Category: English

The moment my husband, Ryan, put on those smart glasses, he became a stranger. He’d always been a skeptic, scoffing at horoscopes and superstition. But now, he meticulously followed the glasses’ “Luck-Enhancing Outfit” advice every day. Soon, he started trying to control me. “The intelligent analysis says wearing high heels today will benefit my career.” I reminded him it was pouring rain outside. He immediately scowled. “I have a massive contract signing today. Even if you sprained your ankle, you can’t sabotage my luck!” I didn’t want to argue. I changed into the heels. That very day, I landed in the ER with a Grade 3 sprain. The second day I was recovering, he said, “Climbing a mountain today is crucial for me to get a promotion from the VP.” I was furious. “My foot is broken! You want me to climb a mountain?” “You can just go slowly. Once I’m promoted, you’ll enjoy a life of luxury with me forever.” I refused vehemently, but he physically forced me to the summit. With no strength in my legs, I accidentally lost my footing and tumbled over the cliff. After I died, I was certain Ryan had cheated and was using those glasses as a twisted excuse to torment me to death. But then, I heard a conversation between Ryan and the smart glasses. Ryan was sobbing, clutching my body. “This is because I listened to you! You killed my wife!” “Without her, what’s the point of living?” “Your wife died because her hair was too straight,” a cold, synthetic voice responded. “If she had gotten a loose wave perm, this tragedy would have been avoided.” I opened my eyes and found myself back on the day Ryan bought the smart glasses. I was about to stop him from putting them on. But Ryan spoke first. “Honey, I think you would look incredible with curly hair.” I froze in place. This time, I had to understand why he trusted a pair of high-tech lenses with such blind, deadly faith. 1 Seeing my lack of response, Ryan rushed to reassure me, as if afraid I was mad. “I’m just giving a suggestion. You’ve had your signature straight, dark hair for so many years. Aren’t you tired of the style?” I played along. “I’ve thought about it, but I’m worried it won’t suit me.” “What are you worried about? You have to be brave and try new things!” “And how could my wife ever not look beautiful?” “I know a fantastic stylist. I’ll book you right now.” He then started using the smart glasses—the AuraLens, as the brand called it—to schedule the appointment. Ryan’s AuraLens connected directly to his phone. In my previous life, ever since he got those glasses, he’d spend hours on the sofa, just staring into space and giggling. Whenever I asked what he was doing, he’d just say he was streaming videos. I thought he’d merely transferred his phone addiction to the glasses, and I didn’t think much of it. When he started believing its insane luck advice, I thought it was just a passing obsession. But then I realized: every single “luck-enhancing” tip the AuraLens gave him was a precise, targeted attack on me. It resulted in injury after injury. I finally couldn’t take it anymore and asked him why he put such absolute faith in a gadget. Ryan just mumbled vague excuses. What truly chilled me was the total lack of genuine concern when I was injured. That was when I started to suspect he was cheating. But after I died, he not only collapsed, weeping hysterically over my body, but he was also despairing enough to talk about following me. My curiosity deepened. What secret did those glasses hold that was more important than both our lives? While Ryan was busy booking the stylist, I secretly contacted the official store where he bought the AuraLens, asking about its features. After I sent them the product serial number, the representative told me that Ryan’s glasses were a special edition prototype. Some of its hidden, proprietary features couldn’t be accessed by them. Furthermore, the designer and creator of this custom pair was completely untraceable. A cold knot formed in my chest. If the official channels couldn’t tell me, there was only one way left. I had to put on Ryan’s glasses and see for myself. But how could I ever get my hands on them? “Honey, the stylist has an opening right now. Let’s head out.” I snapped back to reality. Ryan was already packed and waiting. He adjusted the glasses on his nose and gave me a faint smile—one that made him look utterly foreign. As I stood up, I smiled back, keeping my tone light. “You love those glasses so much you won’t even take them off to sleep.” His hand paused on the doorknob. He offered a quick, casual explanation. “All my phone messages and notifications pop up right here. It’s normal to rely on it.” I didn’t press him. While I was getting my hair done, Ryan worked on the contract he was supposed to sign the next day. He finished his work just as I was done with my new hair. “Wow, you are a stunning bombshell now, honey!” Ryan nodded in satisfaction. “And a pair of stiletto heels would just complete that powerful look!” “Wear high heels tomorrow. I want to see a fierce, polished professional!” Just like in the previous life, I reminded him. “It’s supposed to rain tomorrow. Heels will be a hassle.” But he insisted. “The AuraLens just told me that high heels tomorrow will significantly boost my business luck.” “Honey, if I close this deal, the bonus is thirty thousand dollars.” “You wouldn’t refuse me, would you?” I laughed. “You’ve signed six deals like this already this year. With your talent, you could wear flip-flops tomorrow and still close it.” I didn’t believe for a second that my high heels were the reason he succeeded the first time. But he was persistent. Until I uncovered the truth, I wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict. I nodded and agreed. The next day, however, once I arrived at the office, I deliberately changed into flats. I was going to see if his contract would fail simply because I didn’t wear heels. 2 What I hadn’t anticipated was Ryan coming home that evening with a face like thunder. “The deal fell through.” The moment he said it, my body went rigid. The project had been discussed and agreed upon long ago. Ryan’s contract was airtight; otherwise, he wouldn’t have closed it in the past. Could it truly have been because I didn’t wear the heels? “Honey, did you… not wear the high heels?” Hearing the accusation, I quickly flashed my injured ankle. “You saw me put them on when I left. And look, I sprained my foot, remember?” To prevent him from discovering I’d switched shoes and to make the failed contract seem plausible, I’d gone ahead and painfully twisted my ankle that morning. Looking at him now, the pain hadn’t been for nothing. Ryan looked even more confused. “You followed the luck advice perfectly. Why did my contract still fail?” “It’s just an AI fortune-teller, Ryan. You don’t need to believe in it so much.” He instantly snapped. “How can you say that?” “My AuraLens is different from every other AI!” “How is it different?” I pressed, leaning into his frantic mood. He didn’t answer. Instead, his expression became deadly serious as he warned me, “The failure today is because you weren’t devout enough.” “From now on, you must obey every single thing I say, or you will ruin my career!” “Tomorrow is the day my department finalizes promotions. Going on a hike tomorrow will boost my career luck.” “You must stand on the highest peak and pray with sincerity.” I sneered, pointing to my sprained foot. “How am I supposed to hike with this?” “It’s a sprain, not open-heart surgery. Why can’t you hike?” “I’ll push you up there. That’s why.” He roared at me. I stood there, stunned by the sight of the unhinged man who was supposed to be Ryan. He seemed to realize his emotional outburst was a problem and softened his tone immediately. “Honey, I’m sorry. The contract failed, and I just lost control.” “The tech sector is bleeding, the pressure is immense. Please, just see this as me searching for a psychological anchor. Help me out, okay?” I looked at him, feeling helpless. “If you need spiritual guidance, I’ll go with you to a psychic or a temple. But why are you placing all your faith in some AI’s ‘good luck’ suggestions?” “Is this science or a cult? Tell me the truth. Is there something you’re hiding?” Ryan panicked. “What could I possibly be hiding?” “We’re a team. I work this hard because I want to lower your stress!” “I’m so anxious I’ve started believing this stuff, and you still suspect me?” “I think you just don’t want me to succeed! Are you afraid I’ll surpass you professionally?” “Other wives willingly support their husbands’ careers from home. I respect your career, I’m happy to play second fiddle, and this is the suspicion and doubt I get in return?” He abruptly slammed his coffee mug onto the floor, scattering shards of ceramic everywhere. I didn’t argue. I simply narrowed my eyes and watched him. In the silence, our eyes met. He suddenly asked me, “Eliza, how can you be so calm?” “Did you… come back?” My back went rigid. Had I given myself away? Frowning, I kept up the pretense. “Come back from what? What are you talking about?” “You don’t want to explain the glasses, so you’re changing the subject?” Ryan crouched down in front of me, his expression deadly earnest. “Honey, the truth is, I came back.” 3 “In the last timeline, I used these smart glasses to climb all the way to a senior executive position at the company. It completely transformed our lives.” “That’s why I trust these glasses so absolutely.” “But as for why they’re so powerful, I can only tell you after I secure that executive role. Otherwise, the effect will vanish.” He gripped my hands tightly, his eyes pleading. “Please, just trust me this one time.” Ryan had concocted a lie about a past life. This only cemented my certainty: the glasses’ secret was far more sinister than he was letting on. Asking wouldn’t work. I would have to risk my life and find out myself. “You’re right. We’re a team. I will always, always trust you.” “I’ll take a sick day from work. I’ll go hiking with you tomorrow.” Ryan was so thrilled he pulled me into a tight hug and kissed me. Then he retreated to his study to work. He often worked himself to the bone for his job. That was why, in the previous life, when I realized his obsession with the smart glasses was tied to his ambition, my tolerance for his eccentric behavior had been so high. But I didn’t believe it was just about work anymore. I prepared his usual glass of warm milk. Ryan drank it without suspicion. He didn’t know that this time, I’d added something extra. Half an hour later, Ryan was slumped over his desk, fast asleep. I called his name. No response. I pushed his shoulder. Nothing. Once I was sure he was deeply unconscious, I reached out to take the glasses. But the instant my fingers brushed the frame, a hand shot up and clamped onto my wrist! The supposedly unconscious Ryan was suddenly wide awake. His eyes were savage, his voice icy. “What are you doing?” “Eliza, you were trying to steal my glasses while I slept!” “I already promised I’d tell you everything once I made it to the executive level, but you still don’t trust me!” “I think you just want to ruin me!” “Are you insane?!” I yanked my hand free. “I thought you were asleep, and I wanted to take the glasses off so you could rest better.” “My good intentions are wasted on you! Keep your stupid glasses. Marry your damn glasses for all I care!” I feigned outrage and stormed out, slamming the study door shut. But just as I stepped out, I received a text from the private investigator. The PI had managed to track down the designer/creator of Ryan’s custom AuraLens prototype. The moment I saw the name, a cold dread completely paralyzed me. I knew. Tomorrow’s hike was almost a death sentence. But I had to go. I immediately spent the night frantically contacting local search and rescue teams. I spent a full ten thousand dollars, begging them to set up a hidden, emergency response near the precise spot where I had fallen before. Every team was hesitant, fearing liability when they heard my request. “Ma’am, if you know you might die, why are you going anyway?” I didn’t have the time or the words to explain that my husband had fallen in love with a smart gadget. I had to repeatedly sign written waivers, absolving them of all responsibility should the rescue fail. Finally, one team agreed to the contract. By the time I finished everything, the sun was rising. The end was near. The game between Ryan and me was about to conclude. 4 Ryan finally emerged from the study, where he’d spent the entire night. The dark circles under his eyes showed he hadn’t slept well either. But he acted perfectly normal, greeting me. “Honey, get ready. Let’s go for our hike.” He smiled at me, but the heavy bruising under his eyes made him look like a desperate, restless ghost. I pretended not to notice and got in the car with him. When we reached the bottom of the mountain, Ryan dropped me off first and went to find parking. In that brief moment, I received another bizarre text message. “You’ll die if you go up with him. You came back and you’re still this stupid?!” Who was this? How did they know I had come back? I texted back a question mark. They didn’t reply. I immediately called the number, but it was disconnected—an empty line! The person on the other end clearly knew Ryan’s secret. Who were they? My heart hammered in my chest. Ryan, who had gone to park, was already back. He jogged over, taking a firm grip on both sides of my wheelchair, controlling my every direction. Before we started up the path, he suddenly said, “I thought about it. I want to respect your feelings.” “If you truly don’t want to climb, we can forget it.” I knew better. Even if I didn’t go up today, he’d find another opportunity and method to kill me later. It was better to get it over with and find out the truth today. “If this truly helps your state of mind, I’ll climb.” Thanks to the lessons of my first life, I was hyper-aware of my surroundings as we ascended. When we reached the exact spot where I’d fallen before—the loose patch of ground—my heart trembled uncontrollably, even knowing the rescue team was waiting below. “Honey, that spot ahead is very narrow. Be careful.” He patted my shoulder. “I’m here. You think you’d fall doing something as simple as a hike?” I closed my eyes in tension. But this time, we passed the spot safely. Only when we truly reached the summit did I feel a brief rush of surviving a near-death experience. Ryan spread his arms wide and took a deep breath. “The mountain air is beautiful, Eliza.” “It would be quite a peaceful way to go, if you had to die here.” His words struck a tightly wound cord in my mind. Clenching my fists, I admonished him. “Don’t talk about dying. It’s bad luck.” Ryan slowly turned to face me. The instant our eyes met, his held a chilling, undisguised intent to kill. “Stop pretending, Eliza.” “I can’t believe, even after coming back to life, you still love me this much.” “I texted you a warning, but you still chose to climb up here with me.” “Since you’re so willing, I’ll grant your wish and let you die right here.” I was stunned. That was you? He smiled, and a deep chill settled in my bones. Ryan started walking toward me. I quickly spun the wheelchair back, but he grabbed me and pinned me in place. He leaned down, whispering in my ear. “You thought you noticed my strange behavior, but you didn’t think I’d notice yours, did you?” “Your biggest weakness, Eliza, is that you loved me too much.” “I owe you an apology in this life, but after you’re gone, I’ll make sure you have the finest grave.” “Ryan, what are you talking about?!” I yelled, hysterical now. “You know I love you! Why are you doing this?!” He didn’t answer. Instead, he kicked the wheelchair. “Ah!” Seeing the chair begin to roll toward the cliff edge, I instinctively threw myself out, landing hard on the ground. The wheelchair plunged into the abyss. I desperately clung to a jagged rock at the edge of the cliff, shaking uncontrollably. Tears streamed down my face. “We’ve been married for years! I swear I’ve never wronged you!” “Why do you hate me this much?!” “You’re a good woman. That’s why, down below, I actually regretted it for a second.” “I almost gave you a chance to escape.” Fear and grief made me tremble, but with my last ounce of strength, I pleaded, my voice raw. “Let me go.” “Whatever trouble you’re in, tell me! We can face it together, can’t we?” Ryan shook his head. “Of course not.” “The AuraLens told me this is the only way for my life to be successful.” “Honey, I’ll make it up to you in the next life.” “The smart glasses again!” I screamed, my voice hoarse. “Why do you believe that thing so blindly?!” “Our years of marriage, the two children I lost for you—do none of those matter more than a piece of AI-guided plastic?!” Hearing me mention the children we’d lost, Ryan finally flinched. My eyes were blurry with tears, my voice trembling. “Fine. I know I won’t survive today.” “But let me die with an answer.” “Tell me. Why do you have such absolute, blind faith in that AuraLens?” Ryan finally nodded. He took the glasses off and handed them to me. This time, I finally put on my husband’s glasses.

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Julian Lu, the young master of the Beijing elite, is a DINK (Dual Income, No Kids). But I’m pregnant. He hates women scheming against him the most. After a popular starlet announced her pregnancy, he hurriedly went abroad to find her. Turns out he just wants the person he likes to have his cub. I proposed breaking up and went back to my hometown to schedule an abortion. Later, he handcuffed me to the head of the bed and bit me hard. “Don’t shake, even if you cry I won’t stop. “You killed our baby, so you have to compensate me with another one.” 1 Only one bedside lamp was lit in the room. The tassels on the lamp swayed incessantly. Julian Lu was particularly fierce today. Even into the early morning, he refused to let me go. When I was about to fall asleep, he bit my neck. “Little darling, look at me, it’s not over yet.” “How about we continue tomorrow? I’m really sleepy.” I begged for mercy in a soft voice. He pinched my chin, displeasure hidden in his eyes. “Who was the boy who handed you a note today?” “……” So it was because of this. Julian Lu is usually busy with work, but today he rarely went to school to pick me up. I happened to be buying desserts at a milk tea shop. The clerk was a junior student, he recognized me. When paying, he stuffed a note into my hand. I turned around and saw an eye-catching blue sports car parked by the roadside. The window was open, Julian Lu looked at me faintly. He didn’t explode then. Endured all night. Now he wants to settle the score? Julian Lu used force with his fingers, my chin hurt a bit. “Speak!” Meeting his deep eyes. I softened my voice. “I don’t know him, he’s just a junior student, I’ve already thrown away the note.” “Ideally.” He lowered his head to kiss me, deeply and heavily. When my head was dizzy. He gasped and instructed me: “I’m going on a business trip tomorrow, be good at home. If I find out you did something you shouldn’t, you know the consequences.” Cold tone, movements fierce like a wolf. I nodded obediently. Of course I wouldn’t think Julian Lu was jealous. He likes girls who are physically and mentally clean. If I dare to get close to other boys, he will dump me immediately. 2 Julian Lu left for a month. I finally had time to do what I like. Recently, don’t know if I ate something bad, I always feel nauseous and want to vomit. After listening to my description, the doctor prescribed a pregnancy test stick for me. I was stunned. Half an hour later. I walked out of the gynecology department, staring blankly at the pregnancy test report in my hand. Everyone in the Beijing circle knows Julian Lu is a DINK. He also hates marriage very much. Every time Julian Lu comes to find me, he takes sufficient preventive measures. But still… hard to guard against. The doctor said all contraceptive measures are not 100% effective. I touched my flat stomach, a strong uneasiness rose in my heart. Julian Lu hates girls scheming. Before at a banquet, a singer who wanted to climb into his bed secretly drilled into his room, wanting to rely on the child for status. He threw the girl wrapped in a bath towel out directly. Later, there was no news of her in the entertainment circle. I bit my lip, my hand holding the pregnancy test report trembling. Finished. If Julian Lu suspects me of playing tricks. Who knows if the next one to be fixed is me. 3 I tossed and turned unable to sleep. Late at night, just preparing to send a message to test Julian Lu. The phone pushed the latest hot gossip. Julian Lu was photographed entering and leaving a foreign hospital with the popular starlet Mia Wen. Two people at the entrance of the gynecology department. Even though the girl was wrapped tightly, her beautiful figure and appearance could still be vaguely seen. Pure little white flower. Is the type Julian Lu likes. Paparazzi are spreading rumors about Mia Wen’s pregnancy, the child is likely Julian Lu’s. After all, they were photographed in a hotel before. For a time, the matter of the Lu family having a mistress was spread widely. I looked at those photos quietly. Immediately deleted the wording prepared in the chat box. Julian Lu indeed treats Mia Wen very differently. Last time at the banquet, I accompanied him. A man teased Mia Wen, saying she had resources despite bad acting, must be supported by a sugar daddy, and he also wanted to try this little star. Julian Lu splashed the wine in his hand over immediately. Grabbed the other’s collar, wanted to hit him. The Lu family’s upbringing is strict, he rarely gets angry in public. If I hadn’t pulled him back then. I’m afraid he would have broken that man’s leg. Perhaps, Julian Lu is not a completely firm DINK. He just wants the person he likes to be pregnant. …… I touched my stomach. Forcibly suppressed the sourness in my heart. Anyway, I was with Julian Lu because I was poor. My mother was sick. Just happened to meet Julian Lu chasing me. He gave money generously, helped my mother get rare special medicine. I had no reason to refuse. After all, compared to human life, what is self-esteem? Who Julian Lu likes, who he is willing to be with is his business. As long as he is willing to give money. 4 Next day. Julian Lu sent me flight information. As an obedient girlfriend, I naturally had to pick him up. Late autumn, I wore the little dress he liked most, with a windbreaker outside. Waited for two hours in the cold wind. At first it was flight delay. Until dark. I received his message. [Sorry, things here haven’t been dealt with yet, have to delay return.] My frozen stiff hands typed a line. [Then you pay attention to rest well, miss you oh~] Julian Lu likes my delicate appearance most. Soon, the bank card received a transfer of five million. I was stunned. Even if he sent holiday red envelopes before, he wouldn’t give so much at once. [Me: Transferred wrong?] [Him: Didn’t you say you wanted to go on a graduation trip, go out and have fun.] [Me: So generous, how about I go to London to find you?] I used a joking tone. The other party refused quickly. [Him: Go wherever you love to go yourself, don’t come to find me.] [Me: Then when will you come back?] He didn’t reply to me again. Until late at night. Paparazzi exposed Mia Wen went to Julian Lu’s private villa abroad. I stared at those intimate photos. After a long time, I realized. That money during the day was severance pay. Those Beijing elite young masters like Julian Lu are all like this. Give a sum of money, break up decently. Those girls also tactfully stopped pestering.

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Transmigrated as a fake heiress who is as calm as a chrysanthemum, the real heiress bound me to a mind-reading system to expose my true colors. The real heiress wanted to compete with me. I looked at the skinny CEO, regretting in my heart: 【Too thin won’t work. Men need to be strong, dumplings need to be eaten hot. 【Dumplings! Want to eat, but I must be as calm as a chrysanthemum. I’ll secretly order two portions later.】 The CEO stood up for the real heiress, threatening to make me go back home. Me: 【Yay, if I go home now, I can catch the One Piece update.】 CEO: ? Later someone said I was pretending to be lofty. The real heiress sighed: “…Not really, she just equally doesn’t care about anyone.” 1 【A cool and aloof heiress can’t eat garlic in public. Wait until tonight when they’re asleep, I’ll sneak out to eat.】 Mia White, who had just snatched that priceless pearl necklace, froze. Earlier, the “Calm as a Chrysanthemum” system found me and said I just needed to maintain a calm demeanor, showing decency and aloofness. I couldn’t think of a reason to refute, so I faintly said “Mm” and accepted the task. System: Good lord, getting into character so quickly! After living calmly for a while, Mom suddenly told me she found her biological daughter, Mia White. The system told me that Mia White is the real heiress, and I am the fake heiress, Chloe White. Originally, my character would gradually expose her malice in the struggle with the real heiress, be expelled from the family, and finally court death continuously, ending badly. But my system bound me to the “Calm as a Chrysanthemum” system, so I could save this villain character’s tragic fate by not fighting or snatching. I was instantly moved, but had to act calmly, so I said to the system: “Oh.” System: … Today Mom took us to choose birthday gifts. We were switched at birth, so our birthdays are the same. Mom intended to buy me something more expensive. I said indifferently: “Anything is fine.” But Mia White snatched that priceless pearl set first: “Since sister says anything is fine, I want this set.” Mom frowned, disgust written on her face: “Why snatch? No look of a lady at all!” Mia White looked triumphant, not hurt at all, staring at me as if watching a good show. I lowered my lashes and said faintly: “As long as sister likes it.” But inside, waves were surging: 【Pearls (Zhen Zhu), steamed pig (Zheng Zhu)! Mmh, dipping in soy sauce with some garlic is super fragrant. 【But I am a cool and aloof heiress, I can’t eat garlic in public. Wait until tonight when they’re asleep, I’ll sneak out to eat. 【White cut pork, remember, you are the eternal god.】 Mom lost her temper and helplessly patted Mia White: “Fine, take whatever you want. Your sister won’t fight with you.” 2 Officially past eighteen, my parents told me I have a fiancé arranged since birth. But I was switched, so actually, the engagement partner isn’t me. Me: “Uh, okay.” But the next second, Dad told me the other party wanted both of us sisters to meet him. 【What the hell, thinks he’s the emperor? Picking and choosing, puke puke puke.】 Dad scolded angrily: “What do you know! The Gu family is a connection everyone in the elite circle wants to climb. “We have two daughters, meaning one more chance for cooperation.” On the surface: “Mm, for the White family, I will go see him.” Inside: 【Oh, sure enough men understand men best. Could it be Dad also wants to hold a beauty selection?】 Dad, who was inexplicably slapped by Mom: ? So, we two sisters were led to the Gu Corporation CEO’s office. Before seeing Lucas Gu, Mia White whispered in my ear: “Just wait, everyone will watch your show.” I didn’t understand, but the appearance of CEO Lucas Gu made my heart fluctuate. 【CEO is here! This is Lucas Gu, my fiancé.】 Seeing me staring at Lucas Gu in a daze, Mia White looked triumphant, waiting to watch a good show. Lucas Gu’s gaze swept over, disregarding the White parents, and said to me unpolitely: “You are the imposter who stole Mia’s eighteen years of life? “I advise you to give up the engagement voluntarily, don’t be ungrateful.” I couldn’t be happier, but had to act calmly. Nodded indifferently: “Okay.” 【This man is too thin! First time seeing such a skinny dog CEO, eye-opening. 【As everyone knows, men need to be strong, dumplings need to be eaten hot. 【Dumplings! Pan-fried and steamed dumplings are both delicious, but I must maintain decency, can’t eat dumplings anywhere. 【I’ll secretly order two portions later, one fried and one steamed. 【Hehe, so witty, worthy of me.】 Mia White froze on the spot, body stiff, as if acupoints were pressed. Lucas Gu suddenly ordered his assistant: “One hour, find me the best fitness coach in the city!” I quietly stopped that assistant: “Your President Gu also said to order a portion of pan-fried dumplings and a portion of steamed dumplings, put them in the meeting room next door.” 3 Sitting in the CEO’s office, I looked at the door anxiously. The dumpling takeout had arrived; it’s only delicious when hot. However, I must remain cool and aloof. How can I show that I’m scratching my ears and cheeks wanting dumplings? Lucas Gu negotiated with my parents arrogantly: “So, I will only fulfill the engagement with the true daughter of the White family.” 【Fragrant dumplings! I want to eat, find an excuse to slip out.】 The CEO frowned, “…This thief who stole Mia’s eighteen years of life, you must also kick out of the house.” 【Good! Just say I have a stomachache and want to poop. No, a cool woman can’t say such things.】 Mom stood up excitedly: “Chloe is also our daughter. Even without blood relations, there is the affection of raising her. “President Gu, what benefit does proposing such a condition bring you?” Lucas Gu smiled wickedly: “No benefit, just like seeing thieves get what they deserve.” I slapped the table and stood up, saying faintly to everyone in the room: “Have something important to do outside.” Everyone in the room: …Important thing? Eating dumplings or pooping? But I didn’t know my inner voice was heard, walking towards the meeting room with a serious face. Dumplings! Fragrant dumplings! Delicious! Worthy of the CEO’s special assistant, you know how to order takeout! 4 I returned to the CEO’s office looking cool and aloof, hearing Lucas Gu using that piece of land in the western suburbs as a condition to make my parents kick me out. Looks like my dad is very tempted. After all, he has coveted that land for a long time but couldn’t get it. Looking at Mom, she is also powerless, after all, she has no real power. I spoke indifferently: “It’s no problem for me to leave the White family.” Everyone looked at me, silence for a few seconds. Lucas Gu frowned and spoke: “Where does this garlic smell come from?” 【Damn. What to do? A cool and aloof heiress smelling of garlic is too undignified. Find a scapegoat.】 “That, your special assistant insisted on treating me to dumplings. Hard to refuse such kindness.” 【The dumplings were ordered by him anyway. Indeed the assistant’s problem, hmph hmph.】 Since you’re so good at ordering dumplings, I’ll award you a black pot (blame). The CEO’s assistant looked panicked, wanting to explain to Lucas Gu. But Lucas Gu held his forehead, looking like he understood everything, waving his hand to let him go out.

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The day I saw my ex-wife again, she had just been parachuted in as the new CEO of our hospital. For five long years, she had repeatedly mistaken my love for weakness, fueled by the whispers of my closest friend. Because of that man, she became my ex-wife. I, the Associate Director of Medicine, managed to maintain a brittle professional truce with her until quitting time. In the early evening, Nurse Keller brought me a message. “Dr. Logan, the City Medical Association is hosting its annual gala tonight. All the hospital leadership will be there.” The nurses in the office were debating whether they should attend, and I was about to confirm my attendance when she suddenly appeared in the doorway. “Dr. Logan, you can’t go. You need to stay tonight and finalize the hospital restructuring plan.” Under the watchful eyes of the entire department, she summoned me into the CEO’s office. She sat behind the massive mahogany desk, her gaze glacial. “Everyone else is free to go. You, however, must remain.” “If I find you at that gala tonight, consider yourself warned. The consequences will be yours alone.” 1 A torrent of old memories flashed through my mind, and a slow burn of anger ignited in my chest. “Where was this fire, Genevieve, when we were actually married?” I dropped the barb and turned to leave. The nurses rushed up to me as I exited, their curiosity palpable. “Dr. Logan, you know the new CEO?” I shook my head curtly. “Dr. Genevieve Abbott is so young, Dr. Logan. I heard she graduated from a top-tier European medical school. And she’s still single!” At that, the gaggle of gossiping nurses began to buzz. Their noise grated on my last nerve. “Enough. She’s divorced.” Ignoring their stunned expressions, I picked up my briefcase, ready to clock out. “How do you know that, Dr. Logan? You seem pretty sure.” a young scrub nurse pressed. I had to suppress a cold laugh. Of course, I knew. I was the fool who had been misunderstood and replaced. Without answering, I strode toward the elevator. I had warned myself countless times that I would never again allow the past to hurt me. But seeing the ghost of my former life reappear as my superior still sent an unwelcome tremor through my heart. Genevieve and I had been married for five years. On our fifth anniversary, I had meticulously planned a romantic dinner, ready to celebrate. But instead, she celebrated on the hospital rooftop with Rhys Callahan, the man who was supposed to be my best friend. They had shared a grand, sweeping public confession. The grainy hospital security footage showed them embracing and kissing, and the whole hospital was celebrating them, calling them the Golden Pair—the untouchable medical power couple of Seattle’s medical community. The sweet well wishes, the romantic declaration, the joyful laughter—none of it was for me. All I could do was clear the dinner I’d prepared and hide in the on-call room. Genevieve had promised me that morning that we would celebrate properly. I suppose this was what she meant by ‘celebrating.’ Watching the footage of their embrace, an unfamiliar, suffocating bitterness clogged my throat. I couldn’t even remember the last time we’d been intimate. I’d always told myself it was because she was consumed by her work. Now, it was clear: she was just consumed by someone else. If that was the case, I’d grant her the freedom she desired. I called her. Her voice was as cool and dismissive as ever. “What is it?” I tried to get straight to the point, opening my mouth to speak several times, but the words wouldn’t form. “Where are you?” “I’m in a meeting,” she replied without a hint of hesitation, even though I could clearly hear Rhys’s distinct laugh echoing in the background of her phone. I laughed a self-mocking laugh. Why debase myself when I already knew the answer? “Genevieve, let’s get a divorce.” A beat of silence followed, then a flicker of suppressed anger in her tone. “Logan, what is this new drama you’re starting?” “I’ll email the papers.” I hung up and started packing up my personal effects, preparing to transfer out of the hospital. I looked at the things I planned to simply toss: the matching coffee mugs, the photos from our shared residency shifts, the expensive stethoscope she had supposedly gifted me. I realized, with a sudden, stinging clarity, that all the evidence of our love had been purchased by me. She never once initiated anything to solidify our relationship. Even the wedding ring, I’d picked out myself. No matter how hard I tried, she never committed her full heart to me, and a marriage can’t survive on one person’s effort. Perhaps our relationship, like the framed wedding photo in the corner of my office, was long overdue for removal. I went to an apartment my parents had left me. That night, I slept more soundly than I had in years. The next morning, I was woken by a frantic ringing. Genevieve had called me several times. I answered the phone, and she immediately launched into an angry interrogation: “What are you doing? Your office is completely cleared out!” “We were supposed to celebrate our anniversary! I even bought you a gift—where the hell are you?” Her aggressive demands only amplified my irritation. I hung up and tossed the phone aside. I was used to this routine. When I was pulling a double shift in the ER, on my birthday, or any moment I desperately needed her, she would vanish, pulled away by a single call from Rhys Callahan. Then, the next day, she’d reappear as if nothing had happened, armed with a gift, and demand an explanation from me with an air of superiority, effectively forcing me to apologize for my needs. If I still resisted, she would soften her posture and offer the slightest hint of a consolation. Inevitably, I would lose my dignity, yet again, and fall back into my role as the devoted shadow orbiting her world. But this time, I was genuinely exhausted. Later that evening, as I was leaving work, I saw her waiting by the main entrance. She was wearing a sleek, form-fitting black dress that accentuated her figure, making her glow even in the dim twilight. Passing male doctors couldn’t resist a second look, whispering amongst themselves. In the past, I would have rushed over, desperate to shield her from their gazes. She had an innate quality that drew all eyes, and I was always afraid someone would snatch her away. Now, I realized my fear wasn’t unfounded. I had just focused my efforts on guarding the wrong door. Looking at her now, however, I felt nothing. No surge of desire, no wave of possessiveness. Just a profound, flat emptiness. I walked straight past her, heading for home. “Logan.” She called out my name. “Dr. Spencer is hosting dinner tonight. You’re coming.” For reasons I couldn’t explain—perhaps sheer hunger—I agreed. On the way, I kept catching a faint, familiar scent around her. It was the specific, crisp, woody cologne Rhys always used. “Since when do you wear cologne?” I asked abruptly. She paused, slightly thrown. “I’m not wearing any.” I didn’t say anything else. If she was telling the truth, the situation was even more bitterly ironic. It seemed they were so inseparable, their scents had merged. The rest of the ride was silent. We arrived at the restaurant. Dr. Spencer’s face lit up when he saw Genevieve. “Genny! You finally made it.” Then he saw me, and his smile froze instantly. “What are you…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but I knew what he was thinking. Inside the private room, Spencer’s friends all turned to look at me. Their expressions varied, but the underlying sentiment was uniform: displeasure at my presence. Dr. Spencer and Rhys Callahan were old medical school buddies. Since the day Genevieve introduced me as her partner, he’d openly resented me. He thought I was unworthy of her, just a general surgeon holding back the city’s youngest, brightest cardiothoracic specialist. In the past, I had always tried to bridge the gap for Genevieve’s sake, greeting him with a forced smile and trying to win him over, but to no avail. I always believed I was the one falling short. Now I saw the truth: they had always decided Rhys was the only one truly suitable for Genevieve. I didn’t have to play that game anymore. I sat down in the furthest corner and pulled out my phone to review patient charts. “Dr. Logan, over here.” Dr. Spencer insisted, guiding me to the most isolated seat before quickly ushering Genevieve over to where Rhys Callahan was already seated. It was a deliberate gesture. Rhys, immaculate in a tailored dark blue suit, flashed a brilliant, confident smile when Genevieve approached. They immediately started discussing a complex recent case, their heads close together in an intimate exchange. Watching them laugh and talk, I was transported back to medical school, when I used to discuss cases with her. Back then, she would listen patiently to every one of my ideas, celebrating every correct clinical judgment I made. Now, the light in her eyes was reserved for Rhys alone. I stood up, ready to leave. “Logan, you haven’t finished your meal,” Genevieve called out. I gave a cold laugh. “Dr. Abbott, you and Dr. Callahan have plenty to discuss. I’ll excuse myself.” I turned and walked out. Behind me, I heard Dr. Spencer’s voice, thick with passive-aggressive snark: “Dr. Logan is still so sensitive. No wonder Genny would…” I stopped, turning back to face him. “Dr. Spencer, my life is not your problem. You’d be better served focusing on your patient census, as a senior attending physician should.” With that, I took large strides out of the room. I knew the low whispers that followed. They were saying I was petty, unable to tolerate the happiness of my ex-wife and my former best friend. But they would never know what I witnessed on our five-year anniversary night. That night, on the hospital rooftop where I had set up a candlelight dinner, I saw Rhys take her hand and tell her, “You are the most brilliant, most dedicated doctor I’ve ever known.” And she, my wife, had allowed him to rest his head on her shoulder. In that instant, I finally understood why she always sought Rhys out first for complex cases. Why she was always distracted when I tried to share my professional successes with her. I was never the companion who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her in her mind. I was just a good, competent doctor. Rhys, however, was the genius who could create miracles with her on the operating table. I drove back to my new apartment and opened the fridge. It was empty. I’d been so busy coordinating the job transfer, I hadn’t had time to stock up. Just as I was about to order takeout, the doorbell rang. Through the peephole, I saw Genevieve standing outside, holding two shopping bags. I had no intention of opening the door, but then she produced a key. Damn it. I forgot to demand the spare back. She pushed the door open and walked straight to the kitchen. “I figured you hadn’t eaten. I bought you some groceries.” I watched her busy herself in my kitchen, a sense of the absurd washing over me. “Genevieve, do you really find this game interesting?” She stopped, turning to face me. “What game? You can’t function without eating, Logan.” “I don’t need you to manage my well-being,” I said coldly. “Give me the key.” She placed the key on the dining table but made no move to leave. “Logan, about tonight…” “Stop,” I cut her off. “We’re divorced. You don’t owe me any explanation.” Her eyes darkened. “Do you hate me that much?” I laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. “Hate? Genevieve, you’re not worth the effort of hating.” “You’re nothing but a liar. You’ve been deceiving me from the beginning.” She suddenly grabbed my wrist. “When have I ever lied to you?” “You and Rhys Callahan…” “He’s just a colleague.” “Is that so?” I sneered. “You two looked like more than colleagues on that rooftop.” She froze. “You… you saw that?” “And what if I did?” I yanked my hand free. “Genevieve, just go. I’m exhausted.” She stood rooted to the spot. “Logan, let me explain…” “I don’t need an explanation.” I cut her off again. “You two are a perfect match. I’m giving you my blessing.” “You…” “Dr. Abbott,” I switched to a cold, professional tone. “We have an early start tomorrow. Please go home and rest.” She stared at me, her expression unreadable, before finally turning and leaving. The moment the door shut, I slid down the wall and sank onto the floor. Tears, hot and uncontrollable, began to stream down my face. I hated myself for still being capable of this pain. The next morning, I went to the hospital for rounds as usual. As soon as I got to my office, I overheard that Genevieve was taking Rhys Callahan to a major international medical conference. I forced myself to focus on patient charts, but the discussions outside my glass-walled office were impossible to ignore. “I hear Dr. Abbott personally secured that slot for Dr. Callahan…” “Yeah, it’s a top-tier global summit…” “They really are meant to be. A genuine power couple…” I slammed the chart shut and headed for the ER. Busy hands, I knew from years of practice, were the only cure for a troubled mind. I was treating a trauma patient from a car accident when a nurse rushed in. “Dr. Logan, critical patient in the ICU. They need a consult, stat.” I hurried to the Intensive Care Unit. Genevieve and Rhys were already there. “I thought you were heading to the conference?” I asked instinctively. Genevieve looked up. “It was postponed.” Rhys offered a smug smile. “Genny said work takes priority.” Ignoring his unnecessary commentary, I moved to the bedside to assess the patient. “We need to operate immediately,” I declared. Genevieve nodded. “My thoughts exactly.” “Prep the room.” She suddenly looked at me. “You’ll scrub in to lead the case.” I was stunned. This was a highly complex cardiothoracic case, her specialty. Rhys immediately objected. “Genny, this surgery is…” “Dr. Logan’s surgical capabilities are well-known,” she cut him off. I gave a cold laugh. “No need. This is a cardiothoracic case; you two should handle it.” I started to walk away, but she stopped me. “You have to do this surgery.” I turned back, meeting the sincerity in her eyes. In that moment, I thought I understood. “Dr. Abbott, do you think this proves something?” “I’m simply choosing the most qualified physician,” she insisted. I scoffed. “The most qualified? Genevieve, do you seriously expect me to believe that?” “Didn’t you always believe my skills weren’t a match for yours? What is this supposed to be?” She frowned. “I never said that…” “Save it.” I interrupted her. “I won’t take the case.” I walked out. Behind me, I heard Rhys’s triumphant voice: “Genny, I’ll take the lead on this one.” I walked faster, determined to block out any further sound.

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The news about my high-powered lawyer wife, Sierra, throwing me a huge birthday gala was the hot topic of Crestwood. Everyone was talking about it. But the night before, a text message popped up on her phone: “Five years, and I’ve been waiting for you.” Sierra shoved me away, guilt flooding her face. She claimed the firm had an urgent, high-profile case, and the managing partner had specifically requested her. “Rhys, I am so sorry. The MP just called. I have to fly out tonight. I can’t be here for your birthday tomorrow.” Watching her leave without a second glance, I immediately activated the location-sharing app on my phone. I watched the tiny red dot move across the screen. I’d personally just taken over as the firm’s Managing Partner—I’d approved her vacation time myself. Why would I assign her an emergency case? I had to see who she was rushing to meet at midnight. 1 Sierra’s car location pinged the grand ballroom at the Crestwood Hotel. I sped over. From a distance, I could hear the pop of countless confetti cannons. As I walked closer, streamers drifted down, blurring the faces in the crowd. Two servers wheeled out a cake taller than a man, pushing it toward the head table. “Happy Birthday, darling! And happy fifth wedding anniversary!” My heart slammed against my ribs. That was Sierra’s voice! And she was calling the man next to her darling! Fifth wedding anniversary? But… wasn’t that with me? The confetti settled, and the moment I saw the man’s face, my breath hitched. Finn Donnelly! How could the son of my family’s former housekeeper be here? The congratulations and fawning started immediately. “I heard Mrs. Albright’s incredibly spoiled husband is none other than Mr. Blackwood, the eldest son of the Crestwood Blackwoods. Seeing him tonight, Mr. Blackwood is every bit as impressive as they say!” “It’s true. Mr. Blackwood and Mrs. Albright—the perfect childhood sweethearts. They are stunning together!” Since when did Finn Donnelly become the eldest son of my Blackwood family? I don’t have a brother! They were childhood acquaintances, sure. Finn’s mother had been the Blackwoods’ housekeeper, actually the Albrights’ housekeeper first. But after Sierra—then Yunxi—developed an infatuation with him, her parents fired his mother. My family, out of misguided kindness, took them in. I was soft-hearted enough to give Finn a job at the law firm. It was mostly menial office work, but I paid him a decent salary. Yet, I’d been away from Crestwood for just two weeks, and Finn had somehow transformed into the Blackwood Heir and Sierra’s husband! “And thanks to Mr. Blackwood’s connections, Albright & Associates is reeling in multi-million dollar deals!” “What a lucky woman, Mrs. Albright!” They shared a look of pure, saccharine happiness—the heroes and heroine of some corny romance novel, sweet enough to induce a diabetic coma. Just then, Finn gripped Sierra’s hand, his face flushed. “Sierra and I grew up together. We’ve been in love for twenty years!” “Sierra was just worried the media buzz would interfere with my private life, so we’ve kept our marriage quiet until now.” Sierra smiled, offering a silent confirmation. The guests nodded, murmuring, “Ah, that makes sense.” I laughed—a sharp, ugly sound. No wonder Sierra always kept me out of the spotlight. No wonder she hid our relationship even within the firm. It was all to give Finn the time to scrub his “housekeeper’s son” label and take my place! To solidify his identity as the Blackwood heir, he even stole my birthday! If she loved him so much, I’d grant this pathetic couple their wish. I’d file for divorce immediately. I walked closer, step by agonizing step. Sierra was nestled against Finn’s chest, chatting confidently. “Besides wanting to avoid harassment for Finn, the Blackwood family traditions don’t encourage the heir to seek public attention.” “I wasn’t aware the Blackwood family had that rule!” “Sierra Albright, when did you find time to acquire a second husband behind my back?” My voice boomed, slicing through the noisy room. The entire hall went silent. Sierra instantly pulled away from Finn, a guilty flicker crossing her eyes. Her face went from pale to blazing red. I strode forward, snatched the champagne flute from her hand, and flung the wine straight into her face. “What’s wrong? Did your ‘urgent business trip’ end with you in another man’s arms?” “Rhys Blackwood, what the hell is wrong with you?” Sierra wiped the wine off her face, trembling with rage. She was furious, yes, but the shifty look in her eyes betrayed her immense guilt. Before I could press her, the Chief Counsel from the rival firm, Crestwood Legal, jumped in, whipping up the crowd’s anger. “Security! What kind of lunatic did you let in here?” “This is a top-tier legal networking event. Who do you think you are, impersonating Mrs. Albright’s husband and defaming her?” “This is slander and intentional damage to a professional’s reputation! Apologize now!” The young lawyers at Albright & Associates quickly chimed in. “You came to the wrong place to throw a tantrum! We deal in law, and we have plenty of legal methods to bury you in lawsuits!” “Mrs. Albright is kind enough not to press charges, but we’re here to uphold justice!” I chuckled, looking at Sierra. “You want to take me to court, do you?” “Setting aside everything else, Mrs. Albright, cohabiting under the pretense of a marriage while being legally wed, that’s called bigamy, isn’t it? You, an expert, wouldn’t be unaware, would you?” “You just announced your ‘fifth wedding anniversary.’ That alone could land you two years in the federal penitentiary, sweetheart.” Finn’s eyes welled up instantly. He tugged at my wife’s arm, whining. “Rhys, please, don’t make trouble for Sierra. It’s all my fault…” Seeing Finn’s pitiful display, Sierra immediately flared up, shooting me a cold warning. “Rhys Blackwood, what is this nonsense about bigamy? Get out of here and go home!” That command—Go home—sent a wave of curiosity through the guests. They began re-examining me with a probing gaze. I scoffed. “Afraid your fake husband can’t handle the truth?” “Rhys! I know your mother worked for Sierra’s family and that you grew up around her, but this is too much!” Finn’s voice was pitched high, his indignation ringing false. “I know you like Sierra, but we’re having a baby! Please, stop trying to destroy my family!” “I took pity on you and gave you a job at the firm, and this is how you repay my kindness?” I was stunned. Were these not my lines? Finn Donnelly had no shame! Sierra, sensing the doubt in the crowd’s eyes, quickly provided a perfectly reasonable explanation. “I’ve always kept Rhys at arm’s length. I never imagined he’d be so shameless as to make a scene like this. I apologize for this embarrassment.” “Rhys Blackwood, if you continue, don’t blame me when I fire you and have you escorted off Albright property!” Only then did the guests drop their guard, whispering amongst themselves. “Oh, he was the housekeeper’s kid! That explains why she told him to ‘go home.’” “He looks presentable, but he’s just a desperate gold-digger trying to climb the social ladder! Spreading rumors about Mrs. Albright committing bigamy—he’s insane.” “Men like that will do anything to claw their way to the top. They’d sell their soul, even disown their own parents.” I watched Finn, a smug grin plastered on his face, which started to stiffen under the guests’ insults. He was certainly interesting to keep smiling while being publicly shamed. I nodded, rolling my eyes at Finn. “You’re right. Some men will disown their own mother just to leech off someone else’s success.” “Isn’t that right, Finn Donnelly?” “How did you beg me when the Albrights kicked you out after you tried to hook up with Sierra? You came crawling to me for a place to stay and a job. Is this how you repay me? By marrying my wife and getting her pregnant?” Finn’s face was beet red. Before I could expose more of his past, someone grabbed me from behind and shoved me. I fell, hitting my head on a table corner. A warm, sticky liquid trickled down my temple, and my vision blurred from the pain. When I blinked, a heavily made-up, brassy woman stood over me, slamming a piece of the cake onto my face. “Puh! What rubbish! Finn is obviously a high-society gentleman! You, with your poor, common background, how dare you lust after Mrs. Albright?” Finn smirked, a look of triumph in his eyes. “Exactly! I’m a Harvard Law J.D. who just closed three multi-million dollar deals. If a disgruntled former assistant like you could successfully impersonate me, my degree would be worthless.” Harvard Law J.D. He was stealing my entire professional life! “That’s right! The support staff should stick to their support tasks. Don’t try to seduce the boss.” “Finn, you can’t keep a crazy man like this around. Today he’s impersonating you, who knows what he’ll do tomorrow!” “If he’s so desperate for women, he should quit the firm and go sell himself on the street.” I looked at Sierra. Her face was cold, impassive, and she idly swirled the wine in her glass. “Sierra Albright, do you remember what you said when you were pursuing me? You said you’d love me forever.” “Now you just watch them humiliate me?” Sierra’s expression shifted, hardening into something cold and utterly foreign. “If you hadn’t insisted on making this scene, we wouldn’t be in this situation now.” Finn seized the opportunity. “Sierra told me you were constantly bothering and harassing her. She only tolerated you because your mother worked for her family for so many years.” “But this slander—accusing her of bigamy—is crossing a line!” “I’m announcing this now: Rhys Blackwood is terminated. Albright & Associates will not harbor an ungrateful snake!” Ungrateful snake? I stared at Sierra. “Are you sure Finn is the one who closed those accounts?” “Who opened the client pipeline that built Albright & Associates? Who stayed up all night drafting the briefs? Who landed those ten seven-figure deals that solidified this firm’s reputation?” “Sierra, do you dare tell everyone the truth?” A flicker of fear and hesitation crossed her face. Then, Finn interjected smoothly. “To give you some experience, we did let you handle the initial contacts. But every single one of those cases was a complete mess. Sierra and I had to step in and save them in the end.” Sierra seemed to genuinely believe this fabricated narrative. Her expression turned icy. “Rhys Blackwood, I indulged you too much. Now you’re trying to steal Finn’s credit!” Hearing Sierra’s words, the contempt in the crowd’s eyes intensified. “A mere admin who poured coffee and printed documents is trying to steal credit from Mr. Blackwood? He thinks a bug can fly to the heavens!” Sierra took Finn’s hand. “If you resign immediately and hand over the contact information for Mr. Theodore Blackwood—the founder of Blackwood Group—we won’t press charges for your slander.” My blood ran cold. My wife of five years was using my own birthday party to fleece me? They were after the nearly two million dollars in retainer fees from the three massive Blackwood Group cases I’d brought in! She orchestrated this entire farce to please her mistress and steal my identity! I shook my head, laughing softly. Sierra had made a critical mistake. She’d forgotten that the “Blackwood Group” they were talking about… was my family. And I—Rhys Blackwood—was the eldest son. It was time for the real Blackwood heir to clean house. I smiled. “You’ll have the number right away.” “But do you two genuinely believe a pair of fakes like you could ever close a deal with the Patriarch of the Blackwood Group?” “Sierra, you can burn the bridge behind you, but ungrateful snakes never end well.” “I’m sending the divorce papers to your personal email in the morning.” “Rhys Blackwood, have you gone completely insane? You’re addicted to playing the role of Mrs. Albright’s husband and the Blackwood Heir?” “What divorce? Finn has always been my husband!” Sierra clenched her jaw, trembling. She was trapped in the lie and had no choice but to double down. I folded my arms, watching the unfolding train wreck. A few Albright & Associates people were starting to waver, looking at me with new respect. Their whispers were loud enough to hear in the unnatural silence. “Rhys is a Blackwood, too. Maybe Finn is the real interloper.” “I hear the real Blackwood Heir is incredibly low-key. Finn, with all the logos, is a little too much, isn’t he?” Finn’s smile vanished, replaced by a furious glare. “Rhys Blackwood, I have a Harvard Law J.D.! You barely finished high school! How dare you make these ridiculous claims!?” “I’ll call Mr. Blackwood right now. Let me show you how a professional closes a multi-million dollar deal!” Seeing his renewed confidence, the hangers-on paused, waiting to see who was telling the truth. “Rhys Blackwood, you’re so manipulative! You know the Patriarch rarely takes unscheduled calls, and you’re goading Finn into calling him in front of everyone!” “No wonder we were almost fooled. What a dirty trick!” “Since you claim you closed those multi-million dollar deals, show us the proof.” “Tell me, which one of those case files has your name listed as the client attorney?” My heart sank. That’s why. That’s why Sierra always coaxed me into putting the cases under her name, claiming it was to build the firm’s prestige. It was all for this moment. To steal my entire life and hand it to Finn Donnelly! My Blackwood heir status, my marriage, my professional achievements—everything I built, she stole. I laughed a self-deprecating laugh. How blind could I have been to love this trash for five years? Seeing me speechless, the entire room of legal sycophants erupted. “He talked a big game, but he has no evidence! What a fraud! Get him out of here!” “Call security! Get this lying dog out! He’s disgusting!” A group of four middle-aged women exchanged salacious glances and started toward me. “No need for security. We’ll drag him out and teach him a lesson. He’ll learn to keep his mouth shut.” The naked lust in their eyes made my skin crawl. Sierra frowned slightly, showing a brief moment of hesitation. “We’re just teaching him a lesson so he remembers it. We’re all Crestwood professionals. Nobody will go too far.” Hearing that, Sierra seemed reassured, turning away from me. A portly woman with a heavy jaw grabbed my wrist, her eyes lingering on my chest. I yelled, using all my strength. “Let go of me!” “I am Rhys Blackwood, grandson of Theodore Blackwood! Touch me again, and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!” Everyone froze for a split second, then burst into uncontrollable laughter. “I’m dying! The little assistant is getting carried away with his role-playing!” “I have to admit, when he yells, he does have a bit of the high-and-mighty heir attitude!” The woman yanked me toward the exit. Two other older women took advantage of the situation, reaching out to grope me. I was held fast by four or five strong women. “Fine, fine, you can be the billionaire’s grandson. The ladies will have a little fun with you.” I looked at Sierra, yelling. “Sierra Albright!” “Stop them now! My family helped build the Albright name. We can erase it overnight!” Sierra finally looked back at me, her eyes completely devoid of emotion. She offered a flat, distant, “Oh.” “Rhys Blackwood, blame your bad luck. You were born a servant’s son. Stop dreaming of being my husband and replacing Finn.” Encouraged by her words, the women grew bolder. One of them slipped her hand down my collar, groping me freely. “Mr. Theodore Blackwood, the Patriarch of the Blackwood Group, has arrived!”

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Chapter 1 “What was your name again? And how long have you been here?” CEO Marcus Thorne sat behind his mahogany desk, not even bothering to lift his head from the quarterly reports. Ten years. I had given this company a decade of my life. “Elena Vance,” I said, my voice steady. “Ten years.” “Right.” He flipped a page, his expression bored. “We’re restructuring. The company needs to optimize its workforce. Your position is… redundant. You understand?” Redundant. I almost laughed. “Understood,” I said. “I’ll submit my resignation today.” Marcus paused, finally looking up. He seemed surprised by how easy this was. He probably expected tears or begging. “Good. Have the handover done by the end of the week.” “Will do.” I turned to leave. When I reached the door, I stopped and looked back. “Mr. Thorne, do you happen to know how many integrated systems keep this company running?” He frowned, impatient. “What is that supposed to mean?” I didn’t turn back. “Nothing. Enjoy your day.” 1 My name is Elena Vance. I am 35 years old, and I have been the invisible backbone of this company for exactly ten years. Ten years. Saying it out loud makes me feel like a joke. When I joined in 2014, this place was a garage startup with twenty people. I was 24, fresh out of college, green but hungry. I kept my head down and built. I built everything. It started with a simple inventory spreadsheet. Then came the Order Management System (OMS), the ERP, the Supply Chain protocols, the CRM integration… Ten years. 47 distinct, interconnected systems. The root access credentials, the API keys, the admin backdoors—they were all stored safely in my head. Nobody ever asked for them. And I never volunteered them. I wasn’t trying to gatekeep; it’s just that nobody cared. In this company, I was a ghost. How transparent was I? Today, when Marcus called me in to fire me, his first sentence was, “What was your name again?” Ten years. And he didn’t know my name. I should have been used to it. As the company grew from twenty people to two hundred, moving from a cramped rental to a glass tower, I remained “The Tech Lady.” Meetings happened without me. Company retreats happened without me. At the annual gala, awards went to Sales, Marketing, and Operations. IT? “Thanks to the IT support team.” One sentence. No names. I stopped caring years ago. The paycheck cleared every two weeks; that was enough. Until two months ago. The company hired fresh blood. Sophie Miller. 24 years old. Master’s degree in Computer Science from a prestigious Ivy League school. HR brought her to my desk. “Elena, this is Sophie. Show her the ropes.” I nodded. It wasn’t the first time I’d trained someone. Then, by accident, I saw her offer letter on the printer. Base salary: $140,000. I froze. Me: Ten years of tenure, carrying the entire infrastructure. Salary: $75,000. Her: Day one, zero experience. Salary: $140,000. “Is something wrong?” Sophie asked, catching my expression. “No,” I said, putting on my mask. “Let’s look at the server architecture.” I didn’t sleep that night. It wasn’t just anger. It was a cold, hollow realization. It felt like a bandage had been ripped off a wound I didn’t know was festering. That was my value here. Half of a rookie. The next morning, my phone rang. A headhunter. “Ms. Vance? This is Apex Recruiters. A major tech conglomerate is looking for a Director of DevOps. The package starts at $220,000. Are you interested?” I paused. “How did you find me?” “You published a few technical white papers on industry forums years ago. They were incredibly detailed. Our client specifically asked for the person who wrote them.” Those papers. I wrote them three years ago at 2 AM during a server migration. Someone had actually read them. “I’m interested,” I said. “Great. I’ll set up the interview.” I hung up and looked around the bustling office. No one looked at me. I was air. In that moment, I made a decision. 2 Sophie adapted quickly. And by “adapted,” I mean she learned how to play the corporate game. “Good morning, Mr. Thorne!” “Brad, did you catch the game last night?” “Sarah, that dress is stunning on you!” She was sweet, charismatic, and visible. Everything I wasn’t. Her desk was next to mine. Her morning routine consisted of touching up her makeup, scrolling TikTok, and online shopping. Actual work? “Elena, how do I pull this SQL report? Can you show me?” “Elena, what’s the login for the legacy server?” “Elena, can you fix this bug?” Elena, Elena, Elena. She used me like a crutch. After three days, I realized something terrifying. She didn’t know anything. It wasn’t Imposter Syndrome; she was genuinely incompetent at operations. She could talk about AI theory all day, but she couldn’t write a basic script to save her life. “That wasn’t my focus,” she said dismissively when I pointed out a syntax error. “I specialize in Machine Learning architecture.” Specializing in AI, but hired for Ops? I kept my mouth shut. It was just a job. But there was one thing I didn’t teach her. The keys to the kingdom. I didn’t hand over the root passwords for the 47 subsystems. She asked once, casually. “Hey Elena, do you have a master list of all the admin passwords? I should probably save them.” “There are too many,” I said, typing away. “Just use your user credentials for now. I’ll organize the documentation later.” “Okay, cool.” She never asked again. And I never brought it up. It wasn’t malice initially. It was just… apathy. If the system is running smoothly, nobody cares who holds the keys. We take oxygen for granted until the room runs out of air. A week later, Sophie was confident enough to critique my work in the breakroom. “Honestly, the current architecture is a mess,” I heard her telling Brad, the IT Manager. “It’s so clunky. If I were in charge, I’d migrate everything to the cloud. Microservices are the future.” Brad nodded along. “Yeah, Elena built that stuff years ago. She’s a bit of a dinosaur. Doesn’t keep up with the trends.” I stood outside the door, listening. Dinosaur. Fine. Let’s see how long the “dinosaurs” keep the lights on. 3 December 1st. An email went out to the whole company. Subject: Organizational Restructuring Notice. In plain English: Layoffs. IT was the first target. Brad called the department into the conference room. “Revenue is down. We need to run leaner. We’re cutting two positions from IT.” The room went silent. I knew it was coming. Brad looked directly at me. “Elena, you’ve been here a long time. I’ll be straight with you. The company feels… your role has become obsolete.” “Obsolete?” “Well,” he cleared his throat, avoiding my eyes. “Sophie has shown great initiative. She can handle the modern stack. Your skill set is… legacy.” He didn’t finish the sentence, but the subtext was screaming: Why pay the old workhorse when the shiny new pony is cheaper? (Wait, she was actually more expensive. They just liked her better.) “Brad,” I said, locking eyes with him. “The systems have had 99.9% uptime for ten years. Who made that happen?” He smirked. “Stable systems are a result of good management, Elena. You just maintain them.” I blinked. It wasn’t the insult that hurt. It was the clarity. Ten years. To them, I was just the janitor. “Fine,” I stood up. “I understand.” “So…” “I’m going to speak to Marcus.” “About what?” “Resignation.” Brad looked confused, but I walked past him straight to the CEO’s office. That’s when Marcus asked me how long I’d worked there. I walked out of his office ten minutes later. Sophie was just coming back from a coffee run. “Elena? Why were you in Marcus’s office?” “I’m resigning.” Her eyes lit up for a fraction of a second before she masked it with fake concern. “Oh no! Elena, don’t be impulsive. The job market is tough right now.” I smiled. “Thanks for the concern.” “But… if you leave, who handles the maintenance?” “Didn’t you say my architecture was clunky? This is your chance to redesign it. Microservices, right?” Her face paled slightly. “I didn’t mean it like that…” “It’s fine,” I said. “I’ll put the documentation on the shared drive.” I didn’t mention that the documentation contained zero passwords. 4 The news traveled fast. “Elena is leaving?” “Yeah, Marcus axed her personally.” “Ten years… damn.” “Well, they say her role was redundant anyway.” Redundant. I heard that word whispered behind my back all day. I packed my box. Personal items, a cactus, a spare sweater. Nobody came over to say goodbye. It was like I had already dematerialized. Sarah from HR came over with a folder. “Elena, here’s the separation agreement. Please sign.” I read it. “Where’s the severance?” “Severance?” Sarah looked nervous. “You resigned voluntarily.” I pulled out my phone. “Sarah, I recorded the conversation with Marcus. He explicitly stated my position was being eliminated for ‘optimization.’ That is a layoff. That requires a severance package.” Sarah turned white. “You… recorded it?” “Ten years,” I smiled thinly. “I learned to cover my tracks.” Sarah took the folder and scurried away. Thirty minutes later, she returned with a new agreement. A generous severance package. Six months’ pay. I signed. Sophie hovered nearby, biting her lip. “Elena…” “Yes?” “The… system passwords. Could you write them down for me?” I looked at her. “I thought my systems were obsolete?” “I… I just want to be safe…” “Don’t worry,” I stood up, hoisting my box. “The documentation in the shared drive covers all the workflows.” Shutterstock The documentation covered how the systems worked. It did not contain the keys to operate them. I would have given them to her if she had asked the right questions. Or if anyone had treated me with a shred of respect. But nobody asked. I looked at my desk one last time. The worn armrests of the chair. The sticky note residue on the monitor. “Elena.” It was Brad. “You’re really going?” “Papers are signed.” “Look,” he lowered his voice. “Just make sure the transition is smooth. Passwords and all that.” I laughed. “Brad, you said I just ‘maintain’ things. The systems run themselves, right?” He frowned. “Don’t play games. This isn’t small stuff.” “I’m not playing.” I walked toward the elevator. “My documentation is complete. As for the passwords?” I paused. “In ten years, you never once asked me for them.” I stepped into the elevator. “Good riddance!” Brad yelled as the doors closed. “Stop taking up space for people who actually work!” I didn’t look back.

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In my third year of rotting away in Hollywood, I snagged a flash marriage. My mother-in-law is my best friend. My husband never comes home. And I have unlimited access to the Black Card. Life was sweet. Until the bad news dropped: My husband, who was out there making millions, just got dumped. The sky was falling. I threw on the ugliest clothes I owned overnight. I was terrified he’d notice my beauty and actually want to commit to this marriage. But that same day, good news arrived: My mother-in-law wanted a divorce. And she got custody of me. I slapped the divorce papers onto Caleb’s chest. The icy, high-profile movie star started crying like a broken kettle: “I busted my ass working all year, only to come home and find out I’m a child of divorce, and my wife—who I haven’t even hugged yet—is gone!” 1 I’m Harper. A D-list nobody in Hollywood, but famous for my insane luck. Right now, I’m lounging in an 8,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion. On my left hand is the diamond bracelet my mother-in-law just gave me. In my right hand, I’m scrolling through Twitter. #CalebStoneDrunk is trending #1. My finger froze. My heart dropped. In the photo, my husband on paper—the A-list heartthrob Caleb Stone—is sitting on a curb outside a dive bar, surrounded by empty beer bottles. That face, which has charmed millions, looks flushed. His eyes are as mournful as an abandoned puppy. The comments section is blowing up: [OMG! What happened to Caleb? Did he break up with Serena?] [Definitely a breakup! Being a trophy wife isn’t easy, I guess!] [Wait, isn’t Caleb married? Who is his wife again?] I rolled my eyes. That would be me. I might be a nobody, but I have a legendary bestie—Vicky. Once the queen of the silver screen, now the most powerful woman in the industry. Two years ago, Vicky and I met on a reality show. We clicked instantly. It was love at first sight. Well, platonic love. We wanted to move in together immediately, but Vicky was already the wife of a billionaire mogul. Luckily, she had a son. To ensure we could be besties for life, she gift-wrapped her son and handed him to me. As for Caleb? He wore a cold face through the entire wedding and flew off to shoot a movie the next day. Naturally, his mom arranged the schedule. Vicky said no man on earth was good enough for me. To make up for it, she spent money on me. Endlessly. To keep Caleb from annoying me, she kept him booked on business trips. My daily routine consisted of three things: Spending money, rotting in bed, and praying Caleb didn’t come home. But looking at the trending topics, I had a bad feeling. Did my husband actually get his heart broken? 2 Sure enough, the next morning, the butler knocked on my door, sounding panicked yet excited: “Mrs. Stone! The Mister is back!” I was so scared I literally rolled off the bed. Wasn’t he supposed to be filming Love and Death with Serena? “Ma’am, are you okay?” the butler asked concernedly. “I’m fine!” I yelled, rubbing my butt as I scrambled up. “Tell Caleb I’m dead!” Disaster. If he walks in and sees a wife with a snatched waist, legs for days, and skin like porcelain… What if he feels guilty? What if he gets ideas and wants to be a real family? My good life would be over! I frantically raided the closet. Thank god. I still had the outfit I bought for a gag gift for my grandma’s 80th birthday. It was an oversized, shapeless housecoat. Neon pink with massive, tacky yellow flowers. I put it on. I looked like a walking fruit salad. I messed up my hair and looked in the mirror. Perfect. Caleb would vomit just looking at me. I marched downstairs, ready for war. As soon as my foot hit the landing, our eyes met. “Housekeeper, where is Harper?” he asked. Housekeeper? Excellent. I looked up at Caleb standing in the living room. He froze, his pupils dilating in shock. He was wearing a simple white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to show off his forearms. The California sun hit him through the floor-to-ceiling windows. I hate to admit it, but he inherited Vicky’s genes. The man is dangerously good-looking. “Hubby~ You’re baaaaaack~” I dragged the vowel out so long I gave myself goosebumps. Caleb’s adam’s apple bobbed. He nodded, expressionless. “Yeah.” That’s it? I look like a radioactive flower garden and you have nothing to say? I decided to dial it up. “Hubby~ I missed you soooo much~” I waddled over, twisting my waist, using a voice so sweet it could cause diabetes. “I couldn’t sleep without you here~” Caleb’s gaze lingered on me for two seconds, then calmly shifted away. “What do you want for lunch?” Excuse me? That’s your reaction? “I want tacos! Greasy ones! With extra hot sauce!” I declared. Everyone knows Caleb is a health freak who hates junk food. “Okay,” he nodded. “I’ll tell the chef.” Wait. This isn’t going according to plan. Soon enough, a platter of gourmet, healthy, organic tacos appeared. I deployed my ultimate weapon. I picked out the cilantro—Caleb’s mortal enemy. “Hubby~ This cilantro is so yummy~ Do you want a bite?” I shoved a forkful right in his face. “Sure.” He opened his mouth and actually ate it off my fork. Clatter. I dropped the fork. Caleb looked at me, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. “What are you smiling at?” I asked defensively. “Nothing,” he said, returning to his resting stone face. “Eat.” Something was wrong. Very wrong. 3 “Vicky! Emergency! Caleb is home!” I bolted back to the bedroom and called my bestie. “What?” Vicky gasped on the other end. “I’m ordering you the latest Cartier collection right now! For emotional damages!” “No, Vicky, the point is he came back! And he saw me dressed like a clown and didn’t even flinch!” “Oh, please. He has no right to judge you,” Vicky scoffed. “By the way, Hermes released a new bag. I ordered it in three colors for you.” “Vicky…” “Also, I had my assistant wire you two hundred grand. Go buy something nice.” Me: “……” This is my life. My mother-in-law is my best friend. Money is unlimited. Husband is absent. Perfection. If only Caleb would disappear again, it would be utopia. 4 While Caleb was on a conference call, I snuck out. There’s a taco truck nearby that makes the greasiest, most delicious tacos. I sat on a plastic stool on the sidewalk, still wearing my hideous neon housecoat, inhaling food. Zero nutritional value. 100% happiness. Just as I shoved the last bite into my mouth… Click. I turned to see a paparazzo snapping photos like a maniac. “Harper! Does this outfit mean the Stone family has kicked you out?” “Is it true your marriage to Caleb is a sham?” Internally, I was celebrating. Externally, I put on a brave, sad face. “No… we’re fine…” The paparazzo’s eyes lit up. Efficiency is key in this town. By that afternoon, #HarperTrophyWifeFail was trending. The photo showed me in the neon housecoat, hair like a bird’s nest, aggressively eating a taco. The comments were brutal: [LMAO. This is the billionaire wife? She looks like my grandma!] [She’s eating that taco like she hasn’t seen food in weeks. Is she broke?] [I heard she was just a surrogate they hired, and now that she can’t get pregnant, they kicked her out!] [Caleb and Serena are true love! Harper is just a placeholder who sucked up to his mom.] [Not gonna lie, that taco looks good. Drop the location.] I was happily scrolling through the hate comments when I saw Caleb had posted on Instagram. A photo of dinner. Caption: [Home cooking.] Eagle-eyed netizens spotted a sleeve of my ugly housecoat in the corner of the frame. The comments exploded again: [Wait! That ugly sleeve belongs to Harper! They’re eating together?] [Impossible! Caleb has taste! This must be Photoshop!] [Yeah, he hasn’t been home since the wedding.] I stared at the phone, confused. Was Caleb… trying to clear my name? Impossible! Vicky must have forced him! Every time the media reports our “divorce,” Vicky sends me money, then forces Caleb to post something lovey-dovey. Just then, the TV played an entertainment update. Serena, the rising starlet, was being interviewed about Caleb: “We are really close friends. We discuss scripts late into the night. As for anything else… we’ll let nature take its course.” My eyes lit up. Serena! The rumored girlfriend! My savior! If they get back together, Caleb won’t have time to come home!

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The first thing I did after I woke up in this second chance was stop bringing my attending physician husband his late-night coffee. He would be rounding on the fifth floor, so I’d make sure I was scheduled in the ER. In my past life, I knew he only married me for the coveted fellowship spot my mentor held, yet I insisted on walking down the aisle with him. I thought a cold heart could eventually be thawed. Instead, he kept me at an arm’s length for decades. When I tried to initiate intimacy, he’d shove a copy of The New England Journal of Medicine into my hands: “Read up on your professional literature, Sierra. Don’t go embarrassing me in front of colleagues.” I once gathered the courage to kiss him, fueled by a glass of wine, but he merely stiffened, his voice a flat monotone: “This is a biological obligation of marriage.” Decades later, on my deathbed, I found his journal. I read his final words in his journal: This marriage was a cage. If I get another life, I pray I am never again bound to Sierra. My heart was shredded, the pain blinding me as I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I was back. Back to the day the rumors started about him and the new surgical resident. This time, I didn’t cry. I didn’t rail. I simply filed for divorce. 1 The words left my lips, and for the first time in our marriage, Marcus’s perfectly unruffled facade finally cracked. Beside him, Brynn—the new resident—her smug smirk froze solid, immediately replaced by a look of agonizing remorse. “Nurse Sierra, please, don’t misunderstand.” “Marcus simply respects my capability. Our relationship is strictly professional.” “I came here with him to clear this up. You can take all your anger out on me!” She bent her knees, making a show of collapsing onto the floor. Marcus instantly caught her, then whipped his head around and glared at me. “Sierra! Are you finished with this melodrama? It’s a minor workplace misunderstanding. You have no right to humiliate her like this. Apologize to Dr. Brynn, now!” I hadn’t said a word, yet I was already the small-minded, irrational culprit. In my last life, every time I clashed with Brynn, I was the one who was wrong. Marcus always stood on Brynn’s side, turning every disagreement into a screaming match that made me the laughingstock of the floor. Everyone said I, the diploma-mill nurse, was too petty, my ‘dignity’ too small. “Apologize for what? I haven’t said a word,” I asked, meeting his harsh gaze. “If her knees are that weak, she can drop. I’m not her chiropractor.” Brynn hadn’t expected the sudden reversal of roles, nor my biting reply. Her eyes immediately welled up, and she continued her performance: “Nurse Sierra, you have to believe me. Marcus and I are truly just—” I was done watching her act. I cut her off. “Stop. I’m filing for divorce. I’m clearing the way for you, aren’t I?” My gaze dropped, landing on the delicate silver bracelet on her wrist. “If things are so ‘strictly professional,’ how is it that the bracelet Marcus saved four months’ salary for is on your arm?” “Some roles, Dr. Brynn, are oversold.” She recoiled as if burned, pulling her hand back instantly. I knew that bracelet. The day he bought it, he hid it deep in a drawer, like a sacred artifact. He even sewed a little velvet pouch for it himself, pricking his hands multiple times—a man who never touched a needle and thread. I was such an idiot. I thought, Our anniversary is coming up. Maybe this is the first time he’s prepared a gift for me. I waited, filled with a foolish, desperate anticipation. On our anniversary, I waited from dusk till late, the soup I’d made long since cold. I finally saw him and Brynn walking side-by-side beneath the streetlights. The look he gave her was a tenderness I had never received, an expression utterly foreign to me. And on Brynn’s wrist, she was proudly showing off that bracelet. Now, Marcus refused to meet my eyes. “It was a birthday gift for Dr. Brynn a few weeks ago. You’re overthinking this.” Even though I was already determined to let go, his words felt like shards of glass in my heart. Five years of marriage, and he had never once remembered my birthday. He’d known Brynn for two months. I remembered the lines from his journal: Every moment I spent with her was anguish and torture. The last flicker of defiance and hope died, leaving behind only an infinite weariness. “I am genuinely serious about this divorce.” I looked him in the eye and said quietly, “Marcus, let’s free each other.” Marcus didn’t return home that night, choosing instead to sleep in the on-call room at the hospital. I didn’t seek him out. Instead, I began preparing my resignation papers. The news spread through the hospital like wildfire. The gazes I received were a mixture of mockery and pity. “Did you hear? Sierra’s out.” “Must be because Dr. Brynn and the Attending are finally together.” “She’s a diploma nurse, only common sense she’d know when to fold.” Because Marcus never wanted to publicize our marriage, everyone assumed I was just some distant, easily dismissed relative. I’d wanted to correct them countless times, but fearing I might jeopardize his ascent, I always stayed silent. Hearing the whispers now, I merely offered a faint smile. “You’re right. This toad is done trying to eat the prince’s apple. This nurse gig is a dead end. Time for a change of scenery.” They didn’t know I wasn’t conceding defeat; I was just changing the game. In the previous life, I tried desperately to earn his respect, clawing my way up to head nurse. But even as Head Nurse, in his eyes, I was still the same insignificant woman who fetched coffee. He’d rather talk to the goldfish tank at home than exchange a civil word with me. This life, I was going to live for myself. I had planned to wait until my resignation was finalized, then find Marcus and sign the papers, cutting all ties. But one phone call shattered that plan. My father had a severe stroke and was in the ICU. He needed an emergency deposit of twenty thousand dollars. My hands and feet went instantly cold. I would receive a substantial severance package from my resignation, but that process would take a month! My father didn’t have a month. Just then, I spotted Marcus walking out of the outpatient clinic. In that moment, everything—my dignity, my plan, my anger—dissolved into pure panic. I bolted forward, blocking his path. “Marcus, I need twenty thousand dollars, immediately.” All surrounding eyes locked onto us, filled with curiosity and judgment. The smile instantly vanished from Marcus’s face. “Twenty thousand? I don’t have that kind of cash on hand.” That was impossible. Every month, out of my modest paycheck, I gave him $2,500 for ‘savings,’ only keeping a fixed amount for household expenses. Even if he was extravagant, he couldn’t have blown through all of it. My eyes burned with desperation, my voice shaking with a plea I hadn’t known I had: “My dad collapsed. A stroke. He’s in the hospital right now, waiting for the money to start his treatment! I really need this! My entire savings—five years of paychecks—are in your account. How can it be gone?” Marcus’s brow furrowed deeper. The stares of his colleagues made his face hot with embarrassment. He lowered his voice, the impatience in his tone barely suppressed. “Sierra, are you done making a scene? I told you, I don’t have it!” I stared at him, my heart sinking inch by painful inch. “Two thousand five hundred dollars a month, for five years. That’s a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. How can you not have twenty thousand available?” Marcus’s eyes flashed with annoyance, his face cold. “You spent plenty on yourself, didn’t you? You know how much you’ve frittered away.” His colleagues snickered, their derisive murmurs rising. “Wow, spends his money and then demands twenty grand back. She’s shameless.” “I bet she’s just trying to cause trouble because of Dr. Brynn.” I looked at Marcus. He was doing what he always did—saying nothing in my defense, even though he knew I hadn’t touched his money. I understood. He was punishing me. Punishing me for daring to file for divorce and for stripping him of his ego. But my father was dying. I couldn’t wait. I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and asked, my voice hoarse: “What do you want? What will it take for you to give me the money?” He seemed satisfied by my submission, his chin lifting slightly. “Go apologize to Dr. Brynn. On your knees.” “Then I’ll give you the money.” Brynn stood nearby, her expression a mask of false gentleness. My knuckles were white, my nails digging into my palms. For my father, I would endure it. I bowed, a full ninety degrees, and squeezed out the humiliating words: “Dr. Brynn, I apologize. I was wrong to have misunderstood you the other day.” Brynn immediately stepped forward to offer a false embrace, but her words were laced with acid: “Nurse Sierra, you shouldn’t feel you have to. I never blamed you. Even though you constantly slander me behind my back and destroy my reputation in the hospital, we are colleagues. I can rise above it.” I snapped my head up. She was twisting the truth completely! Marcus’s face darkened, and he roared, “Sierra! You are truly despicable! How can you treat a colleague like this? Get on your knees and beg her forgiveness!” “I didn’t do that!” I cried out, the humiliation burning. “Still lying?” Marcus’s face was set, his eyes filled with disgust and disbelief. The surrounding colleagues began to jeer. “Yeah, make her kneel! Make her kneel!” “If she won’t, kick her out of the hospital!” Two male doctors, always eager to curry favor with the rising star, stepped forward and tried to forcibly shove me to the ground. I struggled fiercely, tears of shame blurring my vision. Marcus’s indifferent voice drifted over to me: “Don’t want that twenty thousand anymore?” Instantly, all the fight drained out of me. I stopped struggling and let them shove me down. The muffled thud of my forehead hitting the hard tile floor was accompanied by the sound of laughter.

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1 Fresh out of college, I had an idea. “Let’s all rent a place together,” I suggested to my three roommates. The apartment I found was a steal—close to my new job, surprisingly cheap, and a world away from the cramped suburban box they were currently renting. It was a massive upgrade. For three months, everything was perfect. We were a happy little family. Then one day, I came home from work early and heard them talking in the living room. “I looked it up,” one of them said, her voice sharp with excitement. “Rent in this neighborhood is at least five grand a month. We’re paying two thousand for the whole place. What if we rent out the master bedroom for two grand? Then our three rooms would basically be free.” “Done,” another voice snapped. “Why does Anna get the master suite anyway? So what if she covers the utilities? How much can that possibly be?” “I’m so sick of her holier-than-thou attitude,” the third one chimed in with a spiteful laugh. “The thought of her, homeless and out on the street… I could die laughing!” I smiled to myself on the other side of the door. You want to see me on the street? Too bad for them. I’m the owner. … The voices inside continued, blissfully unaware. “Anyway, the lease is up in three days. We just tell her we’re not renewing with her.” “Haha, serves her right. Always bossing us around, acting like she owns the place.” “And that whole story about it being her ‘relative’s apartment,’ and that’s why it’s so cheap and we have to ‘take care of it’? Who buys that crap?” “I already contacted the landlord. He said we can have it for the next term, same price.” Just like that, my fate was decided. They seemed to have forgotten everything. How, fresh out of college, they were too broke to afford anything near the city. How they were crammed into a tiny place in the far-off suburbs, waking up at four in the morning for a grueling three-hour commute of buses and trains. It was me who couldn’t stand to see them suffer. It was me who lied, saying a relative had a cheap place available, and invited them to move in. The truth? This apartment was a graduation gift from my parents. A four-bedroom, two-bath prime piece of real estate right next to my office. A five-minute walk to work. I could have rented it out in a heartbeat. But my parents always taught me to be discreet about our wealth. So I never told them I was the owner. I charged them a token rent of five hundred dollars each and covered all the utilities and building fees myself. And this was my reward. My kindness, thrown back in my face like trash. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open. The laughter in the room died instantly. The air went still. Lily was the first to recover, stretching her lips into a fake, bright smile. “Anna! You’re home early. Have you eaten? We made some pasta, come have some.” She pulled me into a chair at the dining table. After clearing her throat, she began her little performance. “So, Anna… the landlord called. He was asking if we’re planning to renew the lease.” I just slurped my pasta, saying nothing. She watched my face, trying to read my expression, before continuing. “We’ve decided not to.” My hand paused. I looked up, feigning confusion. “We found a cheaper place,” she said, her eyes darting away from mine. “You only wanted to room with us because you couldn’t afford the whole rent on your own, right? So now that we’re leaving, you’ll probably move out too, won’t you?” My voice was flat. “It’s fine. If you guys leave, I’ll just take over the whole lease. I finished a big project at work, so I’m getting a nice bonus.” Lily’s smile faltered. “But… it’s such a big place for one person. Isn’t that a waste? Listen to me, you should find a small studio. You’d save so much money.” If I hadn’t heard their little scheme with my own ears, I might have actually believed she was concerned about me. “I’m used to it here,” I said simply. “Too lazy to move.” “Anna!” Jenna, who had been silent until now, finally exploded. She slammed her fork down on the table. “I was trying to be nice, but you’re just not getting the hint!” “So let me spell it out for you. We don’t want to live with you anymore. We want you to move out on your own, so don’t force us to get ugly about it!” I stared at her, my expression cold. “I found this apartment. I signed the contract. Why should I be the one to leave just because you say so?” Ava, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke. “Anna, living with you… it’s been really difficult. If we keep this up, I’m afraid we won’t even be friends anymore.” Ava was supposed to be my best friend. Her background was tough. Her mom left right after she was born, and her father was a gambling addict who’d beat her when he was drunk. She fought tooth and nail to get into college, but her dad wanted to marry her off to some old creep for cash. I was the one who helped her escape in the middle of the night, who walked her through applying for student loans, who split my allowance with her for four years so she could get by. After graduation, I couldn’t bear the thought of her tiny frame being crushed on the subway every day. That’s why I suggested we live together. I even invited the other two, just so she wouldn’t feel like she was accepting my charity. Ava bit her lip, her eyes pleading. “You always wanted what was best for me. Just agree to move out this one time. We can still be best friends.” I looked at her, my face a blank mask. Then, I smiled. “Fine,” I said. “I’ll move.” Their faces lit up. They started babbling about how we’d still be great friends, even after I was gone. I didn’t want to hear another word. I turned and walked back to my room. The moment the door clicked shut, I pulled out my phone and dialed my property manager, Mr. Henderson. “The rent is going up to six thousand a month.” It didn’t take long for a knock to sound on my door. I opened it to find the three of them standing there, their faces contorted with rage. Jenna shoved me hard. “You called the landlord and told him to raise the rent, didn’t you!” My back hit the corner of a desk, and a sharp pain shot through me. Ava’s eyes were red. “How about this,” she said, her voice laced with a false sense of compromise. “You go talk to your ‘relative’ and get him to keep the rent at two thousand. And you give us the master bedroom. If you do that, we’ll still be willing to live with you.” I crossed my arms, looking at her coldly. “And where would I sleep?” “On the couch, obviously,” Lily answered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “So I pay rent to sleep on the couch?” “Get it through your head,” Jenna sneered. “You’re the one begging to stay with us. You should be grateful we’re even offering you the couch.” Ava linked her arm through mine, her tone sickeningly sweet. “We’re best friends, Anna. Of course I’m looking out for you.” “I’ve already found you a new place. It’s fully furnished, you can move in right away. And the best part? It’s only thirty feet from the office. Perfect for a workaholic like you.” “Where?” She covered her mouth, stifling a giggle. “Rex’s doghouse.” “It’s right by the security guard’s booth at the office. How’s that for a short commute? And in the winter, Rex can keep your bed warm for free!” Jenna snickered. “Wow, Ava, and you call yourself her best friend? Sending her to a doghouse, that’s just cold! But hey…” Her eyes landed on me, a malicious grin spreading across her face. “Don’t forget to pay Ava a finder’s fee, Anna! A move-in ready place like that is hard to come by, hahaha!” Ava waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, it’s nothing. What are friends for?” I watched their little performance, my blood turning to ice. I didn’t say a word. Ava’s face suddenly turned serious. “Anna, living with you has been exhausting. You’re such a control freak. We can’t hang anything on the walls, we can’t decorate our own rooms, you even nag us if a single hair falls on the floor. We can’t take it anymore.” “You’ve practically given me depression. So, you should probably pay our rent for the next quarter. Consider it compensation for our emotional distress.” I almost laughed out loud. I didn’t want them putting things on the walls because the latex paint was a custom color; if it was damaged, it would be impossible to match perfectly. I didn’t want them “decorating” because their brilliant idea was to knock down a load-bearing wall to make their room bigger. And I complained about the hair because they never, ever cleaned the drain after showering. Their hair had clogged the pipes so badly it flooded the apartment below us, and I had to secretly pay a fortune to sort it out. In the six months they’d lived here, the money I’d spent fixing their messes and covering costs far exceeded the pittance they paid in rent. And now, they wanted me to pay them for emotional distress. Hilarious. “Either you move out, or I do and you can pay the full six thousand a month yourselves.” With that, I slammed the door in their faces. From the other side, I heard their furious shouts. “Anna, you’re pushing your luck!” “Don’t make us do something you’ll regret!” The next day, I didn’t get home from work until eleven at night. When I reached my front door, I froze. My belongings were piled in the hallway like a heap of garbage. I tried my key code again and again, but the door wouldn’t open. They had changed the lock. A hot wave of fury washed over me. I pulled out my phone and called my dad. “Dad, can you call a courier service? I need something delivered here, right now…” After hanging up, I started pounding on the door. The loud bangs echoed through the quiet hallway. It didn’t take long for doors to open. Neighbors, annoyed by the noise, poked their heads out, demanding to know what was going on. Someone even called security. As a crowd gathered, the door finally clicked open. Jenna stood there in her pajamas, a face mask on, frowning. “What the hell are you screaming about? I’m trying to get my beauty sleep.” I clenched my fists, forcing my voice to stay even. I pointed to the mountain of my things on the floor. “What gives you the right to throw my stuff out?” Ava appeared behind her, casting a timid glance in my direction. “Anna, we didn’t have a choice… Please, just give us a break…” She then shot a look at Lily. Lily immediately understood. She turned to the growing crowd of neighbors and the security guard, her voice loud and dramatic. “Uncles, aunts, everyone, please, be the judge! We all rent this apartment together, and she brings different men home every single night! The noises they make… the things they do… it’s so loud we can’t get any sleep.” She turned back to me, her eyes pleading. “We know you have a… special kind of job, that you have to work at night, and we don’t judge you for it. But we have to get up early for work! Please, we’re begging you, find somewhere else to live.” The moment the words left her mouth, the way the neighbors looked at me changed. Their curiosity turned to disgust, as if I were something filthy. Ava bowed deeply to the crowd, her face a mask of apology. “We’re so sorry to disturb you all. Her lease is up, and we already told her we wouldn’t be renewing with her. The landlord doesn’t want her here either. But she just refuses to leave. We had no other choice… We’re truly sorry for waking everyone.” Whispers rippled through the crowd. “She looks like such a nice girl, I can’t believe she does that…” “No wonder she comes home so late every night…” “How unlucky to live on the same floor as her!” A middle-aged woman pointed a finger at me, her voice shrill with anger. “Was it you who was blasting music and jumping around the other night? The bass was shaking my whole apartment! I didn’t get a wink of sleep!” I was out of town on a business trip all last week. I had only just gotten back yesterday. A flicker of guilt crossed Jenna’s face, but she quickly pointed at me. “Yes! That was her!” Another neighbor stepped forward. “And was it your long hair that clogged the drains and flooded my bathroom downstairs?” Ava, the one with the longest hair who never cleaned the drain, froze for a second before turning to me with a frown. “Anna, I’ve told you so many times to clean your hair out of the shower. Why don’t you ever listen?” “Was she the one who wanted to knock down a load-bearing wall? She nearly turned the whole building into a death trap!” Lily, who had dreamed of expanding her room by smashing through a wall, just nodded grimly. “That’s right, it was her! We tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen!” The neighbors’ anger was fully ignited. “She’s a menace! Get her out of our building!” “Security! Throw her out!” “Call the police! Get her arrested!” The security guard, seeing the mob mentality taking over, grabbed my arm and started to pull me away. I was furious, desperate. “I’m the owner of this apartment!” I yelled. “You have no right to throw me out!” Jenna let out a derisive snort. “If you’re the owner, then I’m the Queen of England!” Ava looked at me with pity. “Anna, I’ve already called the landlord. He’s on his way. If you leave now, you can still keep a little dignity. It’s going to be much worse when he gets here and kicks you out himself.” I was shaking with rage. “Fine! Get your ‘landlord’ here! I’d love to see how he plans on kicking me out of my own home!” “Who’s looking for me?” I turned to see a blond punk, radiating cheap arrogance, swaggering through the crowd. “I’m the landlord. You got a problem?” he asked, his eyes raking over me dismissively. “Where’s Mr. Henderson?” I demanded, frowning. My property had always been managed by him, and he was nothing but professional. “So you did your homework, huh? You even know my uncle’s name. Well, I’ll tell you. My uncle’s out of town. This place,” he jabbed a thumb at my apartment, “is my responsibility now.” He pointed a finger in my face. “I’ve heard all about you from these lovely ladies. I don’t rent my property to filthy, immoral people like you! If you know what’s good for you, you’ll grab your junk and get lost!” I stared him down. “Do you even know whose name is on the property deed? And you have the nerve to tell me to get lost?” “It’s my uncle’s place, so of course his name is on the deed! Whose else would it be? Yours?” the punk scoffed. Ava stepped forward. “Anna, just stop. The landlord is here. It’s over.” The punk ignored me, strutting into the apartment. He did a quick tour and came back out, his face twisted in a snarl. “Hey! Where’s that big Lego set that was on the TV stand? Did you steal it?” “That was a limited edition set! Worth twenty thousand dollars! You better hand it over right now!” That Lego set? My little niece loved it when she visited last week, so I gave it to her. “It was my property. Do I need your permission to give away my own things?” “Your property? That belongs to the landlord… my uncle!” the punk sputtered, practically hopping with fake rage. Lily immediately jumped in to support him. “We can vouch for that! That Lego set has been there since we moved in. How could it be yours? It obviously belongs to the landlord!” Ava frowned. “Anna, you should really try to get it back. Stealing is a crime. If the landlord calls the police, you’ll be in serious trouble.” I watched them, a symphony of lies, and felt a wave of disgusted disbelief. “Then call the police,” I said. My calm indifference was the final straw. “You bitch! Stealing and you’re still this arrogant!” His hand flew out, and a sharp sting exploded across my cheek. A loud smack echoed in the hallway. My ears rang, and I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth. Ava stepped in, stopping the punk from hitting me again. “Let it go, let it go. It’s probably hard to get back something you’ve already given away. Anna, why don’t you just pay for it? Since the landlord says it’s worth twenty thousand, just give him the money. You… you make money easily, right? A little sum like that is nothing to you. Just pay him and this will all be over.” I had to laugh. The Lego set looked impressive, but it was a model kit I bought for three hundred dollars. It all clicked into place. The glances between them and this punk. This was a setup. They were in this together, trying to extort money from me. Seeing my lack of reaction, the punk shoved me again. “Hey! Did you hear me? Pay up! Or I’m calling the cops and having you thrown in jail for a few years!” “I told you, it was my property!” “Goddamn it, you just don’t learn!” he snarled, raising his hand to slap me again. He hit me so hard I stumbled and fell, my vision swimming with black spots. Jenna’s eyes darted around, then she pointed at my luggage. “She’s a thief! I better check my things, make sure she didn’t steal anything of mine!” She crouched down and started rummaging through my suitcase. She pulled out a gold necklace, a flash of envy in her eyes. She held it up for everyone to see. “Oh my god! My gold necklace! I’ve been looking for this for ages! I can’t believe it was in your suitcase!” “Ava, Lily! Come look! I bet she stole a ton of our stuff!” At her words, Lily’s eyes lit up, and she joined the plunder. Like vultures, they tore through my belongings, pulling out jewelry and brand-name makeup, claiming each item as their own and stuffing them into their pockets. The other neighbors, seeing this, started to get restless. Ava smiled sweetly at the crowd. “Uncles, aunts, maybe you should all have a look too. See if she’s taken anything of yours.” That was all it took. The crowd swarmed forward like a plague of locusts. CRASH! The trophy I won in a college competition was knocked to the floor and shattered. RIIIP! The sweater my mother had hand-knitted for me was torn apart. My down jacket was slashed open, and feathers filled the air like a bizarre snowstorm. I even saw a greasy-looking man pick up a pair of my underwear, take a deep, disturbing sniff, and shove it into his pocket. “Stop! All of you, stop!” I screamed and lunged forward, only to be shoved back to the ground. Ava stood over me, a look of pure, innocent malice on her face. “You know,” she said conversationally, “I wonder if she’s hiding the rest of the stolen goods on her person.” Every eye in the hallway swiveled to me. The blond punk licked his lips. “Strip her! Let’s see what she’s hiding under there!” “You touch me,” I snarled, “and I swear I will make you regret it for the rest of your life!” “Ooh, I’m so scared,” he mocked. “Let’s see what you’re gonna do.” He reached for the collar of my shirt. I fought back with everything I had, but Jenna and Lily pinned my arms and legs down. Ava raised her phone, capturing me at my most broken and helpless. She mouthed two words at me, a silent, vicious curse. You. Deserve. This. In that moment, a tidal wave of regret crashed over me. I had invited these wolves into my home.

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Three years after being taken back home, I jumped from a high-rise. My soul floated in the air, wanting to see how my parents and brother, who had always despised me, would weep bitterly and regret their actions. But my father only shook his head indifferently, looked at my body, and said one word: “Childish.” My mother pursed her lips, sighing in relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted. My brother blocked the fake heiress’s view, sparing her the sight of my gruesome death. However, the fake heiress was still scared to tears, prompting the whole family to hug and comfort her immediately. I stared for a long time, then let out a self-deprecating, relieved laugh. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the moment I was first brought home. 01 Realizing I had been reborn, I sat in silence for a long time. My parents in front of me, eyes red, were talking about how much they missed me over the years and their guilt towards me. They had missed me for ten years! In my previous life, I was moved to tears, threw myself into their arms, and naively thought I had a home. I had people who loved me! However, three years later, I was tearing at my own hair, crying and screaming, jumping off a building in front of them, trying to exchange my death for a shred of their love. But, no one had ever loved me. So, at this moment, I felt nothing, calm as a log. “Sweetie, are you still not used to this? It’s okay, Mom will take you to pick a room first. Choose any one you like!” Seeing my silence, my mom pulled my hand and walked towards the third floor. My dad followed with a smile, while calling my brother, Liam, urging him to come home quickly. Liam only replied with one word: “Busy.” My dad was displeased. My mom looked a bit embarrassed and explained to me: “Your brother is a busy man. Most of the group’s affairs are handed over to him. He can only come back on weekends.” In my previous life, I believed it. In this life, I didn’t care. Believing it was fine. On the third floor, every room was brightly decorated, full of warmth and girlish charm. “Aurora, choose. You can live in any room!” My dad said with a smile. My gaze locked onto the one closest to the stairs. Inside, on the bed, sat a fluffy panda. In my previous life, I was attracted at first glance. Mistakenly thinking my parents loved me very much, I chose that room directly. I liked that panda. However, my parents’ expressions changed slightly. They exchanged a look and quickly smiled: “Aurora, forgot to tell you, this is your sister Bella’s room. “Bella is very sensible. She specifically cleared her room and said you could choose it too. You should live in this most spacious one…” I blinked then, grateful: “Sister gave me her room? She’s so nice.” I still liked that panda, and that room. My parents exchanged looks again, hesitating to speak. But I, overjoyed, had already run in and hugged the panda without hesitation. Just then, Bella came back with her schoolbag. 02 Bella was the same age as me, 15. She was much more mature than me, not as naive and ignorant. Seeing me barge into her room, she pursed her lips and forced a dimpled smile: “Heard sister is back, I took leave to rush back. Sister likes this room? Then you stay here.” After speaking, she bit her lip and looked away. My parents took in all her changes. My mom rushed in to pull me: “Aurora, choose another room. This one is too big, I don’t think it’s good.” “Why isn’t it good?” I was confused. I also subtly sensed the change in atmosphere. But how could I understand what was wrong back then? My parents cried for me, loved me so much. Bella voluntarily cleared the room for me to choose. Clearly, I was their biological daughter. Was it wrong to choose a room I liked? So, I was full of questions. My mom’s expression changed again, hesitating. My dad became much more stern, also silent. Bella came over to help me make the bed: “Sister, you stay here. This home is yours, stay wherever you want.” 03 I stayed. In the village, I only dealt with pots, pans, and fields. Coming to the city, I still only knew how to deal with pots, pans, and fields. But in the city, there were no pots, pans, and fields. So, I didn’t understand what was wrong. I stayed in Bella’s room for only half a day before being dragged out by my brother Liam who rushed back. He was furious, dragging me, who was reading, to the door, scolding with hatred: “Do you have any manners? This is Bella’s room. You occupy the magpie’s nest, have you no shame!” I was stunned, not just because it was the first time meeting my brother. But because I couldn’t understand, how did I occupy the magpie’s nest? I was scared and called for Mom and Dad. My parents rushed up. Liam attacked first: “Mom, Dad, how did you arrange this? This is Bella’s room. Treating them differently like this, aren’t you chilling Bella’s heart?” “This…” My parents looked conflicted, not knowing what to say. I keenly caught the flash of anger in my mom’s eyes. That was the look directed at me. I froze. I was very familiar with this look. My dead adoptive father liked to look at me like this when he was alive. Mom was angry at me! It turned out, I was really the magpie. 04 The magpie stood carefully on the wire, enduring year after year. Finally, jumped off the high building. It was so stupid. In this life, I can’t be stupid anymore. In this life, I want to not fight, not grab, not cry, not make noise, and of course, not love them anymore. I smiled very faintly in my heart and pointed to the smallest room at the far end. “I want that one.” My parents were stunned, then showed relieved expressions, pretending to blame: “That’s the storage room. Why choose that? Pick again.” “I’m used to living in small rooms, feels safer.” My tone carried a hint of self-mockery. My parents sighed and agreed. They just agreed so smoothly to let their biological daughter, who returned after ten years of separation, live in the storage room. The fake heiress Bella came back at the right time. She ran upstairs, clearly surprised to see me entering the storage room. I glanced at her, calm. She thought I didn’t know. She deliberately put a panda in her room to lure me into choosing it. From the first day I came home, I fell into her carefully laid trap. She spent three years fighting with me for the family’s love and won completely. And I, used death to realize a truth. The best way to get love is to love yourself. 05 I moved into the storage room and closed the door. Bella brought the panda doll over: “Sister, giving you a doll, you must like it.” “I don’t like dolls, thanks.” I responded through the door, taking out the textbooks I brought from the countryside. At the moment of rebirth, I had a plan. I want to love myself. There are many ways to love oneself. For the current me, achieving success and being independent is the best way. “Does sister not like me? Also true, I’m the one occupying the magpie’s nest…” Bella said dejectedly outside the door. Seemingly talking to me, but actually for the parents to hear. The parents were still there. Sure enough, my mom quickly comforted her: “Your sister is probably just tired and needs rest. Don’t overthink it.” My dad also spoke: “Bella, don’t overthink. In this home, no one is occupying the magpie’s nest.” Actually, there is. It’s me.

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