My name is Ethan. A few years ago, by sheer chance, I connected with a major player in the high-stakes world, someone who specialized in offshore ventures. My boats, however, weren’t ordinary fishing vessels. They were exclusive party yachts, designed solely for the pleasure of the ultra-rich and powerful. These big shots loved their games, but they were also incredibly cautious. They demanded not just beautiful women, but also absolute security in their venues. The open sea was the perfect stage, and that’s how these pleasure boats came into being.
1
Each charter cost a hundred grand. My only job was to verify the “merchandise,” keep watch, and ensure safety. Everything else, I stayed out of. Over the years, I’d seen A-list actresses tied up like crabs with red ropes. I’d seen others frothing at the mouth and rushed to the hospital. Some even died on the boat during one of these sessions. In short, their methods of torture were endless, and no woman who came off one of those party yachts left intact.
But I never expected Jade to show up on my boat.
Jade was my college classmate, my goddess whom I’d secretly admired for years. I never even got the chance to confess before a talent scout discovered her, launching her into the entertainment industry. She burst onto the scene, instantly becoming a sensation, nicknamed the “Pure Temptress” for her mature body, doll-like face, and sweet, syrupy voice.
It wasn’t long before she was caught on camera, disheveled and rushed to the emergency room late at night. They’d actually removed a golf ball from inside her. After that, her career was dead in the water.
In the private inspection cubicle, a woman with a stunning figure and alluring face smiled at me, her eyes seemingly capable of stealing a soul. Before each cruise, we had to double-check that none of these women were carrying recording devices – it was a non-negotiable rule from the big shot. One, for security. Two, their physical requirements for the women were incredibly strict; any noticeable scars could ruin their mood.
“Ethan, long time no see.” Her voice was soft and sweet, like a gentle feather stroking my heart.
I instantly went weak, staring at her in surprise. “Jade, it’s really you! Weren’t you blacklisted? How…?”
“Yeah, this is my chance to make a comeback. I specifically chose your boat,” she purred, twisting her lithe body and deliberately pushing herself into my embrace for the inspection. “Rather than letting those bastards have their way with me, I’d rather it be you.”
Her upper body pressed against mine, rubbing gently, her hot breath fanning my neck. My mind reeled. I wrapped an arm around her waist and looked down. After a few years, her figure had become even better. Beneath her thin robe, a peachy-pink, tight yoga outfit hugged her luscious curves, hinting at a cleavage that made you want to explore further. Her whole aura exuded a newfound mature allure; she could beckon with a finger and leave a man utterly lost.
At that moment, she raised her leg, her robe falling open. I looked down, and her yoga pants were actually open at the crotch, with nothing worn underneath! And then she took my hand, pulling at her robe… My mind raced, my body immediately responding. I wanted nothing more than to devour her right then and there!
But just as I was about to go deeper, she suddenly slapped my hand away, giggling. “Just kidding. In my current situation, what else can I do but try my best to please the big shot?”
Her expression turned somber, making my heart ache. “I’ll take care of you,” nearly slipped out.
“This is my last chance to restart my career, and I have to seize it,” she said, looking at me with those mesmerizing, soulful eyes. “Ethan, if something really happens to me, you’ll help me, right?”
I turned my head to look at her, understanding dawned on me.
“Of course!” My gaze was heated as I watched her slowly expose her shoulder, nearly drooling.
“Heh,” Jade giggled, her cherry-red lips curving. “Do I look good?”
Like a man possessed, I nodded. Once, she had been the fantasy of countless men, and I was no exception. But as far as I knew, her family wasn’t poor. Even if she was blacklisted, it shouldn’t have affected her livelihood. What’s more, those big shots in the industry really did play some twisted games. Especially this one today; I’d never seen anyone walk off his boat under their own power.
I couldn’t help but worry about her. “Jade, have you really thought this through? Their methods of torment are not something you can endure.”
“I know. He’s the one I crossed before,” Jade said with a bitter smile, her memories seemingly still haunting her. “Three years ago, also on a boat, he tried to shove a golf ball inside me. It hurt so much, I couldn’t help but cry out, ruining his mood. He beat me half to death and then blacklisted me.”
“Then why are you still…?”
“I have my reasons,” her eyes were shadowed, but then filled with hope as she looked at me. “I know this time I can’t escape, which is why I came to you. If anything truly happens, I hope you’ll help me.”
2
I didn’t know what her unspoken hardship was, but I truly didn’t want her getting tangled up in this mess again. “Even if you approach that magnate, he might not help you.”
“I understand, but I have no other path left. Ethan, you’re the only person I can trust now.” Her eyes pleaded as she grasped my wrist eagerly.
Since her mind was made up, there was nothing more I could say. Seeing my nod, Jade instantly bloomed into a smile and signaled for me to begin the inspection.
She slowly untied her robe and shed her yoga attire. Beneath, she wore nothing but a nearly transparent lace string bikini, the thin straps looking as though they might snap under the weight of her breasts at any moment. My gaze drifted lower. Her long, pale legs were especially striking. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be entangled by them…
The cubicle was already small and stifling, and she had now shed all her clothes. A pale expanse of skin shimmered before me, rising and falling with her breath, an almost criminal temptation!
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry, my whole body growing hot. As if possessed, I found myself wanting to use the inspection as an excuse to satisfy my urge to touch her. She chuckled softly, then took my hand and guided it onto her. It felt like holding the softest silk, sending a wave of pleasure through me that nearly took my breath away.
“Ethan, I know you care for me. After tonight, I’ll give myself to you.” Jade looked at me with eyes full of promise.
Before I could react, she pressed herself into my embrace and kissed my lips. Her faint scent burrowed into my nostrils, and my mind buzzed. Blood rushed to my head, and I yearned to take her fiercely, right then. But at this moment, she was someone else’s property. I couldn’t! A jumble of emotions surged, a fire burning within me with nowhere to go, leaving my eyes red and suffocated.
She seemed to sense my shift, giggling and twisting her slender body in my arms. “Not tonight. But I have other ways. Consider it… a down payment for your help.”
With a roll of my throat, my mind went blank as Jade slowly knelt down…
Thankfully, there was water in the cubicle, and I didn’t dare delay too long, ensuring she was clean before sending her and the others down to the lower deck. By dawn, I’d bring the boat back to shore, and my job would be done. Whatever happened in the cabin was none of my business.
But I spent that night sleepless. Occasional wails from the cabin pierced my eardrums, striking directly at my heart. I sat on the deck, chain-smoking, my eyes bloodshot, until dawn finally broke. As I watched the women emerge, bruised and limping one after another, Jade was nowhere to be seen.
I panicked, extinguished my cigarette, and stormed into the cabin. The big shot had already left on another boat at sea. The cabin was empty, but torn clothing, blood-stained props, and various enhancers were strewn everywhere. The bedroom door was ajar, and agonizing groans pierced my ears. My heart felt squeezed, I could barely breathe, and I stumbled closer to the bedroom. Jade’s weak, pained gasps grew clearer.
I rushed over and shoved the door open. A mixture of putrid odors assaulted me, sickeningly rotten. Even though I’d witnessed the big shots’ tormenting methods countless times and thought I was prepared, the horrifying scene before me still made my stomach churn. I wished I could rip my eyes out! I had guessed that if that magnate recognized Jade, he wouldn’t let her off easy. But this… this was beyond cruel!
Naked, she lay on the round bed, her legs spread wide and hoisted high, rough ropes chafing her skin and wrapped around her ample curves.
3
Her formerly fair skin was covered in red welts from the ropes, along with bite marks and even dried wax. The bed itself was a messy canvas of red and black. She wore a spiked collar like an animal, a gag stuffed in her mouth, her body convulsing, eyes rolled back.
My heart ached beyond measure. I quickly removed the gag from her mouth and carefully began untying her. Immediately after, she started dry heaving, spitting out a vile, reddish-white mess that, upon closer inspection, even contained tiny black particles.
“Jade, what is this…?” My chest tightened.
She shook her head, her voice a mere whisper. “It’s nothing, just some strawberry sauce.”
“Strawberry sauce?” I was bewildered. There was no strawberry sauce in the cabin, just some fresh fruit. Wait, could it be…?
A terrible possibility dawned on me, and I looked at her lower half. Sure enough, red liquid flowed from between her legs, and I could vaguely make out a small clear straw. The fruit platter on the table was empty, and there were several empty cola bottles scattered around. Jade looked at me, a bitter smile on her face. “It’s exactly what you’re thinking. They used my body as a… container to mash up strawberries and poured cola inside, making them drink from it, one after another. Ethan, there’s still something inside, but I don’t have the strength.”
“Don’t move. I’ll do it.” I helped her lie down and spread her legs.
Inside, amidst the messy chaos, was a golf ball! The moment I touched her, she trembled violently from the pain. I tried several times, my clothes soaked with sweat, but it was no use. She was growing paler and paler, on the verge of passing out. I couldn’t bear it. “No, you can’t stay like this. You have to go to the hospital.”
“No, not the hospital,” she grabbed my wrist with surprising force, her nails digging into my flesh. “Ethan…”
Her eyes held a desperate plea. I knew what she was worried about. She was once the industry’s renowned pure ingenue. Even if she’d been blacklisted for years, if someone saw her like this, all her sacrifices tonight would have been for nothing. I clasped her hand, wiping away her tears, and forced a light tone. “Since I took the down payment, I’ll see this through. Don’t worry, I have a buddy who runs a private hospital. He’s trustworthy.”
Jade lowered her gaze, biting her lip. The physical pain ultimately made her compromise. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”
I let out a long breath of relief. Without a moment’s delay, I found some clothes to wrap her up completely and rushed her to the hospital. The hospital was outside the city, catering exclusively to wealthy clients, ensuring complete privacy. Since I’d called ahead, Jade was swiftly admitted to surgery.
But the situation was far more severe than I’d imagined.
In his office, my good friend Marcus stared at me like I was a freak for a long time, then inexplicably said, “Hey, Ethan, haven’t seen you in a few days. You’ve been getting into some wild stuff behind the scenes, huh?”
“Get out of here, what nonsense are you talking about? It wasn’t me… Just look at her injuries, don’t ask questions.” I rolled my eyes at him, feeling oddly uncomfortable. He and I were childhood friends, grew up together, and he knew all my business better than anyone. As soon as I said that, his gaze indeed turned to one of pity.
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Back from a business trip, I held the designer bag Olivia had been coveting, ready to give her a surprise.
But before I even got home, I received an emergency call from the hospital: Olivia was hospitalized due to acute bleeding.
I rushed over, my heart pounding, only for the attending physician to discreetly usher me into his office.
“Young man, I know you youngsters have boundless energy, but you can’t be too forceful.”
He continued, “The patient has a cervical laceration. She needs plenty of rest, and no marital activity for at least a month.”
My vision blurred. A chilling prickle went up my spine.
I’d been away on a business trip for nearly a month. Could Olivia be cheating on me?
1
The doctor kept droning on about precautions and medication, but my brain had completely crashed. I couldn’t process a word.
“Doctor, are you sure it’s a cervical laceration? Could there be a mistake?”
My eyes were wide with disbelief.
The doctor pushed up his glasses. “Young man, you need to own up to your actions. There are no outsiders here, no need to be embarrassed.”
He added, “You can question me, but instruments don’t lie. Look, the report clearly states it.” With that, he handed me the detailed report.
My insides twisted, and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead.
My mind raced. Then, I stammered, “Doctor, is it possible… that my wife, uh… that she was, you know, just relieving loneliness by herself and accidentally did it?”
The doctor furrowed his brow, about to say something, but then he noticed the designer bag in my left hand and my suitcase in my right. He paused for a long moment.
“Well… that’s not entirely impossible. You could ask your wife about it.”
He handed me the prescriptions, giving me a complicated look that sent a searing pain through my chest. Even an idiot like me understood what the doctor was implying.
My legs felt like lead, each step impossibly heavy.
Olivia showed no unusual reaction when she saw me. Her face was pale from blood loss, but she still said, in a playful, almost childlike voice, “Honey, I missed you so much while you were away.”
She reached out to hug me, but just as her hands were about to touch me, I flinched away as if dodging something repulsive.
Olivia’s outstretched hands froze in mid-air. She looked at me with confusion. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
The doctor’s words echoed in my mind, but I couldn’t find the courage to ask. I just blurted out an excuse. “Ah… you must be hungry. I’ll go grab you some food and pick up some fresh clothes from home.”
She smiled at me. “Okay, thanks, honey.”
Leaving the hospital, I felt disoriented the whole way home.
Olivia and I had been together for three years. It wasn’t a long time, but our relationship had always been strong. She’d even moved across the country for me, and she didn’t demand a huge dowry. I never imagined she would betray me.
This year, due to my company’s expansion, I’d been traveling a lot. But whenever I video-called her, Olivia always picked up immediately, showing no signs of anything amiss.
Was she cheating?
I kept asking myself, then immediately tried to reassure myself that she loved me and wouldn’t cheat. But the doctor’s words clung to me, making it impossible to stop overthinking.
Desperate, I started searching online. The answers on Google were wild. I found a popular video that said, “In non-marital circumstances, severe impact to the abdomen or high-intensity exercise can also, to some extent, cause cervical bleeding.”
My heart calmed down a little.
2
When I got home, I was greeted by a complete mess. Olivia’s clothes were piled haphazardly on the sofa, and the coffee table was littered with leftover takeout containers and beer cans. It looked like she’d really let loose while I was away.
I stepped around the clutter and headed to the bedroom to find her some fresh clothes. As I opened the door, I noticed a newly opened box of condoms and our special little toys on the bedside table.
The heavy stone in my heart finally lifted. It wasn’t cheating after all. I truly had been away too long. She must have missed me, otherwise she wouldn’t have resorted to those things to relieve herself.
With the alarm bells in my head silenced, my tense shoulders immediately relaxed. I hummed a little tune as I tidied the house and even took out the trash.
That’s when I noticed a cigarette butt by the front door, and a small burn mark on the carpet.
My heart instantly leaped into my throat.
Olivia absolutely hated smoking. I’d quit years ago when we started dating because of her.
Someone had definitely been here!
Just as my blood pressure shot to my temples, my phone rang. It was Olivia.
I answered, and her sweet, almost sugary voice came through. “Honey, where are you? Why aren’t you back yet?”
My irritation flared. I replied curtly, “I’m home. I’ll be back as soon as I finish cleaning up.”
“Oh, honey, my mom came a few days ago. She even bought a fresh fish. If you’re hungry, you can cook it.”
It was my mother-in-law! That made sense. My mother-in-law had a strong smoking habit. Olivia had tried to get her to quit countless times over the years, but she never succeeded.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. I had such a good wife; anyone would be lucky to have her.
I quickly cleaned the fish, made a savory fish soup, and prepared two of Olivia’s favorite dishes: shrimp and savory scrambled eggs.
Under my careful nursing, Olivia recovered quickly and was discharged in less than half a month. Our interactions went back to normal, with no visible signs of anything amiss.
But once a seed of doubt is planted, a person inevitably becomes suspicious. Even though thoughts of Olivia cheating would occasionally surface in my mind, every investigation turned up nothing.
Then, one day, a glitch in a company project meant the client couldn’t sign immediately. My work was unexpectedly interrupted, so I headed home early.
But there, on the shoe rack outside our door, sat a pair of men’s dress shoes. My internal alarm blared.
As I opened the door and stepped inside, I heard Olivia’s high-pitched, resonant cries coming from the bedroom. All the suppressed emotions I’d held back for so long erupted.
I strode quickly forward, but the bedroom door was locked from the inside. This “other man” was clearly prepared.
I pounded on the door, rattling the doorknob violently. Inside, Olivia’s panicked voice cried, “Honey, why are you suddenly back?”
I was too furious to waste words. I prepared to kick the door open and catch them red-handed.
Just then, Olivia suddenly opened the door. Her face was flushed, and she was wrapped only in a bath towel. The entire room was thick with the scent of passion.
I scanned the room. No one.
A flicker of awkwardness crossed Olivia’s face. She asked tentatively, “Honey, what are you looking for?”
I gritted my teeth, spitting out each word, “I’m looking for the scumbag who left his dress shoes at our door!”
With that, I began tearing through the bedroom, checking under the bed, inside the closet – every possible hiding spot. But there was no one.
3
Just as confusion washed over me, Olivia’s sobbing broke through my thoughts.
“Ethan, I knew you suspected me. Ever since I was hospitalized for the cervical bleeding, you’ve been acting strangely, always looking at me like I have two heads.”
“Have we been together all these years for nothing? Is there no basic trust between us?”
Seeing Olivia’s eyes red and swollen from crying, I felt guilty for my impulsiveness. After all, there really was no one else in the house.
I picked up a tissue to wipe her tears. She sniffled tearfully, “Ever since I got out of the hospital, you’ve been so preoccupied. And every time I ask you, you just say ‘nothing’.”
“Would you rather overthink everything on your own than just ask me directly?”
I was speechless. I wanted to hug and comfort her, but she simply pushed me away.
“Ethan, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You’re always finding excuses to sneak a peek at my phone. Last time, after the company dinner, you even tailed me in your car.”
“Can you please stop monitoring me like I’m a criminal? You’re really breaking my heart,” Olivia’s voice grew more agitated. She stomped back into the bedroom, packed a suitcase, and declared she was moving out.
I stepped forward to block her, but she glared at me fiercely, spitting, “What, I can’t even go clear my head? I’ve had enough of your suspicions. You stay here and do some serious self-reflection!”
Her words plunged me into deep self-reproach. I ran my hands through my hair, feeling utterly suffocated.
Then, suddenly, it hit me: our apartment was on the first floor!
I had clearly heard Olivia’s moans just moments ago. The jerk inside must have simply escaped through the window!
I immediately rushed back into the bedroom and yanked open the curtains. Sure enough, the window was wide open.
Because it had rained that morning, there was a distinct set of five-toed footprints in the muddy grass outside.
I immediately called Olivia, wanting a clear explanation, but she seemed to have blocked me. Calls and texts went straight to voicemail, no reply.
I dug out a pack of cigarettes from the drawer – the ones I got at a colleague’s wedding. The nicotine might temporarily numb my brain.
Since I hadn’t caught him this time, Olivia would never admit it. I might as well use her absence to dig up clues.
My company messaged me: the unsigned project from before was back on. I needed to meet the client at the Grand Gardens Restaurant today and prepare for the signing. To avoid any issues, I arrived an hour early to prepare.
As I followed the signs to private room 422, I heard a familiar name. I stopped dead in my tracks.
From private room 420, a man’s voice declared, “Olivia, no backing out! Either you drink a bottle of wine, or you kiss Blake as per the dare rules!”
Another woman chimed in, “Exactly! Olivia, you and Blake were the campus’s golden couple back in the day. What’s there to be shy about?”
“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”
Olivia’s sweet voice drifted out. “Okay, okay, stop teasing! Blake’s a married man now, he can’t just kiss anyone. Besides, I’m married too. I’ll drink the wine instead.”
Another man spoke up. “Olivia, if I hadn’t gone abroad for studies, maybe we would have married years ago. You just got out of the hospital, you can’t drink that much. I’ll do it with you.”
The other two chimed in, “Yeah, yeah, it’s fine if you’re married, it’s just a game!”
Rage flared in my chest. Standing outside the door, my hands slowly clenched into fists, my nails digging into my flesh, sending sharp pains through me.
Just then, a waiter approached, pushed the door open to deliver dishes. I stood to the side, peering in. Olivia was wrapping her arms around a stranger’s neck, straddling him completely, her body facing him. The man’s hands were helpfully cupping her butt, and both of them had their eyes closed, passionately making out.
As all the previous details clicked into place – Olivia’s cervical laceration, the footprints outside the window – I stormed directly into the private room…
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To Save My Dad, I Became a Delivery Doll
I had to personally experience what he bought, right in front of him!
It could be a mineral water bottle as thick as a forearm, or fruit covered in menacing barbs.
But what truly broke me, what I couldn’t accept, was that fascia gun delivery…
I was a Product Experience Provider for Deliveries.
To put it plainly, beyond just dropping off the order, I also had to personally use the items as per the client’s request.
Clients, though, preferred to call us ‘The Curios’!
My first order was to deliver a pack of sanitary pads to Willow Creek Apartments, Building A, Unit 706. That meant I’d have to demonstrate using them right in front of the client!
I don’t know how long I stood at the base of Building A’s stairwell before I finally mustered the courage to step onto the landing.
By the time I came to, Unit 706’s door was slowly opening.
The client looked about forty, balding, with a bloated, pasty face stubbled with dark hairs. His thick-rimmed glasses completed the picture of a stereotypical creep from a movie.
I instinctively recoiled a step, my knuckles tightening around the package of sanitary pads until they turned white.
My best friend, Lily, had warned me not to take it. Willow Creek was a run-down complex on the city’s outskirts, mostly home to transient workers. That instability, she’d explained, meant they might do things well outside the order’s explicit terms!
But I had no choice.
My dad had been working construction recently and was in an accident; a steel rebar had pierced his kidney. Emergency surgery only pulled him from immediate danger. I had three months to scrounge up the funds for a kidney transplant.
“Excuse me, is this for order number 5689, for…”
My voice trailed off.
Because his eyes, magnified behind the lenses, felt like twin headlights suddenly switched on in the dark, blinding and disorienting.
That kind of gaze made sense.
I was only wearing a flimsy, white floral slip dress, barely long enough to cover my upper thighs, giving the impression that one wrong move, and he’d get quite the view.
Even though I’d braced myself countless times, having a strange man undress me with his eyes like that still made terror bloom in my chest.
“That’s me. Get in here, quickly.”
The client’s voice held a desperate, excited edge.
The apartment reeked of stale cigarette smoke and an unidentifiable, musky odor. The whole place was a pigsty, but what really stood out were the crumpled wads of tissue paper piled high on the living room sofa.
He snatched the sanitary pads from my hand as if claiming a prize.
“Bathroom’s over there. Put it on, then come out and show me.”
He tore open the packaging with precise speed, clearly not his first time.
A repeat customer? The thought flashed through my mind, and my stomach clenched.
In our line of work, repeat customers were the most frightening. New clients were usually reserved; even if they had a particular interest, they rarely dared to cross the line during the product experience.
But repeat customers were different. They knew the platform’s nature all too well.
The client was king. As long as they didn’t do anything that explicitly crossed the bottom line, we had to obey their instructions. Otherwise, one bad review, and we’d lose 80% of our commission!
I took a deep breath, forcing an official, polite smile, and pulled an overnight pad from the pack.
“Of course.”
I chose the overnight pad because it was larger, less likely to reveal too much.
“When you come out, just your underwear, got it?”
My foot, already mid-step towards the bathroom door, froze in mid-air.
2
Gritting my teeth, I mumbled an acknowledgment and stepped inside.
I stared at my reflection, a kaleidoscope of emotions swirling within me.
I was beautiful.
Long hair, an oval face, D-cup bust, and stood at a statuesque 5’7”. Thanks to my yoga practice, the rest of my figure was perfectly toned and proportionate.
More importantly, my skin was porcelain-smooth and fair. Lily always said it was like tender tofu, begging to be bitten.
Once, I’d felt privileged by my looks.
Now, I wished I were ugly.
Because I couldn’t guarantee that this almost flawless body, laid bare before a stranger, might tempt him to cross the line into something criminal!
“Ready yet?”
“Y-yes, almost!”
No sooner had I changed than the bathroom door was pushed open.
I jumped.
Only then did I realize the lock on the bathroom door was broken!
A loud gulp echoed in the small space, booming in my mind long after the sound faded.
I kept my head down, not daring to meet his eyes. The burning sensation on every inch of my exposed skin told me he was staring at me like a wolf starving for three days, his eyes devouring me with raw desire.
I was terrified that meeting his gaze would ignite the fuse of his desires.
He directed me to the living room, telling me to sit right there, on top of those wads of tissue.
“Spread your legs. I need to see the fit.”
In that instant, my gut screamed in protest. For a second, I thought about walking out.
But if I pushed aside the dirtiest thoughts, his request was perfectly reasonable. He needed to check the pad’s coverage to ensure the product met his expectations.
“Wonder what the material feels like?”
I thought he was asking me, and was about to reply, when I suddenly felt something alien brush against the pad!
I looked down to see his finger.
He was crouched right between my legs, and as if noticing my gaze, he looked up at me, his eyes narrowed behind the frames, revealing two nicotine-stained front teeth.
Even more humiliating, his finger began stroking back and forth on the sanitary pad…
An electric jolt shot through me. Perhaps it was the sheer terror, but my body’s response was disturbingly strong. My breathing hitched, and my fingers involuntarily dug into the leather sofa.
Suddenly, my entire body stiffened!
His finger left the pad and brushed against my bare thigh, moving directly towards me!
“Mr. Miller, that’s not part of the product experience scope!” I blurted out.
His hand froze.
He could have continued, of course, but the cost of the order would change dramatically. That was a rule established by the platform when I started.
He finally didn’t continue, pulling his hand back with a deflated sigh.
“Take the pad off. I need to check its leak-proof effectiveness.”
I went back into the bathroom. Knowing the lock was broken, I moved quickly. When I came out, I placed the pad on the coffee table.
The inside of the pad was now visibly damp.
“Mr. Miller, please sign off on the order on the platform.”
My cheeks stiff, I offered a practiced, polite smile.
He complied, signed off, gave a five-star rating, and even added a fifty-dollar tip.
After the tip, he lifted the pad to his nose and took a long, deep inhale. Then he squinted, tilted his head back, a look of absolute ecstasy on his face!
A wave of goosebumps erupted all over my skin. I spun around and hurried towards the door. As I pulled it shut, our eyes met through the narrowing gap.
He stared back, a slow, predatory grin spreading across his face as he deliberately, slowly, licked the pad.
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After Jenna postponed our wedding for the tenth time, I decided to give her back her freedom.
My friend’s second baby was having his one-month party; I sent my congratulations early and skipped it.
My buddies invited me on a camping trip; if she showed up, I was prepared to leave immediately.
My company wanted to assign me to her company to oversee a project; I resigned on the spot.
Even when her parents came to my door, begging, I refused to see them.
I destroyed every photo I had of her, severed all social media ties.
I deleted the social media account where I’d documented our relationship, completely erasing every trace of her from my life.
We’d known each other for twenty-five years, been in love for five. I used to believe we were destined to be together.
Until the tenth wedding plan fell through, and I finally woke up—
Love yourself before you love others.
“Ethan, give me ten minutes, I’m almost there.”
Jenna hung up before I could reply.
I looked sheepishly at the hotel staff.
“My fiancée will be here any minute. Could you give us a little more time? Once she’s here, we’ll run through the rehearsal değişiklikler.”
The staffer offered a professional smile but looked troubled. “I’m sorry, sir, but your booked time slot for the venue is already fifteen minutes over. The next couple is waiting for their rehearsal.”
Over his shoulder, I saw the anxious faces of the other couple. I forced a grim smile. “Our apologies for the delay. We’ll leave now.”
The wedding planner walked out of the hotel with me. “Mr. Hudson, even though the rehearsal wasn’t completed, the deposit is still non-refundable.”
I managed a bitter smile. “It’s fine. I’m the one who broke the contract.”
This wedding planning company was top-tier in Bay City, their schedule always packed. I’d paid double the deposit just to get them to work with us ten times.
“You’re already one of our VIP clients, sir. Feel free to contact us anytime for your next rehearsal.”
His words made my face burn. I practically fled the scene.
This was the tenth time Jenna had missed a wedding rehearsal.
The previous nine times, she’d used “emergency business trip” as an excuse to postpone the wedding. Even though the invitations had to be reprinted nine times, I’d caved every single time.
But this time, I was curious to hear what new excuse she could possibly come up with.
I leaned against a birch tree across from the hotel, waiting from dusk until nightfall before she finally sauntered over.
“The company called an emergency board meeting. I floored it to get here. Can we still make the rehearsal?”
She was still catching her breath, her form-fitting denim skirt carrying the fresh scent of shower gel.
“It’s too late.”
Jenna, who had started to pull me towards the hotel, stopped dead in her tracks. She put on an apologetic look. “The company’s huge, and as CEO, I’m just spread too thin. We’ll make up the rehearsal next time, okay?”
I stared at her in silence, waiting for the familiar lines.
Sure enough, she frowned and sighed. “I have business talks in Europe next week. Can we postpone the wedding again?”
Seeing the pain in my eyes, she cooed softly, “Don’t be sad. Next time, it’ll definitely happen. I’ll even get a psychic to pick a lucky day.”
“First, come with me to try on suits. I had a new Savile Row suit custom-made for you.”
Every time she postponed the wedding, she’d try to smooth things over with an expensive suit.
Ten such custom suits were already gathering dust in my closet. I wasn’t about to accept an eleventh.
I pulled up a photo of an order on my phone. “You should remind Leo to pick up his custom suit.”
Jenna’s expression flickered, then she quickly composed herself. “It’s for the company anniversary, to reward outstanding employees. Leo, my assistant, has worked incredibly hard…”
I nodded, then opened a social media post she’d accidentally shared half an hour earlier—a photo from a candlelight dinner, her fingers intertwined with Leo’s.
“Does Ms. Yang care to explain?”
Her face turned livid. “Ethan Hudson, are you actually accusing me of cheating? I was wining and dining a client to close a deal! You think everyone can just bum around like you? If I miss one day of work, the company loses millions!”
I let out a short laugh. “We’re childhood sweethearts, Jenna. Both our families are well-off. If you hadn’t said that me taking over my family’s company would mean neglecting you, why would I be stuck in a dead-end job at some small firm?”
Her face turned a ghastly mix of pale and red. “Fine! So I’m the one holding you back from your grand ambitions! Let’s just go our separate ways then!”
I smiled and turned away, but my chest felt like a knife was twisting inside.
My phone vibrated. A text from Leo popped up:
[Sorry to have delayed your rehearsal, Mr. Hudson. Next time, I’ll be sure to steer clear of your eleventh wedding attempt.]
Every word was a poisoned barb, making it hard to breathe.
She was on a date with her assistant, and she told me she was with a client. What a joke!
Jenna and I were childhood sweethearts. Our parents were old friends too.
Ever since we were little, our parents would tease us:
“You two are the same age, practically grew up together, and you’re always stuck to each other. Why don’t you just get married when you grow up?”
Back then, I was little and didn’t know what marriage really meant. All I knew was that if we got married, Jenna would always be around to play games with me.
So I’d clap my hands and cheer, “Yes, yes! I want to marry Jenna!”
I even mimicked what I saw on TV and wrote her a promise note, saying I’d definitely marry her when I grew up.
So, naturally, after I actually understood the meaning of marriage, my parents always used that promise note to tease me.
I was thin-skinned back then, and the teasing made me flustered and a bit angry, so I started intentionally avoiding Jenna.
When she noticed, she cornered me and burst into tears, demanding to know what she’d done to make me give her the cold shoulder.
Those tears melted my heart, and for the first time, I felt a stir of romance.
That was the day I realized I was in love with her.
We finally broke through the “just friends” barrier when we were twenty and started dating.
In the years that followed, I proposed, she accepted, and then she postponed the wedding ten times.
By then, her star assistant, Leo, was already a fixture by her side.
They spent far more time together day in and day out than she and I did.
I kept telling myself their closeness was just for work.
But today, I wasn’t willing to lie to myself anymore.
The constant buzzing of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts.
I composed myself and answered, “Hello? Mike, what’s up?”
“Good news! My second kid’s one-month party is this Saturday. Bring your fiancée and come grab some food.”
I was about to say I’d go alone, but then I remembered: Mike was my boy, but his wife, Emily, was Jenna’s best friend.
“Has Emily told Jenna yet?”
“They’re on the phone right now. What, you and Jenna aren’t together? You finished rehearsal and went your separate ways? You’d pass up a perfect chance to get close, buddy?” Mike sounded puzzled.
I gave a bitter smile. Everyone knew I was whipped for Jenna; that’s why they’d assume that.
I mumbled an affirmation, said I’d be there, and hung up.
To “celebrate” tonight, I’d arranged for a bottle of rare vintage wine through a friend.
I went to the wine shop, picked it up, and drank the entire bottle by myself.
The live feed from the security camera on my phone showed Jenna. She’d hired movers and was in the process of moving her things out of our place.
Maybe she realized I was watching, because she looked right at the camera and said, “What, spying on me? Afraid I’ll steal your stuff?”
I chuckled and switched to voice. “You misunderstood. I just wanted to remind you to take those suits you got me, the ones in the bedroom, with you too.”
Jenna gritted her teeth, furious.
I closed the video feed and answered Mike’s call.
Before I could say anything, he asked coldly, “Did Jenna postpone the wedding again? She didn’t show up for the rehearsal today either, did she!”
When I stayed silent, he got even more agitated. “You’re getting screwed over and you don’t even fight back! Just wait, I’m gonna go teach Leo a lesson!”
It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to fight back; I’d just completely given up on her and didn’t want to get dragged into any more drama.
It took a lot of convincing and reassurance before Mike finally calmed down.
“It’s probably for the best that you and Jenna are done. I’ve seen for a while that her heart wasn’t in it with you. I just didn’t say anything because we’re all so close.”
I chuckled. “Just don’t let our mess affect your relationship with Emily.”
“No way. Me and my wife? We’re solid.”
After hanging up, I stumbled home.
Looking at the empty apartment, the weight in my chest finally lifted a little.
I did a walkthrough, found a photo album and a bottle of perfume she’d left behind, and tossed them out the window. Then I collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
To avoid Jenna at the one-month party, I took Friday off and went over to Mike’s place early.
Mike opened the door, put a finger to his lips for silence, and pulled me into his small backyard.
Jenna was there, dangling a toy for the baby, chatting with Emily.
“I moved all my stuff out this time. I dare Ethan Hudson to yell at me again after this. He really needs a reality check, acting like he’s hot stuff! He’s gotten way too big for his britches!”
For years, I’d been submissive and coddled Jenna’s princess tantrums.
I never thought it would give her the mistaken impression that I was naturally timid.
Mike frowned, looking even angrier than I felt.
I patted his shoulder and gave a helpless smile.
Jenna’s phone rang, interrupting their conversation. She answered with a smile, nodded to Emily, and hurried towards the front gate of the house.
Mike and I quickly ducked out of sight. Once she was gone, I followed her.
“Leo, didn’t I tell you to take the day off? Why aren’t you resting?”
Leo, without a care for who might see, pulled her into his arms. “I missed you. Thinking about how you kept postponing your wedding with Ethan for me… it just drives me wild. I can’t stand being away from you.”
Jenna playfully tapped his chest. “Well, it was your idea, wasn’t it? You’re so naughty.”
My blood ran cold.
Even though I’d suspected this was the case, hearing it directly from the two of them still sent a pang through my heart.
Leo pinched her cheek. “You still like me, even if I’m a little naughty. Besides, you were the one who told me you didn’t want to marry him. I just came up with the plan. You agreed to it.”
An intimate vibe flowed between them. If they weren’t right at Mike’s front gate, I swear those two would’ve started an R-rated scene right then and there.
It took all my strength to hold Mike back from rushing out.
Only when we heard an engine start and the car drive off did he finally explode, cursing me for being a pushover. “Why are you taking this crap! Just go deck him!”
I shook my head, my face pale. “There’s no point anymore. It’s over, and that’s good enough.”
The next day, Saturday, I didn’t show up for the party.
Around lunchtime, Jenna called me.
“Ethan Hudson, is this how you treat your friends? Skipping their big celebration? You have no class!”
I knew she was just trying to get a rise out of me, so I didn’t say anything.
After a moment, she continued.
“I forgot a limited-edition perfume. Don’t even think about keeping it to mope over me. Bring it to me right now.”
“Threw it out.”
I hung up on her.
I thought she’d be furious, but a second later, I got a text from her.
[Playing hard to get, are we? Pathetic! Fine, throw it out! I don’t want it anymore! And don’t you dare come looking for me again!]
Saturday night, Leo, to thank everyone for attending the baby’s party, suggested a group hike for Sunday.
Everyone in the group chat was enthusiastic.
I was about to decline when I saw Jenna post that she had something on Sunday and couldn’t make it. Only then did I agree to go.
The next day was bright and sunny. I was by the stream, grilling skewers, sunglasses on.
A few of Jenna’s close friends sidled up to me, their expressions disdainful, and asked slyly,
“Valentine’s Day is coming up, Mr. Big Shot Ethan. I bet you’ve got another ridiculously expensive gift for our Jenna, right? What is it? Show us, let us girls take a look.”
They didn’t know Jenna and I had broken up. They still thought I was the same old simp, free for them to tease.
I ignored them, deliberately fanning the charcoal to make the fire hotter.
The smoke got to them, and they ran off, cursing.
The skewers were almost done. I was about to sprinkle on some cumin and take them to the table, then I remembered Jenna and I were over. Why should I care about her preferences anymore? I went back and loaded them up with chili powder.
I had just put the skewers on the table when I saw Jenna approaching.
I took off my apron and turned to leave.
At the same time, I heard a friend’s voice behind me, talking to her:
“You’re late, so you have to chug one as punishment! Oh right, I forgot you don’t drink beer. Get Ethan over here to drink it for you.”
Then my friend called out my name from behind.
Without looking back, I said flatly, “I don’t make a habit of drinking for strangers.”
Jenna’s hand, reaching for a glass, froze mid-air. She narrowed her eyes, her gaze dark and unreadable as she watched me walk away.
I took a personal day on Monday and went back to the office on Tuesday.
I’d barely clocked in with the facial recognition scanner when my boss clapped me on the shoulder and led me to his office.
Standing in front of his desk, I listened to him spin a fantastic tale of opportunity for me.
Goosebumps rose on my skin. I had no idea what scheme this old exploiter was cooking up now, but I was sure it wasn’t anything good.
His next words confirmed my suspicions.
Somehow, he’d heard that my fiancée was Jenna, and he claimed he wanted to give me an opportunity for an “office romance” by assigning me to her company to oversee a project.
Nice words, but this rinky-dink company had no collaborative projects with Yang Corp.
The Yang Corporation was a major player in Bay City, a real heavyweight. They wouldn’t even look twice at a small enterprise like mine.
He was just saying that because he wanted me to use my connections to bring in a project for him.
I refused. The boss, still not giving up, kept trying to brainwash me.
I was about to tell him off when Jenna’s call, unbelievably, came through to his phone.
The boss answered, all smiles and bows. After hanging up, he said to me, “Ms. Yang says there’s a small project she wants to collaborate with our company on, and she specifically requested you to be the liaison.”
I let out a cold laugh, ripped off my ID badge, and slammed it on his desk.
“I’m done! I quit!”
I turned off my phone and went out of state to clear my head. I only turned it back on a week later.
The sheer volume of text messages almost crashed it.
A quick glance showed they were all from Jenna.
I opened the most recent one: [Ethan Hudson, I give up, okay? Turn on your phone and call me back!]
I hit “delete all.” The next second, her call came through again.
“Ethan Hudson, you finally decided to turn on your phone! Do you have any idea I’ve been going crazy trying to find you these past few days?!”
“Where are you right now? Send me your address immediately!”
🌟 Continue the story here
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1
The last time I confessed my feelings to Liam Blackwood,
It ended in total humiliation.
The private room was packed.
But an eerie silence had fallen, not a single soul uttered a word.
Minutes stretched, thick with unspoken tension.
Then, Sierra Finch, who sat beside him, finally broke the spell with a forced laugh.
“Alright, Liam, don’t be like that. It’s so awkward for Rory.”
“She’s just a kid.”
From a dark corner, someone scoffed, “A twenty-one-year-old kid, huh.”
Scattered chuckles rippled through the room, then blended into a chorus of mocking laughter.
I stood my ground, stubborn, refusing to flee in disgrace.
Only, my vision of Liam blurred, tears welling.
“Rory, how much harsher do I need to make this?”
Liam flicked cigarette ash, then stood up.
“I made it clear I wasn’t interested the moment you turned sixteen.”
I choked back a sob. “But you were so angry when I had that crush back then.”
“That’s because you were an adopted daughter of the Blackwood family.”
“One wrong step from you would only bring shame to the Blackwood name.”
“What about that kiss on my eighteenth birthday?”
Liam’s eyes, as he looked at me, flashed with the faintest hint of distaste.
“Rory, you were drunk that night, making a complete scene.”
“I just wanted to end the chaos as quickly as possible.”
A bitter laugh bubbled up.
But as I laughed, the tears fell even harder.
“Liam Blackwood, you’ve had four girlfriends.”
“But every single time, all I had to do was throw a fit, and you’d break up with them.”
“All these years, can you honestly say you didn’t feel anything for me?”
“That’s because I hadn’t met a woman I truly loved.”
Liam reached out, pulling Sierra into his embrace.
“Rory, listen closely. I’m only saying this one last time.”
“I love Sierra. I’m going to marry her.”
“All your little tricks from before? They won’t work this time. Not even a little.”
Sierra’s face flushed with shy delight, her eyes adoringly fixed on him. “Liam…”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Liam lowered his head and kissed her.
Sierra wrapped her arms around his neck, rising on her tiptoes to meet him.
They kissed, long and passionate, completely oblivious to anyone else.
But in that instant, my mind replayed the kiss from my eighteenth birthday.
Just as entangled, just as lingering.
A dream I’d lived in for four years, unable to wake up.
Foolishly believing that deep down, he actually liked me.
Liam moved out of the Blackwood family’s ancestral home.
He moved in with Sierra.
The day he moved, I was at school, buried in my final thesis defense.
Choosing that specific day was probably his way of keeping me from making a scene.
But this time, I didn’t react like before.
I didn’t immediately rush to Liam, crying and causing a fuss.
After a faint ripple in my heart,
I shook my head, immediately pushing it all out of my mind.
That evening, I had a graduation dinner with a few close friends.
On my way to the restroom, I bumped into Sierra.
“Rory, Liam’s here too. Want to come over?”
I shook my head. “I made plans with classmates. I’ll skip it.”
Sierra’s eyes suddenly welled up. “Rory, my family isn’t well-off. Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood don’t really like me.”
“Could you please stop speaking ill of me to them?”
I was taken aback, shocked. “Ms. Finch, I’ve never once mentioned you to the elders.”
Sierra smiled sadly. “I know you’ve loved Liam for many years.”
“I understand it’s hard for you to accept me and him together right now.”
“But Rory, we’re both women. It’s best to be kind in how we act, don’t you think?”
My temperament is like my mother’s—straightforward and incapable of deceit.
Hearing her words, I immediately bristled. “Sierra, don’t you dare slander me with your nonsense…”
Before I could finish, Sierra’s legs buckled, and she fell directly to her knees.
“Rory, I’m begging you.”
I jumped, startled, stepping forward to help her up.
But before I could even touch her, she collapsed heavily to the ground.
“Rory, what are you doing?!”
Liam’s furious voice roared as
A tremendous force slammed into me.
I was violently shoved, my knee hitting the edge of a wall.
The pain was excruciating.
“Liam, don’t misunderstand, Rory didn’t mean to…”
“You’re still defending her!”
“I’ve seen enough of her little tricks, ever since she was a child!”
Liam bent down and scooped Sierra into his arms.
He stared at me, his eyes blazing with fury.
“Rory, apologize.”
“Liam Blackwood…”
“Shut up. Apologize!”
Sierra nestled in his arms, her sobs tiny, pitiable.
My knee was bleeding.
Bright red blood snaked down my calf to my ankle.
Two stark, crimson lines.
But Liam seemed to not see them at all.
His gaze, fixed on me, made me feel like the most wicked person alive.
Suddenly, I let out a self-deprecating laugh, unwilling to argue another word.
“I apologize.”
Liam seemed to flinch slightly.
But then his eyes darkened with even deeper fury. “Not enough.”
I straightened up, bowing deeply. “Is this sufficient?”
Sierra looked at me, a faint smirk playing on her lips.
But quickly, she turned, sniffling, to Liam, gently coaxing, “It’s alright, Liam.”
“I don’t deserve such a gesture.”
Liam’s heart instantly swelled with tenderness.
“Rory, I told you, Sierra is different from the others.”
“Bullying her won’t make me break up with her.”
“It’ll only make me care for her more and despise you more.”
He held Sierra close, turning and walking away.
I stood there alone for a long, long time.
The pain in my knee was throbbing, relentless.
But my heart felt strangely empty, strangely light.
I knew it.
In that very moment, all those so-called obsessions, that infatuation,
Had turned to dust.
Vanished without a trace.
That night, Sierra posted three times on social media.
All of them were screen-shotted by busybodies in our circle and sent to me.
Liam’s replies, in particular, were heavily circled.
I knew they secretly wanted to see me make a fool of myself.
Usually, I’d just act on impulse and rush to Liam, crying and causing a scene.
He’d be annoyed, but he’d always give in.
This undoubtedly gave me the false impression that he cared.
It also made me more persistent.
But this time, I ignored it all.
Instead, I dialed a number I’d called seven days ago.
“Aunt Carol, it’s Rory.”
“That matter you mentioned the other day, I’ve thought it over.”
My parents died in an accident when I was seven.
Mr. Blackwood, who was good friends with my dad, stepped in and took me in.
Aunt Carol was my mother’s best friend when they were young.
But later, she eloped with her lover and lost touch.
By the time she’d wandered half her life and finally settled in San Francisco,
My parents were no longer alive.
Aunt Carol wanted me to live in San Francisco.
She also wanted to fulfill the promise she and my mother made when they were young:
For me to marry into the Vance family in San Francisco, to become her daughter-in-law.
Seven days ago, I hadn’t agreed.
But I was afraid of hurting her feelings, so I just said I’d think about it.
But tonight, I suddenly let go of years of obsession.
One-sided love is so foolish, so laughable.
I didn’t want to be the joke of the social circle anymore.
Six months ago, Liam had arranged for me to continue my studies in San Francisco.
At the time, I was unwilling and cried bitterly several times.
But he never relented.
Now, though, I felt it was a good opportunity.
Perhaps, in some mysterious way, it was destiny.
On the other end of the phone, Aunt Carol’s voice was full of joyous laughter:
“Rory, your Ethan is just waiting for your ‘yes’.”
“He’s ready to fly to New York and propose to you.”
I clutched my phone, my cheeks inexplicably warm.
But the joyful laughter in my ear left me feeling strangely dazed.
Fifteen years of living together, seven years of loving him.
To truly let go, it only took a mere seven days.
Liam and Sierra’s engagement day.
They specifically chose the day I left for San Francisco.
Because of this, not many people came to see me off.
When I landed, I turned on my phone.
Messages poured in, non-stop.
More than half were related to Liam and Sierra’s engagement.
I brushed it off with a smile.
And promptly deleted and blocked those few contacts.
Before coming to San Francisco, I met with Ethan Vance.
I didn’t want to create any fuss, nor did I want to draw attention.
Ethan respected my wishes.
He proposed, and we exchanged rings.
We got engaged quietly, without fanfare.
Only, my account now had a hundred million dollars in dowry.
And on my middle finger, a simple band.
As I prepared to get into the Vance family car that came to pick me up, my phone suddenly rang.
It was Liam’s cousin, Cassidy Blackwood.
“Rory, my cousin’s engagement ceremony is about to start. Where are you?”
“I just got to San Francisco.”
“Then hurry back! If you leave now, you can still make it!”
“Go back for what?”
I asked calmly.
Cassidy paused. “Rory, have you gone crazy with grief?”
“If you don’t come back and make a scene, my cousin will really be someone else’s.”
“Why would I go back and make a scene? Isn’t this your cousin’s happy occasion?”
“Rory?”
Cassidy’s voice suddenly rose. “Are you out of your mind?”
I was about to hang up, but the voice on the other end switched to Sierra’s.
“Rory, aren’t you coming to my and Liam’s engagement party?”
“After all, Liam sees you as a sister, so I’ll be your sister-in-law. I’d really love to have your blessing.”
I glanced at Ethan, who was standing not far away.
He stood by the car, tall and elegant, his eyes gentle.
My heart suddenly felt calm.
“Alright then, I wish you both a lifetime of happiness, tied together forever.”
Liam stood in the garden smoking with a few friends.
Occasionally, he would glance at Cassidy and the others not far away.
He knew they were tipping Rory off again.
Just like countless times before.
Whenever a woman appeared by his side,
Those women would immediately tell Rory.
Then Rory would come running to him, crying and making a fuss.
He hated women acting like that; he found it annoying.
So, he would simply ditch those companions.
This time, it would probably be the same.
That’s why he specifically chose the day Rory left for San Francisco.
It was just unlucky that the auspicious time for the engagement ceremony was calculated to be six in the evening.
Liam was quite frustrated.
After all, if Rory got the news, she could just take a plane back.
She’d arrive just in time for the start of the engagement.
“Liam, what if Rory comes back and makes a scene?”
“Yeah, you’re getting engaged to someone else. I bet she’ll go crazy.”
“But she’s been pretty quiet lately.”
“You and Sierra have been all over each other, and she hasn’t made a peep.”
“If this were before, she’d have cried a river by now.”
The cigarette between Liam’s fingers had a long column of ash.
He forgot to flick it.
His mind was consumed by his friends’ last two remarks.
Rory had indeed been quiet lately, unnervingly so.
But based on his understanding of her, she was never this kind of person.
Since childhood, he had rejected her countless times.
But she always persevered, never considering backing down.
Now that she was a bit older, she seemed to have more self-control than when she was a child.
Liam suddenly thought of something.
He scoffed lightly, pressing out his cigarette.
“Just wait and see. She’s not the type to stay quiet.”
“Liam, you mean Rory will come back and cause trouble?”
Liam didn’t answer.
But in his heart, he was absolutely certain.
The girl had been a hopeless romantic since she was little.
She’d devoured romance novels during her teenage years.
And those absurd tricks were constantly played out on him.
He knew, of course.
Her quietness these past few days was merely a strategic retreat.
He’d bet anything that by the start of the engagement ceremony, at the latest,
Rory would appear.
“You guys tell security later, keep a close watch.”
Liam raised his wrist, checking the time. “Don’t let any unauthorized people in to cause trouble.”
No sooner had he spoken than Cassidy Blackwood came running, pulling up her skirt.
“Cousin, it’s Rory! Rory’s here! Her car just pulled up outside…”
Liam’s heart inexplicably swelled with a strange joy, then his face darkened.
“Nonsense! I knew she was incorrigible!”
“Cousin, what do we do now? If she makes a scene, the Blackwood family will be humiliated.”
Liam’s face was cold and rigid. He turned and strode out. “I’ll go see what tricks she’s planning!”
The entire group followed Liam out.
But just as they left the garden, Sierra softly called out to him.
“Liam.”
Sierra wore a beautiful, shimmering satin gown.
Her hair was styled in an intricate braid, and her makeup was subtle.
The engagement ceremony was at six o’clock.
Still a few hours away.
Sierra was anxious inside, but outwardly, she showed no hint of it.
“What are you doing here?”
Liam stopped.
His gaze fell on Sierra’s face.
Sierra was beautiful.
It was the kind of beauty that easily made men feel protective and tender.
Unlike Rory’s rebellious nature.
Due to her humble background, Sierra’s personality was somewhat timid.
She always spoke softly.
Around the time he met Sierra,
He was constantly annoyed by Rory’s antics.
He was easily drawn to Sierra’s gentle calmness.
Moreover, unlike his previous girlfriends who had actively pursued him,
His acquaintance with Sierra stemmed from a classic damsel-in-distress scenario.
Men always have that hero complex.
So his feelings for Sierra were very different from the casual flings he’d had before.
“I heard Rory’s back…”
Sierra’s words trailed off, her eyes already red-rimmed.
“I’m a little worried.”
Sierra bit her lip, lowering her head.
“Liam, will we… will we not be able to have our engagement ceremony today?”
“What are you thinking?”
Liam raised a hand and gently squeezed Sierra’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry. I’ll go handle it now.”
But Sierra reached out, pulling on Liam’s sleeve.
“Liam, I’m scared.”
“I’m scared you’ll leave with her…”
Tears streamed down Sierra’s face.
Fragile and delicate, she stood there, looking as if she might shatter.
“How could that happen, Sierra? My cousin doesn’t even like Rory.”
Cassidy’s eyes gleamed with malicious satisfaction:
“She’s bossy and spoiled, always crying and throwing tantrums. My cousin is utterly sick of her. How could he possibly leave with her?”
She genuinely disliked Rory.
Ever since Rory was adopted by the Blackwood family,
Her uncle and aunt, who had doted on her, started prioritizing Rory.
Though they always said that Rory, being an adopted daughter, needed extra care for the sake of the Blackwood name and reputation,
Cassidy still detested Rory.
So, for years, her favorite thing to do was watch Rory humiliate herself, making a fool of herself.
Now, Rory was sent off to study in San Francisco, and hardly anyone from the Blackwood family came to see her off.
In fact, half a month ago, all her belongings were already packed and sent to San Francisco.
As if they were afraid Rory would cling on and refuse to leave.
Cassidy felt utterly delighted now.
She’d support anyone as her cousin-in-law, as long as it wasn’t Rory.
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At the wedding rehearsal, my fiancée, Aurora, suddenly retched. Her adoptive brother, Julian, frantic, swept her into his arms and rushed her to the hospital. Half an hour later, my phone rang. Her voice, chillingly calm, spoke through the receiver: “I’m pregnant.” My heart soared with a surge of unexpected hope, only to shatter as she continued, “It’s Julian’s… after his breakup, he was drenched and heartbroken, and I simply offered comfort. I never imagined it would lead to this…”
“We have to keep this from Mom and Dad. Julian will stay here to help me, and we’ll tell them after the baby arrives.”
“The wedding will be postponed for a year. You go explain and apologize to the guests.”
My throat tightened, no words surfacing for a long moment. She pressed on, “You need to quit your job immediately. I don’t want any accidents these next few months. Julian’s career is on the rise; he can’t be distracted caring for me.”
A bitter laugh escaped me. “Fine,” I heard myself say.
She sounded satisfied as she hung up, unaware I had a wager with someone else: if I wasn’t married by my thirtieth birthday, I’d marry her. And today, was my thirtieth birthday.
Perhaps my calm was too unsettling. Three seconds after she hung up, Aurora called again. “Ethan, I’m so sorry. I know I made a mistake first. But believe me, I only see him as my brother. The baby really was an accident.”
I gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Right. Such profound sibling affection, warming each other right into bed. Truly touching.”
The line was silent for a beat. She sighed, a weary sound. “I understand if you’re angry, but Julian is an orphan. The Hayes family would disown him if they knew.”
“So I hope you’ll claim the child. If you quit your job and stay home, no one will suspect it’s not yours.”
I tilted my head back, forcing back the burning in my eyes. “Aurora,” I said, my voice dry, “let’s not get married.”
“Not get married?”
She was silent for a few seconds, then roared, “Ethan Vance, are you insane?! Didn’t you say we’d been together for five years and needed to get married soon?”
“The entire social circle knows you’re my fiancé! Are you treating marriage like a game? Since when have you been so reckless?”
I could picture her brows furrowing. Sure enough, her next words were a threat: “Mr. Thorne, I’m asking you one last time! Are you really not going through with this wedding?!”
I clutched my phone, a bitter smile twisting my lips. “Yes, I don’t want you anymore, Aurora.”
She scoffed. “I don’t have time for your childish tantrums. Do whatever you want!” The call was violently disconnected.
I stood in the center of the banquet hall. Under the astonished gazes of the guests, I ripped off my boutonnière and bolted out. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes quickly intercepted me. Mr. Hayes preempted me, “Ethan Vance, what’s gotten into you? Just because her brother took her to the hospital, you’re going to ruin the wedding? Make the hundreds of guests laugh at the Hayes family?”
Mrs. Hayes sneered, “I always said it wasn’t a good match. Our family, with its distinguished academic lineage, and your family, nothing but new money. It was never a proper pairing.” She added with a huff, “My daughter insisted, so I couldn’t do anything. See, now everyone’s laughing at us!” Mr. Hayes chuckled coldly, “Good! It’s better he doesn’t marry her. Saves us from his temper offending people and ruining the Hayes name.”
They blamed me, despite Aurora being the one in the wrong. I clutched the crumpled boutonnière, my fingertips trembling. “Your daughter canceled the wedding. As for the reason… you two should ask her. I’m too embarrassed to say.”
Hearing it was Aurora’s decision, they actually became more indignant. “Even if my daughter canceled, you, as the groom, just run off without a word? Shouldn’t you apologize face-to-face?” Mrs. Hayes scoffed, “How were your parents raising you? You don’t even understand basic social graces. How could you be a Hayes son-in-law?”
I took a deep breath. “I will not marry Aurora. If you two are done, please move.”
“You!” Their faces contorted in shock, clearly not expecting such defiance from the usually docile me. I ignored them, striding directly to the dressing room.
A bespoke gown draped her familiar silhouette. Under the lights, the dark circles under her eyes betrayed her exhaustion. Seeing me, she approached gracefully, that sweet, practiced smile on her lips. I turned my face away. “Didn’t someone swear they’d never attend my wedding?”
She suddenly leaned closer, her warm breath brushing my ear. Our eyes met, and for a moment, I saw the stubborn girl from ten years ago. “Ethan Vance, a bet’s a bet.”
My lips thinned, unspoken. She grew anxious. “You forgot?!”
“I don’t care. We’re getting married in three days. If you don’t show up…” She paused, “I’ll come to the Thorne family and claim you!”
With that, as if afraid to hear a refusal, she swiftly slipped out the door. I suddenly laughed aloud. That fool. Of course, I remembered the bet. Our families were old friends, and we grew up together. Too familiar, perhaps, to become lovers. Ten years ago, she confessed her feelings for me, but I only saw her as a friend. She was hurt, and insisted on a wager. Now, it seemed, I had finally lost.
2
The moment I changed out of my wedding attire, Aurora sent me a photo. All my belongings were piled outside the villa gate like trash. The wedding quilt my mom had painstakingly sewn was the most glaring, stuffed carelessly into a clear plastic bag, its vivid crimson silk hurting my eyes in the sunlight.
“Come pick it up immediately!”
“If you don’t, I’ll tell Mrs. Davis to throw it away.”
I stared at the screen, my fingertips growing cold. She knew exactly how to manipulate me. Other things I could discard, but that quilt had to come back.
“Fine. I’m coming.”
That quilt, my mom had spent three months on it. A woman who never touched a needle and thread, her fingers had been pricked and dotted with blood. On the night before the wedding, she had smiled, handing me the quilt. “My son, may you be happy your whole life.”
But when I arrived, the doorway was empty. Just half an hour. I’d told her I was coming. Was she really that eager to kick me out? Fury surged. I shoved open the villa gate and stormed inside.
The next second, I was plunged into ice. Aurora sat on the edge of the dining table, Julian’s hands resting on her waist, his cheek pressed to her slightly rounded belly, his eyes impossibly tender, blindingly so.
“Aurora,” Julian suddenly whispered, “the baby kicked me.”
Aurora’s lips curved into a smile I had never seen, her gaze so soft it seemed to drip with emotion. “So mischievous, just like you were when you were little. If only his eyes could be like yours too.”
Julian smiled, his lips pressed together. Aurora leaned in, placing a familiar kiss on his lips. Her voice suddenly filled with remorse. “Are you really sure you want to leave once the baby is born? Actually… you could stay and help me care for the baby. A child so young, how could he not have his birth father?”
Julian raised his index finger, pressing it gently to her lips, and shook his head. “Aurora, if I don’t leave, what about your husband?”
At the mention of “husband,” Aurora visibly stiffened, then her expression darkened. “Him? He’s just throwing a tantrum saying he wants to break up. Once the baby’s born, won’t he come begging me to help with childcare? A man from a merchant family like that, all he cares about is profit, what dignity does he have?”
“Have you forgotten how desperate he was to be my boyfriend? That sickening, eager look… even now, thinking about it makes me sick.”
My tears fell silently. So, my confession, offered with such courage all those years ago, had sickened her for so long. The Hayes family was the premier family of calligraphers in Maplewood City. Aurora was its youngest renowned master calligrapher. Five years ago, she came to my father with a handwritten proposal, seeking investment for the Hayes Calligraphy Institute. My father praised her endlessly, specifically introducing her to me.
I fell for her instantly, shamelessly insisting she teach me calligraphy. She was furious, pointing at me and scolding, “You’re clumsy! No talent at all!” I, ever the charmer, grinned, “Then be my girlfriend, we’d balance each other out perfectly, wouldn’t we?” She glanced at Julian, who was hunched over his writing, then suddenly clasped my hand, a self-deprecating laugh escaping her. “Fine.”
I was so thrilled I hugged her, completely missing Julian’s hurried exit, and her momentary rigidity. Now I understood. Her heart had always belonged to Julian. No wonder she later refused to teach me calligraphy, or even let me into her study.
My chest ached. I wanted to turn and leave, but then I remembered the wedding quilt my mom had sewn – it couldn’t be left behind.
“Ethan Vance!” Aurora suddenly spun around, a sneer twisting her lips. “What are you doing, lurking at the door? I told you, all your things were thrown out. Regretting it now?”
I dug my nails into my palms. “Where’s my wedding quilt? Give it back.”
She paused, her face growing colder. “A tattered old quilt, why would I care about that?”
“My mom sewed it herself,” my voice began to tremble. “Give it back, and I’ll leave immediately.”
Seeing I was on the verge of tears, she frowned. “You’re crying? Are you insane? Is it really that big of a deal?”
“Yes! It is!” I roared, and the tears finally broke free.
3
Aurora ran a frustrated hand through her hair, looking as if she wanted to speak but couldn’t. Julian, by her side, suddenly seemed to remember something, speaking quickly.
“Ethan, don’t yell at Aurora. I told the staff to put your things in the guest room.” He said, gently caressing Aurora’s slightly swollen belly, his eyes instantly turning red. “Ethan, please don’t move out. If it’s because of this child… I… I can convince Aurora to terminate the pregnancy. His arrival was a mistake anyway. None of you welcome him…”
He broke off, dissolving into choked sobs before finishing his sentence.
“I forbid it!” Aurora’s voice was almost out of control, as she trembled and leaned into Julian’s embrace, glaring fiercely at me. “He can leave if he wants, but he won’t touch my child! You and the baby are my everything now!”
“Ethan Vance, if that’s why you came here, then get out!”
I scoffed, walking directly to the guest room. The wedding quilt lay carelessly on the floor, stained with grime and cigarette burns. The intricate phoenix and dragon embroidery was now disgustingly soiled. My fingers trembled as I pointed to the quilt. “Julian, explain this!”
He cringed, shrinking his neck. “I didn’t mean to. I just thought it was unwanted trash.” He made to bend down to pick it up. “Ethan, please don’t be angry. I’ll help you wash it clean.”
As he leaned down, Aurora suddenly lunged forward, shoving me violently to the ground. “Julian, don’t wash it! Don’t dirty your hands!” My head slammed hard against the bed frame. Excruciating pain exploded, and a warm liquid immediately trickled down my temple.
I bit my lip, silent, only smiling as I looked at Aurora, trying to see if she had any heart left. She clung to Julian, her eyes cold, filled with extreme disgust.
“How much money? I’ll pay! I’m begging you, stop causing trouble. Do you feel a sense of accomplishment by tormenting me and my brother with such insignificant trinkets?”
My chest felt like it had been ripped open. She had always been distant with me, but never had she looked at me with such utter contempt. Now, she must truly hate me. Suddenly, it all felt pointless. Why bother to stay and annoy her further?
I surrendered. The wedding quilt was dirty. I didn’t want it anymore. This soiled woman, I didn’t want her either.
I pushed myself up. “Aurora, I don’t lack money.” As I turned to leave, she suddenly grabbed my arm, a hint of helplessness in her expression. “You’re upset today. Go back to the Thorne family and calm down for a few days. I’ll pick you up in three days.”
I shook off her hand and quickly left. This home, which we had built for years, I was ultimately just a passerby.
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1
My fiancée always had an excellent memory, almost photographic, but when I proposed, she forgot to extend her hand for the diamond ring. When we went to get our marriage license, she forgot her ID. On our wedding day, she didn’t even show up.
She was busy saving her childhood sweetheart’s wedding in the venue next door.
This scene caused my mom to have a heart attack on the spot. I begged my fiancée to come to her bedside to explain, but she gently held the hand of her childhood sweetheart’s mother, called her “Mom,” and then claimed I was a persistent stalker.
Later, I arranged my mother’s funeral alone and applied for an overseas assignment.
When I got home to pack my bags, my fiancée, Scarlett, who had just returned from her honeymoon with her childhood sweetheart, Ethan, looked content and asked with a smile:
“John, is your mother feeling better? We can pick another good day to have our wedding and make her happy.”
She didn’t know that ever since my mom passed away, it was already over between us.
I was folding winter clothes one by one into my suitcase.
Suddenly, the front door was pushed open, and someone tiptoed in. A pair of cold hands covered my eyes from behind.
“Guess who I am?” she asked playfully, intentionally lowering her voice, just like she used to tease me every time I returned from a business trip.
In the past, I would have smiled and said, “Of course, my dearest darling,” and then tenderly warmed her hands. But now, only cold indifference remained in my heart; I had no mood to play along.
I pulled her hands away directly and continued folding clothes.
Scarlett paused, her fingers tightening slightly, then she cooed, “John, what’s wrong? Isn’t a month of silent treatment enough? Last time you suddenly burst into the wedding, it made everyone so awkward; I had to explain for ages.”
I sneered.
A month ago, I became the laughingstock in everyone’s eyes. My bride married someone else in front of everyone. My mom had a heart attack because of it, and I was disgracefully chased out of the venue by Scarlett, like a beggar.
Until the day my mother was buried, the townsfolk were still pointing fingers at me, full of sarcasm:
“That’s him, the guy whose wife ran off with someone on his wedding day? And he was supposed to be a straight-A student, thirty years old and can’t even find a partner!”
“How embarrassing. I heard his mom’s passing was hastened by the stress. If I had a son like that, I’d just want to disappear!”
That damp, oppressive feeling from the funeral surged back into my heart. Coming back to my senses, I calmly said:
“It’s not silent treatment…” We’re breaking up.
Before I could finish, Scarlett dragged out an “oh” sound and said with a smile, “Not silent treatment, you’re just mad at me, right? Alright, didn’t I send you a message explaining? Ethan’s fiancée ran off, and our families are old friends; helping out wouldn’t cost us a limb.”
She flopped onto the sofa, picked up a black and gray sweater casually, and while folding it, she frowned and muttered, “This sweater is so ugly, why don’t we just throw it away!”
I didn’t speak, just stared at the shining diamond ring on her ring finger, realizing only then what the cold touch that had covered my eyes was.
Scarlett followed my gaze, quickly pulled off the ring and stuffed it into her pocket, sticking out her tongue and laughing, “We have to play the part fully, you know; I forgot to take it off. John, you big jealous baby, aren’t you mad again?”
Actually, I wasn’t angry at all. I just suddenly remembered that when I proposed to her, kneeling on one knee and pulling out the custom-designed diamond ring, she didn’t extend her hand.
She said she didn’t like the feeling of being restrained by a ring and would wear it during the ring exchange at the wedding.
But in the end, she first wore the ring Ethan gave her, and couldn’t even bear to take it off.
Angry?
Never again. For the past month, I had masochistically watched news reports of Scarlett and Ethan on their honeymoon, traveling the world, and my heart had long gone numb.
I looked away, not answering, just taking the sweater back from her hand and saying flatly, “This is a wool sweater my mom knitted for me herself.”
Scarlett’s hand froze in mid-air.
She looked somewhat displeased, pursed her lips, but still suppressed her anger and said gently, “Oh, by the way, how’s your mom? She should be much better after a month of rest, right?”
She added with a smile, “Actually, I always felt our wedding venue was too small and simple. Let’s take this opportunity to pick a new date and have a luxurious wedding, that’ll make your mom happy!”
I knew Scarlett was in a good mood today and had given me many chances to back down. If I didn’t take them, she would definitely blow up.
But she forgot, on the day we were supposed to get our marriage license, she claimed she forgot her ID and went to the Registrar’s Office, but then turned around and accompanied Ethan, whose fiancée had absconded, to try on wedding dresses.
We never even got the license, and we didn’t need any wedding.
Coming back to my senses, I just gave a desolate laugh: “No need.”
After being cold-shouldered by me several times, Scarlett’s face immediately darkened.
She was about to speak when her phone suddenly rang.
Seeing Ethan’s name on the screen, her brows relaxed, and she said sweetly, “I just got home, why are you calling?”
I don’t know what was said on the other end, but she cradled the phone between her neck and shoulder, picked up the camel wool coat from the coat rack, and laughed, “Ethan, you’re annoying! Your girlfriend’s still trying to soothe her boyfriend! This is the last time, alright!”
I watched her skillfully put the ring back on, checked her makeup and the hem of her coat in the full-length mirror, and picked up her bag, ready to leave.
When her hand was on the doorknob, she seemed to remember my existence.
So she hastily turned back, stood on tiptoe, ruffled my hair, and said in a clingy voice, “Alright, John, stop sulking. I bought you a little gift; I’ll bring it to you tonight.”
I watched her leave, then turned to the floor-to-ceiling window.
Through the glass, I saw a bright yellow sports car parked downstairs, its chassis so low it looked like it was hugging the ground.
Ethan was leaning against the car door, a lit cigarette flickering between his fingers.
And Scarlett, who was always a clean freak, skillfully took the cigarette from Ethan’s hand, bit the filter, and turned to sit in the passenger seat.
I looked away, pulling the curtains shut.
Turning, I picked up the overseas assignment application form on my desk, which I had already filled out.
2
Fingering the sharp edge of the application form, I left the house without hesitation and hailed a cab to the company.
After a day of packing, it was already evening.
I had applied for the overseas assignment in the system two days ago, and it had been approved; now I just needed to submit the paper information for filing.
At the company, everyone looked at me and whispered.
“Isn’t that the guy from the video who caused a scene at CEO Ma’s wedding? Oh, wasn’t he on bereavement leave a while ago? How dare he show up again?”
“I bet he’s here to resign. He’s been working for the company for ten years, and he’s still just a team leader. They say he’s applied for promotion five times and never got approved. What a loser.”
These harsh comments, which once made me feel depressed, now left me unfazed.
After all, during the time I was arranging my mother’s funeral, I had heard too many similar taunts.
I walked straight ahead, knocked on my superior, Mr. Davis’s office door.
“Come in.”
Mr. Davis looked at the form in my hand, nodded, and said with satisfaction, “John, I didn’t believe you the other day when you said you wanted to go overseas. Before, when I suggested it, you said you wanted to stay with your girlfriend and didn’t want a long-distance relationship. This time you’re quite decisive.”
“Tomorrow, people from headquarters will come to inspect the overseas assignment situation. You just need to show up at the company again tomorrow, and then you can leave.”
“Speaking of which, we were interns at the same time. You were more capable than me and helped me a lot. Now you’ve finally come to your senses… That’s good.”
I lowered my gaze.
Yes, perhaps it was bad luck; all my fellow interns became executives, while I remained stagnant.
Walking out of the company, I looked back at the skyscraper I had worked in for ten years.
For these ten years, Scarlett’s family company grew stronger and stronger, even their branch office building reached new heights.
But why did my relationship with Scarlett collapse so spectacularly?
My meeting with Scarlett was a classic rich girl meets poor student story.
My father passed away early, and my mother raised me alone.
At that time, besides classes, I practically squeezed out every minute to work part-time, helping people with tutoring.
Until a thug not only owed me tutoring fees but also brought his buddies, wanting me to hand over all my money.
I was full of despair; it was Scarlett who came with bodyguards and saved me, pulled me up from the ground, and even offered to treat me to dinner.
She said her grades weren’t good, and she was afraid of failing, so she asked me to help her cram for finals.
Actually, I knew her grades were excellent; this was just her way of helping me.
I was attracted by her kindness and outgoing personality, and we gradually got together.
On the day I confessed my feelings, she held my hand and declared to everyone on campus:
“This is my smart, handsome boyfriend!”
When I graduated, I gave up a government-sponsored overseas scholarship.
When I started working, I gave up a high-paying executive job at a major international company.
I just wanted to stay with Scarlett, hoping simply to marry her, have children, and grow old together.
Everything changed a year ago, on the day Scarlett’s childhood sweetheart, Ethan, returned from overseas.
That day, Scarlett left me, sick, for the first time, just to pick up Ethan at the airport.
That night, she got completely drunk at the welcome party, lay in Ethan’s arms, whining that she wouldn’t come back with me, crying and asking, “Ethan, why did you take so long to come back!”
From then on, I constantly argued with her because of Ethan.
I wanted her to have boundaries, but she accused me of being too controlling, not allowing her to have any friends.
She even said sarcastically that, considering Ethan and she had known each other since childhood, I was the latecomer.
Until two months ago, on the day Ethan sent her a wedding invitation, she, who had refused my 99 marriage proposals, suddenly leaned into my arms and muttered, “John, maybe we should get married too?”
Shaking my head, I shook off the memories, my silhouette stretched long in the setting sun, a solitary figure.
In this world, I no longer had any family.
After a few steps, the sky turned completely dark.
I was just about to pull out my phone to call a cab home.
Then, I heard a familiar laugh nearby, speaking intimately: “Ethan, put me down quickly, if you drop me, you’re dead!”
Turning my head, I saw the entrance of a bustling bar, bathed in neon lights.
Ethan was carrying Scarlett in a princess carry and spinning her around.
Scarlett’s long arms were tightly wrapped around Ethan, laughing heartily.
A crowd had gathered around them, egging them on.
“Alright, three more rounds! Go, Ethan, don’t forget to drink an interlocked arms toast with your wife when you stop!”
“That’s some serious boyfriend strength! No wonder Princess Scarlett can’t forget our Prince Ethan!”
After Ethan stopped, Scarlett, a bit dizzy, jumped down and then, with Ethan, skillfully took the wine glasses handed to them by the people nearby and drank a toast with interlocked arms.
Instantly, the cheering around them grew louder, clapping and shouting: “Kiss! Kiss!”
Scarlett seemed a bit dazed and didn’t move.
Ethan laughed, defending Scarlett: “Alright, you guys. You just got back from your honeymoon and you’re already trying to make up for some post-wedding shenanigans. My wife has been playing along all day, from noon to afternoon; it’s time for everyone to go home!”
But the next second, Scarlett grabbed Ethan’s tie, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him directly.
Her eyes were open, her gaze clear and tender.
The next second, she looked away, slowly released Ethan’s tie, and covered her head, pretending to be drunk: “I want to go home… My head hurts so bad…”
I took in Scarlett’s attentiveness, her careful love for Ethan.
And I watched as she shakily pulled out her phone and made a call.
Then, my phone rang.
From several meters away.
Scarlett heard the ringtone and, the moment our eyes met, she straightened up.
3
Everyone looked at us, bewildered, as we stared at each other, and asked Scarlett, “Scarlett, who is this?”
Scarlett’s eyes flickered, and she mumbled, “He’s our family driver. My mom asked me to go home for dinner with her today.”
Ethan’s eyes were full of triumph; he deliberately enunciated each word: “Oh, so he’s the driver. Well, you’d better take good care of your young lady.”
If it were the old me, I would have grabbed Ethan by the collar and started a fight.
Now, I just felt bored; I didn’t even spare a glance, turning to get into the ride-share I had called earlier.
Back home, I hadn’t eaten all afternoon, and my stomach was cramping, so I cooked myself some plain noodles.
I had barely taken two bites when I heard the click-clack of high heels outside.
The next second, Scarlett kicked the door open.
Seeing me eating, she flew into a rage, turning and hitting my back with her purse: “John, why did you just turn and leave earlier? Do you have any idea how much face that made me lose!”
What surprised me even more was that Ethan had followed her.
He put a concerned arm around Scarlett’s shoulder from behind, saying gently, “Scarlett, how can you hit John? Didn’t I say we should talk nicely?”
He turned to me with a smile, masking the triumph in his eyes.
“John, please don’t get angry. I just followed along to explain because I was afraid you two would argue, but you also have a point. Scarlett’s a girl; how could you leave her alone on the street?”
Another chopstickful of noodles went into my mouth; I answered Scarlett without lifting my head: “Scarlett, with your husband Ethan there, what are you afraid of?”
Scarlett’s face turned ashen; she was so angry her chest heaved continuously: “What husband? John, you need to have a limit to your jealousy, alright? Those are just some acquaintances in our circle, and Ethan and I were just putting on a show! Do you think I like drinking? I did it all for you!”
I found it absurd.
She was clearly enjoying being lovey-dovey with Ethan, and now she’s acting all aggrieved?
Looking at Scarlett, I put down my chopsticks and countered, “For me?”
Scarlett said matter-of-factly: “For you! Ethan’s family and mine are merging, and my mom only agreed to give me the heir position if I married him! Only then can I be with you, and only then can I transfer you to headquarters as a VP. Isn’t all of this for you and your career!”
Ethan subtly frowned, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes, but he superficially agreed: “Scarlett’s right, you don’t know this, do you? To protect you, she deliberately rejected all your promotion applications over the years. She put so much thought into you!”
I froze.
Suddenly, a chill ran down to the top of my head.
So all the cold treatment I received over the years was orchestrated by Scarlett herself.
Then what were all those late nights working overtime on proposals, the contracts I signed only after drinking until my stomach bled, the lack of holidays that meant I rarely saw my mother?
What did all that count for?
I asked Scarlett, “Is that true?”
Scarlett didn’t feel guilty at all; instead, she nodded as if seeking praise: “Yes, not only to protect you, but also to temper your will, so you can take on great responsibilities! It’s just a little salary; now that you’re my husband, you’ll have everything you want in the future.”
I found it ridiculous.
Scarlett always insisted on not making our relationship public.
Even for our wedding, she only wanted me to invite my closest relatives and friends, not to make a big deal of it.
Practically no one knew about our relationship; her so-called ‘protection’ of me was just an empty excuse.
Everything was just to satisfy her controlling desire to belittle and suppress me, making me revolve around her.
Now I realized that what I once believed to be sweetness and sincerity was never pure.
I shook my head, finally speaking the words in my heart: “Scarlett, let’s break up!”
Scarlett’s eyes widened; she looked at me in disbelief.
Her lips trembled; she couldn’t even utter a single word.
A gleam of joy flashed in Ethan’s eyes, and he quickly reprimanded, “John, you can’t break up with Scarlett just because she’s close with me! Scarlett really loves you; when she was on her honeymoon, the first thing she thought about when she saw unique souvenirs was sending them to you!”
With someone backing her up, Scarlett regained her composure and became even angrier, putting her hands on her hips and scoffing, “John, are you getting more and more carried away? Do you think you have me wrapped around your finger? Break up? Do you even have the right to break up with me? For the past ten years, you’ve eaten my food, used my things, I found you your job, what more do you want?”
She spoke in a long, unbroken stream, as if she had prepared it in advance.
So she was so dissatisfied with me, thinking she was the one who paid the most.
If it were the old me, I might have argued with her, debating who had sacrificed more.
But now, looking at her in a rage.
I suddenly laughed.
“Thank you.”
Instantly, Scarlett’s anger subsided a lot; she looked confused: “Thank you for what?”
My lips were still curled upwards as I calmly said, “Thank you for letting me know that in your heart, I’m just a useless leech.”
After speaking, I took the finished dishes and chopsticks into the kitchen, turned on the faucet, and washed them clean.
When I came out again, Scarlett was still standing there, motionless.
Ethan handed her a glass of honey water, whispering, “Scarlett, drink some honey water to sober up, you used to love it.”
For the first time, Scarlett placed the glass absentmindedly on the table.
Her face flushed; after a long moment, she softly said to me, “I didn’t mean that…”
I ignored her, turned around, picked up my already packed suitcase, and walked out.
As I walked out the door, behind me, a glass was violently smashed against the doorframe, breaking into pieces.
Sticky honey water splattered all over me.
Then, another box was thrown to the ground.
Inside, two clay rings spilled out.
4
I looked at the clay rings at my feet, a bit puzzled.
Behind me, Scarlett shrieked, full of grievance: “These are the rings I specifically made for you overseas! I was always thinking of you, John! Why are you so inconsiderate, running away from home!”
I only found it laughable.
I don’t know what she was thinking.
The initials of Scarlett and Ethan were engraved on the inside of the rings, clearly their couple’s rings.
Yet she had the nerve to say they were specially made for me.
My steps no longer faltered; I pulled my suitcase and found a random hotel to rest for the night.
Anyway, I was leaving this city tomorrow.
The next morning, I finished washing up and went to the company.
But I didn’t expect to hear a chorus of praise as soon as I entered the company.
“Wow, CEO Scarlett and CEO Ethan, you two are so perfect together! And you’re even wearing matching outfits, you guys are couple goals!”
“CEO Scarlett, CEO Ethan, I’m also a fan of your ship! Can you let me take a picture?”
I saw Scarlett and Ethan standing hand-in-hand in the center of the company, accepting everyone’s adoration, while Mr. Davis was bowing and smiling apologetically.
Turns out they were the so-called “headquarters people.”
Seeing me, Mr. Davis introduced, “John, these are CEO Scarlett and VP Ethan from headquarters. They’re here to check on the overseas assignment situation.”
Scarlett deliberately turned her head away from me, her previously upturned lips flattening, and she just asked coldly, “Who are the people going on overseas assignment this time?”
Mr. Davis found my name and two others, and smiled, “These three.”
Instantly, Scarlett’s expression froze, her eyes clouded with dark emotions.
Ethan immediately jumped in, his face filled with shock, and he reprimanded, “How are you conducting your work? Don’t you know our company strictly prohibits married employees from overseas assignments! Both the applicant and the approver will be penalized!”
Mr. Davis looked bewildered and blurted out, “There are no married people here.”
Scarlett’s delicate brows furrowed slightly; she pointed at me, her red lips curving into a cold sneer: “Didn’t this person take marriage leave a while ago?”
Mr. Davis honestly replied, “He initially took marriage leave, but I guess he applied for the wrong one. It was later changed to bereavement leave; his mother passed away.”
Upon hearing this, Scarlett’s face instantly turned pale, her outstretched finger stiff, looking at me in disbelief.
As if realizing something, her eyes flickered, and she quietly asked, “Why didn’t you tell me… about your mother’s passing…”
I found it ridiculous.
My mother had always cherished Scarlett as a daughter-in-law, saying I was incredibly lucky to marry her, and always looked forward to the day Scarlett would call her “Mom.”
But what my mother received was Scarlett marrying someone else and affectionately calling their mother “Mom.”
I said calmly, “No need, Ms. Ma. Does headquarters even manage the personal affairs of regular employees?”
Scarlett felt something gradually slipping out of control; she gritted her teeth, and her anger flared up: “How is it unnecessary! I’m still her daughter-in-law, after all!”
“Whose daughter-in-law are you?”
While everyone looked astonished, the company’s main door was pushed open.
An elderly woman walked in, the fine lines around her eyes revealing a sharp demeanor.
Scarlett’s mother, Ms. Henderson, the chairwoman of Henderson Corp.
Everyone reacted, collectively calling out: “Good morning, Chairwoman Henderson!”
Chairwoman Henderson nodded; she turned her head and asked Ethan with a smile, “Ethan, I asked you two young spouses to show your faces at the branch offices, but it seems you’ve run into some trouble?”
Remembering Scarlett’s earlier statement, everyone present remained silent, not daring to breathe.
Ethan’s face turned green, then white, then he forced a smile: “Scarlett’s best friend is John’s wife, and now that John is going overseas, Scarlett just wants to stand up for her friend.”
Hearing this, Scarlett bit her lip and remained silent, her head bowed in conflicted thought.
Chairwoman Henderson’s brows deepened further; she said sternly, “Is someone daring to violate company policy? I want to see who’s so bold!”
I spoke calmly, “Chairwoman Henderson, they’ve misunderstood. I’m not married, and my ex-girlfriend and I broke up peacefully a long time ago.”
Chairwoman Henderson raised an eyebrow slightly, looked me up and down, then asked Scarlett, “I’ve seen John’s file; he is indeed unmarried. Are you mistaken? He needs to catch his flight today; don’t delay him.”
“Catch his flight?”
Scarlett’s pupils suddenly contracted.
Turning, she saw my calm expression, and Scarlett’s heart skipped a beat.
She suddenly showed a panicked expression and blurted out, “Mom! It’s not a best friend, it’s me! I’m John’s wife! How could I be mistaken? The marriage license date was November 3rd; he must be lying! I personally got the license with him that day!”
Everyone present swallowed hard, never expecting to witness such a scene of family drama.
Scarlett’s expression relaxed a little, thinking this would stop me from going overseas.
But Chairwoman Henderson’s brows deepened further; she looked between me and Scarlett, and after a moment, made her judgment: “What nonsense are you talking about? Even if he’s your ex-boyfriend, your ID has always been safely locked away with me. What would you have used to get a marriage license with him?”
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My wife exploded in rage. All I’d done was press a mere inch deeper into her during intimacy.
“Who gave you the gall? To dare to covet a place even Jasper has never reached!”
“You shameless wretch, I’ll make you remember your place!”
She ordered my legs broken, had the word “filth” carved across my skin, and then forced me to pay her a hundred million dollars in emotional damages. I toiled from dawn till dusk, working seven jobs a day just to pay off the debt. But my wife found my common labor an embarrassment, so she locked me in a custom-built, electrified kennel for “reflection.” My young son, crying as if his heart would break, managed to sneak me out when the bodyguards weren’t looking. For that, my wife had him beaten viciously and then left for the stray dogs outside.
“You damned little bastard! How dare you defy my orders! This is what happens!”
Watching my son, his small body mauled and bloody, I knelt, frantically apologizing, begging her for just a sliver of money for medical care. But she just smirked, flinging an outrageous bill for a billion dollars in my face.
“You two useless pieces of trash, you owe me so much, and you have the audacity to ask me for money! If it’s not paid in full within twenty-four hours, prepare to collect that little beast’s corpse!”
My heart turned to ash. As I crawled back, clutching the few hundred dollars I’d gotten from selling my blood, my son’s body was already stiff and cold. Meanwhile, news of my wife lavishing billions on a global art exhibition for her childhood sweetheart was sweeping through the city’s elite circles. I clutched my son’s mangled remains, tears streaming down my face, the grief a dull blade gouging at my heart, searing deep into my bones.
1
In a hushed corner of the hospital, my son lay still, lifeless in a spreading pool of blood. His small body was a map of grotesque wounds, his face barely recognizable. I collapsed beside him, my hands trembling as I reached out, wanting to gather him into my arms, yet terrified to touch. A tidal wave of agonizing pain consumed me, drowning out everything else.
Nurses bustled past, oblivious, their excited whispers about the trending news piercing the suffocating silence.
“Oh my god, spending a fortune just to make her childhood sweetie smile. Is this what rich people’s love looks like?”
“Of course, only a genius artist like Jasper Davies deserves a top-tier female CEO!”
“Another love story, and I’m crying over it!”
Their shrill voices, repeated over and over, flayed my soul. My hand touched the thin stack of bills in my pocket. I couldn’t even afford a proper urn. In desperation, I dialed Valerie’s number.
After a long, agonizing wait, her furious voice blared through the receiver: “Caleb Thorne! You have the nerve to call me! I put you in that cage for reflection, to give you a chance to reform! Who gave you the audacity to escape? Breaking the kennel means you owe me another hundred million! Or I swear, I’ll feed that little brat to the dogs!”
Another absurd excuse. For seven years, Valerie had found endless ways to humiliate me. I had grown accustomed to it, but then a man’s voice filtered through the line. “Thorne, you messed up, so you deserve the punishment. My sister was merciful enough not to kill you, why can’t you learn to behave?”
My heart was a raw, throbbing wound. But to give my son a proper burial, I had to crush my pride. My voice was barely a whisper. “Please, just a thousand dollars more. I’ll find a way to pay you back. I just want to bury my so—”
Valerie shrieked, cutting me off, a shrill, hysterical sound. “Shut up! Don’t use that worthless brat as an excuse! He’s dead, and he’s not worth a penny to me! I’m warning you, if you don’t pay up, it won’t just be broken legs this time!”
Her scream threatened to shatter my eardrums. I collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down my face. Around me, the nurses’ laughter rippled, oblivious. Outside, on the massive screen, endless loops of my wife and Jasper kissing sweetly played on. In that moment, my heart turned to ash.
I took the last few dollars I had, crawling to the crematorium gates, begging until my head bled and my knees were bruised purple. Only then did they grudgingly agree to cremate my son. The raging flames devoured everything, along with my last flickering hope, reducing it all to dust. I couldn’t even afford an urn for his ashes, so I stripped off my shirt, wrapping his remains inside to carry them home.
The moment I pushed open the door, a sticky, cloying scent hit me, sickeningly sweet and opulent. I gagged, stumbling towards my son’s bedroom, hand clamped over my mouth. Torn stockings and lace lingerie lay scattered across the floor, tangling around my feet, as if mocking my helplessness. I frantically kicked them away, but their filthy residue clung to my shoes, the glistening streaks a blinding, nauseating glare.
I fought back the urge to cry, reaching under the bed for a crumpled photograph. In it, I held my son, smiling, while Valerie stood behind us, her back to the camera, distant and cold. She had never been affectionate with Leo; this secretly taken picture was his only keepsake of her. The least I could do was let it accompany him on his final journey. I carefully tucked the photo into the ashes, preparing to leave.
Footsteps sounded suddenly outside the door, and a harsh, familiar voice echoed: “Well, if it isn’t Valerie’s lapdog, stripped bare and crawling back home?”
Jasper leaned against the doorframe, his eyes brimming with contempt. I merely looked at him, saying nothing, tightening my embrace around the cloth-wrapped ashes. His eyes narrowed. He stepped forward, reaching out to snatch the bundle from my arms. “What did you take?!”
I clutched it tighter, my voice raw. “Don’t touch my things!”
At my words, Jasper scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. “What in this house is yours? Not even your wife, she’s mine. A man as useless as you might as well just die!” He puffed out his chest, revealing faint, suggestive marks there, a blatant display of triumph.
In the past, I would have fought him, even if it killed me. But now, all I wanted was to properly lay my son to rest. I didn’t even glance at him, just numbly tried to walk past him, out the door.
But Jasper suddenly exploded, kicking me hard in the lower back. He grabbed my hair, brutally yanking away the cloth containing the ashes. “You worthless piece of garbage! You don’t deserve to touch anything of mine!”
The cloth ripped, and the pale-gray ashes scattered across the floor. A heart-wrenching scream tore from my throat. I stumbled, desperate, scrambling on hands and knees to gather the ashes. But a high heel crushed my fingers, pinning me down. I looked up, following the leg, to see Valerie towering over me, her eyes overflowing with unconcealed disgust.
“Caleb Thorne, you are truly disgusting.” Her icy voice cut through me like a sharp blade, piercing directly to my soul. I bit down, teeth clenched, but no sound escaped.
Jasper, brazenly wrapping an arm around Valerie’s waist, whined pitifully, “I was just worried that he might take the wrong thing, and then he just attacked me all of a sudden. I guess I shouldn’t have interfered. After all, he’s the man of the house… I guess I deserved to get hit.”
I reached for the photograph, my voice a pathetic whisper as I knelt on the floor. “I’m sorry. I just want my things back. I promise I’ll never appear before you again.”
Valerie looked down at the photo beneath her foot, then bent to pick it up, shaking off the ashes. As the image became clearer, she chuckled, a cold, dismissive sound. Without a hint of hesitation, she tore it to shreds.
“No!” My eyes burned, bloodshot, as a desperate scream tore from my throat.
“A worthless piece of paper, and you cherish it so much? How ridiculous!”
The fragments fluttered down, mirroring the shattered pieces of my own heart. I lifted my head, my throat raw and hoarse, demanding: “Valerie Stone, do you have a heart? Leo was your own flesh and blood! He was so small, he used to clutch your picture even in his sleep and call for ‘Mommy’!” “What did he do wrong, that you wanted him dead?!”
No sooner had the words left my lips than Valerie’s hand flashed out, delivering a stinging slap across my face. “What are you, some kind of saint, to lecture me? You two useless parasites, you eat my food, use my money, and you dare defy me?” Her voice rose to a shrill crescendo. “His only mistake was having a worthless father like you!”
I clutched my burning cheek, blood seeping from the corner of my mouth. Jasper stepped forward, a smug grin plastered on his face, feigning concern. “My bad, I honestly didn’t know you’d wrap his ashes in your shirt. But he’s dead, and keeping his remains is just bad luck. How about I clean it up for you?” As he spoke, he picked up a vacuum cleaner, ready to switch it on.
Blood rushed to my head. I lunged forward, pushing him with all my might. But before I even touched him, Valerie’s foot lashed out, kicking me to the ground where I retched up a mouthful of blood. “How dare you lay a hand on Jasper?” Her voice was laced with menace. “Touch him again, and I’ll make your life a living hell!”
I clutched my chest, gasping for air, my eyes filled with a desolate despair. “Valerie, let’s get a divorce.”
At my words, she scoffed, as if I’d just uttered the most hilarious joke. “You owe me money, and you think you can just divorce me? You don’t deserve to!” Her voice sharpened, venomous. “Until that debt is paid in full, you won’t take a single step outside this house!”
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stand, tears welling in my eyes. The once kind and gentle Valerie had died long ago, buried in distant memories. The ridiculous truth was, until this very day, I had still clung to a sliver of hope. That someday, she would remember the good in me, and our family could return to what it once was.
Through blurred vision, I managed a bitter laugh, meeting her gaze once more, my voice resolute. “Fine. I’ll pay you back.”
No sooner had the words left my lips than I snatched the dagger from the table, plunging it fiercely into my abdomen! The wet, tearing sound of the blade sinking into flesh echoed eerily in the silent room. Valerie’s brow furrowed, her pupils dilating in shock. I swallowed the metallic tang in my throat, a grim smile on my face as I looked at her. “Will my organs be enough to pay you back?”
Valerie froze for a second, then her face contorted in furious disbelief. “Caleb Thorne, what the hell are you doing?!” Her voice was shrill. “Don’t think this pathetic stunt will make me go soft on you!”
The pain was a raging fire, searing through my insides, but it couldn’t compare to the shattering despair of my heart. Blood dripped onto the floor, blooming into a crimson stain. “Not enough? Then let’s try again!” I pulled out the blade as if unfazed, then aimed for my chest and plunged it in again.
Valerie rushed forward, snatching the knife from my hand, her voice seething with anger. “What are you doing?! How much is your pathetic life worth, anyway?!” A string of insults, too vile to be repeated, flowed from her lips. “I’m warning you, you owe me money, and not a single cent will be missing!”
Jasper cowered behind her, timidly tugging her sleeve. Valerie immediately, tenderly, wiped the blood from his face, then roughly shoved me to the ground. “If you want to die, get out of here! Don’t scare Jasper!”
I pushed myself up, clutching the last of the ashes and the photo fragments to my chest. Covering my bleeding abdomen, I stumbled to the door and pushed it open. “Thank you for letting me go. When I save up enough money, I’ll file for divorce.”
Valerie scoffed, her voice dripping with mockery. “You? A worthless piece of trash no one would even pay for on the street. You wouldn’t pay off that debt in eight lifetimes!” She spat. “You’ll come crawling back to me on your knees, begging!”
I said nothing more, just gave her a cold, hard look. Gritting my teeth, clinging to consciousness, I stumbled out of that cage. Jasper, clinging intimately to Valerie’s hand, feigned concern, but his eyes burned with a murderous hatred for me. “He just left like that. He won’t… do anything drastic, will he?” Valerie merely glanced at him, her tone dismissive. “Don’t worry, that good-for-nothing leech, he’s too afraid to die.”
My body swayed in the biting wind, but it couldn’t match the desolation in my heart. “I’m so sorry, Leo. Your dad… your dad was useless.” I stumbled along, two long bloodstains snaking behind me on the pavement. Under the strange stares of passersby, I crawled to the organ donation center. Lying on the cold operating table, my consciousness began to blur. Yet, a look of profound relief touched my lips.
My son, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. Let your father, with this broken body, send you off on your final journey.
…
A week later, Jasper Davies’s art exhibition tour began as scheduled. Valerie, looking at the bustling crowd, felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of unease, as if some crucial detail had slipped her mind.
“Valerie, what’s wrong? You look awful.” Jasper approached, his voice laced with concern.
Valerie squeezed his hand, forcing a strained smile. “Nothing. Just a little tired lately, I guess.” She closed her eyes, and Caleb’s bloody image flashed in her mind again. Just then, her phone vibrated violently. A cold sweat broke out, and she fumbled for it, her fingers trembling. The screen blared a notification: a transfer of a billion dollars.
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1
May 20th. My boyfriend and I headed to Prospect Park Lake to take some instant photos.
When the pictures developed, I noticed a faint, unsettling detail: a woman in a pink dress, barely visible, standing behind my boyfriend in the shot.
I asked him if he saw anything unusual, and he flatly denied it.
As I described her features – her long, dark hair, the delicate lace on her dress – a cold sweat broke out on his brow.
I thought that was the end of it. But then, it wasn’t just that one photo. Our wedding portraits at home, even selfies on my phone… they all started to show the same woman in pink.
My boyfriend, Alex Stone, finally admitted it. It was Kiera Vance, his ex-girlfriend. But he swore they’d broken up three years ago.
He tried to contact Kiera’s parents. Over the phone, they insisted they didn’t know him at all. And they’d never had a daughter named Kiera Vance…
“Alex Stone, what else are you hiding from me?!”
The phone clicked dead, and in that instant, the man standing before me felt like a complete stranger. What secret was he keeping from me? Just before taking that instant photo, he’d pulled out a ring and proposed. We’d even set a wedding date. But now, with this unfolding horror, my mind was a chaotic mess.
After a tense silence, Alex suggested we take the photo directly to the police.
At the precinct, I handed the officer the sketch I’d drawn of the woman in pink. “Officer, could you please look into this young woman’s information?”
The officer searched for a long time, but found nothing. “There’s no record of a person matching this description.”
“That’s impossible, Officer! I even lived with her for a year. Old photos, right!” Alex fumbled for his phone, scrolling furiously through his gallery. He paused, letting out a frustrated sigh. “I got a new phone two years ago, and all the old pictures are gone.”
“Can they be recovered?”
“You’d need your old phone for that. And the police department can’t recover them. You’ll have to take it to a specialized shop.”
Back home, Alex began frantically searching for his old phone while I looked for our old shared photos. Before we left, I checked: every single photo I had with him seemed to include Kiera Vance. But now, as I pulled them out again, Kiera was gone. And on that instant photo… her original sorrowful expression had twisted into a faint smile. I gasped, dropping the photo to the floor in sheer terror.
“Found it!”
Alex’s old phone was ancient, its camera pixelated, at least eight years old. He’d lost it once before, taking a picture of me by Prospect Park Lake, when it slipped from his grasp and plunged into the water. Out of guilt, I’d bought him a new one.
We found a phone repair shop. The owner was a surprisingly young, clear-faced guy. Alex leaned in, whispering to me, “He’s so young. Can he really fix it?”
To our surprise, the owner overheard him. He looked up, a sharp glint in his eyes. “If you don’t trust me, the door’s to your left.”
I tugged on Alex’s arm, then handed the phone over. “How long will it take to recover the photos?”
The owner didn’t even lift his gaze. “Five minutes,” he mumbled. Seeing his swift movements and the reasonable price, Alex and I waited anxiously.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Alex’s phone rang. It was his parents. His face grew darker with each passing second.
“Avery, stay here. There’s a drawing of Kiera Vance on my parents’ front door!” His words sent a chill down my spine.
I nodded. After Alex left, the owner handed me the phone. When he looked up, I froze. The boy before me bore a striking resemblance to Kiera—almost a spitting image. He lowered his voice.
“Sis, it’s Kyle.”
My body stiffened, but I quickly regained my composure. “The photos are recovered, but there’s a hidden album that needs a password.”
Taking the phone, I eagerly opened the album. Most of them were everyday shots, with only a few solo pictures of Alex. It seemed Kiera’s photos were indeed in the hidden album. I tentatively entered Alex’s birthday.
Incorrect password.
I had no choice but to take the phone to Alex’s parents’ house. The moment I stepped through the door, Mrs. Stone flung a dirty rag at my face. “Was it you?! Trying to scare two old people like us?!”
I was stunned by the sudden accusation. Alex stepped in front of me, shielding me. “Mom, can you just stop? Avery has nothing to do with this!”
“Impossible! You’re the only one who saw Kiera Vance’s photos! That drawing on our door must be your doing!”
I retreated to the hallway, examining the drawing on the door. It was an exact replica of Kiera from the instant photo. The paint wasn’t even completely dry; it must have been drawn just hours ago.
“Mrs. Stone, I know you’ve never liked me, but Alex and I have been together this whole time. How could I have had time to come here and draw this?”
“She’s right, Mom. Your mental state hasn’t been stable lately. Let me handle this. You just stay out of it.”
Mrs. Stone wept, hitting her legs, muttering. “Arthur, look at your son. He’s taking a stranger’s side now. He doesn’t even trust his own mother anymore.”
Annoyed, I left the Stone house. Alex had proposed to me a year into our relationship, but I couldn’t stand his mother’s temper; she was incredibly peculiar. Alex explained that she’d suffered a trauma once, which had affected her mentally.
2
I asked him what kind of trauma, and he just said it was because his father, Arthur Stone, had died, but he never really explained the specifics. As I walked downstairs, Alex caught up to me, trying to coax me. I ignored him, but then he simply dropped to his knees.
“Baby, this is a time when we need to face things together. Please don’t be mad at me, or at my mom. How much longer does she have? Our future is just for us.”
I nodded, then handed Alex the phone and asked if he remembered Kiera’s birthday. Alex tried the password three more times, but it still wouldn’t unlock. “That’s odd. I’m sure Kiera’s birthday was this.” Alex was about to try a fifth time.
But the system flashed a message: Too many incorrect attempts. Next attempt available in three days.
Frustrated, this lead was dead too.
“Alex, do you really know how Kiera died?” I gazed at the instant photo. Kiera’s expression hadn’t changed. I hadn’t noticed it before, but her clothes were wet, the pink dress clinging to her thin shoulders. After telling Alex my theory, his expression grew uneasy.
“Are you still hiding something from me?” I stared directly into Alex’s eyes. “Given how things are now, if you hide anything else from me, we’re through!”
After a long silence, Alex finally spoke. “Kiera might have drowned.” Alex said that whenever Kiera and he argued, she would threaten to jump into the river. And on the day they broke up, she’d said the same thing.
“Then why didn’t you tell me this before?” This was a crucial clue, and Alex had kept it from me.
“Because… because Kiera cheated on me! That time I took Mom to Prospect Park Lake, I accidentally saw Kiera with another man… I was too embarrassed to tell you.”
A sudden realization struck me: Alex’s head was glowing green with deceit. “What did that man look like? He might be the key to finding Kiera!”
“I only remember he was carrying a dirty duffel bag, and he was covered in grime. He must have just arrived in the city.” Alex wracked his brain but couldn’t recall any specific facial features.
“Maybe we can check the surveillance footage around Prospect Park Lake from that day.”
Alex and I went to the precinct again. But to our disappointment, that particular spot was a blind area for the cameras. Nothing could be seen. The police said it was common for many girls from rural backgrounds not to have birth certificates, so it was normal not to find them in the system.
But Alex said, “No, that’s not right. Kiera came from a good family. Her demeanor was nothing like someone from the countryside.”
“Oh, right, Avery, give me my old phone!” He opened the notes app. There was an address listed. Alex said Kiera had given it to him before. Following that address might lead us somewhere.
When Alex and I arrived at Kiera’s supposed address, I was shocked. It was a sprawling estate in a gated community. Alex sighed. “Now do you believe Kiera wasn’t some unregistered girl from the countryside?”
A security guard stopped us at the gate. “Hello, we’re looking for Kiera Vance. Does she live here?” The guard claimed not to know anyone by that name. I handed him Kiera’s sketch. He looked at it for a long time, then said, “I remember this person. She applied for a housekeeper position five years ago!”
“You remember someone you met five years ago, just once?” Neither Alex nor I believed the guard.
“Heh heh, because she was so beautiful, that’s why I remember her…” The guard’s face flushed as he spoke, making it seem like he wasn’t making it up.
“Did she go somewhere after that? Do you remember?” The guard thought for a long time, then shook his head.
“Are there any surveillance archives from back then?”
“Our security footage is only archived for one year. Anything from five years ago would definitely be gone.”
On the way back, Alex stared out the window, motionless. “At least we can confirm now that Kiera Vance really existed. All we can do now is wait.” I placed my hand on Alex’s, trying to comfort him. Seeing his low spirits, I changed the subject.
“Alex, perhaps you could tell me about your father?”
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A month before the final exams, I casually posted an update celebrating my daughter-in-law’s pregnancy. Little did I know, the new intern teacher screenshot it and shared it in the parent group. The group instantly erupted, a boiling cauldron of outrage:
“Only a month until final exams, is it appropriate for the homeroom teacher’s daughter-in-law to be pregnant right now?!”
“This is the crucial sprint stage! Who will take responsibility if it delays our children?!”
“Anyway, your daughter-in-law is still young. Just terminate the pregnancy now and plan for a baby after the exams!”
I rubbed my eyes, unable to believe the words scrolling across the parent group chat. My daughter-in-law was pregnant – how did that suddenly become my responsibility as the homeroom teacher and mother-in-law?
Seeing my refusal, the parents banded together, storming the school, even demanding that I relinquish my position to the new intern teacher. Their words, veiled in insinuation, painted me as too old, too burdened with personal affairs, unlike the young, pretty intern who was “up-to-date.” In a fit of rage, I immediately resigned, taking early retirement.
Yet, after the final exams, why did my class’s acceptance rate to top universities become the lowest in the entire grade?
1
My son and his wife had been married for five years, trying to conceive for three. My daughter-in-law was finally pregnant. I instinctively posted an update on social media. The next second, Miss Hailey Grant, the new intern teacher, liked it, then screenshotted it and posted it in the class group chat: “Congratulations to Mrs. Vance on becoming a grandmother! After waiting so long, it’s finally happening. Mrs. Vance, you must shower your daughter-in-law with attention!”
The usually quiet class group suddenly buzzed with notifications.
A parent, whose contact was saved as “Kayla Johnson’s Mom,” tagged me: “Mrs. Vance, is that your daughter-in-law who’s pregnant on your social media?”
I politely replied, “Yes,” and she immediately shot back: “Forgive my bluntness, but with only a month until the final exams, is it really appropriate for your daughter-in-law to be pregnant right now?”
Kevin Chen’s mom chimed in: “The last month is crucial for the sprint. Who will take responsibility if it delays our children?”
I quickly clarified: “Parents, I think there’s a misunderstanding. It’s my daughter-in-law who’s pregnant, not me. It won’t affect the students.”
But the parents wouldn’t back down: “You can’t say that. With a pregnant daughter-in-law, a mother-in-law is bound to be preoccupied. Naturally, less energy will be dedicated to the students.”
“A senior year homeroom teacher must be fully dedicated to the students’ needs. The final exams are a life-altering event!”
Once the floodgates opened, other parents echoed the sentiment: “I agree with Kayla Johnson’s mom!” “A graduating class homeroom teacher should put in more effort than other teachers!” “I propose that Mrs. Vance’s daughter-in-law terminate the pregnancy!”
I was shaking with anger—not only the immense physical harm of such a procedure, but these parents were overstepping their bounds! Kayla Johnson’s mom even started a poll in the group: “Vote ‘support’ if you back Mrs. Vance’s daughter-in-law terminating the pregnancy!” Soon, 45 parents responded, with 40 supporting the motion.
I suppressed my fury and replied: “My daughter-in-law’s pregnancy is a private family matter, no need for your concern! The final exam sprint plan was set three months ago and will absolutely not be affected!”
Kayla Johnson’s mom called me directly: “Mrs. Vance, don’t mind me interfering, but during the final exam sprint, everything must prioritize the students. You’ve been a teacher for over thirty years; you should understand this principle. While it’s still early, hurry to the hospital and terminate the pregnancy. You can always have another one after the exams.” I cut her off. “My daughter-in-law’s pregnancy is my private matter. You have no right to interfere.” With that, I hung up, wearily pinching the bridge of my nose. Since the start of senior year, I had worked tirelessly, practically living at school 24/7 except for sleep, sacrificing almost all my personal time for my students. Now, they were brazenly demanding my daughter-in-law terminate her pregnancy! I thought stating my position would end it, but two days later, another incident unfolded.
2
Early one Saturday morning, as I was accompanying my daughter-in-law for her prenatal check-up, my phone suddenly buzzed with continuous notifications. Juggling breakfast in one hand and her appointment slip in the other, I fumbled for my phone in my bag—Kayla Johnson’s mom had sent four or five more messages in the group:
“Mrs. Vance, Kayla accidentally lost her comprehensive Chinese test paper from yesterday!”
“Please snap a picture of the test so I can print a new copy for her to do!”
“Tell me which questions Kayla got wrong so I can help her focus on reviewing them!”
“Mrs. Vance, where are you?”
“Please reply?”
I was about to respond when our turn for registration came up. I shoved my phone back into my pocket, intending to reply after we were done. After registering, paying the fees, and settling my daughter-in-law into the examination room, I finally pulled out my phone to message Kayla Johnson’s mom.
Kayla Johnson’s Mom, I’m sorry, I was just with my daughter-in-law for a check-up at the hospital, so I couldn’t reply immediately. The test papers are all at school. Please wait a moment; I’ll head to school to take pictures after her check-up is done.
It was Saturday, a day off, so I thought this explanation would be understood. The next second, Kayla Johnson’s mom sent four consecutive voice messages into the group.
“Mrs. Vance, yesterday I said your daughter-in-law’s pregnancy would distract you, and you insisted it wouldn’t!”
“Today I asked you for a test paper, and it took you twenty minutes to get back to me!”
“Do you know? In twenty minutes, Kayla could have finished an entire page of problems! If you’d given it to me sooner, wouldn’t Kayla be done by now?”
Before I could even explain, Miss Hailey Grant suddenly replied in the group.
“Kayla Johnson’s Mom, I’m the intern Chinese teacher for our class. I’ve already sent you the test paper privately.”
“I apologize for the delay. It was mainly due to traffic on my way to school. Next time, I’ll definitely reply sooner.”
“It’s Mrs. Vance’s first time becoming a grandmother, so she’s bound to be a little preoccupied. As parents, we should all try to understand.”
Hailey was a fresh college graduate this year and also the principal’s niece. Our high school was a top-ranked public high school, generally not hiring teachers without any teaching experience. Hailey had just graduated this year and was admitted exceptionally due to her connection with the principal.
Hailey’s words made me deeply uncomfortable. I had been teaching this class since freshman year. On weekdays, I always addressed any parent concerns or questions immediately. Since senior year began, I had sacrificed my personal time countless times to tutor weaker students. Take Kayla Johnson, for example: for three consecutive Saturdays, I went to her home to tutor her for free, all because I wanted every student to face the final exams in their best condition. Now, my daughter-in-law was pregnant, and it was wrong for me, as a mother-in-law, to accompany her for a check-up on my day off?
Before I could explain in the group, Kayla Johnson’s mom sent another message.
“Look at her, a fellow teacher, then look at yourself.”
“Mrs. Vance, it’s a shame you’re even a homeroom teacher! If a homeroom teacher of a top class can’t prioritize students, then they don’t deserve the title.”
Several other parents quickly echoed her: “Exactly, Mrs. Vance, you need to understand, teaching is your primary job. We entrusted our children to you because we trust you. Don’t betray our trust.”
“No matter what, a teacher must always put students first.”
“We’ll let it slide today, but we hope Mrs. Vance learns from Miss Grant in the future and doesn’t let her personal affairs interfere with students’ studies.”
The parents who spoke were usually on good terms with me; I had even tutored their children for free at their homes on several occasions. I was stunned that they actually agreed with Kayla Johnson’s mom. Suppressing my tears, I replied sincerely in the group, aiming to de-escalate the situation: I’ve received your criticism. It won’t happen again.
Later, during morning self-study, as I was leading the students in reading aloud, seven or eight parents, led by Kayla Johnson’s mom, stormed into the classroom. Kayla Johnson’s mom, her face stern and aggressive, confronted me directly. “Mrs. Vance, would you mind stepping out for a moment? We parents have something to discuss with you.” I asked the class president to maintain order, then followed the parents out of the classroom. The moment I stepped out, Kayla Johnson’s mom handed me a piece of paper. I took it, and it was a hospital appointment slip for a pregnancy termination.
3
Kayla Johnson’s mom spoke with an air of announcing a decision. “Mrs. Vance, given your performance yesterday, I and a few other parents in the class have discussed it and decided that your daughter-in-law should still terminate the pregnancy.”
“This is the appointment notice for the procedure that I and the other parents booked.”
“Take a look. If it’s alright, please take your daughter-in-law to the hospital for the surgery today.”
Kevin Chen’s mom chimed in support. “Exactly, if the teacher isn’t taking action, we parents have to take matters into our own hands.” “If you have classes, a few of us parents can personally accompany your daughter-in-law to the hospital for the procedure.”
I stared at the parents in disbelief. Each of their faces wore an expression of ‘we’re doing this for your own good.’ My hands trembled with rage, but I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice calm. “Yesterday was just an accident. I promise all of you that I will dedicate twelve-tenths of my energy to seeing the students through this last month.”
Kayla Johnson’s mom scoffed. “The final exams are a life-changing event. As parents, we must eliminate all distractions.”
“Everyone here is a woman, and we’ve all been pregnant and had children. Morning sickness, threatened miscarriage, these are common in early pregnancy. You’ll definitely be distracted caring for your daughter-in-law then.”
“A person’s energy is limited. If you’re busy with family, you’ll naturally become lax with students.”
“We can’t risk our children’s entire future on a gamble.”
I felt dizzy with anger, my blood rising. Mrs. Davis, the Chinese teacher from the next class, quickly rushed out to support me. “Parents, please rest assured. Mrs. Vance has been a teacher for thirty-five years. Not only is she highly experienced, but she is also incredibly dedicated and responsible towards her students.”
“Before, when Mrs. Vance’s husband was hospitalized, she didn’t take a single day off.”
“Let alone her daughter-in-law’s pregnancy. With Mrs. Vance’s dedicated and responsible attitude, she absolutely will not delay the children’s progress.”
The parents were about to say more when they were suddenly interrupted by a clear, sweet female voice. “Mrs. Vance, your daughter-in-law came looking for you. She said she’d like to eat your braised pork ribs and asked if you could cook them for her this afternoon.”
4
I turned my head to see Miss Hailey Grant slowly approaching, accompanied by my visibly pregnant daughter-in-law. Hailey’s words were like dropping boiling water into a pan of oil, instantly erupting into a furious sizzle.
“Parents, look! Going home to cook braised pork ribs for her daughter-in-law on a weekday afternoon? Isn’t that inappropriate?”
“How can someone like this be the homeroom teacher of a top-tier class?”
“Today, either agree to terminate the pregnancy, or we replace the homeroom teacher. Mrs. Vance, you choose.”
My daughter-in-law looked bewildered. “No, no, that’s not what I meant!”
“Miss Grant, I meant I wanted to eat ribs tonight. I wanted my mother-in-law to buy some and cook them after school. I didn’t say for her to come back and cook them at noon!”
My daughter-in-law was so flustered she could barely speak clearly. The loud commotion drew students from their morning study, their heads poking out of the classroom, eager to see what was happening.
“Change homeroom teachers? Great! Are we getting Miss Grant?”
“I always hated that old hag. She gives us so much homework every day, and punishes us with copying until our hands ache.”
I couldn’t believe it. My students, whom I had painstakingly taught for three years, were calling me an “old hag” and saying they hated me. I dug my nails into my palms, my voice trembling with barely suppressed fury. “Terminating the pregnancy is out of the question. Changing homeroom teachers is even more impossible.”
“If you parents have nothing else to do, please leave the school. Don’t disrupt the students’ classes.”
Kayla Johnson’s mom snorted. “Mrs. Vance, you don’t want to change homeroom teachers, are you perhaps unwilling to part with the bonus for the top-tier class?”
Kayla Johnson’s mom’s words hit me like a sledgehammer. Yes, there was a bonus for the top-tier class, but it was split among all the teachers involved, amounting to barely two hundred dollars per person. If I were after money, I would have long ago quit and become a teacher at an outside institution, earning several times more than I did now.
I took a deep breath, trying to be pragmatic. “I’m not changing homeroom teachers because I’ve taught this class since freshman year. I know each student’s situation better and can provide more targeted assistance.”
“Secondly, the final exams are coming soon. Even if there were a suitable teacher, changing teachers at such a critical juncture would definitely be detrimental to the students.”
Kayla Johnson’s mom rolled her eyes, pulling Hailey Grant forward and pushing her towards me. “What do you mean ‘no’? I think Miss Grant is perfectly suitable!”
“She’s single, young, and the kids like her more. Plus, she doesn’t have all these messy personal affairs.”
Kayla Johnson’s mom’s words infuriated me, but also made me laugh grimly. “Miss Grant just graduated this year. Her teaching experience is completely insufficient. This class is a top-tier class at the school; the students in it are all promising candidates for Ivy League-level schools.”
“How can an inexperienced novice teacher be the homeroom teacher for a top-tier class?”
Kayla Johnson’s mom curled her lips, her eyes full of scorn. “Mrs. Vance, do you overestimate yourself? The students in the top-tier class are inherently gifted.”
“To put it crudely, if you tied a dog to the podium, these kids would still ace their exams.”
“Besides, Miss Grant graduated from a prestigious university. Her learning ability is far superior to an old hag like you.”
I stood there, stunned, unable to believe such words came from Kayla Johnson’s mom’s mouth. This class wasn’t a top-tier class to begin with; it was I who enforced discipline, rectified the academic atmosphere, and gradually raised the class’s performance, bit by bit. Now, in the parents’ mouths, it had become a class where even a dog tied to the podium could teach effectively. The students watching the spectacle chimed in agreement. “Exactly! I think if we switched to Miss Grant, my Chinese scores would improve even more!” “That old hag is too rigid. All she makes us do is memorize texts and copy essays all day. What’s the point of that?” Then, the classroom erupted in a synchronized chant: “Change teachers! Change teachers!”
Kayla Johnson’s mom looked at me triumphantly. “Mrs. Vance, see? The children all demand a change in homeroom teacher.”
“However, given your hard work for the children for three years, we can apply to the principal. Miss Grant will be the homeroom teacher, and as for you, you can assist Miss Grant.”
I raised my eyes to Kayla Johnson’s mom, my gaze sweeping over the students in the class. “The homeroom teacher cannot be changed. I absolutely will not agree.”
Kayla Johnson’s mom and Kevin Chen’s mom exchanged glances. “Mrs. Vance, if you don’t want to change homeroom teachers, then you’re choosing the pregnancy termination, aren’t you?”
“For the future of the 45 children in this class, we will be the villains for Mrs. Vance.”
Before I could react, Kayla Johnson’s mom and Kevin Chen’s mom grabbed my daughter-in-law and headed for the stairwell. I quickly tried to rush forward to stop them, but the other parents held me back tightly. “Are you insane?! Are you really planning to forcibly drag her to terminate the pregnancy? Do you understand that’s illegal?!” Kayla Johnson’s mom completely ignored me, watching as my daughter-in-law was pulled to the stairwell. I exerted all my strength, breaking free from the parents’ restraint, and rushed towards my daughter-in-law. My daughter-in-law struggled fiercely. I tried to pry open the hands of the two parents. The four of us wrestled, and the scene became a chaotic scramble. I don’t know who pushed or perhaps stumbled. My daughter-in-law suddenly tumbled down the stairs, a crumpled heap.
“Ah…!” A piercing scream echoed in the stairwell. Everyone collectively looked down. My daughter-in-law’s white dress was already stained crimson with blood. Kayla Johnson’s mom fell to the ground, her face pale. “So much blood… so much blood…”
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