Category: English

It was the fourth hour I’d been waiting for Logan Reed at the couple’s-only restaurant on New Year’s Eve. That’s when I saw the photo on my feed: Willow smiling sweetly beneath a shower of fireworks. The caption read: [Our fifth annual firework spectacle. The person who truly loves you never cares about the real or the fake.] The comments were a chorus of well-wishes for a lifetime of love. The hand framed perfectly, almost touching her head in the photo, belonged to the man who’d promised me he’d “be right there” three hours ago: Logan. I calmly tapped the ‘Like’ button. Illuminated by the dazzling bursts of fireworks outside, I finished the entire double portion of the New Year’s prix fixe menu, all by myself. When the last bite of the tasteless, leathery steak finally went down, my stomach was so full, I almost cried. It turns out that during the seven years I was missing, he had already fallen in love with my replacement. 1 The moment I pushed away the finished plate, my mother, Elizabeth, called. “Sierra, please don’t misunderstand, sweetie. Willow is just… used to it. We truly thought you weren’t coming back, so we arranged an engagement for them. Now that Logan is set on marrying you, please, don’t hold this little thing against Willow. After all, she’s a debt we owe.” A wave of sharp, bitter acidity climbed up my throat. Seven years ago, Logan and I were the campus ‘It’ couple—inseparable, high-achieving. Our parents had already sealed our fate with an agreement: we would marry right after college. The change came a month after graduation. Logan took me to a secluded, abandoned warehouse to watch the fireworks. Midway through the display, he received a call from Willow Davis. She claimed it was an extremely urgent, private matter—too sensitive for anyone else to hear. So, he left me, alone, in the middle of nowhere. While I waited for my ride, I was drugged, kidnapped, and sold deep into the mountains. For the first year I was gone, they searched tirelessly, consumed by grief. Yet, Logan never dared to reveal the true reason he left me that night. Willow offered to “atone,” so Logan convinced my parents to take her in as a foster daughter. My parents, desperate with longing, started seeing my reflection in her features. They poured all the unspent maternal and paternal love they had into her. They even changed her surname. In the long, slow passage of days, in the comfort of her continuous presence, they forgot me. They forgot I was the one engaged to Logan. They forgot the seven years of our separation. And who would ever repay me for everything I lost? A profound, debilitating weariness settled over me. “Got it,” I said. They sighed in relief, about to say more, but I hung up. A few minutes later, Logan finally arrived, looking windswept and hurried. Behind him, with her eyes red-rimmed and moist, was Willow. “I’m so sorry, Sierra. I shouldn’t have been so selfish and made you wait here for four hours.” The worry in Logan’s eyes as he looked at her—the same look he used to give me—was utterly unmistakable. But when he looked at me, his brow furrowed. “Alright, Sierra, I’m here now. Stop scaring her with that expression.” “Are you finished eating? Let me take you both home.” He pushed my wheelchair forward. At the car, he naturally opened the passenger door for Willow, making sure her seatbelt was secure. When he turned back, he saw I had already struggled into the back seat. “Could you just fold up the chair for me?” A flicker of shame crossed his face. “I apologize. I just… got used to it.” I shook my head. “Let’s go.” On the way, Willow spoke to the car’s smart system. “Hello! Logan, where are you going to take me tomorrow, on New Year’s Day?” A dense, prickling ache invaded my heart. In high school, when studying was intense, he’d taken up riding a motorcycle. The instant he got his license, he took me for a ride. Failed a test? We went riding. Aced one? We went riding. We had explored every street and alley in the city. He’d promised that once he got his full car license, he’d take me on longer road trips, far away. I never got to see him fulfill that promise. Instead, I was forced to watch, like an interloper, as he shared his happiness with someone else. Seeing their easy, silent communication, their exchanged glances, I felt a sudden, profound emptiness. I looked calmly at the reflection of this stranger, Logan Reed, in the rearview mirror. And I spoke the words, slowly. “Logan, let’s call off the wedding.” 2 The car’s brakes shrieked, a sound of tearing metal. With a heavy thud, Logan lost control, the tire skidding and slamming into the curb. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Nothing, I…” I didn’t get to finish my sentence. He leaned over, immediately checking on Willow in the passenger seat. “Are you okay? Let me see!” “Just a little bump on my head. It’s nothing, I’m fine.” “I’m so sorry, Sierra. I was willing to let Logan marry you. This is my debt to you. I promise, after the wedding, I’ll keep my distance.” Her eyes were wide and tearful, a picture of fragile remorse. The pure, overflowing worry in Logan’s eyes didn’t dissipate. He finally turned to me, his gaze laced with frustration. “She’s already feeling guilty, why would you say something like that right in front of her?” “What happened seven years ago was my mistake. I told you I would take responsibility. Please, stop creating drama, alright?” He let out a heavy breath and called the insurance company. “I’m taking her to the hospital. You stay here and handle the accident report.” The heavy slam of the car door was like a gunshot pressed against my chest. The pain was dull and crushing. He never used to blame me. He never used to leave me alone to deal with difficult, messy situations. He’d even skipped class and fought for me, earned detentions and reprimands, but he’d never once treated me this way. Tears fell silently, pooling in my lap. The pain in my chest was suffocating. After the insurance company assessed the damage and towed the car, the manager kindly drove me to the hospital. I reached the door of the emergency room just as I heard low, muffled weeping from inside. “Jon, if Sierra feels this way, maybe… maybe we should just call off the engagement. You’ve seen how deep Willow and Logan’s feelings are after all these years.” My mother’s voice. “We already hurt one daughter; we can’t hurt another. Besides, Sierra… she isn’t whole anymore. She can’t have children. Even if the Reeds don’t say anything, they must secretly mind.” My father, Jon, drew a sharp breath. Before he could speak, Logan’s voice cut in, sharp and angry. “Aunt Liz! I said I will marry Sierra! No matter what happens, that won’t change!” Mom sighed. “Why are you so stubborn, son! Are you really going to sacrifice your own happiness just for the sake of responsibility? Her disappearance wasn’t your fault. If she hadn’t been wandering off and got targeted, none of this would have happened.” My fingers dug hard into my palms. So that’s how Logan had framed it to them. I gave a bitter laugh and pushed my wheelchair into the room. I met their eyes—wide with panic and avoidance—and smiled. “Logan, did you forget to tell Mom and Dad that you abandoned me at the warehouse that night because Willow called you to confess her love?” He lunged to cover my mouth, but he was too late. My parents were stunned, their bodies swaying slightly. Willow’s face went white. She scrambled onto the floor and knelt before me. “I’m so sorry, Sierra! I truly didn’t know that call would lead to you being kidnapped! If I had known, I would never have told him I loved him! It’s my fault, I should die!” I looked at her calmly, my eyes devoid of any emotion. After a long silence, Willow bit her lip, rushed to the balcony, and swung one leg over the railing. “If Sierra doesn’t believe me, I can only prove my sincerity with my death! I’ll atone for you!” Logan stared at me, his eyes blazing. “Did you have to push her to this?” My mother, who had been momentarily pained for me, instantly lost all sympathy. She looked at me, struggling between awkwardness and guilt. “It’s been so many years, Sierra. Willow didn’t do it on purpose. Maybe it was just fated for you to suffer this hardship.” “Sierra, just forgive her. This is a life we’re talking about.” I looked at them, completely still. I had so many grievances. I wanted to tell them that during that year of unbearable agony, I’d kicked my captor for disobeying, and that’s why my legs were gone, permanently paralyzed. I wanted to tell them about the succession of pregnancies I terminated through desperate, self-harming means, and that’s why I was no longer capable of being a mother, why I was “unclean.” But watching how easily they acquitted the very fuse that lit the fire, how they dismissed my suffering, I knew there was no point. I laughed, and the tears finally fell. “I’m not angry. It must be that my life is worthless. I shouldn’t have come back.” “I should have died there, so I wouldn’t ruin your happy family reunion.” 3 Smack! Logan’s eyes were bloodshot. He slapped me across the face. “What are you talking about? How much did your parents suffer trying to find you? How can you say something so heartless?” “If it weren’t for Willow all these years, they would have fallen into a deep depression!” I touched my burning cheek. My parents, seeing me struck, didn’t flinch. They were busy pulling Willow off the balcony railing. I gave a hollow, dismissive laugh. “Thank you for the slap, Logan. It woke me up from my dream.” I maneuvered my wheelchair and moved toward the exit. Faint sounds of muffled sobs drifted from the room. I knew they weren’t crying for me. It didn’t matter. I didn’t need anyone to cry for me anymore. Back at the house. I pulled out the old, tattered luggage bag I had when I was first brought home. Looking around, I realized how little I had to take. The closet was full of pretty, short dresses—sister sets, identical to Willow’s. Useless to a girl with amputated legs. On the bedside table was a family photo album, identical to Willow’s. The only difference was that hers didn’t include me. And on the desk, a pile of untouched birthday gifts from seven years of missed celebrations. Every item had been picked out by Logan and Willow. Not a single thing was what I would have liked. I remembered the moment they excitedly handed them to me, the words they spoke. “We haven’t seen you in so long, we weren’t sure what you liked. But you two are like sisters, so you must have the same taste.” I traced the spines of a stack of astronomy books I’d never opened and smiled. When I was sixteen, I told them I wanted to be the world’s greatest painter. Logan spent a fortune finding me two rare prints by a master artist. After my final grades came in—good enough to get into any top art school—he custom-ordered a renowned painter’s set of tools for me. I had thought that even after seven years, our original dreams remained unchanged. Now, he told me that the wall in my bedroom, which was supposed to hold our double portrait, was instead adorned with a star chart he and Willow had visited and signed. Like me, it was all ancient history. I rode the elevator down, holding my bag. The house staff and cooks were gathered in the kitchen, preparing dinner for Willow. “I’m telling you, Mr. Reed loves Ms. Davis more. Whenever she’s hurt, he’s right there. With the other one, we do everything. The day he saw the… the wounds, he threw up. Said he’d never seen anything so disgusting.” I froze. Then, it was as if a window pane had shattered, and an icy wind swept through my heart. Is that what happened? I clearly remember him looking at my rotting flesh and saying, “I’m sorry.” So, the raw, heartbreaking moment when he choked up and fainted was actually a moment of utter disgust? “Of course, they spent seven years together. Last time Ms. Davis and Mr. Reed fought over that one, he said he stopped loving that… that damaged goods a long time ago! He’s only marrying her out of obligation.” I didn’t believe it! He distinctly told me I wasn’t dirty, that his Sierra was the purest, most beautiful girl. He was the one who begged me to marry him and take responsibility, who said he always loved me, who said he dreamed of having a home with me for all those years. Logan, you swore you’d never lie to me. Did you learn to lie with your heart, too? “And the prosthetics. Ms. Davis was afraid that if she could stand up, all the attention at parties would go away. She cried, and Mr. Reed found out. He canceled the order immediately. He told her that the prosthetics would be uncomfortable anyway, and she should just stay home, safe, so nothing else could happen. She missed the best window for physical therapy.” So, his promise to “be my legs forever” meant condemning me to a life where I could never stand again. “If I were her, knowing how disgusted this family is, I’d take the payout and walk away. Far away.” My heart felt like it was being flayed, the pain unbearable. Tears slipped down my cheeks, silently. “Sierra? What is it?” As I choked back a sob, Logan appeared, kneeling in front of my wheelchair. He looked ashamed. “Hitting you earlier… I lost my temper. But you know Willow and I have seven years of history; it’s not nothing. I couldn’t just watch her die.” “She had an anxiety attack again. Mom and Dad think we should postpone the wedding for now.”

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My mom suspected I was underdeveloped because my chest was too small, so she tied me up and took me to see a doctor. The doctor happened to be my ex-boyfriend who I just broke up with. He looked cold and spoke with a detached tone: “Lift your clothes to your collarbone, unhook your bra.” He also deliberately teased me: “It is quite small.” I gritted my teeth and shifted the blame: “My small chest is because my ex-boyfriend didn’t work hard enough.” The next second, I was pressed against the examination bed, his voice dangerous: “The examination isn’t thorough enough. “Seems like I need to continue working hard.” 1 “Please, number 52, Jiang Sui, go to consulting room 2.” The moment the machine at the triage desk announced my name. I stared at the six big characters [Thoracic Surgery Gu Shian] on the doorplate, almost grinding my teeth to pieces. Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at the lean figure inside the glass door. The looming waistline under the white coat reminded me of some indescribable scenes. A month ago, this waist was still pressing on me saying “one last time”. Now he looks like a refined scum. “What are you dazing for?” My mom slapped my back: “Dr. Gu is an expert returning from overseas, it’s hard to get his appointment! I got it because his mother and I are good sisters.” Before I could ask my mom how she knew his mom, I heard a cold voice: “Next.” When the door of the consulting room opened. The man I hadn’t seen for a month was wearing a blue mask, the cuffs of his white coat slightly rolled up, his eyes cold, eyebrows slightly raised: “Want to get back together?” “Seeing a doctor.” I stiffened my neck, glimpsing his Adam’s apple rolling out of the corner of my eye. “Where is uncomfortable?” Before I could answer, my mom rushed in with a stride: “Xiao Gu, I am your Aunt Jiang, take a look at my daughter, her chest is so small, is it underdevelopment?” My mom’s loud voice echoed in the consulting room. My toes had automatically constructed a magic fairy castle. “Auntie.” Gu Shian pushed his glasses: “Chest size relates to genetics, nutrition…” “Exactly!” My mom nodded repeatedly: “Do you think it’s because she drank the wrong milk powder when she was little?” When Gu Shian wrote [Patient’s family suspects milk powder caused underdeveloped chest] in the medical record. My toes had finished constructing the second phase of the magic fairy castle. If I am guilty, please let the law sanction me. Instead of being forced to see a doctor by my biological mother because my chest is too small and suspected of underdevelopment. The doctor is also my ex-boyfriend who broke up a month ago. “Need palpation.” Gu Shian got up, looked at my mom with a professional smile. “Family please avoid.” I clutched the registration form, smiling without smiling. “Can I change a doctor?” He didn’t even lift his head, tone alienated and indifferent: “Turn right out the door to re-register and queue.” “Oh no need, this queuing takes a long time.” My mom immediately pressed me onto the examination bed: “What’s wrong with a male doctor? Why are you young people still so feudal? In doctor’s eyes there is no gender.” I was loveless. In doctor’s eyes there is no gender, what about ex-boyfriend? Besides, he a thoracic expert also manages underdevelopment??? 2 Gu Shian raised his hand to pull the shielding curtain, adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose, signaling me: “Lift clothes up, unhook bra.” I grasped the hem of clothes tightly, glaring at him dissatisfiedly. “You… you abuse public power for private revenge!” He put hands in white coat pockets, looking calm, reminding me coldly: “Miss Jiang, firstly you registered for my number. “Secondly I am a doctor, curing sickness and saving people is my duty. “Finally, where haven’t I seen of you?” Me: … Fine, you win… I gritted my teeth, took a deep breath, unhooked the bra buttons. Heart crossed, eyes closed, lifted the top up. His hands were a bit cool, I couldn’t help trembling when touching skin. “Don’t be nervous.” “Who… who is nervous…” “Heart rate too high.” Corner of his mouth hooked an imperceptible smile, head lowered, examining seriously. “Any sensation?” I turned head to one side,哼 lightly: “No!” “No?” He frowned, somewhat doubtful. “No sensation means no sensation, Dr. Gu technique too poor, already broke up still want me to act?” Couldn’t occupy physical advantage, I chose to occupy verbal advantage. “Heh, my technique poor?” He slightly lowered eyes, gaze passing through lens meeting mine, voice cold and low. “Jiang Sui, gotta speak with conscience.” I secretly cursed, isn’t conscience being touched by you? Hand strength increased a bit. “This time?” Me: “Feel like you are pinching me…” He lifted head, looked straight at me, sighed. “Any pain?” “No!” “Distending pain?” “No!” “Usually itchy?” “Oh right itchy isn’t here.” Me: !!! “Gu Shian have you touched enough!” I blushed violently propping up body, almost hitting his chin: “Don’t you know if I am sick?” “Currently seems indeed no problem, but…” His hand finally let go of me, his low laugh suddenly sounded in the air: “It is quite small.” I gritted teeth, unconvinced arguing: “Small chest blame ex-boyfriend not working hard!” Waist suddenly hugged by him, I inertially leaned in his arms, faint woody perfume scent from inside white coat soaking into nose. His breathing a bit heavy, voice carrying some danger: “What, want me to work hard again? So playing same old trick again?” Face wearing undisguised mockery. 3 Right, we could be together, purely because I pestered him endlessly, he finally had no choice but to accept me. That time I accompanied best friend to see doctor, fell for Gu Shian’s peerless face at first glance. White coat, gold-rimmed glasses, wide shoulders long legs, pulling ascetic atmosphere to full grid. I am also a hand enthusiast, especially when he lowers head seriously writing cases on keyboard, that pair of slender well-defined hands, every move seemed to beat drums on my heart tip. I clung to door frame swallowing saliva frantically, heart rate soaring frantically. Suddenly understood what suspension bridge effect is. Now immediately build a bridge for my heart! Best friend hospitalized for a month because of arrhythmia from watching male models, forced by me. Since then I became chest surgery编外人员 (non-staff personnel). Morning sending milk tea criticized by him excessive sugar, noon sending bento criticized nutritional imbalance, evening squatting spot encounter also educated irregular work and rest. After I pretended low blood sugar falling into his arms for thirty continuous days, Gu Shian finally blocked me at stairs: “Jiang Sui, what exactly do you want?” “You.” I gritted teeth, stood on tiptoe to pull his tie: “Okay or not? “Dr. Gu, people heart rate soar once seeing you, what to do about this?” Later when I was pressed against wall kissed by him. Knew high mountain flower anxious also would bite. But soon I discovered, this man belonged to Tang Monk. Dating three months only gave holding hands, half year only unlocked kissing. Every time I wanted deep communication, he used those bewitching eyes to firmly reject me: “This is too fast.” I did half year tug of war before using beauty trap to push him down. However, high mountain flower in bed not high cold at all, tossed me hard every time. Love should have been sweet, but his work special, almost grew on operating table every day. Seven something morning out, eight nine evening back is normal state. Arriving home wanted酱酱酿酿 (intimacy), but he still had to read cases, write papers, take exams. Production team donkey seeing all gotta call big brother. Vigorous age, I greedy him ah. Couldn’t stand this starving a meal full a meal days. Birthday that day, I had been vegetarian for half month. I swore, must push him down. But movie just entered, a phone call, he ran back to hospital. I finished movie alone, ate hot pot, loneliness and grievance feeling bursting. Sent WeChat to him, no reply. Until holding food to hospital to see him, he was sitting with a female doctor in hospital discussing condition selflessly. Undisguised appreciation on two faces. Unspeakable matching. In an instant, that energy in heart suddenly leaked. Person like Gu Shian, sleeping is enough. Marriage, not suitable. He excellent tertiary hospital doctor, I a broken writer颜狗 (face judger). Really also not matching. And at that moment, I suddenly also didn’t want to sleep him. So, I proposed breakup. He asked why, I found a reason killing heart: “Your technique too poor.” Also backhand blocked all his contact methods. After breakup, he didn’t find me again. Anyway, counted as I dumped him. Now mistakenly registered his number, conversely like I regretted coming to chase him back. 4 I flusteredly put hands behind back, to button bra. “Dr. Gu thought too much, my mom registered for me. “Also, a man not play twice.” I unconvinced refuted him. Buttons just couldn’t be fastened no matter what. His figure pressed in front of me, suddenly raised hand around my waist. Reaching out skillfully fastening bra buttons for me. I was suddenly made somewhat unprepared by his sudden action. He spoke ahead of me, voice cold: “You’re welcome. “Practice makes perfect only.” Before I always teased he had pair flexible hands, not only could hold scalpel but also single-handedly unhook bra. I gritted teeth, intentionally eccentric: “Dr. Gu really considerate, even can fasten bra for female patients.” He smiled faintly, look composed: “You’re welcome. “It’s also my first time encountering, female patient coming to see me for illness because chest small.” Me: … After a burst of silence, I was still thinking how to hit back at him. My mom knocked door and came in first. She saw my face not good, busy asked Gu Shian: “Dr. Gu, my daughter wouldn’t have some illness right?” Gu Shian retreated to safe distance: “Auntie, don’t worry, no problem.” My mom breathed a long sigh of relief: “That’s good, that’s good…” Then asked painfully: “But both her sister and I are D, why is she A?” I silently buried face in palm. “Maybe——” He endured laugh, adjusted glasses: “She takes after uncle.” Air dead silence. My mom still not giving up: “Then my daughter’s chest really hopeless?” “Suggest eating more papaya.” Gu Shian gaze seemingly nonexistent swept over me, hooking smile with distinct meaning: “Of course, auxiliary massage also effective. “Some women, during lactation period, might have second development situation.” My mom slapped thigh, suddenly realized: “Understood, just let her find a man.” Turning eyes bright, looking at him: “Xiao Gu, heard your mom say you just broke up, what do you think of my daughter?” My head buzzed. Busy blocking my mom, whispered: “Mom, don’t matchmake randomly…” My mom anxious stamping feet: “Mom saw Dr. Gu introduction outside, PhD, deputy chief physician, young and promising. Key is handsome! How suitable for our family genes, if your mom 20 years younger, I would have taken action long ago. “He just broke up, window period needs comfort most, you hurry take advantage of void to enter! “That, Dr. Gu, how about adding WeChat, in future Jiang Sui has any discomfort, can consult you online?” Gu Shian raised eyes looking at me. I blinked frantically hinting. Because he is still lying in my blacklist now. “Can.” He took out phone, QR code page directly pushed to my face: “Trouble Miss Jiang scan personally.” I bit bullet, took out phone scanning code. Beep sound. Screen jumped out Gu Shian avatar, under send WeChat page impressively displayed a line small words: Added to blacklist, you will no longer receive WeChat from the other party. “Haven’t received friend application yet.” He reminded. I gritted teeth, secretly released him from blacklist: “Done.” He smiled and nodded: “Okay, I send doctor’s advice to Miss Jiang.” I silently rolled eyes. Pulling calf (talking nonsense), chest small can have what doctor’s advice? Few minutes later, Gu Shian sent a WeChat: [《Chest Massage Technique Complete Collection》PDF.] [Appropriate massage can promote development, prevent breast hyperplasia.] I gritted teeth smiling: “Dr. Gu really benevolent heart.” Dr. Gu: “Can provide free medical guidance.”

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Everyone in Hong Kong knew. The woman at the tip of the “Buddha’s Son” Julian Fu’s heart was the little girl he raised, Mia Su. And I, his lawfully wedded wife, was just a shield. At our ninth wedding ceremony, the screen that was supposed to play our wedding photos showed sweet moments of Julian and her over the years. Their first hand-holding, first kiss… At the end of the video, Mia was scantily clad, tears in her eyes, like a lily swaying in the wind. “Uncle, I’m sorry, I can’t forget you, nor can I watch you marry someone you don’t love.” “I drugged myself. If you don’t come before 12 o’clock…” Before the video finished playing, Julian, who had always been cold and self-restrained, rushed out like crazy. Just like the past nine times, leaving me alone in the huge wedding venue. Everyone was betting on when our tenth wedding would be. Only I knew, there wouldn’t be a next time. 1 After sending off all the guests, I dialed that number. “Does the promise back then still count?” After receiving an affirmative answer. “See you in three days.” After hanging up, Mia’s Moment popped up on my phone on time. “The moon I’ve dreamed of for ten years was finally plucked by me.” The accompanying picture was of condoms and torn clothes all over the floor. And half of Julian’s sleeping profile revealed vaguely. The comments below were already filled with “99” (wishing long-lasting love). The circle in Hong Kong is this small; everyone knew what happened. But everyone tacitly didn’t mention me. I smiled and liked it, commenting “99” by the way. The next moment, Mia video called. She was wearing a large white shirt. That was the one I specially chose for Julian this morning. One button was loosely fastened. Dense love marks were visible everywhere on her body. She looked at me with a smile. “Auntie, don’t mind, I just love Uncle too much, I couldn’t help myself.” Julian’s scolding came from the other end, but his voice couldn’t hide the doting. “Nonsense, don’t disturb Lily Lin.” Mia said innocently: “Uncle, I was afraid Auntie would be angry. She just commented 99 on my Moment.” Julian took the phone with a frown, “Mia is young and ignorant, why are you messing around too!” After speaking, he said to Mia: “Only this once, not to be repeated.” In exchange for Mia sticking out her tongue. I was very familiar with this scene. From our first wedding until now. Every time Mia would cause trouble, and every time Julian would fall for it. Finally leaving a sentence, not to be repeated. But he would make an exception for her every time. I hung up the phone calmly. The hotel manager came over and asked me, “Miss Lin, do you need help postponing the wedding banquet again?” I looked around the carefully arranged wedding scene. For ten years, I knew everything about the wedding scene like the back of my hand. My heart stung for a moment, then I shook my head with a smile, “No need.” Mia plucked her moon. I should also go find my own moon. 2 When I got home, it was already afternoon. I entered the door lock password several times, but it showed incorrect. Until someone opened the door from inside. Mia opened the door with a smile. Seeing me looking at her, she stuck out her tongue innocently. “Auntie, I changed the door lock password. Uncle said he wanted me to stay here for a few days. The password is today’s good day.” She really couldn’t wait to enter the house. Behind her was Julian’s urging voice. I watched Mia lying on the bed belonging to Julian and me. The doctor beside her was drawing her blood. My things were messily piled up in the living room. Only then did Julian spare half a mind for me. “Mia’s drug effect hasn’t worn off yet. The doctor said to observe the situation for three days, so I let her move in.” “You go stay in the guest room for a while first.” He seemed to want to find a legitimate reason for this. I nodded expressionlessly. There was no dispute as he expected. Every time after the wedding in the past, I would have a big fight with him because of Mia. Then cold war for a week. Finally, I actively sought peace. Julian comforted. “Lily, we’ll make up the wedding next month.” Another promise, but Julian, who always kept his promises, broke his word again and again in front of me because of Mia. I looked up at his side profile staring at Mia. Unconcealable worry. For the first time, I refused his proposal. “No need.” Julian frowned at me. “Mia is still young, don’t hold it against her.” I interrupted Julian. I looked at him seriously, “I didn’t hold it against her, I just don’t want to hold the wedding anymore.” Meaningless. Julian wanted to say something more. Mia’s moan came from the room. Julian looked at the doctor angrily. “Didn’t you say Mia was fine? What’s going on now!” The doctor puzzled: “Mr. Fu, the blood test results show that there is indeed no drug residue in Miss Su’s blood.” Mia had already started tearing her clothes, Julian slammed the door shut. A moment later, indescribable sounds rang out in the room. I listened to the live erotica in the living room all night, until dawn when I fell asleep dazed on the sofa. The heart that used to ache seemed to never fluctuate again. 3 Early the next morning, I went to get the passport that had been processed long ago. When I got home, I was taken to the hospital by Julian’s bodyguards. Julian’s eyes were red, pacing at the door of the emergency room like an angry beast. Seeing me brought in, he slapped me hard. “Lily, can’t you tolerate Mia so much?” I sat on the ground blankly, not knowing what he was talking about at all. The passport scattered on the ground. I reached out to pick it up. Julian sneered, then stepped on it, crushing my fingertips hard with the sole of his shoe. “Want to run away after doing bad things! Lily, how come I didn’t realize you were so vicious before!” I cried in pain, looking at him with tears in my eyes. “What did I do?” Julian laughed in anger. Throwing a stack of photos in front of me. It was intimate photos of Mia and Julian. “You installed cameras at home and spread Mia’s intimate photos, wanting to ruin her reputation. How can you be so vicious!” “Can’t you tolerate Mia so much? Do you know that Mia committed suicide today!” I wanted to explain, but the doctor rushed out. “Mr. Fu, the blood bank is running out of blood!” Julian grabbed my scalp and lifted me up. I cried in pain. “Lily, don’t think this matter will pass just because you cry!” He said戾气 all over his face: “Draw hers. She and Mia have the same blood type. I want her to atone for what she did! It’s fine even if her blood is drained!” I was held down by bodyguards, bright red blood flowing into the blood bag. The dazzling red entered my eyes. My arm was covered with needle holes large and small. Even though blood bags were transferred, Julian still refused to let me go. Until the doctor told him Mia woke up. Only then did he reluctantly let me go. The sequela of excessive blood loss is dizziness. I lay weakly on the cold floor. The last moment before coma, I saw Julian devoutly kissing Mia’s forehead. 4 I woke up again, Julian ordered bodyguards to splash ice water on me. I was frozen shivering. The already cold body felt like falling into an ice cave at this moment. My thin dress was also soaked with water. Clinging tightly to my body. Curves revealed completely. Men passing by looked at me greedily one by one. Their gazes were like knives, scraping my skin hard. I struggled to get up, but was forced by Julian to kneel in front of Mia’s ward. “Don’t you like taking intimate photos? I’ll let you taste it too!” I couldn’t help tears streaming down my face, “Julian, I didn’t do this!” “I didn’t spread Mia’s bed photos!” He sneered. “There are only you, me and Mia in the Fu family. Who else could it be if not you!” “Go apologize to Mia!” I glanced at Mia who was smiling triumphantly at me. I knew she did it herself. Looked at Julian who looked at me with disgust. Words of defense were powerless to exit. I knew he wouldn’t believe me no matter what I said. He had already sentenced me to life imprisonment in his heart. I looked up at Julian calmly. “I didn’t do it, Julian.” He seemed even angrier. Mia cried loudly. “Uncle, don’t blame Auntie, blame Mia. Auntie said Mia was a bitch before, Mia isn’t a bitch!” She seemed mentally disordered. Holding her head and saying sorry to me over and over again. Julian flew into a rage. Kicked me hard in the chest. My chest hurt, then I couldn’t help spitting out a large mouthful of blood. Julian didn’t even look. Carefully holding Mia in his arms, comforting her over and over again. Love and not love are really obvious.

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The first time Alex Thorne cheated with his executive assistant, I had what the doctors clinically diagnosed as a psychotic break. In the throes of a debilitating low, I picked up the kitchen knife on the counter, intending to end it all. “Why are you doing this to yourself, Liz? Did he finally break you?” I looked up. Sixteen-year-old Alex Thorne was walking toward me, his face etched with familiar tenderness. “Tell me who it is,” he murmured softly. “I’ll take care of him for you.” Staring at the bright, earnest look in the boy’s eyes, I didn’t speak. Quietly, I just pointed toward his face. Later, Alex himself was the one who signed the papers to have me admitted to the psychiatric facility. In the brief, lucid moments when the stabilizers kicked in, the boy would sit on my bedside. He would stare at the adult man outside—a face so much like his own—and the light in his eyes would slowly, agonizingly, die out. Then he would struggle to speak, his voice ragged and bloody: “No matter who he is, I’m going to kill him.” Sixteen-year-old Alex Thorne never lied to me. He always meant what he said. 1 When Alex pushed open the door, the overly sweet signature scent of Savannah Wells—his assistant—wafted in ahead of him. His eyes fell immediately to the fresh gauze wrapped around my wrist, and his brow twitched in annoyance. “Liz, I was gone for ten minutes. Can you not cause trouble for five minutes?” He reached out to tear off the bandage, his movements full of a harsh, impatient disgust. I flinched, instinctively pulling my hand to my chest and muttering a soft protest: “Someone already bandaged it for me.” Alex’s hand froze mid-air. The look he gave me was heavy with a deep, bottomless fatigue. In the beginning, when I first started saying someone was protecting me, Alex would just assume my illness was worsening, and he’d hold me tight, his eyes red with genuine distress. But now, my long-term pain had become nothing more than a burden he desperately wanted to shed. “There is no one, Liz. How long are you going to keep up this delusion?” Before I could answer, he roughly seized my wrist. His fingers didn’t soften at my tremble; if anything, the grip tightened, like a punishment. The gauze was forcefully peeled from my skin, tearing the half-dried scabs away. A cold sweat broke out across my forehead, but I stubbornly held the bleeding wound up for his inspection, my voice shaking. “I haven’t lied to you since I was fifteen. You know that…” Meeting the fractured light in my eyes, he seemed to remember something. His gaze darted away for a fraction of a second, and he turned to leave. “What about you?” I called after his retreating back, a sour burn rising in my nose. “Did you lie to me?” Alex’s posture stiffened in the doorway. He wouldn’t look back at me. He didn’t answer. Sixteen-year-old Alex Thorne was terrible at lying. Thirty-year-old Alex Thorne’s silence was his answer. A few seconds later, he called out a cold command to the hallway: “Mrs. Davis! Take every knife, every shard of glass, everything sharp in this house, and destroy it!” “If I see the Madame with anything like this again, you’re fired!” Mrs. Davis, the housekeeper, shuffled in, mop in hand. As she began to clear up a few objects, she mumbled under her breath: “When will the Madame get better? Mr. Thorne is truly suffering.” Suffering? I looked down at the slow, meandering lines of blood on my wrist. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. Alex, you don’t love me anymore. Why won’t you just let me go? Why drag us both through this agony? Lost in my thoughts, Savannah Wells strode into the villa without bothering to change her shoes. She looked every bit the lady of the house as she casually reached up to smooth the lapel of Alex’s suit jacket, which I must have mussed earlier. Even looking at the small pool of blood on the carpet, her expression remained perfectly poised and sympathetic. “Liz,” she said, stepping toward me with false sincerity. “If you’re even halfway stable, you should release Alex. It’s painful for everyone to watch him suffer like this.” The faint perfume that had trailed Alex into the room suddenly became cloying and intense, making my stomach churn. I bent over, dry-heaving. Through blurred vision, I reached out a desperate hand, trying to grab the fabric of Alex’s trousers. The moment my fingers brushed the expensive wool, Savannah gasped dramatically and clutched her abdomen, swaying slightly. Alex saw my movement and instinctively shoved me. I tumbled back onto the floor, and the raw wound on my wrist scraped against the rough carpet, creating a fresh, sickening bloom of crimson. “Are you dizzy? Is it your blood sugar? I’m taking you to the doctor.” Alex wrapped his arm around Savannah, and they practically ran out together. Before the door swung shut, Alex looked back at me. Silhouetted against the light, I couldn’t make out his features, but I clearly understood his expression. It was pure relief, the kind of freedom you get when you finally drop a heavy, suffocating weight. Our love was over, and his new one was just beginning. Perhaps the housekeeper was right. Perhaps Alex had truly suffered by my side. As that thought sank in, the vision of the school-uniformed boy appeared before me again. He looked at me, and silent tears streamed down his face. He wanted to touch me, but he couldn’t. His fingers trembled in the empty air. “Liz, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met. Please, leave him.” I lifted my hand and laid it over the boy’s eyes. My palm was met with a chilling, empty void. “I’ll go with you.” As a wave of suffocating despair washed over me, I felt as though I was truly falling into a single embrace. Only there. Only with sixteen-year-old Alex Thorne. I was eternally loved. Being loved by Alex Thorne had been the superpower of my youth. When I was fifteen, my family was ruined and my parents died. The arrogant boys who had once been my secret admirers cornered me at the school gates, laughing as they shredded my uniform. It was sixteen-year-old Alex, a furious, caged animal, who fought them all, leaving blood streaming down his face. The sunset that day was red, like spilled wine. He screamed at me, his voice ragged: “Run!” “Liz! Don’t look back! Just run!” When I finally returned to find him, the face that was always so full of fierce pride was bruised and swollen. But the way he looked at me held a heat that was almost scalding. “Don’t be afraid, Liz. You still have me.” He gently wiped a tear from my eye, his warm breath fanning across my face. It felt so hot, it made me want to cry: “Liz, I, Alex Thorne, will never, ever lie to you. I will always be loyal to you.” The boy’s vow was solid and profound, scorching my heart. I didn’t know then that a promise is only truly sincere the instant it is spoken. The year after we were married, that love was eroded by the bottomless pit of my family’s debts. He almost bankrupted himself. The scorching heat in his gaze was gone, replaced by a deep, hollow fatigue. After a long, cold stretch of memory, my mind cleared. Today was our fifth wedding anniversary. I put on the white dress he used to love and waited from sunset until deep into the night. No flowers. No embrace. Just the sterile emptiness of the room and the clamor of the Thorne Group’s charity gala live-streaming on my phone. Even in the massive crowd, I saw him instantly. He was smiling gently, carefully fastening a necklace around Savannah Wells’s throat. The camera zoomed in. It was a Celestial Promise pendant. Tiny scattered diamonds—stars—were set to embrace and cradle a crescent of silver—the moon. My breath stopped entirely. It was the exact design I had sketched in my notebook when I was fifteen. The day Alex confessed his love, he pointed to that drawing, his voice shaking with earnestness: “Liz, when I’m rich someday, I promise I’ll have this made.” “The stars will never lie to the moon.” “And I will never break my promise to you.” Now, he had made it. And he had fastened it around the neck of another woman. On the screen, Savannah touched the pendant at her collarbone, a coy, victorious smile on her face. “Thank you, Alex. It’s the most meaningful gift I’ve ever received.” Alex didn’t speak. But the look in his eyes, as he gazed at Savannah, was utterly doting. I had only ever seen that expression on the face of the sixteen-year-old boy. Since then, I’d never seen the man smile like that again. Apparently, even stars could fall. And moons could be abandoned. Before I could recover from the sudden suffocation, the gala moved into the charity auction. “The next lot up,” the host announced loudly, “is the ownership of the Reed Family Legacy Fund.” Watching the numbers flash across the screen, I panicked. My fingers trembled so violently I could barely hold the phone. I dialed Alex’s number over and over. The moment he picked up, I poured out a plea so desperate it reduced me to dust: “Alex, I accept that you don’t love me anymore. I’ll sign the divorce papers.” “But please, help me one last time. That fund is the last thing my parents left me. I just want to…” A brief silence fell on the other end, then his slow, tired voice: “Liz, haven’t I done enough for you?” I tried to argue, but the call clicked dead. On the live stream, the auctioneer’s gavel struck the block with a final, heavy sound. “Congratulations to Wells Angel Investors for the winning bid of thirty million!” The camera cut to Alex in the crowd. He raised his glass, serene and composed, and offered a calm toast to Savannah. The light caught the sharp angle of his jaw—dignified and utterly heartless. He sold the last piece of my parents’ memory just to earn a smile from his mistress. There was no room for a scream, or even a sob. A massive knot of air pressed against my chest, making it impossible to breathe. I coughed violently. A taste of metallic sweetness flooded my throat. I collapsed onto the floor, staring blankly at the dark stain blooming on the carpet. Alex. You are truly cruel.

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After getting back together with Asher, everyone around him said I had changed. I used to be notoriously high-maintenance. I demanded to check his phone, clung to him like a second skin, and needed to know his every move. It wasn’t until I drowned in the gap between our social classes that I suddenly realized: everyone around him thought I wasn’t worthy. Later, I became his mistress. Obedient, considerate, terrified to say the word “love,” and an expert at exchanging sweet nothings for his black card. But he gripped my hand tight, his eyes red, asking me why I didn’t love him anymore. 1 When I reunited with Asher Sterling, I was busy drinking with an investor. My startup was bleeding cash. I had been scolded for hours, forcing a smile while pouring whiskey into an empty stomach. I rushed to the restroom, forcing myself to throw up until my eyes were red and stinging. That’s when I locked eyes with Asher. He was surrounded by people, the center of the universe, looking like the moon among stars. In my daze, his gaze swept over me lightly, indifferent, as if looking at trash. I remembered when we broke up, I had stomped my foot and screamed at him, “What’s so great about having money?” Now, after being beaten down by society eight hundred times, I finally knew: having money is actually fantastic. After the breakup, I was living like a dog, and my ex saw it all. When I pushed the private room door open again, the investor who had been fierce moments ago was now smiling fawningly, calling him “Mr. Sterling.” The investor extended a hand. Asher didn’t shake it. The atmosphere grew awkward. The investor was my client; Asher was my client’s client. I couldn’t afford to offend either. I had to be the smooth operator. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t recognize Mr. Sterling just now. I’ll drink three glasses as an apology.” The spicy liquor burned down my throat, suppressing the insignificant bitterness in my heart. The investor’s face relaxed. Asher looked at me and asked directly, “How much funding are you short?” My company was on the verge of bankruptcy. The startup phase burns money like paper. My eyes lit up. Right there at the dinner table, Asher signed the investment agreement with a wave of his hand. “I don’t think I have your contact info. Report the company’s operating status directly to me from now on.” He capped his pen, clasped his hands, and looked at me with composure. The posture of a superior. I quickly took out my phone, skillfully playing the role of a sycophant. I re-added the WeChat I had once blocked, the one I swore I’d never contact again until I died. I knew it wouldn’t be that simple. Sure enough, he messaged me immediately. [Come to me after this.] I treated myself like a piece of meat on the chopping block. I rinsed my mouth carefully and used perfume to mask the smell of alcohol he hated most. Then I knocked on his car window and gave him my sweetest smile. That day, I exchanged my body for resources. It was no big deal, I told myself. To climb up by any means necessary, to make the company grow, I was destined to sacrifice some dignity. During this reunion, Asher didn’t say a single soft word. He kept a straight face in the car, letting me rack my brains to find topics of conversation. Then, in the heat of the moment, he pinched my chin and smiled cruelly. “I knew you would come back to me.” He stroked my hair, absent-mindedly, like petting a dog. “Be good from now on. Don’t threaten to break up again, okay?” 2 After that day, I moved into Asher’s penthouse. I was shocked. Three years after the breakup, the layout of his home hadn’t changed a bit. The lemon tree on the balcony, which I bought, had grown taller. The antique shelf still held the cheap trinkets I had bought randomly; they looked ridiculous against the luxury decor. On the fridge, a note I once wrote was yellowing and fading. Piggy, I love you so much! I made breakfast, remember to eat it. I plan to miss you 100 times today. XOXO. I shuddered, shaking off the goosebumps. The walk-in closet was mostly empty. Asher’s clothes occupied only one section. The bags I didn’t take when we broke up were still displayed there. It felt strange yet familiar. “Don’t overthink it. I rarely come back here. I just forgot to throw things away,” Asher added. I remembered the past. I loved to cause drama just to test my place in his heart. That’s why none of Asher’s friends liked me. When we broke up, his childhood friend, Vanessa, told me bluntly that I was too full of myself. Asher didn’t defend me. Looking back, I was the immature one. If you want the money, don’t ask for love. We were naturally unequal. I nodded calmly and even managed a smile at Asher. “I’m honored Mr. Sterling kept these things. I was immature back then, please don’t take it to heart.” Asher’s face visibly fell. He wanted to say something but remained silent. 3 I only brought a few sets of clothes, all identical business suits. The closet looked barren. This was a lesson learned from the last breakup. That day, I discovered Asher’s family was looking for a fiancée for him, and he hadn’t refused. My tears flowed like a fountain. I cried messily, sniffling constantly. It was ugly and pathetic, as if preventing snot from running down was the last shred of dignity I had left. Asher and a group of his friends sat in the living room, watching me squat on the floor, stuffing clothes into my suitcase one by one. Their eyes held silent pity and mockery. Vanessa even held my hand. “Elena, even if Asher has a fiancée, it won’t affect your relationship. In this circle, everyone knows how it works. You need to be understanding.” I shouted that they were disgusting, that they were all psychopaths! Then, under their gaze, I dragged my heavy suitcase and shuffled to the door, step by step. That day, my love and dignity shattered into pieces. I swore I would never let myself fall into such a predicament again. “I’ll have someone come over tomorrow to measure you. We need to add some dresses,” Asher said, frowning at the empty closet. I wanted to refuse, but then I thought, better outfits for meeting clients. So I turned around, wrapped my arms around his neck coquettishly, and kissed him on the cheek. “Okay. Thank you, Mr. Sterling.” The smile on Asher’s face froze. He stared at me for a long time. “You didn’t call me Mr. Sterling before. Don’t you think it’s too distant?” Before, I had many nicknames for him. Baby, Honey, Ash. Thinking about it now makes me nauseous. Later, I realized his family and close friends called him “Ash.” He never told me to use that name. Just like he never brought me into his social circle. I was always the intruder who didn’t know the rules. I turned and smiled even sweeter. “Sorry, Ash. I wasn’t paying attention to the details.” Asher’s face grew darker. He walked out without a word. This man is impossible to please! 4 Enemies meet on a narrow road. The next day, just after playing tennis with a client, I bumped into Vanessa and Asher. A trace of awkwardness flashed in her eyes. We didn’t exactly part on good terms. I always felt Asher and she were too close. They could share a drink, wear the same jacket, and Vanessa could even pick his future wife. I thought it crossed a line. But Asher hated when I cared about these things. “I will never think a girlfriend is more important than my social circle. After all, you have nothing and bring me nothing.” In a past argument, Asher had spoken the truth while drunk. I dug my nails into my palms to hold back tears. Poverty is humiliating enough. Being with someone who doesn’t love you deepens that humiliation. Look at me now. I’ve grown. I can curse Vanessa in my heart while running over with a surprised look to give her a dramatic hug. The client hadn’t gone far. I needed him to see clearly that I was good friends with the heiress of the Wen family. Vanessa hugged me back, even though I knew she was rolling her eyes internally. “Ash said in the group chat that you guys got back together. I’m so happy! I missed you so much, Elena!” She gave me an exaggerated air kiss, ignoring Asher’s confused look. I used to hate that they had a separate group chat for their inner circle. Asher wouldn’t add me. He replied to them faster than me. They talked about things I couldn’t join in on. Now, I had learned the wisdom of not caring. “Oh, I was so immature back then, no sense of boundaries. I was too embarrassed to find you later. Bestie, you don’t blame me, right?” I held her hand falsely, acting like we were the best of friends. “How could I! When Auntie was looking for a fiancée for Ash, she asked me to check them out. I looked at everyone, and I still think you’re the best.” Vanessa always spoke with hidden meanings. In one casual sentence, she told me she had status in the Sterling family and that after we broke up, Asher was indeed looking for a marriage partner. “I don’t have a marriage partner, and I haven’t met anyone.” Asher had grown too. He deigned to explain. He pushed the freshly served ice cream toward me. Vanessa took a spoonful first. “Vanilla! Better than my matcha.” She squinted and smiled at Asher. Then, Asher handed the spoon he used to me. Pupil! Earthquake! With the Sterling family’s massive wealth, could they not afford another ice cream? Did we have to share saliva? I used to love sharing food with Asher. Now, I attribute that to a lack of hygiene knowledge. The current me couldn’t handle it. I pushed the ice cream back toward him, keeping my expression smooth. Declined. “Sorry, Ash. I can’t eat cold things on my period.” Asher waved for the waiter and ordered me a hot chocolate. “If I remember correctly, Elena is allergic to chocolate.” Vanessa stopped him. Asher looked at me in shock, seeking confirmation. Even Vanessa knew. So, when we were dating, just how little did Asher care? Fortunately, I had learned expectation management. I no longer expected anything from him, so I couldn’t be disappointed. 5 Leaving the tennis court, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. Liam. My best friend Sarah’s favorite tennis player. I pulled out my phone, snapped two pics, and sent them to her. She immediately replied with a string of “AHHHH.” I chatted and laughed. Asher leaned over to look at my screen. Instinctively, I switched apps. The corners of his mouth dropped. He radiated anger. Can’t let the patron get mad. I took the initiative to hold his hand. “Sorry, after working, I’m not used to people looking at my phone. I didn’t mean it.” I learned that the person in the lower position can’t throw tantrums. You have to be proactive, humble yourself, to maintain the balance of the relationship. After all, I was getting a lot out of him. It wasn’t a loss. “Why don’t you share these things with me anymore?” Asher interlaced his fingers with mine and looked down at me. I used to tell him everything. I saw a sunset, I got a smelly taxi, I petted a cute dog. When I loved him most, I had an overwhelming desire to share, even if his responses were sparse. I held his arm and shook it gently. “You’re too busy with work. I don’t want to bother you.” Actually, I just didn’t think of him. Asher touched my hair and said nothing. From that day on, he started texting me like he was possessed. When I was dining with a client, he sent a photo with two words: [Lunch.] ? A question mark popped up in my brain. Why send me this? The client was there; being on the phone was rude. Only after sending them off did I have time to reply. [Meat and veggies, looks great! 👍👍] Driving, the phone buzzed again. [Social event tonight. Home late, around 11. Don’t wait for me.] Asher added: [Hate these events.] Suppressing my annoyance, I replied. [Me too. Don’t drink too much, take care of yourself 😭😭] After our positions swapped, I finally realized— How annoying my frequent texting used to be. I quickly messaged my company’s programmer to install an AI auto-reply assistant on my WeChat. Let AI replace me as the perfect girlfriend who replies instantly.

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On the eve of my engagement to my boyfriend, my mom suddenly called me. “I have something to do on the day of your engagement party. I probably can’t make it.” After she spoke, she waited for my reply. I was silent for a moment. “That’s fine. You’re not needed for the wedding either. I’m the main character; that’s enough.” I knew she wanted me to panic. She wanted me to beg her. What parent wouldn’t show up for their child’s biggest life event? Wouldn’t that make her a laughingstock? But I didn’t want to play her game. I hung up the phone decisively. She wouldn’t be able to sit still. 1 Not long after I hung up, she called again. “Are you still holding a grudge because I secretly tried to call off your engagement?” I pulled the corners of my mouth. She knew the answer. My boyfriend, Liam, and I met earlier this year and hit it off. He has a Master’s degree, his parents work for the city, and he owns a house and a car. He’s handsome and kind. He was the best catch I’d ever dated. But my mom did everything she could to oppose us. “You’re average looking and you didn’t go to a top university. Anyone with eyes can see you’re not good enough for his family.” She forced me to break up with Liam. I refused. So she went behind my back, found the matchmaker—our busybody neighbor, Mrs. Higgins—and rejected the proposal on my behalf. When I found out, I was furious. I moved out that same day. “I’m doing this for your own good! Look at how many marriages fail because the families aren’t equal!” “I’m afraid you’ll get bullied. I’m afraid you’ll regret it and won’t be able to divorce. Am I wrong?” She argued vehemently. At first glance, it almost sounded reasonable. “But, do you really believe that in your heart?” Purely for my own good? With no selfish motives? Mom paused. “What do you mean? Would I harm you?” I sneered. “Only you know the answer to that.” She exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “Fine, Lily! I never knew you had such a dark heart, throwing dirt on your own mother!” “I’m telling you today, you and Liam won’t make it! My mouth is cursed; whatever I say comes true!” She cursed me through gritted teeth. I could feel the malice through the phone. I closed my eyes and blocked her number. On my wall hung a deep purple velvet dress. It was the dress I had custom-made for her for the engagement party. I’ll never forget when I happily gave it to her. She threw it on the floor like a rag. My best friend told me to return it. It wasn’t cheap. But I couldn’t bear to. I kept fantasizing that she might change her mind and wear it happily. I waited and waited, and finally, I got her curse. In the afternoon, my Uncle Bob called. He told me to come to his house to “chat” about the engagement. I knew immediately. Mom had gone to complain. Liam knew and tried to stop me. “You can’t handle a whole room of them alone. I’m worried you’ll get sick from anger.” I shook my head. I had to go. If I didn’t, who knew what stories Mom would spin? I had to let everyone know the truth and end this farce completely. Uncle Bob’s living room was full. Besides his family, my Aunt Karen and her husband were there. My younger sister was there too. Mom was leaning on her shoulder, wiping tears. Everyone looked at me with blame. It was an intervention. “Wow, Lily. You really impress me. You won’t let your own mother attend your engagement party? You’re probably the only person in this whole town who would do that. You really bring honor to the family.” Uncle Bob started with sarcasm. I glanced at my mom expressionlessly. Just as I expected. She was the one who called and said she wouldn’t come. Now, it had turned into me banning her. Aunt Karen chimed in immediately. “I really didn’t expect you to be so heartless. You have a man and forget your mother? Sure, you resent her for the secret rejection, but is a mother’s concern wrong? Why can’t you see it from her perspective?” My aunt-in-law cleared her throat. “Technically I shouldn’t interfere, but I have to remind you, Lily. No marriage is smooth sailing. If something happens in the future, you need your maiden family to back you up. Is this smart?” 2 Seeing the whole room on her side, Mom cried even louder. “I put my heart and soul into thinking for her! I was afraid she’d suffer! How did it become malicious? I’m so wronged!” Her shoulders shook, sobbing uncontrollably like a child. My sister glared at me. “You’re plain, you have nothing. Mom is worried you’re being played. Isn’t that normal?” “But you? You turn around and bite her, saying she has selfish motives. She’s your biological mother! What selfish motives could she have?” “She knows best what motives she has!” I looked at them coldly. “When you two went behind my back to reject the engagement, do you dare tell everyone what you said to Mrs. Higgins?” Mom and my sister froze simultaneously. They exchanged a panicked look, faces turning pale instantly. “What? Did you forget so quickly? Or are you too ashamed to say it?” That day, they told Mrs. Higgins that I decided to break up with Liam because of my “inferiority complex.” They begged her to pass the message. And at the same time, they hoped she could introduce my sister, Bella, to Liam instead. Because they felt Bella and Liam were a better match. To suck up to Mrs. Higgins, Mom even gave her a pearl necklace and told her to keep it quiet. After getting home, the two of them took turns trying to convince me to date the guy who runs the fried food stand on the corner, saying he was appropriate for me. I almost went crazy those few days. Finally, Mrs. Higgins felt something was off and called me to verify. That’s when I knew I had been stabbed in the back. My own mother tried to break me up with my boyfriend just so her favorite daughter could replace me! I took out my phone and played the recording of my call with Mrs. Higgins. Listening to it, my eyes turned red. “Mom, Bella is your daughter. Am I not? Why do you treat me like this?” Since childhood, I was more sensible and obedient than Bella. Mom clenched her fists, glaring at me with hatred, like she wanted to eat me. My cousin stood up first to defend me. “Aunt Carol, that’s too biased! Lily found a great guy. Shouldn’t you be happy for her?” “And Bella? She can’t find a husband so she has to steal her sister’s boyfriend? That’s so low!” She spoke fast, looking indignant. Uncle Bob glared at my cousin. “Shut up! It’s not your turn to speak!” He turned to me. “I met Liam once. He’s a good catch. Maybe your mom felt you two weren’t a match and feared you’d break up, so she wanted to keep him in the family. She did it so the family wouldn’t lose out.” Aunt Karen nodded. “Your uncle is right. You can’t fully blame your mom. Bella is better than you. She’s taller, prettier, and went to a better college. These are facts. You can’t deny them.” “So?” I trembled, almost crying from rage. “So I should willingly give up my boyfriend and go date the fry cook?” What kind of bandit logic was this? Uncle Bob looked impatient. “That’s enough. You and Liam haven’t broken up, have you? You’re about to get engaged. Why hold onto this?” “Yes, your mom is a bit biased. But she didn’t want to lose a good son-in-law. She did it for the family.” Aunt Karen rolled her eyes at me. “Anyone can complain about your mom except you. She almost bled to death giving birth to you. You can never repay that debt!” 3 These words hit Mom’s switch. She covered her face and wailed. “Stop saying it! If she had any conscience, she wouldn’t be doing this today!” “Why is my life so bitter? If I had known, I wouldn’t have given birth to her!” “If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to be born in your belly either!” My voice was broken and sad, coming from the bottom of my heart. Mom stopped crying and stared at me viciously. Suddenly, she rushed to the window, opened it, and tried to jump. Luckily, someone nearby grabbed her. “Let me die! Let me die! My daughter hates me. What’s the point of living!” Her shrieks echoed in the living room, making my ears ring. Aunt Karen hugged her waist, glaring at me furiously. “Carol, stop! Lily, what good does driving your mother to death do? Aren’t you afraid of karma?” Uncle Bob grabbed a teacup and smashed it at my feet. “You’re rebelling! Just because your dad died early and your mom has no husband to back her up? If you want to bully her, you have to go through me!” “Kneel and apologize to your mother! Right now!” I stepped back, dazed, tears flowing uncontrollably. Why didn’t I listen to Liam? Why did I come here? I was no match for Mom. “What? Not convinced? I’m telling you, if you don’t apologize today, none of us will attend your wedding!” Uncle Bob threatened me, pointing a finger. I wiped the tears from my face, my voice low and final. “Good. Saves me money on invitations.” I turned and left Uncle Bob’s house without looking back. They kept shouting my name behind me. I covered my ears, feeling nauseous. My name is Lily. But my legal name used to be something much uglier. Mom named me “Cuilan”—Jade Orchid. It sounded like a peasant name from the 1950s. My aunt said when they registered my birth, she told Mom it was too old-fashioned. Mom didn’t care. “Why give her a fancy name? Is she going to become a phoenix?” But when naming my sister, she spent hundreds of dollars hiring a numerologist. They calculated for days and chose “Bella.” Beautiful. Everyone said Bella was prettier and better than me. They didn’t know my SAT score was 300 points higher than hers. But on the day I got my acceptance letter to a State University, Mom lent our family savings to a distant relative to buy a truck. I cried for two days and nights. She looked innocent. “You’re so insensible. We have no sons. If something happens later, we need relatives to help.” Just like that, I didn’t go to university. I went to community college. Bella? Her scores were barely enough for a for-profit college, but Mom bought her the latest iPhone, MacBook, and iPad, and threw a huge graduation party. She got a $500 monthly allowance and lived carefree. I felt wronged. I resented it. But eventually, I tried to please them. I fantasized that if I was filial and obedient, I could earn a little of Mom’s love. I even naively thought that finding a good husband would make Mom respect me. Until Mrs. Higgins called. It turns out, in this world, there really are mothers who don’t love their children. And because I wasn’t loved, all the relatives sided with the favorite. 4 I left the family group chat. Those who didn’t bless me weren’t welcome at my wedding. I calmed myself down and prepared for the upcoming engagement party. But the night before the party, I suddenly got a text from Liam. “I’m sorry, Lily. Let’s break up. I hope you find someone better.” Without warning. He blocked me on everything. Decisive. During the day, we were dreaming about our future. He said he wanted to marry me quickly so I’d have my own home. He said he would protect me from Mom and Bella. I didn’t know what changed. I went to Liam’s house. His parents said he wasn’t home. I called his friends. They couldn’t reach him. Finally, I found him in the small park where we used to hang out. He was chugging a bottle of whiskey like it was water. “Give me a reason. I promise I won’t harass you.” He looked at me with red, swollen eyes and kept drinking. I snatched the bottle and threw it in the trash. “Are you going to talk?” “Your mom told me… she said you slept around with your ex-boyfriend in cheap motels!” He looked at me with sadness, like he was about to cry. I stood there, frozen, like I’d been hit with a club. I knew Mom wouldn’t let it go, but I didn’t expect her to use such a dirty tactic. “You believe whatever she says?” I was indescribably disappointed. After all this time, he didn’t trust me at all. “She said she has proof! And she’s your mother! Would she make up rumors about her own daughter’s chastity?” Liam’s voice cracked. “I didn’t know before. But now that I know… how can I get engaged to you?” He squatted on the ground, holding his head. He looked pathetic. I was silent. Then I grabbed him and dragged him toward the park exit. “What are you doing?” “Come home with me!” Mom was playing cards with her old cronies, smiling and radiant. She was clearly in a great mood. I walked up silently and flipped the card table. “Ah!” They screamed and jumped up. Seeing my face darker than charcoal, they scrambled away in fear. “Do you want to die, Lily? Are you crazy?!” Mom roared at me. I approached her grimly. “Who told you I slept around with my ex? Show me the evidence. Or this isn’t over!” Since childhood, this was the first time I lost my temper at Mom like this. I had been a filial daughter for twenty years, and in return, she slandered me. Mom sneered. “Fine, Lily. Your wings are hard now. You dare to yell at me?” “Since I dared to expose you, of course I have evidence. I’m just afraid you won’t have the face to see it!” “My conscience is clear. Bring it out!” Mom rolled her eyes and took out an old phone from her bedroom. “I remember clearly. You went to work in the city when you were eighteen. Two years later, you got a boyfriend. One weekend, you went hiking and got caught in a storm.” I followed her words. I remembered. That was a once-in-a-decade storm. Traffic was paralyzed. We couldn’t get back to the city, so we had to get a room at a small motel at the foot of the mountain.

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It wasn’t until after my sophomore year exams that I finally got the news: My parents, who had left the village a decade earlier to “make it” in the city, hadn’t just become millionaires—they’d become the nation’s top moguls. And they’d adopted a girl my age—Willow. To be “fair,” they presented us with two high school enrollment options, letting us choose. One was St. Jude’s Academy, a prestigious prep school a mere five hundred yards from their newly acquired mansion. The other was the best public school back in my tiny hometown. I didn’t want to be separated from them again. I chose St. Jude’s without hesitation. Willow nodded, agreeing. But right before school started, she burst into tears, claiming she was their daughter, too, and demanding to know why she always had to concede to me. My father, Randall, stepped in, his face etched with awkward impatience, playing the peacemaker. “Sloan, you’ve been officially acknowledged as a member of the family, and you won’t want for anything. Just… pick the school in the country, okay?” I let out a cold laugh, the sound catching in my throat. “Didn’t you tell me she was just a placeholder? Why should I defer to her?” My parents, knowing they were on shaky ground, eventually convinced Willow to take the country school spot. On the first day of class, I practically skipped home, my stomach tight with the anticipation of a family dinner—the kind of reunion I’d spent a decade fantasizing about. Instead, I found the house empty. Their belongings were gone. I frantically called them. Willow answered. “Oh, Mom and Dad?” she cooed. “They didn’t trust me to be alone in the country, so they moved everything to be with me.” “Gotta go. Mom just made me my favorite slow-roasted short ribs. They’ll get cold.” 1 All the way home from school, I’d been lost in the daydream: pushing open the front door and hearing my parents call me to dinner. To most people, this was just routine. But for me, a kid who’d been left behind in that sleepy village for over ten years, it was a holiday sight. I raced up the driveway, threw open the front door, and yelled, “I’m home!” The only response was the echo of my own voice. My heart sank. I tossed my backpack onto the entryway bench and took the stairs two at a time. I went to their master suite first. The door was unlocked. I pushed it open. In my father’s walk-in closet, his custom-tailored suits were gone, every hanger empty. My mother’s vanity, with its rows of unfamiliar, expensive bottles and jars, was bare. I ran to my sister Willow’s room—also empty. All the designer dolls, the limited-edition purses she guarded like treasures, nothing was left. Even the lace bedding had been stripped from the mattress. The whole mansion, except for the guest room I’d just moved into and hadn’t finished unpacking, looked like it had been professionally cleared out. I grabbed my phone and called my father. It rang and rang. Just as I thought he wouldn’t answer, a voice, sickeningly sweet, cut through the silence. “Hello? Is that you, Sis?” It was Willow. My heart plummeted. I tried to keep my voice even. “Where are Mom and Dad? I need to talk to them.” “Oh, Mom and Dad?” Willow’s tone was light, almost chirpy, “They didn’t trust me to be alone in the country, so they moved everything to be with me.” A buzzing filled my head. For a moment, I couldn’t process the meaning of her words. Willow’s voice drifted back over the line, slow and deliberate. “Oh, and by the way, Mrs. Rodriguez and Mike the driver came, too. Mom said she just couldn’t get used to the local help, the food wasn’t right.” “I can’t talk anymore, Sis. Mom just made me my favorite slow-roasted short ribs. They’ll get cold.” Click. The line went dead. I stood in the vast, empty foyer, clutching the humming phone. This so-called home, I realized, had been my solo performance all along. They were the family. And I was nothing more than an untimely outsider who had barged in. 2 For many days after that, I felt like I was back in the isolation of the village. I started to get used to the mountain of takeout containers near the front door. I got used to eating alone in the cavernous dining room, staring at my phone. I got used to the ever-present, crushing silence of the house. Sometimes, walking home from St. Jude’s, I’d even have the strange delusion that this was how I’d lived my whole life. This continued for several weeks, until a Tuesday evening. I was curled up on the sofa, studying, when I heard the familiar beep-beep of the electronic lock being entered in the foyer. I didn’t even look up. I figured it was the cleaning crew. It wasn’t until two figures, dragging matching leather suitcases, appeared in the living room that I lazily lifted my eyes. Randall and Vivian. My parents. They looked travel-weary, and their faces held a slight, unsettling tension when they saw me. “Sloan…” My mother, Vivian, spoke first, her voice a fragile, careful test of the water. I closed my textbook, leaned back into the plush sofa cushions, and just looked at them. The silence I offered was more cutting than any accusation. Vivian’s face grew more strained. She nervously rubbed her hands together and launched into an explanation. “Sloan, I know you’ve been feeling neglected, but Willow… she’s been spoiled since childhood. She just couldn’t adapt to the small-town life, and your father and I were honestly just too worried…” “She has no security,” I finished for her. My mother’s expression froze. She couldn’t get another word out. My father dropped his suitcase and strode toward me. His voice was deep and commanding. “Enough. That’s all in the past.” He paused. “Willow is settled now. We’re only back for a couple of days to handle some business, then we’re leaving again.” Not a single word in his explanation was a question about my well-being. I felt a sudden, strange amusement bubbling up inside. A corner of my mouth twitched upward, completely against my will. The smile seemed to sting him. He frowned, pulled his wallet from the inner pocket of his suit jacket, and slid a sleek, black card across the coffee table. “Take this. No PIN, no limit. Buy whatever you want, eat whatever you want. Don’t hold back.” He paused, then added, his tone softening slightly but still patronizing. “We’re family, Sloan. You’re the big sister. Be the bigger person, cut your sister some slack, and don’t be so petty.” I looked at the card, then up at him, then at my mother. I spoke calmly. “Got it.” I took the card. This wasn’t compensation. This was the severance package meant to buy out the last shred of my ridiculous, childlike hope. 3 I used that black card with a clear conscience. If it was severance pay, then it deserved to be spent like it. The prestigious school I’d chosen, St. Jude’s Academy, lived up to its name. It wasn’t a place for ordinary people. The students wore labels I couldn’t recognize, discussed yacht parties and exclusive equestrian clubs I’d never heard of, and looked at me as if I were a stray cat that had wandered into a porcelain shop—curious, but mostly condescending. Within three days, the entire school knew: A country bumpkin had enrolled in the freshman class. At lunch, I carried my tray, and in the enormous dining hall, no one would sit at my table. They would rather cram three people onto a two-person table than cross the invisible border around me. I didn’t have time for self-pity. They were isolating me; I was happy to ignore them. My first act was to convert the money on my father’s black card into knowledge inside my head. I called the city’s most exclusive prep program and made three simple demands: “The best tutors. One-on-one. All subjects. Schedule every hour.” The person on the other end of the line was silent for three seconds before responding with a tone that bordered on sycophantic. “Of course, Ms. Sloan. Would you like us to send a car to pick you up?” “No. Send the tutors to my house.” In addition to academics, I signed up for courses in basic finance, commercial law, and high-society etiquette. My etiquette instructor was a fifty-something Englishwoman. The first time she saw me try to cut a steak with chopsticks, she nearly fainted. But she was a good teacher. She told me that true elegance wasn’t about the designer label you wore; it was about always knowing what you wanted and knowing exactly how to get it. I took that to heart. The money flowed like water, but I could feel myself rapidly transforming, inside and out. My first business venture was born on an entirely random afternoon. I was sitting in the back row of a classroom, half-listening to a history professor the English tutor had hired to talk about European history, and half-watching the girl in front of me. Her name was Tinsley, her family was in real estate, and she was among the elite of the rich kids. She spent the entire afternoon frantically scrolling on her phone before slamming it face down and complaining to her friend. “I’m so mad! I asked three different personal shoppers, and none of them got me that limited-edition Birkin! It was sold out in Europe the second it dropped!” Her friend tried to comfort her. “Don’t be upset, Tinsley. Those things are all luck.” “I don’t care! I have to have it for my birthday party next week! I’ll pay anything!” I looked down and tapped my finger lightly on my notebook. I had connections. During my decade in the village, to help make extra money, I had learned a few tricks from far-flung relatives who were always traveling, and I knew all sorts of people. One of my distant cousins ran a small-scale trade operation in Europe. After school, I used a burner phone to call him. A half-hour later, I walked up to Tinsley. “I can get you the bag you want.” Tinsley looked up, examining me with suspicion. “You?” “Do you even know how much that bag costs?” “Nine thousand Euros retail, plus tax, plus my thirty percent procurement fee, delivered to your hand within three days.” I stated the price calmly, then handed her my phone. “Here’s my contact info. Text me when you decide. Fifty percent deposit.” I didn’t wait for a response; I simply turned and walked away. I knew she would text me. Because for her, it wasn’t about the money. It was about status. At ten o’clock that night, my phone chimed. I had a friend request and a five-figure wire transfer. 4 The day Tinsley got the bag, she practically swaggered through the school hallways, which, in turn, elevated my reputation. Before long, my inbox was flooded with friend requests from wealthy girls and guys who had endless money but zero access. My life was cleanly split into two worlds. At St. Jude’s, I was the “country kid” in plain clothes, a loner. In my phone, I was the mysterious fixer who could source any rare, limited-edition item imaginable. This fragile peace was broken on my father’s birthday. My mother called, her voice edged with a strange plea. “Sloan, your father’s birthday dinner is this Saturday at The Grand Hyatt. You… you absolutely have to be there.” “Okay.” I answered flatly. She hadn’t expected such an easy acceptance and all her prepared arguments got stuck in her throat. After a few seconds, she continued, “I had a dress prepared for you. The driver will drop it off tomorrow. Try it on and see if it fits.” The next day, Mike delivered a massive garment box. Inside was a champagne-colored gown. It was at least five years out of date, the waistline was loose, and the straps were horribly old-fashioned. I tried it on and felt like a child wearing an adult’s clothes, swallowed whole by a satin sack—awkward and ridiculous. But I wore the satin sack to the birthday gala anyway. As soon as I entered the ballroom, I saw my father, Randall, holding court at the center of a crowd, looking powerful and energized. My mother, Vivian, was on his arm, her smile perfectly poised and graceful. And beside them stood Willow, wearing a blush-pink, custom-made princess dress. Her fair skin made the dress look even more delicate, and a sparkling tiara was clipped into her hair. She looked exactly like a princess held aloft on a pedestal. The three of them stood together, truly looking like a family. A few guests glanced my way with searching looks, then leaned in to whisper to each other, their disdain and anticipation of drama thinly veiled. I didn’t care. I found an empty corner, grabbed a slice of mini-cake, and ate by myself. Midway through, I even pulled out my phone and processed two new orders. The party was in full swing. My father was engrossed in conversation with a couple of VPs and CEOs who looked incredibly wealthy. That’s when I saw Willow, a flute of red wine in her hand, weaving through the crowd toward me. I didn’t move, just silently prepared myself for the performance. Two steps from me, her foot suddenly “turned,” and her body lurched toward me. The wine glass arced in a perfect, calculated trajectory. The crimson liquid inside splashed, without losing a single drop, entirely onto the pristine white suit of the VP standing beside her. Splash. A vivid, red flower instantly bloomed on the VP’s chest. The entire ballroom went silent for a second. The next second, Willow’s eyes welled up. Tears streamed down her face. She turned to me, her expression a perfect portrait of victimhood. “Sister… I know you don’t like me, but… why did you push me… Mr. Jones’s suit is ruined…” Every eye in the room snapped onto me. My father’s face instantly darkened. He didn’t even look at me first, immediately turning to profusely apologize to the VP. Then he spun around violently, roaring at me. “Sloan! Haven’t you caused enough of a scene?” He grabbed my arm with a force that felt like he wanted to crush my bones, dragging me toward the VP. “Now! Immediately! Apologize to Mr. Jones!” I was surrounded by rubberneckers and judging eyes. Willow was still quietly sobbing nearby, and my mother was soothing her hand, looking helpless and pained. My father saw my lack of reaction. His fury intensified. He pointed a finger inches from my nose, forcing the words out one by one. “I told you to apologize! Did you hear me?”

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It was the first time my parents, my brother, and my sister-in-law had met my fiancé, Graham Scott. Graham was poised, courteous, and handled the grilling with practiced ease. My parents, David and Carol, and my brother, Aaron, seemed placated. Satisfied, even. But Sienna, my sister-in-law, frowned. She looked at me with an expression of deep disapproval and spoke in a tone heavy with misplaced wisdom. “Willow, I’ve been around the block, and I can tell you: you’re clearly still hung up on Patrick, the man we met last week! You need to stop this.” “This is your whole life, darling. You cannot be rushing into this marriage, using Graham as a fallback just because you’re pregnant!” “Yes, the doctor warned you that one more termination might leave you infertile, but you cannot settle! I’d rather support you for the rest of your life than watch you compromise like this.” I rushed to deny it, appealing to my parents and Aaron to back me up. But they only started to waffle, their clarification vague, effectively muddying the waters instead of clearing them. Graham looked utterly defeated. He left in a fit of anger, driving away only to die in a car accident moments later. I went insane, demanding answers, cornering Sienna and the rest of my family. But Sienna merely shrugged, her voice light and dismissive. “I was only trying to help you, Willow. I was testing if he had one hundred percent faith in you.” My family nodded along in support. “Thank God we tested him, then! Imagine if you’d actually married that short-lived loser—you’d be crying for years!” Rage blinding me, I grabbed them, insisting they come with me to Graham’s grave to repent. I never made it. I was shoved down the stairs by one of them and died. I woke up, back at the beginning. I looked at Sienna, who was already starting to give me her knowing, conspiratorial eye-roll. I smiled. If you’re so intent on “testing” my fiancé, Sienna, then I’ll be “testing” my brother for you. 1 Dinner had just wrapped up. We were settled on the plush sectional in my new living room, the conversation inevitably turning to the wedding plans with Graham. Sienna Marshall couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Willow, this is a lifelong commitment. You can’t shortchange yourself like this.” “Where is Patrick, the man we had lunch with just last week? The handsome one with the investment banking job and the condo in the West Village? He was so much better, and you clearly liked him more! Why are you settling for this Graham Scott?” I paused, but I didn’t feel the surge of anger I had the first time. I only felt a strange detachment. “Sienna, what on earth are you talking about? I never—” She cut me off before I could finish, not even looking at me, barreling forward with her speech. “Even if you don’t want me to say it, I have to, darling. If I don’t say it now, it will be too late forever!” “I know you’re rushing to get married because of the baby! But I stand by what I said: don’t let a big house and a fancy car from this man force you to have a child that will only be used as an illegitimate pawn in a family fortune fight!” “I still hope you’ll reconsider, Willow. Terminate the pregnancy. Move on with your life. You’ve had so many, what’s one more?” “If what the doctor said is true, and this one really does make you infertile, so be it. Mom, Dad, Aaron, and I—we will all take care of you for the rest of your life!” Sienna went on and on, weaving a story about me being promiscuous and a gold-digger who was trying to trap an unsuspecting man for his money. I remained perfectly calm. I had lived through this exact scene before. Last time, everything had gone smoothly until we started talking about the wedding, and then Sienna suddenly went manic. Under the “neutral” oversight of my parents and brother, I couldn’t get a single word in edgewise. Graham believed me, but he couldn’t stand against the united “testimony” of my whole family. He left, he crashed, and I didn’t survive long after him. 2 I had been reborn. I wasn’t about to fall into the same trap twice. I had been ready for Sienna’s attack, and as she grew more animated, my expression grew colder. But I didn’t try to refute her. Instead, I stood up abruptly, raised my hand, and slapped Sienna across the face with every ounce of force I had. “I don’t care if you’re drunk or possessed, I order you to snap out of it!” The silence that followed the smack was absolute. Sienna was stunned. My parents and Aaron were also shocked into stillness. They couldn’t pretend they hadn’t seen it, nor could they keep playing dumb. They all jumped up, pulling me aside, a cacophony of outrage rising around me. Aaron Reed shielded Sienna behind him, his finger nearly poking me in the eye. “What in God’s name is wrong with you, Willow? How could you put your hands on her?” “She’s your sister-in-law! Don’t you remember how much she’s done for you over the years?” “No matter what she said, it was for your own good! You don’t have to appreciate it, but you certainly don’t get to hit her!” I let out a cold, cynical laugh. So, when Sienna was slandering me, they were deaf, dumb, and blind. The second I defended myself, they “came alive.” But Aaron’s attempt at moral blackmail failed. I spoke softly, my voice laced with steel. “She only deserves respect when she acts respectable.” “Did she do good things for me? Yes. But have I been good to her? You look at what she’s wearing, what jewelry she’s flaunting. Who paid for it? I did.” “She doesn’t have to thank me, but she certainly can’t spew lies in front of my fiancé. That’s for my good? For whose good?” “If we want to talk about good, I slapped her for your good. If you don’t rein in that filthy mouth of hers, she’ll bring down ruin on the entire Reed family. After all, trouble comes out of an open mouth.” All four of them were speechless. I hadn’t even bothered to deny her claims, yet I was armed with a superior logic they weren’t prepared for. This was completely off-script. In their plan, I was supposed to be sobbing, begging Graham to believe me, then pleading with them to vouch for my purity and virtue. But you can’t clarify something that never happened using only words. So this time, I wasn’t going to waste time on a battle of wits. Sienna, however, was nearly spitting mad from the blow. She hid behind Aaron and yelled across the room at Graham. “I didn’t lie!” “Willow is right; maybe I wasn’t doing this for her good. I just can’t stand how she treats relationships! I can see you’re a good man, Graham, and I don’t want you to be blindsided. I don’t want you to be a cuckold!” Graham’s expression was an odd mix of confusion and stoicism. After a long pause, he spoke. “I trust Willow’s character. Furthermore, she has been with me for most of last week. She had no time to meet any ‘stranger’ for an engagement talk.” He was right. My rebirth didn’t happen at this moment; it happened ten days ago. I had already spoken to Graham. Last time, he was 80% convinced; this time, he was 100% on my side. I stepped forward, took Graham’s hand, and turned back to Sienna, a triumphant smirk on my face. “Sienna, you are either lying or having a sudden mental breakdown. Since you’ve always been such a sweet sister-in-law, it must be the latter. I’ll call the clinic right now and have you admitted for a mandatory 72-hour hold for psychological observation.” “I’m sure Mom, Dad, and Aaron won’t have any objection to that, right?” 3 David, Carol, and Aaron didn’t dare object. Not only was my reasoning sound, but more importantly, I was essentially their sole financial backer. I paid their mortgage, bought their life insurance policies, paid for their car, and even the utility bills were tied to my bank account. I wasn’t bluffing. I actually reached for my phone to make the call. Sienna looked terrified. Her relationship with Aaron was already strained, and if I hadn’t been constantly supporting her, her life in the Reed family would have been hell. If I sent her to a locked psychiatric ward, she might never get out. She gritted her teeth. “I’m not lying! I have proof! You’ve all been deceived by Willow Reed.” As she spoke, she hesitated, then pulled a folded A4 paper out of her handbag. I recognized it immediately: a sonogram image. The results slip bore my name. Sienna stammered, “I went with Willow for a check-up last week. It shows she’s seven weeks pregnant. Everything I said just now—that she was trying to trap an unsuspecting man—was what she told the doctor. I haven’t lied about a single thing!” In the previous life, Graham had been driven away by their chaotic yelling before Sienna could even produce this evidence. I had no idea it existed. But I wasn’t scared; I simply shook my head. “That result? AI can generate thousands of those in a minute.” Sienna didn’t argue. She snatched my phone, typed in my unlock code with practiced ease, and navigated to the City Medical Center’s patient portal. “This is the official patient portal for Tri-State General. I just logged in with your information. This is the electronic medical record for that check-up. The paper can be fake, but this digital record can’t be!” This time, even I couldn’t find a quick retort. Sienna was right. A paper copy could be forged, but the official hospital electronic file could not. Seeing my silence, my mother, Carol Reed, seemed to sigh in relief. She looked at me with a touch of guilt. “Willow, I know your sister-in-law has a cruel way of putting things, but she truly is looking out for your future. You can’t hide something like this forever.” My father, David, nodded in agreement. “That’s right. If you want to keep the baby, we won’t stop you. But marrying him under false pretenses is no good. You can always have the baby and let Aaron adopt him. Your reputation won’t suffer at all.” Aaron bypassed me completely and patted Graham on the shoulder. “Buddy, I sincerely hoped you’d become my brother-in-law. You’re a great guy, well-mannered, and you treat Willow well. But my sister really isn’t good enough for you. She’s not a good girl.” “We’re the ones who failed you, Graham. We didn’t raise her right. So I have to apologize to you, on behalf of our whole family.” Sienna looked like she’d won the lottery. She was waiting for Graham to explode, to maybe even slap me or drag me out of the room. But Graham didn’t move. He just looked at me with an extremely odd expression, as if to say, Why is this all happening exactly as you predicted? Because I had specifically told him to listen and not speak, he could only close his mouth, his face a mask of confusing composure. I didn’t answer his silent question. Instead, I let out a genuine laugh. “What a coincidence!” “Graham’s uncle gave me a voucher for a full executive physical. Graham and I went together yesterday. Full body workup. And somehow… they missed the seven-week pregnancy.” 4 As I spoke, I pulled out my own detailed medical report for verification. “This one is from a reputable health center. It also has a verified digital file. And Graham was with me when I had the blood work done. So I don’t just have physical proof, I have a verifiable human witness.” Sienna stared at me in disbelief. I didn’t give her a chance to recover. I picked up my phone again. “But Sienna would never try to hurt me. She must have known something to get so upset. This is clearly the fault of whoever used my medical ID for insurance fraud.” “I’m calling the police right now to report the fraud…” Sienna slapped the phone out of my hand. “Don’t try to change the subject!” “Maybe you had an abortion after you saw me! That’s why your results are clean! As for witnesses, we are four witnesses! We can all testify that you brought a different man home last Wednesday to discuss an engagement!” Sienna shot a hard look at the three Reeds. They hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. “She’s right. It was Wednesday. I remember clearly.” “If you want to deny it, tell us where you were that Wednesday!” I couldn’t answer. Last Wednesday, Carol had dragged me shopping all day, and she clearly wouldn’t be my witness now. I found the situation even more ridiculous than before. It turned out their plan wasn’t riddled with holes; they had thought of every possible angle. But I wasn’t worried. I pointed to the large screen TV in the corner. “Even more of a coincidence.” “I installed a hidden security system ten days ago. Since you claim I brought a man home last Wednesday to discuss marriage, why don’t we roll the footage? Let’s see what man I brought home.” Hearing this, Sienna’s face instantly went pale. She screamed, running toward the TV, clawing and yelling that I couldn’t turn on the monitor. “You can’t watch the monitor! If you watch the monitor, your engagement with Graham is completely ruined!” “If you must watch it, at least send Graham away first! He’ll be heartbroken to see it!” I almost laughed out loud. Graham, however, looked uncomfortable for a different reason. “Sienna, you don’t need to worry about me. I trust Willow. I’m willing to watch the monitor to confirm her innocence.” I chimed in, “Sienna, this is my house, and Graham is my fiancé. I’m not scared. Why are you so scared?” I held back the frantic Sienna and nodded to Graham to proceed. Graham had helped me install the system, so he was perfectly comfortable projecting the feed onto the TV. In seconds, the security camera facing the front door showed a strange man entering the house, moving with the familiarity of a homeowner, and heading straight for the guest bedroom. The Reeds gasped in surprise. Sienna quickly seized the moment. “See? There’s the man! Turn it off! There will definitely be some R-rated scenes!” But Graham didn’t turn it off. He simply hit the pause button. Sienna breathed a sigh of relief. Aaron looked at me with a furious, disappointed stare. “Willow Reed, the evidence is undeniable. What do you have to say for yourself? You hit your sister-in-law just for speaking the truth! You owe her an apology immediately!” Just as he finished speaking, Graham fast-forwarded a few minutes, as I had instructed. A second figure appeared in the surveillance footage. And that person was none other than Sienna Marshall.

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Chapter 1 One week before the SATs, every student in my class bound themselves to a cheating system. Genius possession, grade stealing, score doubling… Everyone was convinced they would get into Harvard or Yale, so they started slacking off and partying recklessly. But they didn’t know that I held the “Fairness Judge System.” All cheating systems would become invalid on the day of the exam. I am their homeroom teacher, Mr. Walker. One week before the SATs, my students suddenly seemed to have an epiphany. The underachievers turned into straight-A students overnight. Only the class monitor, Sarah Reed, slipped from first place in the grade to the very bottom. Unable to bear the blow, she wanted to end her life. When I rushed to the rooftop, the principal was trying to persuade her: “Sarah, you’ve been number one for three consecutive years. You’re definitely Ivy League material. This mock exam was just an accident…” But the gap between the top and the bottom isn’t luck; it’s a solid three years of capability. Calling such a precipitous drop an “accident” was too light. Sarah’s eyes were empty, clutching a transcript with a score of 400 like a death warrant. Her family situation was terrible; they were like leeches. The SATs were her only chance to change her fate. Unless she gave up on herself, I couldn’t think of any reason for her to fall from the top of the pyramid to the bottom of the valley. I slowly moved half a step forward: “Sarah, did your parents hit you again? Or are they forcing you to drop out and work?” “Remember what I said? We have to save ourselves a thousand times over. The exam is right in front of us. Let’s fight to the end and not give up, okay?” Sarah’s shoulders trembled. She looked back at me, her voice shaking: “Mr. Walker, I remember! I didn’t give up! I knew every question when I was doing them, but after I handed it in, all the answers changed…” My heart skipped a beat. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have time to think. In this mock exam, the average score in our class was 1580, everyone capable of getting into Harvard. I suddenly realized that this unreasonable leap forward wasn’t just cheating; it could only be a system at work! Someone chose to take a shortcut and steal someone else’s grades. And Sarah was the victim! My face was solemn. I repeatedly assured Sarah that there was a way to retrieve her grades before I managed to talk her down. Then I rushed to check the surveillance footage and dragged the most suspicious student, Jason Miller, to the office: “You were sleeping the whole time during the exam. How did you get a 1590?” “Tell me, did you cheat?” Jason looked at the footage of himself sleeping soundly. At first, he refused to admit it. But after a few more questions, he exploded: “Yes! The whole class cheated!” “Except for Sarah, we all downloaded the ‘SAT Cheat System’ app. As long as we exchange things from the real world, we can easily get into the Ivy League.” I asked Jason: “What did you exchange for the skill?” Jason said nonchalantly: “My Golden Retriever, which I raised for eight years, was crushed into meat paste by a car right in front of me!” “How could you?” “It’s just a dog. It’s dead anyway. But with the Paper Swapping System, I can get into Harvard for sure!” “Mr. Walker, I’m one of the good ones!” “Emily traded her beauty for double scores. Chris used his sister’s unhappy marriage for the ‘God of Exams’ possession. Someone even sacrificed ten years of their parents’ lives…” He spoke righteously, as if the price paid was not worth mentioning. True, with his failing grades, getting into a community college would be luck. Suddenly able to change his life, he probably thought he was the chosen one, overjoyed. Little did he know, fate’s gifts had long been secretly priced. I looked at him with a subtle expression: “What about Sarah? Why exclude her?” Jason laughed gloatingly: “There are 40 people in the class, but only 39 systems. Sarah’s grades are so good she doesn’t need one. Besides, someone bound the Score Stealing System and specifically exchanged for Sarah’s score.” How ironic! They say the SAT is a fair scale, weighing the true weight of every ounce of effort. But the appearance of the system made effort a sin and scores a prey. For Sarah, I will not allow anyone to disrupt the exam with a system! Chapter 2 After comforting Sarah, I held a class meeting. Just as I wrote the words “No Shortcuts to Success” on the blackboard, a bottle of Gatorade flew over and hit me on the head. “So annoying!” Chris kicked his desk over: “Always preaching this crap. I used my sister’s unhappy marriage for the God of Exams system. She’s marrying an abusive guy next month.” “If you won’t let me take a shortcut, you go marry him for my sister.” Someone started it, and they stopped pretending. The classroom exploded instantly. Someone said: “I mortgaged my dad’s factory for a perfect Math score! That broken factory is going to close down sooner or later anyway. I don’t know why he’s holding on.” Another said: “My mom’s breast cancer gives her at most a month to live. What a pity, a month of life can only be exchanged for the essay topic.” My scalp tingled as I listened. I quickly called a halt: “Don’t be stupid! The system isn’t a shortcut; it’s a trap! It’s not too late to stop now!” In the silence, Jason suddenly stood up. “Mr. Walker, you’re saying all this because of Sarah, right?” “Because her score was stolen and she has no chance at college, you can’t stand to see us underachievers turn our lives around.” He grabbed a dirty broom and threw it at me: “Get out! Don’t delay us from getting into Harvard!” “Get out now! We don’t need you to manage us!” “We have the system now. We can get into Harvard easily. Do we need you to teach us?” Dodging in embarrassment, my heart turned completely cold. “Fine!” Good words can’t persuade a damned ghost: “Since you are all so amazing, classes are suspended for the seven days before the exam. Self-study.” The whole class cheered. Only Sarah followed me to prepare for the exam, never relaxing for a moment. In two consecutive mock exams, she was still last. I wiped away her tears: “You have to trust me. The exam will definitely be fair!” Under my indulgence, the whole class slacked off crazily. Until the day before the SATs, Jason suddenly came to me with a mournful face: “Mr. Walker! The system… the system is ignoring us!” “How could that be?” I put on a surprised expression: “You are all the chosen ones.” “It’s true!” His voice trembled: “My X-ray Vision System hasn’t responded for two hours. I asked the others, and their systems failed too!” I slammed the table: “The system must be charging up! Tomorrow is the exam; it’s going to give you guys a big boost!” Jason’s eyes lit up: “Really?” “Of course!” I swore solemnly, spouting nonsense: “If it doesn’t give you Harvard or Yale, it would be unfair to the high price you paid.” Jason’s face finally looked better: “I knew it. My dog couldn’t have died in vain.” He rushed back to the classroom to tell the others: “Everyone must believe in the system. Our class will sweep the state top scores this year!” People are stupid, but voices are loud. Cheers resounded in the corridor, and people ran and shouted in the hallway. The entire senior year was fighting for their future. With their ruckus, students in other classes were inevitably affected. I quickly comforted them: “The system descended on our class, doesn’t that prove you are all chosen talents? I’m counting on you for this year’s Teacher of the Year award.” “How about this? I’ll give you a holiday to go home and let the system rest well.” Everyone left, only Sarah looked dejected. She held the zero-score test paper that had been swapped, asking me uneasily: “Mr. Walker, what if my score is swapped again during the real exam?” I looked into her eyes and promised repeatedly: “It won’t happen. I promise you.” Chapter 3 On the day of the SATs, I was responsible for monitoring the surveillance of the exam hall. When I zoomed in, the students in my class with systems behaved differently. Either they lay down to sleep directly, handing in a blank paper. Or they discovered something was wrong with the system and scratched their heads in anxiety. Only Sarah was writing furiously. I zoomed in and checked; her accuracy rate was almost 100%. After the first section, Jason found me at the entrance of the exam hall. He looked panicked and pale: “Mr. Walker, my Paper Swapping System is dead. No matter how I summon it, it doesn’t appear!” “I already promised my dad I would definitely get into Harvard. He’s already bragged about it! If I don’t get in, he’ll beat me to death!” Other classmates also gathered around, talking all at once: “My Correct Answer Prompt System didn’t ring at all. I guessed all the multiple-choice questions!” “I was smart to grab the Life Exchange System…” I smiled and comforted them: “Don’t worry, everyone. The system will definitely explode when the scores are tallied!” After sending everyone away, I waved to Sarah in the corner. “You performed well today. Keep it up. You will definitely get into your dream school.” Finally, no one came to complain to me about the last few sections. Under my perfunctory compliments, they all believed they could get into the Ivy League. They even fought over who would be the state top scorer. The whole class was floating on air. Only Sarah came to me to estimate her score after the exam. She cried with red eyes: “If the system swaps my score again, my parents won’t let me repeat a year. They say the family is poor and want me to marry to get a dowry for my brother’s tuition.” Jason laughed exaggeratedly: “What score are you estimating? You should be estimating your bride price!” Chris was even more excessive, snatching Sarah’s score estimation sheet and tearing it to shreds. “Don’t dream about Harvard, you bumpkin. Hurry up and get married, have a few losing propositions like you, and then continue to sell daughters for dowries.” Their malice made Sarah lower her head. My heart ached. I quickly hugged her tight. “Don’t listen to their nonsense. You have to trust me. The exam must be fair.” “Apply for Harvard with peace of mind. I will help you solve everything!” On the day the SAT scores were released, the students bound to the system brought their parents and reporters. They bragged to the camera: “I look down on state universities. Ivy League is barely acceptable!” “This year’s state top scorer is among us. The admissions offices of Harvard and Yale will come to snatch us soon!” Bragging wasn’t enough; they had to be sarcastic to me: “A rookie meeting a phoenix, what dumb luck! Bringing out a group of top students like us, you’ll win the Master Teacher title lying down!” People present just thought they were crazy. Students from the next class burst into laughter: “Heard your class lost their minds long ago. Reading too many novels damaged your brains? Uninstall the trash games on your phones before you speak.” Then Chris took the lead, and Jason followed. Betting that if they didn’t get into Harvard, they would eat shit while doing a handstand. Their confidence crushed Sarah. She shrank behind me with a worried face, sobbing uncontrollably: “Mr. Walker, I’m scared. If I get a zero again, I’ll really die.” “Nothing to be afraid of. With me here, the exam is absolutely fair and just!” “And I will definitely catch the person who stole your score!” As the time for score release approached, the students in our class dreamed bigger and bigger. “If Harvard and Yale come to snatch us later, who will you choose?” “Needless to say, whoever licks my boots better, I’ll choose them.” “I heard Yale has good pizza. If I say I want to eat it, will the president make it for me immediately?” “Your appetite is too small. What’s pizza? I want Harvard to give me a house, right next to Boston Common.” “Haha, then I want one in Manhattan…” Everyone was dumbfounded listening to them, looking at me with unbearable eyes. Clearly, they were the crazy ones, but I was the one losing face. Soon, the big screen flashed, releasing the scores. The students in our class were collectively dumbfounded and shut up abruptly. “How could this be?! I have the Perfect Score System! Where did the zero come from!” “I have the X-ray Vision System. I clearly copied the correct answers. How could it be… zero!” “I got zero too! I clearly swapped Sarah’s score…” Jason suddenly turned his head, staring at Sarah: “Did you do it on purpose?! Purposefully got a zero to ruin my life!” Amidst the uproar, Sarah’s score shone on the screen. 1600 points. A perfect score. The state top scorer for sure. Jason’s eyes widened in disbelief. After a shrill scream, he squatted on the ground and tore his hair frantically. Amid the wailing of the whole class, I sneered silently. Did you really think you could get into Harvard by binding a cheating system? Sorry, I have the “Fairness Judge System,” specializing in punishing all kinds of cheating. What awaits you next is not an admission letter from Harvard, but the judgment of justice. Chapter 4 My class producing a 1600-point state top scorer and 39 zeros exploded on social media. Parents blocked me in the office demanding an explanation. “Taught by the same teacher, why did Sarah get 1600 and my son get zero? If you don’t explain clearly, I’ll report you to the Board of Education!” “There must be something fishy. My daughter usually scores over 1300 in mocks. How could she suddenly get a zero?” “If you don’t give a reasonable explanation, I’ll call the police to arrest you!” And those students who clamored for me not to manage them all dodged their eyes, daring not look at me. Now they didn’t mention the system. I sneered and was about to speak when Jason rushed out. “Dad, Mr. Walker never cared about us. He only tutored Sarah. My zero is all his fault!” “Yes, Mr. Walker is biased. I didn’t even dare to ask him questions.” “He didn’t grade homework and called us stupid. It’s all his fault!” They raked backwards. Their exquisite acting made me tremble with anger. Reporters at the door pointed their cameras at me: “Mr. Walker, students reported that you treated them differently for a long time, causing psychological imbalance and leading to them all getting zeros.” “How do you respond to the accusation that you are unfit to be a teacher?” I sneered. Just as I was about to refute, Jason’s dad grabbed my collar. “What’s there to explain? This scum must have taken money from Sarah’s family and spent all his time tutoring her, ignoring my son!” Sarah trembled and testified for me: “It’s not like that. They are lying. It was clearly them saying they had systems…” “Shut up! Is it your turn to speak?!” Jason picked up a water cup and threw it. I quickly broke free and shielded Sarah behind me. The cup hit my back. With a “bang,” the whole room went dead silent. I slowly looked up, my eyes cold: “Have you acted enough of this blame-shifting drama?” When fairness is profaned, someone always has to be the guardian of the scale. I took out my phone and clicked on a video. In the video, they were making bold statements: “It’s just a dog. It’s dead anyway. With the X-ray vision skill, I can definitely get into Harvard!” “I used my sister’s unhappy marriage to exchange for a difficulty reduction system. She has to marry an abuser next month, hahaha!” “I mortgaged my dad’s factory for a Math score of 800!” “Pity my mom’s breast cancer gives her at most a month to live…” The video continued to play. Every word of them insulting me and telling me to get out relying on the system was clearly audible. The parents’ faces turned from angry to iron blue. A parent asked: “This… what is this?!” I said coldly: “It’s evidence that your children tried to trade life span for scores, relatives for answers, and use systems to cheat!” The parents turned their heads sharply, staring at their children. Several parents started hitting their kids on the spot. The office was instantly in chaos. Jason was slapped to the ground by his dad. Chris was pinned to the ground and beaten wildly. All the zero-score students were being beaten by their parents. Reporters took photos frantically. Public opinion reversed instantly. Jason suddenly pointed at me hysterically: “It’s you! You made us believe in the system!” Everyone paused, looking at me in unison. “You said the holiday before the exam, right? Mr. Walker, you still can’t escape responsibility!” “If it weren’t for you, how could these children believe in such absurd things like systems?” “Their minds are immature. As the homeroom teacher, you must take full responsibility.” I laughed in anger, raising an eyebrow: “Evidence? None, right?” “But I have evidence of your children cheating.”

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When I was twenty, I knitted my first scarf for the boy I secretly loved. At Liam Sterling’s birthday party, he accepted the scarf amidst everyone’s mocking gazes. Three days after my brother died, I went to the admin office to withdraw from college. I happened to overhear the students inside joking while sorting files. “Are you really going to throw away that scarf from the hillbilly, Grace?” “That thing? It’s not even worth comparing to the designer coat Bella bought him. It’s worse than a hotel towel. Just toss it.” “If I knew Liam didn’t want his little follower’s gift, I would have taken it as a doormat. It’s a pity to throw it away; after all, she knitted it stitch by stitch.” Bella was his childhood sweetheart. Liam laughed, crumpled the scarf into a ball, and casually tossed it at the boy. The boy dodged nimbly. The scarf fell next to the trash can, looking pathetic. Our eyes met for a second. I silently took my withdrawal papers and left. I knew I had no right to question him. He stood behind me and seemed to say something, but I didn’t hear it. Six years later, when I returned to New York, I heard a rumor. The Sterling family heir had a “white moonlight”—a first love—who had been missing for years. 1 I came to New York to expand my boutique clothing brand. On the first day of opening, an old acquaintance walked in. “Grace?!” I was arranging clothes on the rack. I had changed my name years ago. Hearing that name, I froze. Recovering, I turned and met a pair of shocked eyes. The man in front of me looked somewhat unfamiliar, with handsome features and expensive clothes. But I couldn’t remember where I had seen him. I smiled apologetically. “You are?” He scratched his head subconsciously. That action instantly reminded me who he was. Carter. Liam’s friend. The boy who said six years ago that he would use my scarf as a doormat. Beside him stood a girl, holding his arm, slender and tall, smiling brightly. In the VIP room. While the girl was in the fitting room, Carter looked around my shop. “You… you opened this? This brand is so popular lately. I didn’t expect you to be the owner…” Carter seemed to remember something, a trace of embarrassment on his face. “About back then… I was joking. Please don’t take it to heart. Actually, I’ve wanted to apologize for years, but I couldn’t find you.” “Where have you been all these years? Why did you suddenly drop out? And there was no news at all…” His voice trailed off. I calmly took the fruit platter from the waiter and placed it on the table. “Nowhere special. Just went back to my hometown.” Went back home, changed my name, and restarted my life. He was about to ask more when his girlfriend came out. The clothes fit perfectly. The girl was satisfied and bought several more items. But soon, she offered a suggestion. “Your autumn/winter collection isn’t complete. Other stores market hats, brooches, shoes, and scarves together.” “I just tried on the clothes and noticed you don’t have matching scarves. I think you could improve on that.” I explained gently, “Our brand doesn’t plan to make scarves yet. Sorry. I’ll give you a 30% discount on these items…” Before leaving, Carter spoke cautiously, “Actually, all these years, Liam has been…” Suddenly, a loud crash of metal came from the store. I turned and saw the display rack I had half-assembled collapse. I rubbed my forehead in frustration. Great, have to install it again. Carter was still talking. I nodded hastily, turning to instruct the staff to handle the mess. He was overjoyed and immediately stuffed an invitation into my hand. “It’s settled then. Tomorrow is Liam’s birthday. You must come!” Before I could refuse, Carter walked away quickly. Giving me no chance to back out. My business partner, Zoe, stretched as she walked out from the back. “What was that noise? Woke me up. What’s this… Liam Sterling?” She stared obsessively at the invitation in my hand. Forgetting to put down her stretching arms, she exclaimed Liam’s name. I was puzzled. “You know him?” Zoe nodded furiously, her sleepy eyes instantly brightening. “Of course! Isn’t he the Prince of the Sterling family? I saw him at a fashion show recently.” “He sat in the front row, tall and handsome. Took over the company right after graduation, and profits doubled under him…” “Hey, this birthday invitation? How did you get it?” I said calmly, “Carter gave it to me.” Hearing this, Zoe looked at me with admiration. 2 “Carter?! Oh my god, Grace, how many connections do you have that I don’t know about!” “Carter, and now Liam Sterling… but…” She lowered her voice mysteriously. “I heard Liam has someone he likes.” “But the girl he likes seems to have disappeared years ago. He spent so much effort looking for her but couldn’t find her. I remember her last name was Miller… what a coincidence, Grace Miller!” I lowered my eyes, interrupting her fantasy. “Don’t overthink it. Miller is a common name.” “So, are you going to Liam’s birthday party tomorrow?” “No.” She was disappointed by the answer. But she seemed more interested in my connections. The autumn wind was bleak, rolling up fallen leaves on the street. I pulled my coat tighter, subconsciously touching my cold neck. Under Zoe’s relentless questioning. I opened the past I had deliberately sealed in my heart. “I had a crush on Liam. In my youth.” “A crush that was a complete failure from start to finish.” Freshman orientation day. Students went up one by one, confidently stating their hobbies. I lowered my head in embarrassment. I was poor. My mom died giving birth to me. My dad shouldered the burden of the family alone. In my junior year of high school, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. My brother dropped out to work. But the monthly medical bills still crushed us. When it was my turn, my palms sweated with nervousness. My stuttering made the students below laugh. “Where is this hillbilly from? Wearing a floral dress? So outdated. Can’t she keep up with trends?” “I saw her at move-in. Her family looks poor. Her suitcase lost two wheels, and she didn’t even replace it…” “Can’t even introduce herself properly. Get off the stage, don’t waste our time!” I clutched my skirt, face flushed. My dad and brother took me to buy this dress before school started. I said it was too expensive. My dad paid with a simple smile. “It’s okay, don’t worry about money. Wear something nice on the first day, leave a good impression.” The dress wasn’t cheap. $200. Half a month’s living expenses. I turned awkwardly to leave, but a loud voice came from the crowd. “Who said it’s ugly? It’s not. I think it looks good.” Following the voice, everyone fell silent. Liam leaned back in his chair, chewing gum. When he said that, his eyes were fixed on me. In that moment, the world faded to black and white, except for him. I could only see the bright eyes of the boy and the smile on his lips. Zoe nodded thoughtfully, shaking my arm excitedly. “So you started crushing on him then?” “Such a handsome guy saving you from embarrassment. I would have fallen for him too.” I sipped my tea calmly. Actually, no. My real interaction with Liam started during winter break. I was working at a car wash when the sound of an argument approached. A car braked hard in front of the shop. Then, a bouquet of exquisite flowers was thrown out the window, hitting me on the head as I bent over to adjust a machine. “Liam, what’s with your attitude? I came back to fix things, and this is how you treat me?” Liam’s lazy sneer followed. “Bella, I picked you up at the airport because I didn’t want to embarrass your parents. Why do you think I’d wait for you?” “We agreed to go to Columbia together, but you left for Paris without a word. What, you have the right to pursue dreams, but I don’t have the right to pursue love?” Bella laughed in anger. “Love? Don’t tell me the great Liam Sterling fell in love with someone else.” Liam turned his head, his eyes meeting mine as I rubbed my head. He smiled suddenly. “Did you think you were irreplaceable?” “Bella, let me tell you. From now on, anyone but you will do.” He got out of the car, took a black velvet box from his jacket, and tossed it to me. “For you.” Bella cried in anger. “Even a car wash girl?” Liam answered frivolously. “Yes.” Bella got out of the car crying and disappeared into the crowd. She didn’t look back, so she didn’t see Liam’s gaze fixed on her back the whole time. From that day on, I became Liam’s sidekick. Because he paid me to act with him. If I acted well, there was money. 3 I agreed. As a tool to provoke Bella. I spent almost the entire winter break with him. At parties, Liam gently wiped foam from my lips. When I lost at Truth or Dare, he drank for me with a smile, saying no one could bully me. Walking me home in the snow, snowflakes fell on his shoulders, but his umbrella tilted toward me. When I had a fever, he took me to the hospital. His busy figure touched my heart at some point. There were many moments when I even thought Liam was really my boyfriend. Dining at a high-end restaurant, he imitated a couple at the next table and said to me: “I want a scarf knitted by you too.” He said it casually, but I inevitably took it seriously. I started secretly preparing materials. Because I wasn’t skilled, I knitted and unraveled, over and over. The yarn lost its elasticity in places, looking a bit crooked. Bella didn’t care at first. After all, she didn’t believe Liam would really like someone as ordinary and plain as me. But halfway through winter break, Liam hadn’t given her a single glance. Bella panicked. In a bar, his friends jokingly called me “Sister-in-law.” Liam lazily pulled down his collar, revealing a temporary tattoo of my initials on his collarbone. Everyone exclaimed, saying he really fell for me. In that moment, Bella finally snapped. She smashed a beer bottle over my head, the butterfly tattoo on her wrist trembling. “Grace Miller, who are you to compete with me? Does a hillbilly like you deserve him?” Red blood flowed down my brow bone into my eye. My vision turned red, but I still saw clearly. Liam smiled, eyes fixed on Bella. He was trying hard to hide the heartache in his eyes. He wanted Bella to regret, to go crazy, to lose her mind for him. On the verge of Bella’s breakdown, Liam finally stopped hiding his pain. He pulled the weeping Bella into his arms, kissing her lips with restraint. “Just a tattoo sticker. You believed it?” No one cared about me, covered in blood. The people who called me “Sister-in-law” cheered for their love. I quietly exited with the others, leaving them space. After treating the wound, I hid the half-knitted scarf deep in the closet. Liam didn’t look for me for a whole semester. Maybe he forgot about me. His relationship with Bella seemed to get better. Sometimes in class, I saw Liam video chatting with Bella. His eyes looking at her were always so gentle. Probably due to the time difference, Bella was usually sleeping in bed, like a lazy, noble cat. I don’t know why, but my heart felt sour. I suddenly remembered when we lay on the grass watching stars, he said out of nowhere: “If only it could be like this forever.” I was confused. “What?” He fell silent. After a long time, he shook his head and said nothing. Later, the hospital urged payment for my dad’s bills. My brother’s advance wages couldn’t cover the expenses. Desperate, I remembered Liam hadn’t paid my last installment. So I gathered my courage and found Liam at his usual bar. Liam must have fought with Bella again. He hid in the darkness, the air around him terrifyingly cold. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Liam’s answer. He said, act with him one more time. I did. A staged kidnapping. Liam’s distress and deep affection when saving me were reported online. He successfully provoked Bella again. I paid my dad’s medical bills. Half a month later. He suddenly handed me a birthday invitation. I took it nervously, calculating what to give. He seemed to lack nothing. I couldn’t afford expensive things; he wouldn’t like cheap ones. Thinking about it, my eyes fell on the unfinished scarf. When I gave the scarf at his party, the room went silent. Then erupted in harsh laughter. Liam didn’t laugh. Embarrassed, I tried to pull my hand back, but Liam grabbed my wrist. “Thanks. It’s nice. I like it.” One day later, I realized this was probably another show for Bella. The next day, it rained heavily. Amidst thunder, I received a call. “Is this Grace Miller? Your brother, John, had an accident at the construction site. He was gone before reaching the hospital. The hospital needs family to sign…” The foreman said my brother fell from a height because he didn’t fasten his safety rope properly. I didn’t believe it. My brother was never careless. I wanted to ask for details, but the construction company paid $80,000 and closed the case. Holding the money, I felt lost, tears not even falling yet. At the same time, my dad learned of my brother’s death. In the hospital. He hesitated for a long time, then said with a trembling voice, “The doctor says it’s terminal, medicine won’t help. Grace, I’m stopping treatment.” I disagreed, insisting he stay. My dad started packing, walking out without looking back. At the hospital entrance, I knelt and blocked him, breaking down. “Dad, please treat it. I only have you left. I’ll pay! I’ll drop out and work!” “Brother just died. I don’t want to live without you!” “I’ll kowtow to you. Please!” Passersby stopped to watch, shaking their heads and sighing. In the hospital, this happened every day. Not rare. Three days after handling my brother’s funeral, I went to school to withdraw. I happened to hear Liam say he would throw away that ridiculous scarf. Zoe clicked her tongue. “How could this happen…” The welcome chime at the door rang with a gust of cold wind. I silenced myself, wiping a tear. Before I could say “Welcome.” A pair of wet men’s leather shoes appeared in my vision. “Grace Miller… is it really you?!” 4 It was Liam. Before coming to New York, I imagined meeting old acquaintances many times. So, my gaze was calm. Six years of hardship were enough for me to handle everything with composure. Liam stood there, panting, travel-worn, hair messy, like he rushed from far away. He looked at me. I looked back without hesitation. The emotion in his eyes was familiar. I seemed to have seen it somewhere. But I couldn’t remember. But I understood one truth. Business is about service attitude. I stood up unhurriedly. “Hello.” In my polite, distant greeting, Liam realized his brashness. He grabbed my wrist, as if afraid I’d run. “Grace, let’s talk.” I didn’t agree, smiling. “We do need to talk. The Sterling Group is hosting the next fashion show. Our autumn designs are ready. Since you’re here…” He interrupted me. “Grace, you know that’s not what I want to talk about.” My business smile faded. Silence for a long time. I spoke slowly. “Liam, you weren’t wrong back then. You just didn’t like me. We used each other. No misunderstanding.” The light in his eyes extinguished. After a long while, he murmured. “I’m sorry.” Sorry? I didn’t know if he was sorry for saying he’d throw away the scarf. Or something else. But it didn’t matter. I didn’t know, and I didn’t want to know. Just as I was about to call a staff member, I realized Zoe had quietly left. Liam suddenly asked tremblingly, “How is your father?” “Passed away. The day I dropped out.” I suddenly remembered Liam had met my dad. There was a flu outbreak in New York. I had a high fever. Delirious. Waking up, my dad’s sickly face had a rare teasing look. “You were calling a name.” “Who is Liam? Is our Grace in love?” Embarrassed, I pulled the blanket over my head. Tracing his face in my chaotic mind. Until I heard someone calling my name outside the blanket. “Grace, wake up, eat something.” “Feeling better today?” My blanket was lifted gently. The person I was missing stood by the bed. He greeted my dad with a smile. “Hello Uncle, I’m Liam, Grace’s boyfriend.” Facing my dad, Liam never showed his rich-kid temper. When my dad offered hometown specialties, I was nervous. Liam was picky. He wouldn’t even look at delicacies, let alone salty preserved meats. But Liam showed no disgust. He gave a thumbs up, saying it was delicious. Before he left, my dad packed a huge bag for him. But later, when I went to his house… I saw the familiar plastic bag in the kitchen trash. In that moment, I understood. The young master had good manners. Even if he didn’t like it, he gave me face in front of my dad. My dad didn’t know about our deal. He thought we were in a healthy relationship. Seeing us together on the street, he would Venmo me money. “I can tell Liam is a good kid. Get along well. Eat whatever you want.” “With him taking care of you, I have no worries.” I thought it was just a normal sigh. I didn’t expect that after I returned home from withdrawing, a neighbor rushed in shouting. “Grace! Your dad jumped into the ocean!”

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