dare turn on my computer to play games for a whole month. 02 My feud with Silas Vance started two months ago. Silas was the perfect student, beating me in every competition. This year, sophomore year, I missed out on the scholarship again. Because Silas participated in the university’s computer software competition and got an A-grade award. Everyone in that competition was a genius, mostly grad students. I heard Silas’s aunt was the dean. Who knows what strings were pulled to get him into that team. Wasn’t this blatant nepotism? I was indignant. Just then, my childhood friend failed a class and came crying to me, begging me to write his paper. “Come on, isn’t Lancaster full of talent? Writing a paper is nothing to you. Just help me this once, I’ll give you five thousand bucks, and I’ll call you Daddy forever.” “I’m a Law major, you’re Computer Science. What do I know about…” Suddenly, I paused. Didn’t Silas minor in Law? Immediately, I agreed to my friend’s request. Not for the five thousand bucks. Mainly because I wanted a new son. That night, I registered a burner account and started my journey of flirting. I sent Silas a picture of a girl with a great body I found online. [Me: Hey handsome, wanna hang out?] Not long after, he replied. [Him: I like men.] Me: ? Then I saw the red exclamation mark. Blocked? Damn, bad start. Frustrated, I registered another burner account using my dad’s number. This time I was more cautious. I liked his tweets every day, commented occasionally. Until one day, he replied, asking if I was also into programming. I knew my chance had come. I pretended to be a straight guy, saying I was a Law major just interested in CS. Gradually, we chatted more and more. One ambiguous night. I “accidentally” sent him a mirror selfie, just showing my waist. Everyone who saw my waist praised it. Slim, curvy, and fair skin. [Me: God Silas, I lost so much weight recently.] [Him: What happened?] [Me: Can’t write my paper. Professor said if I don’t submit, I’ll fail again. It’s too hard (crying emoji)] “Typing…” appeared for a long time. [Me: Gotta go, might not have time to chat recently.] He replied instantly— [Him: Wait. I’ll help you. Send me the topic.] In the dark dorm room, I laughed maniacally under my covers. God Silas, just wait until I play you like a dog. … I promised Silas that if he helped me finish, we would meet up, and I might even date him. He was hooked, saying good morning and good night every day. Later, Silas sent me the completed paper in less than a week. Low plagiarism rate, clearly written with care. I thanked him. [Victim #1: When do we meet? Sunday works? Weather is nice.] [Victim #1: Is your waist really that slim? Feels like one hand could hold it.] [Victim #1: Can I see other photos?] [Victim #1: Why aren’t you replying? Did I offend you?] Just as Silas sent the apology. The next second, he received the notification that he was blocked. I could imagine the look of shock on his face. So satisfying. 03 My friend’s five thousand hit my account. I immediately bought a new pair of Jordans. Went to the basketball court, and of course, ran into Silas Vance. I was changing in the locker room. Shirt off. I thought the footsteps behind me were my teammates. “Who are we playing next? I don’t want to play forward anymore.” The person behind didn’t speak. I turned around and saw Silas staring at my waist. I jumped, quickly covering my upper body with my jersey. “What are you doing?” Silas looked away. “Sorry. You were blocking my locker.” I felt guilty, quickly putting on my jersey and leaving. To avoid Silas recognizing the online pic, I had sent a picture of my slim waist. Did he recognize it? But I used a filter on that photo. Judging by his reaction, he probably didn’t. Walked onto the court. Didn’t expect my friends had called Silas and his crew to play. I stared at Silas’s tall figure. Damn, how do I win against that? The whistle blew. I played uneasily. Thought I’d lose miserably, but Silas wasn’t that good. I dunked on him several times. Just now, in a face-off, I almost fell, and he gentlemanly held my waist. I scored a three-pointer and won the game. I actually beat Silas Vance for once? So satisfying. I lifted my shirt to wipe the sweat from my forehead. Silas was drinking water, but his gaze drifted over. I quickly put my shirt down. After the game, Silas asked if we wanted to grab dinner together. I said I was busy and slipped away. 04 Even though we were in the same class, I didn’t interact much with Silas. Half a month passed, and Silas hadn’t found me. Must have let it go, right? After all, Lancaster U is huge. How could he pinpoint me? School anniversary, holiday. I signed up for a hiking trip with my club, three days and two nights. I arrived late at the meeting point. Everyone had already been assigned rooms at the hotel. The club president pointed to a guy on the corner sofa: “There. You sleep with him tonight.” I looked over and met Silas’s deep eyes. I paused, shaking my head frantically. “President, are there any other rooms?” “No. Others are couples or girl groups. The only single guy left is Silas. You’re both guys, no problem.” Huge problem, okay? I was terrified he’d see my body. After dinner, the president organized some interactive games to break the ice. I deliberately sat far away from Silas. I sat next to the president, Ethan. Ethan was very gentle, taking care of everyone. Seeing me lose too much, he even took the penalties for me. Across the crowd. I locked eyes with Silas from afar. He was quietly drinking orange juice, his gaze like a dormant wolf. At the time, I didn’t understand why he kept staring at me. At night, back in the room. He closed the door and locked it. I came out of the shower to find him standing right outside the bathroom door. I was startled, tried to step around him. But he blocked the door, his gaze sweeping over my bathrobe at the waist. “Do you know Chuck?” “Huh? Who’s that?” I pretended to be calm, but was panicking inside. Chuck was my childhood friend. Silas stepped closer. “Lucas, stop pretending. “Or should I call you… Li Yue?” “……” Li Yue was the fake name I used when catfishing him. Doomed. I stepped back, slipped on the water. Silas caught me. His eyes were deep, teeth gritted. “It really is slim. I thought the mole on your waist looked familiar last time. “Lucas, was it fun playing me? Do you know how I spent this past month? “Remember what I said? What happens if I catch you?” I swallowed hard. “Didn’t you say you’d f*ck me up? Come on then if you dare.” He sneered: “Don’t cry later.” I clenched my fists, ready. When it comes to fighting, I’ve never been afraid. But Silas suddenly stepped forward and locked the bathroom door. Grabbed a bottle of body wash. ?

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At twenty, I knitted my first scarf and gave it to my secret crush, Seraphina Sinclair. At her birthday party, amid mocking gazes, she accepted it. Three days after my sister’s death, I went to the university to withdraw. In the admin office, I overheard people sorting through files. “Are you really throwing out that scarf from hick Asher?” “This thing? It’s not even as nice as the designer coat Wyatt gave her. A hotel towel is probably better. Just toss it.” “If I’d known she didn’t want her lapdog’s gift, I’d have used it as a foot rag. What a waste of all that knitting.” Wyatt. Her childhood sweetheart. Seraphina laughed, balled up the scarf, and tossed it toward the other girl. It missed, landing beside the trash can — a pitiful sight. Our eyes met briefly. I said nothing, just picked up my papers and left. I knew I had no right to question her. Six years later, back in Northgate, I heard a rumor: Seraphina Sinclair, the city’s most famous heiress, had a long-lost love who’d been missing for years. 1 I came back to Northgate to expand my clothing brand. On opening day, a familiar face walked into the new boutique. “Asher?” I was straightening clothes on a rack. It had been years since I’d used that name. The sound of it made me freeze for a moment. When I turned, I was met with a pair of wide, shocked eyes. The woman in front of me looked vaguely familiar, her features sharp and elegant, her clothes tailored from expensive fabric. But I couldn’t place her. I offered an awkward smile. “I’m sorry, you are?” She subconsciously scratched her head. That gesture instantly brought it all back. Sienna. One of Seraphina’s friends. The same girl from the office six years ago who wanted to use my scarf as a foot rag. A young man stood beside her, his arm linked with hers. He was tall, slender, and had a warm smile. We sat in the VIP lounge. While her boyfriend was in the fitting room, Sienna looked around my store. “You… you own this place? This brand has been blowing up lately. I can’t believe you’re the one behind it…” A flicker of embarrassment crossed her face as a memory surfaced. “The things I said back then… I was just joking. Please don’t take it to heart. I’ve actually wanted to apologize for years, but I couldn’t find you.” “Where have you been all this time? Why did you just drop out of university like that? Not a single word…” Her voice trailed off, growing quieter. I calmly took a fruit platter from a server and placed it on the table. “I didn’t go anywhere special. Just went back to my hometown for a while.” Back to my hometown, where I changed my name and restarted my life. She was about to ask more when her boyfriend came out of the fitting room. The clothes fit him perfectly, and he was so pleased that he bought several other styles on the spot. “You know,” he said thoughtfully, “your autumn/winter collection is a bit incomplete. Other stores usually cross-promote with matching hats, brooches, shoes, and scarves.” “I noticed when I was trying things on that you don’t have any matching scarves. I think that’s something you could improve on.” I explained gently, “We aren’t planning to add scarves to our line just yet. I’m sorry about that. As a courtesy, I can give you thirty percent off your purchase…” As they were leaving, Sienna spoke up hesitantly. “You know, all these years, Seraphina has been…” A loud crash of metal echoed through the store. I turned to see a half-installed clothing rack topple over. I sighed, rubbing my forehead. Great, now I have to put it up all over again. Sienna was still talking. I gave her a rushed nod and turned to instruct an employee to handle the mess. Her face lit up, and she quickly pressed an invitation into my hand. “Then it’s settled! It’s Seraphina’s birthday tomorrow. You have to come!” Before I could refuse, she hurried away, giving me no chance to back out. My business partner, Penny, stretched as she came out from the back. “What was that noise? It woke me up. What’s this… Seraphina Sinclair?” Her eyes were glued to the invitation in my hand. Her arms, frozen mid-stretch, forgot to come down as she gasped out the name. I was a little confused. “You know her?” Penny nodded vigorously, her sleep-deprived eyes suddenly shining. “Of course! The Seraphina Sinclair? I saw her at a fashion show a while back.” “She was sitting in the front row, so tall and gorgeous. She took over her family’s company right out of college, and under her leadership, their profits have skyrocketed…” “Wait, is that a birthday invitation? How did you get that?” “Sienna gave it to me,” I said flatly. At that, Penny’s eyes filled with a new level of awe. 2 “Sienna?! Oh my god, Cade, how many powerful people do you know that I don’t?” “First Sienna, now Seraphina… but…” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “I heard Seraphina has someone she loves.” “But he disappeared, and she’s been searching for him for years, turning the city upside down. I remember hearing his last name was… Grant. What a coincidence, Cade, your original last name was Grant too!” I dropped my gaze, cutting off her fantasy. “Don’t get any ideas. There are a lot of people with that name.” “So, are you going to her birthday party tomorrow?” “No.” She looked disappointed but seemed more fascinated by my connections. A chilly autumn wind rustled, sending fallen leaves skittering across the pavement. I pulled my coat tighter, my hand instinctively going to my neck, which suddenly felt cold. Under Penny’s relentless questioning, I finally unsealed the past I had deliberately buried deep in my heart. “I had a crush on Seraphina Sinclair. Back when I was a boy.” “It was a complete and utter failure.” On the first day of university, during introductions, student after student went on stage, confidently sharing their hobbies and dreams. When my turn came, I felt a wave of shame. My family was poor. My mother died in childbirth. My father raised us alone. When I was a sophomore in high school, he was diagnosed with cancer. My older sister, Clara, dropped out of school to work and pay for his treatment, but the mountain of medical bills was still crushing us. When I stepped on stage, my palms were sweating. My stammering introduction made the other students laugh. “Where did this hick come from? Is he actually wearing a floral shirt? That’s so out of style. Hasn’t he ever heard of fashion?” “I saw him on move-in day. His family seemed really poor. Two of the wheels on his suitcase were broken, but he couldn’t even afford a new one…” “He can’t even introduce himself properly. Get him off the stage already, he’s wasting our time!” I stood there helplessly, clutching the hem of my shirt, my face burning. My dad and sister had taken me shopping for this shirt before I left for school. I told them it was too expensive, but my dad just smiled and paid. “Don’t worry about the money. Wear something nice on your first day. Make a good impression.” It wasn’t cheap—almost two hundred dollars, half of my living expenses for a month. Humiliated, I turned to leave the stage when a clear voice cut through the chatter. “Who said it’s ugly? I think it looks good.” Everyone fell silent. I followed the voice and saw her. Seraphina Sinclair, leaning back in her chair with a lazy confidence, chewing gum. As she spoke, her eyes were fixed on me. In that moment, the world seemed to fade to grey. All I could see were her bright eyes and the slight smile on her lips. Penny nodded thoughtfully, shaking my arm with excitement. “So that’s when you started crushing on her? A beautiful girl defending you when you were in trouble… I would’ve fallen for her too.” I took a calm sip of tea. Actually, no. My real connection with Seraphina began during winter break. I was working at a car wash to earn tuition money when the sound of an argument grew louder. A car screeched to a halt in front of the shop. A meticulously wrapped bouquet of flowers was thrown from the window, landing squarely on my head as I bent over to adjust a machine. “Seraphina, what’s with the attitude? I came back to make things right with you, and this is how you treat me?” Seraphina’s dismissive laugh floated out. “Wyatt, I picked you up from the airport so your parents wouldn’t lose face. What makes you think I was waiting for you to come back?” “We promised we’d go to an Ivy League school together, but you left for Europe without a word. You have the right to chase your dreams, so don’t I have the right to chase love?” Wyatt scoffed. “Love? Don’t tell me the great Seraphina Sinclair has fallen for someone else.” Seraphina turned her head, and her gaze met mine as I rubbed my sore head. She smiled suddenly. “You thought I couldn’t live without you?” “Wyatt, let me tell you something. From now on, I can be with anyone but you.” With that, she got out of the car, pulled a black velvet box from her pocket, and tossed it to me. “It’s yours.” Wyatt was so angry he was on the verge of tears. “The little brother washing cars on the side of the road? Him too?” Seraphina’s reply was flippant. “Yes.” Wyatt got out of the car, his eyes red, and disappeared into the crowded street. He didn’t look back, so he didn’t see Seraphina’s gaze linger on his retreating back. From that day on, I became Seraphina’s little follower. She was paying me to be part of her act. As long as I played my part well, the money was good. 3 I agreed. I became the tool she used to provoke Wyatt. I spent almost the entire winter break with her. At parties, she would gently wipe the beer foam from my lips. When she lost at truth or dare, she would laugh and take the penalty drink for me, declaring that no one was allowed to bully me. On snowy nights, she would walk me home, her umbrella tilted toward me even as snowflakes collected on her own shoulders. When I caught a cold, she took me to the clinic, registered me, and stayed with me while I got an IV drip. Watching her rush around, something in my heart stirred. There were moments when I almost believed she really was my girlfriend. One evening, at a fancy restaurant, she mimicked a couple at the next table. “I want a scarf that you knit yourself,” she said. Her tone was casual, but I took it to heart. I started secretly gathering materials. I was clumsy, knitting and unraveling, unraveling and knitting, until parts of the yarn lost their elasticity and the stitches became crooked. At first, Wyatt didn’t care. He couldn’t believe Seraphina would actually fall for someone like me—ordinary, plain, completely unremarkable. But as the break wore on and she continued to ignore him, he started to panic. At a bar, her friends started jokingly calling me her boyfriend. Seraphina casually pulled down the collar of her shirt, revealing a temporary tattoo on her collarbone: the initials of my name. Everyone gasped, saying she had finally fallen for real. In that moment, something in Wyatt snapped. He grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it over my head, the butterfly tattoo on his wrist trembling. “Asher Grant, who the hell do you think you are? You think a poor kid from the sticks is worthy of stealing her from me?” Crimson blood trickled down from my eyebrow into my eye, turning my vision red. But I could still see her clearly. Seraphina, a faint smile on her lips, her eyes locked on Wyatt. She was desperately trying to hide the pain in her eyes. This was what she wanted: for Wyatt to feel regret, to go mad, to lose his mind completely. Just as Wyatt was about to break, Seraphina finally dropped her act. She pulled him into a fierce embrace, her lips finding his in a restrained, desperate kiss. “It was a temporary tattoo, you idiot. Did you really believe it?” No one cared about me, the guy with a head full of blood. The same people who had been calling me her boyfriend were now cheering for their love. I quietly slipped away with the other rich kids, leaving them their space. After getting my head stitched up, I buried the half-finished scarf in the deepest part of my closet. Seraphina didn’t contact me for the rest of the semester. She had probably forgotten I even existed. She and Wyatt seemed to be getting closer. Sometimes in class, I would see her on a video call with him. The way she looked at him was always so gentle. Because of the time difference, he was usually in bed, looking like a lazy, noble cat. For some reason, my heart ached. I remembered a time we were lying on the grass, looking at the stars, and she suddenly said, out of nowhere, “I wish it could always be like this.” I was confused. “Like what?” She went quiet, and after a long moment, she just shook her head and said it was nothing. Later, my dad’s medical bills became urgent. My sister’s advanced salary wasn’t enough to cover everything. Desperate, I remembered that Seraphina still owed me my final payment. So I worked up the courage to find her at her usual bar. She seemed to be fighting with Wyatt again. She was shrouded in darkness, the air around her chillingly cold. She told me she needed me to play a part one last time. So I did. I staged my own kidnapping. The media reported on Seraphina’s dramatic rescue, her deep affection and concern for me plain for all to see. She had successfully provoked Wyatt again. And I got the money to pay my dad’s medical bills. Two weeks later, she handed me a birthday invitation. I took it, my mind racing, trying to figure out what kind of gift to get her. She seemed to have everything. I couldn’t afford anything expensive, and she would look down on anything cheap. My gaze eventually fell on the unfinished scarf. When I presented it to her at her birthday party, the room fell silent, then erupted in jeers. Seraphina didn’t laugh. I started to withdraw my hand in embarrassment, but she grabbed my wrist. “Thank you. It’s beautiful. I love it.” It wasn’t until much later that I realized this was probably just another performance for Wyatt’s benefit. The next day, it was pouring rain. Amidst the claps of thunder, I received a phone call. “Is this Asher Grant? Is Clara Grant your sister? There was an accident at the construction site. She was gone by the time she got to the hospital. We need a family member to come sign the papers…” The foreman said her safety rope wasn’t secured properly during high-altitude work. I didn’t believe it. My sister was never that careless. I tried to ask for more details, but the construction company paid out fifty thousand dollars and closed the case. I held the money, feeling numb, the tears not yet coming. At the same time, my dad found out about my sister. At the hospital, he hesitated for a long time before his voice trembled. “The doctor said it’s terminal. The medicine isn’t working anymore. Asher, I’m done with treatment.” I refused, insisting he stay. But he started packing his things and walked out without looking back. At the hospital entrance, I fell to my knees, blocking his path. “Dad, I’m begging you, please get treatment! You’re all I have left! I’ll pay for it, no matter the cost! I’ll drop out of school, I’ll work, I’ll get the money!” “Clara is gone! I don’t want to live without you, don’t you understand?” “I’m begging you, on my knees!” Passersby stopped to watch, shaking their heads with pity. In a hospital, scenes like this were a daily occurrence, nothing out of the ordinary. Three days after handling my sister’s funeral, I went to the university to withdraw. And that’s when I overheard Seraphina talking about throwing away my pathetic scarf. Penny gasped. “How could that happen…” The wind chimes at the entrance jingled as a cold draft swept in. I fell silent, discreetly wiping a tear from the corner of my eye. Before I could say “welcome,” a pair of rain-splattered high heels entered my line of sight. “Asher… is it really you?”

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After discovering my rich boyfriend was a serial cheater addicted to online dating, I didn’t cry. Instead, I registered nine fake accounts and catfished him as nine different “dream girls.” My best friend screamed, “You are such a simp! You’re going to get played!” But on Valentine’s Day, I received ten different luxury gifts. She looked at the pile of designer boxes and gave me a thumbs up. “You’re not a simp. You’re a CEO.” 1. On Valentine’s Day, my best friend Chloe and I hauled ten packages back from the mailroom. I opened the first one addressed to my real name, Harper. It was a lipstick set. Maybe a hundred bucks, tops. Chloe shoved her phone in my face, sneering. “See that? To Caleb, you’re worth a trip to Sephora.” I smiled, didn’t say a word, and kept opening boxes. “Harper, seriously,” she groaned. “You need to touch grass. Dump him!” I opened the second box. Chloe’s jaw dropped. “Whoa, who sent that? That’s heavy.” I stayed silent and kept ripping open packaging. By the time I was done, the floor was covered in loot: A Chanel classic flap bag, a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet, a Cartier ring, gold bars… Chloe’s eyes were the size of dinner plates. “Caleb sent… all of these?” 2. Caleb is my boyfriend. We met online. He’s a trust fund baby, a bona fide rich kid. Initially, I was attracted to his money. He was attracted to my voice. Before we even met in person, I mentioned my phone battery was dying. Caleb overnighted me the newest iPhone. My cat spilled water on my laptop; a MacBook Pro arrived the next day. Eventually, love-brain took over. Caleb flew to Los Angeles, bought a condo, and we moved in together. He convinced me to quit my 9-to-5. He gave me a $2,000 monthly allowance and showered me with surprises. I lived a life I used to only see on Instagram. I swapped my Old Navy flip-flops for Jordans and Jimmy Choos. I used La Mer on my ankles. I wouldn’t touch a bag unless it cost four figures. Dripping in gold, living the dream. Everyone said I was the main character in a romance novel. After all, Caleb was rich, handsome, and had abs. But six months in, I caught him sexting other girls. I cried in Chloe’s arms for three hours. She begged me to dump him. I couldn’t do it. Who in their right mind breaks up with an ATM? The next day, I registered nine burner accounts on Instagram and Snapchat. I created personas: The Texas Cowgirl who loves BBQ and trucks, the E-Girl obsessed with anime and cosplay, the NYC Intellectual who quotes Nietzsche, the struggling LA Actress… Chloe called me pathetic. I ignored her and added Caleb on every account. When I went back to the condo, pretending I knew nothing, Caleb told me his mom was sick and he had to fly back to the East Coast for a month. I nodded like a good girlfriend. “I’ll pack some gifts for your mom.” Caleb was so touched he Venmo’d me $10,000 on the spot. “Buy whatever you want while I’m gone,” he said, looking guilty. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. Ten grand? Sweetie, I’m just getting started. After Caleb left, I juggled ten personalities. I kept a spreadsheet: which persona talked about what, which address to send gifts to, what their “love language” was. My acting was Oscar-worthy. My typing speed was god-tier. By the time Valentine’s Day rolled around, I had manipulated Caleb into sending ten separate gifts. Was it a lot of work? No. It was billable hours. Chloe looked at the haul and saluted me. “You are my hero.” 3. Ten burner phones were lined up on the coffee table. I picked up the “Texas Cowgirl” phone and sent a voice note with a thick accent: “Got the gift, cowboy. When are we gettin’ ribs?” Then the “NYC Intellectual” phone: “Received. Adequate. I expect better effort next time.” Then the “E-Girl” phone: “Omg thank you Daddy for the cosplay fit! uwu.” … Chloe watched the operation in stunned silence. “You are terrifying.” She asked what I planned to do with the loot. I kept the lipstick. The rest went straight to The RealReal and Poshmark. The notifications of cash deposits were music to my ears. My savings account was hitting $60,000. Just a little longer, and I could buy my own place. Just as I was celebrating, Caleb texted. He was coming back. I couldn’t be in the same room with him; I had nine other boyfriends to manage. So, I booked tickets to Cabo for Chloe and me. I sent Caleb a voice note sounding heartbroken: “Babe, I’m so sorry. Chloe just went through a brutal breakup. I’m taking her to Mexico to cheer her up.” Caleb texted back: “I’ll come too! I’ll carry your bags.” Stay away, you clingy cheater. I replied patiently: “I don’t think that’s a good idea. She’s really fragile right now. Seeing us so happy and in love would just crush her.” After some back and forth, Caleb finally agreed. To compensate me, he transferred another $15,000. “Have fun, babe. I got you VIP tickets to that festival you wanted.” If my nine other phones weren’t buzzing with his “I miss you” texts, I might have actually believed he loved me. We partied in Cabo for a week. I worked remotely as a customer service rep for his love life. When we flew back to LA, Caleb picked us up in his new G-Wagon. I pinched Chloe until she started crying. “See?” I whispered to Caleb. “She’s a wreck.” In the car, I pretended my phone died and used Caleb’s phone to navigate. I quickly checked his archived chats. Good. He had deleted the conversations with my nine alter egos. That night, while Caleb showered, I executed the plan. I used the nine phones to text him. Nine messages, staggered two minutes apart. When he came out, I pointed at his phone on the coffee table. “Babe, your phone is blowing up. Is it an emergency?” Caleb looked panicked. He grabbed the phone, turned his back to me, and checked. “Nothing. Just spam. Group chats.” “Oh,” I said, giving him a knowing look. He sat down and wrapped his arm around me. “I felt bad about missing Valentine’s Day. I want to make it up to you.” Caleb, the guilt-ridden liar, went all out. He took me to the most expensive sushi place in Nobu, rented a private yacht for sunset, and set up a romantic proposal scene. Proposal? Bro, are you serious? What is this plot twist? 4. I excused myself to the bathroom and called Caleb’s mom. “Mrs. Sterling, your son is proposing. What do I do?” Mrs. Sterling’s voice was calm. “Say yes.” I hung up, looked in the mirror, and hyped myself up. Fine. It’s just a ring. Here’s the backstory: While I was in Cabo, Mrs. Sterling contacted me. She knew everything. She knew about the nine accounts. Instead of threatening to sue me or send me to jail, she offered me a deal. She wanted me to teach her son—who was addicted to online romances—a lesson. The reward? A villa in the Hollywood Hills. Title in my name. “Why should I trust you?” I had asked. “Because you’re the longest relationship he’s ever had,” she said. “You don’t ask questions as long as the money clears. You’re pragmatic. I like that.” So, Mrs. Sterling and I became partners. Caleb was a hopeless romantic with a wandering eye. I was his tenth “real” girlfriend, but the only one who stuck around because I treated him like a job. With his mom’s blessing, I walked out and said yes. The diamond was huge. I posted it on Instagram immediately. Chloe called me screaming. “He’s trash! I support scamming him, but marriage? You’re ruining your life!” “Who stays married forever these days anyway?” “Harper… you can’t tie yourself to a sinking ship.” “You’re thinking too small,” I whispered. “To a gold digger like me, Caleb isn’t a man. He’s a golden goose.” Two days later, I took Chloe to a commercial space under renovation on Melrose Avenue. “Pick a spot. What do we want to put here?” Chloe looked confused. “You’re acting like you own the place.” I pulled the deed out of my bag. Chloe’s scream shattered glass. “Caleb bought you a storefront?!” “Not just bought,” I corrected. “Fully funded operational costs.” “How… how did you do that?”

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It was the 99th time Tessa and I were supposed to get our marriage license. After a single phone call, she told me she had to take her uncle for a medical check-up. We’d have to do it another time. I was about to protest when a stream of text suddenly materialized before my eyes. 【Don’t. Just let her go.】 【In your past life, your girlfriend insisted on going with her uncle. You went back to the observatory alone and predicted that the dormant volcano next to Fenton Creek would erupt tonight. You intercepted Tessa and forced her to go back to the village, saving her grandfather.】 【Her uncle, Adrian, was diagnosed with terminal cancer during his solo check-up. In despair, he threw himself from the hospital roof.】 【After Adrian’s death, Tessa blamed you for everything. She laced your dinner with rat poison and killed you.】 … I froze, every muscle in my body locking up. As the text continued to flicker, a searing pain erupted in my abdomen—the phantom memory of being poisoned, so vivid it felt like it was happening all over again. Seeing me stunned, Tessa’s voice sharpened with impatience. “Sean, get out of my way! I have to get my uncle to the hospital!” I stared at her familiar face, a storm of emotions churning inside me. Could she really hate me so much over Adrian’s death? Enough to murder me? Tessa and I had worked together for years at the Volcano Observatory. Proximity had blossomed into love. But she’d always been honest about one thing: she’d been in love with her sickly uncle, Adrian, since they were children. Adrian was her grandfather’s adopted son, and her grandfather had strictly forbidden any romantic relationship between them. She never brought it up again, but her feelings for Adrian remained something more than familial, yet not quite a lover’s. She could never fully commit to us. I loved Tessa deeply and was still willing to marry her. I did everything I could for her, hoping my devotion would eventually win her heart. But it wasn’t long before she asked Adrian to move in with us. She gave him the master bedroom and relegated me to the guest room, claiming his poor health required round-the-clock care. I told myself it didn’t matter. They were just family. … “Are you even listening to me?” Tessa’s shrill voice sliced through my thoughts. I snapped back to reality and quickly turned to my computer. I pulled up the eruption forecast data, printed it, and shoved it in front of her. “Mount Vulcan is going to erupt at midnight. A VEI-4, at least. The mountain is right next to Fenton Creek!” Tessa snatched the report, her eyes barely scanning the page before she ripped it to shreds. She slapped me hard across the face, the force of it leaving a fiery sting on my cheek. “All you care about is getting that stupid piece of paper! You’d even make up a lie about a dormant volcano coming back to life just to stop me from taking my uncle to his appointment?” “That piece of rock next to Fenton Creek hasn’t moved in a thousand years, and you’re telling me it’s going to erupt tonight? Do you think I’m an idiot?” I fought back the rage building in my chest and explained calmly, “I’m not lying. The seismic activity under Mount Vulcan has been increasing. Even dormant volcanoes can reawaken…” She cut me off with a cold laugh, her eyes dripping with contempt. “Your data is garbage! I’m taking my uncle to the hospital, and if you say one more word of this nonsense, we’re through!” With that, she grabbed my car keys and left without a backward glance. After she was gone, I ignored the throbbing pain in my face. I emailed the report to my superiors and hailed a cab to Fenton Creek. I had to get her grandfather out myself. I had to make sure he was safe. The car had barely pulled out of my neighborhood when my boss, Evans, called. His voice was stern. “Sean, what the hell are you playing at? What is this report you just submitted? A dormant volcano erupting?” My heart sank. “Sir, it’s real—” “Real? Bullshit!” he roared. “Tessa already called me! She said she needed to take a family member for a check-up, but you were insisting on getting married today, so you made up this ridiculous story!” “Sean, have you lost all professional integrity? Not only are you treating your work like a joke, but you’re using a volcanic eruption as a punchline! I’ve already retracted your report. You need to take a good, long look at yourself.” “Evans, I’m not joking,” I said, my voice weak. “The data is solid. I’ve run the models a dozen times. There’s a genuine risk of an eruption tonight…” “Hello?” He’d already hung up. Frantic, I dialed the Director’s number, hoping for one last chance. But after I explained, his voice was like ice. “Mr. Evans has already briefed me. Sean, your actions are grossly irresponsible. As of now, you’re fired.” I stood there, stunned, the phone slipping from my hand. Fired? Just like that? Because of Tessa’s words, all my work, my professional judgment, was dismissed? I couldn’t believe Evans and the Director would ignore my data analysis and just take her word for it. Her grandfather had worked hard his whole life, raising a large family. He’d always been kind to me. I couldn’t let him be consumed by fire and ash. This was about more than just him; it was about the hundred-plus lives in Fenton Creek. There was no time to waste. I forced myself to calm down and called her grandfather. “Grandpa, the mountain next to the village, Mount Vulcan, is going to erupt tonight! It’s dangerous! You need to talk to the village chief and get everyone to evacuate now!” He sounded surprised. “What? Mount Vulcan’s gonna blow? That can’t be right.” “It’s true, Grandpa,” I pleaded. “Please, trust my expertise. Find the chief and get everyone out of there. Immediately.” He agreed, but a knot of dread remained in my stomach. Five hours later, the taxi finally reached Fenton Creek. The villagers were in the fields, working as usual. No one was evacuating. I found her grandfather and the village chief in the community hall, drinking. I rushed in. “Grandpa, why haven’t you organized the evacuation? I told you the volcano is erupting tonight! It’s already afternoon!” He put down his glass and shot me a dismissive look. “Evacuate? Stop spreading nonsense! Tessa already called. She said you were lying, just trying to scare people.” The chief chimed in with a cold snort. “Sean, you can’t go around doing things like this. Just because you’re a little jealous of Adrian, you pull a stunt like this? You know how much time and money it would cost to move everyone and everything? It’s not right.” Just like the Director, they didn’t believe me either. Before I could explain, her grandfather kicked me hard in the shin. The pain was so sharp I nearly collapsed. He pointed a finger at me, his voice full of scorn. “Get out of here! Stop embarrassing me!” I clenched my jaw, fighting through the pain in my leg, and tried again. “Grandpa, Chief, I’m not lying! Mount Vulcan will erupt tonight. I’m a researcher at the Volcano Observatory. I’ve run all the numbers. At midnight, the eruption will be at least a VEI-3, possibly even a 4!” The chief hesitated, hearing the conviction in my voice. But her grandfather just scoffed. “My granddaughter Tessa studies volcanoes too, so how come she says it’s not going to erupt? You think my own flesh and blood would lie to me? I told you, you’re just making this up because you don’t want her with Adrian!” I took a deep breath and dropped to my knees in front of the chief, my voice trembling. “Chief, I’ve loved studying nature my whole life. I majored in geology. I’ve been working at the Observatory since graduation. I’ve dedicated more than twenty of my thirty years to studying volcanoes. I am not wrong about this. If the volcano doesn’t erupt tonight, I’ll accept any and all consequences.” The chief frowned, seeming to waver. But then her grandfather let out a cold laugh. “You were just fired for filing a false disaster report! Don’t think I don’t know. Tessa got the notification and told me all about it!” Hearing this, the chief’s face hardened. “Get out of here! Go! Stop causing trouble!” I threw caution to the wind, pulled a card from my pocket, and held it out to him. “Chief, this is my debit card. It has over seven thousand dollars in it. It’s yours. Just please, use the money to get everyone out. People, livestock, valuables—everything. There’s still time. If the volcano doesn’t erupt, that’s more than enough to cover the costs. No one loses anything.” The chief stared at me, then at the card, his expression complex. Her grandfather grabbed me and started dragging me toward the door. I clung to the doorframe, my eyes wide with desperation as I yelled at the chief. “Chief! If I’m right, if it’s a VEI-4 eruption, Fenton Creek will be wiped off the map! Your parents, your children, your grandchildren, you—everything will be gone! Are you really willing to gamble everyone’s lives on this?” The chief stood up, taking the bank card from my hand. “I’ll trust you this one time, son. I’ll consider this a loan. But if nothing happens, Sean, you’ll have to answer to me.” Her grandfather watched, dumbfounded, as the chief left the hall. I let out a sigh of relief. “Grandpa, come on, let’s go home and pack!” He just cursed at me for being unfilial, for shaming him in front of the village. I endured his temper and followed him home. But when we got there, he shoved me outside and locked the door. I stood outside, yelling, pleading with him, but he completely ignored me. Hours later, my throat was raw, my voice gone. I tried calling Tessa, hoping she could convince him. The call connected, but before I could speak, Adrian’s voice, slick and smug, came through. “Tessa’s busy. What do you want?” I swallowed my fury. “Adrian, Fenton Creek is in danger! Her grandfather has to leave with me now. Put Tessa on the phone, or you call him yourself!” He just laughed. “Sean, stop with the drama. Tessa told me you’re a liar.” “Guess where we are now?” I had no time for his games. “We’re at a hotel next to the hospital,” he continued, his voice dripping with malice. “Tessa’s in the shower. Her appointment isn’t until tomorrow, but she insisted we stay here tonight. Said it would be… inconvenient with you at home.” “Haha, why do you think it would be inconvenient, Sean?” Then he hung up. I gripped my phone, my knuckles turning white. It was already past nine o’clock. I looked toward the dark silhouette of Mount Vulcan in the distance. The sky above its peak was glowing with a faint, ominous red. Time was running out. Fenton Creek was isolated, the only village at the foot of the mountain. Far in the distance, I could see the taillights of the last convoy of villagers disappearing. Now, it was just me and her grandfather. But that isolation was also a curse. The nearest town was dozens of miles away. If I didn’t leave by nine-thirty, I wouldn’t make it out either. I turned on my phone’s camera, pointed it at myself, and yelled toward the house. “Grandpa, look at the sky! It’s glowing red! If you don’t believe me, believe your own eyes—” Before I could finish, a heavy ceramic planter sailed through the air and crashed down on my head. Pain exploded behind my eyes. Warm blood streamed down my face, and my vision exploded in a wash of crimson. From inside the courtyard, her grandfather’s voice rained down curses, as if I were the devil himself. “How did Tessa end up with a lying piece of trash like you! My family has farmed this land for generations! That mountain has never made a sound! Why would it erupt the moment you show up? You’re just cursing me, wishing me dead, you bastard—” The blood was too much. I couldn’t stand any longer. I stopped the recording and stumbled toward the village entrance where the taxi driver was waiting. When I got in the car, he stared at me, horrified. “What happened to you? You’re bleeding everywhere! Hey… don’t get that on my seats!” I managed a weak, bitter smile. “It’s okay, I’ll pay for the damages. Just drive. Get us to the next town.” “And don’t stop until we’re there.” The driver nodded and peeled out. I drifted in and out of consciousness in the back seat. I don’t know how long I was out, but through the haze, I heard it. A deep, distant, deafening, world-shattering roar. The volcano had erupted.

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My mother gave us two choices. Go with her to the Sterling mansion, attend the best private high school with the young master, but be restricted to domestic universities. Or stay in our hometown for school, with the promise of studying abroad after graduation. My sister snatched the first option. “Mom, I want to go to the Sterling mansion with you.” Mom smiled with relief and turned to me. “As the older sister, you should yield to your sister. Sending you abroad later will fulfill my duty as a mother.” Seeing my sister clinging to Mom with a look of anticipation, I knew. She had been reborn too. Unfortunately for her, Liam Sterling would never fall for her. Chapter 1 “Maddie, the employer has a lot of demands. Your sister and I are leaving today. Take care of yourself at home.” After packing, Mom left with Chloe immediately. It was completely unlike my past life, where she stayed ten extra days just to persuade Chloe to go to the Sterling mansion. In our past life, after Mom presented the choices, Chloe also rushed to choose. But back then, she chose to study abroad. After my parents divorced, I was awarded to my dad. For ten whole years, Mom never visited me once, yet I missed her every day. It wasn’t until Dad passed away and the police took me to Mom’s place that I had a mother again. When Chloe chose to go abroad, I was overjoyed. I could finally be with Mom day and night. But Mom wanted to take Chloe with her. She stayed for ten days, constantly trying to persuade Chloe to go. Chloe firmly believed the grass was greener on the other side. She didn’t budge until the employer urged Mom to return. So, I went to the Sterling mansion with Mom and met Liam Sterling. He was handsome, aloof, noble, and a top student. He was the Prince Charming in every girl’s heart. I couldn’t help but fall for him too. I knew the gap between us was like heaven and earth, so I buried that affection deep in my heart. Until after the college entrance exams, Liam, drunk after a party, pinned me against a wall. “Maddie, come study abroad with me, okay?” I turned my face away, restraining myself. “I don’t have the money.” Liam smiled, lighting up the entire basement. “I’ll pay for you.” In that moment, I knew. The person I had secretly loved for three years liked me too. Immeasurable happiness hit me. Excitedly, I told Mom that the young master wanted to take me abroad. What I got was a heavy slap across the face. “You’re not going! When you chose to come to the Sterling mansion, you gave up the path to study abroad. The money I saved is for Chloe.” I covered my face and explained. “The young master said I don’t need to pay; he’ll cover my tuition.” Mom scoffed, looking me up and down with disdain. “Shameless. Climbing into bed for money. weigh yourself properly—look at your status, look at his. “Someone like him is just playing with you. When he gets bored, I’ll be the one stuck with the bill. “Don’t even think about going abroad. If you dare disobey, don’t call me Mom ever again. “And stay far away from the young master. Don’t jeopardize my job.” Perhaps because I lacked maternal love growing up, my biggest fear was losing my mother. Heartbroken, I rejected Liam. But Liam told me solemnly. “Distance isn’t a problem. I can afford plane tickets.” In college, we started a long-distance relationship. He flew back every month to see me. The sweetness of love filled me with hope for the future. When Mom found out we were really dating, she went behind my back and asked Liam to take care of Chloe, who was also abroad. Liam, unaware of our family dynamics, naively looked after Chloe as her brother-in-law. Unexpectedly, one day in my senior year, I received a message from Chloe, along with a photo. Chloe, topless, arms around Liam’s neck, lying in a hotel bed. [Sis, Liam and I are together now. Stop pestering him.] I had been with Liam for three years. I knew he wouldn’t betray me. My first thought was that Liam had been set up. I furiously called Chloe. But I didn’t notice the truck rushing towards me. As my soul left my body, I heard Mom and Chloe talking. “It’s good your sister died. You need to grab the young master’s heart. You’ll be the mistress of the Sterling family.” Chloe laughed triumphantly. “It was smart of you, Mom, to have Liam take care of me abroad. That gave me the chance to take that photo when he was drunk. “I wanted Maddie to give up on her own, but her dying directly is even better. God has eyes. “Once Liam gets over his grief, I’ll make my move.” I always thought that even if Mom was biased, she still saw me as a daughter. I never expected she wouldn’t even shed a tear over my death. Devastated, I floated to find Liam. Only to find him in a bathtub, holding my photo, having taken his own life. Only then did I know. Liam loved me more than life itself. I went mad, using all my strength to trip Chloe as she walked down the stairs. Watching Chloe fall to her death, my soul finally dissipated. I didn’t expect to return to the day we chose our fates. This time, Chloe chose the Sterling mansion. She thinks going there will make Liam fall for her. Too bad she’s wrong. Liam won’t like her. And I will make them pay for what they did in our past life. Chapter 2 As soon as Mom and Chloe left, my aunt used “renovating the room” as an excuse to send me to boarding school early. Before, when Mom worked as a maid at the Sterling mansion, she let us stay at my uncle’s house and paid my aunt a monthly living fee. In my past life, after Mom and I went to the Sterling mansion, Mom increased the fee and asked them to take good care of Chloe. Chloe lived well at my uncle’s house. Now it seems Mom stopped the payments. I didn’t argue. I packed my things and left. Before school started, I had one more place to go. After leaving my uncle’s, I went to the bank. Dad used to deposit a small sum for my birthday every year. Only I knew about that account. I withdrew the money and took a long-distance bus to a remote cemetery. It was stormy that day. I wrapped myself in a raincoat and waited behind a tree. Near dusk, sixteen-year-old Liam rushed in through the rain, followed by several bodyguards. Liam was soaked, his narrow eyes cold, but his steps firm. He walked to a grave and frantically clawed at the grass. “Young Master, the rain is too heavy. It probably got washed away. Let’s look when the rain stops.” Liam acted like he didn’t hear. Just as he was exhausted and despairing, I walked out from behind the tree. “Excuse me, are you looking for this?” I pulled a necklace from my pocket. Liam’s eyes lit up, and he walked over quickly. Seeing him soaked, I raised my umbrella to shield him from the rain. Liam took the necklace with trembling hands, his expression softening. “How do you have it?” In my past life, after we got together, he said his biggest regret was losing the necklace he made with his mother in the summer of his sixteenth year. So, I came to the cemetery. To fix his regret, and to meet him. I shrugged, shrinking into my coat. “The rain washed it down. I picked it up and saw you searching, so I thought it might be yours.” “Thank you. This necklace is very important to me. What reward do you want?” Liam said thanks, but still kept people a thousand miles away. I shivered and said, “Treat me to a cup of instant noodles. I’m cold and hungry.” Liam froze, then burst out laughing. “Deal!” Half an hour later, at my insistence, Liam ate his first cup of instant noodles with me. “I didn’t know instant noodles were this good.” When we were together before, his favorite was instant noodles. After eating, Liam wanted my contact info to thank me properly. I smiled and refused. “If it’s fate, we’ll meet again.” The moment I turned around, I couldn’t hold back my tears. I wanted to rush over, hug him, and tell him everything about our past life. Tell him I missed him like crazy. But that would make me look insane. I didn’t leave my contact because I knew his every move in high school. We would meet again. Liam would think it was fate. Not a plan. Chapter 3 School finally started. The high school curriculum was too easy for me. I began plotting my second meeting with Liam. During the October break, I got a part-time job cleaning at the ice hockey rink. On the third morning, Liam came to practice. I watched secretly from the back. When he was done, I whispered. “You should twist your wrist when passing.” Liam spun around. I couldn’t see his eyes under the helmet, but I felt his shock. “It’s you! You can see my weakness?” How could I? He told me himself. I played dumb. “Just a little bit. Do we know each other?” Liam took off his helmet, eyes sparkling with surprise. I opened my mouth in exaggerated shock. “It’s you!” At noon, we ate together. “You’re a minor, how are you working here?” “Shh! Don’t let the boss know. I’m pretending to be an adult.” “Do you really need money?” “My dad died in a car accident. Mom took all the money and left with my sister. If I don’t work, what do I do?” Liam was silent for a moment. “Practice hockey with me later.” I hesitated. “I still have to sweep.” “Five thousand an hour.” “Yes sir, boss!” Liam laughed again, almost spitting out his rice. After playing in the afternoon, Liam asked me to dinner again. I was about to agree when I saw Chloe watching from outside the rink. “Next time! I have to go.” When paying me, we exchanged contacts. Back at the hotel, Liam texted. [Home safe?] I couldn’t help smiling. But I only replied with a “Mm.” Chapter 4 After the break, I started preparing for the debate competition. In my past life, although I knew Liam, at school he was in Class 1 and I was in the last class. At home, he lived on the top floor, I lived in the basement. We were two parallel lines. It was a debate competition that made Liam see me. This time, I was going to shine even brighter. But when I got the materials ready, I found my high school didn’t plan to sign up. Furious, I took my bedding and slept in the hallway of the principal’s house. The principal couldn’t beat me and finally agreed to let me form a team, but we had to pay our own expenses. Luckily, many students wanted to participate. We prepared and competed together, busy and happy. Liam sometimes texted me. Every time, I would stop and read every word multiple times. Finally, suppressing my eagerness, I’d reply with just a few words. Before winter break of freshman year, I led the debate team to the finals. Liam spotted me immediately. “Another part-time job?” I flashed my school badge. “I’m here for the finals.” Liam glanced at the badge, eyes widening. “You’re the legendary debater from Maple Leaf High.” “Legendary?” Liam looked moved, eyes burning. “For your school to make it to the finals, it’s like a miracle. “Half the audience today is here for your captain. Introduce me later.” Just then, a teammate ran over. “Captain, our seats are over there. Let’s go!” Liam froze, his look changing. I punched the air, smiling confidently. “See you in the arena, Student Liam!” There were four teams in the finals. We played against another school first. Having done this in my past life, I knew the topic and the opponent’s weaknesses. Unsurprisingly, we crushed them. Throughout the process, I felt a familiar gaze getting hotter. When Liam competed, I sat in the audience opposite them. Just like in the past life, he was calm and composed, dismantling the opponent’s arguments methodically. After he won, I saw him looking for me, so I dragged my classmates away. Feelings—the more you can’t have them, the more you crave them. When Liam texted, I only replied “Busy.” The next day in the grand finals, Liam and I sat opposite each other. In the past life, he was first speaker, I was second. I knew his style and used to cover his flaws. Now, his flaws became my points of attack. An hour later, Liam stood up and extended his hand. “Congratulations!” Familiar warmth came from his palm. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop the tears. Leaving the venue, Liam was surrounded. Even losing, he was still the star. But Liam squeezed out of the crowd and walked toward me with his long legs. He smiled, eyes full of complex emotions. “Maddie, can I buy you dinner this afternoon?” The aloof god actively inviting a girl to dinner. The scene was silent for a second, then erupted in screams. “Am I blind? Liam is smiling at that girl.” “Buying her dinner too? OMG! I can’t imagine eating with Liam.” “She’s pretty too, and she won.” Teammates pushed me forward. “Captain has time, go eat!” “You two eat, we’ll sit at the kids’ table.” I looked up, about to nod. Suddenly, someone rushed out of the crowd. “Maddie! Impossible, how could you…” Chloe’s twisted face magnified. Just as she lunged to push me, Liam blocked me with a dark face. Whispers rose from the crowd. “That’s the daughter of the maid at Liam’s house. Always following him.” “Says Liam will love her, but he doesn’t even look at her.” “A toad wanting swan meat. Doesn’t know her place.” Exactly! Even swapping fates, Liam would never like Chloe.

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Everyone in the gilded world of New York’s elite knew the titan Gaten Wolfhard had one weakness: the girl he’d raised as his own. A girl who was spoiled, arrogant, and unbearably possessive. So much so that even at my own wedding, she stood on a balcony in a dress that was a blatant copy of my own bridal gown. Making me, the actual bride, look like a pathetic fool. This continued until my family and I orchestrated Gaten Wolfhard’s spectacular downfall. Only then did the little princess come to me, bowing and scraping, begging for my forgiveness. I just laughed in her face. “You were so jealous before, weren’t you? You wanted to be Gaten’s bride yourself,” I said, my voice dripping with ice. “Well, congratulations. May the two of you live happily ever after—in prison.” 1 As I walked down the aisle, my eyes were drawn upward. There, on a small second-floor balcony, stood the girl. She wore a white gown nearly identical to mine, her eyes filled with tears as she gazed down at my fiancé, Gaten, waiting for me at the altar. And Gaten was looking right back up at her. The moment stretched, turning me, the bride, into a sideshow clown. My father, whose arm I held, clenched his free fist, but I gently pressed his hand down, a silent command to stay calm. Whispers slithered through the pews, impossible to ignore. “Who is that girl? Wearing white to a wedding… does she have any class at all?” A young woman beside her tugged at her arm, hissing, “That’s Mia, the girl he’s raised for eighteen years. They’re practically inseparable!” “Please, everyone knows what she’s after. But the Wolfhard matriarch couldn’t stand her. Forced Gaten to marry Seraphina Shaw instead.” Finally, under the searing glare of his mother, Gaten reluctantly tore his gaze away from the balcony. Someone quickly pulled the girl, Mia, from view. A moment later, she reappeared at Gaten’s side, stripped of the white gown and now wearing a simple dress. I smiled serenely and continued my procession, the picture of poise and grace—exactly the kind of “blue-blooded lady” the old Mrs. Wolfhard demanded for her son. Then, right in front of Mia, I let Gaten place the ring on my finger. We exchanged vows under the watchful eye of the officiant. I could see Mia’s eyes growing redder, her knuckles white. Gaten’s expression was a thundercloud. I watched them both, a flicker of cold amusement in my eyes. Oh, does your heart ache for her? I thought. Good. Let me make it worse. Just as Mia looked about to break, I reached out and grabbed her hand, my face alight with a warm, welcoming smile. “You must be Mia,” I chirped. “From today on, you can call me Mom.” A collective gasp went through the crowd, followed by a ripple of suppressed laughter. I maintained my dignified smile, looking down at her with mock maternal affection. “They say a daughter is her father’s first love. In your case, that seems to be quite literally true, doesn’t it?” My smile never wavered. But for Mia, it was as if I had stripped her naked in front of the entire world, exposing the secret she held closest to her heart. Under the weight of a hundred curious, mocking eyes, she turned and fled, her face burning with shame and fury. Gaten made a move to follow, but I held his arm in a vise grip. My smile remained plastered on my face. “For the sake of the Wolfhard-Shaw merger, darling husband, I suggest you plaster on a smile and let’s go greet our guests.” He shot me a look of pure hatred but clenched his jaw and, swallowing his rage, allowed me to lead him into the crowd. 2 The wedding was a resounding success, cementing the powerful new alliance between the Shaw and Wolfhard dynasties. In the weeks that followed, Gaten was consumed with managing the overseas aspects of our new joint venture, leaving him no time to mediate between his new wife and his precious ward. So, I had to take matters into my own hands. When the car pulled up to Gaten’s private villa, I saw my custom-monogrammed luggage strewn across the manicured lawn like discarded toys. And there she was, standing at the front door with the air of a reigning queen, a smug smirk on her face, waiting for me. I may have married for business, but I was still a Shaw, raised with every privilege. The maid who had come with me from my family home saw the scene and her hands curled into fists. “Miss Seraphina, just say the word.” I held up a hand to stop her. Stepping out of the car, I calmly walked over and picked up an emerald necklace lying at Mia’s feet. I straightened up, my eyes glinting as I looked at her. “Do you have any idea how much this necklace is worth?” Mia tossed her head back. “That’s junk for poor people. I wouldn’t be caught dead in it,” she sneered. “My vanity is covered in jewels Uncle Gaten bought me. I could give you a dozen if you beg nicely.” The words had barely left her mouth when I gave my maid a subtle nod. She understood instantly. She strode forward and delivered a slap so hard the sound echoed in the quiet, upscale neighborhood. Mia staggered back, clutching her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief. My maid laughed coldly. “Who the hell do you think you are, talking to my lady like that?” Then, following another silent cue from me, she grabbed the struggling girl and forced her to her knees at my feet. I tilted Mia’s chin up with one hand, studying the pampered, delicate face. Then I slapped her. Twice. Hard. Gaten lived in a row of exclusive villas, and the houses weren’t far apart. The sharp, cracking sounds drew curious neighbors to their windows. Seeing the raw humiliation on Mia’s face, I let out a soft laugh. I didn’t care who she was or what she meant to Gaten. I, Seraphina Shaw, return every slight with interest. If you make me unhappy, I will make your life a living hell. I ground the stiletto heel of my shoe into the delicate knuckles of her outstretched hand. “Mia,” I said, my voice dangerously soft, “I know you’ve been by Gaten’s side for over a decade.” “But let me give you a piece of advice. Know your place.” “There is only one mistress of this house. If you had what it takes to make Gaten marry you, I wouldn’t be here. But you don’t. So you will learn to live under my roof, by my rules.” “Bury those pathetic little fantasies of yours, or I will beat them out of you. I’ll do it every single time, until you learn your lesson.” Mia opened her mouth to curse me, but I cut her off with two more swift slaps, leaving her sputtering with a mouthful of blood. Just then, a man who had been watching from the next villa couldn’t stand it any longer. He ran over and grabbed my raised hand. “Seraphina, that’s enough! Mia is just a child!” Without missing a beat, I redirected my swing and slapped him across the face. He recoiled, his hand flying to his cheek in the exact same pose as Mia. I raised an eyebrow. “Connor Vance. I suggest you stay out of things that don’t concern you.” “Mia is a legal adult. If you want to play house with her, that’s your business.” “But I am the mistress of the Wolfhard estate. This is a family matter. I’m disciplining my ungrateful stepdaughter. What business is it of yours?” Connor’s face flushed with anger, but I shut him down with one final sentence. “My family’s company, Shaw Industries, just acquired a thirty percent stake in your father’s corporation. We are now his largest shareholder.” My voice dropped to a silky threat. “So if you don’t want to cause problems for him, I suggest you leave. Now.” With that, I nodded to my maid. She grabbed Mia by the hair and dragged her into the villa like a sack of trash. 3 There was no blood relation between Mia and Gaten Wolfhard. But he truly had raised her like a delicate doll, sheltering her from the world. Her bedroom was even right next to his. According to the Wolfhard family staff, it was because “Miss Mia” had frequent nightmares, and Gaten needed to be close by to comfort her to sleep. I laughed out loud. The household staff, already aware that I was not a woman to be trifled with, lowered their heads nervously. “So,” I said, a dangerous smile playing on my lips. “That makes me, the new Mrs. Wolfhard, feel rather… superfluous. Am I just a prop in their twisted little psychodrama?” The head butler immediately understood. He turned and ordered the staff to move Miss Mia’s belongings to a room on the first floor. I watched, my expression glacial, as her things were carried downstairs, piece by piece. I didn’t care what their relationship had been before I arrived. But if Mia was stupid enough to challenge my authority in my own home, she would learn that my patience was non-existent. The Wolfhard-Shaw merger was in its critical early stages. No one would dare to cross me. It seemed news of his “little girl” being mistreated traveled fast. Gaten came home that night. At dinner, I was the picture of elegance in a pale green silk sheath dress and a simple shawl, every inch the perfect high-society wife. I smiled graciously as I ladled soup for him. But as I placed the bowl before him, he shot me a look of pure contempt. Then, he backhanded the bowl, sending scalding soup flying across the table. Droplets splattered onto the back of my hand, raising an immediate, angry red welt. Across from us, a flicker of triumph crossed Mia’s face before she masked it with a look of practiced pity. Gaten sneered. “Does it hurt?” “Did you think about Mia’s pain when you were hitting her this morning?” “Seraphina, who the hell do you think you are?” Mia stood up, her voice trembling as she played the part of the concerned peacemaker. “Uncle, please, it’s all my fault. Don’t fight because of me.” But I slowly straightened up, the demure and gentle expression gone from my face, replaced by a cold fury. I looked Gaten dead in the eye. And then I slapped him, hard, across the face. “Gaten,” I said, my voice like steel, “let me return your words to you.” “Who the hell do you think you are, to speak to me like that?” The sound of the slap echoed in the silent dining room. A perfect red handprint bloomed on his cheek. The diamond on my wedding ring had caught the light for a second before it connected, leaving a thin, bloody scratch across his perfect cheekbone. Mia let out a horrified shriek and rushed to his side. “Uncle, are you okay?” she cried, gently touching his face. I stared at the two of them, clinging to each other. Then, I let out a cold laugh, grabbed a dinner plate, and smashed it on the floor. The porcelain shattered, and by a stroke of perfect luck, a sharp fragment flew up and sliced Mia’s eyelid. She screamed, clutching her eye. Gaten, his face contorted with rage, lunged at me, but my bodyguard, a man built like a mountain, stepped between us. Smiling, I bent down and picked up a jagged piece of the broken plate. And I started walking toward Mia. 4 Gaten knew exactly what I intended to do. He struggled against my bodyguard’s iron grip, his voice a furious roar. “Seraphina! You dare!” I ignored him, giving my personal maid a look. She moved instantly, grabbing Mia’s arms in a grip so tight she couldn’t possibly break free. Then, with the porcelain shard in her other hand, my maid made two quick, clean slashes. Two deep cuts blossomed on Mia’s pretty face. Mia screamed, a raw, piercing sound, and stumbled backward, her hands flying to her ruined cheeks. I stood by the table, arms crossed, and calmly picked up a glass of red wine. I raised it in a mock toast to Gaten, a triumphant smile on my face. “Gaten,” I said, my voice sweet as poison, “if you didn’t want to play by my rules, you shouldn’t have married me.” “You came to my family for help. You brought me into this house. That makes me the one in charge here.” “Who does this little brat think she is, trying to challenge me?” I brushed an imaginary speck of dust from my dress and rose gracefully. “Consider this a small price for her insolence.” “If she ever tries something like this again, I wouldn’t hesitate to make her blind or deaf.” With a final, chillingly polite nod to Gaten, I turned and walked out, my staff following in my wake. While all this was happening, my maid had already called the old Wolfhard estate, painting a dramatic picture of how Miss Mia had humiliated me, and how Gaten had sided with her against his own wife. With the merger just beginning, the Wolfhard matriarch was terrified I would run back to my family and jeopardize the deal. By the time I finished delivering my ultimatum to Gaten, a car from the main estate was already waiting at the gate. Without a backward glance, I got in and was driven away. That night, after the Wolfhard matriarch had exhausted herself trying to soothe my “hurt feelings,” she was ready to storm over to Gaten’s villa and deal with Mia herself. But I played the part of the magnanimous wife. “She’s just a girl, acting out,” I said with a sigh. “It’s not worth making a fuss over.” The old woman was so moved by my “grace and understanding” that she immediately gifted me several priceless pieces from her private jewelry collection.

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