Category: English

When I went on “The Escape Pod,” a celebrity escape room reality show, with my movie-star husband, he locked himself and a young, relatively unknown actress in the main challenge room. He left me outside to deal with the terrifying Zombie NPC. The show was broadcasting live, and the comments were flying across the screen: [This room is a Blind Box challenge—no cameras inside, so no one knows what’s happening but them!] [But they announced the rule beforehand! They only need their heart rates to hit 180 to open the door!] [No way! The room is tiny! How can they exercise enough in there to hit 180?] [Guys, are we forgetting? There’s one kind of activity that doesn’t need much space but definitely gets the heart racing!] [Watch it, above! Keep it clean! Owen Mitchell is married to Scarlett Miller! Buy your own ticket to hell!] Just then, the door clicked open. I looked up. Owen Mitchell and Kira Bell were standing in the doorway, their fingers laced together. 1 In that moment, it wasn’t just me. The entire internet froze. On the live feed, the comment section exploded: [Wait, what? They just held hands and hit 180 BPM? Seriously?] [The shippers are coming for you, Director! Your set will be an empty wasteland!] [Didn’t they say the door was connected to a heart monitor? Does this mean Owen and Kira really… felt something?!] [Don’t start that rumor! Owen is a class act! He just didn’t want the network to bully a newbie actress. He was helping her, that’s all!] [Exactly! The show paired Kira with ‘ScOwen’ for this task—they clearly wanted to eliminate her early! Owen remembered his own struggle and stepped in. Don’t let your mind jump to romance!] I slowly turned my gaze to Owen. The gentle, adoring look he once saved for me was utterly gone, replaced by a cold, sharp edge, and a flicker of impatience at being caught. “Ms. Miller, please! You have to believe me!” Kira abruptly snatched her hand back, her eyes wide and timid. “Owen and I were just acting for a moment. He just didn’t want to see me eliminated in the first round. Please, Ms. Miller, don’t read anything into it!” I arched a brow and glanced at the heart rate monitor beside the door. The machine, which had been silent and still moments before, had spiked violently when Owen and Kira’s fingers interlocked. “You can even fool the machines. You two deserve a Golden Globe for that performance.” “I…” “Scar.” Owen frowned, subtly stepping in front of me, blocking my view of Kira. “Kira just debuted last year. It would be a huge loss if she had to leave the business over this show. I just wanted to do what I could to help, like you did for me all those years ago.” So Owen remembered. He remembered I was the one who went against the entire board at Miller Entertainment to sign him, who plucked him from a string of thankless extra roles and turned him into the powerhouse A-list star he is today. Then how could he? How could he brazenly flirt with a newcomer right under my nose, in front of countless cameras? “According to the show’s rules, the person who stays behind has to accept the consequence of a career ‘timeout,’ or elimination.” I looked up at Owen. “You took her out. Did you ever stop to think about what would happen to me?” The camera’s red light pulsed above my head, a silent, mocking eye. As Owen hesitated, the comments surged again: [She’s right! Scar Miller might not act much, but she’s been in the business since her debut with Owen in Rewind Tonight over a decade ago. Is the show really going to take out an entertainment executive?] [What is up with Owen? Ignoring his wife to save a newbie? And Kira, where’s your common sense? Don’t you know how to give a married couple space?] [Don’t blame Kira! Blame the Director! Pairing her with the ‘ScOwen’ couple for this task was clearly meant to eliminate her! They keep stealing her screen time!] [Just saying, doesn’t the vibe between ‘ScOwen’ feel totally off today? Are they actually having trouble?] “Scar.” 2 Owen sighed. “You have Miller Entertainment behind you. Even if you step back from acting, you’re still Ms. Miller, the CEO! Kira is different; she has nothing…” “So?” I cut him off. “You want me to take the fall?” Owen pressed his lips together. His silent, averted gaze gave me his answer. I let out a short, cynical laugh, pulled out my phone, and logged into my professional Instagram account. I drafted and posted a public statement announcing my “hiatus” from the screen. Owen relaxed instantly, patting my head. “That’s a good girl. You were never trained for acting anyway. We should leave the opportunities for the talented newcomers.” He glanced at Kira, then led her away. I signaled for the camera operator to shut off the feed, then called my assistant, Liam. “Notify Director Finn. The lead role in his new S-list project, Against the Current? We’re replacing the male lead.” Liam’s voice hitched. “Ms. Miller, did you and Owen… have a fight?” “No.” Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, I continued. “It’s a divorce.” Liam sucked in a sharp breath. “But… what about Director Finn’s project? Owen was confirmed. Changing the lead now—never mind the breach of contract penalty—the Director won’t find a replacement on such short notice!” The broadcast’s ‘Mid-Show Break’ announcement sounded just then. The production assistant came forward to remove my microphone pack. He was young, with clean, sharp features and focused eyes. As his fingers deftly unclipped the equipment from my collar, I suddenly lifted my hand and tilted his chin up. The coldness of my touch made him stiffen, but he didn’t falter. He pressed his thumb against his headset, his voice calm and level. “Area B, Room 302. Bring Ms. Miller a cup of hot water, please.” Bold and smart. So, I asked him, “How badly do you want to act?” Walking out of the studio, Owen was surrounded by a gaggle of fans. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Owen’s laugh was loud and triumphant. “Smooth sailing! From my debut to now, I’ve had the best ride!” I couldn’t help the harsh, choked laugh that escaped me. A nearby fan, a staunch ‘ScOwen’ shipper, immediately swarmed me. “Scar, did you and Owen fight? You’re not really leaving the business over a reality show, are you?” “We want you to keep acting, Scar! Don’t go!” “Don’t worry!” Before I could respond, Owen strode over and slung a possessive arm around my shoulder, his voice warm and intimate for the cameras. “It’s all for the show’s drama. Scar and I are doing great!” The fans sighed in relief and passed over photos for us to sign. As countless glossy prints were shoved toward me, one dual movie poster caught my eye. It was from Rewind Tonight, our first collaboration and my acting debut. Back then, Owen’s profile was too low; no established actress would take the role opposite him, so I stepped in myself. That movie was his breakout hit. Many shippers still saw Rewind Tonight as the genesis of our romance. People often came up to us with this exact poster to get both signatures. But this time, the spot where my name should have been signed next to Owen’s was instead scrawled with the name: Kira Bell. “Ms. Miller, please! You have to believe me!” Kira appeared at my side, pointing at the signed photo in my hand. “It’s all my fault! I was just standing next to Owen and talking to the fans. I didn’t look closely at the picture they handed me, and I accidentally signed it…” I looked at Kira’s tearful, pitiful expression and smiled. “Going blind so young… tough break for a career in Hollywood.” My voice wasn’t quiet. The whole area hushed. Even the chattering fan groups went silent. “Scarlett, it’s just a photo. Kira already apologized. Do you really have to be so cruel?” Owen’s face darkened. He grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, glancing at the scattered camera crews, his voice tight with anger. “I know you have a powerful family, but do you want the whole internet to see you bullying a struggling young actress?” I curled my lips. “Am I the cruel bully, or are you two just fundamentally dishonest?” “You!” Sensing the scene was escalating, the Director rushed over to disperse the crowd. Owen quickly pulled me further away. “Okay, honey, I shouldn’t have snapped! I just don’t want them to clip that and make you look bad.” “Kira and I are just colleagues. You have to trust me! I know you’re upset about the game, but I talked to the Director. You can finish this episode before your ‘hiatus.’ That’s fair, right?” I didn’t answer. I just stood there, looking at him with a frightening calmness. “Owen, do you remember the first thing the heroine said in Rewind Tonight after she found out the hero was cheating?” 3. Owen’s expression froze, a flicker of panic in his eyes. “That was a decade ago! Who remembers old lines?” Just then, the Director’s voice boomed, signaling the next segment. Owen looked relieved and hurried toward the staging area without a second glance. Watching his retreating back, I dialed Liam’s number again. “Check Owen’s current film and endorsement contracts. Cancel all of them. Immediately.” “The penalty fees? I’ll cover them.” Just like the line in the movie: Your work, your dreams, your career… I will take every single thing you own. For the second round, the contestants were taken to a massive observation wheel. The Director required us to split into two-person and one-person teams based on a compatibility test. The two-person team would ride to the highest point and complete a kiss challenge. The odd-one-out would be locked in an isolation booth and would have to use clues transmitted via camera during the kiss to find an escape key. Hearing the rules, the comments section immediately boiled over: [This challenge was custom-made for the ‘ScOwen’ couple! The Kiss at the Apex! The producers are geniuses!] [Ahhh, we get to see Mom and Dad make out! Best night of the year for shippers!] [Cameras, aim right! I need HD and uncensored!] In a corner no one was paying attention to, Kira tugged on Owen’s sleeve, her voice pitiful. “Owen, can you try to let me win the quiz? I—I’m terribly afraid of the dark. I can’t be alone in the booth.” Owen didn’t answer immediately, but I saw the hesitation and doubt in his eyes. The compatibility quiz began. Sure enough, when it came to questions about me, Owen failed spectacularly—my least favorite food, my alma mater, even the name of the rescue dog we adopted together years ago. He had no clue. After the first round, the Director looked even more stressed than I did. This was clearly derailing his plan to use our “model marriage” for ratings. There was nothing to do but let Owen and Kira try the second round. But to everyone’s shock, Owen knew everything about Kira—from her astrology sign and her biggest dream, down to the song she listened to the night before. The correct answer chimes rang out one after another, but the atmosphere on set turned awkward and frozen. [Wait… this isn’t right. He knows nothing about his wife, but he knows all that about Kira?] [Did Kira cheat? Trying to cash in on the drama is one thing, but this is too obvious!] [Scarlett’s been stone-faced all day. Are they really having a messy fight?] [Stop with the conspiracy theories! It’s reality show script, come on! They’re just generating buzz for ‘ScOwen’!] The final score was, predictably, a landslide— Owen and Kira won with a crushing advantage, becoming the only two selected for the observation wheel kiss. “Honey, don’t worry.” With the cameras on us, Owen leaned down and sealed my mouth with a swift kiss. In the brief moment our lips touched, he patted my head, his tone tender. “It’s just a game. Just think of it as shooting a scene on location. You understand, right?” [OMG, kissing right in front of the cameras! I’m obsessed!] [Who said ‘ScOwen’ was breaking up? It’s just reality TV drama! I’m back to believing in love!] [Worried his wife would be jealous watching him kiss another woman, so he kisses his wife first before getting on the wheel. This is the ultimate romance!] “No.” My refusal was firm and loud. Owen froze. Kira immediately scurried over. “Ms. Miller, please don’t misunderstand!” She wrung her hands, her eyes instantly welling up. “Owen and I are only doing this to complete the challenge. I know I can’t possibly compare to you, but the rules are the rules… I have no choice…” 4 Her fragile, pathetic display was captured perfectly by the cameras, and the stream of comments attacking me began to flood the screen. [It’s just a game! Does Scarlett need to throw a tantrum? Look how scared poor Kira is!] [Tantrum? How would you like it if your husband kissed a stranger on a Ferris wheel?] [The people earning three thousand a month are sympathizing with the people earning thirty million a month? They get paid to take this kind of crap!] [Exactly! And our Kira is so pretty, it’s not like the movie star is suffering!] Owen saw the scrolling comments and intervened. “Scar, stop being dramatic. Everyone is watching.” He paused, his expression softening slightly as he looked at me. “Did you forget? You have claustrophobia and a fear of heights. You’d be miserable up there. Letting Kira substitute for you is a favor, isn’t it?” I stared at Owen. “I didn’t forget.” He forgot. After the elevator accident on the set of Rewind Tonight, I was trapped for ten hours. The doctors diagnosed me with the severe claustrophobia that still plagues me. Owen had once held me, his voice choked with tears, and promised, “I will never leave you alone in the dark again!” He forgot. The moment Owen turned his back to walk away with Kira, the coldness in my heart spread to my fingertips. I rushed forward, grabbing his wrist, discarding the last shred of composure for the cameras. “Owen, I can’t be down here alone, I—” “Scarlett!” His patience snapped. He cut me off, raising his voice. “Enough! This is work! Does a basic professional requirement have to be an excuse for your paranoia?” He looked around, his sharp gaze cutting back to me. “Filming a kiss scene is an actor’s job! Everyone overcomes difficulties to get the shot! Are you special? Are you too precious? Stop being so dramatic!” Owen’s sudden change in attitude startled the production team. Dozens of eyes stared at him. I released his hand. All the fear, the anger, and that last, ridiculous sliver of hope sank into the cold depths of my eyes with that single motion. Owen seemed satisfied with my compliance. He signaled to the Director. “Let’s stick to the plan. Kira and I will go up. Scarlett… needs to cool off.” Kira followed behind him. As she passed me, the corner of her mouth lifted in a faint smirk—gone in an instant, but sharp and undeniable. I stood there, watching their backs as they headed toward the observation wheel. Then I pulled out my phone and quickly texted Liam: [Terminate all of Owen Mitchell’s contracts. I want him gone from the entertainment industry after this episode wraps.]

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“The finalized stock option list is out.” Sarah Miller, our Head of Operations, handed me the file. I took it and scanned the names, top to bottom. Ms. Elena, the cleaning staff, 0.1%. The girl at the front desk, 0.05%. Dean Harrison, the new Director who joined six months ago, 0.3%. I flipped through it three times. My name wasn’t there. “Vivian.” Marcus King, the CEO, walked out of his office. “Stock options are for incentivization, and you, as a core player, are already motivated. You don’t need them.” I looked up at him. His smile was perfectly sincere. I smiled back. “Got it, Marcus.” I put the list back on the table, my lips holding the curve of that fake smile. Ten years. 1 My name is Vivian Lee. I’m thirty-five. I’ve been at this company for exactly ten years. A decade ago, we were twenty people. I was Employee Number Eight. Marcus couldn’t afford office space then, so we crammed into his living room and wrote code on the sofa. I didn’t have a desk; I worked hunched over his coffee table. No AC in the summer meant sweat soaking my t-shirts; no heat in the winter meant my fingers were stiff and raw. “Vivian,” Marcus used to say, “just hold on a little longer. When we go public, I promise I’ll make it worth your while.” I believed him. And I held on for ten years. In that time, the company grew from twenty to two hundred people. We moved from a cluttered living room into a sleek downtown high-rise. We went from missing payroll to pulling in tens of millions in annual revenue. Along the way, I led three project teams, trained three of our current project managers. I personally managed eight core clients, which accounted for sixty percent of the company’s total revenue. I thought I was a founding pillar. I thought that when this day finally came, my name would be right at the top of the list. And the result? Ms. Elena, the cleaning lady, got 0.1%. Based on our current valuation, that was $50,000. The front desk girl got 0.05%. Dean Harrison, who’s been here six months, got 0.3%. Me? Zero. I stared at the list for a long time. Sarah walked over, lowering her voice. “Vivian, maybe talk to Marcus? It could be an oversight.” An oversight? I’d been here a decade. How could he possibly forget me? I just smiled and shook my head, saying nothing. That night, my husband, Jake, asked what was wrong. I said, “Nothing.” He saw my face and pressed me again. “The company released the stock option list,” I finally said. “How much did you get?” “Ms. Elena got 0.1%.” “That’s good for her,” he paused. “What about you?” I didn’t answer. He frowned, and the realization hit him. “Goddamn it.” It was one of the few times I’d ever heard Jake swear. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling until morning. Ten years. I worked until ten every night and spent most weekends tethered to my laptop. My mom took our son, Leo, to his first day of kindergarten because I was on a business trip. Jake took time off work to care for Leo when he was hospitalized with a fever, because I was closing a deal. I missed so much life. I told myself it would be worth it. Now, I realized how utterly ridiculous that was. The next morning, I walked into the office as usual. Marcus passed my desk and clapped me on the shoulder. “Vivian, you saw that list yesterday?” “I did.” “The options thing, well, it’s for incentivization,” he said, still smiling. “You’re a foundational player. You don’t need those kinds of carrots.” I just looked at him. He continued, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure your year-end bonus reflects your hard work.” Year-end bonus? Last year, my bonus was $15,000. Dean, in his first year, pulled in $25,000. “Marcus,” I said. “I understand perfectly.” He nodded, satisfied, and walked away. I watched his back, but said nothing more. 2 That afternoon, in the project meeting, Marcus asked me to update the team on the Mr. Thompson account. Mr. Thompson was my biggest client. Eight years we’d worked together. He brought in $4 million in annual revenue. After my report, Marcus said, “Vivian, this project is running smoothly. Make sure you keep that Thompson relationship airtight.” “Will do.” “Oh, and Dean is new, so let him shadow you.” Marcus gestured to the fresh-faced director next to me. “He’s a top-tier MBA, solid on theory, just needs some real-world polish.” Dean smiled at me. “Vivian, I appreciate the guidance.” I smiled back. “My pleasure.” After the meeting, Sarah quietly sought me out. “Vivian, do you know why Dean got 0.3%?” I didn’t respond. “His dad and Marcus were fraternity brothers at State U.” I froze slightly. “It was part of his contract from day one. The equity was baked into the deal.” Sarah lowered her voice even more. “Vivian, you should go talk to Marcus. Don’t let yourself get screwed.” I shook my head. Talk about what? Marcus had already laid it out. I was a foundational player; I didn’t need incentivization. Translated, that meant: You’ve been a loyal dog for ten years. I can deny you equity, and you won’t leave. He was betting on my immobility. Thirty-five, mortgage for another fifteen years, and bills for my parents and my son. Where was I supposed to go? That night, I pulled up a decade’s worth of old work messages. 2014: “Vivian, we’re struggling right now. We’ll hold your salary for a bit. We’ll pay you back once the funding comes through.” 2016: “Vivian, hold tight on the options. We’ll lock you in after the Series B round closes.” 2018: “Vivian, the IPO is close. Just two more years of grind.” 2020: “Vivian, the pandemic hit us hard. We have to postpone the equity plan.” 2022: “Vivian, next year is definitely the year. We won’t forget you.” 2024: The stock option list came out. My name wasn’t on it. I tossed my phone onto the bed. Ten years. That’s exactly how he made it worth my while. Jake sat beside me and handed me a glass of water. “Have you decided what to do?” “Not yet.” “Maybe… resign?” I gave a bitter laugh. “Thirty-five. Where am I going to go if I quit?” He didn’t speak. Neither did I. That was the trap. Stay, and keep being exploited. Leave, and face an uncertain future. Stuck. 3 The next day, I went to work as normal. Passing Marcus’s office, I heard him on the phone. “…Don’t worry, Vivian’s stable. Where can she go, honestly? She’s thirty-five. What company in the Valley is going to want her now?” I stopped dead in my tracks. “…Yes, I thought this through. Give options to the old guard like her, and you have to give them to everyone. We won’t have enough left in the pool…” I didn’t need to hear the rest. I turned around and walked back to my cube. My heart was racing, but strangely, I wasn’t surprised at all. That afternoon, Sarah found me again. “Vivian, I need to tell you something.” “What is it?” “Dean’s equity is more than 0.3%.” I looked up. “I saw it in the HR system. He has an additional 0.2% in options. Total is 0.5%.” Zero point five percent. At our current valuation, that was $250,000. A new hire, here for six months: $250,000. Me, ten years: zero. “Vivian, you look awful,” Sarah said, worried. “I’m fine.” I forced a smile. “Just going to the restroom.” I walked into the bathroom and stared at the woman in the mirror. Thirty-five. Fine lines around my eyes. The dark circles looked like bruises. I gave the best years of my life to this company. And what was the return? “You’re a foundational player. You don’t need incentivization.” “Where can she go? She’s thirty-five.” I took a deep breath and splashed cold water on my face. When I came out, I bumped into Dean. “Vivian, are the materials ready for the afternoon meeting?” he asked, smiling confidently. I looked at him. Top-tier MBA. Suit pressed sharp. Full of ambition. Six months in, 0.5% equity secured. Me, ten years, nothing. “They’re ready,” I said. “You’re always so reliable, Vivian.” He gave me a thumbs-up. “I still have so much to learn from you.” Learn from me? You have 0.5%, and I have 0%. You’re asking me for advice? I smiled. “Anytime.” That evening, when I got home, I made a decision. I opened my laptop and updated my resume. Ten years of experience. Managed a hundred-person team. Secured eight core clients. Contributed millions in annual revenue. The moment I hit ‘Send’ on that first application, I felt a sudden, profound lightness. I helped carry this company from twenty people to two hundred. And in the end, I was valued less than the cleaning staff. If that was the case, then I owed Marcus King nothing. Three days after submitting my resume, a headhunter called. “Vivian Lee? I’m Amy from Elite Search. I have a few roles that would be a perfect fit.” The voice on the other end was polished and professional. “Tell me about them.” “There’s a publicly traded company looking for a Regional Director for the East Coast. Your background is highly sought after.” “What’s the salary range?” “Starting at $250,000, plus equity.” I blinked. $250,000. My current salary was $150,000. “How much equity?” “0.1%. Guaranteed in the contract.” Zero point one percent. More than Ms. Elena. “Are you interested in scheduling an interview?” “Yes.” I hung up the phone and sat at my desk, stunned.

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I pulled back the covers. But I didn’t see Zhou Li’s face. The first thing he did was shield the woman’s face beside him with the bedsheet. Only then did he lift his eyelids, fiercely spitting out a sentence at us: “If you don’t want to die, get the hell out!” My best friend was terrified by him, desperately pulling me to leave. But my body was stiff, I stared dead at him, motionless. Because I am Zhou Li’s official girlfriend. 01 “Wait.” Zhou Li suddenly called out to stop us. He methodically lit a cigarette, slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, and his gaze landed on me: “If any video from tonight gets out, no matter who took it, I’m putting it on you.” “Chen Yin, did you hear me clearly?” Zhou Li called my name, his voice still holding a bit of post-coital laziness: “Don’t pull any little tricks behind my back, it’s annoying.” The moment his voice fell, I suddenly let out a low laugh. The sound was slightly jarring in the quiet hotel room. Li Yue hid behind me, frantically tugging at the hem of my clothes, anxious and sweating profusely. I knew what she meant; she wanted me to leave here first and then talk. After all, Zhou Li’s family had power and influence, and he also had intermittent explosive disorder. If he really got ruthless, he wouldn’t care if you were a man or a woman. And seeing how defensive Zhou Li was of that woman. Li Yue was really afraid that I would suffer if I caused a scene. But I didn’t want to leave. I hadn’t done anything wrong. I was upright and honest, there was no reason for me to retreat, and I didn’t want to retreat! “Zhou Li, your self-righteousness really confuses me a bit.” I pushed away Li Yue’s hand, stood firmly in front of Zhou Li, and flashed a sarcastic smile at him: “I’m very curious, is it you cheating or me cheating right now?” Who exactly was caught in bed in a hotel? It wasn’t Zhou Li, naked and leaning against the headboard smoking a cigarette. Could it be me, who just barged into this room without even taking off my shoes? “What are you pretending for?” What are you being so fierce for? Why, when you did something wrong, do you still threaten me? I clenched my hands tightly, my voice trembling out of tune. Even though I frantically told myself in my heart not to lose ground. But when I looked down and saw Zhou Li in a protective posture, firmly shielding the woman beside him, my eyes were still stung. I pulled out a mocking smile, tasted a mouthful of sourness, and even my hands were shaking. “I am your fucking official girlfriend!” I shouted at him with red eyes: “You won’t let me see, then I insist on seeing!” “She has the nerve to do such a ugly thing, doesn’t she have the nerve to see people?” The moment my voice fell, I lunged at the woman who had been invisible from beginning to end, frantically trying to pull off the bedsheet to see her face clearly. Even if I died, I wanted to know who I lost to! My movements were too fast, too sudden, Zhou Li was obviously startled. But he quickly reacted, his face turned cold instantly, he grabbed my back collar directly and yanked backward forcefully. The moment I lost my balance and fell backward, Zhou Li lifted his foot and kicked my stomach mercilessly! I was kicked backward by him and fell straight to the ground. A sharp pain came from my tailbone, it hurt so much that I let out a shrill scream. “Zhou Li.” My eyes were red, because of the severe pain, my voice trembled terribly, but I still stubbornly looked at him, saying word by word: “I am your girlfriend!” “So what?” An impatient look had already appeared on Zhou Li’s face. He frowned, looking down at me from above and asked: “Chen Yin, is cheating against the law?” 02 “What, what did you say?” My mind went blank, I couldn’t think of anything. I stared at Zhou Li’s good-looking lips and asked with a smile uglier than crying: “Zhou Li, what did you say? What do you mean?” How could a normal person with morals ask such a question? But Zhou Li didn’t look at me, only caring about lowering his voice to ask if the person under the quilt was okay. Only after the person inside nodded and responded softly that she was fine. Did he breathe a sigh of relief, and have time to cast his eyes back on me. In that moment when our eyes met, I looked at his eyes filled with coldness and suddenly felt like all the strength was drained from my body. I have known Zhou Li for five years and have been together for three years. I understand him too well. So understood that just by looking at each other once. I knew clearly that the person in front of me seemed to no longer love me. When he looked at me, his eyes no longer hid a smile like before. Instead, they were filled with strong disgust. As if looking at me for one more second would make him vomit directly. This discovery made my heart suddenly stop. I struggled to climb up from the ground, knowing the answer well, but still holding a glimmer of hope, I trembled and said: “Zhou Li, do you mean you want to break up with me now?” “You like this mistress who destroys other people’s relationships so much?” I finally couldn’t help it, raised my volume, pointed at the figure on the bed, and questioned with red eyes. But the next second, Zhou Li directly threw the unfinished cigarette in his hand in my direction and roared: “Shut up!” “Chen Yin, this is my last warning to you.” “This is between the two of us, don’t drag her into it.” Zhou Li stared at me coldly: “She is different from you. If I hear any disgusting words from your mouth again, I promise that next time it won’t be as simple as just making you shut up.” “You know that I always mean what I say.” I looked at him blankly, dumbfounded in place, not dodging the cigarette that still had sparks at the end. The cigarette butt hit precisely under my eye, and a red mark was burned in the blink of an eye. The hot ash splashed into my eyes following the trajectory, bringing a burst of severe stinging pain. In just an instant, my right eye was covered in scarlet. I reached out in hindsight, touched a patch of warmth, physiological tears mixed with blood, falling out along the eye socket. Looking at the blood on my fingertips, my ears suddenly buzzed, and I couldn’t hear anything. I saw Li Yue running towards me with an anxious face. Saw Zhou Li’s disgusted look. His face was dark, his mouth opened and closed, seeming to be uttering some ruthless words. But I couldn’t hear anything. It wasn’t until Li Yue grasped my hand that I slowly heard sounds from that buzzing noise. Also heard the sentence Zhou Li cursed out: “Which fucking law did I break by cheating?” He looked at me coldly and asked word by word: “Is it your turn to be the messenger of justice to judge me?” “Don’t say you are my girlfriend, even if you were my wife, I cheated, so what?!” “You are so excited, do you want me to help you find a cop to arrest me?” My body suddenly paused, looking at him in disbelief. Looking at this man I have been with for more than three years. To this day, I suddenly realized that after sleeping in the same bed for three years. I have never truly understood him. For a long time, I suddenly pulled out a smile and replied lightly: “Okay, I know.” “Zhou Li, you are right, cheating is not against the law.” I said word by word: “So let’s break up.” Zhou Li was stunned. 03 Zhou Li seemed a little surprised, frowning and staring at me for quite a while. He probably didn’t expect me to be so decisive this time. After a while, he lit another cigarette and said to me indifferently: “Fine, whatever you want.” “Get out.” As Li Yue and I were leaving, he called out to me again, still that sentence: “Remember to delete the video, I don’t want to see it anywhere else.” I said: “Okay.” Maybe because I agreed too quickly, too casually. Zhou Li paused in his smoking action, a bit puzzled, but asked nothing. I walked out of the room and very smoothly closed the door for him. The moment the door was locked, I let go of the hand tightly gripping Li Yue, and the disappointing tears kept gushing out. I had to bite my lower lip very hard to manage to suppress the crying that was about to rush out of my throat. I told myself not to cry. It’s just a cheating man. If we break up, we break up, what’s there to cry about? How does a scumbag like him deserve to make me cry? But no matter how hard I swallowed, the tears couldn’t help but burst out. The pain and grievance in my heart churned incessantly, bringing bursts of stinging pain that made me unable to stand steady at all. Zhou Li and I have been together for three whole years. Three years, even if I raised a dog, I would have developed feelings for it. Not to mention a living person. He used to kiss and hug me every day. Would drop everything at hand to travel around the world with me. Would appear in front of me on the earliest flight the next day just because I casually said I missed you. Actually, I once thought about many futures for Zhou Li and me. Thought that we might get married in the future, or might break up peacefully. But I never thought that Zhou Li and I would end in such an unbearable way. End with him cheating and threatening to kill me for the mistress. How ridiculous. My three years really seem like a joke. I squatted on the stairs outside the hotel, hugging my knees and crying out of breath, asking Li Yue. “Do all relationships end in this idiotic way?” Li Yue wiped my tears with a tissue, sighed, and was about to speak when her hand suddenly paused. Then I heard her eagerly say in my ear: “Don’t cry first.” “I have a chance for you to vent, quickly wipe away your tears and stand up!” I was stupidly pulled up by Li Yue, and before I could react, I saw Li Yue’s eyes breathing fire, dragging me and rushing towards the couple who had just come out of the hotel. Only when we rushed in front did I realize that the man was Li Yue’s boyfriend. Just saw the panicked look on his face. The next second, he was smashed full in the face by the studded handbag in Li Yue’s hand. “I let you cheat!” Li Yue screamed, shouting with red eyes: “Scumbag man, I let you cheat! Let you find a mistress!” Li Yue grabbed the mistress’s hair and smashed another handbag over. Her boyfriend saw the situation was bad and wanted to run, but was grabbed firmly by the neck by Li Yue and thrown to the ground. Immediately following was a fierce kicking with all her strength. The high heels stepped solidly on his face, frantically stepping on his lower body. Finally, Li Yue finally vented enough anger, spat on the person’s face on the ground, and then shouted: “Bah! None of you men are good things!” “All trash!” After shouting this sentence, Li Yue dragged me and ran. We ran fast, so fast that my tears dissipated in the wind. Finally, we stopped at a street corner. The moment we looked at each other, we couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Li Yue gasped for breath and asked me: “Are you still sad?” “A little bit.” I replied breathlessly, smiling: “But it’s not uncomfortable in my heart, it’s mainly my eye seems to have been burned just now, it hurts a bit now.” Might have to go to the hospital. “It’s good that it hurts.” Li Yue looked at me with a complicated expression, taking a taxi to take me to the hospital while saying to me: “Remember this pain, it was brought to you by Zhou Li, you must not soften your heart and get back together with him.” I lowered my eyes, looked at the scarlet on my fingertips, twitched the corner of my mouth and said: “I won’t.” I won’t have anything to do with Zhou Li anymore. I’m not that cheap yet. Rushing to send myself to him to be beaten. 04 Zhou Li and I broke up completely. My eye is okay, no big issue. Just some damage to the cornea. There will be a strong foreign body sensation in the short term, a stinging pain, and constant tearing. I put on a medical eye patch and got some medicine before leaving the hospital. Li Yue said she wanted to take me back, but I refused. Our homes are not in the same direction. If she sends me back, it will take an extra hour, which is unnecessary. She couldn’t convince me, so she had to compromise and let me send her a message when I got home. “Okay.” I waved goodbye to her with a smile: “Get in the car quickly, don’t keep the driver waiting.” Li Yue agreed and got into the car. I kept smiling as I watched her leave. Only when the car’s shadow completely disappeared did the smile on my face drop bit by bit. I knew I shouldn’t be sad. I knew Zhou Li was a scumbag. He was clearly a scumbag, scumbag right out in the open. But I was still disappointing. Still would be sad, would be in pain. Would be wrapped in sourness, the whole person like a bitter and sour lemon. I muddled into a convenience store, bought a can of beer, sat in front of the French window, staring blankly at the traffic outside. I don’t want to go anywhere now, don’t want to do anything, just want to empty myself completely. So I sat in the corner of the convenience store and drank one can after another silently. Three cans of beer down, finally suppressed the surging pain in my heart, the side effect is that my head is a little dizzy. I staggered to get up and leave, but two punk-looking blondes appeared beside me, leaning close to me with a grin, putting their hands on my shoulders, breathing on me: “Hey beautiful, it’s boring to drink alone, why not join us.” I didn’t notice for a moment and was staggered by their pull. I don’t know if it’s because only one eye works, or because of the effect of alcohol, the picture in front of me is shaking terribly. I wanted to get rid of them, but I couldn’t exert any strength no matter how hard I tried. One of them showed a meaningful smile at his companion, then reached out to hug me. “Get lost.” I trembled all over with anger and shouted curses: “Don’t touch me!” “I’ll call the police!” But not only were they not afraid, they even giggled and formed an encirclement posture, sandwiching me out left and right. The cold wind outside blew, making my chaotic brain finally sober up a lot. I struggled hard to break free, but the more I struggled, the tighter they grabbed. One of them was even afraid that I would scream, covered my mouth forcefully, and dragged me into the dark alley. I opened my eyes wide in horror, struggling desperately, but two fists cannot beat four hands, there was no room for escape at all! I panicked, looking around for passersby, trying to seek help. While eyes anxiously looking around. Suddenly saw a familiar pair of eyes. That person stood across the street with a cigarette in his mouth, carefully shielding a slender figure as she got into the back seat of a car. Seeming to sense my gaze, he raised his eyes and glanced over here. In the moment our eyes met, there was a slight pause. Zhou Li saw me. This realization made my heart beat like a drum. He saw me! He must have seen me being held hostage and taken away. He definitely saw my reluctance and fear! My heart beat fast in this moment, and I reached out to him for help subconsciously. In the past, when Zhou Li saw me being bumped on the shoulder by a passerby from a distance, he would rush up with a dark face, pull the person away, and hold me in his arms possessively. He said he would protect me. I shouted his name silently, looking towards him through blurred, teary eyes. But the next second, Zhou Li casually look away. As if he hadn’t seen anything, he lowered his head and lit a cigarette lightly. My breath stopped abruptly, the whole person seemed to be poured over by a basin of cold water from head to toe, cold enough to make me shiver uncontrollably. The moment I was dragged into the alley by those two people dully, I suddenly burst out endless strength, taking advantage of the moment one person relaxed, broke free my hand, and punched him in the bridge of the nose backhanded! While that person let go of his hand in pain and squatted down howling in pain, I picked up my bag and smashed it hard at the other person’s lower body, then turned and ran, never looking back, running fast. Only I didn’t expect that when I ran to the entrance of the alley, I would run head-on into a familiar embrace. Familiar woody tea fragrance mixed with a hint of sweet orange perfume scent. I was stunned for a moment, raised my head, and met Zhou Li’s gaze. The next second, I pushed him away suddenly, swung the bag in my hand with all my strength, and smashed it directly at his face fiercely. “Only focused on beating those two scumbags, forgot to beat you.” Zhou Li staggered from the beat, and his entire face instantly turned red from the smash. “You hit me?” He touched his cheek in disbelief and raised his eyebrows. But I completely ignored him, turned and ran, found a taxi parked on the side of the road and rushed in. Throwing all the dirty things tonight behind. Bullshit Zhou Li, bullshit love! It’s all fucking fake! I wiped away the tears in my eyes forcefully, gritted my teeth and told myself not to cry anymore. After tonight, if I still shed tears for Zhou Li. Then I really look down on myself!

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Chapter 1 I was beaten until I was crippled by the school bully and his gang. My mother, a top criminal defense attorney, became the defense lawyer for the accused. In court, she used every word like a scalpel, securing a “not guilty” verdict for the boy who nearly beat me to death. Her reason? The boy’s father was the benefactor who sponsored her through law school. Facing my questions, my mother was righteous: “Everyone is equal before the law. I cannot lose my professional ethics just because you are the victim.” “Jay was just impulsive. I couldn’t bear to see his whole life ruined over one mistake.” Watching the perpetrator swagger out of the courthouse, I smiled. I pulled out the emancipation papers I had prepared long ago and threw them in her face. “Since you have such high professional ethics and love repaying debts so much…” “I hope you can defend your own future just as well.” … My mother, Susan, didn’t even look at the papers. In her eyes, this was just another rebellious stunt from her teenage son. “Mason, have you had enough?” She picked up the papers from the floor, crumpled them without reading, and tossed them into the trash can. “Mr. Gordon is hosting a thank-you dinner at The Golden Palace tonight. You’re coming with me.” “Jay will be there too. It’s a good chance for him to apologize to you, and we can put this whole thing behind us.” I looked at her in disbelief. Put it behind us? I was still in a wheelchair, and the guy who put me there had just walked free. And she wanted me to go to his victory dinner? “I’m not going.” I spat out the words coldly and spun my wheelchair around to leave. Behind me, my mother’s voice rose, suppressing anger. “Mason! Can’t you stop being so petty?” “Mr. Gordon’s family isn’t well off. He spent half a month’s salary on this dinner.” “Not going is disrespectful to me and to Mr. Gordon!” I didn’t look back. I wheeled myself desperately toward the exit, escaping the suffocating air of the courthouse. Outside, the blinding sun made me dizzy. My dad’s car was parked by the curb. Seeing me, he ran over, looking timid as always. “Mason, how did it go? What was the verdict?” Looking at this man who had been a doormat in his own home for a lifetime, I felt a wave of helplessness. “Verdict? Not guilty.” My dad froze, his mouth hanging open. “How… Your mom said it was just a formality. She said she’d get Jay probation. How could it be not guilty?” I sneered. “Dad, your wife is a shark. A top-tier defense attorney.” “If she wants someone to walk, they walk.” “Even if that person broke her own son’s legs.” My dad rubbed his hands together, looking anxious. “This… well… your mom must have her reasons.” “That Gordon guy, he really did help her out back then…” “Enough.” I cut him off. “Take me to the hospital. I’m not going home.” My dad hesitated, glancing at the courthouse doors. “Um… your mom just texted. We need to go straight to The Golden Palace.” “She said if I don’t bring you, she’ll cut off my credit card.” I looked at the man in front of me. Fifty years old, living like a dog. All the finances were controlled by my mother. He didn’t even dare to speak loudly in his own house. “Then you go.” I took out my phone and ordered an accessible Uber. “I’ll go myself.” “Mason! Don’t be like this…” My dad tried to grab my handle, but I slapped his hand away. “Dad, if you still want to call me your son, don’t go to that dinner.” “If you go, don’t bother coming to see me anymore.” The Uber arrived. The driver helped me into the car. Through the window, I saw my dad standing there, conflicted. Finally, he sighed, turned around, and got into his own car. Heading toward The Golden Palace. I closed my eyes, and the tears finally fell. This was my family. A mother with a savior complex, and a father with no spine. And I was the sacrificial lamb they didn’t need. At the hospital, I had just laid down when my phone started blowing up. On Instagram, Jay had posted a series of photos. In the pictures, he was holding a wine glass, face flushed with excitement. My mother sat at the head of the table, smiling with elegant grace. Caption: “Thanks to Aunt Susan. Justice might be late, but it is never absent! Cheers!” Justice? Screw justice. I opened the comments. They were full of Jay’s delinquent friends praising him. “Jay is the man!” “Lawyer Susan is a legend!” “Where’s the cripple? Didn’t come to toast?” Jay replied: “Probably crying at home, hahaha.” I stared at the screen, my fingers trembling. Suddenly, a notification for a money transfer popped up. From my mother. Amount: $300. Note: “Stop throwing a tantrum. Buy yourself something nice. I told Mr. Gordon not to worry about the medical bills. Their family has it hard, we need to be understanding.” I stared at the text, my stomach churning. I wanted to vomit. I threw my phone hard against the wall. Chapter 2 I stayed in the hospital for three days. In those three days, my mother didn’t visit once. Instead, Mr. Gordon, Jay’s father, showed up with a basket of bruised apples. He stood at the door in his dusty work clothes, looking simple and honest. “Mason, Uncle is here to see you.” He put the apples on the nightstand and rubbed his calloused hands. “Jay is just a kid, he doesn’t know his own strength.” “I already scolded him.” “Look, your mom got Jay off the hook. Let’s call it even, okay?” Even? I looked at the basket of rotting fruit, probably picked from a dumpster, and laughed out of anger. “My leg is worth a basket of bad apples?” Mr. Gordon’s face changed for a second, then he forced a smile again. “Oh, Mason, don’t say that.” “When your mom was in law school, I saved money from my own food budget to help her.” “You have to have a conscience. Look how sensible your mom is.” “Besides, your family is rich. You don’t need this medical money, right?” “My Jay needs to get married soon, he can’t start life in debt.” In that moment, I finally understood what “shameless” meant. This family was a parasite. And my mother was the fool offering her neck, complaining that the blood wasn’t flowing fast enough. “Get out.” I pointed at the door. “Take your trash apples and get out.” Mr. Gordon couldn’t keep the smile on his face anymore. “You kid, no manners at all.” “No wonder Jay beat you up. You deserved it.” He grabbed the apples and left, cursing under his breath. Before leaving, he spat on the floor. I rang the nurse call button to have someone sanitize the room. Disgusting. Truly disgusting. That afternoon, the head nurse came in with a bill. She looked uncomfortable. “Mason, your account is overdue.” “If you don’t pay, we have to stop your medication.” I froze. “Overdue? Didn’t my mom… didn’t Susan pay?” The nurse shook her head. “Ms. Vance came yesterday and withdrew the $10,000 deposit.” “She said… she said the other party was in financial trouble, and she lent it to them for a turnover.” “She said you should figure it out yourself.” My mind went blank. She took my life-saving money… withdrew it… to give to the guy who beat me up? Is this something a mother does? With trembling hands, I borrowed the nurse’s phone to call my mother. It rang for a long time. I heard the sound of mahjong tiles clacking and my mother’s loud laughter. “Hello? Who is this?” “It’s me.” The other end went quiet for a second. Then came my mother’s impatient voice. “Mason? Where’s your phone? Why are you using a strange number?” “Susan, did you withdraw my medical funds?” I used her first name. “How dare you speak to your mother like that?” Her voice rose an octave. “Mr. Gordon needs to put a down payment on a house in the city. They were short.” “I thought you wouldn’t spend that much in the hospital, so I let them use it for an emergency.” “Don’t you have savings in your account? Use that first.” “Don’t be so selfish. You have to learn to help people in need.” Help people in need? She was dismantling my bones to build a fire for someone else! “That was for my surgery!” I screamed into the phone. “The doctor said I need a second reconstructive surgery next week, or I’ll be disabled for life!” “You gave the money to Jay to buy a house? Are you crazy?” I heard Mr. Gordon’s voice in the background. “Oh, Susan, if Mason really needs it, we can wait on the house…” Then came my mother’s firm voice. “Mr. Gordon, don’t listen to the kid’s nonsense.” “Doctors just like to scare people. It’s not that serious.” “Buying a house is a big deal. Jay needs to find a wife, he can’t do that without a house.” “Mason, figure it out yourself. Don’t bother me again.” Click. The call ended. I stood there, frozen, holding the phone. The nurse looked at me with pity. “Mason… maybe call your dad?” My dad? The man who had to ask for cigarette money? I shook my head. “No need.” “Please process my discharge papers.” “But your leg…” “I’m not treating it anymore.” Since the world was this rotten. There was no need for me to pretend to be a good kid anymore. I went home once. While no one was there, I packed everything that truly belonged to me. Except for the emancipation papers, I left nothing. My sneaker collection, limited edition figures, and the gold bars I had saved since childhood. I put them all on a resale app. Fire sale. Cash only. With the money, I rented a small apartment with an elevator in the next city. Then I went to a private orthopedic clinic. Although I missed the optimal window, the doctor said with enough money, I could walk normally again. But I could never play intense sports. I used to be the captain of the basketball team. Now, I was a cripple who couldn’t walk steady. But I didn’t cry. My tears had run dry that afternoon. Chapter 3 Half a month later. I was in rehab, sweating profusely as I dragged myself along the parallel bars. The door to the ward burst open. My mother, Susan, stormed in with Jay and Mr. Gordon behind her. Her face was grim, holding a document. “Mason! Why are you hiding here?” “Do you know how long we’ve been looking for you?” I ignored her, gritting my teeth and moving my feet. Every step felt like walking on knives. Jay was chewing gum, looking impatient. “Aunt Susan, I told you he was hiding.” “So dramatic. It’s just a broken leg, he didn’t die.” My mother slammed the document on my bedside table. “Sign this. Now.” I glanced at it. Letter of Forgiveness. For the school. “Because of the fight, the school wants to expel Jay,” my mother said righteously. “As long as you sign this letter stating it was ‘mutual combat,’ the school will keep his enrollment.” “Jay needs to apply for college. We can’t let this little thing ruin his future.” Mutual combat? I stopped moving, turned around, and stared at her. “Six guys beat me up while I curled in a ball protecting my head.” “You call that mutual combat?” “Susan, the great lawyer. How can you lie like that?” Her eyes flickered, but she quickly regained her dominance. “If you say it is, it is.” “I’m a lawyer. I know how to make it work.” “Sign it. Don’t waste everyone’s time.” Mr. Gordon chimed in. “Yes, Mason. We’re all family, why make it so awkward?” “If Jay gets expelled, how will he find a job?” “Why is your heart so bad, kid?” I looked at the faces of these three people. It felt incredibly absurd. “What if I don’t sign?” Jay spat his gum on the floor and walked over to shove me. I was unstable and fell hard. My knee smashed into the floor, sending a jolt of agonizing pain through my body. “Ah—” I screamed. My mother jumped, instinctively reaching out to help. But Jay stopped her. “Aunt Susan, don’t spoil him.” “He’s faking it.” “Mason, I’m telling you. You’re signing this today.” “Or I’ll beat you every time I see you.” He raised his foot, aiming for my broken leg. “Stop!” My mother finally shouted. Not to protect me. But because she was afraid of liability. “Jay, don’t hit him. There are cameras here.” She pulled Jay back and looked down at me. “Mason, I’m asking you one last time. Will you sign?” “If you don’t, don’t expect a penny from me ever again.” “And don’t think about coming back home.” I lay on the floor, cold sweat from the pain soaking my shirt. But I laughed. “Home?” “The home that took my medical money to buy a house for my attacker?” “The home that defended him in court?” “Susan, did you forget?” “I already cut ties with you.” I pulled my phone from my pocket. The screen showed a recording in progress. “Jay pushing me, and you forcing me to sign a fake forgiveness letter… I recorded it all.” “This time, I won’t let you get a ‘not guilty’ verdict.” My mother’s face went pale instantly. “You… you set me up?” I pushed myself up from the floor, inch by inch. Like a dog with a broken back, but with the eyes of a wolf. “You taught me, Mom.” “Everyone is equal before the law.” My mother panicked. She was a top lawyer; she knew the value of evidence. Jay pushing me caused a secondary injury. Plus, coercing a victim to sign false legal documents. If this got out, her career would be stained. “Mason, give Mommy the phone.” Her tone softened, trying to use emotional blackmail. “We are family. Let’s talk this out.” “Jay just has a temper, he didn’t mean it.” I looked coldly at her outstretched hand. “Jay, grab the phone!” Mr. Gordon shouted from the side. Jay reacted and lunged to snatch my phone. I was ready. I hit send. The file uploaded to my cloud and simultaneously sent to several big influencers I had contacted beforehand. “Too late.” I threw the phone on the ground. “It’s sent.” Jay stomped my phone into pieces, grabbed my collar, and raised his fist. “You piece of shit, you dare to play me?” Just then, the ward door burst open. Security guards rushed in, followed by my doctor. “Stop! What are you doing?!” The doctor saw me on the floor, blood seeping from my leg bandages, and exploded in anger. “The patient is in recovery! This is assault!” “Call the police! Now!” Chapter 4 The police arrived quickly. Because it was a hospital, a public place, and the circumstances were egregious, Jay was handcuffed on the spot. Mr. Gordon rolled on the floor screaming that I was framing them. My mother stood in the corner, her face grey. She looked at me with disappointment and pain. “Mason, you’ve disappointed me.” “Are you trying to ruin Jay? And ruin your mother too?” I sat in my wheelchair while the nurse treated my wound. I looked at her calmly. “Mom, I didn’t ruin you.” “Your greed and arrogance did.” “Also, don’t forget to find yourself a good lawyer.” “This time, I’m pressing charges all the way.” That night, the video blew up online. #TopLawyerForcesDisabledSonToSignForgiveness# #SchoolBullyAttacksInHospital# #BenefactorOrParasite# The hashtags trended instantly. In the video, Jay’s arrogance, my mother’s cold threats, and Mr. Gordon’s shamelessness were on full display. And my final line: “Everyone is equal before the law.” It struck a nerve with the public. Public opinion flipped instantly. Those who praised Susan for “repaying kindness” were now calling her “unfit to be a mother.” Her law firm issued a statement overnight, suspending Susan pending investigation. The school, under pressure, expelled Jay immediately. Mr. Gordon’s address was doxxed; people threw rotten eggs at his door daily. I lay in my hospital bed, reading the comments. I felt no joy. Only exhaustion. This was just the beginning. I wanted these people to pay the real price. My mother came to find me a few times. Not to apologize, but to beg. She aged ten years overnight; her elite aura was gone. “Mason, drop the charges.” She cried pitifully. “The firm is firing me and suing me for damages to their reputation.” “Jay is in detention. Mr. Gordon comes to our house every day screaming that I ruined them.” “Mommy knows she was wrong. Give Mommy a way out.” I looked at her. If it were before, seeing her cry would have kept me up all night. But now, I felt nothing. “Mom, when I begged you not to defend Jay, what did you say?” “You said you couldn’t lose your professional ethics just because I was the victim.” “Now, it’s the same.” “I can’t give up my legal rights just because you are my mother.” “It’s called giving you a taste of your own medicine.” My mother froze. She seemed to be seeing this cold son for the first time. “You… your heart is so cruel.” “I am your mother!” “Did you think about me being your son when you got Jay off the hook?” I asked. She was speechless. In the end, she left cursing. Calling me an ingrate, heartless, saying she should have birthed a piece of pork instead of me. I pretended not to hear. Because Jay committed assault while out on bail, and the circumstances were severe, the charges were compounded. This time, no top lawyer helped him. He got three years. Mr. Gordon got fifteen days detention for disturbing the peace in the hospital. As for my mother. Due to the massive public outcry and evidence of unethical conduct, her law license was revoked. The firm sued her for breach of contract. The career she was so proud of collapsed completely. My dad called me. He was crying. “Mason, the family is finished.” “Your mom smashes things at home every day. Gordon comes over demanding money.” “He says your mom ruined his son and wants compensation for emotional distress.” “We can’t live like this.” I said calmly, “Then get a divorce.” “This…” He hesitated. “It’s better to separate.” “This family fell apart a long time ago.” I hung up and looked at the sun outside. Although my leg still had a limp, I could finally walk without a crutch. I enrolled in an online law program. Since justice was late. I would go and hurry it up myself.

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Hired as a featured photographer for National Geographic, I was on assignment to shoot the cover story at Mount Kemet. Barely halfway up, my lungs burned, my head throbbed, and my temples hammered like a drum. I recognized the sickening spiral of acute mountain sickness. I scrambled for my emergency oxygen canister and ripped off the cap. But the moment the gas hit my lungs, I knew. I whipped my head toward my fiancé, Marcus, who was standing beside me. “What is this?!” My voice came out as a ridiculous, high-pitched, cartoonish squeak—a squealing toy trying to sound serious. The sound sent Marcus and his intern, Skylar, into hysterical fits of laughter. “Gah?! Hahahaha! Oh my god, Anya, you sound like a Chipmunk! I’m going to die laughing!” They doubled over, shoulders shaking. Skylar even dramatically punched the snow with glee. In that horrifying instant, I understood. As a prank, a cruel joke, they had secretly swapped my life-saving oxygen for helium. When they finally managed to stifle their laughter, I fought through the nausea to gasp out the words to Marcus: “…The… the spare oxygen. Give it to me!” Marcus wiped a tear of laughter from his eye, utterly unconcerned, and waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, come on, Anya. Skylar’s body is a little fragile; she has the spare. You’re a seasoned high-altitude pro. Just power through it.” I didn’t argue. My trembling hand fumbled for the satellite phone. “Editor Albright, my emergency oxygen has been maliciously swapped. I’m experiencing acute mountain sickness. I need immediate rescue and extraction.” 1 The moment I finished speaking, Marcus Reid snatched the satellite phone from my hand. He saw the “distress signal sent” confirmation flash across the screen. His face flushed with anger, quickly twisting into a sneer. “Anya Wells, are you seriously this dramatic?” “It was a joke! A prank with a little helium! You’re calling in rescue for a mild headache? Do you know how long we’ve been planning this shoot? You can’t even handle this much altitude?” He made a show of threatening to hurl the phone toward a distant crevasse in the ice. I lunged, gripping his wrist with a death grip. The fierce headache and gut-wrenching nausea of the altitude sickness were already making my vision tunnel. Marcus and Skylar both wore oxygen masks, their faces rosy, plenty of spare tanks clipped to their packs. I was the only one clutching a ludicrous, useless helium canister. Skylar stepped closer, her voice laced with false, saccharine concern. “Anya, don’t blame Marcus. I’m just so useless; I got winded barely climbing this much…” “Marcus said you’re a veteran mountain photographer, and this altitude is nothing to you…” She took a deep, satisfying drag from the mask, then tilted her head, a hint of challenge in her eyes. I had pulled strings through my contacts to get a customized, medical-grade, high-concentration oxygen supply for this crucial cover shoot. Now, it was clipped to this petulant intern. Marcus adjusted her backpack strap, his tone sickeningly gentle. “Ignore her, Skylar. She’s just spoiled, thinks she’s a celebrity, and can’t handle a little discomfort.” When he turned to me, the impatience in his eyes was palpable. “Stop acting, alright?” “I looked it up. Altitude sickness is mostly psychosomatic. A little willpower and you’ll walk it off. It’s not that serious.” “Your ‘medical-grade’ oxygen tank is just a psychological crutch, and it’s heavy as hell. Skylar is the future of the studio. Her being out of commission would be a much bigger loss to the project than yours.” My hand trembled as I searched the outer pocket of my pack for the emergency altitude medication, but the pocket was empty. Marcus suddenly pulled the familiar pill box from Skylar’s jacket pocket, shook out two tablets, and handed them to her. “Keep these. You need them more than she does. Look, she can still stand up and fight for a phone. She’s hardly in distress.” “Does she really think she’s some sort of national treasure photographer who can’t handle an ounce of pain?” His self-righteousness was more suffocating than the thin air. My custom oxygen, my emergency medication, all repurposed to pamper his protégé. The other assistant photographers busied themselves with gear, pretending not to notice the conflict. I was the only one fighting for my life, like a patient with their oxygen line disconnected. “Acute mountain sickness can cause pulmonary and cerebral edema… It can kill you!” I managed to grind out through clenched teeth. “Cerebral edema? Who are you trying to scare?” Marcus rolled his eyes. Skylar played her part, shrinking behind him. “Anya, I know you don’t like me… but Marcus said you’re so experienced, you’ll be fine with a little high-altitude fatigue.” She even gave the Go-Pro clipped to her collar a small, satisfied smirk. The sight of her face, the calculated malice behind the fake fear, made me dizzy with rage. “Enough!” I reached out to grab my oxygen tank back. Marcus shoved me hard. I stumbled, nearly falling. “What are you doing! If something happens to Skylar, can you handle the fallout?!” Skylar immediately clutched her chest, her voice becoming thin and shaky. “Marcus, I feel a little light-headed again… Maybe I shouldn’t have come… Does Anya feel like I’m stealing her spotlight…” “You’re fine. She’s just self-obsessed!” Marcus quickly steadied her, his voice soft with concern. “She’s been coddled her whole life. She thinks the world revolves around her.” The wind and snow seemed to pick up, blurring my vision. I watched them, a picture of two devoted lovers, huddling together for warmth, utterly oblivious to me, his actual fiancée. Extreme fury and the primal terror of suffocation converged. I swung the useless helium canister and smashed it against a nearby ice-covered rock. “Marcus Reid! We are done! The engagement is canceled!” Marcus froze, his face contorting with shock and then raw anger. He stepped closer, his voice sharp and piercing. “Anya Wells! What the hell is wrong with you! You’re ending us over a stupid joke? Do you even hear yourself?” “A small thing?” I rasped, the sound torn from my chest. “Swapping my life-saving oxygen… is a small thing?” Skylar immediately stepped in, her voice tremulous. “Marcus, don’t be angry… It’s my fault for being so weak… Anya must be saying this out of anger because she hates me…” She looked at me, a flicker of undetectable triumph hidden in her wide eyes. A mountain guide named Gabe, who had been quietly adjusting his gear, looked up, his brow furrowed in concern. “Mr. Reid, Ms. Wells looks genuinely unwell. Altitude sickness isn’t a game. Maybe we should consider descending first…” “You don’t understand, Gabe!” Marcus cut him off with brutal finality. “She’s just out of shape and overdramatic! When is she not making a scene on a shoot? The last time, she had a heatstroke in the Mojave and held up the entire team. She’s doing the same thing now!” His words struck me like icicles. The last time, I had almost suffered heat stroke while risking everything to capture the perfect, fleeting light. In his eyes, it was all theatrics. “Exactly,” another assistant, who was friendly with Marcus, muttered under his breath. “Anya, Marcus is looking out for the big picture. Skylar is new; this is her first high-altitude project. She needs the extra care. You’re the veteran. You can tough it out.” Tears blurred my vision even more, not from sadness, but from physiological distress. “Tough it out? How… how am I supposed to tough this out?” My lungs felt packed with cement, my heart hammered madly, threatening to burst through my ribs. The blood vessels in my temples pulsed violently, a countdown to rupture. I knew the signs—the onset of cerebral and pulmonary edema. Seeing my condition, Skylar put on a show of great distress, her voice choked with tears. “Anya, please don’t be like this. I’m so scared you two are fighting because of me…” “Maybe… maybe I should just give you the oxygen back? I’ll be fine…” She made a move to take off her mask. Marcus slammed his hand over hers, his eyes filled with pity and rage. “Skylar, don’t be an idiot! She’s trying to manipulate you! Playing the victim is her best move!” He spun on me, his eyes cold with pure loathing. “Anya Wells, I was wrong about you!” “I never knew you were this selfish and petty, that you couldn’t tolerate a junior photographer! Does everyone have to bow down to your demands?” “Who risked everything to get people to rescue you the last time you were in danger?” “Now, because of a little headache, you want to ruin everyone’s hard work?” He brought up a time when the danger was caused by a shoot for his father’s company. Now, it was his evidence against me. The searing headache made it impossible to form a coherent defense. I could only gasp uselessly, broken, wheezing sounds rattling in my throat. Skylar, still hiding behind Marcus, let a quick, satisfied smirk cross her lips, then spoke in a worried tone. “Marcus, Anya looks terrible. She really might be…” “She’s faking! It’s all an act!” Marcus declared, his voice cutting and final. “She’s a great actress! She just wants to force me to cave, to get more control over me! I won’t let her!” He took his thermal flask, unscrewed the top, and held it to Skylar’s lips. “Here, Skylar, drink some hot water. Don’t mind her. She’ll calm down on her own.” The steam from the warm water wafted past me, a stark contrast to the cold that was leaching the warmth from my body. Despair, like the ancient ice under my feet, began to freeze me from the inside out. I slumped against the ice rock, my body sliding down uncontrollably, my consciousness beginning to drift. In my fading vision, Marcus protecting Skylar, their backs to me, and the other team members whispering as they packed gear, all blurred into swaying, monstrous shapes. That life-saving altitude medicine was on the ground by Skylar’s boot. Only three feet away, but impossibly distant, separated by a chasm of indifference. It was then that Skylar quietly knelt in front of me. She took off her mask, her face vibrant and healthy. She leaned down and spoke in a voice only I could hear. “Anya, how does it feel to suffocate?” A cruel, delighted smile spread across her face. “Marcus has been so tired of your control for ages. He said you were stiff and boring, like a mannequin.” “Once you’re out of the way, your reputation, your portfolio, and your man… I’ll be happy to take over.”

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1 I know every trope from trashy webnovels by heart, so ever since being reborn into this world, I’ve braced for plot twists at every turn. I carefully cultivated the persona of someone with crippling paranoia. Delicate and fragile, I turned the Sinclair mansion into a fortress. I padded every sharp corner, triple-tracked my phone, and pinned a GoPro to my chest, recording 24/7. Even my parents ached for me, saying I needed to be showered with love. Years ago, a kidnapper staked me out for months but never found an opening. In desperation, he tried brute force—only to slam into an invisible security fence. He was caught on the spot. And so, I grew up safely, wrapped in my parents’ love. Until today, when a girl showed up clutching a DNA report. Tearfully, she introduced herself as Claire Sinclair, the real Sinclair daughter. “Sister, I’m not here to take anything from you,” she said, eyes red. “I just… want a complete family.” With that, she grabbed my hand and threw herself dramatically toward a porcelain vase in the corner. Thud. Claire bounced off it and landed flat on her back. The smirk forming on her lips froze solid. A second later, she shrieked, “Are you insane?! Who makes a vase out of solid rubber?!” … Claire lay sprawled on the floor, prodding the unmoving blue-and-white porcelain vase in disbelief. “Why won’t this thing break?” “Oh, it’s rubber. Solid rubber,” I explained in a small voice, peeking out from behind my mother. “Claire, are you okay? The floor is cold, you should get up.” My father rushed over to help her up, while my mother knelt beside her, her face etched with concern. “Did you hurt yourself anywhere?” Claire sat up, rubbing her tailbone in stunned silence, her face a shifting palette of white and red. My parents exchanged a look, their eyes filled with a familiar mix of worry and exasperation over my “condition.” “Claire, please don’t mind her,” Mom explained softly, patting her on the back. “Ava… she’s had a phobia of fragile things since she was a little girl. So we had all the porcelain and glass in the house replaced with this custom-made polymer.” The butler helped a limping Claire to her feet. The tear tracks on her cheeks were half-dry, her expression a chaotic mess of disbelief and a new, calculating curiosity. I approached her, feigning concern, and gently brushed the dust from her dress. “Are you hurt, Claire? Should we call the family doctor?” “It’s all my fault. If I weren’t so timid, we wouldn’t have all these strange things in the house.” As I spoke, my own eyes began to redden, tears welling up. My parents’ hearts immediately went out to me. Dad sighed and turned to Claire. “Claire, let the butler show you to your room to rest. I’ll have the doctor check on you later. You’ll have to be more careful around the house from now on.” Claire’s expression darkened even further. Back in her room, she was clearly not ready to give up. A little while later, she appeared timidly at the door to the living room. Her eyes immediately locked onto a celadon teacup on the mantelpiece—one of the few objects in the house that looked genuinely old and valuable. “Sister, that cup is so beautiful.” Her eyes glinted with calculation. I nodded. “It was my grandmother’s.” Claire’s eyes instantly filled with tears. “My… my grandmother, who I never got to meet?” Her voice dripped with a mix of longing and feigned humility. “I never had nice things growing up. That cup must be very expensive, right? Could I… could I just hold it for a moment?” This one-two punch of pitiable vulnerability was too much for my parents. Guilt was written all over Mom’s face. “Ava, just let your sister look at it. She misses her grandmother, too.” I hesitated for a moment before giving a reluctant nod. Claire walked over, picked up the cup with exaggerated care, and as she turned, shot me a triumphant, mocking smirk from an angle our parents couldn’t see. The next second, her foot “slipped,” and she lofted the teacup high into the air. “Oh no!” The cup sailed through the air, heading straight for the marble floor. Claire had already composed her face into an expression of tearful apology. Thump… boing… boing… The expected crisp shatter never came. The celadon teacup hit the floor, and instead of breaking, it bounced like a rubber ball several times before rolling to a stop at my father’s feet. Completely unharmed. The room was utterly silent. I could practically see the blood rushing to Claire’s face, turning it from white to red, then to a deep shade of purple. The cringe was palpable. It was so awkward you could have built a three-bedroom apartment out of the secondhand embarrassment. My father was the first to break the silence. He cleared his throat, a note of relief in his voice. “Well, thank goodness for that. It’s a good thing Ava insisted we replace everything with this reinforced polymer.” “Her grandmother adored her, so she had this specially commissioned. It’s indestructible.” “Otherwise, that precious memento would have been lost today.” Mom quickly jumped in to smooth things over. “Yes, exactly. Don’t worry about it, Claire. No harm done.” Claire just stood there, looking like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole. I walked over, picked up the cup, and blew off a speck of non-existent dust. Then, I went to my room, retrieved an identical teacup, and pressed it into her hand. “Don’t be sad, Claire. Whatever I have, you’ll have too.” I gave her a beatific, innocent smile. “Good thing I had the foresight to ask Grandma for two of them.” “Here. This one’s brand new. A gift. You’re welcome.” Claire clutched the indestructible cup, her knuckles white. She quickly recovered, forcing a stiff smile. “Thank you, sister… I see I’ll have to be very, very careful in this house.” After two consecutive failures, Claire lay low for a couple of days. I figured she was revising her strategy. Soon enough, she set her sights on my older brother, Leo, a man whose only true love is academia. He was the family’s resident iceberg, perpetually buried in labs and libraries, with a near-total immunity to human emotional cues. Claire adopted the “gentle, understanding soulmate” approach. She timed his schedule perfectly, bringing him handmade pastries and soups every day. When he inevitably shut the door in her face, she remained undeterred, showing up again the next day. She would also casually “showcase” her intellect in front of him, reciting obscure poetry or dropping philosophical tidbits, all in a desperate attempt to catch his interest. Unfortunately for her, trying to connect with my brother emotionally was like talking to a brick wall made of textbooks. Seeing her charm offensive was failing, Claire finally bared her fangs. That evening, she rushed up to me in a panic, grabbing my wrist, her eyes gleaming with a manic energy. “Sister, quickly! I think that stray cat in the back garden is hurt! It’s bleeding everywhere! We have to go help it!” Her voice was shrill, laced with a contrived urgency. Just what kind of diversion was this? I let her drag me out to the back garden. It was completely quiet. Not a single cat hair in sight. Before I could say anything, Claire clutched her stomach and gasped, “Oh, ouch! My stomach suddenly hurts so much. I need to find a bathroom, quick.” Her winks and grimaces were laughably amateurish. I nodded, playing my part. “Of course, you should go. I’ll look for the cat out here.” She looked relieved, turning and bolting without another word of pretense. I watched her go, then began a leisurely stroll through the garden, even taking the time to water a few of the orchids. When I finally wandered back inside, I was met with the sound of my brother’s furious roar. “Which one of you bastards destroyed my manuscript? It took me three days and nights to finish it!” Leo stormed out of his study, his face flushed with rage, his hair standing on end. It was the first time I’d ever seen him so furious. Even my parents came running. We followed him into his study to find a scene of utter devastation. His freshly completed thesis was torn to shreds, and ink was splattered everywhere. Claire covered her mouth, her face a mask of horror. “How could this have happened?” She timidly tugged on our mother’s sleeve and whispered, “I… I think I saw sister walking past brother’s study door just a little while ago…” My father’s expression hardened. My mother frowned, her gaze turning to me, searching for an explanation. “Claire, are you certain it was your sister you saw?” Claire continued her performance. “Mom, please don’t ask. It’s all my fault…” My parents immediately pulled up the security footage from the hallway. On the screen, a figure in a white dress—my signature look—was seen furtively entering my brother’s study, then rushing out a few moments later. Claire immediately burst into tears, the waterworks on full display. “It’s all my fault. If I’d never come back, none of this would be happening…” “Sister must be in a bad mood because of me. That’s why she did this, isn’t it?” She was doing everything she could to pin the blame on me. “Shut up!”

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In five years of marriage, my wife has given birth to three children for her “white moonlight”—her first love. For all three births, I was the one who took care of her during confinement. Once, she and her lover played too rough, leading to a ruptured corpus luteum. I was the one who called the ambulance. This made me a joke in the company. People mocked me freely, but I never got angry. On the day of the baby’s one-month celebration, because of a minor arrangement issue, my wife exploded in public. “Zhang, believe it or not, I can make you roll out of the Sterling family right now.” I chuckled lightly. “I believe it. Why wouldn’t I? After all, you can give birth to three children for another man. What wouldn’t you do?” She wanted to say more, but I interrupted her, calmly throwing the divorce agreement on the table. “Perfect timing. Let’s divorce. The five-year term is up. It’s time for me to go back and inherit my position as the Celestial Master.” 1 My wife, Bella Sterling, stared at me wide-eyed, a trace of disbelief in her eyes. As if she couldn’t believe that I, the live-in son-in-law who had been subservient to the Sterling family for five years, could say such a thing. “Do you know what you are saying?” Bella’s face was frosty. “If you apologize to me now, I can pretend you never said that.” The others also stared at me with mocking eyes. Everyone knew I was the useless live-in son-in-law of the Sterling family. In these years at the Sterling house, I had no human rights. I even proactively helped my wife, who gave birth to another man’s children, with her postpartum care. Just to exchange for a life of food and clothing in the Sterling family. “Looks like this kid is going to be locked in the dark room when he gets back. On the day of CEO Sterling’s third son’s one-month celebration, he dares to be so presumptuous! He won’t have a good ending.” “For sure. Maybe he’ll be starved for three or five days, or even paraded on the street?” “Today is a joyous day. Zhang, you should apologize to Bella quickly.” Bella’s “white moonlight,” Ryan Du, pretended to be a good person, urging me to apologize. “Otherwise, you won’t have a good time when you go back. If Bella puts a dog leash on your neck and locks you at the door, your life won’t be easy.” Standing next to Ryan was an old man in a gray robe. The old man stared at me with gloomy eyes, saying nothing. “Exactly. Zhang, why fight with CEO Sterling? It does you no good. Hurry up and admit your mistake and accept punishment.” Everyone thought I just spoke without thinking for a moment. Little did they know. In these years, if not for me being in the Sterling family. Everyone in the Sterling family would have died long ago. If not for my “good-for-nothing” master, who said he owed a debt of gratitude to the late Old Master Sterling. He divined that the Sterling family would face a great calamity in these few years. He forced me to marry into the Sterling family for five years to help them tide over the difficulties. Reluctantly, I became a live-in son-in-law. I came with the mindset of completing a mission. In these years, I have secretly acted countless times to allow the Sterling family to develop safely to this day. But the people in front of me knew nothing about it. But I don’t blame them. Human cognition is limited. Especially for stupid and arrogant people. Seeing everyone persuading me to admit my mistake, Bella had a triumphant smile on her face. Perhaps in her eyes, I was just a slave she could manipulate at will. “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and apologize! Do you really want me to get angry and kick you out of the Sterling family? You’ll leave with nothing and sleep on the streets, unable to afford even a full meal.” “You don’t need to worry about whether I can afford a meal, Bella Sterling! Look at the divorce agreement. If there are no problems, sign it quickly.” 2 Hearing this, everyone looked at me in shock. “Is this kid kicked in the head by a donkey? Daring to sing a different tune against CEO Sterling, who is worth billions. Following CEO Sterling means no worries about food and clothing. I don’t know where he got the guts to divorce her.” “Moreover, today is the one-month celebration of CEO Sterling’s third son. Isn’t this blatantly disrespecting her?” Bella’s face became even uglier. “Zhang, on an occasion like this, do you insist on embarrassing me?” I knew Bella wanted dignity. But her dignity was built on my “wagging tail and begging.” Before, perhaps for the sake of my master, I could tolerate it a bit. But now, sorry, I can’t tolerate it at all. “CEO Sterling, the divorce agreement is right in front of your eyes. It takes less than a minute to sign. You dragging this out… are you reluctant to divorce me?” This sentence instantly stimulated Bella. Her face flushed a few shades redder, looking like she was about to curse at any moment. But in the end, she held it back forcibly. “Zhang, don’t flatter yourself. There is a huge gap in status between us. I am the CEO of the billion-dollar Sterling Group, and what are you?” Ryan quickly walked up, crossing his arms. “Bella, I can answer this question. He is a toad in the sewer, always fantasizing about eating swan meat, haha…” As Ryan’s laughter rang out. The people around also laughed along. “Absolutely right. Zhang, in my eyes, you are just a toad, a dog. For the sake of the child’s one-month wine today, I don’t want to lower myself to your level. Kneel down and apologize now, otherwise, you won’t have a good ending.” Bella started to “posture” again. Ryan chimed in, “The opportunity is right in front of you. Otherwise, if you really provoke Bella and she divorces you, you will become a complete waste, won’t you?” I chuckled lightly, glancing at Ryan. “Doesn’t CEO Sterling divorcing me fit your wishes perfectly? I step down, and you can step up, right?” Hearing this, he looked embarrassed and wanted to say something. But I interrupted him. “You should thank me for divorcing CEO Sterling! If I don’t divorce, wouldn’t you always be the shameful mistress…” When these words landed, Ryan completely broke defense. He rushed in front of me, pointing at my nose. “Zhang, you waste, stop talking nonsense here. Bella has always loved me, otherwise she wouldn’t have given birth to three children for me consecutively. You are just a stand-in for me.” “Oh, gave birth to three children for you? Why hasn’t she married you yet? Still reluctant to divorce me until now, what do you say is going on?” “You…” “Enough, Zhang. Today is the child’s one-month celebration. I don’t want things to get too ugly. Whether you want a divorce or do anything else, wait until the celebration is over.” Bella said with a completely black face. I snorted lightly. “It’s your child’s celebration, what does it have to do with me? Sign quickly. I don’t want to stay in this broken place of your Sterling family for a second longer.” 3 The people around instantly put on an attitude of watching a good show. Even though everyone had heard that the child wasn’t mine. Knew it was Bella’s born for her white moonlight, Ryan. But this matter was limited to rumors. It had never been admitted by the parties involved in a public setting. And now that I said these words, it was equivalent to confirming this matter. It completely tore off Bella’s disguise at once. Giving birth to someone else’s child within marriage, and now holding a grand one-month celebration. If this news got out, it would definitely cause a storm in the city. Bella seemed to finally lose control, rushing to the front, raising her hand to slap me. In the past, I might have indulged her temper. But this time! I grabbed her wrist directly and pushed her away. “That’s enough.” She stumbled. Seeing this, Ryan quickly stepped forward to support Bella. “Bella, are you okay?” Bella fell into Ryan’s arms. “You waste, dare to touch me?” She said incredulously. “Self-defense.” My tolerance in the Sterling family these past few years was taken for granted by Bella. She habitually thought I would continue to tolerate her everywhere. But she didn’t know that today was the day my five-year promise to my master expired. The days of being the humiliated son-in-law of the Sterling family end today. Compared to what she did to me before. What is me pushing her once? To punish me for disobedience, she made me stand barefoot in the snow in the dead of winter. Didn’t let me sit at the table for meals, throwing a dog bowl in front of me, humiliating me that I should eat the same food as a dog. Made me sleep in the utility room, splashing me awake with cold water in winter. Now I even have some “PTSD” reactions. “You dare bully Bella, I’m not done with you!” Ryan suddenly rushed towards me. Bella loved Ryan very much. A dignified billionaire CEO, giving birth to three children for Ryan consecutively. He raised his hand to hit me, but I kicked him to the ground. Originally, on this occasion, I hadn’t found a reason to deal with this bastard. But this bastard delivered himself to the door. Then don’t blame me for being impolite. After all, I’ve tolerated this grandson for a long time. Ryan was kicked down by me, screaming in pain. Bella stepped forward to hug Ryan, the two looking deeply affectionate. But at this moment, I saw Ryan forming a hand seal with one hand. Others might not understand. But I saw it clearly. This was a hand seal for an “Evil Curse.” Casting the seal and chanting the spell could cause death. Sure enough, not long after, I saw Ryan’s lips start to move, obviously chanting. I was curious before. Why someone could attack Bella again and again. After all, Bella is a dignified billionaire CEO. Ordinary people can’t get close to her at all. Plus, I had placed a protection spell on Bella. But even so! Bella still almost fell for it several times. The one who can do this to Bella must be someone close to her. For this, I even investigated the people around Bella but found no suspects. But now, I probably know who attacked Bella. I really never thought in a million years that the person who would use vicious means against Bella would be her most beloved white moonlight, Ryan. She gave birth to three children for Ryan. Even so? Ryan still wants to attack Bella? Truly, the human heart is terrifying! 4 I originally wanted to take advantage of Ryan using evil means against me to get rid of him for Bella. But who knew that just as I took a step forward. Bella opened her arms to block in front of Ryan, looking like she wanted to fight me to the death. “Zhang, you waste, today you touched my final bottom line. You know Ryan is my final bottom line. If you dare hurt him, I will make you pay.” Her face became a few degrees more ferocious. “Someone come! Cripple this waste’s limbs for me.” Soon, three or five security guards rushed up. Surrounding me. “Especially the leg he used to kick Ryan.” Hearing this, my heart went cold, and my eyes released a chill. Originally thought of saving Bella’s life in passing! Now it seems completely unnecessary. Bella! You brought this on yourself, go die. “Do it!” As the voice fell, several security guards were about to rush up to attack me. And at this time, Ryan also wanted to take advantage of the chaos to come forward and cast a spell on me. But before he could rush to the front, the few security guards were dealt with by me. Ryan, who rushed to the front, was slapped away by me again. Just as Ryan wanted to step forward again. He was stopped by the old man who had been standing beside him. At this moment, the onlookers were all dumbfounded. “Didn’t expect this kid to be quite skilled?” “Yeah, this is really surprising.” Bella’s gaze towards me gradually became strange. As I walked towards Bella with the divorce agreement. Bella subconsciously retreated a few steps. “You…” “Did you discover I know some kung fu? Surprised?” She nodded subconsciously. I chuckled lightly. “CEO Sterling, you don’t need to be surprised. I know far more than you imagine.” I handed the divorce agreement to Bella. Bella glanced at the divorce agreement, her expression condensing. “Zhang, even if there is a divorce, it is I, Bella Sterling, proposing divorce to you.” “Doesn’t matter. As long as you sign the divorce, it’s fine. Treat it as you proposing.” “Since you want a divorce, don’t even think about taking a penny from our Sterling family.” “You talk too much nonsense. The divorce agreement is already written. I leave with nothing, don’t need a penny from your Sterling family.” I said grumpily. Bella’s face unexpectedly showed unwillingness. Of course, her unwillingness wasn’t because I was about to leave her. But why wasn’t she the first to propose divorce? Why didn’t I beg her not to divorce me? “Good, since you are so tough, I will fulfill you. Let’s see how you live without our Sterling family?” Bella picked up the pen and quickly wrote her name. I got the divorce agreement and let out a long breath. “Finally resolved.” Seeing me like this, Bella’s face showed a trace of viciousness. She held up the divorce agreement in her hand. “Everyone, you are all nobles and elites of Suzhou. Today, please be my witness. Now I announce that from this moment on, Zhang has nothing to do with our Sterling family.” “From now on, whatever you do to this waste, you don’t need to consider our Sterling family’s face. Even if you kill him, it has nothing to do with our Sterling family.” Just then, someone shouted, “If we kill this waste Zhang, can we get a cooperation contract with the Sterling family?” As a prominent family in Suzhou, naturally many wealthy nobles wanted to cooperate with the Sterling family. “Today, this waste Zhang dared to disrespect CEO Sterling so much. If this waste dies, do we have a chance to cooperate with the Sterling family?” A sneer suddenly appeared at the corner of Bella’s mouth, looking at me playfully. “I just told everyone, the life and death of this waste Zhang has nothing to do with us. You can do whatever you want. As for cooperation with our Sterling family, it depends on your own ability.” Although she didn’t explicitly agree to let these people attack me, the meaning in her words was a tacit permission. Everyone stared at me excitedly. I wasn’t worried at all. Bella wanted to borrow a knife to kill. I glanced coldly at Bella. “Instead of spending time plotting against me, you might as well go home and check.” “What do you mean?” Bella said. “Today is your third son’s one-month celebration. The banquet is about to start, haven’t you noticed that your parents and your three sons haven’t come?” Hearing this, Bella’s expression became stern. She immediately took out her phone to call home. But obviously, the call didn’t go through. She stared at me, her tone anxious. “Zhang, did you do something to my parents and children?” “Don’t wrong me, I didn’t do anything.” I spread my hands and said. Black energy began to emit from Bella’s forehead again. The Children’s Palace and Parents’ Palace were also surrounded by black energy, obviously someone had used means against them again. Bella was obviously worried too, taking Ryan and rushing out of the hotel. Looking at Bella’s back, I pinched my fingers and calculated. “This time without my protection, the Sterling family is afraid of being ruined.”

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On the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, an order for a bouquet of roses popped up at my best friend’s flower shop. I stared at the WeChat profile of the customer on the shop’s iPad, verifying it three times. There was no mistake. It was my husband, Mark, who was supposedly on a business trip in Chicago. But the recipient wasn’t me. I video-called him. It rang for a long time before he picked up. Before I could question him, my best friend, Chloe, squeezed into the frame, smiling brightly. “You’re not even back for New Year’s? What gift are you buying Sarah to make up for it?” The room on his end was pitch black. Mark had the duvet pulled over his head, eyes squinting, a forced smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. “Honey, I’m so sorry. I’ll make it up to you when I get back.” “I pulled an all-nighter working yesterday. I’m exhausted. Let me sleep a bit more.” His acting calmed me down instantly. I offered a few perfunctory words and hung up. I picked up the wrapped bouquet and walked out the door. “I’m delivering this one myself.” 1 The delivery address wasn’t far, a luxury condo complex that opened last year. The security guard stopped me at the gate. “No deliveries allowed inside.” I used the shop’s phone to dial the customer, pitching my voice higher. Mark’s voice came through the speaker. “This is Mark Sterling, Unit 1603, Building 5. Let her in.” The guard nodded, logged my info, and buzzed me through. The elevator dinged. I took a deep breath. “I’ll go in alone,” I told Chloe. She nodded and slipped into the stairwell. “Yell if you need me.” I started recording on my phone and rang the doorbell. Mark’s voice echoed from inside. “Babe, can you get that?” Footsteps approached. The door opened. The woman froze. “Lily’s mom?” I froze too. She was Jessica, my daughter Lily’s former art teacher. She had quit six months ago because she was pregnant. Was she carrying my husband’s child? She looked at the flowers in my hands, her gaze sweeping over me. She lowered her head, smiling with a mix of shyness and provocation. “Lily’s mom, are you delivering for DoorDash now?” She was wearing a loose silk nightgown, her belly protruding significantly. I gripped the bouquet so hard the paper crinkled. She reached out, feigning kindness. “Thank you. It’s freezing out there. You must be cold. Want to come in for a bit?” “Sure. Thanks.” She paused, not expecting me to agree so easily. Her eyes darted nervously toward the kitchen, but she smiled and opened the shoe cabinet to get me slippers. The cabinet was full of men’s shoes. One pair was the limited edition Nikes I bought Mark last month. He was wearing them when he left for his “business trip.” A cartoon portrait of the two of them sat on the console table. Jessica sniffed the flowers. “My husband is so romantic. He never forgets a surprise on holidays.” I sneered. “Does he send them on April Fools’, too?” Her mouth hung open slightly. She composed herself and said, “Life after divorce must be hard. A wealthy wife reducing herself to delivery work.” I looked around the apartment. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the lake. The sunset poured in, breathtakingly beautiful. But all I felt was a chilling desolation. Pain pricked every inch of my skin. “Yeah, not everyone gets lucky like you, Ms. Jessica. Hooking up with CEO Sterling really elevated your lifestyle.” Her secret exposed, she became smug. “If it wasn’t for Lily, Mark would have divorced you ages ago. But my child is more important. The moment he heard I was pregnant, he filed for divorce immediately.” “Divorce?” “Stop pretending. Mark told me everything. He only goes home once a month to put on a show for Lily. Since you’re here, be smart. Don’t use this as an excuse to cling to my husband.” “We’re both women. I know your little tricks.” She lifted her chin, confident. At that moment, Mark walked out of the kitchen carrying a pot of chicken soup. He placed it carefully on the dining table and started ladling it into a bowl. He didn’t see me. Jessica walked over and linked her arm through his, her voice dripping with honey. “Hubby, we have a guest.” Mark turned around. His hand shook, and the bowl smashed onto the floor, shattering into pieces. “What are you doing here?!” Jessica sighed with fake pity. “Lily’s mom is having a tough time. She’s delivering flowers now.” Mark glanced at the flowers, realizing the voice on the phone had been mine. He never expected I would actually show up. He stepped forward nervously, reaching for me. “Sarah, listen to me, this is…” Before he could finish, Jessica pulled him back, staking her claim. “You guys are divorced, what is there to explain?” “Lily’s mom, Mark will pay the child support. Don’t be shameless and keep pestering him.” I stared into Mark’s eyes. “It is time for a divorce.” 2 Mark shook off Jessica’s hand and grabbed mine, pulling me toward the door. “Let’s talk outside. Jessica is in her third trimester; don’t scare her.” Jessica suddenly “slipped” on a ceramic shard. She fell to the ground, grabbing Mark’s pant leg. “Hubby! My stomach!” Mark turned pale. He scooped her up frantically. “Jess, don’t be scared. I’m taking you to the hospital.” He shoved past me, his elbow slamming hard into my lower back. Sharp pain shot through my spine. “Ah!” Mark instinctively looked back. “Sarah…” Jessica let out a whimper, cutting him off. Seeing her in pain, he turned and rushed out the door. I stumbled out. Chloe ran over to support me. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine.” Chloe held up her phone. “I suspect he’s transferring assets. I already texted my brother to investigate.” Chloe’s brother, David, was a top divorce attorney. I nodded thanks and forwarded her the video I just recorded. “Her name is Jessica Miller. Lily’s old art teacher. Tell David to draft the divorce papers.” “Okay. I’m driving you home.” Chloe insisted I wasn’t fit to drive. She took me home and picked up Lily to stay at her place for a few days. David worked fast. By the time I got home, he had sent a file. The apartment and car under Jessica’s name were bought by Mark. Transfers totaling nearly ten million dollars. A year ago, Mark told me the branch office had issues and he needed to travel often. Turns out he was building a love nest. Every “business trip” was spent with Jessica. I immediately called the company’s CFO. “Mr. Jones, send me the ledgers for the main company and all branches for the last few years.” “Mrs. Sterling, those are confidential. You don’t have authorization.” “I am a shareholder!” Silence on the other end. “I will submit a request to Mr. Sterling. Once he signs off, I will send them to you.” Good. Very good. Since I got pregnant with Lily, I stopped asking about the company. I spent my days shopping, going to spas, and raising my child. Everyone thought I married well. Even Mark probably forgot: I am the majority shareholder. I have the right to fire him at any time. I started cleaning house. I opened the closet, threw Mark’s suits onto the floor, and stomped on them. I tore them apart like a madwoman, venting my rage. At the bottom of the closet, I found an old storage box. It contained everything Mark had given me during our four years of college. A tulip night light, a handmade backpack, hair clips he designed, a jar of paper stars. His family was poor back then. He couldn’t afford expensive gifts, so he made them by hand. I hugged the box and cried until dawn. The next morning, my mother-in-law, Martha, and sister-in-law, Emily, barged in. Seeing the mess, they started screaming. “Sarah! Are you crazy? You destroyed all this expensive stuff? Do you know how hard my son works? How did he marry such a wasteful woman? Couldn’t give us a grandson, and now this!” She saw me and raised her hand to slap me. “Bitch! You almost hurt my grandson!” “You birthed a useless girl and dare to show off in front of Jessica? Be smart, divorce my son, and get out of the Sterling family.” Emily was in the kitchen, sweeping bird’s nest, ginseng, and expensive supplements into a bag. “Wasted on her. Mom, let’s take these to Jessica. She needs them.” Martha rushed to the kitchen, helping her pack. “Right! Jessica is the hero of our family. She needs nourishment.” When I gave birth to Lily, Martha took one look, saw it was a girl, and never came back. I didn’t care about her attitude. What shocked me was—Jessica gave birth? “Where is Mark?” Martha spat on the floor. “With my grandson, obviously. I’m warning you, if anything happens to him, I’ll kill you!” 3 Jessica had a boy. The whole family knew about the affair and the baby. They were all hiding it from me. Mark didn’t come home until the afternoon. His eyes were red with fatigue, his face impatient. “My mom just took some stuff from the house, and you called the police? I bought those things with my money. What’s wrong with her taking them?” “Save it for the police station.” The moment they left, I reported a burglary. I had surveillance footage of them clearing out the kitchen. The value was over a thousand dollars—enough for a criminal case. The police arrested them at the hospital. Mark was left alone to care for the baby and Jessica. He was overwhelmed. Only after hiring a nanny did he have time to come back and confront me. I looked at him and sneered. “Your money?” He laughed, a mocking sound. “If not mine, is it yours? If I hadn’t propped up the company all these years, it would have gone bankrupt ages ago. I’ve been supporting you, letting you live like a queen for a decade.” “This company is huge. It needs an heir. Just be a good Mrs. Sterling. No one can threaten your position.” I pointed to the family portrait on the wall. “Isn’t Lily your heir?” “What use is a girl? She’ll just marry out and the assets will fall into someone else’s hands.” My heart went cold. Fall into someone else’s hands? “Mark, is that why you approached me in college?” Mark looked down, grabbing my hand, softening his tone. “Sarah, I love you.” I threw the printed divorce agreement at his chest. “Sign it.” He glanced at it, threw it on the floor, and laughed coldly. “Sarah, look around. Which wealthy man doesn’t have a mistress or two? After all these years, I make one mistake, and you want a divorce?” “Stop making a scene. My mom wanted a grandson, and you couldn’t have a second child. I had no choice. When the boy is older, I’ll bring him here for you to raise.” He spoke as if discussing the weather. I looked at him in disbelief and slapped him twice, backhand and forehand. “Scumbag!” He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “Honey, I know you’re angry. But how will you live without me? Are you really going to deliver food?” “You forget. The company belongs to my family.” Mark chuckled. “Don’t be naive. It’s been ten years. The people at the company don’t listen to you anymore.” “Let’s just live our lives. I promise, no one will take your title as Mrs. Sterling. I won’t shortchange Lily.” “But if I don’t agree, you won’t get custody. Can you bear to leave her? To let her grow up in a broken home? Think about it for Lily.” It was laughable. He didn’t think of Lily when he cheated, but now he used her to morally blackmail me. When my father died, he gifted Mark 10% of the shares, hoping he would treat me well. Now, those shares were a weapon against me. Before we married, I hid my identity. After graduation, we joined the company together. Just as we were competing for an executive role, I found out I was pregnant. My father rushed the wedding and told me to stay home and rest. Soon after, my father died of a sudden heart attack. I fell into depression and miscarried. I was hospitalized with severe clinical depression. Mark took care of me while running the company. He said he would guard my father’s empire for me. I believed him. I rallied the other shareholders to support him as Chairman. I had no energy to manage the business then. I became the envied Mrs. Sterling and eventually gave birth to Lily. Because I lost a child before, Lily was my world. Mark knew this. That’s why he used her. “Mark, the naive one is you, not me.” 4 A few days later, acting as a shareholder, I issued a notice removing Mark from all positions and announcing my return to manage all company affairs. The email hit every employee’s inbox. I put on a business suit I hadn’t worn in years and walked into the building. The receptionist stopped me. “Miss, do you have an appointment?” I hadn’t been to the office in five years. Many employees didn’t recognize me. “I am Sarah Vance. I’m here to work.” “Sarah Vance?” She muttered the name, then gasped, remembering the morning email. “You’re the new Chairman!” She respectfully opened the gate. The elevator reached the 26th floor. The doors opened to reveal Mark standing with the other shareholders, waiting for me. His eyes crinkled with a smile that said I was in over my head. Uncle Wang spoke first. He had co-founded the company with my father and watched me grow up. Now, he postured like an elder. “Sarah, Mark told us everything. You’re being ridiculous! A lover’s spat shouldn’t be brought to the office. The Chairman position isn’t a toy for your tantrums!” Employees watching from the sidelines snickered. “The CEO’s wife probably can’t even read a spreadsheet.” “Should stay home with the kid. Why come here to cause trouble?” “Classic housewife. Scared her husband will run off, so she comes to mark her territory.” Other shareholders chimed in. “Mrs. Sterling, running a corporation is no joke. Go home.” “Sarah, Glory Corp has grown under Mark. Don’t ruin it.” “The company isn’t just yours. What right do you have to make these decisions?” Mark smiled confidently, playing the peacemaker. “It’s my fault. I made Sarah angry, causing this mess. I apologize on her behalf.” “Oh, Mr. Sterling, you’re too kind. Since it’s a family matter, we won’t interfere.” “Sarah, don’t make this kind of joke again!” The group laughed and turned to leave. Mark leaned in and whispered in my ear. “See? No one stands with you.” Many were my father’s old loyalists. Now, they all backed Mark. I looked around, my heart turning to ice. I spoke coldly. “A joke? I am the majority shareholder. I demand Mark Sterling be removed immediately.” The shareholders froze, looking at Mark. Mark didn’t get angry. “Since everyone is here, let’s hold a shareholders’ meeting and vote for the Chairman.” “Assistant Sun, take everyone to the conference room. Call Director Lee.” We walked into the conference room. Mark sat naturally at the head of the table. He pulled out a shareholding agreement. He actually owned 20% of the shares! “I’ve acquired the scattered shares. I hold 20%. Sarah holds 35%. Who do you support?” Uncle Wang and the others voted for Mark. Mark leaned back, looking down at me arrogantly. “That’s 40% for me. You only have 35%. Give up.” I looked at the door, waiting for the other shareholder. Mark smirked. Half an hour later, Director Lee arrived slowly. He looked at me. “Sarah, you shouldn’t do this.” My eyes reddened. “Uncle Lee, Mark betrayed me.” Uncle Lee pulled me aside to lecture me. “Even if Mark is wrong, you shouldn’t air dirty laundry in public. Men need to save face. Go home and solve this.” “I support Mark.” I didn’t expect my own uncle to side with him. Mark stood up to thank everyone. “Sarah, I have 46% support. What do you have to say?” “Mr. Sterling forgets,” I said clearly. “There is still a holder of 19% who hasn’t voted.”

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The day I finally cut ties with Asher Vaughn, I changed my number, my email, and my life. For years, he would send a lavish holiday package—Christmas, my birthday—but he never otherwise attempted to contact me. That stopped at a company dinner a few nights ago. His call went straight to my boss’s cell phone. Mr. Davies answered, his face a careful mask of deference and terror, then stared at me, dumbfounded. “Mr. Vaughn says his daughter is sick. He wants you there.” The entire table went silent. 1 My co-workers, with their honed instincts, had already spotted our CEO heading toward our table and lifted their glasses in salute. I was prepared to do the same, ready with a professional toast. I hadn’t prepared for the words that came out of his mouth. Around me, my colleagues exchanged glances. “Sienna, when did you get married?” “And you have a kid? I don’t remember you taking any maternity leave.” Asher Vaughn and I were not, and never had been, the marrying kind. I ignored them, rising from my chair. “Mr. Davies, did he say which hospital?” He waved me back down. “No rush, Sienna. Eat first. I’ll arrange a car; I’m taking you myself in a minute.” He signaled his assistant, Riley, and left the room in a hurry. A co-worker leaned in. “He’s right, eat something. Rushing won’t help now.” “What does your husband do? The boss is treating this like a matter of national security.” “Seriously, why wouldn’t he just text you? Why the whole detour?” I offered a dismissive answer. “I’m single now.” A collective, quiet hmm went around the table. They leaned back and nodded, a knowing glint in their eyes. “Well, that explains it.” “Young people have too much pride. Wait till you’re my age. You’ll realize you can’t block an ex-husband. When you need him, one text, and he’ll still show up for you.” “You had a kid, and I bet he’s loaded. Why’d you break up?” I said nothing. Riley tapped my shoulder. “Car’s here. Mr. Davies is waiting.” 2 I got into the passenger seat and glanced at the backseat in the rearview mirror. “You can just drop me at the subway station.” “Nonsense. A child is sick; I’m coming to check on her. Gotta send my regards.” He chuckled, making an attempt at a joke. “We have hidden powerhouses in this company. Getting married so young, was it an arranged family thing?” Arranged. The word was laughable. The first time I met Asher Vaughn, I had just graduated college. I was twenty-two, had been jobless for two months, and was eating an eight-dollar container of greasy takeout on a freeway overpass late at night. I was staying in a thirty-dollar-a-night hostel, and my entire life fit into a single twenty-four-inch suitcase and a backpack. My parents had called me, asking about my interviews. They told me not to be so picky. Work hard, they said. Maybe offer to clean up the office before the interview—the manager might see I was a serious, humble girl and hire me on the spot. I slowly refuted every suggestion. Finally, they relented, suggesting I just come home and start a business. What business? Where would the money come from? If all else failed, they said, I could open a breakfast diner. We could borrow a bit of money from a friend. Having some work, even if it lost money, was better than lying around. If you lie around too long, you lose your drive. Besides, I was a college graduate now. It was time I sent some money home. I hadn’t been lying around. I had spent the last of my savings hopping between hostels in different boroughs. I worked weekend gigs for a few hundred bucks to cover food for the coming week. On weekdays, I submitted resumes and went on interviews. Every HR person told me I lacked standout experience. The only place that seemed interested, an electronics factory, said, You’re a college grad, you’ll find a good job eventually. You won’t stay here long. When I posted my frustrations online, I got DMs suggesting I try working in clubs. I hung up on my parents. The food in my mouth turned to dust. I thought, I’ll just finish this and jump. The street below was sparsely populated with cars. A sleek, black Range Rover with tinted windows drove by several times. It finally killed its engine and parked right below me. I wiped my face, took a deep breath, and walked over to the car, tapping on the window. “Is your car broken?” “You can’t park here.” “There are cameras up there, and traffic patrols. You’ll get a thousand-dollar ticket for five minutes.” The window rolled down slowly. A hand holding a cigarette emerged. Asher Vaughn looked up at me and suddenly smiled. “Let them ticket me. It doesn’t matter. I just wanted to see how long you were going to stand on this overpass.” I froze. My eyes welled up instantly. The first tear broke free, and the emotion that followed was like a dam breaking. I turned my back, still holding the unfinished box of food, and went back to the railing, trying to keep eating. The car door opened and closed behind me. Leather soles tapped lightly on the pavement, stopping a few feet away. The smoke drifted to me. He didn’t say anything. I sniffled, turned, and held out my hand. “Can I have one?” He raised an eyebrow, the cigarette dangling from his lips. “It’s the middle of the night, and a man is following you. Shouldn’t you be running? You’re asking for a smoke?” “This place has more cameras than your driving test center! Besides, if you were a creep, would I outrun your car?” He coughed, choking on the smoke a little. He pulled out a metallic case and offered a cigarette. I leaned in to borrow his lighter. I didn’t tell him the rest of the thought: I wasn’t planning on living anyway. Whether a predator was following me didn’t matter. With a little luck, I could trade my life for his. The thin cigarette had a subtle scent of sandalwood. He stood three feet away, hands in his pockets. “What happened? Tell me about it.” “Work,” I said. “If I can’t find a job soon, I’m going back home to start that breakfast diner.” He seemed genuinely surprised. “You can’t find work in New York?” I cast him a sideways glance. Our eyes met, and his shock didn’t seem fake. I took a deep drag and gestured wildly. “Do you know how impossible it is out there?” “I applied for a video game writer position, talked for an hour, and they told me they mixed up the forms—they needed a graphic designer.” “I applied for an Operations role. I got there, and they asked if I wanted a Sales job instead. A complete waste of a trip.” “One time, I took the subway for two and a half hours for an interview, and it was a tiny startup. They were hiring for one position, but I had to be the HR, the admin, the accountant, and the boss’s assistant!” “I kept applying. Added one hiring manager on LinkedIn to discuss the role, and he sent me a voice note. The music in the bar was louder than his voice.” “The rest of the listings are for streamers or club hosts.” “I finally found a normal listing. I checked the time. The HR person was still active online at 3:00 a.m.” “I asked the HR person if the company offered vacation time. He said, ‘We haven’t removed vacation time yet.’” “I asked, ‘What’s the core strength of your company?’ He said, ‘The strength is that employees leave after a few days.’” I cursed and laughed at the same time. God, my life is a joke. He narrowed his eyes slightly, politely pursing his lips. I leaned on the railing, looking at him. “You look like you’re in government or something respectable. You wouldn’t understand how hard it is.” “I understand more than you think,” he scoffed lightly. “I once worked on a development project. I wore this jacket, and I was with a reporter. A villager said I was only there for the photo-op, and that the jacket I was wearing cost more than his annual income. Nothing I said helped.” I glanced at the brand logo on his sleeve. I wiped my eyes and looked closer. “Here’s my advice,” I said. “Next time someone says that, first, reassure him. Tell him it’s perfectly normal not to recognize a high-end technical brand. Tell him not to feel insecure.” “Then, clarify. Tell him the jacket is actually much more expensive than he thinks—it’s worth eight years of his income, maybe more.” “And finally, tell him you’re not there for a photo-op. You’re there to make serious money.” He stared at me, then finally burst into laughter. The takeout container was empty, down to the last few grains of rice. I picked them up one by one, looking at the dark water below the overpass. The wind dried my tears. I didn’t feel like jumping anymore. I felt foolish for being so dramatic. How could I let something so small push me to the edge? I took a deep breath and turned to him. “Thank you. I’m going home now. Goodbye.” “Wait.” He stopped me, pulling a business card from his wallet. He got back in his car to grab a sleek fountain pen, then scrawled a few words on the back. “The junior partner at this firm is a college friend of mine. If they have a suitable opening, tell them I referred you for an interview. Tell him to do me a favor.” Aura Tech. The front of the card held a simple name, contact information, and an office address: Asher Vaughn. I wondered if he was just trying to hook up with me. But after spending the night tossing and turning in my rented room, I went to the company. 3 I got the job. Two months passed, and I never saw Asher Vaughn again. I started to relax. The job wasn’t a dream, but it was surprisingly good. The workload was split between me and a woman who was out on maternity leave. What used to be one person’s job was now two, which made life easy for everyone. One evening, after work, I saw the black Range Rover again. Asher was parked on the side of the street. He didn’t get out but asked about my life. I gave him a stammering update. I finally found the courage to ask for his phone number. “I’ve been wanting to thank you. Sending money or an expensive gift is too much for me, and too little for you. My family sends me some specialty goods from home. If you don’t mind, I’d like to send you some.” “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “My number is on the card. Call me if you need anything.” I insisted, got his address, and mailed him a package of goods from my hometown. Asher texted me a simple thanks, saying his mother enjoyed them very much. He traveled constantly between the coasts. When he was free, he would often come by and meet me for coffee. Mutual attraction was inevitable. A year into the relationship, I found out I was pregnant. The baby was completely unplanned. By the time I checked, I was already seven weeks along. I often heard HR complaining about female employees who got hired and immediately took a marriage or maternity leave. When I was hired, I promised I wouldn’t have a child for at least five years. If I didn’t terminate the pregnancy, my career would be on hold for at least a year. Was twenty-four too young to get married? But this was our first child. I already loved it. I wanted to have a real home with Asher. What about my job? I sat in my room for half an hour, holding the sonogram report. I decided to wait for Asher to get back from his trip. We would talk it through: marriage and the baby, or a quick termination. A few days later, his flight landed. The moment he walked in, he dropped his jacket, scooped me up, and held me high. His eyes were wide and beaming. He looked incredibly happy. I understood instantly. “You already know?” “Of course I keep an eye on your medical records.” He knelt, his hands gently holding my hips, his gaze fixed on my flat stomach. “You can’t even tell yet.” The anxiety that had been swirling inside me suddenly found solid ground, leaving me feeling soft and weightless. Asher wanted this baby. I stroked the back of his head, feeling incredibly happy. “Do you want to keep it?” He smiled. “Why wouldn’t I?” The scales tipped immediately. I hardly had to think. Even if my life of freedom and singleness was over, even if my career stalled, it didn’t matter. “When are we getting married?” I asked, blushing. “The wedding can wait, but we need to tell our parents first.” He was six years my senior. I hadn’t even told my parents I was dating an older man. Asher’s smile didn’t falter, but his tone was easy, almost playful. “Our Sienna is so young, and she’s already thinking of settling down?” I bristled, a mix of shame and anger. “What do you mean, I am? If I weren’t pregnant, I wouldn’t be pushing for marriage so soon!” He stood up, ruffling my hair. “That’s right.” Silence stretched for several seconds. I slowly processed his words and looked up. “What does that mean?” He pulled out a cigarette, preparing to light it, then pinched the tip and put it away. He walked to the window and lit a fresh one, taking his time. “Sienna,” he said, his expression calm and gentle. “I can give you everything you want, except for marriage.” “Oh. So…” I was so angry, I almost laughed, but my throat closed up instantly. “So you want me to be your mistress, have a child out of wedlock, and then have other kids call her a bastard with no father, say her mother is a…” He cut me off. “You are not a mistress. The child will be under my name. I will provide a life of absolute luxury. No one will ever dare to speak ill of her.” I stared blankly at his profile, seeing the cold finality in his decision. There was no room for discussion. “I understand,” I finally said. “You never intended to have a real life with me.” “And you should have had the decency to break up with me properly! My parents raised me to be a respectable woman. How dare you insult me like this?” “Break up… Can we even use that word?” I mechanically wiped my face. “We’re done. I’ll move out in a few days. And I’m getting an abortion.” “Sienna!” He violently crushed the cigarette butt on the windowsill. His sandalwood-scented hand cupped my cheek. “Were you happy with me?” I just stared, silent. The moisture of my tears was absorbed by his thumb. His voice was steady. “I am relaxed when you are with me. I don’t need a piece of paper. I will be responsible for you, in every way—as long as I’m standing.” “And what makes you think you can talk like that?” I slapped his hand away and turned my back. Knock, knock, knock. A pause, then another patient, repeated knocking. I dabbed my face with a tissue and opened the door. Four men in suits stood outside, holding numerous shopping bags. Pink baby outfits, tiny socks, and designer diaper bags. I leaned weakly against the wall, staring at the extravagant baby things. I finally understood. I had just gotten the blood test results, but he already had the baby’s gender information. His family background was far more powerful than I had imagined. Asher Vaughn had the power to make that promise. “Think about it one more time.” He walked up to me and paused, raising a hand. I turned my head away just as his fingertips brushed my ear. “Keeping this child will only benefit you.” “Right. Become a wealthy mother, a one-way ticket to prosperity! Asher, are you treating this like a business deal?” The man in front of me let out a soft sigh. His face was still calm, but I could tell his patience was wearing thin. “You haven’t been. If you were, I wouldn’t have kept you around. I wasn’t looking for a transaction. But if you insist on seeing it that way, fine. You name your price. I’ll write a blank check.” That day felt like the world had turned upside down. I agreed to keep the baby. Our relationship returned to a semblance of its former sweetness. The pregnancy was smooth. Every night, as he gently held me, I kept thinking: My first love became my sugar daddy. Maybe my morals weren’t so high after all. … Security guided the car into the underground garage. The hospital was quiet; nurses wheeled elderly patients through the courtyard. I scrolled through my phone impatiently, looking toward the main entrance. I wondered how Asher was managing to raise a child. A little girl shouldn’t have to be in the hospital. Maybe I should have just raised her myself. Mr. Davies retrieved a gift box from the trunk and motioned for me to follow. We were directed to the VIP ward. Two men were standing in the hallway outside the room, chatting easily. “Kids get sick all the time. Why the big fuss? Everyone from the family estate is here.” “You can say that to my older brother’s face.” “Ha. How many heads do I have to lose? One wrong word, and before Asher moves, the grandmother and the wife will slap me silly.” “You forgot my fist. Holly is my niece. I don’t tolerate anyone speaking ill of her.” The man’s soft laugh was oddly reminiscent of Asher. I focused on the viewing window of the hospital room. I could vaguely see a small hand resting on the edge of the bed. As I approached, a bodyguard standing by the door silently blocked my path. The men nearby turned at the sound, frowning slightly. Mr. Davies stepped forward before I could. He held out his hand. “Declan. You’re here too? How is the little one?” Declan. So, this was Asher’s younger brother. “Thank you for coming, Mr. Davies.” Declan Vaughn’s lips were tight. He didn’t return the handshake. “My niece has a fever and doesn’t want to see anyone. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you both to go home.” I was about to speak, but my eyes met those of the child on the bed. Her lethargic eyes suddenly opened, and her lips moved. The soundproofing was too good; I couldn’t hear a word. Declan put his arm out, pushing me back slightly, looking annoyed. “Ma’am, is there anything else? Please don’t disturb her rest.” The door opened from inside. Asher Vaughn’s gaze fell on me, lingered for a few seconds, then shifted to Declan. “I asked her to come.”

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In my past life, my mother was obsessed with competing against me. When my grandmother gave me a vintage diamond bracelet, Mom snatched it away, her eyes red with envy. “You think a useless thing like you deserves to wear something this expensive?” When my boyfriend sent me flowers for Valentine’s Day, she gritted her teeth in anger, yet feigned indifference. “He only sent those because you’re my daughter. If I were a few years younger, do you think he’d even look at you?” Later, she actually crawled into my boyfriend’s bed, stark naked. After the scandal broke, she begged me not to tell my father. Soft-hearted as I was, I agreed. Her repayment? During a family trip to a national park, she shoved me off a cliff. Before I hit the bottom, I saw her face, twisted with a euphoric, sick joy. “You have all this only because you came out of me! Why should you have a better life than mine? I should have never given birth to you!” When I opened my eyes again, it was the summer after high school graduation. Mom, this time, I won’t be the silent victim. I’m going to be the loudspeaker broadcasting your desperate need for attention to the world. Chapter 1 When I was seven, I stared longingly at a matching mother-daughter outfit in a shop window. I tugged at the hem of her skirt, pointing. She looked down at me with pure disgust. “What? You just want to wear that so you can outshine me and get your dad to praise you, right?” When I was fourteen, Dad was away on a business trip. I cooked a table full of dishes for her while she was out shopping, craving just a single smile or a word of praise. Instead, she flipped the table in a rage, screaming, “You wasteful brat! I worked hard to birth you and raise you! I quit my job for you! What is the use of cooking all this? Who are you trying to impress?!” I thought I would eventually wake up. I thought I would stop begging for her warmth. When I was eighteen, I got into college. My grandparents gave me a high-quality jade bangle. She made snide remarks, dripping with jealousy, until I took it off with both hands and offered it to her. Only when it was on her wrist did she finally calm down. Later, in college, I found a boyfriend who truly loved me. When I excitedly shared my happiness with my family, she waited until Dad wasn’t looking, went into my room, put on my clothes, and posed in front of the mirror. She sneered, “If I were a few years younger, there’s no way he’d pick you.” In the end, she climbed into my boyfriend’s bed naked. When he screamed in terror and fled, she cried snot and tears, begging me not to tell Dad. I softened again. The price of my mercy was my heartbeat stopping forever in a nameless valley. Chapter 2 The moment I opened my eyes, I could still feel the phantom pain of rocks shattering the back of my skull, and the shock and resentment filling my chest. When my vision cleared, I found myself squatting in the laundry room, facing a plastic basin piled high with socks that had turned gray from wear. It was the summer I graduated high school. My dad, David, walked by in his undershirt, holding a bowl of fruit he intended to wash. He poked his head in, grinning at me with a look of relief. “Looks like our Harper is growing up. Not a lazy girl anymore.” Before I could speak, my mother, Crystal, sniffed her way over like a bloodhound. She was wearing tight skinny jeans and pink fuzzy slides with rhinestones on the toes. In her hand, she held a tub of Ben & Jerry’s she’d just pulled from the freezer. She looked me up and down and let out a dismissive tsk. “Not lazy? If she wasn’t lazy, would she let the socks pile up until they’re this filthy before washing them?” Dad looked awkward, wanting to say something but stopping himself. As if smelling something foul, Mom covered her nose in exaggerated disgust and took a giant step back, dragging Dad with her. “Harper, how long have you been wearing these? Your feet stink. You didn’t inherit a single good thing from me. Dark skin, skinny as a rail, and now foot odor?” I stood up, grabbed a towel to dry my hands, and gave my parents a wide, bright smile. “Mom, you forgot? You took all the clean socks from my drawer because yours were dirty. You only stuffed them back into my laundry hamper after you wore them.” “I can’t just let them sit there rotting, right?” The silence that followed was terrifying. Mom’s face turned green. The hand covering her nose hovered awkwardly in the air. I didn’t care about them. I walked right past them, went to my room, and locked the door. Half an hour later, Dad texted me on WeChat: Harper, you can’t be so blunt. It was too hurtful. She’s still your mother. She’s been crying on the sofa for thirty minutes. Come out and apologize. I sneered and closed the chat. She is my mother, biologically. But if she actually treated me like a daughter, she wouldn’t have pushed me off a cliff in my last life. As for her crying? It wasn’t because I hurt her heart. It was because the perfect image she meticulously curated for her husband had just been ripped open, exposing the ugly truth underneath. She was just humiliated. Chapter 3 My dad is an only child. My grandparents are both retired teachers who live in the same gated community as us. To celebrate my acceptance into the State University, the elderly couple prepared a huge feast at their home and invited us over. On the way downstairs, Mom wore sunglasses and refused to talk to me, probably still salty about the sock incident. But she hummed a tune, acting like she was in a great mood. When a neighbor asked why she looked so happy, she lowered her sunglasses and put on a fake, coy act. “Oh, my daughter isn’t very ambitious. She only got into the local State U. Her grandparents wouldn’t even book a hotel for her graduation party.” “It really boils down to her own lack of effort. Back when David and I got married, we had the best hotel in the city. The dress, the gold jewelry… nothing compares to that nowadays.” “It’s useless for my in-laws to value her. She’s just dead weight.” Speaking of this, Mom covered her mouth and giggled, trembling like a flower in the wind. I couldn’t be bothered to respond. Her breakdown was scheduled for later. We arrived at the other building. Grandma was already waiting downstairs, beaming. Seeing me, she pulled me into a hug, patted my shoulder, and said, “Our Harper is so capable! State U is a great school!” She guided me upstairs, completely ignoring the woman behind us. Entering the apartment, I realized it wasn’t just my grandparents. The living room was full of people—men and women, young and middle-aged, all well-dressed, surrounding my grandfather. As I walked in, people stood up to greet me, handing me gifts one after another. Under Grandma’s guidance, I thanked them and chatted. I learned these were all Granddad’s former students, invited specifically for my graduation party. When Mom walked in and saw the crowd, she froze. Then, seeing the pile of gifts in my arms, that familiar jealous glint flickered in her eyes. I knew that look too well. When the guests learned who she was, they offered polite, distant greetings. Mom, oblivious to the atmosphere, sat down loudly and started acting overly familiar with the people around her. The topic, of course, was me. Specifically, how “shocking” it was that someone who ranked last in middle school could get into college. How I was wasteful and argumentative at home but acted so obedient in public. I saw the guests’ expressions turning sour. They didn’t know how to respond. Suddenly, Mom dropped a bomb. “Harper, are your grades even real? You didn’t cheat, did you?” Silence. Dead silence. She was absolutely the first person to question her own daughter’s integrity at her graduation party. Grandpa cleared his throat, interrupting her. “It’s late. Everyone, please take a seat.” Mom tried to sit next to me, but Grandma said coldly, “Harper sits between me and her grandfather today. Crystal, you don’t have a problem with that, do you?” She wouldn’t dare. If Grandma told her the sky was green, she’d agree. The atmosphere at the table warmed up. Everyone was smiling except Mom. They encouraged me to broaden my horizons in college. Around 7:30, Dad rushed in, dusty from work. Shortly after he sat down, Grandma brought out an exquisite velvet box from the back room. She opened it in front of everyone. Inside was a translucent, high-quality jade bangle. Tears welled up in the old couple’s eyes. “Harper, going to college is a big step. This is our gift to you. We hope your life is smooth and peaceful.” Grandma took my hand, about to slide the bangle onto my wrist. That’s when the accident happened. Mom rushed over, eyes red with rage, and snatched the bangle from Grandma’s hand. Her voice was shrill. “Mom! She’s just a money-losing burden! Why does she deserve to wear something this expensive?!” The room erupted in gasps. Dad was the first to react. His face darkened. He patted Mom’s shoulder, whispering her name, signaling her to calm down. Mom shook off his hand and screamed, “Did I say anything wrong, David? I carried on the family line for the Zhangs! Even if I only birthed this useless thing, I still have merit!” “Are you just going to let your parents stomp on my dignity like this?!” The guests looked at each other, silent and awkward. In my past life, under such a grand display of madness, I would have buried my head in the sand, apologizing in a whisper, tugging at her shirt. Grandparents, seeing me like that, couldn’t help me even if they wanted to. And back then, I would have handed the gift to her when we got home just to make her stop. But I was back now. Dad frowned and looked at me pleadingly, hoping I would smooth things over. I feigned helplessness and grabbed Grandma’s hand. “Mom,” I said, my voice trembling but clear. “You already melted down all the silver bracelets and necklaces Grandma gave me over the last seventeen years to make new jewelry for yourself. But can you please not take this one? I really like it…” “This is a graduation gift… the meaning is different…” My voice faded at the end, sounding lacking in confidence. A crazy mother, a passive father, and a broken daughter. Everyone here was smart. They could see exactly what was happening. Crash! A loud noise made Mom jump. Her lips quivered. Grandpa had smashed a bowl. The shards flew everywhere. I flinched, but a warm hand squeezed mine. Grandma looked at me reassuringly. “Harper,” Grandpa said, his face like thunder. “Did you say your mother took seventeen years of gifts we gave you and melted them down for herself?” I nodded timidly. “Mom said my skin is too dark… that silver makes me look tacky. So she took them…” Whispers broke out among the guests. Hearing the commotion, Mom shrieked. “Dad! How can you listen to a child’s nonsense? How could I take her things? I’m keeping them safe for her!” “Kids shouldn’t be so flashy!” Grandma sneered at Mom’s stiff smile. “In that case, go home right now and bring back everything we gave Harper.” Mom lost the ability to argue but refused to give up. The guests, realizing this was a family crisis, tactfully found excuses to leave. Once the room cleared, Mom ignored Dad’s warning glares and doubled down. “Mom, Dad, let’s be real. I’ve been married into this family for years. I raised Harper. She’s a child. Isn’t what’s hers mine?” Chapter 4 Hearing this, I sneered internally. Right. Because she gave birth to me. Everything I own must be hers. Any success I have is because of her. I should live in her shadow while she whispers in my ear under the guise of love, magnifying my flaws to highlight her own superiority. But Mom, I should be your daughter, not your competing product. Dad, the invisible man, looked terrible. In our small home, he was the king who could indulge his wife’s tantrums and force me to compromise. But here? He was the son. In this atmosphere, he wished he could disappear. Grandma’s eyes were cold, shining with disappointment. “I don’t care how you acted before. But this is a gift from us to our granddaughter.” “A thief in the family is still a thief.” “If I ever see anything belonging to Harper on you again, you don’t need to step through this door anymore.” Mom’s face turned from green to red. She grabbed her sunglasses, stomped her foot in resentment, let out a “Hmph!”, and stormed off unwillingly. Since my rebirth, I had confronted my mother head-on twice, tearing off her mask in front of Dad and my grandparents. For the rest of the summer, I treated her like air. Dad sighed constantly, hinting that I should apologize. Hilarious. Who complains about peace and quiet? Just like that, I coasted until college started. College life was rich, and so was my mom’s social media. I often heard my roommate laughing at night. “Look at the video I tagged you in. Is this auntie crazy? She posted a photo of her daughter’s back but photoshopped gray hair onto her. Then she posted a heavily filtered selfie of herself with a chin sharp enough to stab someone, asking netizens to guess who is the mom and who is the daughter.” I clicked the tag. The video featured me and my mom. Thankfully, there was no clear shot of my face. I exhaled. Dignity partially saved. My roommate on the bottom bunk had a sharp tongue. She typed furiously. A moment later, I saw her comment: “The one with the gray hair photoshop is the mom. The auntie with the heavy filter is the daughter.” We all laughed until our stomachs hurt. Two months into the semester, I was studying in the library. A note slid in front of me. I followed the long fingers up to a familiar face. Liam. My boyfriend from my past life. I smiled, took the note, and added his contact info under the teasing gazes of my roommates. At that moment, a message from Dad popped up. Harper, you’ve been cold to Mom for so long. She can’t bring herself to apologize, but she misses you terribly. When are you coming home? I thought for a moment and typed: Next month. A month was enough time to do many things. Like fall in love. My mom missed me? The thought sent a chill from my feet to my skull. My roommate nudged me, showing her phone. It was another video from Mom. She had been roasted badly on the last one, so she was pivoting to a “loving mother” persona. Using the same video, the caption read: My little padded jacket, Mom misses you so much. Don’t stay away just because Mom said a few harsh words. A netizen commented: “The auntie who looks like the daughter doesn’t seem to have a good relationship with the daughter who looks like the mom.” Mom replied instantly: “My daughter is coming back to see me next month.” So that’s why she was in a rush. The delicate wife persona wasn’t enough; she needed her prop back to spoil her. But this time, she wouldn’t get what she wanted.

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