Category: English

To save me, Ethan pretended to suffer a head injury that left him simple-minded. I gave up my chance to go home, staying behind in this simulated world to take care of him. But in the third year of my self-imposed exile, he deliberately ran me over with his car. Then, he took his childhood sweetheart’s hand and looked down at my broken body. “I’ve been waiting for this day,” he said, his voice cold. “Once you’re dead, Maya and I can take your place as the System’s ‘Player’ and live forever.” It was only then that I realized he had been faking it all along, plotting to steal the System from me. But he didn’t know the whole truth. He didn’t know about the punishment I endured. I spoke to the System, my voice a broken whisper. “I’ve found new hosts willing to take my place. Two of them, in fact. Can you let me go now?” 1 “So you were faking it? The whole time?” Lying in a pool of my own blood, I stared up at Ethan in disbelief. He had his arm wrapped around Maya, his dark eyes filled with a chilling frost. “That’s right.” “How else was I supposed to make you feel sorry for me? To make you stay?” “But I do have you to thank,” he continued, a cruel twist to his lips. “For telling me about the System. Otherwise, I would never have known how to save Maya.” Maya huddled in his arms, her face pale and fragile. She was Ethan’s first love, and she had leukemia. She’d been fighting it for years. “Her illness has nothing to do with me,” Ethan had once told me. “We broke up a long time ago.” Now I knew the truth. To save her, he had been planning this for three long years. A tearing pain, separate from the agony of my injuries, ripped through me. It was the System, punishing me. My mission was to make Ethan fall in love with me. If his love wavered, I suffered. “It hurts…” I gasped. The feeling was like being drawn and quartered. I had experienced it countless times, but I could never get used to it. “Does it really hurt that much?” Ethan asked, watching me with detached curiosity. “I thought you ‘Players’ could just have the System turn off the pain.” His casual indifference was a stark contrast to the happy memories I cherished. There was a time when his eyes held nothing but me. I thought I had found true love, so I told him everything about the System. Everything except the punishments. I didn’t want him to worry. The pain intensified. I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth would shatter. “Stop talking!” Every word he spoke was another twist of the knife. Maya stepped forward, her hand closing over mine. “Chloe, does it really hurt that much?” she asked, her voice laced with false sympathy. “Ethan, maybe we shouldn’t do this. It’s okay if I die.” “No!” Ethan’s denial was sharp and immediate. He looked at her with aching tenderness. “Maya, you’re not like her. She’s a ‘Player.’ Even if she dies here, she just goes back to her own world. But if you die, you’re gone for good. You don’t need to feel sorry for her.” Out of Ethan’s line of sight, Maya shot me a triumphant smirk. She leaned in close and whispered, “You know, I told Ethan that if he said he didn’t love you, you would be in terrible pain. And ever since he found out, he’s been saying it over and over.” “He doesn’t love you,” she purred. “He only loves me. After all, I’m the main character of this world.” As soon as she finished speaking, Ethan pulled her back into his arms, his gaze soft and adoring. “I’ve already bought the villa on North Hill,” he murmured. “It’ll be our home after we’re married.” I had once told Ethan that in my own world, I had no parents, no home. My only dream was to have a place to belong. So he bought me a villa—that very same villa on North Hill. I had spent countless hours renovating it myself, pouring my heart into every detail. It was finally ready to move into this year. And now, he wanted me dead. My hand fell limp onto the cold asphalt. I spoke to the System again, my voice devoid of hope. “I’ve found new hosts. Two of them. Can you please let me go?” Ethan, you don’t want me anymore. So I guess I don’t want you either. 2 【Affirmative. New hosts have been detected to assume control of the System.】 【Player, are you certain you wish to transfer me to both of them?】 Hearing the System’s voice, I looked at Ethan and Maya. They were kissing, a backdrop of fireworks celebrating their victory. For a fleeting moment, I saw the simple, foolish Ethan I had known. The one who would say, “Chloe, thank you for being with me. I love you.” The one who would warm my milk every night and wash my underwear for me when I was on my period. No one had ever loved me like that. I thought he was the one I could rely on for the rest of my life. I was wrong. “I’m certain,” I whispered into the void of my own mind. 【Understood, Player. Commencing transfer protocol.】 “Why hasn’t the System appeared yet?” Maya asked impatiently. “She’s probably communicating with it,” Ethan explained. “Just wait. She always gets distracted when she talks to the System.” 【Greetings, new hosts.】 The System’s voice was no longer just in my head. It was broadcast for all to hear. 【From this day forward, you will be my new hosts. Please select your mission target.】 “I choose Maya.” “I choose Ethan.” They spoke in unison, their voices firm and resolute, a perfect picture of devotion. I remembered when Ethan was still “simple.” He had told me, “No matter what, I will always choose you, Chloe.” But now, he had chosen someone else. 【Affirmative. However, the transfer process will take three days to complete. You must wait.】 The System’s voice vanished from the open air, speaking now only to me. 【You will be able to leave in three days. I will heal your injuries from the accident. You may use this time to say goodbye to your loved ones in this world.】 As soon as it finished speaking, the wounds on my body began to heal at a visible rate. “Look, Maya!” Ethan exclaimed in astonishment. “I told you she could have the System heal her! The System is amazing! Soon, we’ll be able to do that too. We’ll never have to be afraid of getting hurt or dying again!” I pushed myself to my feet and looked at him, my heart a hollow chamber of disappointment. He had no idea what he had just signed up for. The System was not as benevolent as he thought. 3 I went to the hospital to see my grandfather. In this world, besides Ethan, he was my only family. He was so good to me. He gave me all his savings so Ethan and I could buy a car. He would save his favorite foods, things he wouldn’t even eat himself, just for me. At the hospital, I ran into Ethan and Maya. They were holding hands, and Ethan was clutching a piece of paper. An ultrasound report. “This is amazing, Maya! I’m going to be a father!” His words were a sword through my heart. I had wanted a child with Ethan, too. Back when he was still “simple.” “I don’t want kids,” he had told me. “They’re too much trouble.” I thought he was just being silly. Now I knew he was telling the truth. He didn’t want a child with me. But he was perfectly happy to have one with her. He must have been sleeping with her even when we were together. 【Player, the punishment mechanism is now being deactivated. You will no longer be subject to penalties based on the target’s emotional state.】 The System’s words washed over me, and I felt a physical weight lift from my shoulders. I was finally free from that constant, agonizing tether. I could live my own life. It was for the best. 4 When my grandfather saw me, he immediately handed me a box of dumplings. “The nurse gave them to me,” he said, his smile warm and loving. “You eat them, Chloe.” Tears streamed down my face. If I left this world, what would happen to him? I had to make sure he was taken care of. I rushed back to the house to get my money. I had been living with Ethan, and all my belongings, all my savings, were there. When I arrived, I found the housekeeper carrying my things out to the curb. “Ma’am,” she said, her voice flustered. “Mr. Ethan told me to throw your things out. He said… you won’t be living here anymore.” I looked at the pile of my belongings. Everything was broken. Including the plaster dolls we had made together. I never imagined he could be so cruel. But my money was still tied to his bank account. I had to get it back. I tried to open the door, but the code was wrong. “He had me change the code, too,” the housekeeper said, wringing her hands. It felt like a physical blow. I struggled to catch my breath. “What’s the new code?” She hesitated, then I pressed her. “My things are still inside. I need to get them.” “20180812.” August 12th, 2018. The day Ethan and Maya first got together. I stumbled back, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. Just last night, he had held me in his arms and told me he loved me. This morning, he had lured me to a deserted road, promising a surprise. He had blindfolded me, my heart pounding with joyful anticipation. And then, he had hit me with his car. Ethan, you wanted me dead so badly. You wanted my ‘Player’ status. But do you have any idea how hard it is to be a Player? 5 I pushed open the door. Ethan had Maya pressed against the kitchen counter, his face a mask of adoration. “Maya, I will love you forever.” My bag slipped from my fingers and hit the floor with a soft thud. Even though I had decided to let him go, seeing this with my own eyes was still a fresh wave of pain. “What are you doing here?” Ethan asked, his voice sharp with annoyance. “You’re not welcome here.” His coldness reminded me of three years ago, when I had defied the System for him. My punishment was the agony of having my bones broken, one by one. The pain was so intense I wanted to die, but I endured it for him. I thought we would spend the rest of our lives together in this world. Now I knew how wrong I was. “I came to get my money,” I said, my voice flat. “All the money I’ve earned over the years is in your account. I need it for my grandfather’s medical bills.” Ethan didn’t even pause. He continued to kiss and touch Maya, his hands roaming her body, as if I wasn’t even there. I felt a surge of nausea, but I forced it down. It wouldn’t be long now. I would be free. “I’ll get it myself.” As I started towards the bedroom, Maya called out, “Chloe, isn’t your grandfather better? Why do you still need money?” Her voice was laced with suspicion. “You’re not planning on taking it back to your own world, are you?” At her words, Ethan’s cold gaze shot to me. “Are you that obsessed with money?” “I’m telling you, even if you earned it, I’m not giving it to you. This money belongs to this world. You can’t take it with you!” I couldn’t believe his shamelessness. The loving, kind Ethan I had known was truly gone. “Ethan, I told you, it’s for my grandfather. I’m not taking a single penny with me.” “I’m not giving it to you. Get out!” I clenched my fists, words failing me. He would only believe Maya now. 6 As I turned to leave, Maya suddenly grabbed my hand. “Don’t go, Chloe. If you really need money, I can lend you some.” The next moment, she threw herself backwards, her head hitting the corner of the coffee table with a sickening crack. “Ah! That hurts!” Before I could even react, Ethan lunged at me, shoving me with all his might. I stumbled back into the hot water dispenser, knocking it over. Scalding water poured all over me. I cried out in pain. “Chloe, why did you push her?” Ethan roared, his face contorted with rage. “If you’re angry, take it out on me! Don’t you dare touch Maya!” He kept repeating her name, “Maya, Maya,” each one a new wound. Didn’t he see that I was burned? But I was too tired to argue. All I wanted was the money for my grandfather. Then I could leave this world behind. “Ethan, just give me fifty thousand. That’s all I need.” “Give me fifty thousand, and I’ll leave immediately. Otherwise, I’ll keep bullying your precious Maya.” “Chloe!” he snarled, his eyes like daggers. He lunged at me again, his hands closing around my throat. The pressure was immense, squeezing the air from my lungs. “Why do you have to be so malicious? Can’t we just part peacefully?” “I wanted to,” I gasped. “But you wouldn’t let me. I just… want the money.” He threw me to the floor. “Fine. I’ll give it to you.” “But on one condition.” “What?” I coughed, my throat raw. “Kneel down and apologize to Maya.” I stared at him, stunned. I thought he had at least some lingering affection for me. After all the years we had been together. “Okay,” I said. I got to my feet and walked over to Maya, kneeling before her. “I’m sorry,” I said, bowing my head to the floor. Suddenly, Ethan’s hand was on the back of my head, slamming it into the ground. The impact was so hard I bit my tongue. “You hurt Maya’s head,” he said, his voice cold. “Now we’re even.” “Fine,” I whispered. “Can I have the money now?” He took out a bank card and placed it on the toe of his shoe. “Crawl over and get it yourself.” “Okay.” My quick agreement seemed to surprise him. He probably didn’t expect me to be so compliant. After all, I had always been so proud. But I was about to leave this world forever. I would do anything for my grandfather. I crawled towards him. As my hand reached for the card, he grabbed my wrist, his voice a low, vicious snarl. “Chloe, you really are pathetic. You’ll do anything for money.” Tears streamed down my face. I remembered his cold resolve when he ran me over. He didn’t care about me anymore. So why should I care what he thought? I took the card and stood up. Just then, my phone buzzed. A message. My grandfather had taken a turn for the worse. He was in the emergency room. I turned to run, but Ethan grabbed me. “You think you can just take the money and run? It’s not that easy!” “You’re staying here. You can be our maid for a few days.” “Let me go!” I struggled, but his grip was like iron. “Ethan, my grandfather is in the hospital! Let me go!” “Hilarious. You get the money, and suddenly your grandfather is dying. Chloe, you’d even use your own grandfather to get what you want.” “I’m not lying!” I was frantic. Just then, the System’s voice echoed in my mind. 【The transfer system is ready ahead of schedule. There is no need to wait three days. Do you wish to initiate the exchange now?】

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The summer after senior year, I was hit with a triple whammy of bad news: 1. My family went bankrupt. 2. Adrian Anderson, the boy I’d been chasing for three years, was officially with his childhood friend. 3. I failed to get into university. My dad sold our villa in the city center, and we moved back to my grandparents’ old house in the countryside. I cut off contact with everyone and enrolled in a prep school for a post-grad year, determined to try again. 1 A year later, I got my acceptance letter from Northwood University. A few days into the semester, I was in the dining hall when I ran into an old high school classmate. “Juliet Wilson?” she asked, surprised. I turned at the sound of my name and saw a familiar face walking toward me. “It really is you!” Chloe Miller said, smiling as she balanced her tray. “Are you here by yourself?” I nodded. She quickly said something to the two friends she was in line with, then found a seat with me. “I’m so glad I spotted you,” she said, still looking shocked. “I saw your profile and thought it might be you, but I wasn’t sure!” Chloe had always been a social butterfly in high school, super outgoing and friendly. Back then, though, my entire world revolved around Adrian, so we never really talked much. “So, what happened to you?” she asked. “You just disappeared after graduation. We couldn’t even reach you for the end-of-year party.” I managed a small smile. “My family went bankrupt, so we moved back to my hometown. And my phone got stolen around the same time.” “Oh my God,” Chloe said, her eyes wide with sympathy. “That’s awful.” She immediately pulled out her phone to add me on social media. After we finished eating, I had to head to the library, and Chloe walked with me. She kept looking at me, opening her mouth to say something before closing it again. “What is it?” I finally asked, curious about what could make the ever-talkative Chloe hesitate. “Spit it out.” She gave an embarrassed laugh and scratched her head. “Okay, don’t think I’m being nosy, but… did you talk to Adrian at all during that year?” Hearing his name used to send my heart into a frenzy. Now, it felt like hearing about someone from another lifetime. “No.” “Aw, that’s such a shame. I shipped you two so hard,” she said, her expression dead serious. “And it wasn’t just me! The whole class did.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “You were shipping the wrong couple, my friend. He never liked me.” You should have been shipping him and Iris Song from the class next door, I added silently. They were the real story. “No way! Do you have any idea how popular and untouchable Adrian was back then? He was gorgeous, but no one dared to actually pursue him.” Her eyes lit up as she spoke, her hands waving excitedly. “But you did! You’d just call out his name, so sweet and cheerful, ask him to eat with you, wait for him after class… ugh! Watching you two was my only joy during senior year.” “He was so cold to everyone else, just these one-word answers. But with you, there was always this sense of helpless indulgence.” “And anytime a teacher called on you and you didn’t know the answer, Adrian was always there to clean up the mess. It was the cutest thing ever.” I kept smiling. You know that feeling when someone calls you out so completely it’s almost painful? What she called “helpless indulgence” was just him being annoyed. I was like gum on his shoe, a shadow he couldn’t shake. Chloe, a true captain of her ship, was still going on about it as we reached the library entrance. “Okay, Juliet, I’ll let you go. We’ll chat online!” “Bye!” I waved back, a genuine smile on my face this time. “Talk to you later!” That evening, I got back to my dorm to find my roommate, Hannah, doing a face mask. She pointed to a box of macarons on my desk. “Hey, Juliet, someone who said she was a high school friend of yours dropped these off for you.” I walked over, ready to message Chloe, but a text from her popped up first: Don’t you dare say no! These were supposed to be your graduation gift. I’m just giving them to you a year late. I thought for a moment, then sent back a “thank you” sticker. She replied almost instantly: Hey, can I add you back to our high school group chat? My fingers hovered over the screen. An image of a boy with cool, distant eyes flashed in my mind. It had been so long. He had a girlfriend now. There was nothing to be afraid of. Okay! A few seconds later, a notification popped up: You have been added to the “Class of ’22” chat. Immediately, the chat flooded with messages. [? A new member?] [Who’s this?] [Wait… is that Juliet Wilson?] Just then, my other roommate burst through the door, throwing her soaking wet bag on the floor. “Ugh, this stupid weather! It just started pouring out of nowhere!” she complained. “Juliet, I’m gonna hop in the shower!” “Go for it,” I called back. “Don’t catch a cold!” “You got it!” More people were popping up in the chat. I quickly typed: It’s me, Juliet. [Oh my God! What happened to you? We couldn’t reach you at all, we were so worried!] [Yeah, what she said!] I replied: Sorry guys, my phone was stolen, and it took me a while to get a new one. [No worries! As long as you’re okay!] [Juliet, I heard your family went bankrupt. Is that true?] I stared at the question for a moment, then blinked slowly. Yeah. The chat went silent for a beat. Then, someone jumped in: [That’s all in the past now.] [So, how are your college classes? If you guys aren’t too busy, we should all get together sometime.] [Let me send you a screenshot of my schedule. It’s inhuman. Worse than high school.] [Haha, can’t relate. I have class two days a week and the other three off.] I tapped on the group members list. Adrian’s profile picture was still a Hello Kitty. A strange thought crossed my mind. Didn’t Iris make him change it? I don’t know what possessed me, but I clicked on his profile. His feed was completely empty. He probably has it set to private, I thought. “Juliet…” Hannah came over, wrapped in a blanket. I quickly flipped my phone face down on the desk. Luckily, her attention was on the macarons. “Can I try one of those?” she asked, smiling sheepishly. “I’ve heard this brand is amazing.” “Of course, help yourself,” I said, opening the box for her. “By the way,” she said, munching happily, “are you free next Wednesday? There’s a volunteer event I was thinking we could sign up for.” “Yeah, I’m free. Sounds good.” “Awesome! Well, I’m heading to bed. Thanks for the macaron, gorgeous!” When I picked up my phone again, a notification was on the screen. Adrian Anderson has accepted your friend request. It was Adrian. My eyes went wide. A message followed immediately after. [Need something?] Oh, crap. He probably thought I was trying to bother him again. I debated whether to tell him I’d clicked by accident, but that seemed even more awkward. [Just adding people from the group chat.] After sending the message, I grabbed my clothes and headed for the shower. Whatever. He had a girlfriend now. It wasn’t like I still had feelings for him. On my desk, the screen of my phone stayed lit. At the top, the words Adrian is typing… appeared and disappeared for a long time before a single message finally came through. [Okay.] 2 Wednesday arrived in a flash. Hannah and I picked up our volunteer vests and headed towards the basketball court. “Ahhh, I’m so glad we signed up fast enough!” Hannah said, practically bouncing with excitement. “This is the holy grail of volunteer gigs. We get volunteer hours and we get to look at hot guys.” “And the game is against Kingston Tech, the engineering school next door!” I squinted at her. “Giving up on your beloved club president so soon?” “What? No! I’m just… spreading the love.” “…” The massive gymnasium was already starting to fill up. Hannah and I put on our bright red volunteer vests, and she started scanning the crowd. “Looking for your president?” I teased, bumping her shoulder. She shook her head, her eyes fixed on the entrance. “Nope. I’m scouting for talent.” Then, she grabbed my arm and physically turned my head towards a group of guys who were walking in, all wearing matching black and white jerseys. My gaze landed on the one who stood out, a head taller than the rest, and my heart hammered against my ribs. At the same time, Hannah’s excited voice squealed in my ear. “Do you see the one in the middle? With the raspberry-red hair? Isn’t he gorgeous?” “I’m telling you, he’s definitely the king of their campus. Unbelievably hot…” After all this time, I never thought I’d see Adrian again like this. And I never would have imagined him with such a bold hair color. I didn’t dare stare at him openly like Hannah was; I could only steal quick, furtive glances. He had changed, yet he was still the same. The dyed hair, the new ear piercing—but his eyes, his expression, were as cold as ever. But then my gaze drifted down to the girl walking beside him, and I quickly looked away, my heart sinking. It was Iris Song. She was wearing a simple white dress, quietly following at his side. “Hey, hey!” Hannah nudged me. “Is that his girlfriend?” “I heard some of the Kingston Tech kids talking about a girl who’s always with him. That must be her.” Hannah pouted. “She’s really pretty, though.” Then, she quickly added, “But you’re prettier, Juliet.” At that moment, I deeply regretted agreeing to volunteer. Not only were we standing directly across from them, but these bright red volunteer vests were impossible to miss. Seeing that I wasn’t responding, Hannah got even more animated. “She’s got that ethereal, water-lily kind of beauty, but you… you’re bright and fiery, the kind of beautiful you can’t ignore. The first time I saw you, and your figure… I was like, wow.” The crowd was getting bigger, and the two of us were just standing there like bright red targets. Hannah, completely oblivious, was getting more and more worked up. “Hannah, if you keep this up, someone’s going to report us,” I said, gently pushing her hands away as she tried to demonstrate my “figure.” Suddenly, she shot me a look, wiggling her eyebrows. At first, I didn’t get it. Then, Sean Sheng came jogging over to us. He was smiling, a little shyly. “Juliet, you’re volunteering here?” Hannah had vanished. I was left alone, feeling incredibly awkward. I nodded, a silent confirmation. Sean had been pursuing me since the first week of school. Even though I had told him clearly that I wasn’t interested, he persisted. Seeing him now, I saw a reflection of my younger self. I finally understood what a nuisance I must have been to Adrian. “So, uh, after the game, wait for me, okay? We can get dinner together.” Before I could refuse, he smiled and jogged back to his team. I stared at his retreating back, speechless. Hannah reappeared at my side, her voice low and thoughtful. “You know, I think Sean is actually a pretty great guy. Very persistent…” She caught my murderous glare and quickly zipped her lips. I sighed and looked down, trying to figure out how I was going to survive the next few hours. Hannah leaned in again. “Hey, do you know that hot guy from Kingston Tech? Why has he been staring at you this whole time?” My heart skipped a beat. I jerked my head up. Adrian was sitting on the bench, leaning back slightly, his face impassive. But his eyes, those sharp, almond-shaped eyes, were brewing a storm. “Don’t tell me he’s into you too!” Hannah whispered, covering her mouth in shock. I was genuinely terrified of what she might say next. I quickly clamped my hand over her mouth. “Don’t be ridiculous. He has a girlfriend.” “Mmmph mmm,” she mumbled through my fingers, her eyes wide. “She’s not as pretty as you.” 3 A sharp whistle blew, and the game began. Adrian’s red hair was a beacon on the court. That, combined with his incredible skill—the way he dribbled, the way he moved past defenders—drew endless screams from the girls in the stands. I glanced across the court and saw Iris, holding a water bottle. Her eyes were fixed on him, shining with an adoration that was impossible to miss. Watching her, I was suddenly transported back to a similar game in high school. As soon as school let out, I had dragged my deskmate to the gym, clutching a water bottle for Adrian, to snag the best seats. We were so proud of our foresight as the stands filled up around us. Back then, just like now, Adrian was the center of everyone’s attention. I held the water bottle, waiting for him to look my way so I could wave. My deskmate, unable to stand my lovesick puppy look, finally said, “I’ll save your spot. Go say hi to him.” I beamed, putting the water bottle down. But before I could even take a step, I saw Iris, a bright smile on her face, walk right up to Adrian with a water bottle of her own. The players had their own designated seating area. I stood frozen in place as Iris sat down next to him, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Another sharp whistle pulled me back to the present. I looked towards the court and saw a crowd of players huddled together. Iris was already running towards them. I don’t know when Adrian was helped off the court, or when he ended up standing right in front of me. Iris was beside him. When she saw me, her expression froze, her mouth falling open in surprise. Adrian was breathing heavily, his face flushed and beaded with sweat. His lips were pressed into a thin line, and his dark eyes were locked on mine. One of the players said, “Excuse me, can you show us to the nurse’s office?” I nodded. As I turned to lead the way, I could have sworn I saw a flicker of hurt in Adrian’s eyes before he dropped his gaze, his shoulders slumping. The nurse’s office wasn’t far. We were there in two minutes. I stood outside with Iris. She gave me a small, polite smile. “Have we met before?” “I don’t think so,” I lied without batting an eye. I glanced into the office, then she said, “Thanks for your help. I’ve got it from here. You can go.” “Okay,” I replied, a little too quickly. A flash of surprise crossed her face.

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My sister-in-law has terrible eyesight. Before she and my brother were married, she saw us walking together and, assuming I was his mistress, punched me in the face. My eyeball ruptured. I lost sight in one eye. But she just stuck out her tongue and giggled. “Oops, my vision’s blurry. I made a mistake! We’re about to be family, so you won’t hold it against me, right?” My mother and brother agreed. I shouldn’t make a big deal out of it and jeopardize my brother’s happiness. After the wedding, I was in the shower at home when she burst in with a kettle of boiling water and poured it over me. My body was covered in severe burns. She just cried and threw herself into my brother’s arms. “I just love you so much! I can’t stand the thought of any other woman being near you!” He was touched. He forgave her. My family left me in the hospital to fend for myself. I died from a systemic infection. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the moments before my brother and I were about to leave the house. 1 “Lilian’s birthday is coming up. I need to get her a gift. Sis, come help me pick something out.” My brother, Mark, gave me a shove. The motion jolted me awake. The searing pain of boiling water felt so real it was as if it hadn’t faded. I immediately pushed up my sleeves, but my arms were smooth and unmarred. “What are you doing? Let’s go,” Mark said, his voice louder when I didn’t respond. I ignored him, glancing at my phone. The date confirmed it. I was reborn. “I can’t,” I said quickly, clutching my stomach and grimacing. “My stomach’s been killing me for days. I can’t go out.” “Always something with you,” my mother grumbled, emerging from the kitchen. “Don’t think I don’t know you’re faking it. Get up and go help your brother.” She grabbed my arm and yanked. Caught off guard, I fell to the floor. The fake pain became real. But this wasn’t the time to argue. I had to stay home. I had to protect my eyes. “Mom, why don’t you go with Mark? You have better taste than I do. If Lilian knew you picked out her gift, she’d be thrilled.” My mother rolled her eyes. “I’m busy. No time.” I knew what this was really about. Mark wanted me to come along so I’d be the one to pay. My mother knew it too, which is why she refused to go. I pulled out my phone and transferred him some money. “Here, this is from me. The seasons are changing; buy yourself some new clothes too.” The money improved her mood instantly. Mark, seeing he had his funding, no longer cared who went with him. “Fine. Mom, go change. Let’s get going.” As my mother headed to her bedroom, I followed. “Mom, wear this one,” I said, pulling a brightly colored dress from her closet. “It’s beautiful. Makes you look young and vibrant.” She put it on without a second thought. I watched them leave, breathing a sigh of relief. But a moment later, I slipped out of the house and followed them. They went straight to the mall, heading for the luxury boutiques on the ground floor. Mark clearly already knew what he wanted to buy. I watched from a distance, careful not to get too close. Soon, a familiar figure appeared. Mark’s girlfriend, Lilian, was walking arm-in-arm with her best friend, heading towards the same boutique. Her friend spotted him first. “Lilian, look! Isn’t that your boyfriend?” Lilian squinted. There was Mark, arm-in-arm with another woman, laughing and smiling. Because the woman’s hair was down, she couldn’t see her face clearly. Not that it mattered. It was a woman. That was all the proof she needed. “That bastard! He told me he was picking out a gift for me, but he’s fooling around with this slut! I’ll teach her a lesson!” Lilian rolled up her sleeves and stormed towards them. “MARK!” she screamed at their backs. My mother and Mark spun around at the sound of her voice. The next second, a fist slammed into my mother’s eye socket. “AGH!” my mother shrieked, stumbling back and clutching her face. “You’re disgusting!” Lilian spat. “You’ll stoop this low? An old hag? If you wanted to break up, you should’ve just said so!” Mark was stunned for a second, then rushed to help our mother. Seeing this, Lilian grew even more furious. “I’ll kill you, you old witch! You shameless crone!” “Are you insane?! This is my MOTHER!” Mark yelled. Lilian’s hand froze mid-air. “Wh-what?” My mother, cupping her eye, howled in pain. “My eye! It hurts so much! I can’t see! Son, my eye!” “Oh god, ma’am, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to! I thought you were—” Lilian reached for my mother, but after being punched, my mom was in no mood for apologies. She ignored Lilian completely, grabbing Mark’s arm. “Take me to the hospital! Son, Mom can’t see!” They rushed off to find a cab, not saying a single word to Lilian. But this time, Lilian knew she was in the wrong. And since she didn’t want to break up with him, she scrambled to follow them. I watched the whole chaotic scene, and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. 2 In my past life, when I went to the mall with Mark to buy a gift for Lilian, we were just walking side-by-side. No physical contact at all. But when Lilian saw us, she charged over and punched me. Even after Mark explained we were siblings, she didn’t believe him. She beat me, kicked me, and refused to let me go to the hospital. By the time I finally got treatment, it was too late. My left eyeball had to be removed. I became a one-eyed woman. When I demanded she be held accountable, she was brazen. “I have bad eyesight! And you two were walking so close. Even if you’re siblings, you should know better.” She’d turned on me. “You only lost one eye. Are you going to ruin your brother’s entire life over it? What a cruel sister you are.” I was so furious I could have spit blood. I pulled out my phone to call the police, but my mother snatched it away and slapped me across the face. “You troublemaker! You only lost one eye, not both! Do you have to see your brother miserable to be happy?!” Losing an eye made me disabled. I lost a promotion at work. My boss, under the guise of “accommodating” me, moved me to a dead-end position where I did nothing but fetch coffee all day. Then, one day, Lilian came home from work and found only Mark there. She heard the sound of a shower running. She immediately assumed he’d brought a mistress home. She stormed into the kitchen, boiled a kettle of water, kicked open the bathroom door, and threw it at the figure inside without even looking. My skin peeled away from my body. She just cackled. “That’s what you get, you slut! Burn! Burn!” When the steam cleared and she saw it was me, she feigned shock. “What—it’s you, sis? Why are you showering in the middle of the day? Are you trying to seduce my husband?!” Pain was everywhere. I didn’t even care that I was naked. I ran out of the bathroom and called for an ambulance. I had third-degree burns all over my body and needed skin grafts. But Mark and my mother took all my savings and told the doctors, “We’re refusing treatment. Just let her die.” As I lay dying from a systemic infection, Lilian stood over my bed, looking down at me with contempt. “In your next life, stay away from other people’s husbands. Or you won’t even know how you died.” I died in agony. And even then, that despicable pair didn’t stop. At my funeral, they slandered my name, claiming I’d tried to seduce my own brother and that my death was divine retribution. My life was pain. My death brought no peace. Thank god for this second chance. This house was full of monsters, and this time, I wouldn’t spare a single one. 3 Mark called me on the way to the hospital, telling me to meet them there. When I arrived, the doctor was examining my mother. Lilian looked me up and down. “And you are?” In this life, I’d deliberately kept my distance from this toxic pair, giving her no reason to attack me. I smiled. “You must be Lilian. I’m Mark’s sister, Sarah. You two make a perfect couple.” My friendly tone disarmed her, and she said nothing more. Back at the mall, she had put her entire strength into that punch, as if trying to kill my mother. My mother’s eyeball had ruptured on impact, blood streaming from the corner of her eye. The doctor sighed. “The eyeball has to be removed. As soon as possible.” My mother gasped at the news, her one good eye rolling back in her head as she started to faint. I quickly stepped forward to support her. “Oh, my poor mother! Who did this to you? How will you live as a one-eyed woman?!” My wailing reminded my mother that she hadn’t yet dealt with the culprit. She lunged at Lilian, grabbing her hair and shaking her back and forth, slapping her repeatedly with her free hand. “You bitch! Give me back my eye! Give it back!” Lilian was a bully who only picked on the weak. A sneak attack was one thing, but in a real fight, she was no match for my mother. She was getting pummeled, screaming for Mark to save her. Mark didn’t know who to help, so he just tried to pull them apart. “Son, you have to break up with this little tramp! We can’t have this kind of woman in our family!” Lilian, her face tear-streaked, clung to Mark’s arm. “Honey, I know I was wrong! I only lost my mind because I love you so much!” She then looked at my mother. “Ma’am, I’ve decided to marry into your family to atone for what I’ve done. I’ll be your daughter-in-law. I’ll take care of you. I’ll be your eyes.” A flicker of satisfaction crossed Mark’s face. He was clearly pleased with this outcome. My mother, however, was not. “A shrew like you? Our family wouldn’t dare! Get out! I don’t want to see you!” she shrieked at Lilian. Then she turned to Mark. “If you stay with this woman, you can forget you have a mother!” Seeing them at a stalemate, I stepped in to mediate, ushering the couple outside the room. “Look,” I sighed, “Mom’s furious right now. She won’t listen to anything. You two wait out here for a bit. I’ll try to talk to her.” Lilian, still smarting from the beating, plopped down on a chair without a word. Mark immediately went to comfort her. Once they were gone, I went back into the room. Lilian had to marry into our family. The suffering I endured in my past life… this whole family needed a taste of it. I sat down beside my mother. “Mom, calm down. Don’t let this ruin your health. We can’t change what’s happened, so let’s think about the future.” Still fuming, she glared at me. “What are you getting at?” A little while later, I called the two of them back in. “I agree to let you marry my son,” my mother said to Lilian.

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1 “Stella, are you sure about this? You want to give up the surgery?” On the other end of the line, my doctor’s voice was laced with disbelief. He probably couldn’t fathom why I would refuse a kidney I had waited over two years to find. “You need to think this through,” he urged. “Your condition is in its final stages. Without a transplant, you don’t have much time left…” “Yes. I know.” I hung up and looked down at the legal document in my hand. Caleb Sterling’s name was printed in sharp, clear ink. My boyfriend of seven years. Now, with a single lawsuit, he was dragging me to court, demanding I repay every cent he had ever spent on me during our relationship. I let out a slow, shaky breath and knocked on the door of the Sterling family mansion. The woman who opened it was Caleb’s new girlfriend, Seraphina, draped in a luxurious designer dress, her makeup flawless. “Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in.” Her voice was a purr of amusement. She turned her head and called out, “Honey, you have to see who’s here.” Seeing Caleb again felt like staring across a lifetime. He leaned against the doorframe, a cigarette dangling from his fingers, his handsome, familiar face now a mask of cool detachment. His cold gaze landed on me. “Did you bring the money?” I pulled a bank card from my purse and held it out. Seraphina snatched it from my hand, toying with it as her eyes, sharp and provocative, met mine. “Thirty thousand dollars… I suppose it’s not even enough for a day at the spa for me, but at least,” she smirked, “we can get a new wardrobe for my little Prince.” She then called over a Schnauzer. Even the dog was decked out in a top-tier designer brand. Caleb wrapped an arm around Seraphina’s waist, his voice a low, doting murmur. “Only thirty thousand for Prince’s clothes? That’s not nearly enough. I’ll transfer you another half a million later. Go pick out something really nice for him.” Prince, of course, was the dog. Watching them, so wrapped up in each other, I dug my nails into my palms. For some reason, the Schnauzer suddenly bared its teeth at me, letting out a low growl. I flinched and took two steps back. Seraphina saw this and bent down to stroke the dog’s head, a saccharine smile on her face as she looked at me. “Oh, I am so sorry,” she cooed. “My little Prince has never seen a poor person before. It must be a shock to his system. Ms. Knight, next time you decide to visit, do try to wear something a little more presentable. Then my puppy won’t feel the need to bite you.” A few of the Sterling family’s maids, standing nearby, covered their mouths to stifle their giggles. I looked down at my own clothes. A faded, washed-out outfit, the pocket of my shirt crudely mended with a patch. Caleb let out a short, contemptuous snort, flicking the ash from his cigarette. “Stella Knight,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “You took so much money from my mother. Don’t tell me you’ve already squandered it all.” “Or,” he added, his eyes narrowing, “are you deliberately dressing like this to play the victim card?” 2 I said nothing, my hands twisting the hem of my shirt. “I’ve paid you back,” I finally managed. “From now on, we owe each other nothing.” I just wanted to escape, but Seraphina’s voice stopped me. “Wait.” She walked toward me, pulled a single dollar coin from her purse, and tossed it at my feet. “Thank you for the entertainment today,” she said, an eyebrow arched in contempt. “Here’s a buck for your trouble.” I looked at the coin on the ground, a small, shining monument to my humiliation. Then I looked at Caleb, still leaning in the doorway, smoking, watching me with that same dismissive look in his eyes. “Thank you for the kind offer, Ms. Dubois,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady. “But I think you should keep it.” With that, I turned and fled. I returned to my shoebox apartment, a sub-level room no bigger than a parking space. The bed was just a few feet from the toilet. It was dank and windowless, a concrete tomb. Yet, it gave me a strange sense of security. I never thought I would see Caleb again. I certainly never imagined it would be like this. I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, which was covered in a dense mosaic of photographs. Hot tears traced paths from the corners of my eyes. One hundred and two photos. Every single picture we had taken in our seven years together. He wasn’t that boy in a school uniform anymore, the one who shouted to the world, “I will only ever love Stella Knight!” Now, he was the heir to an unimaginable fortune, the future CEO of the Sterling Corporation, and Seraphina Dubois’s fiancé. We were worlds apart. I took a deep breath, pulled down every single photo, and stuffed them into a dusty old box. But when I opened the box, the first thing I saw was a painting. A girl in a pristine white wedding dress, her smile radiant. Caleb had painted it himself. He had told me the girl in the painting was me, and that one day, he would be the one to put that dress on me. A wave of bitter sadness washed over me. I traced the faded lines of the painting. I wonder, I thought, if, in a way, this counts as having married him? I let out a dry, self-mocking laugh and closed the box. Then I called my boss. “Mr. Wallace, I’ll take the Apex Group project.” Last week, Mr. Wallace had suddenly assigned the Apex project to me. Everyone in the office knew that landing the Apex account wasn’t about experience or skill. There were unspoken rules, and everyone knew what they were. But right now, all I wanted was to live. “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses,” Mr. Wallace said on the phone, his voice slick. “Look at you, a pretty face, you’re a smart girl. Sometimes, you just have to be… flexible.” He sent me an address. A private room at a high-end club. “Be there tonight. And wear something nice.” “Okay,” I whispered, and hung up. When I pushed open the door to the private lounge, the first person I saw was Caleb, sitting with a few of his old friends. The project manager from Apex Group, a man named Harrison, grinned at me. “You must be the little lady from my nine o’clock,” he said, his small, puffy eyes raking over my body with a look so vulgar it made my skin crawl. He patted his thigh. “Come on, sit right here. We’ll have a good, long talk about this project.” Beside him, Caleb’s eyes were arctic. He stubbed out his cigarette, his voice a low, mocking drawl. “I didn’t realize you were scraping the bottom of the barrel these days, Harrison.” 3 Hearing this, Harrison turned to Caleb, bewildered, and rubbed his bald head. “She doesn’t look half-bad to me.” Caleb sneered, his eyes lingering on my simple, thin dress. “True. It’s amazing what some women will do for money, isn’t it? No standards, no self-respect.” My fingers clenched into fists as the others in the room started pointing and whispering. I forced myself to remain calm, pulling the project proposal from my bag and holding it out to Harrison. “Mr. Harrison, this is the partnership agreement. If you’d like to take a look…” Before I could finish, Harrison grabbed me, pulling me into his lap. His rough hand started moving up my thigh. A wave of nausea washed over me. But Caleb’s friends were egging him on. “What are you waiting for, Harrison? Kiss her!” I clutched the hem of my dress, my eyes darting to Caleb. For a split second, a pathetic, desperate part of me still hoped he would help me. But he just stood up, his face a blank mask. He picked up a glass of whiskey from the table and poured it directly over my head. I gasped, shivering as the cold liquid soaked through my clothes. He loomed over me, his voice a low, cruel whisper. “This is no fun.” He pushed a fruit platter in front of me. It was filled with mangoes. My heart seized. I stared at him in disbelief. Caleb reached into his suit jacket, pulled out a credit card, and tossed it on the floor. “There’s fifty thousand dollars on that card,” he said. “Eat all of these mangoes, and the money is yours.” I stared at the card on the grimy floor, a bitter smile twisting my lips. We were together for seven years. He couldn’t possibly not know that I’m deathly allergic to mangoes. He raised an eyebrow, his eyes fixed on me. Tears welled in my eyes. After a long, silent moment, I spoke. “If I eat all of these… the money… I don’t have to pay it back, right?” In that moment, my will to live was absolute. I was only twenty-six. I didn’t want to die. Caleb’s brow furrowed, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. I reached for a slice of mango and shoved it into my mouth. I ate ravenously, gulping down piece after piece. Even as my body started to heave and an angry red rash began to bloom across my skin, I didn’t stop. Caleb’s friends, all sons of Westport’s elite, knew the history between us. Two years ago, when the Sterling Corporation went bankrupt, Caleb was hounded by creditors to the point of suicide. That was when I had left him, seemingly without a second thought. He had searched for me like a madman, sinking into a deep depression. Now that the Sterlings were back on top, of course they wouldn’t let me off easy. They whistled and catcalled, filming me with their phones. “Pathetic,” Caleb muttered. He suddenly grabbed my arm, his fingers exposing a faint, old tattoo on my wrist—a single letter, “C.” He froze for a second, a self-mocking sneer twisting his lips before he flung my arm away in disgust. He rolled up his own sleeve, his voice dripping with contempt. “Stella Knight, you really have no bottom line when it comes to money, do you?” “Fine. Eat all of these mangoes in the next three minutes, and I’ll forget about the debt.” The room was filled with jeers and lewd taunts. I felt like a clown in a circus, surrounded by mocking faces. I fought against the swelling in my throat and the fire on my skin, forcing a wretched smile at Caleb. “Okay. I’ll eat faster. I’ll finish them all.” As I reached for another piece, Caleb finally snapped. He let out a roar of pure rage and flipped the entire table over.

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A month before our wedding, Lord Damian secretly rode to his childhood sweetheart. Fearing scandal, he hired a sorcerer to create his perfect double. “What if Lady Seraphina finds out?” his squire worried. “She won’t,” Damian sneered. “Even if she does, she’d never break the betrothal. The court knows she clings to me like a burr—tiresome, but harmless. Clara deserves better. Seraphina should be grateful to be my mistress.” Behind the tapestry, I trembled. I, who knew every star in his eyes, would surely spot an imposter. Yet this was his cruel plan. On our wedding day, Damian returned with Clara just as I approached Thorne Cathedral in silver and pearls. He dragged me onto cobblestones, my veil torn, jeweled circlet scraping bloody trails down my face. Then I saw it—his automaton rushing toward me. 1 “Seraphina! How dare you proceed with this wedding behind my back?” The voice was familiar, laced with a fury I knew well. Damian was back. A ripple of confusion and excitement went through the crowd of onlookers. “Who is that man? To speak to a daughter of House Ashton in such a way, does he court death?” “He looks familiar… just like Lord Damian, the groom! Can it be him?” “Impossible. On his wedding day, Lord Damian should be waiting at the altar. This man isn’t even wearing his wedding doublet. He must be here to cause trouble!” Hearing the whispers, Damian’s face darkened. A guard from House Thorne moved to intervene but hesitated upon seeing his lord’s face. “My lord, what are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be—” “Did my messenger not reach you?” Damian cut him off, his glare fixed on me. “I sent word that this wedding was to be canceled at all costs! Why is the entire city celebrating our union today?” My hands clenched into fists, my knuckles turning white. I never imagined he would shame me so publicly. Today was meant to be our wedding day, a betrothal I had fought tooth and nail to secure. It began two years ago. My grandmother lay gravely ill, and in my grief, I rode to the old abbey in the hills to pray. The mountain road was treacherous. A wheel of my carriage struck a rut, and I was thrown violently from my seat. I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact. Instead, I fell into a warm, strong embrace. I opened my eyes cautiously. As I did, the string of the man’s simple riding mask snapped, revealing a face of breathtaking beauty. Flustered, he murmured, “Be careful, my lady,” and was gone before I could find my voice. It was love at first sight. Later, at a court banquet, I saw him again. He was Lord Damian, the heir to the Dukedom of Thorne. He didn’t seem to recognize me. From that day on, I cast aside the decorum of a highborn lady and pursued him with a singular focus. I shamelessly orchestrated “chance” encounters, desperate to make him see me. I spent nights embroidering a handkerchief with his sigil and had it delivered to him. Then, I overheard the whispers. He had a childhood love, Clara, the daughter of a Knight-Banneret. My courage failed me. I retreated, ceasing my pursuit. But he sought me out. He cornered me in the palace gardens, showing me the embroidered handkerchief tucked into his belt. It was the one I had made. He smiled, a slow, intoxicating smile. “Seraphina of House Ashton, what is the meaning of this favor?” Mortified, I reached for it, but he deftly blocked my hand. “You have another you are sworn to! Give it back! Forgive my intrusions these past months!” For the first time, his smile reached his eyes. “She is but a friend. And you… do you truly not understand my heart?” That night, emboldened, I begged my father to petition the King for a royal decree, uniting our houses through marriage. I believed our love was mutual. I never imagined that on the day the decree was announced, Clara would quietly leave the capital. And Damian, panicked, finally realizing where his heart truly lay, rode after her, leaving a perfect imitation in his place to fool a kingdom, and a bride. I was the biggest fool of all. 2 “So, Lord Damian knew nothing of this wedding? Is House Ashton forcing his hand?” “And the lady beside him… that must be his true love. Has he been bewitched by this Seraphina?” Hearing the crowd’s speculation, Clara swayed, a picture of tragic beauty. “Damian, my love… perhaps I should not have returned. I will leave at once…” “Forgive me, this is your wedding day. I have been thoughtless…” She turned to go, then collapsed as if her strength had given out. “Clara!” Damian caught her, scooping her into his arms. He turned to me, his voice dripping with disappointment. “Seraphina, Clara is innocent in this. How could you allow these rumors to spread? A lady’s honor is paramount. Do you mean to destroy her?” Watching him clutch her so tightly, my eyes began to sting. Did he ever once consider what would become of my honor if I had begged my father to rescind a royal decree? I remained silent, but my handmaiden, Elspeth, could not. “My lord, you go too far!” she cried. “When did you ever send word to cancel this union? Why, just three days ago, you were at Ashton Manor, telling my lady to prepare herself with a joyful heart!” The crowd murmured in agreement. “It’s true! For the past month, the young lord has been visiting every jeweler in the city, buying every piece that would suit Lady Seraphina!” “And the pastry shop on the West Street she loves so much! Lord Damian has been there before dawn every morning, just so she could have them fresh from the oven!” “He took her boating on the river just last week! The love in his eyes was plain for all to see!” “My lord, this is your wedding day! Put aside this quarrel, change into your finery, and wed your bride!” The chorus of voices made Damian’s face flush with anger. But in his arms, Clara, with a sly, secret smile, let out a small gasp. “Oh! But… for the past month, Damian has been with me, taking the air in the southern provinces. How could he possibly have been in the capital?” Her voice was not loud, but it silenced the entire square. The whispers began anew. “I saw the young lord riding back into the city from the country this morning. Why would he be traveling so close to his own wedding?” “But the man in the capital was Lord Damian. We all saw him.” “Wait… are you an imposter?” Amid the rising suspicion, Damian sneered and produced the heavy signet ring of his house. “Open your eyes and see what this is!” Elspeth gasped in disbelief. “Impossible! There must be some mistake! My lord, you were with my lady every day for the past month!” My nails, I realized, had dug so deeply into my palms they had drawn blood. My marriage to House Thorne was decreed by the King himself. Would Damian truly admit to using a double, an automaton, in his place? It would not only be a mortal insult to my family, but a slap in the face to the King. 3 “Damian, my love, you must tell them the truth. Tell them where you have been.” Clara tugged shyly at his sleeve. “Clara and I have indeed spent the last month in the south. We only returned today.” His words sealed my fate. “Lady Seraphina,” Clara said, her voice filled with false pity. “I know you adore my Damian, but you cannot hire a stand-in while he is away! To have this… imposter… play the part of your loving fiancé for all to see… why would you do this to yourself? Damian doesn’t love you. You must let him go.” The crowd erupted. It was all too scandalous to believe. Damian said nothing, merely tightening his grip on Clara’s hand in tacit agreement. I stared at him, my heart a cold, dead weight. He had caused this entire mess, yet he was content to let all the blame fall on me. Was there truly not an ounce of affection for me in his heart? “How dare you spread such lies! Do you seek to ruin my lady’s name?” Elspeth’s eyes were red with fury. “Insolence!” Damian roared. “You are but a servant! Seize her!” Guards surged forward and restrained Elspeth. “Let her go!” I commanded. “Clara, you may slander me, but House Ashton is not so easily trifled with!” Clara flinched, which only made Damian’s expression soften toward her and harden toward me. “Seraphina,” he said, his voice now like ice, “you claim you did not find a substitute. Where is your proof?” He smiled, a smirk of absolute victory. A knot of dread tightened in my stomach. Could it be that the man… “I knew it,” someone in the crowd jeered. “She was always trailing after him like a stray dog. Lord Damian was never more than civil to her. It was strange how he suddenly seemed so besotted.” “Look at them! Lord Damian and Lady Clara, they are the perfect match. A true love story!” “And that substitute… so intimate with her… could she have been cuckolding the lord before they were even wed? No wonder he refuses to marry her!” The tide of public opinion turned, drowning me in a sea of accusation. But I could no longer hear them. The hour was growing late. The King had decreed this marriage. I had to see it through. “You know full well what you have done,” I said, my teeth clenched. “But I will marry into House Thorne today.” “What I know is that the lady of House Ashton has no shame! You used my absence to parade a fraud before the court, ignored my command to cancel this farce, and now you have the gall to force your way into my family! If it weren’t for you, would Clara have ever fled to the south in sorrow? Come. We will go to my parents at once, and you will tell them you will not be wedding a Thorne today. The matter will be discussed at a later date.” He reached for my arm, but I recoiled. Through the shimmering veil, I saw that the embroidered handkerchief I had spent a dozen nights crafting was gone from his belt. In its place was a simple, woven lover’s knot. And on Clara’s wrist was a matching one. 4 “I will marry into House Thorne today. But I am not marrying you!” The square fell silent. Even Damian seemed to hold his breath. Clara’s sweet, cloying voice broke the stillness. “Lady Seraphina, you must be jesting. Lord Damian is the only son of the Duke. If not him, who would you marry?” The words seemed to jolt Damian back to his senses. “Do you intend to marry my father?” he roared, his face contorted with rage. “You shameless harlot! I know your father indulges you, but I never knew you were so utterly without morals! To say such a treasonous thing merely to spite me! When you see my parents, you will kneel and beg their forgiveness. Otherwise, you will never be a lady of my house!” His words were like shards of ice in my heart. The flicker of affection I thought I had seen in him was nothing more than a phantom, a reflection in a pond. And still, fool that I was, I had clung to that illusion. I ignored him, turning to enter the cathedral. The bells would soon toll the final hour. But a sudden vertigo washed over me. I was yanked backward, my body thrown to the ground, my head cracking against the stone steps. Blood blurred my vision. Damian’s eyes hardened, as if coming to a final, irrevocable decision. “Disobedient to her husband, disrespectful to his family. You are not fit to be my Duchess.” “You may enter my house today, but you will do so as my mistress!” With a savage cry, he reached for my wedding gown. “I will inform the King! A woman like you is unworthy of being a Thorne. The one who deserves to be the lady of this house is Clara! She is generous, but I will not see her slighted. Take off that gown! Today, I will wed Clara. After our wedding night, I will send a simple carriage to bring you to the manor through the servants’ gate!” I struggled, but the blow to my head had stolen my strength. I could only shield myself feebly as he ripped at the delicate fabric. My veil lay in the dust. I saw them clearly now. The man I adored, tearing the wedding gown from my body for another woman. And that other woman, a triumphant smirk on her face, mouthing silent words at me: “He. Is. Mine.” Elspeth screamed, “Let my lady go!” but she was gagged and forced to the ground. The beautiful jewels in my hair were now a heavy burden, coming loose as I fought, the sharp pins grazing my skin, a pain that was nothing compared to the agony in my soul. “Damian, stop this!” I warned, my voice hoarse. “House Ashton will not forgive this insult.” But he was without mercy. “For raising a daughter like you, I should be the one demanding answers from House Ashton! A shameless creature like you does not deserve this gown! Do not delay my wedding to Clara!” My strength gave out. I could only watch as he tore the silver-threaded silk from my body and draped it tenderly over Clara’s shoulders, whispering to her. “Clara, my love. Marry me today like this. In time, I will give you the grandest wedding this city has ever seen. What say you?” Clara blushed, burying her face in his shoulder. They looked like a pair of lovers from a ballad. I closed my eyes, a single tear tracing a path through the blood and grime on my cheek. My mother had commissioned the city’s finest seamstress to create this gown. I had spent countless nights tracing the embroidery, dreaming of the day I would wear it. I never dreamed this would be its end. “Seraphina! Are you going to lie at my door all day? Men! Drag her to the back gate! Do not bring bad fortune upon my wedding day!” Two household guards moved to drag me away. I feebly tried to push them off. “I thought highborn ladies were paragons of virtue! Turns out she’s as desperate as any common trollop! Can’t win the lord’s heart, so she hires an imposter!” “Hah! Seems these noble ladies are no different from the whores in the brothels!” The unvarnished cruelty of the crowd threatened to swallow me whole. They began to throw rotten fruit and vegetables, their fury unsated. I couldn’t dodge in time, only managing to shield my face with my arms. Was this it? Was I to die here, shamed and alone? “Insolence! What do you think you are doing?” A voice, sharp and anxious, cut through the din. I forced my eyes open. In the distance, a figure in crimson wedding finery was sprinting toward me.

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A thousand years ago, A thousand years ago, the Kirin—scaled guardians with antlers that channeled celestial magic—sacrificed countless of their most powerful mages to help the Archon imprison the Demon Lord in the Dark Abyss. A thousand years later, the Demon Princess idly remarked, “I hear the brain of a Kirin can cure my migraines.” And in a single night, my people were slaughtered to the last. I stared at the ruins of my home for a long time. “Mother,” I whispered to the ashes, “you always told me the world was at peace, that the Archon was benevolent. You said my own heaven-defying power was a curse upon this realm and you suppressed it for my own good. Well, what about now? Do you still believe that?” 1 The day before my clan was butchered, my little brother, still too young to take his human form, chirped and chattered, begging me to go to the mortal plane and buy him a candy apple. He was getting on my nerves. I was about to kick him away when my mother stopped me with a gentle smile. “Hera,” she said, “that’s your brother.” “He is the one person in all the realms who is closest to you. You can’t treat him like some wild beast.” Closest to me? Born with dulled senses, I didn’t understand the meaning of her words. But I always listened to my mother. I lowered my clawed paw and promised to bring him his candy apple the next day. He was so happy he rolled around on the ground in a fit of glee. I watched him with disgust, muttering, “So noisy.” But the next morning, as soon as the sun rose, I rode the clouds down the mountain to buy his treat. 2 And now, here I stood at the gates of my home, candy apple in hand, completely lost. The ground was littered with the corpses of my kin. My brother, who had looked up at me with a smiling face just that morning, now lay in pieces on the ground, his head separated from his body. His skull was cracked open, his brain spilled across the dirt. With trembling paws, I pried open his tightly clenched fist. Inside was the pearl of night I had casually tossed to him on his hundredth birthday. I stared at the pearl for a long time before speaking. “You silly thing. You’re dead. Why were you still holding this?” “But… the pearl is warped. It must have hurt a lot, didn’t it?” I sat there, from sunrise until the dead of night. 3 When Lord Caelus, the Celestial of Mercy, arrived, he was shocked to see me. Then he shook his head. “Thank the heavens, a survivor. The Kirin are not truly extinct.” I looked at him blankly. “What now?” It took him a moment to understand my question. He sighed. “Rest assured, I will protect you. This time, Lord Azureus went too far. To slaughter your entire race for a whim of the Demon Princess… it was reckless.” “I have already reprimanded him,” he continued. “He won’t trouble you again.” I couldn’t quite follow. “But… Mother told me that murder is a debt paid with life,” I said, my voice flat. “Why did you only reprimand him?” Lord Caelus’s compassionate expression cracked. A flicker of anger crossed his face. “Insolence! Do you have any idea who you speak of?” “He is the Sovereign of this world! The one who defeated the demons, pacified the monsters, and brought a thousand years of peace to all the realms! How dare you entertain the thought of deicide?” A crushing pressure descended upon me, squeezing the air from my lungs. I opened my mouth to speak, but only a mouthful of blood came out. I gritted my teeth and forced the words out. “You’re wrong.” “My mother told me. This peace was never his achievement alone. Nine-tenths of the Kirin’s greatest mages fell in that war. The Dragon Lords have but a few scions left. That is the price that was paid for this ‘glorious peace.’ It was not his alone.” With every word I spoke, the pressure intensified. Just as I felt my bones turning to dust, my spirit about to be extinguished from the world, the very heavens began to tremble. I felt them—countless of my kind, from every corner of the world, their spirits rushing to my side. “Lord Caelus, show mercy!” “Lord Caelus, show mercy!” “Lord Caelus, show mercy!” The chorus grew louder and louder. I could hear the roar of dragons, the cry of phoenixes, the howl of tigers… A symphony of spectral beasts forming a shield around me. And then, I fell into darkness. 4 When I woke, I was in the Celestial Palace. Lord Azureus, the Archon, looked down at me as if I were an ant. “Luria’s headaches are much improved,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion. “Your race has proven its use. Your existence was not entirely in vain.” “I will issue a decree. You will be named a Saintess. Do not cause any more trouble.” Ignoring the dull, grinding pain deep in my bones, I stared back at him defiantly. “My mother told me that murder is a debt paid with life. That is the great law of the mortal world.” “I don’t want to be a Saintess. I only ask that the Archon respects the great law.” Azureus narrowed his eyes, studying me for a long moment before he laughed. “Do you know who Luria is?” “If we are to respect the great law, then healing Luria should be the single most important matter in this world. Luria was an ancient goddess. A thousand years ago, she willingly sacrificed herself to the heavens, her own flesh and blood mending this broken realm. If we speak of debts, every living creature in this world owes her.” When he spoke of Luria, his eyes shone with a brilliant light. Just like Father’s did when he spoke of Mother. I lowered my head, fell silent, and tried to understand. Was he right? I was never very smart. I thought about it for a long time, but I couldn’t figure it out. If only Mother were here. She would know if he was right. Azureus seemed to have lost interest in talking to me. He waved a hand, dismissing me. But I didn’t move. I stubbornly believed that the deaths of my parents, my brother, my aunts and uncles… it couldn’t just be forgotten. Azureus grew annoyed. “What more do you want?” I thought for a moment, then held to my conviction. “A life for a life.” The words had barely left my lips when a bolt of raw magic slammed into me, throwing me to the ground. I coughed up another pool of blood. Azureus’s voice dripped with scorn. “Ant. Only the strong have the right to speak their desires. Only the strong hold the power of life and death. The truth… has always been a tool for the powerful.” I clutched my chest and staggered to my feet, nodding blankly. So, I have to be stronger than him to kill him. As long as I am stronger, I can kill him. He should have just said so from the start. It would have saved me so much time. A pity Mother never taught me that might makes right. She only ever spoke of reason and compassion. 5 As I stumbled out of the grand hall, I bumped into a woman in a green dress, her face beaming with joy. When she saw me, her eyes lit up. She threw herself at Azureus. “Azureus! There’s another Kirin!” “Quick, cut out her brain for me!” she chirped. “It has to be fresh! The last one, the little one with the fire-cloud mark on its head, I ate it while it was still alive. The effect was marvelous!” Hearing this, I couldn’t stop myself. I turned and stared at her. Among all the Kirin, only my brother had a fire-cloud mark on his head. Azureus stroked her hair dotingly. “This is the last Kirin in the world. We can’t kill her. Otherwise, we’ll have nothing left to keep the other beasts in line.” Luria pouted. “It’s just one animal. What does it matter?” I didn’t listen to any more. I limped out of the Celestial Realm. Mother, you used to tell me the Archon loved all his creations. But why… why does it feel so different from what you said? 6 When I returned to the mortal plane, Lord Dragon and Lady Phoenix were waiting for me at my ruined home. Seeing me covered in wounds, they trembled with rage. But their anger quickly gave way to a weary sigh. Lady Phoenix stroked my head. “Hera, don’t provoke them anymore. Just live. Please.” I looked at her, confused. “Why? Shouldn’t a murderer pay with their life?” “No,” she said, shaking her head. “Living is what’s most important. Hera, you are the last of the Kirin bloodline. Nothing is more important than your survival. Your mother… she probably wouldn’t want you to seek revenge. She would only want you to live.” I didn’t speak again. I found a shovel and started digging a hole by the gate. My parents and my silly little brother… they deserved a proper burial. I held my brother’s head in my paws. I suddenly remembered Luria saying she had eaten his brain while he was still alive. It must have hurt. A lot. No wonder the pearl was warped. Just that morning, he had been so full of life. Now, he was as cold as ice. No one would ever chirp “sister” at me again. It was so quiet. Yes, it was quiet, but… it was too quiet. A gust of wind blew, stinging my eyes. They felt dry. Why were they watering? Mother said my senses were dull. It must be the wind. It must be… 7 After burying my family, I leaned against the gravestone. I started talking, my words a rambling whisper. “Mother, you once told me the world was at peace, that the Archon was benevolent.” “What about now? Do you still think so?” “Mother, I still believe that a murderer should pay with their life.” “Mother, I want to go to the Great Eastern Wilds. I want to take back the other half of my power.” “Mother, I don’t want to listen to you anymore.” “Mother, you can’t blame me for this…” “Mother… I just miss you a little. And I miss my brother.” “Mother…”

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My wife lay dead in our home, terminally ill. All the signs pointed To the mistress of her husband, the one who’d married into her money. But the real killer… well, no one saw that coming. 1. The living room was a disaster zone. A woman’s body, clad in pajamas, lay face down in a pool of blood. Behind her, a horrifying blood smear stretched nearly six feet across the floorboards, marking a desperate crawl. Every drawer, every nook, anything that could hide something, had been violently ransacked. On a load-bearing wall, there was a sickening impact point, blood spattered outwards like the killer had slammed the victim’s head against it, hard, maybe more than once… I took a quick scan of the scene, my assessment interrupted by my assistant Leo’s confused voice in my ear. “Dr. Sharma, this scene was locked down tight. How did that anonymous tipster even know a crime happened here? Could they be the killer?” I frowned, pulling latex gloves from my pocket. “Let’s put that aside for now. Focus on the case in front of us.” “Right.” Leo nodded, grabbing his kit and heading towards the body to prep for my initial examination. Just as I was about to ask someone for details, a solid figure emerged from the bedroom. He wore a crisp police uniform, the peaked cap shadowing sharp, deep-set eyes that seemed to take everything in. It was Detective Kincaid, from Homicide. We’d been working cases together for about six months. He usually favored practical biker gear, though, not the formal blues. The uniform gave him a different air. Seeing me, his usual tough-guy expression softened slightly. He crossed the room quickly but stopped a respectful few feet away, holding out a pair of disposable shoe covers with a hint of awkwardness. “Finally made it, huh?” I took the covers, his warm fingers brushing the back of my hand – a stark contrast to the cold touch I dealt with daily in my line of work. “What’s the preliminary?” I asked, pulling the covers over my shoes. “You know, you don’t always have to look so serious. They call you the ‘Ice Queen’ behind your back, you know?” He offered a slight, teasing smile, maybe emboldened because I hadn’t refused the shoe covers. He quickly got back to business. “I was actually in a meeting nearby when the anonymous tip came into your office. Got here within five minutes, but it was too late. She was gone. This one… could be anything. Revenge, jealousy, money…” I stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue. Kincaid tapped his tablet, pulling up the victim’s file. “Victim is Eleanor Vance. Pretty well-known locally, businesswoman, wealthy. Made her share of enemies, I’m sure. So, motive could easily be financial, some deal gone bad. Plus, her husband, Greg Thorne, married into the money. They’ve been together over ten years, no kids. Eleanor was an only child, and her parents died in a car crash not long ago. If she’s gone… Greg inherits everything.” “Where’s Greg?” I calculated the time; Kincaid had been here at least twenty minutes longer than me. The husband should have been notified and rushed over by now. “Don’t get me started. Called his cell countless times, goes straight to voicemail. Called his office, secretary says he never showed up today.” I glanced back at the crowd of onlookers held back by the yellow tape outside. “Any witnesses?” Kincaid shook his head. “No witnesses to the event itself. Neighbor next door gave us something, though. Heard a vase shatter, followed by crying.” “How was their relationship?” I pressed. “Based on what the neighbors are saying… not great.” Kincaid gave my shoulder a light, supportive pat. “Don’t stress too much. Looks like we can rule out a random home invasion robbery. The killer didn’t force entry from the outside. The struggle is concentrated here, in the living room, not starting at the door.” He was right. If it were a break-in or someone following her home, the signs of struggle would likely start near the entrance as she was overpowered. The killer… was someone Eleanor Vance had let inside without fear. 2: The Husband’s Mistress – A Motive for Murder? “Detective, got something.” Chris, from the evidence team, walked over holding a medical file. It was open, and I immediately saw the diagnosis. Patient: Eleanor Vance. Condition: Stage IV Liver Cancer. Prognosis: Six months, maximum. The appointment date was two months ago. Which meant she only had about three, maybe four months left. “Interesting. With that diagnosis, she wouldn’t have been managing her business affairs much. Rules out a current business dispute driving a revenge killing. Which leaves…” Kincaid didn’t finish his thought as Jake, from Forensics, approached, holding up his infrared scanner. “Detective, the trace evidence here is… complicated.” Kincaid took off his cap, rubbing his brow with a familiar frown. “How so?” “Take a look.” Jake tapped the scanner’s screen, bringing up a multicolored display. “Red is blood spatter. Blue indicates footprints and fingerprints. And gray… gray means someone wiped it down.” Following his explanation, my eyes immediately traced a distinct gray path leading from the front door towards the bedroom. “The killer cleaned their tracks?” Jake nodded. “Exactly. Which makes it hard to say if the four distinct sets of shoe prints and three sets of latent prints we lifted definitely belong to the killer.” “Don’t jump to conclusions yet,” Kincaid told Jake, signaling him to keep processing. He turned back to me. “Alright, Dr. Sharma. Your show.” I gave him a brief look, then moved toward the victim, crouching beside the body to begin my preliminary examination. “Livor and rigor mortis haven’t set in yet. Body temperature is still slightly elevated. Consistent with death within the last hour. Also…” I lifted Eleanor’s hand gently, examining it closely. “Fingernails on all ten fingers show cyanosis – a bluish tint – and heavy abrasion. Significant debris under the nails. Consistent with the claw marks on the floor. Caused during her crawl.” I motioned for Leo to collect samples from under her nails. Next, I carefully brushed the hair away from her face. Her cheekbones were sunken, dark circles prominent under her eyes. The illness had clearly taken a heavy toll. What was strange, though, were the distinct petechial hemorrhages in her eyelids and the cyanosis around her lips. There was also a small amount of vomit near her mouth. All classic signs of asphyxiation. Yet, there were no ligature marks on her neck, no bruising around her nose or mouth. I used a gloved finger to dab a tiny bit of the vomit, bringing it close to my nose. Amidst the sour, acrid smell, there was a faint, peculiar chemical odor, almost medicinal. Leo leaned in to collect a sample of the vomit. “Dr. Sharma, could the asphyxia be from aspiration? Maybe induced by the head trauma causing vomiting? Or maybe the cancer itself caused it?” I didn’t answer immediately. I pressed the impact point on her forehead. No crepitus, no indication of a skull fracture. Besides Leo’s theories, mechanical asphyxia – smothering – was a strong possibility. The exact cause of death would require a full autopsy. Seeing that none of the visible injuries accounted for the sheer volume of blood, I signaled Leo to help me carefully turn the body over. Just as I suspected. The femoral artery, high on her inner thigh, had been slashed by a sharp object. The edges of the wound were jagged, and I could see tiny fragments of glass embedded in the skin. I looked back along the blood trail. Near its starting point lay the shattered remains of a large, ornate vase. The basic sequence of events was becoming clearer. Eleanor was first assaulted near the wall, suffering the head impact. Then, somehow, she ended up near where the vase broke, cutting her artery on the shards. From there, she crawled nearly six feet before finally succumbing. I instructed the team to carefully bag the body for transport to the morgue for the full autopsy. Kincaid walked over, phone in hand, a triumphant look on his face. He couldn’t resist his usual playful routine with me. “Guess what I just found out?” I focused on meticulously labeling the sample vials, not responding. For some reason, he always seemed to dial up the boyish enthusiasm around me, a stark contrast to the cool, disciplined detective everyone else described. He was used to my frosty demeanor by now and didn’t seem offended. Instead, he crouched down beside me, helping organize the vials while sharing his finding. “Just got a call from Financial Crimes. They tracked Greg Thorne’s credit card usage. Guess where? The downtown Women’s Clinic.” My hands paused. A likely scenario clicked into place. “You guessed it.” Kincaid met my eyes, a shared understanding passing between us. “Greg Thorne didn’t just have a mistress on the side. He got her pregnant. And from here to the Women’s Clinic? It’s only a fifteen-minute drive. He had the motive, and he had the time.” 3: Sleeping Pills and a Killer? “And here’s the clincher…” Kincaid raised an eyebrow. “I checked the security footage from the elevators and stairwells in this building. Greg Thorne left the premises thirty minutes ago. Lines up perfectly with Eleanor’s estimated time of death.” I calmly closed my forensic kit, refusing to get carried away by the seemingly straightforward evidence. My first mentor in forensics taught me day one: never jump to conclusions, whether you’re investigating a scene or examining a body. Avoid tunnel vision at all costs. “Looks like this one might wrap up without needing too much overtime from you, Doc!” Kincaid patted my shoulder confidently, then stood and motioned to another detective. They were heading to the Women’s Clinic to pick up Greg Thorne. I wasn’t as optimistic. Something about the case felt off, too many strange details. I wasn’t ready to declare it solved. Back at the office. I sent Leo off to the lab with the collected samples, requesting rush processing, then headed straight into the autopsy suite. We donned our light blue scrubs, masks, and fresh gloves. Eleanor Vance lay on the stainless-steel table. Bruises marked various parts of her body, particularly severe subcutaneous hemorrhaging in areas typically grabbed during restraint – arms, shoulders. Given the signs of asphyxia noted at the scene, that was my starting point. I examined her oral cavity and dissected the subcutaneous tissues of her neck. Then, I carefully shaved her head, made a precise incision from behind her left ear, across the scalp, to behind her right ear. Peeling back the scalp, I used the oscillating saw to remove the skull cap. Her brain tissue, like her mouth and neck tissues, showed no signs of trauma or hemorrhage. It almost looked like a sudden natural death, except for the clear signs of violence. However, after removing the brain and the dura mater covering the base of the skull, the petrous portions of the temporal bones were visibly dark, showing distinct hemorrhage. “Smothering,” I stated definitively. Hemorrhage in the petrous temporal bones, which house the inner ear structures, indicates a significant pressure change, often seen in smothering or drowning cases. “But there were no marks around her mouth or nose…” Leo looked completely baffled. I met his confused gaze. “Could have been done with a soft object.” Light dawned in Leo’s eyes. “Oh! I remember now! I think one of the sofa cushions was missing from the living room scene.” I didn’t comment further, moving on to open the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Just as the medical report indicated, her liver was hard, riddled with large, irregular masses. The cancer was aggressively advanced. Critically, her lungs showed no significant aspiration of vomit, and her bronchial passages were clear. Cause of death was becoming undeniable. Just then, a knock sounded at the autopsy suite door. I looked up as Ben from the toxicology lab entered, holding a report. “Dr. Sharma, we found traces of Zolpidem in the victim’s vomit.” “Zolpidem? Isn’t that Ambien?” Leo exclaimed. I stripped off my gloves, took the report from Ben, and asked Leo to handle the closing sutures. I headed straight for the digital forensics unit. With the team’s help, it didn’t take long to pull up security footage stills of Greg Thorne purchasing a bottle of Ambien from a local pharmacy a week prior, clearly using connections to bypass normal prescription protocols. By the time I got to the Homicide division, Kincaid had already brought Greg Thorne back from the clinic. Inside the stark interrogation room, Greg Thorne, dressed in an expensive suit, looked extremely agitated. “How did Eleanor die? She was fine when I left this morning, I swear!” “You’re the husband, you tell me,” Kincaid’s voice was hard, his demeanor intimidating when he switched into full interrogation mode. “I suggest you start talking, tell us everything. Lying will only make things worse.” “You… you don’t suspect me, do you?” Greg stammered, then rushed to defend himself. “Yes… she found out about… the other woman. We fought about it constantly. But you have to understand, she didn’t have long left! If I just waited, didn’t push for a divorce, all her assets would come to me eventually. Why would I kill her?” Kincaid slammed his hand on the table. “Maybe you couldn’t wait! Maybe you decided to speed things up!”

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When I got into the car accident, my husband, Ethan, was on a business trip overseas. It took him a week to finally wrap things up and rush back. Seeing how badly I was injured, his eyes filled with tears, and he said he’d cancel all his work to take care of me, heart and soul. Everyone in the hospital room envied me for finding such a successful man who clearly adored me. Only I, picturing the two of them kissing passionately under the Northern Lights, felt a daze wash over me. Looking up again at his feigned deep affection, I just felt sick to my stomach. 1 The moment Ethan landed, he came straight to the hospital, not even stopping by home. He was lugging two large suitcases, looking completely exhausted from his travels. He grabbed the first doctor he saw, desperate to know about my injuries. The doctor was evasive, telling him to ask me directly. At that moment, my legs were in casts, and my head was wrapped up like a mummy. Luckily, my arms were still free, so I could scroll through my phone. When Ethan saw me, his eyes instantly reddened, and his hand trembled as he held mine. “Honey, you… you’ve suffered so much. It’s all my fault, I was too busy with work. For something this huge to happen to you, and I couldn’t even be here with you right away…” A tear landed on the back of my hand, shockingly hot. I felt a bit uneasy and tried to sit up. “Actually, I’m not that badly hurt, it just looks scary…” Ethan panicked, gently pushing me back down. “You’re seriously injured, don’t move around. You could hurt yourself again.” I chuckled weakly and lay back down obediently. Once Ethan calmed down, he started opening his suitcases, pulling out gifts for me one by one. There was food, clothes, jewelry – they filled the empty hospital bed next to mine, but Ethan still felt it wasn’t enough. “Honey, is there anything else you want? Or anything you’re craving to eat? I’ll go buy it for you later, or I can even make it.” Ethan mentioning it actually made me crave his cooking. “Then how about you make a few of your specialty dishes?” Ethan stroked my head, calling me his “little foodie” with a fond smile, and then left. When he returned, besides the dishes I’d asked for, he’d also bought a ton of fruit and snacks, handing them out to everyone in the hospital room. People couldn’t stop praising him, saying how handsome and thoughtful he was, and they all told me how lucky I was to have found such a great guy. I couldn’t help but feel a little smug, a mix of shy and proud. Ethan, basking in the compliments, was all smiles and even wanted to feed me. You know, the last time he’d fed me was during the playful antics on our wedding night. Naturally, I refused. “It’s my legs and head that are hurt, not my arms and hands. I can eat by myself.” But Ethan insisted. “Honey, I wasn’t by your side when you just had the accident. Now that I’m back, please give me a chance to make it up to you.” Amidst our gentle pushing and pulling, the room filled with pink, fluffy romance and knowing smiles from the onlookers. That’s when Veronica burst in. 2 It was as if she didn’t even see Ethan and me. She launched straight into urgent, business-like talk. “Mr. Hamilton, there’s an issue with the Southside project. The partners are all at the company raising hell. You need to get back there quickly.” Ethan’s face instantly frosted over. “What could possibly be so urgent that I have to go back? Is everyone else at the company just for show? Can’t you see I’m with my wife?” “Whatever it is, it can wait until I’m in the office tomorrow.” Veronica bit her lip hard, tears welling in her eyes. “But Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Peterson said if you don’t come back with me, then I don’t need to come back either.” Mr. Peterson was a company old-timer, who’d always had it out for Ethan and was known for using his seniority to bully Ethan’s assistants. Several of Ethan’s previous assistants had quit because they couldn’t stand Mr. Peterson constantly making their lives difficult. Veronica had lasted the longest. Seeing this, I gently squeezed Ethan’s arm and gave him a look. “The Southside project is a big deal, after all. Maybe you should go, huh?” Ethan looked at me quietly for a moment, then stroked my head. “Okay. Whatever you say.” Ethan left with Veronica. But five minutes later, Veronica came back by herself, bold as brass, and sat right down on the edge of my bed, a smirk playing on her lips as she looked at me. I inexplicably felt a prickle on my back and frowned at her. “Do you… need something from me?” Veronica smiled, took out her phone, and pulled up a photo. “Just as expected from someone Mr. Hamilton once liked. You’re much smarter than I thought, sis.” “So, smarty-pants, do you recognize this person?” The photo showed a couple kissing. The woman was clearly Veronica. But the man, even though I could only see the back of his head, looked disturbingly familiar. My frown deepened. Veronica’s smile widened, her lips curling upwards, her voice like a siren’s song. “If I said this was Mr. Hamilton, would you believe me, sis?” Before I could answer, the hospital room door was suddenly kicked open. Ethan rushed in, grabbed Veronica by the arm, and started dragging her out. “What did you say to her? Who told you to come back and see her?” Only when he reached the doorway did he seem to remember I was there. He turned back to explain. “Veronica forgot something, she just came back to get it. Honey, I’m just going to pop into the office for a second, I’ll be right back.” I glanced at Ethan. His expression was normal, showing no cracks. I just waved dismissively and went back to pondering the photo and Veronica’s words. Because of that, I didn’t see the look of relief flash across Ethan’s face as I looked down, nor the challenging, resentful glint in Veronica’s eyes. 3 Honestly, the man in the photo really did look like Ethan from behind. But Ethan and I were childhood sweethearts. People came and went in our lives, but we had always been steadfastly by each other’s side. I really didn’t want to doubt him unless I absolutely had to. But subconsciously, I started replaying every little interaction between Ethan and Veronica, analyzing the possibility of them being together. Veronica had joined Ethan’s company five years ago. A girl from a small town, she didn’t know how to dress, wasn’t good at socializing, and consequently, her work was a mess. Several times, Ethan had called her while I was there and chewed her out so badly she was probably in tears. The worst time, he directly asked her if she’d even gone to school, if she was an idiot, and said if she couldn’t hack it, she should just go clean toilets or be a security guard instead of taking up space and collecting a paycheck. It was me who persuaded him back then, saying it wasn’t easy for a young girl to make it in the big city, that he should give her more patience and let her grow. That’s how I talked him out of firing her. Three years ago, when Ethan and I got married, Veronica came to the ceremony with the other company employees. By then, she had gradually become more competent. She wore a simple, elegant white dress, had light makeup on, and exuded an air of intelligence and capability. After she caught the bridal bouquet, people around her joked about who would be lucky enough to marry such a beautiful and capable girl. Ethan had sneered coldly. “So plain, and can’t even do her job right. Whoever marries you must have had some seriously bad karma.” Veronica had covered her face and ran out crying. At the time, I even blamed Ethan for being so harsh to a young woman. A year ago, I found a very cute stuffed animal in Ethan’s study. Later, I saw the same one on Veronica’s bag and casually mentioned it to Ethan, saying they’d been around each other so long their tastes were becoming similar. Not long after, Ethan’s company HR department bought a whole batch of those stuffed animals and gave one to everyone in the company. Two months ago, I suddenly sprained my ankle at work and had to ask Ethan to pick me up. At the time, Veronica was sitting in Ethan’s passenger seat, claiming she got carsick in the back. … Incident after incident. A tangled mess, impossible to unravel. Suddenly, the man’s cufflinks in the photo flashed in my mind – a blue sapphire four-leaf clover with a chipped corner. Ethan had a pair just like it. So, if Ethan’s cufflinks were intact, did that mean the man in the photo wasn’t him? I picked up my phone, about to make up an excuse to get Ethan to bring those cufflinks over, when I happened to see a message from him. “Honey, I bought you those little wontons from that place you always liked. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” Looking at the time, twenty-five minutes had already passed. I quickly got out of bed, thought for a moment, grabbed my crutches, and slowly made my way to the door. Instead of guessing wildly, isn’t being direct faster? 4 I just didn’t expect Ethan and Veronica’s “directness” to be much faster than mine. Around the corner of the hallway, before I could even move, I heard familiar voices. “Mr. Hamilton, when your wife had her car accident, you were still in Iceland with me, chasing the Northern Lights. How did you explain that to her?” Ethan chuckled smugly. “I told her I was busy with work, of course.” “And she believed such a flimsy lie?” “That fool Olivia, she always believes whatever I tell her.” Ethan paused for a few seconds, then suddenly pulled Veronica in by the waist, letting her soft curves press against his chest. “Speaking of which, I took such a huge risk for you. How are you planning to compensate me?” Veronica lowered her head shyly. “How do you want me to compensate you?” Ethan bent down and nibbled on Veronica’s earlobe, blowing gently on her pale neck. “That new cosplay outfit we bought last time…” Veronica suddenly looked up, playfully pounding his chest with her small fists. “Mr. Hamilton, you… you’re terrible.” The next second, her gaze unexpectedly met mine in mid-air. Veronica froze for a moment, then a provocative smile spread across her lips. Then, she wrapped her arms around Ethan’s neck and kissed him forcefully on the lips. Ethan, caught off guard but with a beautiful woman offering herself, naturally saw no reason to refuse. He pressed the back of Veronica’s head, instantly taking control, kissing her with abandon. A nurse suddenly appeared and gasped. “Ms. Hayes, what are you doing out here?” I fought to control the trembling in my body and managed a weak smile. “My husband will be here soon, I just came out to meet him.” Before I figured out my next move, I absolutely couldn’t let them see what I knew. Ethan, hearing a familiar voice from around the corner, broke out in a cold sweat. He abruptly pushed Veronica away, quickly straightened his clothes, and turned to walk towards me. When I looked up, I saw Ethan with a face full of surprise and concern. “Honey, why are you out here? Your legs, can they support you?” I leaned against the wall, pretending to be weak, and lowered my head, conveniently hiding the fury in my eyes. “Actually, I… I am feeling a bit unsteady.” Ethan paused for a second, then swept me up into his arms. “Don’t push yourself if you can’t manage. Come on, I’ll carry you back.” Behind him, I saw Veronica’s face, contorted with a hatred so intense she looked like she wanted to kill me, yet she didn’t dare make a move. I smirked. Want to play games with me? Bring it on. 5 Back in the hospital room, Ethan had just placed me on the bed when Veronica eagerly tried to get him to leave. “Mr. Hamilton, those gifts you brought for your wife earlier, I think you forgot them in the trunk.” Ethan smacked his forehead, looking at me a bit apologetically. “Look at my memory. Honey, wait for me a minute, I’ll be right back.” The moment Ethan left, Veronica immediately dropped her careful, fawning expression and circled me several times. “Sis, to be so calm after catching your husband cheating red-handed, I’m actually a little impressed.” “I know, you and Mr. Hamilton are childhood sweethearts with deep feelings. It’s normal that you can’t make up your mind right away. Don’t worry, I’ll help you.” Veronica played a video on her phone and held it in front of me. In the video, Ethan and Veronica were trapped in a car, surrounded by a vast expanse of white – it looked like a snowstorm. Veronica looked ahead, her gaze melancholic. “Mr. Hamilton, are we really going to die here?” Ethan was fiddling with his phone, his voice as calm as if they were just stuck in traffic. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you die.” Veronica suddenly turned, climbed over the center console, and wrapped her arms around Ethan’s neck, looking at him seriously. “Mr. Hamilton, actually, I think it would be nice to die like this. At least, right now, you’re completely mine.” Ethan tried to push her hands away. “Don’t be ridiculous.” But Veronica held on tighter. “I’m serious. It’s just a bit regrettable that I couldn’t have your baby.” Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly; his expression was clearly moved. Veronica noticed this too. Her hand slid down Ethan’s abs, further down, and then she squeezed. “Mr. Hamilton, give me a chance, I beg you.” Ethan’s body jolted, and a storm quickly gathered in his eyes. Then, he lunged, pressing down on her. The seat reclined, the temperature inside the car rapidly climbed, and sounds that would make anyone blush filled the air. After it was over, Veronica lay on Ethan’s chest, tracing circles with her finger. “Mr. Hamilton, I heard Olivia had a car accident. With us like this… will she be very sad? Do you still love her?” Ethan smirked. “Love? It’s not about love between us anymore, it’s habit.” “I’ve already asked about her accident. It’s not serious, she’ll be fine with some rest. Not a big deal.” The video ended abruptly there. Veronica put her phone away. “Well? Sis, a man like this, do you still want him?” I looked at her silently, not saying a word. Veronica stood up on her own. “If I were you, and my husband cheated, I’d immediately collect evidence, fight for what I deserve, and avoid ending up with nothing – no man, no money. Sis, think about it carefully.” Ethan walked in right on cue. “What are you two talking about?” 6 I asked Veronica to go buy me some dessert, keeping Ethan behind. “Come here, I have something interesting for you to listen to.”

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Six years into my relationship, my fingers brushed against a ring box in my boyfriend Liam Davis’s coat pocket. It was my birthday, and I was buzzing with anticipation. Instead, I scrolled through my social media feed and saw photos of him entering an upscale, romantic restaurant with another girl. I quickly hailed a cab and sped to the restaurant, arriving just in time to see him on one knee, proposing to her. The crowd around them cheered, urging them to seal their fate. After accumulating enough disappointment, I didn’t make a scene like I usually would. Instead, I quietly dialed my dad’s number. “Dad, I’ll agree to the marriage with the Stone family. Let’s start preparing the wedding.” … Hearing my words, Dad was initially stunned, then his voice filled with delight: “My dear girl, you’ve finally come around! When it comes to marriage, it’s all about finding the right match, someone who truly fits our family’s standing. You can sample the appetizers, honey, but you don’t build a life on plain rice!” I softly hummed in agreement, standing alone in the restaurant lobby, watching Liam and the girl embrace amidst the cheers. Everyone was celebrating them. Only I stood like a stiff, motionless puppet. Dad, hearing the celebratory noise from my end, urged me, “So, when are you coming home? You need to meet Ethan Stone. They’ve been pressing for an engagement date for a while now.” “In three days. Once I wrap things up here, I’ll head straight home.” After hanging up, perhaps because I stuck out so starkly from the jubilant crowd, Liam, his hands trembling as he put the ring on the girl’s finger, looked up and saw me. We stood far apart, gazing at each other across the room. Liam seemed a little surprised by my presence. He frowned, then led the girl back to their table. Roses, champagne, a soaring romantic piano melody, and a candlelight dinner… In the six years we’d been together, he had never taken me to a place like this. I turned to leave. Liam’s friends were all there; the photos had been posted by one of them. As I walked away, I could still hear their whistles and applause. “You two are truly made for each other! After all these years, you’ve finally made it official!” “Come on, everyone, let’s raise a toast to the happy couple! To true love!” I smiled bitterly. In the six years I’d spent by Liam’s side, his brothers and friends never knew about us. Yet, they all knew about his connection to that girl. A nameless bitterness welled up inside me. My birthday today. The sweet thrill I’d felt when I first found the ring in his coat pocket now morphed into a soul-crushing poison. After hailing a cab, I returned home. An empty birthday cake box sat by the door, delivered by a food service. The card on top had Liam’s handwriting: Happy Birthday, my darling. May all your wishes come true. The delivery guy smiled at me, a hint of envy in his eyes. “Ma’am, your boyfriend is really good to you. He ordered the most expensive cake in our shop, and he even wrote the card himself!” I pushed open the door and casually placed the cake on the counter. So, he remembered it was my birthday. But what had he done today? I sank weakly onto the sofa, my eyes involuntarily watering in the empty room. Our lives were etched into every corner of this place. But my boyfriend had bought an engagement ring and proposed to another woman. Seeing that cake now, I only felt sick to my stomach. I sat on the sofa for a long time, until I almost lost track of time. Then, the apartment door suddenly opened. Liam returned, looking tired, holding a bouquet of fresh flowers. He walked towards me, his face devoid of any guilt or apology. “Riley, I brought you your favorite Lisianthus.” Lisianthus, symbolizing faithful and exclusive love. Now, held in Liam’s hands, they looked like a joke. I took the bouquet. Liam, thinking I had calmed down, finally began to explain. “Chloe Sterling was just diagnosed with bone cancer, and her only wish was to marry me. We grew up together, and I couldn’t let her last wish go unfulfilled. So, I’ll be getting engaged to her in three days.” “You’re always so understanding. You’ll definitely understand, right?” His tone wasn’t an explanation; it was a notification. Engaged to Chloe Sterling in three days, huh? What a coincidence. I was planning to leave in three days too. I nodded silently. In the past, Liam couldn’t stand my temper. He used to say I always made a fuss over small things, constantly seeking his attention, asking again and again if he loved me. Over time, I gradually changed, learning to endure. Now, I wasn’t arguing or demanding to know if he still loved me, and Liam seemed somewhat surprised, glancing at me. “Tomorrow, I’ll be moving in with Chloe. For the next few months, you might have to manage alone.” “Chloe is a patient. Compared to you, she needs me more right now.” I smiled, setting the flowers down. Seeing my lack of opposition, Liam leaned in, trying to touch my face. I subtly pulled away. His shirt collar still had a prominent lipstick stain, and the sickeningly sweet perfume scent wafted into my nose, making me want to gag. Rejected, Liam’s temper flared. He said nothing more and quickly left the apartment. I threw both the flowers and the cake into the trash, then began packing my things. I didn’t want the flowers, and I didn’t want Liam anymore. I had no attachment left to this home I’d lived in for six years. The next day, back at the office, I sat at my desk and printed out my resignation letter. Liam and I had met and fallen in love in college. When he joined this tech company, I followed him, turning down opportunities from my parents to start as a junior employee alongside him. After we got together, I had subtly brought up the idea of marriage. But Liam was always busy with work, saying he hadn’t built his career yet and was afraid my parents wouldn’t want their precious daughter to marry him. “Career before marriage” was his constant refrain. To avoid burdening him, I quietly worked on my parents, never revealing my family background, fearing it would put more pressure on him. Now he was a company VP. The moment I found the ring in his pocket, I’d hoped he had finally decided to propose to me. Turns out, it was all wishful thinking. A colleague walked over and saw my resignation letter on my computer. They looked surprised. “Riley, aren’t you about to be promoted to director? Why are you suddenly quitting?” I smiled. “I’m getting married soon. I might be working for a different company then.” My colleague, Sarah Jenkins, also smiled and congratulated me. “Seems like everyone in our company is getting good news lately! Last night, I also saw VP Davis’s social media post saying he was getting engaged!” “And I have to say, the VP and his girlfriend really do look perfect together. I heard they’re childhood sweethearts who grew up together, each other’s true loves.” The smile on my face suddenly felt strained. I opened my phone to find that Liam had already blocked me on both his main and secondary social media accounts. His main account was for personal use; he had unfriended and blocked me after he left the apartment yesterday. His secondary account was for work. When I opened our chat, all that was left were strictly professional communications. Just then, Liam walked into the office with Chloe Sterling. They stood close together. Chloe’s face was flushed and she had a bright smile, looking nothing like a patient. Liam then introduced her to everyone. “This is our new Director of Technology. Everyone, please get to know her and work together harmoniously.” Sarah’s face showed surprise. Her gaze flickered between me and Chloe, then she bowed slightly and greeted Chloe. “Hello, Director Sterling!” I said nothing, silently clutching my resignation letter. Liam, however, looked at me with displeasure. “Riley Miller, everyone else has greeted the new director. What’s your attitude?” Chloe chuckled lightly and extended her hand to me. “We’ll be working in the same company from now on. Please take good care of me.” Just as I reached out my hand, Liam pulled Chloe’s hand back. “You’re a director. There’s no need to indulge some junior employee. Let’s go, I’ll show you around the new environment.” They left one after another, leaving me standing there, hand still extended, looking like a fool. Sarah pulled me to sit down, gossiping at her desk. “Riley, you saw that, right? That was VP Davis’s fiancée!” “That diamond necklace on her neck? VP Davis gave it to her yesterday. They say it’s worth a fortune!” “But this sudden appointment by the VP is just too obvious! You’ve been here for five years, and your work ability is clear to everyone. And the VP just casually gave your well-deserved position to someone else!” I nodded absently. I had already decided to quit, and Chloe’s sudden arrival only clarified my standing in Liam’s eyes even faster. Gathering my documents and resignation letter, I knocked on Liam’s office door. “Come in,” Liam’s voice was cold. I placed everything down, including the handover documents for my departure. Liam flipped through the papers, his face darkening with each page. Finally, he looked up, staring at me with a sarcastic smile and a hint of disdain. “Riley Miller, yesterday I thought you’d finally straightened up, that you wouldn’t throw tantrums anymore. Looks like you’re showing your true colors today, huh?” Liam finished speaking, then threw the documents at me. I dodged, then lowered my head and picked up the papers scattered on the floor. He continued, “So what if I took your promotion opportunity? Chloe’s major is the same as mine. I trust her abilities, which is why I gave her the Director of Technology position. What right do you have to be upset?” I neatly stacked the papers and placed them in front of him. Calmly, I told him, “I’m not upset. I just want to resign.” Chloe Sterling shares your major, and you know her capabilities. But what about me? I majored in jewelry design in college, but I pursued a dual degree in a different field for Liam. I worked day and night for years to keep up with him. In his eyes, was all my effort truly so worthless? Liam looked down at me from his elevated position. “Don’t you have a grasp of your own competence? I’ve transferred you to Chloe’s team. You can watch and learn from her from now on.” I smiled. “My time is valuable. I won’t bother learning things I dislike anymore.” “Fine! Then leave! Let’s see which company dares to hire you after this!” Liam said, rising from his office chair, his eyes glinting like a menacing ghost ready to devour me. But I simply turned and walked out of the office. Six years with Liam, I considered it a wasted effort. But I would never revolve around him again, let alone Chloe Sterling. At noon, I returned to my desk to pack my belongings. The small asteroid ornament on my desk was a gift from Liam when he graduated. Back then, he swore I was his entire world. I gave a self-deprecating laugh, took one last look, and then packed the ornament away with the rest of my things. Just as I was leaving with my box, Chloe Sterling suddenly entered, her face anxious. “Excuse me, everyone, I seem to have lost my necklace today. Could everyone please cooperate with a routine check?” The other office workers began whispering. “I saw Director Sterling’s necklace when I came in today. The diamond on it was huge, so shiny and brilliant!” “I think Director Sterling is being too polite. It’s entirely possible someone saw that diamond necklace, got greedy, and stole it!” “Oh my gosh! We have a thief in our office? No wonder my snacks always went missing from my desk before!” Liam stood beside Chloe Sterling, had the corporate security block the door, and then began a search of everyone. When it was my turn, I set my box down and cooperated with Liam’s inspection. He clearly saw the asteroid ornament at the very top, hesitated for a second, then instructed them to empty everything out of my box. My belongings clattered to the floor, spilling everywhere. The ornament shattered completely, turning into a pile of trash. Just like my six-year relationship with him – once a crack appeared, it could never heal. Several security guards searched the floor. Suddenly, Chloe Sterling gasped, covering her mouth. “My necklace!” Everyone in the office was drawn to her cry. Their gazes landed on me, and they began pointing and whispering behind my back. “Oh my God! It was Riley Miller who stole the new director’s necklace! If the VP hadn’t brought people to block the office, she probably would have already escaped with it!” “I never thought Riley Miller would be like this. You really can’t judge a book by its cover. Just because the new director came in and took her job, she’s acting so petty!” “Riley Miller is so narrow-minded! She’s actually such a sneaky, dishonest person. Good thing she’s leaving, otherwise I’d be scared to share an office with her!” My face turned pale. I absolutely did not touch Chloe Sterling’s necklace. Someone must have tampered with my things while I was submitting my resignation. Liam’s face was ashen. He picked up the diamond necklace from the pile of scattered items. Holding the necklace, he looked utterly disappointed in me. “Riley Miller—” He yelled my name, and I looked down to see him deliberately stepping on my belongings, grinding his foot into the shards of the asteroid ornament. Just as I looked up, Liam, without a word, slapped me across the face. “Apologize to Chloe! Why did you steal the necklace I gave her?” In that moment, my heart died completely. In his hand, he held the million-dollar necklace he gave to Chloe Sterling, while under his foot, he crushed the cheap trinket he’d given me, not even a fraction of the necklace’s value. Suddenly, tears streamed from my eyes. Being misunderstood by my colleagues in the office hurt less than that single slap from Liam, who I had been with for six years. He actually didn’t believe me? Seeing that I wasn’t speaking, he dragged me in front of Chloe Sterling like a piece of trash. “I told you to apologize! Explain why you stole something!” A flash of triumph flickered in Chloe Sterling’s eyes. Quickly, she feigned concern, frowning and reaching out to pull me up from the cold floor. I swatted her hand away, holding onto my last shred of defiance, and stood up myself. Though my eyes were blurred with tears, I held my back straight. “I didn’t take it! There are security cameras in the office. I want to check the footage to prove my innocence!” “And besides, a mere diamond necklace? I wouldn’t even bother with it!” I stared into Chloe Sterling’s eyes, uttering each word clearly. “Enough! Stop throwing a fit!” Liam clamped his hand over my mouth and dragged me out of the office. The force with which his large hand covered my nose and mouth was so strong, it felt like he was trying to suffocate me. Then, I heard Chloe Sterling smile at the colleagues in the office, magnanimously saying, “Since the item has been found, I haven’t really lost anything. We’re all colleagues, after all, so I won’t press charges! This afternoon, I’ll order afternoon tea for everyone as a thank you!” Liam seemed terrified that I would publicly expose our relationship. He led me to the breakroom. “Tell me, what exactly do you want to do? There’s a limit to how much you can act out.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, seemingly extremely distressed by the situation. I gasped for air, my face bruised where he’d grabbed me. “When did you become like this? It’s a good thing Chloe is so generous and forgave you. Now go apologize to her immediately!” “I won’t apologize. Why should I admit to something I didn’t do!” I glared at him. Liam asked why I had become like this, but I wanted to ask him when he had become so unrecognizable. Chloe Sterling entered the breakroom and poured a cup of hot water for me in a paper cup. “Riley, take a sip of water and calm down. I know you resent me, but you can’t be so impulsive next time.” I didn’t take the cup. Chloe Sterling, however, got scalded by the boiling water in the cup and spilled it on my arm. “Ah! So hot…” Chloe Sterling cried out as a few drops of hot water burned her fingers. Liam quickly pulled her to the faucet to rinse it off. I was wearing a thin chiffon blouse, which was now soaked with boiling water. My arm, scalded by the hot water, felt like it was on fire, white steam rising from it. I went to the restroom alone to treat the burn. My left wrist quickly turned red and blistered. As I returned to my desk, enduring the pain to pack my things, Liam came out and grabbed my hand. “Ouch!” I cried out in pain. Liam froze, then released me. He asked stiffly, “Are you okay?” I found it a bit funny. The slap mark on my face today was his doing, and the burn on my wrist was clearly Chloe Sterling’s intentional act. Liam’s current feigned concern made me nauseous. I shook off his hand and swept the scattered items into the trash can. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he just turned and left, leaving only, “You were too impulsive today.” After cleaning up the mess, I went to the company’s security camera room. I wouldn’t just let them falsely accuse me like this. But in the security room, I was at a stalemate with the staff. I asked to view the office surveillance from this morning, but the staff blocked me, saying that only internal company employees were authorized to view the footage. I saw that my internal employee account had been blocked and deleted, and I understood this was Liam’s doing. Only he in the company could have acted so quickly and had my employee account removed. He was completely siding with Chloe Sterling, having already decided that I was the one who stole the necklace. But soon, remembering that this tech company was also under the Stone family’s name, I decided to rush home and meet with Ethan Stone, the Stone family heir. I returned to the apartment I had lived in for six years. I moved out all my belongings, and just like cleaning out trash, I decisively cleared this relationship from my life. That evening, another delivery person came to the door. Inside the bag was burn cream from a pharmacy. I tossed the burn cream on the table, taking one last look at the empty home before I left. The next day, I booked a flight back to the East Coast, and meticulously handed over all my unfinished work to my successor. On the third day, I carried my suitcase and walked into the airport alone. Before boarding, I sent a breakup message to Liam’s work account for the first time. Of course, like my other colleagues, I wished him and Chloe Sterling a happy engagement. Then, I deleted all of Liam’s contact information.

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I always thought Ethan’s stepmom, Sarah, was graceful, beautiful, and pure. That was until after graduation when I moved into Ethan’s house. Late one night, I saw Sarah in the bathroom, wearing a provocative slip, watching an adult film on her phone and hiking up her skirt… … My name is Liam. After senior year of high school, my friend Ethan asked me to join him for a part-time job at a supermarket near his house. I agreed and went home with him that very day. It was there that I first saw his stepmom, Sarah. Sarah was wearing a tight black slip dress that slightly emphasized her cleavage. I immediately felt my mouth go dry and quickly averted my gaze downwards. My eyes landed on Sarah’s two long, pale legs, pressed tightly together. Her fair, slender legs were perfectly straight, and her delicate feet were adorned with red nail polish. Scenes from adult films inexplicably flashed through my mind, and I quickly lifted my head, turning away to hide my flushed face from Sarah. “I need to use the restroom first.” “Go ahead. Make yourself at home,” Ethan said, seemingly oblivious to my reaction. He pointed to the bathroom, then settled onto the sofa and turned on the TV. Sarah, however, smiled at me. Her foxy eyes, with a slight upturn at the corners when she chuckled softly, sent a ripple through my heart. “Ethan rarely brings friends over. Come on, I’ll show you.” She finished speaking and walked past me. A fragrance, like orchid and musk, filled my nostrils. She led the way, her tight, black body-hugging slip dress swaying rhythmically, her perfectly round and firm backside rising and falling with each graceful step. I had only been looking for an excuse to use the restroom. Now, seeing this, I wanted to clap my hand over myself to prevent any unsightly reactions Sarah might notice. But the more I looked, the more I felt as if Sarah’s slip dress was being worn without anything underneath! I couldn’t see any trace of underwear! Thinking back to before… I wondered if Sarah’s top half was also like that! Could it be that Sarah likes to wear things this way, to make it… convenient? As I followed Sarah, we reached the bathroom within a few steps, but Sarah suddenly paused. She gave me no time to react, quickly glancing down at me as I stopped. A faint smile touched her lips, her gaze lingering. “I never would have thought, for someone your age, you’re already so well-developed.” This… Sarah had seen it, and she was saying this to me. I felt a surge of panic. Sarah suddenly stepped forward and flicked my lower region. I yelped. Sarah giggled, her body shaking with laughter, her chest rising and falling. “Hehehe… Hurry up and do your business.” I felt like I’d been granted a reprieve, my face flushed and heart pounding, as I rushed into the bathroom. As soon as I entered, I saw a pile of red and purple intimate apparel. Most of them were just narrow strips of fabric. Connecting this to my earlier suspicion that Sarah preferred to go commando, and her deliberate teasing, my eyes widened, and my heart began to pound with excitement! Could Sarah be doing this on purpose? Teasing me, wanting me? Soon, I slapped myself on the forehead. That’s right, Ethan mentioned his dad is abroad and hasn’t been back in a long time. Sarah must be feeling empty and lonely. This is… this is her wanting… So, then… what about me? My mind began to conjure images of scandalous intimacy with Sarah, and my heart beat faster and faster. Certain parts of me also began to swell. It was a while before I emerged from the bathroom. Sarah had already started cooking, which made me breathe a sigh of relief. During dinner, I was surprised to find dishes that included foods known for their “energizing” properties, like large oysters. Sarah kept urging me to eat more. Her eyes watched me as if she wanted to devour me. What did this mean? I knew these dishes were supposedly potent for vitality. That night, I drifted off to sleep. Until I was awakened by the need to pee. I got up and went to the bathroom. Just as I was about to push the door open, I noticed it was ajar. Through the crack, I saw Sarah sitting on the toilet, holding her phone, watching something that made her face flush red. [End of Chapter 1. Unlock next chapter to continue!] 2 Soon, I heard sounds emanating from the phone through the door crack. I was instantly stunned. Sarah seemed to be watching a Japanese adult film, filled with the sounds of intimate acts between a man and a woman. My face instantly turned crimson. Sarah’s face grew redder and redder, and her eyes began to look distant. One hand slowly lifted her skirt. Sarah was wearing absolutely nothing underneath?! Before long, Sarah’s full chest was also rising and falling with her breathing. Just as I watched, dumbfounded and feeling like I was about to explode, losing all control, Sarah suddenly lifted her head, and her beautiful eyes looked right at me through the door crack! In that instant, I knew there was no hiding! At the same time, I didn’t want to hide! I wanted to go in, I wanted to… possess Sarah! The thought had just bloomed, and I felt a little scared, but quickly, looking at Sarah’s mesmerizing expression, I disregarded everything else. All I felt was my hormones surging, that impulse growing stronger and stronger. It was then that something made me swallow hard—Sarah actually crooked her finger at me. Seeing Sarah’s alluring look, I immediately rushed forward, eager to push open the bathroom door. “Liam, where’d you run off to? Are you in the bathroom? I need to go too…” Damn it, it was Ethan’s voice. I felt incredibly annoyed. I hadn’t expected a good thing to be right on the verge of happening, only for something unexpected to occur. Disappointed, I stopped dead in my tracks. Inside the bathroom, Sarah hastily began to pull her clothes back on. It was only then that I clearly saw it: Sarah’s black slip dress seemed different from other women’s slip dresses. It had a small strap inside that was tied to her leg. So, Sarah wasn’t going without underwear; the slip dress itself had built-in straps! What a wonderfully unique design! Sarah looked at me while anxiously dressing, placing her phone on the washing machine in the bathroom. I could clearly see the screen displaying… an adult film. A female actress, mature and sensual like Sarah, was wearing a similar black slip dress, bending over and wiping the floor. Behind her stood a male actor, younger than her, swallowing hard, his eyes burning with desire. Though I hadn’t seen this specific film before, it was clear that the mature, older actress was seducing the young actor, who was around my age. I instantly understood what was happening. It turned out Sarah was deliberately seducing me. This mature, alluring, married woman, Sarah, must have been dry for too long, and seeing me, she had developed improper thoughts. Sarah had already put her clothes back on, her face flushed as she looked at me. That mature and charming allure struck deep into my heart. Thump, thump, thump… Ethan’s footsteps grew closer. Sarah quickly picked up her phone, turned off the screen, and brushed past me. As she passed, her full breasts pressed against my body. Perhaps it was because the bathroom door was too narrow, or perhaps Sarah did it on purpose, but as she brushed past me, a unique fragrance emanated from her. At the same time, her soft breasts pressed against me, making my heart throb with excitement.

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