Category: English

After three years of chasing Lucas, he finally agreed to date me. But everyone knew he still wasn’t over his last relationship. The first time we had a fight, I left in a fit of rage late at night. I got into a car accident and lost my memory. In the hospital room, Lucas gave me a phone number. “This is your boyfriend, Archer’s number.” I believed him. He sighed in relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. But later, he crashed my wedding to Archer. He stubbornly gripped the hem of my wedding dress, refusing to let go: “Don’t marry him, I’m begging you.” Chapter 1 On my fifth day in the hospital. Lucas came again. Unlike previous days, today he handed me a slip of paper with a phone number. “This is your boyfriend, Archer’s number.” Lucas kept a straight face. “Before the accident, you two had a fight, and you deleted all his contact info.” “Did we break up?” If we didn’t break up, why hadn’t he come to see me after all these days in the hospital? Lucas said, “That’s between you two. I’m an outsider, I don’t know the details.” Just as I was about to speak, the door pushed open. A tall, lean figure walked in. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs. The tailored shirt and trousers outlined a physique with perfect proportions. He was literally walking pheromones. I stared blankly as he leaned in close to my face. “Heard you broke your brain?” Wait… “Who are you?” “Archer.” My feelings were complicated. I asked Lucas, “Is he really my boyfriend?” Archer paused, looking at Lucas. Lucas stared back at him intently, but spoke to me: “Yes, he is your boyfriend.” Archer narrowed his桃花 eyes (peach blossom eyes – charming eyes). A moment later, he let out a scoff. “I am, indeed, your boyfriend.” I don’t know if it was my imagination, but after Archer said that, Lucas seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “When are you being discharged?” Archer asked again. “Tomorrow.” Archer’s eyes filled with amusement. “Then I’ll come pick you up tomorrow, girlfriend.” The last word curled up at the end, carrying an endless, lingering charm. I suddenly blushed, my heart racing. “Hazel…” Turning my head, I met Lucas’s displeased gaze. I restrained my smile. “What’s wrong?” He pressed his lips together. “I’m getting engaged in a few days, I can’t pick you up tomorrow…” I nodded understandingly. “My boyfriend is here, you go busy yourself with your stuff.” Chapter 2 The next afternoon, Archer came to pick me up. He helped me pack and handled the discharge paperwork. He was outrageously considerate. He took me home—to his home. Looking at the brand-new toiletries in the bathroom, I asked puzzledly: “Why is everything new?” He answered leisurely, “The day we fought, I threw out everything related to you.” The corner of my mouth twitched. “So are you over being mad now?” He nodded, then shook his head. “What does that mean?” He lazily lifted his eyes. “You’re already like this, I have no choice but to forgive you.” I paused. “Did I start the fight?” He didn’t speak, just looked at me silently. His gaze made me feel guilty, and I didn’t dare meet his eyes. Finally, I cleared my throat and turned toward the walk-in closet. “Let’s let bygones be bygones. We’ll get along well from now on.” Opening the closet door, I discovered it was full of new clothes with tags still on. From inside out, everything was there. The entire closet was new. I tried to hold it in, but couldn’t. “Archer, why didn’t you throw yourself out too!” He looked blank. “What?” “You threw out everything I touched. I’ve touched you, why didn’t you throw yourself out?” Archer seemed to just realize what I meant. In an instant, he turned his face away unnaturally, a flush creeping up his ears. After a while, a magnificent voice came: “You haven’t touched me.” I shook my head without hesitation. “Impossible.” He was grown exactly to my aesthetic preferences. I only lost some memories, I didn’t become stupid. With such a handsome man in front of me, I couldn’t possibly sit still and be a saint. The more I thought about it, the more wrong it felt. I asked: “Archer, is it that you… can’t perform?” “What are you saying!” Archer grabbed a set of pajamas from the closet and shoved them at me. “Go wash up, I’ll make you something to eat.” He left immediately, giving me no chance to react. At night, when it was time to sleep. I waited and waited, but Archer didn’t come to bed. Walking out of the room, I found out he had already gone to sleep in the guest bedroom! When I pushed open the guest room door, he was just about to take off his pants. The moment our eyes met, he quickly pulled his pants back up and even wrapped a bathrobe around himself. Tsk. Living together and he’s still guarding against me. I walked over silently, lifted the quilt, and burrowed in. Archer was dumbfounded. “You, you, you…” I patted the spot beside me. “Come here.” He didn’t move. “Aren’t you going to sleep?” I asked. He stared at me, looking like he wanted to say something several times but stopped. “Are you scared? Or is it that you really can’t perform?” Archer finally moved. He walked to my side, wrapped me up like a burrito with lightning speed, and carried me back to the master bedroom. It wasn’t until I heard the door close that I realized my boyfriend might really have a problem. In the middle of the night, while sleeping groggily, Archer came into my room. He lifted my nightgown and did all sorts of bad things. He teased me until I was parched but refused to give me relief. I cried out in anger, “Archer, I’m breaking up with you! I’m finding a man who’s better and more capable than you!” He bit me fiercely. “You dare!” “Hmph, watch me! Get off!” I kicked out, but kicked empty air. The huge movement woke me up. Looking around, it was broad daylight. It turned out to be just a dream. Outside the door, Archer was knocking. “Get up for breakfast.” Ten minutes later, I sat at the dining table. He had buttoned his shirt all the way to the top button. Looking serious like an old veteran cadre. Clearly, the last two times I saw him, he didn’t button up properly, and I could faintly see the pectoral muscles under his shirt. The more I thought about it, the more unwilling I was. “Archer, how about I make you an appointment with a urologist?” Archer suddenly started coughing violently, unable to stop for a long time. I handed him a glass of water and said slowly: “Don’t worry, as long as you can be cured, I won’t despise you.” Archer coughed until he could barely breathe. I quickly patted his back and gave him water. After bustling for a while, he finally stopped. “I am very healthy.” Before I could question his words, he added, “Today is Lucas’s engagement party. Come with me.” Chapter 3 We arrived a bit late to the engagement party. Archer insisted I dress to the nines. I really shouldn’t have listened to him. As soon as we appeared, almost everyone’s eyes fell on me. I was a bit uneasy. “Archer, why are they all looking at me?” Archer curved his lips. “Because you’re beautiful.” I wasn’t used to such occasions and excused myself to the restroom. As soon as I entered a stall, voices sounded outside. “I can’t believe Archer actually brought Hazel here. Isn’t this blatantly embarrassing Lucas?” “It was supposed to be Hazel and Lucas’s engagement party. Who knows what kind of scene she’ll make when she gets her memory back.” “What can she do? Lucas doesn’t love her, otherwise he wouldn’t have temporarily changed his fiancée.” “Blame Hazel’s bad luck. Getting a head injury at this critical moment gave Chloe a chance.” “But why is Archer with Hazel? They’ve been enemies since childhood. Now that she has amnesia, they’re together?” “Who knows, maybe Archer is just playing with her.” “I guess so. Archer once said he wouldn’t marry Hazel even if she was the last woman on earth.” “Alright, stop talking. Walls have ears.” Silence fell outside. I stayed in the restroom for a long time. When I came out, I saw Lucas. His eyes were deep. “You just got out of the hospital, why didn’t you rest at home for a couple more days?” “Thanks for the concern, I’m fine.” I tried to walk around him, but he blocked my path. “Hazel, did you hear anything today?” “You mean about Archer and me being enemies? Enemies can bury the hatchet. Besides, I like him quite a bit now.” “You don’t like Archer.” I was puzzled. “You’re not me, how do you know I don’t like him?” Lucas realized he misspoke and tried to recover: “That’s not what I meant, it’s because… before you lost your memory, you told me you didn’t like him anymore.” “Hazel.” Lucas’s brow showed a hint of coldness. “You can’t remember the past now. As a friend, I suggest you take this opportunity to break up with Archer.” Just as his voice fell, a scoff came from the shadows nearby. “Lucas, that’s not very nice of you.” Archer stepped out of the dark, his long legs bringing him to my side in two strides. “Haven’t you heard it’s better to tear down a temple than ruin a marriage?” Lucas: “You’re not married yet.” Archer took my hand. “Sooner or later.” He checked the time. “We have other things to do, we have to go. Oh right, happy engagement. May you be together forever.” With that, he pulled me away quickly. In the car, buckled up. Archer said, “I’m taking you for a ride.” He just went. Floored the gas pedal onto the highway. I was tense all over, clutching the seatbelt, not daring to make a sound. I should have known better than to get in his car. Yet Archer didn’t realize his problem, relaxed as if he were riding a bike in his backyard. The car sped on the highway for an hour, finally slowing down and stopping on a beach. I quickly pushed the door open and got out, gasping for air. Archer walked to my side, smiling. “Carsick? Shouldn’t be.” I ignored him. He took two cans of beer from the trunk, sat on the sand, and waved at me. I couldn’t believe it. “You raced here just to drink?” “Alcohol adds to the fun, didn’t you know?” After a moment of silence, I sat next to him. Just as I reached for a beer, he snatched it away. “You just got out of the hospital, you can’t drink. I’ll drink it for you.” Chapter 4 The consequence of letting Archer drink was that I had to drive for two hours like I was facing a formidable enemy. Archer seemed to have drunk too much, stumbling when he got out of the car. Out of pity, I went up to support him. Entering the elevator, Archer extended his long arm and clasped my waist. That captivating face was inches away, adding a bit of charm due to the drunkenness. I inexplicably swallowed. Unexpectedly, Archer caught it all. “Look good?” His rich voice carried a hint of tenderness. I looked away and pushed him. He remained motionless. When the elevator door opened, he suddenly bent down, picked me up bridal style, and headed straight for the master bedroom. I was startled. “Archer, what are you doing?” He put me on the bed, supporting himself with hands on either side of me. “Date, drink, sleep. Can’t miss one.” My mouth twitched fiercely. I kicked his calf. “Go shower first.” He got up and scooped me up along with him. “Together.” Just as we reached the bathroom door, my phone rang. I patted him. “Put me down.” Archer was unmoved. “Calls at this hour aren’t worth answering.” Inside the bathroom, he placed me on the vanity counter and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. The phone ringing outside stopped abruptly. A few seconds later, Archer’s phone rang. He took the phone from his pocket, hit answer and speaker, and set it aside. “What’s up?” Only the sound of our breathing filled the spacious bathroom. I could hear Lucas’s voice clearly. “Where did you take her?” Archer unbuttoned the last two buttons of his shirt while saying, “Couple stuff. Mind your own business.” Taking off the shirt removed the obstacle, revealing defined abs. I couldn’t resist and put my hand on them. But just as I touched his chest, he caught my hand. The man’s voice was low: “Don’t rush, wait until I finish the call.” As soon as he finished speaking, Lucas’s furious voice came from the phone: “What are you doing!” He ignored Lucas, looking at me, smiling like a rogue. “Want to verify if I can perform or not?” I subconsciously gripped the hem of my dress. “Then you…” “No! You can’t! Hazel, come out, I’m coming to pick you up right now, you can’t be with him…” The voice cut off. Archer hung up the phone. I was a bit puzzled. “Lucas seems very opposed to me being with you?” “Because he’s jealous I have such a beautiful girlfriend.” He slowly leaned in, warm breath spraying on my face, tickling. I instinctively dodged to the side. Unexpectedly, big hands turned my face straight, and an overwhelming kiss fell. He had absolutely no technique to speak of. Even so, my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. I don’t know how long it passed, until I could barely breathe, the doorbell rang. Archer let go of me, his black eyes tainted with emotions I couldn’t read. My dress had been pushed up to my waist at some point, the ironed fabric now wrinkled beyond recognition. I gave him a ghostly glare. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he was about to kiss me again. Just then, the knocking outside was deafening. There was a stance of not giving up until the door opened. Archer was displeased, but he pulled my dress down. “I’ll go check.” I heard Lucas’s voice. But it wasn’t convenient for me to go out looking like this, so I waited quietly for Archer to come get me. Not long after, Archer returned. He said, “I’m going out for a bit. Wait here for me like a good girl.”

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The annual St. Jude’s Medical Center Donor Appreciation Gala was supposed to be a night of champagne toasts and polite applause. Instead, it became the place where my world shattered. Dr. Thompson, the Chief of Staff, beamed from the podium. “Dr. Eleanor Stone is truly the epitome of altruism,” he announced, his voice ringing through the ballroom. “To personally coordinate with the Organ Distribution Center, ensuring her daughter’s perfectly matched donor heart went to a financially struggling young man… It’s a lesson in what it means to be a healer.” I was still innocent enough to try to defend her. “Dr. Thompson,” I said, my voice barely a breath. “My mother is meticulous about procedure. She would never pull strings for a patient to jump the list.” My disbelief seemed to shock him. “But didn’t she clear it with you? The recipient was a perfect match, same as yours, just behind you on the registry. Dr. Stone personally went to bat for him.” “She said her own daughter, you, could afford to wait. That the other boy’s family was about to lose their low-income housing, that his life was literally burning through their last few pennies.” I slowly turned to face my parents. My mother, Eleanor, gripped her champagne flute like a weapon. “Scarlett, that child’s family is absolutely destitute. They couldn’t wait any longer,” she pleaded. “It’s different for you. Your father and I are doctors. We wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” Anger, sharp and hot, instantly incinerated my logic. Tears spilled over. “I see! So being your daughter means I don’t even qualify for fair treatment on a waiting list!” I choked out. “Maybe I should have been an orphan then. Then I could have had my surgery, too, right? Maybe even gotten the heart you stole!” 1 I turned to leave, but Dad, Dr. David Stone, blocked my path. “Scarlett, what is this attitude? Do you know what your mother sacrificed, the time she poured into Finn? If he doesn’t get that heart, he won’t make it to his nineteenth birthday!” I stared at my father, dumbfounded. So this was it. My life was so cheap to them. They were only afraid a “penniless student” would die in their ward and tarnish the hospital’s reputation. Mom tried to grab me. “Leaving in the middle of this is inappropriate! We’ll discuss this at home.” Colleagues who’d heard the commotion crowded around, half-begging, half-forcing me back into my seat. The fear and resentment I’d repressed for two years finally erupted. Gasping, I pointed at Mom, my voice raw and broken. “He can’t wait? Do you think I can? Just because he’s poor, he’s pitiable, and he’s your public relations poster child, he gets to jump the line? He gets you to pull strings to snatch my heart?!” “What about me! I’m your daughter! I’m only twenty-four! I haven’t graduated, I haven’t seen the Rockies or the Atlantic! Tell me, what part of me is less deserving of life than him?” “Just because you gave birth to me, I deserve to stand behind everyone else? I deserve to die for your damned ‘Principle of Avoiding Suspicion’?” The collapsing shriek echoed in the silent hall. Mom trembled with rage, her hand raised as if to strike me, but she slammed it onto the table instead. “That’s enough! You are out of line! Apologize to Finn O’Malley immediately! Do you have any idea how much psychological stress these comments will put on his recovery?” Finn’s mother, Maureen, fell to her knees with a thud, bowing her head to the floor. “Oh, my sweet girl, I’m so sorry, forgive us… We’ve dragged Dr. Stone into this, we’ve stolen your chance… Please, hit me, scream at me, but don’t blame her. She’s a saint, an absolute saint!” The whole scene was an absurd nightmare. And I, apparently, was the petulant brat in the dream. I watched Mom rush over to help the dark, thin woman up. I saw the undisguised disappointment on her face. I laughed then, tears streaming down my face as I did. “Fine. Fine… He is your patient, your responsibility, your salvation.” “And me? What am I?” I looked at Dad. His eyes were red-rimmed, but he remained silent. “You won’t touch your savings for my treatment—under the beautiful principle that the hospital must not play favorites, must not accept gifts.” “The truth is, you never planned for me to live at all. You were just waiting to use my donor for someone else’s son!” When I was queuing for my own surgery, I hadn’t even dared to ask for a private room, terrified of the gossip. Yet for someone else, she could leverage years of professional connections to steal the lifeline that should have been mine! I pushed away the hands trying to hold me, ignored the familiar, sharp pang in my chest, and walked toward the elevator. “From today forward, whether I live or die has nothing to do with you. Just go back to protecting your Hippocratic Oath, and your patients who are more ‘worthy’ of being saved!” Behind me, I heard Mom’s furious shout, Dad’s anxious cry, and the strangled sobs of Finn’s mother. The elevator door slid shut, cutting off the noise. I took a cab back to the university. My phone vibrated ceaselessly the entire ride, a flood of missed calls and messages. The first was from Mom: Mom (Eleanor): Scarlett, you embarrassed me tonight. That boy is barely nineteen, and his family is on welfare. We had to do this. He had nothing. You’re our daughter, you need to be the bigger person. Scrolling down, there was Dad’s: Dad (David): Scarlett, Finn is different. He’s alone. He’s already attempted suicide twice since his diagnosis. Your mother couldn’t just stand by! Dad (David): You’ve created a scandal. The whole hospital knows now. How do you expect your mother to lead her department? Come home and apologize! I deleted the rest without reading them. When my roommates learned what happened, they were furious on my behalf. My nose started to sting. Strangers could feel sympathy for my plight. Why did my own parents insist on making me feel like a burden? I stayed at school for two days. The moment I turned my phone on, I accidentally answered a call from Uncle George, my mother’s brother. “Scarlett, how could you be so difficult? You’ve upset your parents terribly. Running away from home?” “I’m not trying to lecture you, but you’re breaking your mother’s heart. She’s a doctor, it’s her calling to save lives. How can you blame her for this?” He droned on about Mom’s sacrifices. “Your mother just saw a vulnerable child and wanted to save his life. As her daughter, you should be supporting her.” I waited until he paused, shaking my head to reassure my worried roommate. Uncle George’s voice grew quieter. “Uncle George, do you remember what the specialist said when I was diagnosed at twelve?” “I… I remember.” I cut him off. “The doctor said twenty-four was my absolute limit for the surgery.” “I’m halfway through twenty-four now.” He went silent. “I waited twelve years, Uncle. I finally got a 92% match, and my own mother, my biological mother, personally diverted it to someone else.” “For her, the Hippocratic Oath is a higher priority than her daughter’s survival.” “If I, her daughter, have to be careful to ‘avoid suspicion,’ why doesn’t the patient she saved need to? That’s what they call virtue, I suppose.” My voice dripped with sarcasm. Mom has helped many needy patients, but Finn was her biggest personal investment. To him, she was the compassionate Dr. Stone, the “Most Beautiful Doctor” plastered all over the local news. But to me, she was a failure of a mother. A person’s heart is only so big. If it’s filled up with patients, how much room is left for family? Uncle George stammered in defense. “Your mother is just doing her duty. You should understand her the most…” A sharp pain clenched my heart. I pulled out my pill bottle and swallowed two tablets. “Uncle, do you know why my mother never let me visit her department?” “Why?” “She was terrified of the optics—of colleagues saying she was abusing her power, of patients thinking she was prioritizing her own child. So my medical records are at a different hospital. My primary doctor doesn’t even know I’m Dr. Stone’s daughter.” “Finn’s surgery, however? She performed it herself. She will personally follow up on every one of his post-op scans.” “Tell me, Uncle. Who looks more like her biological child?” The line went quiet, only his breathing audible. After a long moment, he spoke again. “Don’t talk like that, Scarlett. Your mother does care about you…” “Where is my place then? On which page of the transplant waiting list? What number room on her daily rounds?” “I am her daughter, yet I can’t even receive fair access to medical care. Why? If being someone else’s child is the only way to get a break, then I’d rather have no connection to this family at all!” The voice on the other end changed. It was Mom. She had been listening the whole time. “Scarlett, can you not see the bigger picture? Finn genuinely couldn’t wait any longer!” I countered, “And me? How long do I have? When will the next matching donor appear? A year? Two? Five?” “You…” “As a hospital administrator, you know better than anyone how scarce heart donors are. The average wait time is 3.8 years. I’ve already waited twelve.” Mom’s voice was still unnervingly calm. “Medical resources are finite. They must be allocated to the most critically urgent patient first.” I nodded. “I know. You’re the department head, Dad’s an administrator. Your professional ethics, your medical resources—you can give them to whomever you like.” “Then my life, my choices, are mine to make, too.” I hung up and powered down the phone. With my transplant opportunity stolen, I was forced back onto the waiting list. But my condition wasn’t waiting. The symptoms of heart failure were growing more severe. My doctor suggested an implanted cardiac assist device. The cost was astronomical. Even after insurance, I would have to pay a six-figure sum out of pocket. I’d intended to ask my parents for a loan, but they would rather pull strings to steal a heart for a patient than break their own rules to save their daughter. I had to figure it out myself. My academic advisor, worried I was an unstable presence, asked if I wanted to take another leave of absence. I moved out instead. Short on cash, I could only afford a room in a dilapidated, multi-tenant complex in a forgotten corner of the city. A young woman in the building took pity on me and offered to let me join her streaming business, selling goods online. I began working frantically, desperate to earn enough money to survive. A month later, my parents saw me online. They found me in the dingy complex, blocking my path. Mom’s eyes were red-rimmed. “How could you… how could you possibly live in this dump?” “Your health is fragile. Come back to the hospital with us immediately.” I looked at her with cold eyes. My phone buzzed—it was time to start my stream. I tried to walk past them. Dad grabbed my arm, his face tight with disgust. “We spent all those years raising you for this? To do this cheap, degrading work?” “You might not be ashamed, but if this gets back to my colleagues, we’ll be a laughingstock!” Of course. They never cared about me. Only their reputation. I yanked my arm away. “What’s shameful about earning money with my own two hands?” “There’s no such thing as ‘degrading’ work. Do you think being a doctor makes you superior?” I stepped closer to Dad. “Right. Of course. After all, the heart of a healer is so noble that you’re willing to abandon your own daughter. You must be high and mighty!” Mom’s eyes grew frantic. “Your father and I came here to take you back for treatment! Stop this stubbornness. I’ve found the next donor…” “What for? So I can be the one accused of being a black-market beneficiary?” I interrupted impatiently. “Don’t worry. I’ll avoid suspicion for you—until the day I die!” I turned away. A neighbor and her large dog brushed past me. Mom screamed about the dog’s germs. The dog, startled by the noise, lunged at me. “Watch out!” The piercing cry came as I fell down the short flight of steps. The dog bit me. My heart rate soared, and my vision swam. I fumbled in my bag for my pills and swallowed them. Mom frantically snatched the bottle. “You can’t take this cheap medicine! Do you know how much damage it does to your body?” Leaning against the wall, I drew a shaky breath. “It’s cheap. And it works fast.” I needed the pills to suppress the chest pain through countless late-night streams. Tears suddenly spilled from Mom’s eyes. “I’m calling an ambulance right now! I’ll take you to our hospital.” I took a deep breath. “No need! Just pay for my rabies shots. I have to stream now.” Dad erupted in fury. “At a time like this, you’re still thinking about work! Is that job more important than your life?” He pulled my sleeve, tearing my cheap shirt. I shouted back, louder than he had. “Yes! Because I don’t have the money for a cardiac assist device! Because my parents would rather use their connections to steal a donor heart for a stranger than pay for my medical bills!” “What else am I supposed to do but kill myself working to survive? This stream is the best job I can find in my condition! You look down on it, but at least it feeds me!” Dad froze. The neighbor, witnessing the whole spectacle, gave me an extra thirty dollars for ‘nutrition.’ Dad looked at her, his expression saying everything. My parents stood frozen, a complex mix of emotions crossing their faces. For a brief moment, I thought I saw a flash of genuine guilt in their eyes. I struggled to my feet, limped inside, and locked the door, shutting them out. My stream didn’t end until the early morning. A colleague went out for food and came back to tell me my parents were still waiting by the door. “Scarlett, you can’t eat this junk food with your heart condition! You need nutrition!” “Come on, come home with Mom. I’ll make you chicken soup.” Mom stared intensely at the pre-packaged meal in my hand, her voice choked. Even Dad’s tone was softer. “Your mother and I were wrong about what happened before. We’ll find a way to get you the surgery sooner. Don’t be stubborn anymore.” I burst out laughing. “Did I have such a great life when I was home?” “You were always too busy with work. I don’t think I’ve had one proper, home-cooked meal in years. I’ve eaten frozen junk food for so long, and now you’re worried about my nutrition?” My parents flushed a deep red. This time, it was shame. They must have remembered how much they’d neglected me. Mom tried to speak several times, but no words came out. Impatient, I shooed them away. “If you genuinely care about me, then just disappear!” “Because right now, looking at you both makes me sick!” Under the dim streetlights, their shadows stretched long and weary. But I refused to look back. Not long after, I saw Mom on the local news. Finn O’Malley, the student, was sobbing as he thanked her, calling her his second mother. Tears in her eyes, Mom said, “It’s just my duty as a healer.” Her hospital’s prestige soared, and Mom was promoted yet again. She got what she wanted, I thought. And I, apparently, was no longer of any use. But then, I received a text from her. Mom (Eleanor): Scarlett, the hospital has scheduled your surgery. Please don’t be afraid. This time, I promise your mother will save you. All the documents were clearly marked. The Chief of Staff, Dr. Thompson, even called to say Mom had pulled every last string she had for me. I thought about it for a long time, then decided to go to the hospital. I didn’t need to play games with my own life. This was what I deserved. When I arrived at the inpatient ward, the people waiting for me weren’t the surgeons. It was the two people I least wanted to see: Finn and his mother. I immediately looked at Dad. He looked guilty, lowering his eyes, but he gripped my arm and forced me to sit down. “Finn has felt terrible about everything, he wants to apologize personally.” “Honestly, without this little trick, we didn’t know how else to get you back here.” The air thickened, turning to glass. I could barely believe it. My throat was dry. “So, the surgery is a lie? This was all just to get me to deal with your poor little patient?” Finn stood up to smooth things over. “Scarlett, Dr. Stone saved my life, but it hurt yours. It’s not her fault, it’s mine. I owe you an apology.” He knelt before me, instantly setting me on fire with misplaced morality. Mom looked at me with open disappointment. “Look how understanding Finn is. Unlike you, throwing a tantrum at every turn. Let this go. You need to help Finn, too. He came from nothing. He has a long anti-rejection therapy ahead of him. It’s not easy.” Dad quickly chimed in, talking about how poor and how hard-fought Finn’s survival was. I listened and started to laugh. I placed my own medical records and overdue bills in front of them. “I’m not doing so great either. The hospital says if I don’t get surgery soon, I’m genuinely going to die.” “Finn, since you feel so bad, why don’t you show it with a concrete action? Like giving the heart back?” Mom slammed her hand on the table, furious. “Running away from home is one thing, but now you’re forging medical records to trick us?” “How can you be so malicious? Finn hasn’t even fully recovered, and you want to snatch his heart away?” I laughed until I almost cried. She hadn’t followed my condition at all. Even her tears in the tenement complex were just crocodile tears. “I have no choice, do I? My parents have the money and connections to steal a donor heart for someone else, but they sacrifice their own daughter’s life to do it.” “And if I die, both of your careers are finished. Utterly ruined!” I looked at Mom with contempt. “I just don’t understand. You can pour your heart and soul into a stranger, but you can be this ruthless to your own child.” “I used to think you were a woman of principle. Seeing what you did for Finn, I realize you’re just a hypocrite.” “My mother is nothing but a self-serving fraud!” I had figured out why Mom was so obsessed with saving Finn. She was running for Vice Chief of Staff next year. She needed the political capital. Saving a poor student from a single-parent, welfare-dependent family? What incredible publicity. During this crucial period, she couldn’t dare prioritize my surgery. It would be called nepotism and ruin her candidacy. But that heart was mine by sequence! In this calculation, she gained a promotion, Finn gained a new life. Only I, like a fool, was sacrificed. Now I couldn’t even afford my medicine. I pulled out my phone and opened the camera. “Since you care so much about the needy student, how about you adopt him right now, on a live stream, in front of the whole internet? That will surely secure your promotion.” “As for me, I’ll publicly disown you. You won’t have to worry about the ‘burden of suspicion’ anymore!”

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The wealthy Sterling family of Sea City held a birthday banquet for their eldest son, Adrian Sterling. At the banquet, a piano competition was held to select Adrian’s fiancée. Because Adrian once said his wife must play the piano beautifully. In my past life, I was the one who shone at the banquet. The Sterling and Quinn families formally united, and I married into the Sterling family. Meanwhile, the girl he loved, Luna Moon, fell ill and died of depression. After he became the CEO of Sterling Enterprises, he placed Luna’s memorial tablet in the main hall of the Sterling house and made me kneel before it for three days and three nights. “If you hadn’t injured Luna’s hand before the banquet, my parents would have surely liked her. It’s you who separated us by life and death.” “The position of Mrs. Sterling should have been hers.” The first thing he did after taking office was to maliciously acquire the Quinn Group, bankrupting my family’s company. My father died of a heart attack from rage, and my mother passed away from grief a year later. The Quinn family fell into ruin. In this life, at the Sterling family’s birthday banquet, I injured my own wrist and withdrew from the fight these socialites were dying for. He wants to be with Luna Moon for a lifetime? I’ll grant their wish. Chapter 1 “The winner of this piano performance, with the most votes, is: Miss Luna Moon of the Moon family.” At the birthday banquet, Adrian’s aunt loudly announced the winner’s name. Everyone whispered: “She actually got first place.” “I heard Scarlett Quinn sprained her wrist and couldn’t play. Luna Moon is really lucky.” “Isn’t the daughter-in-law the Sterling family prefers Scarlett Quinn?” “But it was agreed that the winner would be Adrian’s fiancée. It was a rule Adrian set himself.” Adrian looked delighted and joyful, tightly holding Luna’s hand as they walked forward: “Dad, Mom, this is the fiancée your son has chosen.” Adrian’s eyes were full of tenderness. Luna looked shy, her face blushing as if about to bleed, but she never let go of Adrian’s hand. Everyone looked sympathetically at me, my wrist still wrapped in gauze, watching the drama unfold. Mrs. Sterling looked at me, hesitating to speak. After all, she had revealed that she wanted to choose me as her daughter-in-law, and had even specially ventilated this to my parents, fearing they would arrange blind dates for me with other young masters. Now, a mishap suddenly occurred. Mrs. Sterling hesitated for a moment and asked Adrian: “Do you have any other girls you like? Your father is happy today. Maybe if you say it, your dad will cancel today’s performance results, and you can consider carefully again.” She glanced at me, hinting for him to reconsider. But Mrs. Sterling was wrong, because I was unwilling to marry Adrian again. In my past life, Adrian said I broke Luna’s hand, causing her inability to play. But that was something I disdained to do. If he calmly thought about my usual conduct, he would know that wasn’t something I would do. But seeing Luna with her head down and red eyes, he felt heartache long ago. Luna broke free from his hand and said: “I know Miss Quinn doesn’t like me, but I just want a fair chance to fight for being with you. Why can’t she give it to me? Just because her father is the president of the Quinn Group? Because the Moon family’s status is inferior to hers now?” Her one sentence planted the seed for Adrian’s malicious acquisition of the Quinn Group after he succeeded. Later I learned that the long-lost piano piece I played in my past life was so good that even the chief pianist of the National Orchestra nodded in satisfaction. Seeing she couldn’t win against me, Luna deliberately cut her own hand with a small knife, losing the competition on purpose. Chapter 2 In this life, I won’t give her the chance. I’d rather accidentally injure my wrist at yesterday’s spring banquet, causing me to be unable to participate in the contest today, than give them another handle against me. They want to be together? In this life, I’ll fulfill their wish. I will definitely stay far away from them. Hearing his mother’s question, Adrian said loudly: “Mom, Luna is the only woman I love. Since she got the most votes for her performance, she is first place. According to the rules I set originally, I must marry her.” “In this life, I will only love Luna alone.” Mrs. Sterling sighed helplessly: “I have no objection if you want to marry her. But the union of two families is not a small matter. I hope you consider carefully. Besides economic strength, the upbringing of future generations of the Sterling family must also be considered.” She looked at Luna. Luna only had Adrian in her eyes. Perhaps love gives people infinite courage. She stepped forward and said with a trembling voice: “Mrs. Sterling, after marrying Adrian, I will definitely give birth to a son for him, teach the children at home, and raise the next generation of the Sterling family well. But Adrian said he won’t marry another woman.” “Every woman wants to be with her beloved for a lifetime, just the two of them. Mrs. Sterling should be the same, right? Please agree to fulfill our marriage.” As soon as her voice fell, the expressions of the ladies in the hall varied, especially those whose daughters had hopes of becoming Adrian’s wife, their faces turned black. “Miss Moon is really formidable, starting to manage Adrian before even entering the door.” “Which successful man doesn’t have a few women behind him? Besides, Adrian is Mrs. Sterling’s only son. What is she trying to do? If she can’t give birth to a son, is she prepared to let the Sterling family line end?” “It seems Luna Moon wants to monopolize Adrian’s favor.” Hearing Luna say this, although Adrian knew it was inappropriate, he still defended her: “Mom, I hope you agree to let me marry Luna.” Mrs. Sterling closed her eyes and waved her hand wearily: “Since your mind is made up, I can’t control you. In three days, people will be sent to the Moon family to propose.” Everyone filed out. Before I walked out of the Sterling house, I was stopped: “Miss Quinn.” It was Luna. Servants behind her held the jewelry Adrian gave her. She walked up smiling: “I’m sorry, Miss Quinn. I didn’t expect you not to participate in the performance today. I thought you would win.” I smiled faintly: “Congratulations, Miss Moon, your wish has come true.” Her eyes reddened: “Will you blame me? I know Mrs. Sterling likes you more, but I really love Adrian, and he also said he would marry me. For him, I can only disregard sisterly affection. Don’t blame me.” “This diamond necklace was given by Adrian. I’m giving it to you, as a token of sisterhood. I wish Miss Quinn finds her beloved soon and gives birth to a son early.” I took the necklace. Before I could speak, the diamond necklace in my hand was snatched by a man’s hand: “I gave this to you, why give it to someone else? This is my good intention wishing for us to have a son early after marriage, why are you so careless?” Luna looked at Adrian shyly: “Adrian, Miss Quinn is unhappy about losing the selection. I wanted to coax her. Don’t be so stingy.” Chapter 3 Adrian looked at me mockingly: “Unhappy? Scarlett, it’s my mom who likes you, not me. I hope you understand. My mom probably values your father’s support, but once I get the approval of all shareholders, I will be the next heir of Sterling Enterprises. Everyone will have to listen to me, don’t you think?” “I won’t rely on a woman’s skirts to develop my career, and I never said I wanted to marry you.” “In the past, I could talk to you, thinking you were generous and interesting in conversation, but I didn’t expect you to have such great ambition to become Mrs. Sterling.” Watching the two of them singing in harmony, I was impatient to talk further. I took a step back: “Mr. Sterling, I came to the Sterling house for the birthday banquet because of your mother’s invitation. What relying on women to develop a career, what wanting to marry you, stop talking such nonsense, lest Miss Moon overthinks.” “If she overthinks and assumes Mr. Sterling is saying her maiden family is incapable, how will Miss Moon conduct herself in the Sterling family?” After speaking, I turned and left. Luna was naturally suspicious and petty. The Moon family had long declined. Among the prominent families in Sea City, her family didn’t rank at all. Compared to my family background, hers was truly not worth mentioning. Three days later, the Sterling family sent people to propose to the Moon family. Once the marriage was settled, Luna immediately held a banquet, inviting the young ladies of Sea City. Looking at Adrian’s face, who dared not go? At the banquet, Luna was dressed in jewels, wearing all the jewelry sent by Adrian and Mrs. Sterling. Not yet Mrs. Sterling, but putting on the full airs of Mrs. Sterling. I thought of my past life, where she was loved by Adrian for being elegant and plain, disliking luxurious jewelry, saying he preferred her freshness and refinement. I wonder if Adrian in this life would still praise her for being fresh and untainted by the mortal world upon seeing her like this. Luna held my hand tightly in front of everyone: “Miss Quinn, when I get married, can you be my bridesmaid? Accompany me on my wedding day. With a few good sisters accompanying me, I won’t be so scared.” There was pleading on her face, but a triumphant smile in her eyes. In her mind, she was already a winner in life. This was to embarrass me in public. “You are Mrs. Sterling. If you choose someone as a bridesmaid, who can refuse? Presumably, no one in Sea City wouldn’t give me, Adrian Sterling, this face. Scarlett, don’t you think so?” The speaker was Adrian, who was walking in. Adrian rushed to support Luna at the banquet she held; he truly doted on her. Everyone looked at me, seeing how I would respond. If I agreed, it would be submitting to the status of Mrs. Sterling. If I didn’t agree, it would be rejecting Adrian’s face. Adrian was full of confidence, Luna was triumphant. But they forgot, my father is the president of the Quinn Group. In Sea City, except for respected elders, I don’t need to look at anyone’s face. I shook off Luna’s hand: “Sorry, I may not be able to attend your wedding. My dad sent someone to pick me up and go home. The booked flight is exactly on your wedding day.” Luna looked at me, her eyes full of mist: “Is Miss Quinn angry and blaming me? Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental that Chairman Quinn sent someone to pick you up?” Chapter 4 My female companion beside me answered for me: “The person Chairman Quinn sent to pick up Scarlett arrived last night. He said a marriage has been arranged for Scarlett. Scarlett has been in Sea City for half a year, it’s time to go home and prepare for marriage.” As soon as the words fell, Adrian’s face changed drastically: “You’re going back to Los Angeles? Didn’t your dad send you to Sea City to find a young master from a prominent family to marry?” “I know you’re uncomfortable that I chose Luna as my wife. If I promise you, I marry her, but I can still be with you?” Luna’s face changed. Before she could speak, I smiled and said: “What joke is Mr. Sterling telling? Didn’t Mr. Sterling just tell Mrs. Sterling at the Sterling house that he would be with Miss Moon for a lifetime, just the two of you?” “Moreover, how would a daughter of the Quinn family be a mistress?” Adrian gritted his teeth: “Scarlett, must you be Mrs. Sterling? Do you care so much about this empty title?” I looked at him inexplicably: “Adrian, I never said I wanted to be your wife. I’ve just been in Sea City long enough, my family misses me, and I have no relatives here. It’s right to go home. Is there any reason not to let someone go home?” Adrian’s face grew darker and darker: “What if I don’t agree, and I won’t let you go?” “Mr. Sterling is afraid to be disappointed. Miss Quinn and I are already engaged. Is President Sterling trying to snatch my wife?” I turned around. Walking in was Julian Thorne, whom I grew up with. He was in a formal suit, still dusty from travel. It seemed he rushed to Sea City. He walked in, stood beside me, and invisibly protected me. Adrian stared at him dead on: “Julian Thorne, you aren’t in Los Angeles, what are you doing in Sea City?” Julian smiled: “I’m negotiating a deal for Uncle Quinn and responsible for taking Scarlett back to Los Angeles.” After speaking, he looked at me. There was no one else in his eyes but me: “Scarlett, this kind of banquet is boring to death. I heard there’s a fireworks show in Sea City tonight. Want me to take you to see it?” I smiled and stood up, bidding farewell to Adrian and Luna: “I’ll take my leave now. I’m afraid I’ll have long left when you two get married. Wishing you two a hundred years of harmony in advance.” After speaking, I walked towards Julian and followed him out of the Moon residence. Adrian chased out: “Scarlett, is being with me not comparable to being Julian’s fiancée?” “When I become the heir of Sterling Enterprises, I promise you, let you have a child for me, okay?” Julian walked to the sports car outside the door, opened the door, and seated me in the car. I smiled and sat in, closing the door. He drove the car, speeding out of the city, leaving Adrian’s words and person behind. Adrian’s marriage was a big event for the Sterling family. On the morning of the wedding, the car I was leaving in was also packed and ready to go. Unexpectedly, our car met the wedding procession on the street. I deliberately chose a street their wedding procession wouldn’t pass through. I didn’t expect Adrian to choose this road. He blocked the car in his groom’s suit: “Scarlett, are you really leaving?”

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My best friend, Alistair Rauf, was dogpiled by eight thugs while trying to protect the campus belle, Seraphina Lowe. When the police found him, his pants were soaked in blood. The arrogant heir to the Rauf fortune became a laughingstock. Even Seraphina, the girl who’d promised to repay his kindness, now avoided him like the plague. “Alistair,” she’d say, her voice dripping with pity, “everyone keeps asking me… if you can still… you know… be a man. I… I can’t answer those questions without hurting you, so it’s better if I just stay away.” Only I ignored the rumors. Only I honored the old pact between our families and married him. On our wedding day, in front of everyone, he told me: “Even if I’m forced to marry you, you’ll never be half the woman Seraphina is.” Everyone laughed at me, calling me a doormat, so hopelessly in love with Alistair that I had no self-respect. Hilarious. Who said anything about love? That night, I locked him in the basement and played the home movie of him and those thugs on a loop. 1. At the wedding, I knelt on one knee, a picture of pious devotion. I slid the symbol of our love onto the ring finger of Alistair’s left hand as he sat in his wheelchair. “Alistair, from this day forward, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, I will cherish you and never forsake you.” The chapel erupted in thunderous applause, peppered with a few faint, mocking snickers. Alistair’s parents were weeping with joy, as if they’d finally managed to sell off a piece of damaged goods at a premium. Only Alistair’s face was deathly pale. His eyes, red-rimmed and full of resentment, were fixed on me. He uttered his only line of the entire reception: “Audrey, you’ll never measure up to Seraphina.” Seraphina. The undying love of his life. The day Seraphina was cornered by those thugs in an alley, I’d been hiding at the entrance. I snapped a photo and sent it to Alistair with a simple message: “Your girl’s in trouble. Hurry!” A young man’s love is a reckless, impulsive thing. Alistair charged into that alley alone, his usual arrogance blinding him to the danger. Even as they beat him to his knees, he was still shouting heroics. “Come at me! Leave the girl alone!” And so, they did. The thugs ran their hands over his handsome, clean-cut face, their laughter echoing off the brick walls as they turned all their attention on him. It took only a few seconds for Alistair’s tough-guy act to crumble into desperate pleas, then into shattered, agonized screams. By the time the police arrived, Alistair was broken, physically and psychologically. The doctors said the infection was so severe they had no choice but to perform a colostomy. He would have to live with a bag for the rest of his life. Seraphina, the damsel he’d saved, had just finished promising her parents she would take care of Alistair forever. The moment she heard the news, she gagged and ran for the bathroom. Suddenly, the Raufs, who had always looked down on me, were fawning over me. “Audrey! You’re the only one for our Alistair now! You’ve loved him since you were kids, you won’t mind this, will you?! We’ve always known… you were the only one we ever wanted as our daughter-in-law!” I looked at them, my eyes welling with fake tears, trying so hard not to laugh that my stomach cramped. “Mr. and Mrs. Rauf, please don’t say that. My love for Alistair isn’t so shallow. I love him no matter what. So please, let us get married!” The thought of seeing Alistair’s miserable, broken face every single day filled me with an exquisite joy. So when he told me I was nothing compared to Seraphina, I just smiled magnanimously and reached out to touch his cold, trembling cheek. “That’s okay. Seraphina doesn’t have you. I do. And that’s all that matters.” 2. Near the end of the reception, Seraphina made her grand entrance. She was wearing a white gown that looked more like a wedding dress than my own. She fought back tears, playing the part of a concerned, heartbroken friend. “Audrey, I only gave him up so that he could have a better life. You need to remember that the title of Mrs. Rauf is something you fought tooth and nail for… so you have to be better for him than I ever could have been!” Her words made Alistair tremble. He looked at her with a mixture of adoration and shame, desperate to pour out his heart to her. He had no idea that during his hospital stay, every one of Seraphina’s “devoted” visits had been paid for by his parents. “My family isn’t rich,” she’d told them, “but I’m their only daughter. There is no way they’ll let me marry a disabled man.” “The rumors about Alistair at school are vicious. I’m taking a risk just by coming to see him every day. My parents said I’d be better off getting a part-time job to help with our bills.” She was as cold and calculating as a robot with them. But what could they do? It was for their son. They just forced a smile and handed over the money. “We’re just asking you to keep him company, not change his bags… Think of it as a job. We’ll pay you well. And if you ever need anything in the future, the Rauf family will take care of you.” So of course she had to come to the wedding. She needed to vent her frustration that her ticket to a wealthy life was now broken. And she needed to torment me, to make sure Alistair would never forget her. As long as he remembered her, she would always have a way to profit from the Raufs. Seeing my silence, she thought she had the upper hand. “Audrey, even though you’re married, it’s only on the surface. The doctors said his body isn’t suited for… intimacy. And definitely not for having children.” “He can’t control his own body. You’ll have to catheterize him. If his colostomy bag isn’t clean, you’ll have to stick your hand in there and clean it out yourself. He’s too proud to let a nurse do it, so it will all be on you.” With every word she spoke, a deeper shade of crimson shame crept up Alistair’s neck. He pictured the humiliating scenes, and his eyes, when they met mine, were filled with pure hatred. But I just smiled. “Seraphina, you’re so thoughtful. But I’m clumsy. I don’t think I could ever learn how to use a catheter or clean one of those bags. Why don’t you show me how it’s done?” The triumphant look on Seraphina’s face froze. She never expected me, the doormat who had always lived for Alistair’s approval, to turn on her, his perfect angel. She never expected me to bite back. Panic flickered in her eyes. “That’s enough,” she stammered. “I came here to wish Alistair well, not to be insulted by you.” With that, she salvaged the last of her dignity and swept out of the room without a backward glance. “Darling,” I said to Alistair, my voice light and full of pity, “did you hear that? Seraphina thinks helping you is an insult.” He bristled like a cornered hedgehog. “Audrey! Don’t project your own venom onto other people! It was my decision not to let her help me! She’s the woman I love. I would never let her suffer alongside me.” “But you,” he lifted his chin, as if only with me could he reclaim a shred of his old arrogance, “you chose to jump into this fire. So now you get to serve me like the animal you are.” He seemed to have no regrets about trying to save Seraphina. But when he saw our marital bed, covered in the traditional symbols of fertility—dates and nuts—he finally broke down… “Audrey… you shouldn’t have sent me that picture…” He clenched his fists around the fruit, crushing them until a thick, dark juice, the color of old blood, trickled through his fingers. “Why didn’t you call the police sooner? Why didn’t you warn me there were so many of them, that I couldn’t win?! You should have stopped me! You shouldn’t have let me go… It was you! It was all your fault! You ruined me!!” I stared coldly at his face, twisted with such rage that his features were almost unrecognizable. It was a face I knew well. It blurred and overlapped with the face of the man from my previous life. That’s right. A past life. In my last life, he had screamed the same words as his hands closed around my throat. “You ruined me!!” Only then, he wasn’t blaming me for failing to stop him from saving Seraphina. He was blaming me for saving her myself. “Audrey! You just had to play the hero! Who’s to blame for you getting raped?! Why do I have to be responsible for your mistake?! Why can’t I marry the woman I love because of you?!” “You ruined me!!!” 3. In my last life, I was the one who saved Seraphina. To buy time for the police to arrive, I played a recording of a police siren at the mouth of the alley. As the thugs scattered, I grabbed Seraphina’s arm and we ran. But when they realized it was a trick, she shoved me. Hard. Straight back into their waiting arms… What they did to me was brutal. By the time I was rushed to the ICU, I had lost every shred of my dignity. And Seraphina, the one who caused it all, was kneeling before Alistair, begging. “I was just so scared! I thought I’d never see you again! Alistair, please, save me… Don’t let Audrey press charges! She’s hurt so badly, she’ll want revenge! She’ll ruin my life…” And so Alistair, who had always been so cold to me, came to my hospital bed with flowers and a ring. In front of my parents, he got down on one knee. He told me Seraphina had gotten into a terrible car accident while trying to flee the city. “Audrey, she’s dead. It’s over. We were meant to be together, our families arranged it when we were kids. Marry me. I’ll take care of you for the rest of my life. Let me help you out of this darkness, please?” My will was weak. After so much pain, I was desperate for an anchor. Even though the Raufs, whose business had far surpassed my family’s, now despised me and accused me of ruining their son’s life, I said yes. I said yes to Alistair’s persistence, to the pain and anxiety in my own parents’ eyes. And Alistair was good to me. The coldness was gone, replaced by endless sweet nothings that kept my mind too occupied to question Seraphina’s death. I just wanted to start over. I thought our wedding would be the final, crooked punctuation mark on a youth filled with unrequited love and unbearable pain. But on our wedding day, I saw her. Seraphina, who was supposed to be dead, was in the groom’s waiting room, kissing Alistair passionately. “Audrey is tainted,” she whispered. “You are not to touch her. I’ll be your substitute for the wedding night, right here.” The fragile world I had so painstakingly rebuilt shattered around me… I broke. I screamed at them, demanding to know why. I had done nothing wrong, I owed them nothing! Why were they torturing me like this?! His answer was to wrap his hands around my throat. “You owe us nothing?! How dare you say that, Audrey?! If your parents hadn’t insisted on pressing charges, do you think I would have had to fake her death?!” “Do you think you’re so pathetic because you were raped?! You get to be Mrs. Rauf! Seraphina has to hide for the rest of her life!” “You’re the one who ruined us!!” In my past life, he nearly choked the life out of me, and felt not a single ounce of pity. In this life, I watched coldly as he writhed in the same agony I once endured. “You ruined me!!” I shrugged, letting out a long, slow breath. The initial thrill of vengeance was intoxicating. I decided I was done pretending. “You’re right. I did ruin you. So what? You want to do something about it? Go on. Get up from that wheelchair and hit me.” Alistair’s bloodshot eyes widened in disbelief. He looked at me as if I were a stranger, as if he couldn’t comprehend my words. “What… what did you say?! Say that again!” I smiled and walked toward him. Without any warning, my hand shot out and tangled in his hair. And I ripped him out of his wheelchair. 4. “Aaargh!” I ignored his piercing scream and straddled him on the floor. My hands flew, slapping him across the face, again and again. The movements were precise, the force behind them cruel. “You piece of trash!” I snarled, looking down at him. “What gives a worthless thing like you the right to act so high and mighty with me?! You still think you’re some golden boy, the precious heir? You’re nothing but a pathetic masochist who begged for this. Why should I treat you with any respect?!” “You don’t know your place, do you? I’ll beat it into you.” His body went rigid under the assault, spasming. He couldn’t even whimper. I knew how it worked. After being violated, every shadow becomes a threat. Before the next blow even lands, the fear paralyzes you, stripping you of any will to fight back. So what? He had treated me the same way in our last life. I wasn’t generous enough to give him a taste of his own medicine. I was going to give him double. I didn’t stop until his colostomy bag leaked, the foul stench filling the air. Only then did I slowly stand up, flexing my wrists. “Clean this up. If I come back and this floor is still dirty, I will kill you.” My voice was a shard of ice that made him tremble violently. He clutched his swollen face, staring blankly for a long moment before he finally broke into sobs. He looked so weak, like a delicate white flower shivering in the wind. The subconscious terror of what I had done to him had stolen his courage to even look at me. He just kept muttering in disbelief, “Are you… are you still Audrey? Are you still Audrey?” I smirked and offered a bit of gallows humor. “No. I’m the one who settles the score.” “So accept your fate. And don’t piss me off again.” With that, I walked out of the room, slamming the door behind me with a resounding crash. I lit a cigarette. Sinking into the living room sofa, I took a few long, satisfying drags. Then I answered the call from my father. “Dad, did you find him? Good. I’m on my way.” 5. I spotted Liam Quinn the moment I walked into the restaurant. He was handsome and sharp, with the bright, ambitious energy of youth. When he shook my hand, his eyes were clear and direct, his words sincere. “Ms. Ross, your father told me you’re interested in funding my project. I won’t let you down.” I looked at the proposal he handed me, a document I had already read countless times in my past life, and felt a pang of regret for what had happened to him. In my last life, I was the one who discovered his pitch online. It was a project for a fully intelligent AI caregiver system called Project Elysian. The idea captivated me, and I saw its massive potential. I convinced Alistair and my family to invest before our wedding. The Rauf family later used that project to climb into the city’s elite, becoming one of the wealthiest families in the region. But after my marriage fell apart, Alistair imprisoned and abused me. He threatened to release the videos of my assault to force my parents to sign over their founding shares, cutting us out completely. Liam fared no better. He was ground down by the Raufs’ corporate machine. His initial passion was extinguished when his own team, bribed by the Raufs, stole his work and framed him for plagiarism, destroying his career. At his lowest point, he came to Alistair’s mansion, wanting to ask the man who had once been his benefactor why he had destroyed him. Alistair wasn’t there. There was only me, pacing the garden like a prisoner on yard time. We looked at each other through the iron gates. He was gaunt and disheveled, a madman. I was a withered husk, my eyes empty, a fool. “I’m sorry,” I had whispered, choked with guilt. “I was the one who chose you. I’m the one who ruined you.” Understanding dawned on his face. “So… it wasn’t Alistair… it was you.” “It’s not your fault,” he’d said, his voice cracking. “Don’t blame yourself… It’s my fault. I trusted the wrong people.” In my last life, Liam died before I did. He risked everything to expose the Raufs’ illegal smuggling operations. In his final moments, before they killed him, he managed to upload the evidence. A brilliant mind, destroyed by petty evil. This time, that tragedy would not be his fate. I took out the contract I had prepared. “These are my terms. You will have maximum creative freedom during the contract period. And one more thing, this is very important. When the product launches, the lead developer credit will always be your name.” My family’s company wasn’t a corporate giant, but we were smart with our investments. This project was my key to turning the tables on the Raufs. As for how to make them self-destruct? I had the perfect person to lead the charge. Liam’s face went blank for a second when he heard my terms, then lit up with the kind of joy you see when you meet a kindred spirit. He was a meticulous and proud man. To him, credit was more important than anything. “You trust me a lot,” he said, a smile forming cute brackets at the corners of his mouth. “Can I ask why?” “A gut feeling,” I said. “The first time I saw you, I felt like you would trust me too.” He didn’t ask any more questions. He took out a pen and signed his name with a decisive flourish. Then he extended his hand, his deep eyes sparkling like a field of stars. “It’s a pleasure doing business with you.”

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Two years ago, I got a rabbit, and my father died. One year ago, I got a hamster, and my sister died. This year, I got a dog. While walking the dog, a woman blocked my path. She stared straight at me and said, “Girl, your family is under a Zodiac Curse. If you were born in the Year of the Dog, and a dog enters your home, you will surely die!” 1 The woman’s words made my head explode. I looked up at her and noticed her strange attire. A mask covered half her face, and her exposed eyes shot out a cold light. I instinctively backed away, but she pressed closer step by step: “Many people have died in your family in the last two years, right? Did someone die every time you brought an animal home? “Did they die horribly? Like they were slaughtered, with no whole corpse left? “Now that a dog has entered, if anyone in your family belongs to the Dog zodiac, they will die even more tragically than the others!” My head banged against the wall, cold sweat pouring down. It was true. My dad was a Rabbit, and my sister was a Rat. And I… I am a Dog. The year I raised the rabbit, my dad was torn apart by an excavator. The year I raised the hamster, my sister was ground to bits by a mixer. The day after they died, the rabbit and hamster both mysteriously disappeared. Thinking about this made my scalp tingle. “Girl, the Zodiac Curse is a half-month curse. From the day the dog enters, the cursed person has only 15 days to live. If you can find the perpetrator in the remaining time, kill the dog, and feed at least 500ml of its blood back to them, you might live!” After speaking, the woman turned to leave. As if remembering something, she dropped a sentence: “Closest kin or deadliest poison. If you don’t understand, you can find me here at this time tomorrow.” 2 I looked at the dog in despair; it was affectionately licking my foot. His name was Lucky, and I had had him for exactly 11 days. If what the woman said was true, didn’t I only have 4 days left? I led Lucky home, distracted all the way. There were only three people in the family: Grandma, Mom, and me. But now it was pitch black; it seemed no one was home. I walked in doubtfully and saw my mom’s room door ajar. Ever since Dad and my sister died, Mom always locked her door. Curiosity drove me inside. I turned on the light; Mom’s room was very tidy. My gaze fell on a locked box under her bed. Like a ghost possessed me, I squatted down and tugged at it; the lock actually broke open. My heart beat fast; I felt there might be something hidden inside. Until the moment the box opened, I screamed. Inside were two dried animal carcasses. Judging by the shape, one looked like a rabbit, the other like a rat. Stuck into their bodies were photos of Dad and my sister respectively. Both faces were smeared beyond recognition with red crosses. When my gaze fell on a separate photo nearby… My heart almost flew out of my chest. The face in this photo was also covered in red crosses. But from the hair and clothes, I recognized it was clearly me. 3 After escaping from Mom’s room… I covered my head with the quilt, a feeling of suffocation washing over me like a tide. I grew up in an unhappy family. Mom was cold, Dad was violent, and my sister was weird. Except for food and drink, no one in this house cared about me. I could only rely on pets to relieve my loneliness. I didn’t expect to fall under a Zodiac Curse, burying Dad and my sister. “Closest kin or deadliest poison…” The woman’s words floated in my mind. After Dad and my sister died, Mom became restless. Every night she would bring a masked man home. Then, sounds that made one blush would come from her room. This person who cast the curse… Could it really be… Mom? Did she eliminate obstacles just to be with that man? But I didn’t care about her affairs; why did she want me dead? Amidst thousands of thoughts, I fell asleep in a daze. Then, I had a dream. I dreamed Lucky climbed onto my bed. I wanted to pet him, but he suddenly opened his mouth wide. Sharp fangs sank fiercely into my arm. I heard the sound of bones cracking and saw flesh flying in the air. That pain was heart-wrenching. “Ah!” I screamed in despair, waking up from the dream. But abruptly met a pair of crimson eyes. 4 It was Mom… “Did you have a nightmare? You kept screaming?” Mom stared at me dead-on with bloodshot eyes, her voice devoid of emotion. “Yes… a terrible dream!” “Oh…” Mom nodded, raised her hand, and wiped the sweat from my forehead. Suddenly, she put her mouth to my ear and said: “I found someone to tell your fortune. You have a great calamity this year and need a dog to pass the tribulation. Never let anyone hurt Lucky, remember!” After speaking, Mom prepared to leave. But she bumped into Grandma who had come in at some point. “Why didn’t you make a sound coming in?” Mom’s voice was full of dissatisfaction. “I heard Ning scream, worried about Ning…” “Just a nightmare, she’s fine now.” Mom interrupted Grandma, pulling her out forcefully; Grandma almost fell. At the door, Grandma suddenly looked back at me. Her eyes were full of worry.

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“Have you heard the rumors about Campus Road?” Of course I had. The rumor was about my roommate. She was assaulted by a janitor. To hush it up, the school guaranteed us, her roommates, graduate school admission. “They say someone saw her reading there a few days ago.” Impossible. I watched her die right in front of me. 1 I suppressed my shock. I went back to the dorm. My roommate, Heather, was already there. Her face was paler than mine. Something was definitely wrong. I asked, my voice trembling: “Heather, did you hear the news… about Chloe?” Heather looked at me like I was a lifeline. She nodded vigorously. She looked around nervously, as if afraid of disturbing something unseen. Then she whispered in my ear: “Vanessa, do you think it’s true? Do you think she’s back?” “Impossible. We saw her die. People don’t come back from the dead. They must have been mistaken.” I denied it instantly, trying to comfort both of us. “I don’t mean alive,” Heather stammered. “I mean… did she come back as a ghost for revenge?” My voice shook even more. “Why be scared? I didn’t kill her. She died on her own. Why would she want revenge on me?” Despite my words, my subconscious was screaming the same thing. Heather’s expression shifted from fear to annoyance. “Vanessa, don’t you dare leave me to take the fall alone.” “You played a part in her death too. If she’s back for revenge, neither of us is safe.” I stayed silent. She was right. After the assault on Campus Road, Chloe had a heart attack from the shock. She was writhing on the ground in agony. Her medicine was just out of reach. I wanted to help her get it. But Heather stopped me. She stared at Chloe with a terrifying intensity. “Vanessa, do you want that guaranteed admission?” “If Chloe dies because of this… maybe all three of us can get in.” I was shamefully tempted. I studied hard every day, but my grades were just shy of guaranteeing a spot in grad school. But a guaranteed admission… my future would be bright. Heather kicked the pill bottle into the corner. I watched her do it. I hesitated. I didn’t stop her. Because of my hesitation, Chloe died, her hand still reaching for the medicine. The school did exactly what we expected. To bury the scandal, they gave all of us in the dorm guaranteed admission. I thought it was over. I didn’t expect the rumors. Heather wanted to say more, but the door opened. Our other roommate, Bella, walked in. Heather shut up, winked at me, and casually asked Bella: “Bella, heard someone saw Chloe on Campus Road. Did you know?” “Really? Never heard of it.” Bella responded coldly, climbed into bed, and turned her back on us. Heather pouted and sent me a long text: “She’s so cold. No roommate love at all. Doesn’t even care about Chloe.” “She never liked Chloe anyway. Probably happy she’s dead.” “And if it wasn’t for us, would she even have that grad school spot? Ungrateful.” I rolled my eyes internally. If you had any roommate love, you wouldn’t have kicked away her life-saving medicine. But I had no right to judge. I patiently comforted Heather via text. Then she sent one last message: “I don’t care. I’m going to Campus Road to see if the rumor is true. Vanessa, you have to come with me.” 2 I stared at the message in disbelief. She was crazy. Suspecting Chloe was a ghost, yet wanting to go verify it? I had to admit, she had guts. But I wanted to know too. Having company wasn’t bad. Tomorrow was sunny. Good for warding off ghosts. We went at noon. To the reading corner on Campus Road. If Chloe was seen reading, it would be here. There were lots of girls with long hair reading. But no Chloe. I heard Heather sigh in relief. “See? Told you they were mistaken.” Heather didn’t reply but dragged me up and down the road several times to be sure. Only after confirming no sign of Chloe did she smile. For the next few days, we intentionally walked along Campus Road. Nervously scanning every passerby. Never seeing Chloe. Finally, we were sure. The rumor was fake. But the night I finally relaxed, a man jumped off the academic building. 3 Hearing someone jumped, a crowd of curious students ran to see. Heather and I were among them. I thought it was just another tragic suicide due to pressure. But when I saw the body, I realized something was wrong. It was an adult man. Face smashed beyond recognition. Wearing a school janitor’s uniform. A bad feeling rose in my gut. The next second, it was confirmed. Protruding from the man’s pocket was an exquisite hair clip. I knew that clip. It was a birthday gift from Chloe’s dad. Worth thousands. She used to show it off all the time. Why was it on this man? In that moment, I knew. He was the janitor who assaulted Chloe. A chill ran down my spine. Heather grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my flesh. I could feel her trembling. She realized it too. “It’s her… she’s back for revenge.” I turned to meet Heather’s terrified eyes. I opened my mouth but couldn’t say a word of comfort. I was terrified too. I held her cold hand, trying to find warmth. Campus security came to disperse the crowd. Strange. Why wasn’t the Dean here? As we walked back with the crowd, Heather clung to me, looking around paranoidly. Someone shouted. I looked up. Fire. 4 It was coming from the faculty office building! I ran towards the fire with the crowd. People were frantically trying to put it out. I heard snippets of conversation. “I heard it started in the Dean’s office.” “Apparently everyone got out except the Dean.” My heart sank. After Chloe died, it was the Dean who hushed it up. The guaranteed admission was her idea. Her again. I couldn’t help but connect these two events to Chloe. Combined with the rumors… I had to believe it. She was really back. Waves of heat hit my face. But I felt colder than ever. The fire was put out. The Dean’s body was carried out. Curled up like burnt charcoal. Skin peeling. The smell of roasted meat made me gag. Heather was already vomiting. The smell of vomit mixed with burnt flesh was suffocating. She wiped her mouth, ignoring her appearance, and asked me in panic: “Vanessa, what do we do?” “Are we… are we next?”

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I’d been renting this apartment for three years and never missed a single payment. Last week, I paid the $800 annual heating fee. The landlord couldn’t stop grinning. The next day, he sent me a text: “You have 7 days to move out. My son needs the place for his wedding.” I told him we still had six months left on the lease. He shot back: “Go ahead and sue me. You can’t afford the hassle anyway.” I didn’t argue. I didn’t cause a scene. I just quietly started packing. On moving day, my landlord showed up with a bag of fruit, a wide smile plastered on his face. “Hey kid, take your time. No rush.” The moment he pushed the door open, he froze. The apartment was a hollow shell, as clean and bare as if no one had ever lived there at all. 01 After three years in this concrete box, I had started to think of it as a home. The pothos on the windowsill, which I bought the day I moved in, now had vines cascading down half the wall. The laminate flooring in the living room, which I’d spent a month’s salary on because I couldn’t stand the cold concrete, warmed the space. The integrated kitchen cabinets, the heated toilet seat in the bathroom—I’d added them all, piece by piece. I wasn’t just renting a space; I was building a life. My landlord, Mr. Finch, was a man in his fifties with thinning hair, puffy bags under his eyes, and a perpetual, calculating glint in his gaze. On the twenty-fifth of every month, his text message demanding rent would arrive with the punctuality of an alarm clock. Even though I’d never been a day late. “Brian, time to pay this month’s rent.” It was always followed by a grinning emoji that made my stomach turn. Today, he was back. “Brian, it’s getting cold. Time to pay the annual heating fee, don’t you think?” He attached a screenshot of the weather forecast, showing a cold front was due to hit next week. The building had independent heating, and the landlord collected the fee upfront to pay the utility company. Eight hundred dollars a year. It wasn’t a small amount. I stared at the screen, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. The price was nearly double that of similar buildings in the area—a blatant rip-off. But it was written in black and white in the lease I’d signed, so I had no choice. I transferred the eight hundred dollars. He accepted it almost instantly. A voice message popped up. I pressed play, and his signature, slightly greasy laugh filled the air. “Brian, you’re always so prompt! A great tenant, a model tenant!” His over-the-top praise felt like a bone tossed to a dog, cheap and condescending. I didn’t reply. A heavy feeling settled in my chest, making it hard to breathe. A moment later, another message came through. “So, Brian, where do you work? Spending money like that, you must be doing pretty well for yourself, huh?” The screen’s glow illuminated my face. I could almost see his greedy expression, poking and prying from the other side of the network. I typed back calmly, “Just a small company. Enough to get by.” He didn’t push further, sending back a sticker that said, “Keep it up, kid! You’ve got a bright future!” and ending the conversation. I put down my phone and walked to the window. The night was thick, the city lights blurring into a distant halo. An unnameable frustration churned inside me. I turned, opened a drawer, and pulled out a folder from the very bottom. Inside was the lease I’d signed three years ago, along with a supplementary agreement. I slid out the agreement, its paper now slightly yellowed, and my eyes fell on one particular clause. “Any permanent fixtures installed by the tenant during the lease period may be removed by the tenant upon departure, or sold to the landlord at a negotiated price. The landlord may not prevent their removal without due cause.” It was a clause I had specifically requested back then. At the time, it felt like a simple precaution. Now, it seemed like it might have been the smartest thing I’d ever done. I carefully placed the agreement back in the folder. The churning in my gut strangely began to subside. 02 The next day was Monday. The morning subway was packed like a can of sardines. As I was jostled by the crowd, my phone vibrated in my pocket. It was Mr. Finch. I swiped the screen, and a text message appeared. “Brian, just a heads-up. My son’s getting married in a couple of months and needs the apartment. You should pack up and be out within 7 days.” I stood in the swaying car, surrounded by a cacophony of voices, but I couldn’t hear a thing. My mind went blank, a dull ringing in my ears. Out in 7 days? I stared at the words, reading them three times. I knew what each word meant, but together, they were incomprehensible. I had just paid him eight hundred dollars for heating. Yesterday, he was calling me a “model tenant.” Today, he was kicking me to the curb. A hot rush of blood surged to my head, and my fingers trembled with rage. I called him back. It rang a few times, then he declined the call. A second message followed: “In a meeting. Text me.” Suppressing my fury, I typed, word by word. “Mr. Finch, our lease isn’t up for another six months. And I just paid the eight-hundred-dollar heating fee last week.” After I sent it, the status changed to “typing…” A few seconds later, a thirty-second voice message appeared. I turned the volume down to the minimum and held the phone to my ear. Mr. Finch’s slick, contemptuous voice drilled into my brain. “Oh, come on, Brian. You can’t be so rigid. Contracts are just paper; people have to be flexible. My son’s wedding is a big deal. You can be a little understanding, can’t you?” “As for that eight hundred bucks… you’ve lived here for three years, and I never once raised your rent. A lot of things are worn out. Just consider it payment for three years of depreciation and cleaning fees. I’m not taking advantage of you.” “If you don’t like it, go ahead and sue me. Start the legal process. But let me tell you, a guy like you, just here to work, can you really afford the time? Can you afford the lawyer’s fees? You’ll end up with no place to live and probably lose your job in the process.” The message ended with a short, sharp, mocking laugh. I stood frozen, feeling as if every eye in the subway car was on me. His voice was like a poison-tipped needle, jabbing at my nerves. Rage. Humiliation. And the sickening feeling of being played for a fool. Every muscle in my body tensed. I wanted to storm over to his place and smash the phone into his smug, fleshy face. The train arrived at my stop. The doors opened, and the crowd surged forward. I was pushed out onto the platform, and the cold air that filled my lungs cleared my head slightly. I didn’t send another message. I just calmly, expressionlessly, took screenshots of the entire chat history, including that grating voice message and yesterday’s payment record. One by one. After I was done, I opened my phone’s voice recorder. Then, I dialed Mr. Finch’s number again. This time he answered, his tone impatient. “Didn’t I say I was in a meeting? What is it?” I spoke with a calmness that felt foreign even to me. “Mr. Finch, I just want to confirm. You’re saying you won’t honor the lease, you won’t refund the heating fee, and I must be out in seven days. Is that correct?” There was a two-second pause on the other end, followed by undisguised arrogance. “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. Be smart about this. It’s better for everyone.” “Okay.” I said the word and hung up. No arguments, no questions, not even a hint of emotion. Mr. Finch was probably stunned. He might have expected anger, begging, maybe even threats. He never would have anticipated such a clean, simple “Okay.” He didn’t text again. In his mind, he had likely just won another easy victory in the adult world. He was probably gloating over his own cleverness. I walked out of the subway station into the blinding sun. I looked up at the gray sky and took a deep, long breath. Then, I exhaled all the foul air from my chest. And with it, the last shred of my naive belief in decency and fairness. If playing by the rules couldn’t earn me respect, then I would play by his. And I would teach him a lesson he would never forget. 03 After the initial explosion, my anger cooled quickly, settling into an icy resolve. I had no time for grief or self-pity. First thing: find an apartment. I opened a rental app, set the filter to my office area, and specified “move-in ready, fully furnished.” I wouldn’t make the same mistake again, pouring my heart and soul into a space that wasn’t mine. That afternoon, I contacted three agents and scheduled viewings for the evening. Second thing: find some “helpers.” On a local services app, I searched for one key phrase: “professional disassembly.” Several companies popped up, their slogans a mix of promises. “Moving, Disassembly, Recycling—One-Stop Service.” “Expert Removal of Furniture, Cabinets, and Bathroom Fixtures. Guaranteed Intact.” I clicked on the one with the highest ratings and dialed the number. “Hello, I’d like to inquire about your disassembly services.” “Hello, sir. What do you need disassembled?” “Flooring, integrated kitchen cabinets, the toilet and vanity in the bathroom, and… the entire apartment’s heating radiators and pipes.” There was a few seconds of silence on the other end. “Sir, are you sure about this? Those are all permanent fixtures.” “I’m sure,” my voice was flat, without a ripple of emotion. “I installed all of it myself. I have the right to take it with me.” “…Very well, sir. Our workers are highly professional and can perform a non-destructive removal. However, the cost will be higher than a standard move.” “Money is not an issue.” I hung up, having scheduled them to come for the first round of disassembly over the weekend. Only after arranging these two things did I start to pack my personal belongings. I packed the books from my shelves, folded the clothes from my closet. My movements were methodical, like a well-oiled machine. My phone rang. It was my colleague, Chloe. “Brian, what’s for dinner? I found this amazing barbecue place!” her cheerful voice chirped. “Not tonight, I have some things to do,” my voice was a bit hoarse. Chloe immediately sensed something was wrong. “What’s up? You sound like you’re on death’s door. Did something happen?” I paused for a moment, then briefly explained the situation. A roar erupted from the other end of the phone. “What?! That old bastard is something else! Kicking you out right after taking your heating money? He might as well just rob you!” “I’m coming over this weekend! We’ll go give him a piece of our minds! If that doesn’t work, we’ll sue him!” “Don’t,” I cut her off. “I can handle this myself.” “Handle what? You’re just too nice, Brian! That’s why people walk all over you!” Chloe said, frustrated. I leaned against the cold wall, looking at the half-packed boxes around me. My voice was soft but firm. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to let him get away with it.” Chloe was quiet for a moment, seeming to process my words. “…Brian, don’t do anything stupid.” “I know what I’m doing.” After hanging up, I surveyed the “home” I had built with my own hands. My gaze swept from the bookshelf to the wardrobe, to the curtains, and finally landed on the vibrant green pothos. My expression hardened. I took a tape measure from my toolbox and extended it with a sharp snap. The cold metal tape gleamed. I began to measure every piece of furniture I had bought, recording the dimensions down to the millimeter. This was a war. A silent, one-man war. And I would be the only victor. 04 Early Saturday morning, my doorbell rang. It was Chloe, carrying bags of snacks. The moment she stepped inside and saw the sea of cardboard boxes, her eyes welled up. “Brian, I’m so sorry you’re going through this.” She dropped the bags and gave me a tight hug. I patted her back. “It’s okay. Out with the old, in with the new.” She pulled away, pacing the room angrily. “That landlord is a piece of work! No, I can’t let this go. I’m going to call and curse him out right now!” “Don’t,” I stopped her. “Save your energy.” Just then, the doorbell rang again. I opened the door to find three men in blue work uniforms. The man in front asked politely, “Are you Mr. Brian? We’re from the disassembly service.” “That’s me. Come on in.” Chloe stared, dumbfounded, as the three burly men walked in with their toolboxes. “Brian, you… you hired movers? Isn’t it a bit early?” I didn’t say anything, just gave the lead worker a nod. He walked over to the massive wardrobe in the living room and pulled out a power drill and a screwdriver. BZZZZZZT— The sound of the drill was deafening in the quiet room. Chloe’s jaw dropped, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Brian! What are you doing? You’re taking the wardrobe apart?” “I bought it. Why wouldn’t I take it with me?” I asked calmly. “But—but it’s custom-built! It’ll be such a pain to reassemble!” “A pain,” I said, “is better than leaving it for someone like him.” The workers were efficient. In less than half an hour, the seemingly indestructible wardrobe had been broken down into a neat stack of labeled wooden panels against the wall. Next came the bookshelf, the curtain rods, the soundproof door I had installed myself. Everything I had added, everything that could be moved, was methodically disassembled and packed. My phone vibrated. A text from Mr. Finch. “Brian, how’s the move going? Hurry it up. My son and his fiancée are waiting to get in and take measurements for the renovation.” The message oozed with impatience and smug satisfaction. I glanced at it, didn’t reply, and put my phone on silent. I wasn’t going to let any garbage disturb my focus. Chloe stood by, her expression shifting from shock to contemplation, and finally, to dawning realization. She looked at me as I directed the workers and said quietly, “Brian, for a second there, I almost didn’t recognize you.” I turned to look at her. She quickly added, “But damn, this is satisfying!” A huge grin spread across her face. She even ran over to offer the workers bottles of water. “Thank you for your hard work, guys! Take your time, be careful! These are our treasures!” Seeing her in full “partner-in-crime” mode, the tension that had been gripping me for days finally eased a little. It seemed I wasn’t fighting this war alone after all. The disassembled items were professionally wrapped and loaded into a large truck. As it drove away, Chloe waved enthusiastically, as if seeing off a general heading into a great battle. I knew this was just the prelude. The main event was yet to come.

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My stepsister, who had been paralyzed for six years, was pregnant. I reached for my phone to call the police, but my father’s hand clamped down on my wrist. “Iris,” he said, his voice a low command, “this child is yours, too.” My husband, Patrick Hayes, stood silently by my father’s side, his silence a confirmation of this entire grotesque charade. I understood. The child my stepsister was carrying was his. Seeing my silence, Patrick took a step forward, positioning himself between me and my stepsister, Rosalie. “Iris, this was my decision, and your father’s. Don’t blame Rosalie.” He spoke to me with the kind of placating tone one uses for a difficult child. “You were never willing to have a baby. You know what people have been saying, the whispers behind our backs.” He gestured to Rosalie’s bed. “She’s paralyzed. She’s your own sister. Her having this baby won’t threaten your position as Mrs. Hayes.” Every word they spoke was supposedly for my benefit. Yet they had acted first, never once asking if this was what I wanted. In their eyes, I was the woman who never said no. But they didn’t know. The time I had promised my mother, the time I would spend taking care of the Lowell and Hayes families, was up. It was time for me to leave. Patrick’s hand was still resting on Rosalie’s swollen belly. The sight was a physical pain, sharp and blinding. “Don’t be mad at Patrick, big sister,” Rosalie said from the bed, a harmless, innocent smile playing on her lips. “The doctor said my body is very fragile. Patrick was just worried that something might happen to me and the baby. That’s why he kept it from you.” She patted the back of my hand, her touch cloying. “We’re doing this for you. You’ve been Mrs. Hayes for so many years, with no children to show for it. It’s embarrassing.” She looked up at me with wide, pleading eyes. “When the baby is born, we’ll register him under your name. He’ll call you ‘Mommy,’ okay?” My father cleared his throat, assuming the mantle of the patriarch. “Iris! Rosalie is carrying the Hayes family heir! He is the future of the Lowell family as well!” He glared at me. “Your sister, despite her condition, is helping you, helping this family. You should be grateful, not standing there with a face like death.” Patrick finally removed his hand from Rosalie’s stomach and walked toward me. He reached for my hand, but I pulled away. His arm froze in mid-air. “Iris, we’ve been married for years. Don’t you know me by now?” His voice was a soft, wounded thing. “Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you, for our family. I can’t stand by while people call you a barren hen behind your back.” I stared at him, unable to form a single word. Seeing that I was unmoved, Patrick’s patience wore thin. He tugged at his tie, his frustration showing. “Alright, that’s enough. Stop making a scene. I’ve asked the housekeeper to prepare a special dinner to celebrate.” He turned his back on me. “As the lady of the house, you should at least show some grace.” He went to Rosalie’s side, his movements gentle in a way I had never seen before. “Rosalie, my love, what would you like to eat? I’ll have the kitchen make it for you.” Rosalie leaned against him weakly, her voice a coquettish whisper. “I want that delicate consommé. And I want you to feed it to me yourself.” “Of course. Anything for you.” They flirted as if I wasn’t there, as if I were a piece of furniture. I stood there, feeling laughably redundant. Just then, our family physician, Dr. Evans, walked in with his medical bag. He was beaming as he pulled a folder from his bag. “Mr. Hayes, Mr. Lowell, wonderful news!” He handed the report to Patrick, his voice booming. “Miss Lowell’s pregnancy is very stable. And the ultrasound… it looks like a boy! Congratulations, Mr. Hayes, you have an heir!” Patrick leaned down and kissed Rosalie soundly. My father’s face was flushed with excitement. Dr. Evans turned to me, his smile tinged with pity. “Mrs. Hayes, don’t be too upset. Since you haven’t been able to conceive, letting Miss Lowell help you out is just as good.” The room was filled with joyous laughter, each sound a needle piercing my eardrums. I clutched my phone, my nails digging into my palm. Patrick walked over to me, holding the ultrasound picture like a trophy. “Iris, look. Isn’t he adorable? From now on, he’s our child.” My father was quick to add, “But Iris, even though the child will be registered under your name, he will still call Rosalie ‘Mom’.” They were just as they had always been, assuming I would bow to their every demand. Just like the day after my mother’s funeral, when my father brought home a stepsister who was barely six months younger than me. He’d claimed she was the daughter of an old friend, but her face was a near-perfect copy of his own. Just like when Patrick said he wanted a child, and I subjected myself to countless folk remedies and painful treatments, even though I had told him before we were married that my health was poor and it would be difficult for me to conceive. Seven years ago, at my mother’s deathbed, I had made a solemn vow. I would support my weak-willed father and prop up the Lowell family business. I would help Patrick, who had nothing to his name, pave a golden path to success. To my mother, the Lowell family was a legacy of love, and the Hayes family was a debt of gratitude. They were the two things she couldn’t let go of. But to me, it was just a contract. And now, the seven years were up. There was nothing left for me here. I turned and walked out, closing the door on their picture of domestic bliss. On a deserted balcony, I dialed the number of the lawyer my mother had designated before her death. “Mr. Cole, the seven years are up.” There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by a soft sigh. “Miss Lowell. Everything is prepared. On your word, all capital invested in Lowell Corp and Hayes Industries will begin to be withdrawn within twenty-four hours. We estimate a full extraction can be completed in six days.” “Begin.” After I hung up, I felt the rope that had bound me for seven years finally begin to loosen. Patrick appeared beside me, his brow furrowed. “Who were you talking to? All secretive.” He looked at me with disapproval. “Iris, I’m warning you, don’t take the family’s money and make foolish investments. We have a child to raise now. Every penny counts. You need to be more frugal.” He lectured me as if it were his right, completely forgetting that every penny he had was earned through my efforts. I ignored him and walked to the dining room. The long table was laden with food, but every single dish was one of Rosalie’s favorites. Patrick was meticulously deboning a fish for her, so engrossed that he didn’t even notice I hadn’t touched my chopsticks. My father, his face red from wine, pointed a finger at me. “Iris, transfer the Lowell Corp shares under your name to the baby in Rosalie’s belly. Consider it a welcome gift from his aunt.” I looked up at his face, a canvas of greed and calculation. I nodded. “Fine.” My easy agreement seemed to stun them. Patrick was the first to recover, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. “See? I told you Iris was the most reasonable of us all.” He immediately took charge. “The portion of my company’s shares under your name… you should transfer those as well. For our child. I know you’ll agree.” Rosalie, nestled in his arms, tugged at his sleeve with feigned concern. “Patrick, don’t be like that. You’ll make sister unhappy.” My father scoffed. “Unhappy? She’s thrilled! Aren’t you, Iris? Come on, raise a glass to Rosalie and say a few words of blessing.” Patrick picked up a glass of red wine and held it out to me. “I can’t drink,” I said. Patrick’s face darkened instantly. “What do you mean, you can’t? What about the Southside project, when you drank until you had stomach bleeding? You didn’t say you couldn’t drink then.” My father chimed in. “Exactly. You’ve been drinking at business dinners for years. As I recall, you were more than happy to do it then. You fought for the chance.” For years, one of them had to maintain the image of the refined CEO, the other the dignified chairman. The dirty work of groveling and schmoozing naturally fell to me. Six more days, I counted silently in my head. I took the glass Patrick was practically shoving in my face and turned to Rosalie. The triumphant smirk on her face was impossible to miss. I raised my glass. “I wish you,” I said, enunciating each word, “get everything you’ve ever wanted.” Later that night, a searing pain in my stomach ripped me from a nightmare. Cold sweat soaked through my pajamas. I curled into a ball, every breath a sharp agony. I fumbled on the nightstand for my painkillers, but my hand met only empty space. Then I remembered. The housekeeper had cleared out all the medicine in the house, claiming the smell bothered Rosalie. The huge villa was silent. They were probably all in Rosalie’s room, fussing over her. I struggled out of bed and drove myself to the hospital. In the emergency room, the doctor looked at my chart, his brow furrowed in concern. “How did you let it get this bad again? Didn’t I tell you to take care of yourself?” He looked up at me, his tone reproachful. “Isn’t Mr. Hayes keeping an eye on you? The last time he was here, he begged me to do whatever it took to get you well.” I felt a pang of something distant. The first time my stomach had given out, I had ended up here. Patrick had carried me into the ER, his eyes red with panic, grabbing the doctor’s arm and asking again and again what he could do. After I was discharged, he hid all my work files and cooked porridge for me himself. He was constantly at the hospital, discussing my diet with the doctor. He had truly loved me then. But that love had vanished. Perhaps I was too busy. Too busy to notice anyone’s feelings. I remembered the last time Patrick and I had fought. I had worked for three days straight on a project, without sleep, and missed a trip we had planned. He had exploded at me, the first time he had ever raised his voice like that. He called me a cold-blooded monster who only cared about work, a woman who had failed in her duties as a wife. I was stunned at the time. I was just trying to be like my mother, to give them a better life. What had I done wrong? Running two companies was exhausting. There was never time to think. By the time I looked up, everything had changed. My phone vibrated, pulling me from my thoughts. It was a text from Patrick. “Dad and I are taking Rosalie on a vacation to cheer her up. Wire six million from the company account.” I replied with a simple “Okay,” just as I always had. Then I messaged the CFO and authorized an unlimited spending limit for them. It wouldn’t be my company for much longer. A cash flow crisis wasn’t my problem. The doctor was still talking. “You have to follow my instructions. You can’t keep abusing your body like this.” I nodded firmly. “I will, doctor. It won’t happen again.” From now on, I would live only for myself. I stayed in the hospital for a few days. Patrick never called. The only call I received was from a very nervous CFO. “Ms. Lowell, Mr. Hayes’s expenses… at the overseas resort… they’ve exceeded ten million. If this continues, the company’s cash flow will be completely depleted.” I leaned against my pillow, staring at the gray sky outside. “Let them.” The CFO was frantic. “But Ms. Lowell, the first payment for the Southside project is due. If we use that money, we’ll be in breach of contract!” “Do Mr. Hayes and Mr. Lowell know about this?” He hesitated. “They said it was fine. They said you were here, that you would handle it.” I let out a soft laugh. “Then let’s default.” I hung up and checked myself out of the hospital. Today was the seventh anniversary of my mother’s death. It was also the last day of my promise. I bought a bouquet of white roses, her favorite, and drove to the cemetery in the West Hills. But as I stood before the familiar plot, I froze. The photo on the headstone was of a stranger. The name carved into the marble was Linda. Rosalie’s biological mother. The blood in my veins turned to ice. I heard the sound of Patrick and Rosalie’s laughter behind me. “Sister, you’re here so early.” Patrick was carefully pushing Rosalie’s wheelchair, making sure she wasn’t jostled. I pointed a trembling finger at the cold stone. “Where is my mother?” Patrick frowned, clearly displeased with my tone. “Iris, keep your voice down. You’ll frighten Rosalie.” He moved to shield her before explaining in a slow, deliberate voice, “Rosalie had a dream a few days ago. She said Linda was cold and alone. I had someone look into it, and your mother’s plot was a rare, sun-facing piece of land… so we moved Linda here.”

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My class teacher, the notorious “Female Demon,” confiscated a love letter a classmate gave me, but she didn’t make a fuss about it. I thought I had escaped a calamity. Unexpectedly, at the parent-teacher meeting, she took it out and made me read it aloud in front of everyone. I stared at the gazes of all the parents and classmates, whispering a plea: “Can we talk about this in private?” The class teacher looked at me with contempt: “You’re not afraid of losing face when you do such shameless things?” “I insist on seeing who this shameless boy is today!” I was dumbfounded. That person is your son! 1 At the parent-teacher meeting, I went on stage as the outstanding student representative to give a speech. Just as I finished my thanks and was about to step down, the class teacher grabbed me. With a stern face, she took out the love letter someone gave me that she had confiscated last week. “In my fifteen years of teaching, this is the first time I’ve encountered puppy love!” “Today I must strictly rectify this matter!” I was stunned. I knew the class teacher’s personality of making mountains out of molehills. At first, I rejoiced, thinking she had let me off, but I didn’t expect she was saving it specifically for the parent-teacher meeting. She deliberately wanted to embarrass me and that classmate in front of all the parents! Sure enough, the parents below immediately started whispering, and my parents stared with wide eyes in shock. I hesitated. Should I directly say it was her son, Liam Parker, who wrote it to me? But the class teacher cherished her reputation the most. I thought about it and decided it was more important to protect his reputation, so I said awkwardly: “Can we talk about this in private?” Hearing this, the sneer on the class teacher’s face became even more obvious. “Now you know shame? Now you know it’s embarrassing? What were you doing before?” “Student Chloe Stone, I know you were passive, but you took the love letter and hid it, wanting to shield him. That’s your problem.” “Today I must drag out this shameless boy who wrote the love letter!” My dad stood up, his face a bit unnatural: “Teacher Lee, the children are grown up and know what self-esteem is. With so many people watching, how about we parents discuss it privately…” “Discuss it? Am I asking you two families to arrange a blind date?” “If you parents don’t take it seriously, fine, go home and reflect for a few days.” Hearing about going home to reflect, my dad instantly fell silent. The class teacher paused, and a thick hand pressed on my shoulder: “Read it, read it aloud.” Before being forced to read the love letter, I glanced at Liam. His face alternated between green and white, as if going through some difficult decision. I bit the bullet and read the love letter: “Dear Chloe Stone… Since seeing you in freshman year, your face has been circling in my mind. In class, sleeping, resting, running, even during exams, I’m thinking of you.” “Stop, stop, stop, let me say a few words!” The class teacher frowned deeply, knocking on the podium with a board, signaling everyone to look at her. “See, students! This is the harm of puppy love! It directly affects studies and exams!” “Everyone knows my child Liam, right? First in the grade from freshman to senior year!” “It’s because he puts all his mind on studying!” After speaking, the class teacher frowned at me again: “Especially you, Chloe Stone, you should look up to him the most.” “Alright, continue reading.” I held back the吐槽 in my heart. Look up to your son, huh? Isn’t he the one who wrote me the love letter? 2 I continued reading: “Chloe, I can’t get enough of looking at you. This is my happiest year, the year closest to you. Before, I always liked listening to the teacher carefully, but since we came to the same class, I’ve been looking at you…” The class teacher raised her hand to signal me to pause; obviously, she was starting her drama again. “Students, what should you look at in class? The blackboard and the teacher! Not other students’ faces!” “Why can Liam always keep up with the teacher’s pace and answer questions in time?” “Because he is focused and undistracted in learning and thinking during class!” “How can such a student not have good grades? How can teachers not like him?” After speaking, the class teacher aimed the gun at me again. She said with disgust: “Unlike some students in our class who affect others in class, black sheep!” My hand gripping the love letter was already trembling a little. If the class teacher knew that the person she kept telling me to learn from happened to be the one who had a crush on me and looked at me in class, what would she think? I was standing up there, and my parents down below were also embarrassed. I quickly finished reading the last few sentences of the love letter, just wanting to end it quickly and get off the stage. “Chloe, can you consider being with me? I am sincere… and will be responsible for you.” After reading this sentence, the audience was in an uproar. My parents opened their mouths in disbelief, and the class teacher’s face turned completely black. The students’ faces were more colorful than the next. “Serious and responsible?” “Do you guys think the class beauty Chloe has already done that with someone…” “Shh, keep your voice down, my dad is behind me.” Questioning gazes scrutinized me constantly. Some parents even started to be frivolous: “Really unexpected, she looked quite decent…” Smack! Liam suddenly slammed the table, his voice stern. 3 “Please keep quiet and watch your words!” Parents and students looked over at the sound, muttering: “What’s he pretending to be high and mighty for? I don’t believe he’s not gossipy at all!” “Son, this is that Liam Parker in your class, right…” “Hey, don’t you know? Apart from studying, I’m afraid nothing can shake him!” Although there was less discussion, everyone looked a bit unhappy. The class teacher paused and smiled: “Please don’t blame him, everyone.” “My Liam is just too rigid, never thinking about anything other than studying.” The class teacher was still chattering, and I just wanted to get off the stage. The class teacher’s requirement was that I could get off after finishing reading. Now I had finished reading. But she was quick, grabbing my collar, aggressive. “Why are you in such a hurry to get down?” “You haven’t said who it is yet?” I asked in disbelief: “Didn’t you say I didn’t have to say it after reading the love letter?” The class teacher didn’t expect me to retort and said angrily: “You don’t have to say it, fine. Stand on the stage then. You can go down when that person stands up!” I got anxious: “But you clearly promised me just now.” She sneered: “Saying it like that makes it my fault.” “Fine then! You go down. Bear the consequences yourself!” Now I was really uncomfortable. I originally didn’t say it just to protect the relationship between the two of them. The class teacher kept pressing, just to force out who it was from my mouth. As if I were the object she wanted to interrogate and isolate. But I just wanted to help her hide the truth about her son’s puppy love. Liam had the most honors in the whole school. Getting a disciplinary action for this would definitely affect the upcoming internal recruitment. The class teacher valued her reputation like her life. If she made such a big fool of herself today, I couldn’t imagine how big a blow it would be to her! Thinking about it, my eyes became misty. A parent couldn’t help but try to persuade: “Why not let it go? The kids are almost adults and have their pride.” The class teacher intensified her efforts, scolding: “What pride! Do they even know pride? One is impure, the other dares to do it but not admit it!” “After doing it, you won’t even let me talk about it?” “Am I not thinking for the class? Pains-takingly trying to have a good learning atmosphere?” “Saying it like that makes it my fault instead!” That parent’s face changed and retreated into the crowd. Liam finally raised his head and gritted his teeth: “Teacher! Actually…” 4 “What are you guys doing?” The dean and the school committee superiors walked over with serious faces, interrupting Liam. Knowing the class teacher was holding a parent-teacher meeting today, they intended to show their faces, especially after hearing such a big commotion. With the dean backing her, the class teacher became even more unscrupulous. “In my opinion, parents should reflect on themselves the most!” “Especially the boy’s parents. If their child does something like that, is there any family education at all? Have the parents put any thought into their child!” After speaking, the class teacher frowned as if helpless: “Don’t look at Liam being so disciplined and motivated. That’s all because of me! I wish I could watch and manage him 24 hours a day! That’s how I cultivated so many excellent habits in him!” “I don’t know how some parents raise their children usually to develop such problems!” Various questioning gazes scanned around and finally landed on my parents’ faces. I endured it when she picked on me, but I didn’t want my parents to suffer discrimination along with me. Besides, didn’t Liam send me the love letter under your “strict watch” 24 hours a day?! I retorted: “What’s wrong with my parents? At least I’m an outstanding student representative.” “Also, I don’t even know what ‘that kind of thing’ you’re talking about is!” The class teacher sneered as if hearing a joke: “I’ve been teaching for so many years and understand student psychology too well. You won’t shed tears until you see the coffin. If you insist on pretending, then let me ask you, did you or did you not have… with that boy…” “Teacher!” In the crowd of parents, my mom stood out anxiously. If the class teacher really said those words, her daughter’s reputation would be ruined for life. “I know my Chloe’s character. She wouldn’t do such things.” The class teacher smiled without warmth: “Chloe’s mother, I understand how you feel as parents. I don’t want this to happen either.” “But you were completely unaware that your daughter received a love letter and was about to engage in puppy love.” My mom was anxious: “Yes! Teacher, we parents didn’t watch carefully regarding receiving the love letter!” “But one thing is one thing. Those are all guesses.” “But if you say that with so many people here, my daughter’s reputation will be ruined. Her life will be over…” The class teacher retorted sarcastically: “How did I say it? Which sentence of mine is wrong?” “Did she receive a love letter? Was it written in the love letter?” “I believe Chloe too, but which boy at this age isn’t like dry wood and raging fire?” My mom was choked, “B-but…” The class teacher waved her hand: “Fine! I understand, girls are all shy.” “Then let your daughter call out that shameless boy! Isn’t she hiding and avoiding by not mentioning a word about that boy!” Instantly, the eyes of all classmates and parents turned back to me, and my mom looked at me anxiously. As long as I said it, all problems would be gone. I fell silent. Discussions rose again offstage: “Holy crap, is it true?” “Must be, she doesn’t even dare to say the boy’s name.” My mom wanted to explain for me, but only opened her mouth, not knowing what to refute. The class teacher sneered: “Don’t blame yourself too much. In the end, you just made a mistake in this matter.” “The one who should reflect most is that shameless boy.” “Claiming to like her, yet letting her bear the pressure alone on stage! Is this what boys call sincerity? Simply ridiculous!” “Not even daring to stand up and admit it, what responsibility do you have?” Smack! Liam stood up, his gaze burning.

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My niece was diagnosed with a rare disease, and the hospital’s consultation yielded no solutions. So, seven years after our breakup, I had no choice but to dial Ethan Walker’s number. The top expert in the field was my ex-boyfriend. He was also the boy I personally crushed into the mud on a rainy night seven years ago. 1 “Who is this?” The voice on the phone was cold, tinged with faint exhaustion, as if he had just come out of surgery. “It’s me,” I whispered. Silence fell on the other end. Afraid he would hang up immediately, I quickly explained my reason: “My niece, Lily, has a rare disease and needs surgery. I checked, and you’re the only one in the field who can do it.” “Ethan, she’s only six… Can you, please, help her?” I waited anxiously for Ethan’s answer. I didn’t know how long passed before Ethan’s voice came again. “Send the address and case file to my email. I have another surgery tonight. I’ll come over after I’m done.” He agreed. I let out a huge sigh of relief. After hanging up, I collapsed onto the cot, my palms damp with sweat. For a moment, I wanted to thank all the gods that Ethan still retained a doctor’s benevolent heart after everything he had been through. 2 I thought since Ethan had surgery at night, he wouldn’t come until the next day. Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, just as I was dozing off, my phone lit up. 【I’m here.】 I was dazed for a moment. Looking up through the glass, I saw Ethan standing outside the ward. There was a girl next to him. I walked out of the ward, closing the door gently so as not to wake the sleeping Lily. Before I could speak, Ethan briefly explained the situation in a few words. “I’ve seen Lily’s case file. We need to wait until tomorrow to have another consultation with colleagues here to further confirm the condition.” “Chloe is my colleague. I might be busy in a couple of days. If I’m not around and there’s something wrong with the patient, look for her first.” Chloe had a high ponytail. Even though there was some fatigue from the long journey on her face, it couldn’t hide her bright and capable aura. She smiled at me, greeted me simply and generously, then turned to Ethan. “Senior, you guys talk. I have to go back first; I have a cat to feed at home.” Ethan nodded. So in the quiet hospital corridor, only Ethan and I were left. I suddenly felt a little nervous. “You…” “Sarah…” We spoke at the same time and stopped at the same time. “You go first.” Ethan took a step back and put his briefcase on the chair. I was speechless for a moment, so I racked my brains to find something to say. “Isn’t Dr. Hart your colleague? How come she lives here and has a cat?” …What a lame topic. Ethan was also silent. Just when I thought he wouldn’t answer, Ethan spoke. “Her parents’ house is here. The cat is a rescued stray. It loves to go out and isn’t afraid of people, so it often follows her around.” My heart trembled suddenly. Because of the natural familiarity with Chloe revealed in his words. “Is that what you wanted to ask?” Under the dim lights of the corridor, Ethan looked at me, his gaze obscure. After seven years apart, he looked steadier and calmer. He was no longer the boy covered in mess the year we broke up. I opened my mouth, not knowing what to say. What happened back then has been over for so long. Is there any point in bringing it up now? So I changed the subject. “You just said Lily’s condition needs to wait for tomorrow’s consultation.” “Are you… confident?” Ethan closed his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was calm and distant, completely dispelling the subtle atmosphere lingering between us. “Rare diseases are classified as rare for a reason.” “I will do my best.” A silent silence spread between us. Ethan gave me a fixed look, turned, and prepared to walk away. I instinctively looked up. My body moved faster than my brain, and I grabbed his hand. Ethan froze. My brain slowly came back online, and I withdrew my hand as if electrocuted. —But he grabbed it. Ethan held my wrist, turned back, his gaze trembling slightly. Then he lowered his eyes, hiding the suppressed emotions, and spoke hoarsely. “Sarah, you dumped me back then. Don’t provoke me now.” “As a patient’s family member, please have some self-respect.” My heart instantly ached like it was being cut by a knife. The moment Ethan let go, I fled. I didn’t look back, so I didn’t know that Ethan stood there for a long time. Nor did I know that he watched my retreating figure, forbearing and restrained, bringing the palm that had held mine to his lips, leaving a very light, very light kiss. 3 I sat by Lily’s bed all night. The first person to come in the next day was Chloe. “You and Senior Walker are old acquaintances, right?” She chatted with me while taking samples from the comatose Lily. “…I guess so.” “No wonder. I was wondering why he dragged me here in such a hurry last night. I’ve never seen him care so much about rare cases before.” “You guys must be very close, right?” She neatly packed up the instruments and handed them to the nurse, then turned around, looking at me with a mix of nervousness and anticipation. “Um… sis, do you know how to pursue Senior Walker?” “What?” I was stunned. Chloe counted on her fingers and added. “You guys are so close, but you don’t seem to interact much usually. I’ve known him for three years and haven’t seen you.” “Senior Walker has always been single. His social media and phone screensaver are clean.” “So you must be childhood friends, the kind with a very strong bond, right?” Her eyes were bright, like sunflowers blooming in summer. “I’ve liked Senior Walker for a long time, but he’s always been cold, and no one can find a breakthrough point.” “Can you tell me about him? Daily hobbies, little things from the past, anything is fine.” My thoughts were in a trance for a moment. Memories sealed for too long were opened by Chloe in a few words, disturbing my long-silent heart. Ethan and I met very early. When I moved to South City for school at eleven, he was the first friend I made. Ethan’s family was very poor. His parents died early, and he only had his grandmother to depend on. He wore a school uniform washed white, and took the first-place scholarship every year without fail. Consequently, the bullying and isolation from the little hooligans in school also never stopped. As a transfer student from outside, after rejecting their bullying invitations twice, I was also classified as an outcast like Ethan. The leader of this group of hooligans was Brad, whose father was a local tyrant in South City. Ethan, worried about his elderly grandmother, wouldn’t fight back even when cornered and beaten. But my parents were alive and well, and I had a sister in the police academy. Growing up, I only caused trouble and was never afraid of it. So when I passed by the alley, I picked up a brick and smashed Brad’s head from behind until it bled. The hooligans scattered, revealing Ethan, covered in dust in the corner. The moment he looked up in astonishment, only one thought remained in my mind. —He’s damn beautiful. No wonder he’s targeted. My whole family is good-looking, and I’m a picky face-judger. So being attracted to Ethan was a matter of course. I cut out the parts about myself and simply told Chloe the story. After listening, the little girl’s eyes turned red. “So Senior Walker had it so hard before…” “Yeah, so when he was in school, he worked really hard.” Making it so that I spent half my life chasing but could never catch up. When Ethan walked over, Chloe had already wiped her tears. She dutifully reported Lily’s condition to Ethan, the conversation mixed with many terms I couldn’t understand. The sunlight spilled in from the window, shining warmly on them. They looked perfectly matched. It hurt me extremely too. My chest felt sour and swollen, nearly suffocating. 4 After their handover, Chloe went to busy herself with other things. Ethan walked into the ward with the treatment plan. He frowned the moment he saw me. “You didn’t sleep last night?” I closed my sore eyes and shook my head at him, unwilling to talk more. “So Lily…” “The treatment plan is out. Is Lily’s guardian here?” “I am her guardian.” I said softly. “What?” Ethan was obviously stunned. Counting back from age, I was only nineteen when Lily was born. It was impossible for me to have given birth to her. But in a moment, he realized something. “Your sister…” “Three years ago, she died in the line of duty with my brother-in-law.” Following the fragmentation of my happy family, my dearest sister also died the year I graduated. I stated calmly with lowered eyes, my fingers clenched tightly where they couldn’t be seen, nails digging into flesh, hurting my palms. “Sarah…” “Ethan.” I interrupted his unfinished words, my voice trembling uncontrollably despite my efforts. The emotions stirred up when talking about the past with Chloe finally lost control upon hitting memories of my family. I looked up at Ethan, my throat terribly hoarse, speaking almost chokingly. “Ethan… I know I wronged you before, but I beg you… no matter what, save Lily.” She is my only remaining relative. Ethan pursed his lips, squatted halfway, and placed his palm gently on my shoulder. He said: “Okay.” “I promise you.” He withdrew the original treatment plan and called back the colleagues for consultation again. I didn’t know what exactly they discussed, but it must have caused quite a stir within the hospital. Even the doctors looked at me with slightly different eyes. But after the plan was finalized, I barely saw him again. Only on the rare occasions when he needed to observe the patient personally would he come, record, and leave in a hurry. Our communication didn’t exceed five sentences, three of which ended with single words like “mm” or “okay”. He said he would be busy, but I didn’t expect him to be this busy. Instead, Chloe spent more and more time with me to follow up on the condition. She worked very seriously, with steady hands and fast movements. Even though Lily was in a coma almost all day, she tried her best to reduce the pain Lily suffered during treatment. She was an excellent person. Perhaps the single ward was too quiet. Chloe suddenly spoke, like chatting but also probing. “Speaking of which, Senior Walker really cares about this case. He never actively used such a radical plan before.” “Radical plan?” I froze on the spot. Chloe seemed to realize something and quickly explained: “Sorry, sorry, you might not understand if you don’t know. Basically, the surgery is effective, but the success rate is relatively low, so the hospital usually recommends more conservative treatment.” “But for a rare disease like Lily’s, the effect of conservative treatment… existing clinical data isn’t very good. It just prolongs it a bit.” Her voice lowered, somewhat regretful. “You are Senior Walker’s friend, so I’m telling you the truth. Even with him as the lead surgeon, only one case of such surgery has been successful.” “But that case… didn’t survive the post-operative complications in the end.” “So…” I opened my mouth, my voice trembling unconsciously. “That’s why many people in the hospital disapprove. If something really happens on the operating table… besides the lead surgeon, they will also be implicated.” “He was already busy enough, and recently he’s been running to other provinces every day to find contacts, begging those retired teachers to help.” No wonder he often disappeared recently, coming and going in a hurry. No wonder his face often showed eraseable fatigue, and the faint dark circles under his eyes never faded. I don’t remember what Chloe rambled about afterward. I only knew that what Ethan did for me could no longer be covered simply by “a doctor’s benevolence.” I leaned over the bed, looking at Lily’s weak face with the ventilator. Tears fell drop by drop, spreading dark marks on the snow-white sheets. Chloe often chatted with me, fantasizing about what Ethan would be like when he was in love. Would he still be so cold? Would he be a straight man who doesn’t even know how to give gifts? Every time I agreed, there was a clear voice in my heart. He won’t. The way Ethan loves someone is sincere and vivid, the brightest stroke in the colors of my memory. He would agree to all my unreasonable requests. When he was a class committee member, he turned a blind eye to my skipping classes, and helped me hide my unwritten homework from the teacher. Everyone in the family knew Ethan was a good student. Whenever they asked about my recent situation at school, I begged him to put in a few good words for me. He agreed to everything, never saying no. Although I loved to play and make trouble, I was smart enough. I finally got into the same key high school as him by just meeting the cutoff score. In high school, his grades were still top-notch, so I pestered him to explain problems to me every now and then. I suffered from math for a long time, so Ethan broke down the problems one by one and explained them to me. We gradually became the two who left the latest after school. At first, the homeroom teacher suspected us of puppy love and wanted to catch us in the act. Unexpectedly, he caught us, but instead of love letters, he found stacks of densely written scratch paper. Ethan explained patiently, and I listened seriously, learning by analogy. My grades improved by leaps and bounds. So much so that when we really got together later, the teachers just mentioned it once and let it go. “Ethan and Sarah? Let them date however they want. It won’t affect their grades. Breaking them up might actually cause trouble.” So throughout high school, we were the only couple in the school who could hold hands openly. Occasionally, a few troublemakers were dissatisfied, but they were all shut down by the teacher’s sentence: “If you can stabilize at either Ethan or Sarah’s score, you can date freely too.” We walked side by side through the hardest winter and welcomed the busy and vibrant summer. My birthday was on the eve of the college entrance exam. That night, Ethan passed me a note for the first time. I remembered the time and place on the note, ignoring the fatigue of finishing the test papers, and quietly sneaked out of the dormitory in the middle of the night. In the midsummer of my eighteenth year, I saw the most beautiful scenery in my memory. It was a sea of blue flowers. In a hidden corner by the playground, Ethan used countless bouquets as a base and caught dozens of fireflies to dance as candles. My favorite blue daisies were woven into the most unique birthday cake by my favorite person, presented on the day I became an adult. The boy stood in the center of the flower sea, his eyes as bright as a thousand stars. He said: “Sarah, happy birthday.” At that time, I thought I was the happiest person in the world. At that time, I thought this moment would be eternal. But I was wrong. After the college entrance exam, I returned home. What greeted me was not the smiles of my parents and fragrant meals. —But bright red, dazzling blood in the stairwell. My sister hugged me tightly, her brand-new police badge hurting my cheek. I pieced together the truth of the story from her tearful narration. Cheating father, mother enduring for my exam, pregnant mistress coming to the door… A slip of the hand during my father’s shoving, my mother rolled down the stairs and hit a sharp steel pipe in the trash pile in the stairwell. A seemingly happy family was shattered in just a few hours. And the call from the hooligan Brad was the last straw that broke me. “My dad knows about your family’s mess.” The hooligan laughed carelessly, his tone disgusting. At eighteen, I gripped the phone tightly, trembling uncontrollably. “Your sister just became a little police officer, right? Is she still an intern?” “Well, I’m not a bad person. Dump Ethan hard, and I won’t mess with your sister, how about it?” “Oh, didn’t that little bastard test out of the province? It’s a long way off, and his old hag at home can’t reach him, right?” “Step him into the mud alone, or let everyone become stray dogs. You choose.” When the phone hung up, I couldn’t tell if I was calm or numb. The Ethan I loved would never give up his grandmother, whom he depended on for life. I only had my sister left as a relative. Besides… I looked up at the gray sky. Fine rain hit my face, rolling down mixed with tears. A doctor with a bright future shouldn’t have a lover born of a murderer. I didn’t want to be the only stain on Ethan. I had an agreement with him, agreeing that we would soar thousands of miles and stand side by side in the clouds. I broke the promise.

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