Category: English

On the eve of my engagement, the wolf pup I raised with my own hands pinned me to the bed. He pulled a smile that looked innocent, but vicious words spilled from his mouth. “Uncle, if you dare to get engaged to that woman, tomorrow I’ll release our little video at the banquet.” 1 When I was twenty-two, I adopted twelve-year-old Julian Thorne. For six years, I took meticulous care of him as he grew up. If he wanted the stars, I gave him the stars; if he wanted the moon, I gave him the moon. I believed I treated him well. But on the eve of my engagement, he secretly drugged me. I watched as he skillfully set up the video camera, the black lens aimed straight at me like a bottomless well, sending a sudden chill down my spine. Born with a silver spoon in my mouth, a big shot in the elite circle of the capital, I’ve had smooth sailing all my life. I’ve never suffered such grievance. Immediately, I cursed in anger: “Julian, do you want to fucking die? I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself. Take me to the hospital right now, immediately. Otherwise, when I wake up, I’ll skin you alive, chop you up, and feed you to the dogs.” Just saying this made me short of breath. The drug was potent, burning my eyes red, not to mention the other obvious changes in my body. So my words had no deterrent effect and didn’t scare Julian at all. The corners of his mouth hooked into a faint smile. Turning a deaf ear to my threats, he turned on the camera and then walked towards me. Looking at my state, his Adam’s apple rolled a few times. He raised his hand and tugged somewhat urgently at the tie around his neck—the same tie I had personally tied for him when we tried on suits together. Julian’s voice was very low, sounding like a question, but more like stating a fact. “Uncle, even if I send you to the hospital now, you won’t let me off, right?” I have to say, Julian knows me too well. Once the drug wears off, I will immediately beat this bastard until he’s looking for his teeth all over the floor, making him regret the messy thing he did. I also regretted not seeing Julian’s abnormality earlier. If I had noticed earlier, I definitely wouldn’t have taken the glass of milk he handed me. While I was pondering, Julian had already sat on the edge of the bed. I almost scrambled back to the head of the bed in a pathetic manner, looking at him warily. I took a deep breath, suppressing the raging fire in my heart, trying to make my tone sound sincere and reliable. “This time, I mean it. As long as you take me to the hospital, I can let bygones be bygones about you drugging me.” He sneered, his tone suddenly intense: “Heh! Let bygones be bygones? Uncle, you forgot, you promised me that we would live together for the rest of our lives! You clearly said you wouldn’t find me an aunt, but you’re getting engaged tomorrow! “You lied to me first, what right do you have to say let bygones be bygones?!” Julian’s face was hideous and twisted, as if trapped in his own logical loop and unable to break free. Before I could speak, he lunged forward, grabbed my ankle, and dragged me over. I wanted to struggle, but the cool touch on my ankle made me dazed for a moment. By the time I came to my senses, I was already pinned under Julian. He pulled out his belt and firmly tied my hands to the headboard. His legs firmly suppressed my resistance. I was like fish on a chopping board, at anyone’s mercy. 2 Unwilling to give up, I continued to persuade him: “If you don’t want me to get married, Uncle won’t get married. It’s no big deal, no need to make it so ugly. Be obedient, untie the belt.” You bastard, you better untie it for me, or I will definitely whip you to death, tear your face apart, chop you into mincemeat, and throw you into the sea to feed the fish. “Too late.” Julian raised his hand to touch my face. I jerked my head to avoid it. The bed shook violently, and the ring box on the bedside table was knocked to the ground. Seeing the ring rolling on the ground, Julian suddenly went crazy. He pinched my face, leaned down fiercely, and blocked my lips. The cold and soft touch made me greedily want to take more. I rubbed the skin on the back of my hand hard. The pain gave me a moment of clarity. Then, taking advantage of his intoxicated kiss, I bit the tongue he stuck in. Julian suddenly got up, covering his mouth, staring at me. I looked at him with disdain: “You dare glare at me? Careful I don’t gouge your eyes out. Ungrateful wolf, all your education went to the dogs. Do you know what you’re doing? I’m your fucking uncle. Seriously counting, I should be considered your adoptive father. “All these years, without me, you would have been beaten to death in that dark alley like a dog long ago. It was me, I saved you, I gave you money, let you study, and this is how you fucking repay me?!” Julian covered his mouth, looking down without saying a word. I thought he found his conscience. Just as I wanted to shout for him to let me go quickly, the potent drug made my consciousness chaotic again. This was not a good sign. If this continued, I would definitely not be able to bear it and would humbly and pathetically beg that bastard. “Forget it, let’s not talk about this, you untie first… mmm…” This madman Julian kissed me again as if he didn’t know pain. I tried to bite him but failed; instead, I bit my own tongue until it bled. He kissed fiercely and aggressively, as if he wanted to swallow me whole. My desperate struggles couldn’t escape his movements of unbuttoning my clothes. Realizing that I couldn’t avoid tonight’s matter, I simply closed my eyes in resignation, only struggling one last time to negotiate with him nicely: “Turn off… the camera.” He panted heavily, his hot breath spraying on the side of my neck. He turned his head and bit me lightly. That was the common carotid artery. I felt like my lifeline was being held, instantly stiffening, daring not move. His voice was hoarse: “No.” He looked up at me, revealing an innocent smile that an eighteen-year-old should have, but his words made my hair stand on end: “Uncle, if you dare to get engaged to that woman, then tomorrow, I will release our little video at the banquet. Uncle knows what to do, right?” Do your mom! I was burning with anger, completely mad. Before I could start cursing, Julian, as if expecting it, immediately lowered his head to seal my lips, blocking all my dirty words in my throat. 3 My consciousness gradually blurred with Julian’s movements. In a trance, I saw him take my phone and dial a familiar number. I instantly sobered up and tried to snatch it. Julian’s face darkened instantly, and he slammed me back onto the bed with his hand. “Uncle.” He moved his body threateningly, and I immediately groaned. “You should know what to say, right?” The threat was strong. I knew it was best not to provoke him now. The call connected, and Claire’s cool voice came from the other end: “Damian, what’s wrong?” I cleared my throat and answered her: “Tomorrow’s engagement party might need to be canceled. I have something to deal with now, I’ll explain to you later.” There was silence on the other end for a moment, then she said: “Okay.” Julian hung up the phone with satisfaction, the expression in his eyes softening, inexplicably gentle. He leaned down and kissed the corner of my mouth, smiling: “Uncle is so good.” I gritted my teeth and ground my molars. A tiger down in the plains is bullied by dogs. It doesn’t matter. Wait until the drug wears off, I’ll see how long you can smile. You bastard, laugh all you want. When the time comes, see if I don’t break all your white teeth. Julian seemed to know what I was thinking, ingratiatingly licking my lips that were red, swollen, and hot from sucking. “Uncle, don’t be angry anymore. As long as you don’t get married, you can punish me however you want. I’ll take it gladly.” He looked at me, the look in his eyes very serious. I knew he meant it. But I also knew that after tonight, we wouldn’t be in a simple uncle-nephew relationship. Once a dog tastes meat, it will turn into a wolf, let alone a wolf pretending to be a dog? I could foresee what would happen between us. Either coaxed into bed by him or tied into bed by him, using both soft and hard tactics, using all means. I turned my head slightly, avoiding his overly passionate gaze, and didn’t answer him. My attitude completely angered Julian. He narrowed his eyes, then forcefully gripped my chin, turning my face back to look at him. His eyes were icy, and the surrounding temperature dropped instantly. We looked at each other for a long time. Suddenly, Julian laughed, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes, making me feel creepy. He lowered his head close to my ear and said sinisterly: “Uncle, still thinking about getting married, huh?” He looked like he was about to lose his mind. I knew I shouldn’t provoke him at this time, but I really didn’t want to agree with his words. Because a promise is a lifetime thing. Julian would take it seriously, just like when I promised him I wouldn’t get married, and he took it seriously. 4 At that time, Julian had just arrived at the Sterling family. At twelve years old, he had suffered a lot. His father was a gambler who disappeared after owing a huge debt. His mother remarried immediately, leaving Julian to grow up alone and helpless. The day I met him, I happened to close a big deal, successfully shutting everyone else up and becoming the head of the Sterling family. So, in a good mood, I meddled and saved Julian, who was beaten half to death for stealing money. I asked him: “Why steal money?” He was stunned for a moment, seemingly embarrassed, his face slightly red. He pursed his lips and spoke after a long time: “Because I was hungry. Restaurants don’t hire child labor, and I couldn’t beat the homeless for trash cans. I was so hungry that I couldn’t stand it, so I thought of stealing money.” I had nothing to say. Because I had never lived a hard life, I couldn’t understand. But I was in a good mood that day, so I simply took him home, treating it as a good deed for the day, accumulating some virtue for myself, striving to be born into a rich and good family in the next life. Getting along gradually, I found Julian to be very considerate. No matter how late I came back from social engagements, he would get up and thoughtfully prepare honey water for me and massage my temples. Later, a psychologist friend told me that Julian was deliberately pleasing me, probably because he had been abandoned by his parents before and was afraid of being discarded again. So, when I came home at 3 a.m. again, and Julian heard the noise and ran downstairs, I stopped him: “Don’t need you, go to sleep.” Julian’s face turned pale instantly, and tears suddenly fell in big drops, looking pitiful and fragile. I was stunned on the spot. I just thought of that friend’s words and wanted him not to deliberately please me anymore. I didn’t know if my tone was too fierce or if this kid thought of something else. Anyway, he shrank at the top of the stairs, crying pitifully. I immediately scratched my hair and walked over, patting his shoulder somewhat clumsily. I’m not good at comforting people. After racking my brains, I said to him: “Not chasing you away. You don’t need to be so cautious and cramped, nor do you need to please me. Don’t worry, as long as you do your own things well, I won’t abandon you.” He looked at me with red eyes, a hint of choking in his voice: “Then if you get married in the future and have children, will you not want me anymore? If the little aunt doesn’t like me, will you also hate me and then abandon me?” That year, I was twenty-two, just the right age for marriage. Many people who wanted to climb up to the Sterling family tried to introduce partners to me. For me, marriage or love had to be ranked after my career. Although the Sterling family was strong enough, it wasn’t without rivals. For me, the most important thing was to continuously expand the power of the Sterling family, making other families unable to catch up, making people tremble just hearing the name “Damian Sterling.” At that time, I only had a career in my eyes. Illusory things like love were not within my consideration at all. So when he asked that, to coax him and stop him from crying, I promised him: “Don’t worry, there won’t be a little aunt.” He raised his teary eyes and asked me: “Then in the future, will it be just the two of us living together?” I thought Julian was young and had been abandoned, so he lacked security. When he grew up, he naturally wouldn’t be so dependent on me, so I nodded. But I didn’t expect that after his feelings changed, this casual promise would become a sharp blade stabbing me, making even my defense seem pale and weak. I watched his face getting darker because he didn’t get an answer for a long time, chuckled lightly, and answered: “Yes.” Sure enough, Julian went crazy again. His eyes turned red with anger, and he punished me unrestrainedly all night. He didn’t let me go until the sky turned slightly white.

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I dated a guy for a year and ended up financially free. Why? Because my boyfriend was a rich heir with zero brain cells and a wandering eye. Every time I caught him cheating, he wired me a hundred grand. What could I do? Naturally, I chose to forgive him. That is, until I overheard him trash-talking me to his friends: “Chloe is just a gold digger. Pay her enough, and she’ll do anything.” Oh really? I decided to take the money and run. But he wouldn’t let go—crying, screaming, threatening to end it all. Eventually, the drama reached the ears of his ice-cold older brother. The brother cornered me at my apartment door. The Iceberg spoke: “My brother’s actually broke. You should try digging for gold with me instead.” 1 When Julian was caught hooking up with a D-list celebrity in his car, I was busy scouring the banquet hall for non-alcoholic wipes to clean my bag. That bag was last month’s apology gift—the price for catching him at a hotel with an Instagram model. He’d thrown in a hundred thousand dollars as “hush money” to keep me from snitching to his stiff, emotionless older brother. But tonight, at this so-called high-society gala, some klutz had spilled red wine all over it. The stain was aggressively soaking into the leather. My heart was bleeding. I wasn’t planning to keep it. I was going to wear it once for Julian to see, then flip it on a resale site for at least thirty grand. Now, it looked like a total loss. Coming to this stuffy event with him was just bad luck. “Cleaning up the spoils of war, Miss Evans?” A sleazy whistle came from behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Julian’s posse—a group of trust-fund idiots with flat personalities. I ignored them. But high-society brats can’t stand being ignored. One of them stepped right into my personal space. He tapped his phone screen and played a voice note sent to Julian: “Your girlfriend is looking for you.” Then, with a smug grin, he played Julian’s reply. His voice was floaty, trembling with a weird mix of intoxication and exertion. “Don’t worry about her… ungh… Chloe is the easiest kind of gold digger… pay her enough and she’d lick my boots.” The sticky sound of heavy breathing filled the silence. Someone patted my shoulder. “Check the parking garage. Your boy Julian isn’t known for his stamina. He’ll be done in a minute.” I knew the drill. It was payday. Everyone looked down on Julian, and the sad part was, he never gave them a reason not to. By the time I took the elevator down—maybe three minutes—he was already in his car, panting and pulling up his pants. I snapped a photo. Even through the window, I could see Julian’s flushed cheeks and damp hair. The D-list celebrity didn’t look tired at all, just acting the part of “post-coital bliss.” She looked familiar—famous for her elven looks and corpse-like acting skills. I’d seen them flirting earlier. Who knew he couldn’t even wait until the gala ended? I knocked on the glass. Julian jumped. He looked sober instantly, his handsome, youthful face twisting into illogical shock. I don’t know why he was surprised; did he think the car windows were magical cloaks of invisibility? “Chloe? What are you doing here?” “Do I need to explain?” I waved my phone, showing him the fresh photo. Julian scrambled out of the car, grabbing my wrist. His palm was clammy—sweat, or something worse. “Chloe, listen to me.” I nodded, signaling I was listening, but I yanked my hand away. He didn’t say anything else. After a long silence, he just choked out, “I had too much to drink.” The silence lasted so long that the starlet had time to dress, fix her makeup, and lean against the car door with a smirk, arms crossed. Julian, speechless and panicked, fumbled with his phone. “Chloe, don’t be mad. I’ll wire you money. Go buy some bags, jewelry, or take a trip…” Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming exhaustion. I calculated the balance in my bank account. Yeah. It was time to be tired of this. 2 To be fair, Julian had saved me once. When I met him, I was working at a car wash. To avoid the constant sexual harassment from my male coworkers, I started dressing hideously on day two. I even bought a pair of ugly, thick-rimmed glasses. But I hadn’t mentioned this: I am objectively beautiful. And specifically poor. A beautiful girl with no money is like a child holding a gold bar in a busy market—you can hide, but you can’t escape the covetous eyes. The day Julian showed up, the guys had “accidentally” sprayed me with the high-pressure hose. I looked like a drowned rat. My t-shirt was soaked under my waterproof apron, clinging to my bra. They laughed and told me to just take it off. I stood there, freezing, refusing to move. One of them got close and pinched my cheek. “So you aren’t wearing makeup. You really are that pale. Soft, too.” I was mentally calculating if my remaining $60 could cover the damages if I punched them. That’s when Julian honked. His car was finished, parked nearby. I didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there or how much he’d seen. His voice was impatient. “Who washed this? The interior is still damp.” The guys shoved me forward. “Sorry, sir. The new girl is clumsy. We’ll have her fix it right up for you.” I shook the water off my clothes. Standing by his door, I hesitated. Should I change first? I didn’t want to ruin his leather seats. Julian chuckled softly, leaning down toward me. “You shake off water like a puppy.” I froze, unsure if he was mocking me or being kind. Then, his smile faded. He reached into the back seat and handed me a shopping bag. It was a brand I didn’t recognize, clothes still with tags. “Go change. Those guys are pricks. They did that on purpose.” When I hesitated, he scratched his head, looking embarrassed. “Just broke up with my girlfriend. Never got to give her these. Don’t worry, I’m not a creep.” By the time I changed and came back out, Julian was gone. I snuck a look at the customer log to find his number. It took me until the next day to work up the courage to text him. I thanked him for standing up for me and told him I’d washed and sanitized the clothes. If he didn’t mind, I could return them. Originally, to show some backbone, I wanted to buy them from him. But after Googling the brand and realizing the price was my annual salary, I decided returning them was the wiser option. Julian replied quickly, asking to meet at an overpriced coffee shop near the university. We met a few times after that. I learned—or confirmed—that his family was filthy rich. He was born into love and money, a genetic lottery winner with a trust fund and model looks. In the first month, he got me a job as a library assistant at the university. No dirty jokes, just stressed students with dark circles under their eyes. By month three, we were officially dating. I drove Julian’s new sports car back to the car wash, purely out of spite. I bossed around the guys who used to harass me. I thought it would feel amazing. Okay, it felt a little amazing. But the thrill faded fast. The petty satisfaction was replaced by emptiness when I saw the speculation in their eyes. I was a fox borrowing the tiger’s might, sitting in someone else’s car, with nowhere to go. Was shallow revenge really all I wanted? 3 After six months with Julian, I told him I wanted to study. My parents were village delinquents who never legally married. When I was five, they left for the city to work, taking my clever little brother and the family dog. My dad said the city was dangerous, full of cars that could crush a person flat. So, they left me in the village to “enjoy life.” I grew up wild, eating scraps from neighbors because I was pretty and had a sweet mouth. When I was deciding between a factory job or a vocational school, the village matchmaker tried to sell me off. She said the family was “honest.” Turned out, the groom drooled for eight hours a day. That night, I packed a bag and ran to the city. Then I met Julian. Someone like Julian, who had been forced into elite schools since birth, couldn’t understand why anyone would beg to study. Just like he couldn’t understand how eight people could live in a ten-square-meter room the first time he visited my dorm. But I was grateful for his naive privilege. Because our worlds were so different, I was a novelty to him. Julian thought my desire to learn was “cute.” He looked into it and told me to take the IELTS exam first. He promised that once I passed the language requirement, he’d hire an agency to get me into a school abroad. I was ecstatic. I started teaching myself. My foundation was weak, but I was smart and desperate. I memorized vocabulary whenever I wasn’t with Julian. Julian got tired of watching me struggle with flashcards, so he paid for a two-month enclosed IELTS boot camp. When I first entered the camp, Julian called me fifty times a day, reporting his schedule like a loyal puppy. He whispered sweet nothings, and at nineteen, I blushed and whispered them back. My brain was full of vocabulary and grammar, but my heart was full of hope for our future. I thought: Julian is highly educated. A high school dropout doesn’t match him. Even if I’ll never have his money, I can match his education. Once I get a degree and a job at a foreign company, I won’t need Julian to be my safety net. But halfway through the month, the calls stopped coming. He got “busy.” His schedule became vague. He said he loved me, then disappeared for three days. It was like the hot water in a shared apartment—unreliable because someone else was using it. When I finished the camp two months later, he picked me up looking glowing and refreshed. His left ear was pierced with a row of black studs, the skin around them red and inflamed. I later found out he’d spent that month chasing an edgy girl who loved tattoos and piercings. His love came in intense, weird waves. To get close to her, he’d punched holes in his own body. It was the edgy girl who called me, annoyed by him. “Watch your boyfriend. He’s not loyal.” I cried and confronted Julian. Crying was pathetic, but I couldn’t stop. The panic of being abandoned swallowed me whole. I was young. It was my first love. I thought I’d met a prince. I thought Julian was my savior. He was gentle, energetic, and worldly. I’d never met anyone like him in my gray little life. He took me to French restaurants where I didn’t understand the plating, and just as I felt discouraged, he’d drag me back to his massive penthouse and cook me a comforting, homestyle meal. We washed dishes together. In his 5,000-square-foot apartment, I ironically felt “at home.” But after six months, the dream broke. I realized the penthouse wasn’t my home, and there was no prince. I broke up with Julian. I moved out and rented a tiny, north-facing room in a shared apartment. Julian, surprisingly, wouldn’t let go. He cried, knelt, blocked me at the library, and sent massive bouquets of flowers to my cramped rental every day. After a month of silence from me, Julian started drinking heavily. That’s when his infamous older brother finally came looking for me. 4 “Get back together with Julian.” Adrian Pei was the traditional kind of rich—the kind who only spoke in commands. I thought he was insane. “Your brother cheated on me. What right do you have to dictate this relationship?” Adrian leaned back in his leather executive chair, my background check spread open on his desk. His expression was bland, looking at me like I was a tantrum-throwing toddler. “Because of you, my brother is depressed and drinking himself into a stupor. I don’t like seeing that.” “Then teach your brother some discipline.” I got up to leave, but his bodyguards blocked the door. “You want to study, don’t you? Do you have the money for that?” Adrian asked coldly. I didn’t. But I could work. “I’ll pay for your education.” I stared at this man—better looking than Julian, but infinitely colder—wondering what his game was. Adrian seemed satisfied by my hesitation. “Treat it like acting. Keep him happy. Stop him from acting suicidal. You’re with him for the money anyway, right? I’ll give you money. He has a three-minute attention span; he’s never dated anyone longer than a year. Once he gets bored and wants to break up, just go with the flow.” When I stayed silent, Adrian assumed I was weighing the pros and cons. He added, “Don’t worry, he won’t be stuck on you forever. I’ll be introducing him to girls from appropriate families soon.” Appropriate families. The words floated down and settled on my head like lead. Adrian was eight years older than Julian. Their father died young, so Adrian took over the family empire early, accustomed to playing the dictatorial patriarch. He had always known about me but watched from above like a god—treating our relationship like a child playing house with a gold digger. The humiliation was sudden and sharp. I wanted to scream. I wasn’t in it for the money. Julian had money, but it was Adrian’s money. The family’s money. Julian was a nice enough trust fund baby, but mostly he spent money on himself. The biggest thing he spent on me was that boot camp. Rich people jingling their coin purses is just low-cost mating behavior. Julian, despite his youth, knew that well. I stiffened my neck, mimicking Adrian’s arrogance. I looked him up and down with the same rudeness he showed me. Then I squeezed out a very adult smile. “How much are you paying?”

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At my birthday party, my parents presented me with their gift. A DNA test. One that said I wasn’t their biological daughter. My mother’s smile was glacial. “Sharon, since you’re not our real daughter, it’s time you paid us back for the cost of raising you for seventeen years.” My father scoffed. “No wonder you don’t look a thing like me. You’ve been mooching off the Prescott family name for far too long. Starting today, you’re the help. We’ll pay you five hundred dollars a month to work off your debt. Room and board not included.” I didn’t cry or protest. I just nodded calmly. After all, just last night, I’d been standing outside their door and heard everything. I heard my sister, Cecilia, cooing as she clung to their arms. “Mommy, Daddy, my only birthday wish is to be your one and only daughter, to have all of your love, just for me. So, can you make my sister be our maid for a year? Please?” My father’s face had melted with affection. “Of course. Anything for you.” My mother had smiled and added, “For this whole year, Mommy and Daddy belong only to our precious Ceci.” I had leaned against the wall, my eyes stinging with a sharp, hot ache. They had forgotten. Cecilia and I are twins. We have the same birthday. And my birthday wish? To leave the Prescott house. Not for a year—forever. 1 Cecilia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in mock horror. “Sharon! No wonder you’re so plain, you don’t look like Mom or Dad at all. So you really are an impostor.” Her voice was loud, her performance theatrical. It was as if she’d completely forgotten we were twins, that anyone with eyes could see the resemblance. “Oh, wait, you’re not my sister at all. You’re just some stray they picked up off the street.” My mother’s expression was distant, cold. “Sharon, now that the truth is out, you’re not a Prescott. This party is for our darling daughter, Cecilia. You have no right to be here.” I glanced up at Cecilia, her face glowing with triumph. She wore a custom-made princess gown, and on her head sat a tiara that cost as much as a house. Then I looked down at myself. My faded shirt and worn-out jeans, the cuffs frayed. A bitter smile touched my lips. The right to be here. I’d never really had it. How can you lose something you never possessed? My father’s voice boomed. “Starting today, you’ll move into the servant’s quarters. Consider it a final kindness. Until you find your real parents, you can work here as a maid. I’ll pay you five hundred a month, no room and board, to pay back the seventeen years of expenses you’ve cost us.” Whispers rippled through the crowd. I was a pathetic clown on display, trapped under a sea of mocking, scornful eyes. I bent down to pick up my backpack. In a flash, Cecilia lunged forward and yanked it from my grasp. The safety pin holding my broken zipper together popped, and the contents of my bag spilled across the floor. “Aha!” Cecilia shrieked. “I knew it! You’ve been stealing from us!” Amidst the scattered books lay a single, pink-wrapped sanitary pad. Mom looked away, a flicker of discomfort on her face. “Ceci, let it go. It’s just a pad.” Cecilia stamped her foot. “No, Mom! I’m the only daughter now. Who the hell is she, anyway? She’s been freeloading off us for years, and now she’s stealing? I say she doesn’t deserve it, and that’s final.” Seeing her daughter upset, my mother immediately softened. “Okay, okay, darling, don’t be angry. You’re right. You’re my only precious girl now. You can do whatever you want.” Satisfied, Cecilia ground her heel into the pad, twisting it into the polished floor. “There. I don’t want it anymore. You can have it.” I stared at the pad, now smeared with dirt and a footprint, and my throat felt like it was stuffed with wet cotton, heavy and suffocating. In the end, I bent down and gathered only my books. After the party, Maria, the housekeeper, led me to the storage room. It was a tiny space, maybe fifty square feet, containing nothing but a wooden plank bed piled with junk and a single, rusty window. Maria stood at the door, hesitating. “Miss… Sharon. Mr. and Mrs. Prescott… they remember the good things. Once they come to their senses, you’ll be Miss Prescott again…” Before she could finish, two cockroaches scurried out from a corner and vanished. I pretended not to see the embarrassment on her face. “Thank you, I understand.” Maria shook her head and left, muttering under her breath. “They look so much alike. How could she not be theirs? So strange…” I sat on the plank bed, staring blankly out the window into the pitch-black night. It’s okay. Just one more year, and I can leave this place for good. Later that night, a dull ache throbbed in my lower abdomen. Without any pads, I had to make do with wadded-up toilet paper. As I was leaving the bathroom, I heard my parents’ hushed voices. “Honey, do you think we’re being too hard on Sharon? What if she starts to hate us? She is our daughter, after all.” My father snorted. “She’s always bullying Ceci. As the older sister, she should know better. A little hardship will do her good.” “And once Ceci has had her fun this year, we’ll just find an excuse. Say the DNA lab made a mistake. She’ll be so thrilled to be a Prescott again, she won’t even remember this.” My fingertips went ice-cold. The thought was so absurd it was almost funny. What gave them the right to think they could grind me into dust and I’d just obediently wait for them to pick me back up? 2 The next day, I went out to buy pads. At the register, the card was declined. Insufficient funds. But I knew I had two hundred dollars saved on it. When I got back to the villa and pushed open the door, I found the three of them at the dining table, laughing together. A gift bag sat on the table. My mother was stroking a silk scarf, her touch full of affection. “Oh, Ceci, you’re such a sweetheart. You even buy your mother gifts. This makes me so happy.” My father turned a plastic travel mug over in his hands, grinning from ear to ear. “I love mine too. That’s my girl.” Cecilia pouted, leaning against my mother’s shoulder. “But they only cost two hundred dollars. You’re not mad they’re so cheap, are you?” My mother shook her head instantly. “Of course not, darling. Anything from you is a treasure, even if it only cost two dollars.” My father chimed in, using the opportunity to belittle me. “Exactly. Not like your sister. All she does is spend our money. Never bought us a single thing. Such an ungrateful brat. She could never compare to my Ceci…” They noticed me standing there and fell silent. Cecilia tilted her head, a malicious grin spreading across her face. That two hundred dollars… It was my allowance for the past two months. It was all the money I had in the world. A chill washed over me. Something inside my head snapped with a deafening crack. The next thing I knew, I had grabbed Cecilia, my hand raised to strike. But before my palm could connect, my father sent me flying with a vicious kick. My spine slammed into the sharp corner of the coffee table. The pain was so intense that my vision went black for a second. Cecilia held up her arm, which had a faint red mark on it, and started wailing as if the world were ending. “Daddy, Mommy, it hurts so much! I think my arm is broken!” My mother screamed, “Quick, call an ambulance!” “No time for an ambulance!” my father shot back. “I’ll drive her to the hospital myself.” Cecilia pointed a trembling finger at me, still crumpled on the floor. “I don’t want to go in the car! That stray hurt me. I want her to carry me to the hospital. On her back.” The nearest hospital was twelve miles away. My mother’s eyes, now fixed on me, were chips of ice. “You’re a nobody with no parents. We fed you and clothed you for seventeen years, and this is how you repay us? You dare to touch my daughter? You’ll do as Ceci says.” When I struggled to get up, my father hauled me to my feet. “Stop faking it. It was just a little bump. Now get Cecilia on your back and get going. If her injury gets any worse, I swear I’ll throw you out of this house for good.” I believed him. But I couldn’t leave. Not yet. So I hoisted Cecilia onto my back and began the staggering walk to the hospital. My father drove slowly behind us, the car crawling along the pavement. He kept shouting, “Sharon, hold her steady! If you dare drop my precious daughter, I’ll skin you alive!” My mother complained from the passenger seat, “Walk faster! Haven’t you eaten? Don’t you dare let my baby’s injury get worse.” Cecilia, draped over my back, whispered gleefully in my ear. “See? No one in this family loves you. You’re just an unwanted leech.” Words like that used to cut me to the bone. But now, I think I’d accumulated so much pain that I was just… numb. When she got no reaction from me, Cecilia fell silent. But just as we were nearing the hospital, I felt a sharp, piercing pain in my back. She had plunged a safety pin, hidden in her pocket, deep into my flesh. I cried out, stumbling forward, and we both crashed to the ground. My parents slammed the car to a halt on the side of the road. They scrambled out, lifted Cecilia from on top of me, and rushed her into the emergency room without a backward glance. My mother, trailing behind, looked over her shoulder at my ashen face. “We’re already at the hospital,” she snapped impatiently. “Find a doctor yourself if you need one. We don’t have time for you.” In the end, I didn’t go inside. I had no money. Too exhausted to walk back, I just sat on the hospital steps until night fell, then finally made my way back to the villa. They were already home. And standing with them in the living room was a haggard-looking couple, their clothes grimy, their posture timid. “You’re just in time,” my father said, gesturing to the pair. “These are your biological parents. You can go with them now.” 3 The silence in the room was absolute. My mother came over and took my hand, though she couldn’t meet my eyes. “Sharon, we were a family once. This is hard for me, too. But now that your real parents have been found, there’s no reason for you to stay at the Prescott house any longer.” I thought I had no tears left to cry. But they streamed down my face anyway. These were the people I had cherished, the people I had placed at the very center of my world for seventeen years. And now, they wouldn’t even grant me a corner of their home to exist in. My tears seemed to make my mother feel guilty. She reached out to wipe them away, but Cecilia caught her arm. “Congratulations, sister,” Cecilia chirped. “You’re not a parentless stray anymore.” The woman standing nearby, the one I was supposed to call my mother, scurried over and grabbed my hand. Her grimy fingernails dug into my skin as she began to wail dramatically. “Oh, my daughter! Mommy’s finally found you! Come home with Mommy, quick!” The man, my supposed father, started dragging me toward the door. “That’s right, let’s go home. We’ve troubled Mr. and Mrs. Prescott for too long. We can’t overstay our welcome.” “Wait,” Cecilia said, her eyes glinting mischievously. “Sister, finding your real parents is a big deal. Don’t you think you should kneel and formally accept them? Or… are you ashamed of them because they’re poor? Do you look down on them?” I froze, turning to my parents. “Is that what you think I should do? Kneel to them?” They both looked away. Cecilia kept prodding. “Go on, kneel! We’re all watching.” I laughed. Something inside me, something I had been holding together for years, shattered into a million pieces. I dropped to my knees, but I faced my parents. I bowed my head to the floor, once, hard. “Our debt as parent and child is settled. From this moment on, I have nothing to do with the Prescott family.” My parents exchanged a look, a flicker of unease in their eyes. But I was already on my feet, turning to leave with my ‘real parents.’ My mother ran after me, her voice a hollow bluff. “It’s not settled! Not until… not until you pay back every penny we spent on you for the last seventeen years!” I stopped but didn’t turn back. “Fine,” I said softly. They thought they had spent a fortune on me. But they forgot. The daughter who was showered with affection, the one who was raised on endless streams of money, was Cecilia. And me? My allowance was three hundred dollars a month. And most of that was extorted by Cecilia, who got thirty thousand a month. If I refused to give it to her, she would run home crying, telling them I was organizing classmates to bully and isolate her. I was locked in my room countless times, denied meals. One night, during a torrential downpour, Cecilia claimed I was driving her to the brink of suicide. They made me stand outside in the rain all night. My fever spiked to 104 degrees, and no one cared. It was always like that, for as long as I could remember. A single word from Cecilia determined my guilt or innocence, my happiness, my life. My dignity. My explanations, my tears, my pain… they were worthless in this house. Just like me. Cheap. That night, I moved into my ‘real parents” apartment in a run-down tenement. There were no spare rooms, no extra blankets. I spent the night curled up on the floor of the only bathroom. The window, patched with newspaper, was cracked and let in a constant, chilling draft. The next day, I woke up dizzy and burning with a high fever. Through a haze of delirium, I heard the woman’s panicked voice on the phone. “Mr. Prescott? Mrs. Prescott? The… the girl, she has a fever! It’s 104!” “Well, what are you waiting for? Take her to a hospital!” The phone was on speaker, and Cecilia’s voice came through, sharp and clear. “Mom, Dad, she just left last night and now she has a fever? That’s too much of a coincidence. It’s obviously a pity play to test you. If you fall for it, you’re playing right into her hands.” A long silence followed. Then, my father’s cold voice cut through the air. “Don’t do anything. She’s the one who said she wants nothing to do with us. Let the ungrateful brat learn her lesson.” My mother’s voice was full of impatience. “She’s your daughter now. Stop calling us for every little thing. We’re busy getting ready for our world trip with our darling daughter. Goodbye.” No one came for me. I was left to waste away in that squalid apartment. With my last ounce of strength, I clawed my way to the door, crawled into the hallway, and then the world went black.

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The day my boyfriend won his gold medal. I was so thrilled I stayed up all night. I’d baked a cake and was hiding behind the curtains, ready to surprise him. Instead, I overheard him talking to a friend. And with a casual, careless tone, he revealed the secret he’d kept from me for four years. “At the old man’s family gala,” he said, “I’m going to show up with his very pregnant ‘stepdaughter.’ That’ll be a nice little surprise for him and that woman, don’t you think?” The words hung in the air as he slammed the door behind him. A gust of wind billowed the curtains, revealing me. The cake in my hands slipped, crashing to the floor and splintering into a dozen pieces. So that was it. The four years we’d spent together, the love I thought we shared, was nothing more than a long, calculated revenge plot. Our four years of affection were a lie. His promises of a future for me and our child were a lie. His plan to take me home to meet his family was just a setup to humiliate my mother. His stepmother. 1. The night air was bitingly cold. I picked up my phone, my fingers trembling as I dialed my mother’s number. My voice shook. “Mom, you told me once that my stepfather has a son who refuses to come home.” “What… what’s his name?” The line was noisy on her end, but my mother’s voice was gentle. “His name is Addison Mackinnon.” My heart plummeted into an abyss. The phone slipped from my grasp and clattered on the floor. My mother’s voice, now on speaker, sounded both warm and piercingly cruel. “He hasn’t been home in years. All alone out there… he’s a pitiable boy, really. Your stepfather mentioned he just won a big award, a real hero for the country! Why do you ask, sweetheart?” Addison’s voice echoed in my head, the words he’d spoken in our living room just moments before. “Her mother was a homewrecker who drove my own mom to a car crash with the stress. It caused my grandfather to have a fatal heart attack. She destroyed my family, and I will make her pay.” The venom in his voice was like thunder in my ears. He really was my stepfather’s son. Tears welled up, hot and fast. I took a shaky breath, forcing a smile I didn’t feel. “No reason, Mom. Just curious.” After hanging up, I shakily got to my feet and cleaned up the ruined cake. I walked into the bedroom and found the blue gift box Addison treasured, the one he kept hidden away. On the phone earlier, Addison had mentioned a name I’d never heard before. Vivian. In four years together, I never knew she existed. But inside the box were stacks of love letters, all written in Addison’s hand, all addressed to her. My hands shook as I opened an envelope. The pages were filled with a profound, undeniable love for a woman named Vivian. A single tear fell, splashing onto the ink. I tilted my head back, blinking rapidly, trying to stop the flood, but it was no use. The tears fell relentlessly, a quiet storm mirroring the downpour outside. At two in the morning, a cool draft swept through the apartment as the door opened. Addison, dressed in a black shirt, flipped on the lights, his long-fingered hands graceful even in their weariness. In the dim, warm light, I sat on the sofa, watching him. He looked exhausted but triumphant. “Addison,” I asked, my voice flat. “Who is Vivian?” Just before, on the phone, Addison had coldly sealed my fate. “She doesn’t deserve to have my child. After I get my revenge, I’ll make her get rid of it. Vivian is coming back to the country soon, and I won’t let this woman interfere with our relationship.” At the mention of her name, Addison’s tired eyes narrowed, locking onto me. “How do you know about her?” I had put the box and the letters back where I found them. I only held up the bookmark he’d been using for years. My voice was hoarse. “It’s written right here. ‘A gift from Vivian.’” He had cherished that bookmark for three years. It had come with a bracelet, the one he wore on his wrist every single day. He never took it off. I had asked about it once, and he had just gazed at it tenderly. “It was a gift from an older sister who was very kind to me when I was young.” My doubts had vanished then. I didn’t press further. I never imagined his kind “sister” was actually his secret love. 2. Addison’s face darkened as he carefully snatched the bookmark from my hand. “What gives you the right to touch my things?” he snapped. “Clara, do you have any idea how important this is to me?” It was the first time he had ever raised his voice at me. My eyes reddened. “How important?” He gently placed the bookmark back inside his book. For a man so tall and imposing, standing at six-foot-two, a flicker of vulnerability crossed his features. “Ten years ago, when I ran away from home… if it wasn’t for the person who gave me this, I might have died that year.” As if realizing he’d said too much, he looked back at me, his expression hardening slightly. “She’s my savior, Clara.” A bitter smile touched my lips. “Are you sure she’s just your savior?” Addison frowned. “Of course.” In four years, Addison and I had never fought. He was the national hero, the Olympic champion. I was the acclaimed ballerina, a gold medalist from a prestigious international company. The world saw us as a perfect match, destined for each other. But today, on the day he won his greatest prize, when I was twelve weeks pregnant with our child, I had to overhear those words. I had to find those letters, overflowing with a love that wasn’t for me. I had to learn that our four years of seemingly perfect love were just an elaborate lie, a meticulously crafted trap for my mother. The pain was so sharp it was hard to breathe. I had always known my stepfather had a son, one who disapproved of the marriage and refused to come home. I just never knew that son was Addison. The Addison who had filled my entire college life, the Addison I had loved with all my heart for four years. Tears streamed down my face. My voice was a whisper. “Addison… in these four years, have you ever lied to me?” A flicker of panic crossed his eyes. He reached out and wiped a tear from my cheek, his gaze a storm of complex emotions. “Never, Clara. I love you so much. How could I ever lie to you?” Addison was devastatingly handsome. With his captivating eyes, high-bridged nose, and sharp, elegant features, he possessed an untamable air. Fresh off his Olympic victory, he was more radiant than ever. And this brilliant man had seemingly given his whole heart to me. At our graduation, in front of everyone, he’d announced his intention to marry me and start a family. He willingly gave me every cent he’d ever won from his competitions. Everyone said he was a good man. I believed it too. But his next words sent my already cold heart plunging into an abyss. “Next week, I’m taking you home to meet my parents. I’m going to introduce you to them with all the fanfare you deserve.” “But you know my relationship with my father is strained, Clara. I’m only going back for you, to marry you. So you have to look absolutely stunning when you come with me to his birthday gala.” He wanted me, his stepdaughter, to get all dressed up. To show up pregnant, as his girlfriend, at his father’s birthday. How absurd. How utterly cruel. Addison held me tight, but his embrace felt like ice. Silent tears slipped from the corners of my eyes. From the very beginning, he had never felt a single shred of genuine love for me. 3. The next day, I went to the hospital and scheduled an abortion. When I got back, I gathered all the baby clothes I had bought. The joy and anticipation I once felt for this child’s arrival now felt like a crushing weight of grief. But no matter how much it hurt, no matter how much I didn’t want to let go, I couldn’t bring the child into a world of resentment and lies. Through my tears, I threw every tiny outfit, every little baby item, into the trash. When I was done, I called my senior from the dance company. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m accepting the offer from the New York Ballet.” A month ago, because Addison had asked me to stay, I had chosen not to terminate the pregnancy. I had given up the chance to join one of the world’s most prestigious companies, joyfully waiting for him to marry me. All for this devastating blow. My phone buzzed with a notification. A reservation for the restaurant Addison had carefully selected for our fourth anniversary. Right. Today was our anniversary. He had promised me a huge surprise. I didn’t want to go, but a tiny, foolish sliver of hope pulled me there. But Addison never showed up. Soft music played in the restaurant. Outside the window, the city skyline glittered across the river, its reflection shimmering on the dark water. I waited for three hours. I was still waiting when fireworks suddenly lit up the night sky over the river. A crowd had gathered on the riverbank, their faces turned upward, watching as drones spelled out a message in the sky. WELCOME HOME, VIVIAN. I’LL PROTECT YOU NOW. In that instant, I knew why Addison’s phone had been off all night. Why he had missed our anniversary dinner. She was back. Cheers erupted from the riverbank. I saw Addison’s silhouette on a boat, a graceful woman standing beside him. He waved to the crowd on the shore, a triumphant smile on his face. He looked like he had conquered the world. I forced down a bite of steak. It tasted like ash. A stubborn mist clouded my vision. I dropped my fork and knife with a clatter, the memory of the day he’d asked me out flashing in my mind. The confident, vibrant look on his face. “Clara, be my girlfriend!” It all sounded so hollow now, so pathetic. My appetite was gone. I went to the restroom. On my way out, I saw Addison and Vivian being seated at a table right next to mine. Addison glanced around, as if looking for me. When he didn’t see me, a visible wave of relief washed over him. I stood there by the restroom door, watching him carefully serve Vivian, cutting her steak for her, his eyes filled with a deep, unmistakable love. It was the first time I had seen her. She was beautiful, but not in a delicate, fragile way. She had a chic, sharp bob, with strong eyebrows and deep red lips. She radiated the confidence of a powerhouse. No wonder Addison had been so certain he would make me get rid of our child, so determined not to let me get in the way of his pursuit of her. A woman like that wouldn’t be a fool for love like me. An hour and a half later, they finished their meal and prepared to leave. I rubbed my aching legs and went downstairs. The food on my table was cold. I picked up my purse and walked out of the restaurant. Surprisingly, Addison called me back. “Clara, you didn’t go to the restaurant, did you? I’m so sorry, training ran so late today, I completely forgot about our anniversary.” “I’ll make it up to you next time, okay?” A cold wind whipped around me, lifting the ends of my hair. I watched as Addison, not far away, gallantly opened the car door for Vivian. I let out a soft, empty laugh. “It’s okay. I forgot, too.” Back home, I sat by the window for a long time, lost in thought. I remembered the little moments from my four years with Addison. I had enrolled in the university’s dance program behind my mother’s back. She had been a ballerina of some renown herself, but because of it, she was dismissed as just a pretty face and looked down upon by Addison’s family. Her failure to be with his father was her life’s great regret. So, growing up, she forbade me from learning ballet. But I had watched her dance my entire life. Ballet was in my blood. Thankfully, my biological father saw my talent and went against my mother’s wishes to send me to a dance academy. After he died, my mother threatened to disown me if I didn’t quit. But I refused. During my freshman year, our relationship hit rock bottom. I was miserable for a long time, earning the nickname “Ice Queen” from my classmates. It was Addison who entered my world, who patiently broke down my walls, encouraging and comforting me. Slowly, I let go of my resentment, focused on my dancing, and achieved unexpected success. By my junior year, my mother had softened. She no longer tried to stop me from dancing. Our relationship began to heal. Back then, full of innocent curiosity, I asked Addison, “You said a homewrecker stole your father. Have you ever thought about getting rid of her?” At the time, Addison had just looked at me, a deep, unreadable expression in his eyes, before laughing. I didn’t understand the meaning behind his gaze then. But now, I think I finally did. He hadn’t just thought about it. He had put a plan into motion. He had used four precious years of his life to weave a beautiful dream for me. All to deliver a devastating blow to my mother and stepfather. But he had no idea. In the twisted story of the previous generation… His mother was the one who had destroyed a real relationship. His mother was the homewrecker. 4. Addison spent a full week with Vivian. It gave me the time I needed to go to the hospital and end the pregnancy. I packed up my belongings in our apartment, every item a painful memory. We had moved into this place together our sophomore year. Just a few weeks ago, I was planning to buy it, to make it our marital home. But before the papers could be signed, everything fell apart. The starry lights on the windowsill, we’d strung them up together. The blanket on the sofa, we’d bought it on a weekend trip. Every quirky lamp and fixture, we’d chosen them all. The home we had lovingly built had become a prison of memories. On the day of the gala, Addison called me early. “Clara, the dress is on its way, and I’ve booked a makeup artist for you. Be on time, okay? I have something to take care of, so I’ll see you there.” I nodded numbly into the phone and said, “Okay.” After we hung up, I arranged for a courier to have the dress redirected to Vivian’s address. I also paid the makeup artist extra to go there instead. With that done, I took a taxi to the airport. The plane climbed into the sky, leaving the capital city behind. I gazed out the window at the endless sea of clouds and slowly closed my eyes. Some goodbyes are inevitable. In the silence of my heart, I said my final farewell to Addison.

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My name was written into the blind box dating game played by the rich boys at my school. A week later, Julian Thorne, the top student of our grade, stepped down from his pedestal. He told me he liked me. Flattered and overwhelmed, I agreed and became his girlfriend. For an entire semester, he granted my every wish, spoiling me to the extreme. Everyone envied my good fortune for plucking this flower from the high peak. Until the eve of the college entrance exam, when he abruptly broke up with me. I knew they wanted to see me act like the girls before me—suicidal, heartbroken, dropping out of school. But I took the exam as usual. Holding the acceptance letter from the top university, I smiled at them: “Thank you for your help this past year.” “I’m off to the best university now.” …… “Students who want to apply for financial aid, come to my office after class to fill out the form.” As soon as the homeroom teacher finished speaking, Mia Sterling, the class beauty who took pleasure in tormenting me, suggested: “Teacher, why don’t we let the students who want to apply state their reasons now? That way, classmates can help them specifically in the future.” “Alright.” The teacher nodded. “Lucy Gold, you go first.” I stood up with a blank face and calmly narrated just how poor I was in front of more than 50 classmates. The bell rang. The classroom went from quiet to noisy. Mia walked up to me and threw a ten-dollar bill on the floor. “Runaway mom, crippled dad picking through trash, borrowed tuition from every relative… Student Gold, how are you still alive being this miserable?” “If I were you, I would have died long ago and tried for a better reincarnation.” “Luckily, I have a heart. Here, take this ten dollars. It’s enough for your dad to pick trash for a day.” I was used to being trampled on by those in high positions. Besides, Mia hated me extremely because I looked sixty percent like her. I bent down to pick up the money and put it in my pocket. I smiled brightly: “Thank you for your generosity, Student Sterling.” I could afford a meat dish for lunch today. Studying was truly a brain-draining task; eating a three-dollar vegetarian meal left me hungry in no time. After picking up the money, I wanted to walk around her and leave. I had to hurry to the restroom so I could come back and continue doing practice problems. But Mia pushed me back into my seat and leaned in close. In a voice only the two of us could hear, she said: “Don’t mention it. I can help you with more than just this.” “I’ve also prepared a big surprise for you!” The next day, I found out what the so-called surprise was. A young master from the school’s elite group actually ran over to strike up a conversation with a penniless student like me. After all, compared to the class beauty, my looks were still somewhat inferior. A basketball hit me, the perpetual invisible person. A sunny, handsome boy ran over apologetically. His eyes curved like a puppy’s: “Sorry, are you okay?” At first, I didn’t notice anything wrong. I just thought it was an unlucky accident. The usually arrogant young master was surprisingly enthusiastic, pulling me and not letting me leave. “Go to the infirmary, or I’ll worry.” “Or add me on social media. Contact me immediately if you feel uncomfortable anywhere; I’ll take full responsibility.” Since getting into this key high school, I had never felt kindness. Poverty and wealth seemed to be opposing camps. Because I was uniquely poor, I was a heresy that needed to be dealt with. The fire-bearer was the rich daughter, Mia Sterling. With a wave of her arm, I became an existence that could only be alone. First, I was isolated. Then came textbooks inexplicably soaked in water, excessive physical contact in PE class, and insulting graffiti in the bathroom saying “Lucy Gold is a slut.” I was long accustomed to a malicious survival environment. Sudden proactive kindness did not make me overjoyed. It only made me extremely vigilant. In that moment, a thought struck me— This might be the big surprise Mia mentioned. So I calmly rejected the boy. I had to figure out first. What tricks were they playing now. So I could counter them. 2 After school, I quietly followed Mia. Outside an activity room, I heard her conversation with those elite friends. The boy who hit on me during the day now sounded gloomy: “I failed today.” The boys laughed uproariously: “Young Master Yao losing his charm? Can’t even take down a ghetto girl?” “It’s okay, Yao. Three girls have had abortions for you before. Your record is brilliant. No one will look down on you for one failure, hahaha.” Mia wasn’t in the mood to joke: “This year’s blind box game drew that bitch Lucy Gold. One of you must date her and then ruin her when she’s most proud.” Those usually glamorous boys now looked like ugly demons, baring stinking fangs: “Don’t worry. Those girls in the past were all taken down by us without exception. This so-called Lucy Gold won’t be an exception.” “Exactly. If Yao can’t do it, someone else will. We have so many people; one of us will surely move her.” “Worst case, we still have the boss. Don’t tell me she can resist Julian.” Mia’s voice suddenly rose: “No!” “Anyone else can go, but Julian Thorne can’t.” The crowd hooted loudly: “Ooh, ooh, Miss Sterling is jealous?” “Such possessiveness.” The room was in chaos. I silently chewed on that name outside. My fingers unconsciously picked at the wall, leaving a crescent-shaped mark. Julian Thorne. So you are one of them too. How nice. In the following days, my peach blossom tree bloomed forcefully. Various young masters took turns appearing. Gentle, steady, mysterious, roguish, refined, wolf-like or puppy-like… They found various reasons to talk to me. Without exception, they all expressed the same wish— To be friends with me. But I rejected them all like a fool: “Sorry, I have to go back and study.” For a high school senior, no excuse is more lethal than this. The look on their faces when rejected was particularly wonderful. I would bring it out to savor during breaks from studying. While I was secretly amused. Mia was exasperated and hurt me even more excessively. She wielded scissors to cut my hair and poked me with needles like the evil nanny in dramas, leaving bloody holes. She stripped me naked and threw me into the pool, then smeared superglue on the handrails. To escape, I could only tear off a layer of skin and put on my clothes with bloody hands. These rich kids were very creative. There were too many subtle torture methods. Leaving you with nowhere to complain. Moreover, their families were powerful, and each family had donated a lot of money to the school. As long as it didn’t involve criminal law, the teachers would turn a blind eye. Just like the past three years, I gritted my teeth and endured it again. Finally, on Monday a week later. Symbolizing a new beginning of the week, I finally waited for the person I wanted. The high-cold male god, ranked first in the grade, Julian Thorne, descended upon the deserted self-study room. He sat next to me for a long time. Finally, he pointed to my chemistry paper and reminded me: “You chose the wrong answer for this question.” “Potassium dichromate is a strong oxidizing substance; the solution cannot be contained in a basic burette.” 3 I tested into this key high school from a rural town. Back in my town, I was always first in my grade. I thought I was smart and good at studying. I understood the teacher’s points immediately and could easily complete the after-class exercises. But in the first monthly exam after arriving here, I ranked over 400th. No one could understand my feelings at that moment. I thought learning was my talent, my capital for settling down in the future. But after jumping out of the remote small town, I realized I was just ordinary. Ranking over 400th in the grade, I couldn’t even get into a decent tier-one university. So I studied desperately. I didn’t care about being isolated or bullied. In my world, grades were the only goal. Through my unremitting efforts, I improved to the top 50 in the grade. And stopped there. Then I understood that some things cannot be achieved by subjective will alone. Too many external forces are also essential factors for success. My dad sent me here because he heard the teachers were excellent. Indeed, much better than our small county town. But teachers in the same school are also divided into grades. The best resources were tilted towards Class One. That was the so-called noble class. The students inside were all dragons among men, with prominent family backgrounds. They enjoyed the best educational resources at school and hired famous teachers for tutoring after school. Children supported by the full power of their families were certainly not easily surpassed by someone like me. They firmly occupied the top 50 positions on the leaderboard. Making it hard for me to catch up. Among them, Julian Thorne was the most outstanding. I had heard this name for two years. Mysterious family background, outstandingly beautiful looks, grades always more than 30 points higher than the second place. Even with his cold and arrogant personality, disliking communication with others. He was crowned with the beautiful name of the “Flower of the High Peak.” A campus prince with exploding popularity. Almost all girls yearned for him. I was no exception. Such a person, in the last school year, because of a malicious game. Came to my side. It was truly. Too good. That remote and old self-study room became a secret base for Julian and me. After school, we always arrived there one after another with tacit understanding. Without speaking, we each did our own papers. When I scratched my head over difficult problems, he silently approached. Picked up a pen to explain to me. Julian was indeed the undisputed first. His problem-solving ideas were always clear and concise. Many messy problems became clear and simple under his analysis. A boy explaining problems seriously is really charming. His eyelashes drooped like resting butterflies, occasionally flapping their wings. Slender fingers held the pen, writing line after line of formulas fluently. The handwriting was elegant and unconstrained, showing the owner’s confidence and freedom. I watched him entranced without knowing it. Suddenly, the pen that was just writing tapped lightly on my forehead. The fair and handsome boy pretended to be angry: “What are you thinking about? Zoning out.” As if bewitched, I raised my hand and poked his eyelid with my index finger. “There’s a mole here.” Brown, very light, hidden in the fold of his double eyelid. Hard to find without looking carefully. Julian froze for a moment, then smiled. The smile was very beautiful. I came back to my senses, hurriedly withdrew my hand, and lowered my head deeply. Exposing my embarrassed red ears to his sight. Sunlight shone through the window, casting our shadows on the table. Under the Tyndall effect, tiny dust particles were like my frantic heartbeat, with nowhere to hide. On such a warm afternoon, Julian confessed to me: “Lucy, I like you. Will you be with me?” 4 I forgot where I saw the theory. Something must be repeated at least seven times to have a place in someone’s heart. So I rejected Julian. The reason was the same as rejecting other elite group members: “I don’t want to delay my studies.” In that instant, I was very sure I saw the disgust and impatience hidden deep in Julian’s eyes. But I still rejected him. Not only that, I also changed the signatures of various social software, the title pages of books, and all places displayed to the outside world to vows like “I want to study hard.” After that, Julian didn’t come to the self-study room again. I didn’t care and continued to study step by step. Anyway, I wasn’t the one anxious to do bad things. Sure enough, during a break a few days later, Julian condescended to come to the ordinary class to find me. I walked out under the curious gazes of classmates and Mia’s jealous gaze. Julian returned to the appearance of a graceful jade-like young man. It seemed that the unhappy parting that day was an illusion. He stood in front of me with a helpless and doting smile on his face: “I am the first in the grade. How could being my girlfriend delay your studies?” “I will definitely help you improve your grades.” “Trust me, hmm?” I hesitated: “Really?” Seeing me waver, as if seeing the dawn of victory. He promised firmly: “Of course.” “I am Julian Thorne.” As expected of Julian Thorne. After half a month of his tutoring, I ranked 36th in the grade in this monthly exam. The best result in history. The day the results came out, I ran excitedly to the self-study room. Julian was indeed there. He stood in the sunlight, like a hero in golden armor. “I said it, definitely possible.” I nodded fiercely. He extended his arms, making a gesture waiting for a hug. “Can I hug my girlfriend now?” I smiled and threw myself into his arms. Closing my eyes, not looking at his unwavering eyes. Anyway, he stood in the sunlight, his whole body warmed by the sun. And I, beside him, was also shone on by the sun. Equally warm. That was enough! The education Julian received was indeed different from mine. His textbooks and exercises were exclusively customized. After being with him, he also hired a tutor to customize a study plan for me. With his support, my grades slowly climbed to the top ten. Such results were enough to make me ecstatic. No matter what, dating in this game until now, the benefits I received were real. So I decided to get more into character. Learning that Julian’s eighteenth birthday was coming soon, I prepared to celebrate it well for him. I went to find him, wanting to ask if there was any gift he wanted. But I heard Mia’s familiar voice: “Julian, I saw you kissing Lucy that day.” I stopped. Of course. Vigorous young boys and girls in love, how could they not do intimate things? Kissing? Lips were almost worn out. At first, Julian wasn’t keen on kissing, and his technique wasn’t good. But gradually, he became addicted. Recently, he enjoyed it even more, holding me on his lap whenever he found a chance, kissing wantonly. Even pulling silver threads when parting. Through the wall, Mia continued to speak: “You remember this is a game, right?” “Your goal is to ruin her life, not to have a sweet romance with her.” After a moment of silence, Julian replied: “I didn’t forget.” This moment of silence seemed to breed Mia’s anxiety. Her voice became sharp, gradually containing a crying tone: “Promise me, you can’t do that kind of thing with her.” “That kind… that kind of intimate thing between husband and wife, you can’t do it with her.” “Otherwise I won’t be able to stand it, I will really collapse.” “You know, I… I…” She should be crying; the rest of the words were unspoken. Only intermittent sobbing sounded. Another longer silence, Julian responded in a low voice: “I won’t.” “She’s not worthy!” I picked off a small piece of wall skin and pulled the corner of my mouth silently. Sometimes I couldn’t help but pity these rich people. Why so stupid. Always exposing weaknesses in front of people. Last time it was like this, this time too. Declaring what they care about like this, how can people resist not destroying everything they care about? On Julian’s birthday, many people came. His friends called me sister-in-law one after another, exceptionally enthusiastic. In the end, someone brought strong drinks, and a group of young men competed in drinking. Julian also drank a lot. He was very well-behaved when drunk. Didn’t speak either, just held my hand tightly, nestling in the corner. Occasionally leaning over to kiss my mouth. The private room was hot, and the hands pressed together were full of damp sweat, very uncomfortable. I wanted to break free but was held tighter by Julian. I hooked his head, leaned close, and whispered: “So you’re only eighteen, nine months younger than me.” “A pity, I still wanted to call you Oppa~” Julian’s breath hitched, voice low and hoarse: “Call me that again.” I pretended not to understand, feigning confusion: “Call what?” After his breathing became heavy, I chuckled lightly, blowing air in his ear: “Oppa?” He stood up abruptly, dragging me outside. Mia’s face was pale, losing her voice to stop him: “Where are you going?” “Julian, don’t forget, this is just a…” “Shut up!” Julian shouted. He looked back, glaring at Mia fiercely, deep disgust in his eyes. “Who do you think you are?” “Trying to command me?” Mia lost all color, falling back into her seat in disbelief. But Julian didn’t even look back, dragging me away without turning his head.

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My roommate used my curated selfies to catfish a billionaire heir online. Just now, a string of comments floated past me in the air: 【My sweet protagonist, don’t be afraid! So what if you’re 175 pounds? He loves your soul!】 【Just have a good cry when you meet him, and the CEO will definitely forgive you. After all, you only did it because you love him so much.】 I glanced at my roommate, who was currently gnawing on a greasy pork knuckle, then back at the photo of the heir on my phone. My eyebrow shot up. He’s been falling for my face? In that case, starting right now, he’s my boyfriend. 1 This was the third month of Sonya using my photos for her online romance. The commentary track above her head was still scrolling furiously: 【This is killing me, why does our girl keep refusing to meet him in person?】 【She can’t help it. Our baby heroine has low self-esteem. After all, she’s using photos of Aria Coy, the campus queen. She’s afraid he’ll be disappointed.】 【Don’t worry, our hero is the heir to the Sterling Group. He’s seen plenty of beautiful women. It’s our girl’s fascinating soul that he fell in love with!】 A fascinating soul? I tilted my head, looking at Sonya on the top bunk, currently picking at her feet. She had just finished a round of a mobile game when her phone buzzed. A smug look instantly spread across her face. She shoved the screen toward me. “Honestly, Aria, aren’t men just idiots? I told him I didn’t want to talk, and he sent me another two grand.” On the screen, the memo for the transfer was glaringly clear: 【For my baby. Buy yourself some snacks. Don’t get too thin.】 Sonya gleefully accepted the payment and sent a voice message in a syrupy, high-pitched tone. “Thank you, hubby~ I love you~” The floating comments went wild: 【I’m squealing! This is the most romantic thing ever!】 【Actually, she doesn’t need to lose weight. He loves curvy girls.】 【Exactly. That roommate of hers, Aria, might be pretty, but you can tell she’s a total schemer. She’s nothing like our pure, adorable heroine.】 A schemer, am I? Fine. Since you’ve all said it, I’d be letting you down if I didn’t live up to the title. I put down my book and asked casually, “So when are you going to introduce us to this generous boyfriend of yours?” The smile on Sonya’s face froze for a second, her eyes darting away. “He’s… he’s busy. You’ve heard of the Sterling Group, right? He’s the heir. He has billion-dollar deals to close every day. He doesn’t have time to meet you common folk.” She then looked at me, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Aria, you’re not jealous, are you? I guess it makes sense. So what if you’re beautiful? You still have to work part-time at a coffee shop to pay your bills. Not like me. I just have to lift a finger, and the money rolls in.” I smiled and stood up, walking to the mirror to adjust the new white dress I’d just bought. The girl in the mirror was all slender waist and long legs, with skin so pale it practically glowed. “Jealous? Not really. It’s just that…” I turned, giving her a meaningful look. “Since he loves you so much, don’t you think you should let him see the real you?” My stare seemed to unnerve her. She quickly changed the subject. “Hey… Aria, can you send me that new portrait photo you just took? I want to… I want to use it as my phone wallpaper.” I sneered internally. Wallpaper my ass. The Sterling heir was clearly asking for more photos. Without a word, I sent it to her. The comments erupted in cheers again: 【Our baby heroine is so kind! She’s working so hard to maintain her image in his eyes.】 【He’s going to be obsessed when he sees this new picture.】 【Can’t wait for them to meet in person! He’ll realize that even though she looks different, their souls are a perfect match, and they’ll be together forever!】 Meet in person, huh? Funny, I was waiting for that day too. 2 On Saturday afternoon, I put on a careful “no-makeup” makeup look. Before I left, Sonya was still lying in bed like a corpse, her mouth full of potato chips. “Where are you going on a weekend?” she mumbled. “Meeting a friend,” I replied, slipping on my shoes. Sonya scoffed. “What friend? Some broke guy? Aria, don’t say I didn’t warn you. A woman needs to find a rich man. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck at the bottom forever.” I ignored her taunts and walked out the door. The Sterling Group tower was a gleaming skyscraper in the heart of downtown, the most expensive part of the city. I sat in the coffee shop on the ground floor for half an hour before I finally saw a familiar figure. Liam Sterling. I had to admit, the prize Sonya was after was top-shelf. Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, all wrapped in a perfectly tailored suit. His face was even more handsome than the blurry photos online. The comments were getting excited too: 【Ahhh, there’s our hero! So handsome!】 【Is he getting off work to go to dinner? If only our baby heroine were here.】 【Wait, look, why is that schemer Aria here too? What is she up to?】 What am I up to? Just giving your hero a little shock to the system. I timed it perfectly. Just as he was about to reach the door, I picked up my coffee and pretended to rush out. Thump. I stumbled right into his arms, the coffee splashing onto his expensive cufflink. Liam’s hand instinctively shot out to steady my waist. Our eyes met. In that instant, I saw the pure shock in his eyes. “It’s you?” Liam’s voice was deep and pleasant, with a tremor of disbelief. I immediately straightened up and pushed away from him, a blush blooming on my cheeks. “I’m so, so sorry! Sir, are you alright? I… I was in a hurry for my part-time job and wasn’t looking where I was going. I’m terribly sorry!” My performance was flawless. Panic, shyness, guilt—I played every note to perfection. Liam was stunned. In his mind, the “girlfriend” who flirted with him over text and accepted his money without hesitation was now standing right in front of him. But my reaction was that of a complete stranger. “You don’t know me?” he asked tentatively. I blinked my wide eyes, feigning confusion. “Should I… know you?” I glanced at my phone and gasped. “Oh no, I’m going to miss my bus! Sir, if your suit needs to be dry-cleaned, please come find me at the ‘Wanderlust Café’ just up the street. My name is Aria. I promise I’ll pay for it!” Before he could react, I turned and ran. My dress fluttered behind me, leaving him with the image of a beautiful, flustered girl rushing away. Liam stood there, watching me disappear, his brow furrowed. He whispered the name to himself, “Aria…” 3 When I got back to the dorm, Sonya was showing off to Tina from the next bed. “Ugh, I told him not to, but he insisted on buying me this Louis Vuitton bag. He’s just impossible.” Tina looked on with envy. “You’re so lucky, Sonya. We don’t even have boyfriends.” When Sonya saw me, she quickly hid her phone and said in a snide tone, “Oh, look who’s back from her date with Mr. Broke Guy. Did he treat you to a hot dog from a street cart?” I hung up my bag and replied coolly, “We didn’t eat. Just had coffee.” “Tch, I knew it,” Sonya said with an eye-roll. “By the way, do you have any more of those portrait photos? Send me a couple more.” I raised an eyebrow. “What, one wallpaper isn’t enough?” “None of your business. Just send them. Stop asking so many questions.” I casually sent two more photos her way. Watching her happily save and forward them, I couldn’t help but feel a wicked sense of glee. Go on, send them. The more you send, the deeper Liam’s suspicion will grow. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Sonya’s expression soured. She stared at her phone, chewing her fingernails anxiously. The comments started to stir: 【What’s wrong? Why isn’t he replying?】 【They were just talking, what happened?】 【He’s probably just busy. He’s a CEO, after all.】 Busy? More like busy questioning his entire reality. Just then, my phone vibrated. It was a friend request from an unknown number. The profile picture was a deep-space nebula. The note read: 【This is Liam Sterling. You bumped into me earlier outside the Sterling tower.】 A slow smile spread across my face as I accepted. Liam: 【Miss Coy, you work at Wanderlust Café?】 Me: 【Yes, that’s right. Sir, about your suit…】 Liam: 【The suit is fine. I’m free tomorrow. I’d like to buy you a coffee and discuss the compensation.】 Discuss compensation? Right. His intentions were crystal clear. I replied with a simple 【Okay】 and turned off my phone, ready for a nice, long beauty sleep. 4 The next morning, a black Maybach was parked at the school gate, drawing stares from every student who passed by. Liam Sterling was leaning against the car door, one long leg crossed over the other, holding a designer bag with breakfast inside. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and he strode over. “Good morning, Miss Coy.” I feigned surprise. “Mr. Sterling? What are you…” “I was in the neighborhood,” he said, his expression perfectly straight. “I have business nearby, so I thought I’d give you a ride.” I hesitated for a moment before getting into the car. The interior was filled with a subtle, pleasant woody scent. As he drove, Liam asked, seemingly at random, “Miss Coy, you’re still in college, right? Why are you working part-time on the weekends?” I looked down at my hands. “My family’s situation isn’t the best,” I said softly. “I want to earn my own living expenses to lighten their burden.” Liam’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. I could almost hear his thoughts: I just sent her two thousand dollars last night. Why is she still working today? We soon arrived at the café. I got out and thanked him, but instead of leaving, he followed me inside. He chose a table by the window and ordered an Americano. I busied myself behind the counter, grinding coffee beans and frothing milk. Liam’s gaze never left me, a mixture of curiosity and something else… fascination. After a while, he got up and walked to the counter, pointing to my bare neck. “Miss Coy, you don’t like wearing jewelry?” I blinked. “Oh, I don’t really wear any. I… can’t afford it.” Liam’s pupils contracted. Just last week, he had bought his “girlfriend” a $10,000 necklace. She had sent him a picture of herself wearing it, saying she absolutely loved it. And the collarbone in that photo was identical to the one right in front of him. Just then, his phone buzzed. He glanced at it, and his expression became even stranger. I snuck a peek at the comments. 【What is he doing? Why is he staring at that schemer?】 【Our baby heroine just texted him saying she misses him, why isn’t he replying?】 Liam looked from his phone screen to me, who was just setting his coffee down. On his phone, Sonya’s message was displayed clearly: 【Hubby, I’m studying in the library. So tired, I need a hug~】 In reality, the girl from the photos was standing in front of him, wearing an apron and serving him coffee. Case closed. Liam took a deep breath. His eyes cleared, and a hint of coldness crept into them. He took the coffee, his fingertips brushing against the back of my hand. “Miss Coy, could I get your number?” I feigned a shy blush. “Oh… okay, sure.” After we exchanged numbers, Liam, right in front of me, changed my contact name to—【Aria (The Real One)】. 5 Back at the dorm, the atmosphere was tense. Sonya was sitting on her bed, furiously typing on her phone, clearly arguing with someone. She didn’t show off when I came in like she usually did. Instead, she just shot me a dirty look. Tina rushed over, her face alight with gossip. “Aria! Who was that who dropped you off? In a Maybach! He was so hot!” Sonya’s ears immediately perked up. “Oh, just a friend I recently met,” I said nonchalantly. “A friend you just met drives a Maybach to give you a ride?” Sonya couldn’t help but interject, her voice dripping with acid. “Aria, don’t tell me you’ve become some rich guy’s sugar baby. Those men are just playing with you. You’ll end up sold and still be counting the money for him.” I smiled. “What, are you the only one allowed to have a rich boyfriend? I can’t have a friend with a nice car?” Sonya was speechless for a moment, then scoffed. “I’m in a serious relationship! Not like whatever you’re doing… Hmph!” Just then, Sonya’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen, her eyes widened, and then she erupted in pure joy. “Oh my god! He wants to see me! He wants to meet in person!” The comments exploded: 【Ahhh, it’s finally happening!】 【Our hero couldn’t wait any longer!】 【Get ready for the face-slap! That schemer Aria is about to see what true love looks like!】 Sonya’s hands were trembling as she typed out a reply. “He said tomorrow night! At that new revolving restaurant downtown! It’s the most expensive place in the city!” She jumped off her bed and started frantically rummaging through her closet. “Aria, let me borrow your red dress! And that Chanel bag!” I leaned against my wardrobe, watching her scramble around like a clown. “No.” Sonya froze, looking at me in disbelief. “What did you say?” “I said no,” I repeated slowly. “I’m a bit of a germaphobe. I don’t like other people wearing my clothes.” “You!” Sonya’s face turned red with anger. “You’re so stingy! Fine, don’t lend it to me! When I’m Mrs. Sterling, I’ll buy out the entire mall, and then we’ll see who’s jealous!” She turned away, muttering curses as she went back to her own collection of cheap, fast-fashion clothes. I glanced down at my phone. Liam’s profile picture was lit up. 【Aria, are you free tomorrow night? I’d like to take you to dinner. At that new revolving restaurant.】 I looked at Sonya, still lost in her fantasy, and replied: 【Of course. See you there.】 Same time, same place. It seemed Liam was planning to bring both the real and fake monkeys to the table for an immediate verdict. This was getting interesting.

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I was on my honeymoon at the coast with my husband, but he was too busy rubbing sunscreen suggestively onto his female best friend’s back. “Wow, you’ve really filled out here, haven’t you? Nice work.” When I saw Liam’s hand lingering on the small of Riley’s back, my face was serene as I crushed the plastic cup in my hand. Liam didn’t appreciate my silence. His expression tightened with annoyance as he scolded me for my lack of generosity. “We’re just messing around, Sloane. We’ve always been like this. Why do you always have to make it a thing?” Riley shot me a look of pure, sweet provocation. “Don’t be mad, Sis. Liam and I grew up together, practically sharing a sandbox. We’ve seen everything. We’re purely platonic.” She sighed dramatically, tossing her long hair. “My only regret is being born a woman. If I could choose, I’d absolutely turn into a guy, just so people like you wouldn’t get the wrong idea all the time.” Liam draped an arm over her shoulder and looked at me, shaking his head. “I really wish you could be more supportive, Sloane. Don’t ruin the brotherhood.” They had no idea that I was a former transmigrator. The System that sent me to this world had promised me one wish upon the completion of my last mission. Since the two of them were so fiercely “platonic,” I decided to grant Riley’s wish to be a real man. 1 “I wish to grant Riley Preston’s desire, and make her a real man.” The System’s reply was instantaneous: “As the wish involves fundamental changes to human structure, the complete gender transformation will require seven days.” Seven days. That meant in one week, Riley would be completely male. It took every ounce of self-control not to burst out laughing right there on the sand. Riley, oblivious, reached up, hooked her arm around Liam’s neck, and pulled him in for a mock headlock, squeezing him against her chest. She laughed heartily. “Alex’s barbecue is probably ready. Come on, your daddy’s starving.” Liam grunted, an annoyed but ultimately compliant sound, and bowed his head, letting her drag him along. Even though I’d witnessed this scene countless times, my eyes still stung. On the beach during the soft blue hour, everyone was seated in a circle. I was about to move forward, but Riley beat me to it, plopping down right next to Liam. “Oops, I sat here! Hope my sister-in-law won’t be mad, huh?” Before I could say anything, Liam rushed to her defense. “It’s just a seat, Riley. Sloane, don’t be petty.” I kept my face blank and picked a random seat further away. Liam’s expression soured a little at my distance, but he was quickly distracted by Riley’s relentless chattering. When the platters of barbecue arrived, Liam immediately handed me a skewer of grilled shrimp. “Your favorite seafood. Don’t be angry anymore.” I froze, then slowly reached out and took it. Riley feigned outrage, pinching Liam’s ear. “Oh, you dog! How dare you show preference! Can’t you see your daddy’s still hungry?” Liam played along, yelping and wincing, quickly offering up a skewer of chicken wings with both hands. The others laughed at the silly spectacle. I bit my lip, staring blankly at the grilled shrimp in my hand. It wasn’t until Chet Reynolds, who was sitting next to me, leaned over and asked if he could trade his grilled squid for my shrimp that a ripple finally crossed my still surface. A virtual stranger, someone I’d only met a couple of times, knew that I actually hated shrimp. And Liam Beckett, the man I’d been in a relationship with for four years, was clueless. All those years of commitment and love, it seemed, meant nothing at all. After dinner, bored, everyone decided to play “Never Have I Ever.” After a few rounds of tame work and life confessions, it was Riley’s turn. She flashed a sly smile, locking eyes with me without an ounce of shame. “Never have I ever seen Liam and Sloane’s video… the bedroom kind.” The lively atmosphere instantly went dead silent. My mind exploded into a buzzing static. I stared at Liam, unable to comprehend the violation. He just offered a helpless, sheepish smile, then smacked Riley lightly on the butt. “What are you bringing that up for now?” Alex, trying to smooth things over, quickly interjected. “It’s just the video of Liam blow-drying Sloane’s hair in bed, right? Who hasn’t seen that! Let’s drink, let’s drink!” “No, it’s not!” Riley stood up, looking smug, suggestively shaking the beer bottle in her hand. “Liam is much more impressive than that. Sloane was shouting his name, and you guys haven’t even…” Liam quickly shoved a piece of roasted meat into her mouth. “Shut up! You promised to keep that a secret! Why are you spilling it now?” Riley just pouted. “So what? This game’s only fun if you play it right.” She lowered her voice to a theatrical whisper, but loud enough for everyone to hear. “Besides, I’ve seen way more explosive stuff than that. If you try to stop me again, I’ll tell the whole story!” A ringing filled my ears, my brain completely blank. When I finally registered what was happening, the glass beer bottle in my hand was already hurtling toward Riley’s head. It shattered against Liam’s back instead. Glass sprayed everywhere. In that critical moment, he had instinctively, unequivocally, shielded Riley. My eyes were hot, starting to water, but he didn’t notice. Instead, he spun around, glaring at me, enraged. “Sloane, can you please stop throwing your little princess fits?” He didn’t lower his voice. The accusation was sharp and public. “I brought you to meet my friends out of kindness, and you can’t even take a joke? What a buzzkill you are.” He scoffed, looking at my injured hand and the glass shards scattered on his shirt. “If we hadn’t already gotten legally married, I would call the cops right now! Maybe a few nights in jail would clear your head.” Riley, the victor, stood up and sauntered away. “Come on, son, walk with your daddy. We don’t play with petty little girls. They’re annoying.” Liam shot me one last look—a dark, you-better-get-it-together look—and walked off after her. The ocean breeze felt suddenly cold, but my heart was colder. His friends exchanged awkward glances, then mumbled excuses and scattered, leaving me sitting alone on the sand, staring blankly at the coastline. Four years. For four years, I had believed Liam was the perfect husband. He remembered every anniversary and special date, always crafting a handmade gift. Every Friday, a bouquet of fresh flowers was delivered to my office, earning me the envious glances of my colleagues. I’d mention a new restaurant in passing, and the next day, he’d drive us there. Our parents had met, were thrilled, and we’d already signed the legal papers—the wedding ceremony itself was scheduled for next month. But all that goodness became lighter than a feather when his “brother” Riley was involved. When Riley returned from her trip, he kept it a secret and went to pick her up late at night. The packed lunches he made for me every day? He’d casually make an identical, usually more generous, portion for her. He told me he was too busy to pick me up during a sudden downpour. As I trudged through the crosswalk, soaked, I saw him walking into a mall arcade, his arm slung casually around Riley’s shoulder. Every time I got angry, he’d dismiss it with the same line: “I see her as a guy. How could I ever be involved with her?” “She’s just a friend, Sloane. Stop thinking something so filthy about us.” Since they were so convinced of their “brotherhood,” I figured that when Riley was actually a man, their friendship would only deepen, right? I let out a low, humorless laugh. Suddenly, a roll of gauze appeared in front of me. “Your hand is cut. You should bandage it up.” Only then did I notice the broken glass had left a deep gash on my right hand, which was bleeding steadily. When I didn’t move, Chet gently took my hand and meticulously wrapped the wound. I thanked him, but he didn’t leave. He simply sat down next to me, grabbed a beer, and started drinking. We sat there all night until the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen broke over the horizon. I took a picture and posted it to social media with a single caption: “A new beginning.” We took a cab back to the hotel and ran directly into Liam, his hair tousled, walking out of Riley’s room. Seeing me, his face immediately shifted, and he was about to start explaining when Riley popped out from behind him. A single night had passed, and just as the System had promised, many masculine features had appeared on her. The fuzz on her upper lip was noticeably darker, and the hair on her arms was thicker. Yet, she was utterly oblivious. She looped her arm through Liam’s affectionately. “Sis, your husband’s a beast in bed. You’re in for a treat.” “Stop talking nonsense!” Liam violently shook Riley’s hand off and rushed to my side. “Sloane, don’t misunderstand. We just played video games all night.” I kept my eyes down, but I clearly noticed his subconscious habit—a nervous little scratch at his pants—the tick he could never hide when he was lying. But now, I felt an abnormal calm. In a few days, he would definitely regret everything about last night. I turned, used my room key, and Liam rushed inside ahead of me. “Look, you were too impulsive yesterday, but I also said things I shouldn’t have. Can we call it even? Please stop being angry.” I simply nodded, a non-committal gesture. Relief washed over his face, and he finally smiled. “There’s a Ferris wheel nearby, right? You were always talking about wanting to go. Let’s go this afternoon.” I was stunned. Before the trip, I had read a post claiming that if a couple kissed at the very top of the wheel, they would be together forever. I’d begged him to go, and he’d called me childish. Now he was suggesting it. Just then, Riley’s voice rang out from the doorway. “Hey, honey. Tell your daddy which dress to wear. I’m going to the Ferris wheel this afternoon, and I need the perfect photo op!” She pushed the door open, twirling around in a dress for us to see. Ah. It made sense now. My heart immediately understood. Liam’s eyes clearly lit up. “Wow, you usually dress like a tomboy. I didn’t know you could pull off a dress like that. You look pretty feminine.” Riley punched him playfully. “Duh! Your daddy just doesn’t like to dress up. If I put in the effort, I’d have guys lining up.” Watching the whole performance, I said coldly, “I don’t feel well. I won’t be going this afternoon.” Riley immediately rolled her eyes. “Such a bore.” Liam, hearing this, visibly relaxed. He just told me to rest up. I slept all afternoon. When I woke up, my best friend’s chat had 99+ unread messages. With grim patience, I scrolled up to the first one, which was a video screenshot. A Ferris wheel cabin at its highest point, and a man and a woman were locked in a deep kiss. The caption: “Overlooking the city from the highest point. For a moment, it felt like it was just the two of us in the whole world.” I knew the two profiles in the photo sickeningly well. The remaining 98 messages were all sixty-second voice notes. The moment I tapped the first one, my friend’s scream of rage poured out. “That scumbag Liam is cheating! Don’t you dare stop me, I’m going to scratch those two dirtbags to death!” It wasn’t until I told her about the System and the wish that she finally settled down, bursting into a loud, satisfying laugh. The next day at breakfast, Liam was clearly observing my expression. Only when he saw my normal, placid demeanor did he finally relax. During the meal, Riley was still her usual aggressively affectionate self, playfully jostling him. But a moment later, she suddenly retched, covering her mouth as she bolted for the restroom. As everyone watched in confusion, Liam nervously shot up, claiming he needed to use the facilities too. Watching the two disappear around the corner, one after the other, I calmly picked up my plate and moved discreetly toward the service counter near the staircase. Riley’s voice was tearful. “I… my period is late by several days. What if I’m actually pregnant?” “I told you to use protection! What are we going to do now? You have to take responsibility for me!” After a moment, Liam’s low, soothing voice finally came through. “Don’t worry. I’ll take responsibility.” I had to bite my lower lip hard to keep from laughing out loud. I hadn’t expected the sudden nausea from the gender change to make Riley think she was pregnant. Counting the days, she only had three days left until the complete transformation. I was more eager than ever for that day to arrive. Over the next few days, Riley’s masculine features became increasingly pronounced. Her skin was noticeably rougher and oilier. Her Adam’s apple was more prominent, and her voice was a shocking, raspy baritone. If she didn’t shave her mustache and leg hair for even a day, they would grow back thick and dark. Riley punched Liam in the chest in a fit of despair. “This is all your fault! This pregnancy is making me so ugly! When are you finally going to divorce that old b*tch?” Liam squeezed Riley’s hand tightly, his tone resolute. “Three days. I promise you, I will break up with her within three days.” That night, he knocked on my door and picked a fight over the wedding money. “Sloane, the hundred thousand dollar wedding fund… I really can’t come up with it. Can you please talk to your parents and convince them to drop it?” Watching his pathetic performance, I silently pulled out my phone and showed him a screenshot of our messages from a few months ago. “My girl deserves the best, of course. $100K? I’d pay $200K if I had to.” He choked on his words, stammering after a long pause. “Haven’t… haven’t you considered my feelings at all? I’ve worked so hard for years…” Before he could finish, I interrupted, speaking with faux sympathy. “Oh, I didn’t mention it because I didn’t want you to lose face. I’ll call my parents right now.” He sulked and backed off. But over the next few days, he became worse, finding fault in everything. He argued with me because I hadn’t liked his posts on social media. He argued because I didn’t pour his drink at dinner. Finally, in front of all his friends, he accused me of having contributed far less to our relationship than he had over the years. His friends were confused by his sudden change of attitude but reluctantly stepped in to mediate. Riley’s eyes, watching me, were filled with open contempt and smug superiority. I knew Liam was preparing for the breakup. But I never expected that at our final gathering, he would actively push me toward Chet. He arranged for me to sit beside Chet and, during a round of Truth or Dare, urged me to sit on Chet’s back while he did push-ups. I was hazy from wine. When I woke up, I turned to see Chet’s face flushed red. Before I could react, the hotel room door was violently kicked open. Magnesium flashes blinded me. Liam stood there with Riley, followed by a dozen photographers. He pointed at me, his face crimson with manufactured rage. “Sloane! How could you do this to me? All these years of love, and you cheat with my best friend!” “Divorce! You are the guilty party; you must leave with absolutely nothing!” He shoved two documents in front of me and forcibly pressed a pen into my hand. Both Chet and I had clearly been set up. Liam didn’t just want a breakup; he wanted me utterly ruined, publicly branded as an adulterer, so he could end our four-year relationship in a way that was completely in his favor. Chet was behind me, his voice still hoarse. “I’m sorry…” I cut him off. “Don’t be. You’re not the one who did wrong.” I flipped through the agreement, reading the predatory, one-sided clauses. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and coldly toss the papers back in his face. “I’ll agree to the divorce. But the only person leaving with nothing will be you.” Riley put her hands on her hips, her voice thick with triumph. “You think you have a choice? If you don’t sign, we’ll leak these pictures tomorrow. Let’s see what you do then!” Liam couldn’t stop the smirk from spreading on his face. “Sloane, I remember your dad has a heart condition. If he were to find out…” He let the threat hang in the air for the reporters to hear. “I’ll give you three days. Sign, or you’ll face the consequences!” He draped his arm around Riley’s waist. Riley swept a triumphant gaze over me. “You should’ve treated him better. Now Liam’s all mine!” As they walked out of the room, Liam’s joy was ecstatic. “This is great! Sloane’s assets are all ours now!” Riley looked up at him with adoration, planting a wet kiss on his cheek. “You’re so smart, Liam!” Liam’s gaze was burning, and he eagerly kissed her back. Their twisted wish fulfilled, the two of them became an instant inferno, their movements growing more intense. Kissing and undressing simultaneously. Liam’s hand traced the curve of Riley’s body, instinctively moving downward. The next second, he shrieked in pain. “Ow! What is this hard thing sticking out down there?”

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I am a hitwoman. But my gentle and kind husband knows nothing about it. After all, he doesn’t even dare to kill a chicken, and needs my help to open a can. Until I was executing a mission in the largest casino in L City, and met the legendary top hitman “Orbit”. His eyes behind the mask were cold, and the Glock in his hand pointed straight at my forehead. But why, would Orbit be wearing the wedding ring I gave my husband around his neck?! 1 When I shot the target in the temple, I just happened to receive a text message from my husband, Julian. I neatly dragged the body aside, grabbed the rope fixed by the window, and jumped down. A black Aston Martin had been waiting downstairs for a long time. I took the wet wipe Lilith handed from the driver’s seat and wiped my hands. Turning on my phone, I saw the photo Julian sent me wearing only an apron, the happiness in my heart was simply as big as his pectoral muscles. I softened my voice: “Hubby wait for me, worked a little late today, I’ll be back right away.” Lilith made an exaggerated vomiting sound. “Nightshade you are so disgusting! Didn’t they say you Asian people are very reserved?” I smiled: “If you also had such a gentle husband who stays at home every day cooking and doing laundry for you, you would be like this too.” Lilith gave me the middle finger from the front. “That’s because he thinks you are a hardworking programmer!” I shrugged, not caring at all. Lilith is definitely jealous that I have a pampered husband at home. 2 My name is Rain Tang, codename Nightshade, a member of the international assassin organization “X”. I got married a year ago, fell in love at first sight with my blind date Julian. In Country M, meeting a suitable person is not easy. But Julian satisfied all my fantasies about a lover. He is of mixed Asian and M Country descent, tall and handsome, and very gentle. He has soft black hair, a soft personality, and soft pectoral muscles… Maybe many people can’t accept their partner being a househusband, but for me, it couldn’t be more suitable. Ah, what could be happier than coming home after fighting and killing outside to see a table of delicious food made by my husband, and then burying my head in his pectoral muscles? Just like now. 3 Seeing me open the door, Julian naturally helped me take off my coat, then hugged me. “Wifey, you’re finally back.” “A light in the living room is broken, I’m so scared, but don’t know how to fix it.” I rubbed against his chest, then simply stood on the chair and changed the light bulb. For my hands that can assemble a Desert Eagle blindfolded in just 22 seconds, this is simply a piece of cake. But my weak husband looked at me with adoring eyes. “Wifey, you are so amazing.” I kissed Julian. Actually, in my heart, Julian who can make such a big table of delicious food is equally amazing. I sat beside him eating, asking casually: “Hubby, what did you do at home today?” Julian paused, then smiled and answered me. “I watered the flowers at home today, and cleaned up the hygiene. Then prepared dinner for you.” Look, this is my perfect little pampered husband. I couldn’t help but get closer to Julian, holding his waist, whispering in his ear. “Hubby, finished eating, want to eat something else?” Julian readily carried me to the bed. But just as he started to unbutton my clothes, he suddenly froze. “Didn’t you tell me the company worked overtime?? Overtime until someone stuffed a men’s tie in your pocket?” I watched helplessly as Julian pulled out a crumpled tie from my pocket— The murder weapon I used to suffocate the target two hours ago. 4 Julian hugged me, tears falling like broken beads. “Where did I not do well, that made wifey want to find a lover?” “Is his cooking more delicious than mine? Is he better than me in bed?” “Is it because you think I always stay at home and don’t go out to work? I have a lot of savings, I give them all to you.” “Wifey… you can’t abandon me…” Julian cried and heaved, my denials turned into broken gasps. I could only helplessly hug him tighter. Getting up the next day, I emphasized to Julian again and again, I really really only love him, absolutely didn’t cheat. But I couldn’t explain to him, where that tie came from. I can’t tell Julian, his programmer wife who leaves early and returns late is actually a killer with countless blood on her hands!!! Julian, such a weak person, definitely can’t accept it. He will be scared into wanting to divorce me! 5 To show loyalty to my husband, I didn’t take any missions for a week, staying home with Julian every day. I bought Julian many bouquets, and various luxury goods, and gave him whatever he wanted in bed. But Julian was still depressed. Because he asked me for that tie, but I burned it directly. Baby, that was a murder weapon—! I myself wander in danger all year round, but I absolutely cannot accept my weak husband falling into any risk. Julian was even sadder. But while preparing sumptuous meals for me, he told me firmly: “It’s not your fault.” “Wifey, I believe you didn’t cheat.” “It’s the people outside who are too bad, someone must be trying to seduce you, that’s why they put the tie in your pocket so despicably.” I had to accept the reason “someone wants to seduce me” to explain that tie. “Yes hubby, must be my damn programmer colleague. But I will absolutely not be seduced by him.” “I hate that group of indifferent mechanical people, I only like gentle people like you, making me very protective.” Julian’s hand opening a can suddenly stopped. “Baby…” He handed me the knife and can, “I can’t open it. Help me, okay?” I opened the can easily. Julian looked at me with adoration and admiration, his eyelashes drooping softly like small fans. I hugged him from behind. Although my head only reached his shoulder, I could feel his dependence on me. I comforted my beautiful husband lovingly: “If one day I really cheat, you can beat me up, and then divorce me.” I heard the person in front of me say in his usual gentle tone: “No, I will kill him. We won’t divorce.” Such childish joking words. But clearly Julian doesn’t even dare to kill a chicken at home. I couldn’t help but feel softer in my heart, and felt guilty for hiding my killer identity from him. I’m afraid my weak husband who can’t take care of himself, never dreamed that his wife has really killed many people.

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I’m a teacher, and for several days in a row, I saw words of affection in an unsigned homework notebook. Startled, I stopped washing my hair and face, picked my teeth in public, and wore mismatched clothes. Unexpectedly, even so, a line of words was left on the homework notebook that day. 【Can a teacher really fall in love with their own student?】 I wrote down “No” without hesitation. The next day, a new message appeared. 【Then why did he hug me and kiss me? Isn’t it because of love?】 I suddenly realized this wasn’t a confession. It was a cry for help. 1 I hardly slept all night. As soon as I arrived at school, I found the class representative and told him that the error rate of yesterday’s homework was a bit high. I asked him to notify the students to come to the office individually to pick up their homework so I could tutor them. I thought that since she could leave messages for me in the homework notebook, she wanted to ask me for help. I waited nervously for a whole day. After the last student took their homework notebook away, I was dumbfounded. Because that unsigned homework notebook was still there. Is it not from our class? That’s also possible. This private high school has mostly older teachers. As the only young teacher hired this year, I’ve always had good relationships with students. So at first, when I saw those messages in the homework notebook: 【Teacher kept looking at me again today. Does he really like me?】 【What exactly did the teacher mean by what he said to me today? Am I overthinking it?】 【Teacher brought me snacks today. No one has ever been this good to me.】 My first reaction was that I had overstepped my bounds and caused “her” to have a bad misunderstanding. Therefore, I deliberately ignored those messages and just dressed sloppily. I was even fined 500 dollars by the vice principal for not paying attention to my appearance as a teacher. Thinking about this, I felt a bit regretful. Not regretting the 500 dollars, but regretting not realizing earlier that she was asking for help. I opened the homework notebook. The interval between the first message and the last one was half a month. A lot can happen in half a month. The more I thought about it, the more I regretted it. I scratched my head in annoyance. Looking up again, I froze. Another line of words appeared on the homework notebook. 【Teacher took me out for burgers today. He said it was a reward for my obedience.】 Immediately after, a second line appeared, the handwriting much messier than the previous one. 【But I really don’t want to do those things anymore.】 2 The sound of the homework notebook falling to the ground woke me from my shock. I picked it up and rubbed my eyes. The words were still there. I slapped myself. It hurt. The words were still there. I took a deep breath, picked up the pen with trembling hands, and wrote a line on it. 【If you don’t want to do it, then don’t. No one has the right to force you to do things you don’t like.】 After writing, I held my breath and stared closely at the homework notebook. Soon, I saw words appearing slowly one by one, forming a sentence. 【So the reply last time wasn’t an illusion. Who are you? Are you the Wish Diary Fairy?】 I thought for a moment, then picked up the pen and slowly wrote. 【Hello student, I am a literature teacher currently working at Si Hai Private High School. My name is Julian Carter. You can call me Mr. Carter.】 Thinking of what she might have encountered, I gritted my teeth and wrote another sentence. 【You can also call me Brother Julian.】 Wait, thinking of her situation, maybe a female identity is better. 【Actually, you can call me Sister Julian.】 Not intending to deceive, just thinking that as a female, she might let down her guard more easily, and I could help her better. 【Sister? You are… a girl?】 【Yes.】 After writing this line, there was no response for a long time. I rubbed my brow, starting to review this seemingly bizarre situation. From the other party’s words, it can be inferred that she is a student currently experiencing something very painful, so she wrote it in her Wish Diary. And the content of her diary appeared in this homework notebook, and she could also see the words I wrote in the homework notebook. Apart from this, I knew nothing about her name or which school she was in. To help her, I needed to know more information and make her trust me. Thinking of this, I opened the homework notebook again. Just as I picked up the pen, a line of words appeared on it. 【Liar! I checked. There is no female teacher named Julian Carter in our school!】 3 She is really in the same school as me! Just as I picked up the pen to reply, new words appeared again. 【Where are you, a wandering ghost from?】 【Forget it, it’s fine even if you’re a ghost. After all, what happened to me can’t be told to anyone. It’s too disgusting.】 【Why don’t you reply to me? Are you angry?】 【Sorry, I was too agitated.】 From the gradually slowing words, I seemed to glimpse the other party’s pain and caution. Clearly, she was in an extremely painful state, yet she apologized in fear of losing me, the only person she could talk to. My heart felt inexplicably sour. Victims shouldn’t be so humble. 【Hello student, I’m not angry. I was just thinking about how to explain to you that I didn’t lie. I indeed joined Si Hai Private High School as a teacher in September 2024.】 As one line fell, another appeared immediately. 【2024? But it’s 2009 here!】 I looked at the homework notebook in disbelief. I dared not think that I was talking to someone from 15 years ago. Not giving me time to think deeply, another line appeared in the notebook. 【I believe you.】 I breathed a sigh of relief. If she believes me, then I can find a way to help her. Although across time and space, as a teacher, no matter whose student, which time’s student, when they are in difficulty, I should help without hesitation. 【I can feel your confusion from the words you wrote. Is it convenient for you to tell me the specific problem you encountered? I’ll think about how to help you.】 【There’s nothing inconvenient with you.】 I was stunned, then realized. She probably meant that because of the time and space gap between us, she could speak about those things frankly. 【At first, I just thought he was the best teacher to me.】 4 【When school just started, I reported to school with my luggage by myself. The bag holding the luggage was very tattered, and classmates laughed at me. He didn’t mind and even helped me carry the luggage to the dormitory.】 【The next day, he gave me a suitcase. I didn’t want it. He told me not to overthink, saying his family was also very poor when he was young, and he encountered similar things. Seeing me reminded him of his past self.】 【He also actively added my contact information and cared about me every day.】 Seeing this, I couldn’t help frowning. This matter might seem fine, but a male teacher actively adding a female student’s contact information and expressing concern every day is in itself overstepping boundaries, or more accurately, plotting something illicit. But the female student involved, due to age and experience, cannot perceive it. 【At that time, I really thought he was very good, better to me than my parents. They only like my younger brother. We aren’t even on the same household register.】 A stinging pain came from my fingertip. I accidentally pricked my hand. 【And then?】 I endured the palpitation and wrote down a line. As if peeking through the paper, seeing the bewildered teenage her stepping into the net carefully woven for her step by step. 【My math grades weren’t good, but he still made me the math class representative, saying it could motivate me, and actively offered to tutor me for free.】 【But it made another girl with very good math grades unhappy. She said I was seducing the teacher.】 【She was once my only, best friend.】 A water stain appeared on the homework notebook. I didn’t cry; it was her from 15 years ago crying. Seemingly non-existent seduction, clumsy provocation. But they were too young, barely distinguishing black from white, let alone gray. 【Then I said I didn’t want to be the class representative anymore.】 【He disagreed. He said he liked me.】

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I wanted to check the balance for our power bill, but when I logged into The City Power & Light App, I found two separate utility accounts linked under my husband’s name. The second account’s memo field read: “The Real Home.” A cold dread washed over me. The real home? I called my husband, Liam, keeping my voice level. “Why is there an extra electricity bill under your name? For a property I don’t recognize?” I could hear the click of a keyboard on his end. He sounded unconcerned, even a little bored. “Oh, that’s just my mother’s account. She can’t figure out how to use the app, so I linked her place to mine to pay it for her. You know how she is.” I called him a good son—such a good son—and hung up. Then I opened the monthly usage details for that second account. The power consumption was higher than ours. Worse, the peak usage times were every weekend, precisely when Liam and I were sleeping in separate rooms. I wrote down the address, grabbed my keys, and started the car. 1 The navigation ended at The Pinnacle Residences, the most exclusive high-rise development in the city. The apartments here cost at least twice what our house was worth. I parked on the street and looked up at the towering glass facade, bright with the evening lights. The security guard stopped me at the gate. I gave him Liam’s full name and, chillingly, the exact utility account number. He snapped off a salute and let me through. The elevator stopped at the twenty-sixth floor. I stood before the heavy steel door, took a deep breath that did nothing to calm my heart, and pressed the doorbell. A set of light, quick footsteps approached from inside, followed by a young woman’s voice. “Honey, I thought you went out for soy sauce? Why are you ringing the bell?” The door swung open. A woman stood there in a dove-gray silk slip dress, holding a half-eaten green apple. She saw me and froze. And I froze. I knew that face intimately. It belonged to Sierra, the scholarship student I had been sponsoring for the last six years. The slip dress she was wearing? I had bought it last month. I hadn’t even had time to clip the tag before it disappeared. Liam had said the cleaning lady must have misplaced it. It looked much better on her. The apple slipped from Sierra’s hand and rolled across the polished floor, stopping at the toe of my boot. “A-Ava?” she stammered. I looked at her, my face a carefully constructed blank, and pushed past her into the apartment. In the entryway were two pairs of slippers: one pink, fuzzy rabbit pair, and one pair of soft gray linen ones. The gray pair I had crocheted for Liam myself. The living room was vast. A thick wool rug covered the floor in front of the picture window, and little plastic pieces of a partially built LEGO castle were scattered across it. On the feature wall hung a massive wedding photo. In it, Liam had his arm tight around Sierra’s waist. They were laughing—a blinding, joyful laugh that felt like a physical assault on my eyes. “Who is it? Why are you so quiet?” The sound of a flushing toilet preceded the opening of a bathroom door. Liam walked out, drying his wet hair with a towel, wearing only a low-slung bath sheet. He looked up and his hand, mid-wipe, froze in the air. The oxygen seemed to be sucked out of the room. I walked to the coffee table and picked up the half-finished LEGO castle. “Is this the house you linked to help your mother pay her electric bill?” I opened my hand. The LEGO castle crashed onto the marble floor, shattering into a hundred pieces. Liam finally reacted. He rushed forward, putting himself between me and Sierra. “What are you doing here? Were you tracking me?” I looked at his naked torso, noting the fresh, faint scratch marks across his chest. “We’ve been sleeping in separate rooms on the weekends because you needed to come here to ‘work late,’ is that it?” Liam scowled. There wasn’t a flicker of remorse, only annoyance. “Ava, would you just stop with the passive-aggressive commentary? Since you’ve already seen everything, there’s nothing to hide.” He glanced back at the trembling Sierra, and his expression softened instantly. “Sierra is pregnant. The doctor said she has a fragile constitution and shouldn’t be startled.” I laughed out loud. “And me? I just deserve to be startled?” Liam threw the towel onto the marble. “Can you be reasonable for once? We’ve been married for five years, and your uterus is completely silent! My mother is going crazy with worry! I’m the only son, I can’t let my family line die out!” Sierra peeked out from behind him, her voice small and pathetic. “Ava, please don’t blame Liam. It was my choice. I don’t need a title; all I want is for the baby to be born safely…” I swung my arm. SLAAP! The sharp crack cut through her manipulative words. Liam shoved me hard, the force of it sending me stumbling back against the edge of the television console. “Ava! Are you finished with this madness? This is my home. Get out!” 2 Clutching my aching lower back, I straightened up. “Your home? Liam, have you completely forgotten who provided the start-up capital for your company and everything else you currently possess?” Liam scoffed, walking over to the coffee table drawer. He pulled out a document and tossed it at me. “I relied on you then, yes, but the company has been profitable on its own for two years. I bought this apartment with my own dividends. It’s in Sierra’s name. It has zero to do with you.” I glanced down at the deed copy. Sure enough, the owner’s name was listed, stark and clear: Sierra. I tore the copy into small pieces and let the fragments drift down in front of them. “Fine. Very fine. Liam, you will pay for what you’ve done today.” I turned to leave. His disdainful voice followed me. “Who are you trying to scare? Without me, you’re just a worn-out trophy wife who only knows shopping and spa days. Go ahead and sue me! Adultery isn’t a crime. We’ll get divorced, and the assets will be split fifty-fifty!” Back in the car, my hands were shaking so badly I couldn’t fasten the seatbelt. My phone vibrated. It was Liam. “Don’t make a scene. Save yourself some dignity. My mother already knows Sierra is having a boy. If you’re willing to accept the situation, the child can call you ‘Mom’ after it’s born, and we can go back to how things were. If you decide to go to war, you’re the one who loses everything.” He followed that with a screenshot of a bank transfer. Five million dollars. Recipient: Sierra. Memo: Nutritional Support. I stared at the number, and suddenly, my trembling stopped. Five million dollars. That was the exact amount I had withdrawn from the trust fund my father left me just last week. Liam had claimed his company was in a bind and needed emergency capital. The emergency capital went into the mistress’s belly. I started the car and drove straight to the office. I wasn’t going home. If he thought he could flourish without me, I would show him exactly who was indispensable. I called Mr. Henderson, our Chief Financial Officer. “Mr. Henderson, I need a detailed accounting of every project Liam has handled recently. Send me all the ledgers. Also, freeze every corporate credit card and subsidiary account in his name. Effective immediately.” Mr. Henderson hesitated on the line. “Ms. Ava, Liam is… the CEO. Wouldn’t this make things irrevocably hostile?” “Just follow my instructions.” I hung up and dialed another number. “Elena Delacroix? I need you to draft divorce papers. Also, I need a deep dive into every asset transfer Liam has made over the last six months.” Only after completing all of that did I drive back to our house. When I opened the door, the house felt terrifyingly cold and empty. The bouquet of roses Liam had given me last week was still on the entryway table. They had withered, petals scattering across the wood. I dumped the flowers and the vase into the trash. In the bedroom, I opened his side of the custom closet and began taking out his clothes, one by one. The scissors made a satisfying slicing sound as they went through the expensive fabric. Armani, sliced. Zegna, sliced. Hand-tailored shirts, all sliced. When the last piece was shredded, I kicked the pile of ruined fabric aside, lay on the bed, and stared at the ceiling until dawn. 3 I was woken the next morning by an insistent pounding on the door. I opened it to find Carol, Liam’s mother, standing there, her face contorted with fury. Behind her were Liam and Sierra, carrying an array of luggage. “Ava! You barren woman, you have the audacity to still be sleeping? Get out of the way and clear a room for Sierra!” Carol shoved past me and marched into the house, pulling a stunned Sierra with her. “Oh, my sweet grandson, we can’t have you getting tired. This is the south-facing room; it gets the best light. You’ll be in the master suite from now on.” Liam surveyed the remnants of his expensive wardrobe strewn across the bedroom floor. His face was thunderous. “Ava, are you insane? You cut up all my suits?” I leaned against the doorframe, watching the little family unit with cold detachment. “It’s my house. I’ll cut up whatever I want. As for the three of you, you are trespassing. I can call the police.” Carol pointed a shaking finger at my face. “Your house? Liam bought this house! You’ve been living off him for years! Now that he’s finally getting an heir, instead of being grateful, you’re causing trouble? I’m telling you now, Sierra is the mistress of this house. You either serve her, or you get out!” I looked at Carol’s twisted, furious face, and felt only profound pity. This house was my pre-marital property, paid for in full. I had only added Liam’s name to the deed because he had insisted it would make him feel more “secure” after we married. Now, he was claiming it as his own. Sierra clung to Carol’s arm, teary-eyed and miserable. “Mrs. Harrington, please don’t yell at Ava. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have come. I’ll just go back…” “Go back where?” Liam snatched her arm. “This is your home! Ava, I’m giving you a final notice: Sierra is staying here to rest. Either you accept the situation, or you move out.” I walked over to the sofa and sat down, crossing my legs. “I’ll move out. The house is worth twelve million. Subtracting wear and tear, give me six million, and I’ll be gone immediately.” Liam laughed as if I’d told a joke. “Six million? Are you trying to rob me? You haven’t worked in years. All the household expenses came from my earnings, and I deserve credit for the increase in value. I’ll give you two million. Take it or leave it.” Carol chimed in. “That’s generous! Two million for a used wife like you is a steal! Who’s going to want a second-hand woman, anyway?” I took out my phone and activated the recording feature. “Say that all again.” Liam lunged toward me, trying to grab the phone. “What are you recording! Ava, I’m warning you, don’t take this too far!” I sidestepped his reach and stood up. “Since we can’t agree, we’ll see each other in court.” I walked into the bedroom to pack a suitcase. If they wanted to live here, I would let them live here. I just wanted to see how many days they could last in my house without my money. When I came out dragging my suitcase, Sierra was sitting on the sofa, eating a bowl of Bird’s Nest soup—an expensive delicacy Liam had imported last month for me to improve my health. I hadn’t even opened the package. Seeing me, Sierra gave a small, triumphant smirk. “Ava, this is delicious. Don’t be too upset, though. It’s normal as you get older. Not everyone can have children.” I stopped, walked over to her, and picked up the bowl. I calmly dumped the entire bowl of slimy, sticky liquid onto her head. The soup and tiny fragments of white mushroom dripped down her hair and across her face. “Agh! My hair!” Sierra shrieked, jumping to her feet. Carol and Liam rushed out of the kitchen. “What happened? What happened?” Seeing Sierra’s soaked, horrified face, Liam raised his hand to strike me. I looked at him, my gaze freezing him mid-swing. “If you dare touch me, I will make sure you never work in this industry again.” Liam’s hand stopped in mid-air. He knew I held too much leverage. All those fraudulent accounts, all those kickbacks he’d taken—I had the evidence. He ground his teeth together and slowly lowered his hand. “Ava. You’re cold-blooded. You’ll regret this.” I pulled my suitcase and walked out, not looking back at the place I once called home.

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